STARCROSSED!
"C'mon Daniel, let's get finished up here before Apophis' soldiers return from the forest," instructed Colonel Jack O'Neill, head of SG1, as he and Major Samantha Carter trained their weapons across the open no-mans-land.
Daniel had been noting some ancient text that could lead to a better understanding of some of the Goa'uld technologies and weaknesses. "Almost done…" Daniel panned his digital video recorder across one of the more prominent artefacts just as Jack called him once more. Now there was no more time – Jaffa had begun to emerge from the undergrowth. A volley of power strikes from the Jaffa's staff weapons forced the whole of SG1 to take up defensive positions. Teal'c, the only non-human member of SG1, joined in the battle. Gunfire resonated throughout the chamber where Daniel Jackson was filming. Swiftly, looking over his shoulder he finished his recording and bundled the video recorder into his jacket pocket before joining in the fray against the approaching enemy. Jaffa began falling, unable to defend themselves against the more primitive penetrating Earth weapons.
Eventually, the first troop of Jaffa were slain. It was time for the SG1 team to head back to the Stargate before more of Apophis' men could arrive with reinforcements.
The 'gate' was only sparsely guarded and, after only a few shots from their automatic rifles, Daniel began to dial the gate home using the DHD. The gate billowed out a simulated watery torrent before settling into a rippling entrance to the porthole. In actual fact, it wasn't water at all, but one end of a wormhole formed of energy that would take the travellers back to Earth. First to enter was Sam and Teal'c. Covering the rear was Jack, who was just behind Daniel.
Back at Stargate command, the signal was received that SG1 were returning from planet P6972. General Hammond, commander of the base, ordered the titanium iris to be opened to allow the travellers entry through the Stargate and the SGC. The iris had been installed to prevent any invasion from the Goa'uld or any other unfriendly aliens from infiltrating the command centre and possibly leading an attack on the rest of the planet.
Suddenly, the gate received a power surge causing the wormhole to destabilise momentarily, although the base computers and technicians rectified the problem almost instantly. General Hammond and the operating officers breathed out the air that they had been holding in as Major Sam Carter and Teal'c stepped from the shimmering portal, closely followed by another traveller. Then the wormhole dissolved. Armed guards surrounded the shocked travellers, only then did both Sam and Teal'c realise that neither Jack nor Daniel were behind them. The stranger, too, seemed unable to comprehend his situation and crouched down in fear of his life.
"Where's Colonel O'Neill and Daniel?" queried Sam with a waiver in her voice.
"I do not know," answered Teal'c simply. "I believed them to be behind us."
From above, General Hammond spoke through the public address system. "Would somebody mind telling me, what is going on? Where are Colonel O'Neill and Dr Jackson?"
Sam looked quizzically at Teal'c and then the alien, who remained crouched down on the ground in fear, and shrugged her shoulders in disbelief.
Jack and Daniel tumbled from the Stargate onto a planet they had never visited before. The air was cold and crisp, but the two suns in the sky gave plenty of light, if not heat. Jack placed his dark glasses over his eyes to protect them from the dazzling illumination. Daniel pulled his wide-brimmed hat down to the top of his glasses, it wasn't as effective but it did help against some of the glare.
"O-Kay…So Daniel, what planet did you dial?"
"I-I don't understand. I definitely dialled home, as I've done hundreds of times, I'm positive."
"Well, this certainly doesn't look like the base I left this morning. Either that, or the General has done some serious redecorating in our absence!"
"Where are Sam and Teal'c? They went through the gate just in front of us…"
Both members of SG1 scanned the surrounding area, but there was no trace of their friends.
"C'mon Daniel, just dial home again and we'll forget this little excursion. Let's get out of here."
"No argument from me!" Daniel moved to the DHD, but before he could dial home he noticed it was obvious they would not be able to dial out – several of the symbols had been removed, including the symbol that represents Earth… "Looks like we are stuck here, at least for the time being, anyway. I need to work out from these symbols if there is any way of dialling home via another gate."
"Can't you just put a few symbols in, we go through the gate and then dial home from that planet?
"No! The chances of travelling to a planet that has a suitable atmosphere, no hostile inhabitants and a fully functional DHD…"
"Ok, ok, I get the picture," Jack resigned himself to the fact that for the time being, at least, they were stranded on this unknown planet. "We had better check this place out and make camp before the sun goes down…err both of them!" His cheeky grin even managing to make Daniel smile.
