Stargate: Genesis
Written By: The Ascended Ancient
Chapter I: "The Genesis Project"

A/N: I've taken out the little plot teaser I had and replaced it with this actual chapter. Don't worry, all the background I went into during the teaser will be included in this story at one point or another (Mostly in this chapter).

In northern Virginia, there was a building, called the Pentagon because of its shape. Here is where the United States military runs all of its operations.

But recently, many international delegates have become part of the Pentagon staff. They have joined the Homeworld Defense Force, an organization that oversees human travel throughout the galaxy, both by Stargate and by interstellar spacecraft. Jack O'Neill, Director of this important organization, runs the place rather loosely. Even though he used to be a two-star general in the American Air Force, he was a very relaxed guy. If you did your job, he didn't have a problem with how you behaved. Unless, of course, you went way over the line, but that didn't happen very often.

Jack was extremely happy with his job. Finally, he had a civilian position, which freed him from several constricting military regulations. Because of that, less than two weeks after receiving his new title, he married Samantha Carter, his second-in-command back at the S.G.C. They had served together for eight years, and in that time had developed an enormous amount of affection for each other. Even after he left to serve at the Pentagon, they still remained close, seeing each other as often as possible for a few months. Then the war with the Orii started up, and they were kept apart for a few years.

Once that crisis was resolved, they began seeing each other again. Carter was promoted to Brigadier General and placed in charge of Earth's BC-303 production, a project she knew very well, having helped designed most of the BC-303s' key systems. This new job brought her quite frequently to the Pentagon, allowing her and Jack to spend more time together.

And now we're married, the Director of the H.D.F. thought as he locked up his office for the night. Turning the corner, he walked into the lobby, where Walter was hard at work.

Walter Harriman, the man who ran the control room back at the S.G.C. for many years, was now Jack's personal assistant. Jack had learned how effective Walter was during his brief stint as head of the S.G.C., and ever since arriving at the Pentagon he'd missed his helping hand. The moment the war with the Orii ended, he had the young sergeant transferred.

"Good night, Walter," Jack told the other man as he walked past his desk. "Don't work too late again."

"Sir, you know how important the Genesis List is," Walter reminded the Director. "And we're approaching the deadline set by the international community."

"I know that, Walter," Jack told his assistant. "I just don't want you to spend the night here again. Need I remind you how miserable you are when you don't get a full night's sleep?"

"No, sir," Walter replied. "I won't stay here too late, sir."

"Good," Jack said before turning around and walking out of the room.

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Three hours later, at one in the morning, Walter Harriman was still hard at work. Despite what he said, he relied on Walter to put in the extra hours to make sure things like this got done. Not that the sergeant minded. Despite the lack of fame in his position, he knew that without him, Director O'Neill wouldn't be able to do his job as well. And that made the young sergeant proud.

Elsewhere in the Pentagon, a pair of night guards paced in front of the entrance to the H.D.F. At Director O'Neill's orders, the staff that worked there all had to get a good night's sleep, barring emergency, of course. That meant that, at one in the morning, there were only a handful of non-security personnel in the wing, and very few of them were trying to get in to the place. So when a young man turned the corner and started walking towards them, the guards were quite surprised.

The man was quite young, probably in his late-twenties or early-thirties. He had thick, brown hair that came down to the base of his neck. He had a fair complexion, but he wore all black, including a trench coat that billowed around his ankles. His emerald-green eyes shone with determination as he approached the two soldiers.

"Excuse me, sir," one of the guards said, stopping the young man in his tracks. "We'll need to see some identification."

"Of course," the man replied calmly. He reached into his jacket pocket, and pulled out a small, metal cylinder. Gripping it in hand, he triggered a catch on it, and a long blade shot out from one end. Both soldiers were too shocked by this to react right away, giving the young man time to make his move. He disemboweled one guard and decapitated the other, a serene expression plastered on his face as the bodies fell to the ground.

Picking up one of the guards' ID cards, he swiped it through the slot on the door, opening it.

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At the entrance to Director O'Neill's office, Sergeant Harriman continued his work as if nothing was wrong. Of course, in his mind, nothing was wrong. He didn't know about the dead guards or the intruder. He didn't even notice the figure moving through the shadows of the dark office until he was right on top of him. Before the sergeant can react, he had the tip of a bloody sword pressed against his throat. He looked up at the intruder, fear in his eyes.

"W-What do you want?" he demanded, trying hard to sound brave.

"The Genesis List," the man replied. "I want you to put me on it."