The stranger gingerly stood upright on the 'runway' that lead from the Stargate withing the SGC. "Is this 'Kh-ven'?" he asked weakly. Before anyone could respond to his question, the frail visitor collapsed. Dr Janet Frasier, the chief medical officer, was summoned and together with a team of medical staff, she transferred the sick stranger to the base infirmary.
An hour later, both Sam and Teal'c were at the stranger's bedside. He had regained consciousness and Dr Frasier had approved him for visitors, stating that although his condition was serious it was not contagious.
"Hello," began Sam pleasantly. "My name is Samantha Carter and this is Teal'c." She nodded towards her colleague, who in turn bowed purposefully, yet reverently in greeting.
"My name is Eth'ran," his voice raspy and weak. "Where am I? Is this 'Kh-ven'?"
"Er…this is Earth. You are safe here, you're in a hospital. When you arrived you collapsed," Sam explained.
"This is not 'Kh-ven'?" Eth'ran queried once more, panic building in his voice.
"No, what is 'Kh-ven'?"
"It is the place we go to begin our journey."
"Your journey to where?"
"Not where, to ourselves."
"I'm sorry, but you're not making much sense, what do you mean yourselves?"
Teal'c interrupted the conversation by adding what he believed to be the answer. "There is a race, the Jaffa know of called the Redimars, who believe in travelling through the Stargate so they may ascend to a new level of being."
"Zis is correct," replied Eth'ran. His eyes flickered shut and his body convulsed.
"What's happening?" Sam asked.
Dr Frasier rallied her team around him leaving Sam and Teal'c to wait patiently in the hall. Once Eth'ran had been stabilised, Janet joined Sam and Teal'c outside. "I've given him a sedative and an anti-convulsant so he will be out of it for a while."
Sam thanked Janet and they left the infirmary as Teal'c continued to relate his knowledge of the Redimars.
Sam looked to Teal'c, her eyes wide as she began to comprehend the facts as Teal'c related what he knew.
"It is not like the ascension that Daniel Jackson experienced, but in their beliefs they move on to a new plane of existence."
"Like reincarnation, then?"
"I believe so."
Jack and Daniel had travelled about half a mile along a pathway that was obviously well used. As they rounded the latest bend they came to what appeared to be a small town. The SG1 members observed the inhabitants from a safe distance using their standard issue binoculars. Daniel noticed the crude tools, rudimentary buildings and what looked like some sort of care facility or hospital, where people were being carried who were plainly quite ill or injured.
"They seem friendly enough," remarked Daniel. "Atchoo!"
"Yeah…" Jack was not convinced so easily. "And do something about those allergies!"
Daniel nodded and blew his nose.
As they walked into town a tall, silvery haired gentleman greeted them. "Welcome to Kh-ven. I am Svetlor."
"Hello. I am Daniel Jackson and this is Colonel Jack O'Neill… Kh-ven?" he whispered deep in thought. "Kh-ven – Heaven, this is heaven!" This revelation caused Jack to blink at Daniel and pinch himself, just incase he had not realised he was dead. He wasn't.
"Daniel, I hate to point out the obvious, but we aren't dead!"
"I know that, but…"
"No buts, just tell me how we are going to get out of this – hmm?"
"Err, well, I'm not sure at the moment."
"NOT SURE!" he shrieked. Then recomposing himself realising that some of the towns people had stopped what they were doing to listen, he resumed in a quieter tone. "Not sure? We don't know where we are," Jack held his hand up as Daniel was about to interrupt. "We don't know how we got here, and now you are telling me you don't know how to get us home?"
Reluctantly, Daniel nodded.
"Aargh," Jack yelled in frustration.
"You are welcome to stay here," offered Svetlor.
"Thanks, but I'm not quite ready to pass through the pearly gates just yet." Jack intoned sarcastically.
"We do not have any of these pearl gates that you speak of," replied Svetlor innocently.
"Never mind…"
At a briefing with General Hammond, Sam explained all that she understood from speaking to Eth'ran. "Sir, it appears that as we dialled out of P6972, Eth'ran also dialled out from his home planet, Demrah, to this place he calls 'Kh-ven'. Using the results from the diagnostics and simulations I have run, it appears that as the two wormholes established the energy produced, in conjunction with a sub-space anomaly, somehow caused the wires to get crossed, which is how Eth'ran managed to end up here and, we are assuming, that Colonel O'Neill and Daniel got diverted to Kh-ven."
"So, why haven't they just dialled back home then Major?"
"There could be a number of reasons; they, too, may have been injured in the crossover, the DHD is not working or even missing, or, even if they did make it safely to a planet with a fully functioning DHD, they won't know what co-ordinate to input as the place of origin…"
"Or they have met with hostile inhabitants," Teal'c's theory was one everyone had thought of, but no-one had wanted to consider. "However, I have heard of this Demrah before. It is a planet often frequented by the Goa'uld for the purpose of harvesting hosts."
"Major, I want you to liase with Eth'ran so we can get our people home," ordered the General.
"I'm afraid that's out of the question for the time being, sir," Dr Frasier had entered the briefing room with news of her patient. "As of about ten minutes ago, Eth'ran slipped into a coma. His organs are shutting down – he's dying!"
Sam looked horrified. "Teal'c, can you remember the dial up address for Demrah?"
"I believe I can."
"Good." General Hammond stated. "Major Carter, I want you, Teal'c and SG6 to head off to this Demrah to see if you can learn some more about Kh-ven."
"Yes sir," Sam acknowledged. Teal'c simply lowered his head in compliance.
The 'gate technicians entered the address that Teal'c had given them as Sam readied the M.A.L.P. on the Stargate ramp. The M.A.L.P. was to ensure that the teams from Earth were not wandering into an ambush or any other unforeseen problems. Once the transmissions were received and the situation approved as being 'good to go', the two teams entered the shimmering vortex that would take them to the other side of the galaxy.
Demrah's landscape was one that definitely showed signs of habitation. To the right of the 'gate the land had been tended and now bore a healthy crop of grain. The track lead directly to a large village that was heavily populated. SG6 remained at the gate for security purposes. The problem was, as SG1 entered the village, the inhabitants ran for cover, locking themselves in their houses or fleeing into the nearby woodland.
"Stop! Please don't run away, we only want to talk. We mean you no harm," called Major Carter.
"It is no use," began Teal'c. "They are afraid."
"Well, I suppose they have good reason to be afraid of strangers who come through the Stargate."
A young woman who had been hiding behind a number of barrels, inadvertently knocked one over, disclosing her position. Sam and Teal'c spun around, their weapons raised.
"WAIT!" Carter instructed. Then in a softer tone she turned toward the young woman, who was now cowering in fear on the floor. "Here, let me help you up." Sam offered the woman her hand, which she tentatively took. "We mean you no harm. We are explorers, from Earth. Please…"
The woman looked uncertainly at Samantha, fearful that she was being tricked into becoming a prisoner of this stranger, and when she saw Teal'c she screamed and flung herself face down upon the ground terrified that her worse fears were being realised. "Jaffa…"
"It's OK," Sam reassured again. "Teal'c won't hurt you – he no longer serves the Goa'uld, but is helping us to fight them."
The woman slowly raised her head to check that what this stranger had said was true – Teal'c simply bowed in greeting – it was true. Slowly, she got to her feet. Other villagers, who had been watching from their hiding places, began to emerge.
"My name is Samantha Carter and this is Teal'c."
"I-I am Porja. I am sorry for the way in which our village greeted you, but we are not used to 'friendly' visitors through the Chappai. Usually, it is men such as yourself," she pointed at Teal'c, "in serpent uniforms, who come to our land to take our families and friends so that the Goa'uld can change them into people they are not."
"We know, and we are trying to do everything we can to stop them, and if you can help us find our friends we will help you protect yourselves against the Goa'uld ever coming back again."
"These friends that you speak of, they are as you are?"
"Yes," Sam said, encouraged.
"Then we have not seen them. No one has come through the Chappai for nearly a season."
"It is possible they didn't actually come to your planet."
"Then, I do not see how we can help you find them."
"Yesterday, you sent a man though the 'gate… Chappai - Eth'ran."
"You know of Eth'ran?"
"Yes. As a result of a freak accident, he somehow got diverted from where he was going, to Earth. Now we believe that our friends were also caught up in this accident and have been transported to Kh-ven by mistake."