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The next morning, the leaders of the world's most powerful nations walked out to their respective podiums to give speeches that would define their terms. In the United States, recently elected President Gregory Richardson stepped out onto his podium in front of the White House.

"My fellow Americans," the President began, using the same words that so many presidents had used before him, "I am here to tell you something incredible. Something that has been kept a secret for over two decades, and now will finally be revealed to you. And I must tell you that while I am giving this speech to you, other world leaders, who have been a part of this secret project for some time, are giving the same speech to their citizens." The President paused for a moment before continuing.

"Ladies and gentlemen, for over two decades the United States Air Force has been traveling to other planets. This is not a joke." The crowd of reporters in front of him began to talk frantically amongst themselves, some asking questions of the President. "Please, please," the President said, "there will be a time for questions later." He pauses once more as the reporters quiet down.

"In 1928, in Giza, Egypt," the President continued, "archaeologists uncovered an unusual artifact buried beneath the sand. It was a giant, two-story tall ring, with symbols inscribed on it that no one had seen before. This artifact has come to be known as the Stargate. A decade later, the Stargate found its way into the hands of the United States military, who worked hard to uncover its secrets. Finally, in 1995, Doctor Daniel Jackson, an archaeologist widely criticized for his unusual views on Ancient Egypt, deciphered the device." Another pause.

"The Stargate was an alien transportation device, capable of sending people from one planet to another in the blink of an eye. Immediately, the Air Force began to conduct exploratory missions through this gate. And let me assure you, what we gained from this is more incredible than you can imagine."

Just then, in the sky above the press conference, a black spec appeared. Over the next few moments, that spec grew larger, until some could finally begin to see what it was. And when they did, they were awestruck. The object, which finally stopped to hover over the White House, was a spaceship.

"This is the Prometheus," the President continued. "Our very first battle cruiser. Over the past several years, we have built a large number of these vessels. We now have an entire fleet, and they are more than capable of defending this planet.

"And we did need to defend it. Because we are not alone in the universe. There are others out there. Humans, mostly, taken from Earth thousands of years ago and enslaved by powerful aliens. These aliens, called the Goa'uld, were a severe threat for many years. However, we managed to overthrow them and free their slaves. Throughout this galaxy, human cultures on thousands of planets now know the taste of true freedom.

"Fifteen years ago, with the help of numerous friendly species, we managed to break the death grip hostile races had on this galaxy. And now, peaceful governments rule the galaxy. It is because of this new era of peace that those in charge of our galactic exploration have chosen to reveal this to you now.

"There is another reason, as well. In light of the new, peaceful era this galaxy has entered, we believe it is time for non-military personnel to be given access to the Stargate. In one month, the first civilian mission to another world will take place. Members of the expedition have already been chosen from nations worldwide. Farmers, businessmen, scientists, doctors, even school children and teachers will travel through the gate to a planet we have designated the Genesis Colony. There, they will continue their lives and build a permanent community that will only grow as time goes on." And so the President concluded his speech and began to answer questions. In capital cities around the world, each with their own BC-303 hovering overhead, the leaders of other nations did the same. The Stargate had gone public, and nothing would ever be the same.

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Miles beneath Cheyenne Mountain, Major General Hank Landry sat in the briefing room of Stargate Command with his lead off-world team, S.G.-1. Of course, this wasn't the original S.G.-1, whose actions have become legendary among S.G.C. personnel. This was the new team, formed after the old one had gone their separate ways. Lieutenant Colonel Carter was promoted to General and placed in command of Earth's battle cruisers, the BC-303s. Lieutenant Colonel Mitchell was promoted to Colonel and given command of Earth's fighters, the F-302s. Doctor Jackson had taken the first chance he got once the Orii were defeated to travel with the Daedalus to Atlantis. And Teal'c had gone to Dakara to become one of the leaders of the Jaffa nation.

Of course, the flagship team had to be rebuilt. And so the entire Air Force was scoured for potential candidates. One was found immediately.

Jennifer Hailey, a young woman as smart as (and possibly smarter) than General Carter, was at the top of a list of candidates for the new S.G.-1. She received a promotion to major, and was given a spot on the team she so adored.

Next was someone with a linguistical or archaeological background. What was quite unusual for the S.G.C. was that they had an expert on both within the ranks of the American Air Force. Sergeant George Banks used the Air Force as a way to pay for college, and he had graduated with an impressive array of majors. He was immediately recruited back into the Air Force, promoted to Lieutenant, and made a part of the new S.G.-1.