Porja looked shocked by this revelation, and swayed slightly. Teal'c supported and escorted her to a nearby step, where she could sit down. Samantha looked on, curious to her reaction.
"Eth'ran is my brother. He has been sick for many seasons now. It was decided that during his last period of remission that he should travel to Kh-ven so that he may pass into his new life before his body is unable to manage the journey."
"Do you have the code to get to Kh-ven?"
"Only the priestess knows the Chappai's secrets. It is forbidden for us to use the Chappai until it is our turn to take our new lives."
"Where can we find this priestess?"
"Come, I will take you."
The journey was short. Porja had taken Sam and Teal'c through the woods to a small rustic cottage nestled at the edge of a clearing. Sat outside, deep in meditation was the priestess.
"Sharni, I apologise for disturbing you, but I have brought visitors who need your help."
Sharni opened her eyes. "Come, sit." She invited and then closed her eyes once more. Carter and Teal'c looked at each other, then complied. "You have come far…"
"Yes," began Sam, but before she could finish Sharni spoke again.
"You are worried about your friends, you need not. They are safe now."
"You don't understand, we are here to get them back."
Sharni opened her eyes dismayed by this last statement. "You cannot come back once you have travelled through the Chappai."
"That's not exactly true. You see, there was an accident and a man from your world and our friends somehow swapped places whilst using the Stargate, er, the Chappai."
"That cannot be!" Sharni exclaimed.
"We need the codes for Kh-ven so we may rescue our friends…and I assure you that Eth'ran is receiving the best care available."
"He is not in Kh-ven?"
"No, he's on Earth. We have a medic…" Sam's sentence was cut short as Sharni became agitated and began chanting in some foreign language that neither of the SG1 members could understand or recognise.
"Will you help us, please?" begged Sam as the chanting ceased.
"The gods have told me that they will consider your request. I will let you know their decision when it is made," with that, Sharni returned to her trance-like meditation without another word.
The walk back to the village seemed longer than the journey to the clearing. Neither Sam nor Teal'c spoke, both were highly charged and desperate to see their friends again. Now they had to wait for 'the gods' to grant them the dial-up code so they might form a rescue party. They just hoped that it would be soon, and neither wanted to consider the possibility that they might be refused…
Dr Frasier checked the latest bloodwork on her patient. His condition was improving, slowly, but he remained unconscious.
"How's he doing, doctor?" asked General Hammond who'd entered the infirmary behind her.
"He's holding his own, sir, but I'm not sure how long it'll last. There has been a slight improvement, but it's still too early to say for sure."
"Keep me informed, won't you?"
"Yes sir."
Things had not improved for Jack and Daniel; they still had no idea where they were, geographically speaking, or how they were going to return home. They had, however, discovered that Svetlor was a comprehensive physician. He appeared to be the person to whom everyone went to with any medical complaint, and there were a lot of people who needed his help. It was decided Daniel would see what he could find out about the town and its people whilst Jack concentrated his efforts upon the surrounding area.
Later that day, the two SG1 members met up to brief the other on what they had found out.
"Virtually all of the people in this town are receiving medical attention," Daniel began. "From what I can gather, these people come through the gate so that they may begin a new life, kind of like the way we believe in angels or reincarnation."
"Then you need to see this," Jack intoned remorsefully.
Just over the rise and nestled in the next valley was what could only be described as an enormous cemetery. Stone graves, earth mounds and memorial headstones adorned the landscape for as far as the eye could see.
"Oh my god," breathed Daniel clearly shocked by the thousands of people who must be buried there. "These people have come through the gate to die, not to ascend…"
On their return to the town, they could see a woman walking in their direction, some distance ahead. Before they could reach her to ask what she knew of this planet, she dropped to her knees and fell to the floor, unconscious. Jack and Daniel ran to her aid.
"She's still alive, but barely," reported Daniel after checking the pulse in her neck. He lifted her dead weight and carried her in his arms the remainder of the way to town, and headed directly to what constituted the local hospital. Svetlor met Daniel at the entrance and helped him carry the woman inside. "How is she, doc?" asked Jack with concern after Svetlor had managed to check her over.
"Serenta is seriously ill, I'm not sure I can do anything for her."
"Try, please…" Daniel begged.
Svetlor worked feverishly administering medicines and checking her condition repeatedly. Unfortunately, it was all in vain. "I am sorry," he shook his head sadly.
Jack turned away and hung his head with grief. Daniel expressed his uncharacteristically by slamming his fist against the doorframe, his eyes red and puffy from fighting back his emotions. "This should not be happening…" he fumed.
"Take it easy Daniel," Jack placed a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder.
Daniel jerked away. "These people have been sent here to die Jack, and there's not a damn thing we can do to help them."
"I have been here many years now, but I cannot save everyone…" Svetlor lowered his head in shame.
"Wait a minute," Daniel's anger waned. "You have been here for years? How long, exactly?"
"Nearly five years now. I was sent here because a chemical imbalance in my blood caused a severe infection. It is a common complaint upon my planet, for which we have no cure. The doctors I saw said that I would be dead within a couple of weeks."
"But you are still alive."
"Yes, shortly after I arrived here my condition improved. Now I am as healthy as I ever was, and I now treat those who are less fortunate than I, so as to make their journey as comfortable and pain free as possible."
"You said you couldn't save everyone, that would imply that there are others, like yourself, who have survived beyond the time expected?"
"That is correct."
"How many are we talking about?"
"Over three thousand."
"Th-three thousand!" Jack's interest piqued. "WOW!"
"Approximately, I have their records in my office."
"How is it that so many have survived?"
"I am not certain, but many appear to improve within a couple of days of arriving here."
"What medicines do you give them?" Daniel inquired.
"I do not have much medicine. I use natural remedies my grandmother taught me when I was a child, like tree bark from the Lezah is a good anti-septic for infected wounds; and a heated tonic made from the plant 'camama' helps my patients to relax."
"Herbal medicine, we use that on Earth too, but that wouldn't cure the type of infection that you had, would it?" Daniel's questions were leading him towards the answer.
"No," Svetlor replied.
"I think I know what cured you…it was the Stargate! When you travelled through the 'gate, somehow the infection was unable to travel through with you, so when you arrived here…"
"He was cured!" exclaimed O'Neill.
"Exactly!"
Back on Demrah, Sam and Teal'c were still waiting for Sharni to grant them the dial up code for Kh-ven. "This is ridiculous," Sam muttered exasperated.
Moments later her radio crackled into life, it was Colonel Reynolds, commander of SG6. "Major Carter, the 'gate has been activated. We are under attack by the Goa'uld." Reynolds had to shout above the noise of the automatic weapon fire and energy blasts from the enemy. "We won't be able to maintain our position for much longer…"
"Hold your position for as long as you can, we're on our way."
Teal'c had heard the transmission and had armed himself accordingly.
Upon their arrival at the scene of the battle, things were not going well. "Good to see you Major," Reynolds greeted as he ducked behind a fallen tree trunk next to his colleague from SG1. Gunfire resonated continuously as both SG teams fought the advancing Goa'uld soldiers.
The battle was drawn out, but gradually, the opposition began to fall. One-by-one Apophis' men were being defeated until none were left standing.
Porja had witnessed the battle from the seclusion of the woodland and hurried deeper into the woods to relate what she had seen to Sharni.
With the gate secure once more, SG6 contacted base command and General Hammond to request reinforcements. Although Apophis had been defeated, it was a foregone conclusion that he would send more soldiers and be better prepared for battle next time!
Sharni had sent word, through Porja, that 'the gods' would grant SG1 the dial-up code for Kh-ven. Sam and Teal'c were ready at the Stargate when Sharni arrived. Gathering a remote DHD from the equipment that they had brought with them and SG teams 6, 9 and 11 guarding the gate. The two travellers continued their mission through the Stargate to Kh-ven.
General Hammond was sitting behind his desk going over a geological report from SG2's recent visit to P3-986, when Dr Frasier knocked on his half open door. "Sir," she began. "You are not going to believe this, I'm not sure I believe it myself…"
"What is it, doctor?"
"It's Eth'ran, he is conscious and asking to speak with you."
"I thought he was dying?"
"That's just it, so did I, but since he arrived his condition has been improving. So much so, that I'd class him as virtually cured!"
General Hammond stared at Dr Frasier in total disbelief before following her over to the infirmary to talk with their 'visitor'.
"Eth'ran, this is General Hammond," introduced the petite physician.