As for additional military personnel, there were lots to choose from. But no one had the off-world experience of Captain Daryl Reynolds. He was a marine that had served on S.G.-5 ever since that team was formed. He was the man for the job.

Unfortunately, he lacked the decisive leadership skills needed for a commanding officer. Therefore the Air Force had chosen someone far younger to take command of the team. Colonel Leslie Crawford, a female officer who's record has made the jaw of every chauvinist commander she's ever come in contact with drop. Even those who are vehemently opposed to women in the military can't deny that she's a good soldier. Hell, she isn't just good, she's great. She respects the chain of command, but knows when to go outside it.

She had flown an F-22 during Operation: Lifesaver, a top-secret mission to provide military assistance to the beleaguered people of the Sudan. She had evaded enemy anti-aircraft fire during a strafing run so well that her aircraft didn't even get scratched and she nailed her target. It was this skill that got her on S.G.-1.

And the new team had worked well for the last decade and a half. They had visited over a hundred planets, made contact with many human and non-human cultures, and acquired a few new pieces of alien technology. Now, S.G.-1 was about to given a slightly more long-term assignment than they'd had before.

"We're babysitting colonists?" Lieutenant Banks asked after General Landry had finished briefing them on the mission.

"Is that a problem, Lieutenant?" Landry asked, struggling to suppress a smile. Lieutenant Banks had never really grown up, and he always complained about something. It was his wry, childish sense of humor at work, and it was something that had grown on them over time.

"Not really, sir," George replied.

"The best of the best watching over the colonists," Captain Reynolds commented. The tall man had an appearance that had been wizened by age, an appearance that mirrored the mind within. "Good PR move."

"That's what the President is thinking," the general said. "And I happen to agree with him." He stood up. "Now, I think you should all take the next month off, since it'll probably be the last leave you get for quite a while. Dismissed." S.G.-1 got up from the table and left the room. Colonel Crawford stayed behind.

"Sir, there will be a civilian commander for this mission, right?" she asked.

"That's correct," Landry replied.

"So, as the top military officer, how much authority will I have out there?"

"Well, you'll have to defer to a civilian on most day to day operations. However, should a crisis arise, you have the authority to take complete command of the mission."

"And will the civilian commander be informed of this, sir?"

"I believe so." Landry turned towards his office. "If there's nothing else, I have some reports to get to."

"Of course, sir."

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As they left the briefing room, Lieutenant Banks threw his arm around Major Hailey's shoulders.

"Hey, Jenny," he said, using a nickname he knew she despised. "Where are you off to on your month-long leave? Barbados? Jamaica? Cancun?" Hailey just groaned and pushed his arm off her shoulders.

"You know where I'm going, George," she told him.

"Ah," the lieutenant said with a wide grin. "Off to the house for some sweet lovin', are you?"

"Maybe," Hailey said, suppressing an embarrassed chuckle.

"So, when are you and Samuel gonna tie the knot?" he asked, delighting in her embarrassment.

"I don't know," she replied, unable to suppress a blush this time. "He hasn't asked me yet."

"But you want him to, right?" Hailey was blushing furiously now.

"Yes," she said with a girlish chuckle.

"Well, he'd better do it soon," George said seriously. "'Cause pretty soon you'll be gone on this mission."

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Waiting for Leslie when she left the briefing room was Captain Reynolds. Though he was many years her senior, he didn't let age interfere with their working relationship. His wise counsel had been invaluable to her over the years, and she didn't know where she'd be without him.

"So, what'd you talk to Landry about?" he asked as she walked down the steps.

"The command situation," she replied. "I was wondering how much authority I'd have."

"No matter who's in charge, this is another major accomplishment for you," Reynolds said. "A woman as the top military officer on a mission of this importance is an extraordinary feminist achievement."

"Yeah, I know," she said with a thin smile. A hardcore feminist, Leslie Crawford had devoted herself to being better than the men around her at everything. She had become completely devoted to her military career, and that devotion had caused her to become involved numerous classified operations. While they were huge personal achievements, they were so top secret that no one ever found out about them.

"At least now, with the Stargate Program coming out of the dark, people will know about this one," he reminded her.

"Yeah," she said with a thin smile. "They will."

End of Chapter I

A/N: So, what'd you all think? More chapters are on the way. And all you people who reviewed my little teaser, I want you to review my story as it goes along. Tell me what you think of it.

Oh, and in case you're wondering, aside from Jennifer Hailey, all the other characters on the new S.G.-1 are completely my own creation.