Eth'ran extended his hand in greeting and shook the General's arm by the wrist. "I have much to thank you for. For many seasons now, I have been ill with the disease called 'Monoba'. It travels through our blood and eventually causes death. It is a common complaint amongst our people, and until now there has been no cure, please tell me how you have managed this."
General Hammond turned to face Dr Frasier. "Doctor?"
"I don't know. All we have given him were fluids, a low level sedative, 15mg Diazepam and 5cc of morphine for the pain. Whatever this disease was, it cured itself!"
"But that is not possible," Eth'ran exclaimed. "Our people have been suffering from this disease for generations, and to date there has been no cure."
"I can't explain it," Dr Frasier shrugged her shoulders.
"Tell me Eth'ran, how did you end up here?"
"That, too, is a mystery to me. Sharni, our priestess, opened the Chappai so that I may pass to Kh-ven and I entered after saying goodbye to my family…" Eth'ran's voice wavered as he thought about them. "And I ended up here. That is all I can remember, except for the face of a beautiful woman, that must have been a guardian."
"Guardian?" Hammond again looked at Janet.
"I think he means an angel, sir."
"Yes, she had hair like spun gold, eyes like the lagoons of Balthor and skin as fair as a young childs."
"I also believe that he is referring to Major Carter, sir!"
General Hammond smiled. It was not the first time Major Carter had been appreciated for her beauty. On one occasion she had been sold to a rival tribal leader as a new addition to his harem… Base sirens, and an announcement over the base intercom informing that there was an unexpected inbound traveller, snapped the general from his reverie. "Keep me informed, doctor." He instructed as he left for the gate room command centre.
"It's SG3, sir," reported the chief gate controller, Sergeant Walter Davis.
"Open the iris."
Sam and Teal'c arrived at Kh-ven safely, and it didn't take them long to find both Jack and Daniel.
"Hey, how'd you find us?" Daniel queried when the reunion was complete.
"It is an extended explanation," Teal'c replied.
"A long story, Teal'c," Jack corrected. "A long story…"
"Indeed," he responded with a cheeky smile and his trademark single raised eyebrow.
"More to the point," Jack continued with the obvious next question. "Do you know how to get us home?"
Sam smiled. "Yes sir."
"What about the rest of these people?" Daniel queried.
"How many are there, because they could come back with us to Demrah?" Sam asked.
"Over three thousand!"
"What!"
"It's a long story," Jack repeated sarcastically.
SG1 travelled through the gate back to Earth to discuss the events of the past couple of days with General Hammond.
"Sir, I think I may have a solution." Carter offered.
"Go ahead, Major."
"The people on Demrah are constantly under threat of Goa'uld coming to their planet to take them as hosts. Not only that, but they have this Monoba disease, which if left untreated, can be fatal."
"Where's this going, Major?" Hammond asked.
"I think I understand," Daniel interjected. "If we transport all the people on Demrah to Kh-ven, the Goa'uld, we are pretty certain, don't have the address for that planet and the journey through the gate should eliminate this disease."
"Precisely!"
"SG1, you have a go!"
"Thank you, General." Sam acknowledged, and the briefing disbanded.
SG1's proposal to evacuate the people of Demrah to Kh-ven was put to Sharni after Major Carter had requested another audience with her through Porja. Again Sharni asked for time to consult with 'the gods' and as before Sam expected to have to wait for hours, if not days. Surprisingly, she received the results of her decision after only forty minutes. Dr Jackson had assured the priestess that the land on Kh-ven was fertile, the climate mild with regular rainfall and the people had friends and family living there in peace without the fear of the Goa'uld invading. It would be hard initially for them to adjust to their new home, but with the help of the SG teams from Earth, the transition would be made as smooth as possible.
The first group through the Chappai included Porja. Eth'ran had already been transported to Kh-ven direct from Earth as his condition had improved and the virus illuminated.
The brother/sister reunion gave the members of SG1 a contented feeling as they witnessed the deep felt emotions between them and other reunited friends and family members who'd also travelled the vast distance between Demrah and Kh-ven.
"It kind of gets you right here…" Jack announced to no one in particular as he lightly thumped his right hand to his chest. The other SG1 team members simply smiled in agreement.
The End
Karin Hawkins
3rd April, 2005.
18