Lost In Time

Part IV

Present Day

Damnit, Sam thought desperately, It's not working, it's not working…We have to come up with something…and fast, 'cause if we don't get back to the Humvees in time, they'll come looking for us, and that might scare him off even more. She looked at Daniel, and the Major could tell that her teammate was thinking the same thing. If we don't get a reply very soon, I think it might be time for us to get the hell out of here… there's nothing we can do to it without some really heavy nukes anyway…

Much to her surprise, the Falcon suddenly started moving… it was bending down, on one knee. It's head was now a lot closer, and she could easily distinguish the facial features – as far as you could call it that – of the robot, see its wings bend backwards, and a dim green light burning faintly at the center of its chest. Must be its power core… or something alike anyway.

However, just as the three SGC-employees thought they'd seen it all, a hatch just underneath – what Sam thought to be – the power core opened, and revealed… a young man.

You have got to be kidding me…Those were Sam's only thoughts as soon as she saw the – human! – stepping out of the robot. She could tell by the look on Travers' face, he was as equally astonished, however, if Daniel was less surprised, he didn't show it – only continued his usually 'welcoming-speech'.

"Eh – welcome to Earth," the archeologist started, "We, eh, actually didn't expect someone to be… inside that thing, so you can probably imagine we're a little… surprised."

The young man only raised an eyebrow.

"Yes – well, I'm Daniel Jackson… this is Major Carter and that's Lieutenant Travers, and… you don't have a clue of what I'm talking about, are you? You don't speak our language…"

"My knowledge of the English language is perfectly fine," the young man suddenly said – That voice… so cold, Daniel thought – "My name's Heero Yuy. It's… a pleasure."

"Samantha Carter," the astrophysiologist said, reaching out her hand – Zero's pilot gradually accepted it.

Next was the Lieutenant. "I'm Aaron Travers. It's an honor."

"Did you say your last name was Yuy? Interesting, isn't that a…"

"Japanese name? Yes, it is," Heero finished the archeologist's phrase.

"You know it's Japanese? That's-"

"Daniel," Major Carter interrupted, "We'd all love to know how come he's got a Japanese surname, but it's nearly twenty-one hundred hours, and we're due back…"

"You're military," Zero's pilot stated, having his first impressions now confirmed.

"Yes, and?" Sam countered.

Heero's face remained as stoic as ever, "I don't really have great experiences with military people…"

"Well, believe it or not, I think that right now, we're the best shot you have in getting back home, so might I suggest you put – whatever it is that you don't like about military people – aside… 'cause I think you're gonna be with us for a while…" Sam answered truthfully, "You'll have to come with us to our base, but – I don't know what to do with your… what's it called? It looks like a robot to me, but it isn't, right?"

"Mobile Suit."

"What?"

"You asked what it's called. It's called a Mobile Suit."

"Oh, right. Anyway, I'm not sure what to do with your… Mobile Suit. I counted on something… smaller than this."

"Leave it here."

"Yeah, but – what? Are you sure?" Sam exclaimed, "This is a public forest, you know. Anyone can walk in, make a photo, and next thing tomorrow morning, you're on the front-page of the Colorado Springs Courier!"

So, I'm in Colorado Springs…former United States, Northern America. These people are part of a military organization – quite probably the United States Air Force, looking at their uniforms…

"Then make it a private forest," the Gundam pilot replied casually, "Shouldn't be too hard."

He's right… Sam thought, I could've come up with something as simple as that! "Right…" she said, and pressed her comm, "Major Carter to Sierra Gulf two. Come in, Major Griff."

"This is Sierra Gulf two to Major Carter. Major Griff speaking."

"SG-two – me, Doctor Jackson and Lieutenant Travers have located the Falcon, I repeat, we've located the Falcon… and it appeared to have a pilot. We're now taking the pilot back to the SGC, but I need a team to guard the… I believe the correct term is 'Mobile Suit'."

"We would be honored."

"Great. The Mobile Suit's in vector 649, eighty degrees southwest. Copy that?"

"Copy that. We're on our way. Sierra Gulf two, over and out."

The Major looked back at Wing Zero's pilot. "Alright, now that's been taken care of, I guess we'll be heading to our base, it's called Stargate Command… about thirty-five kilometers up North from here. We'll be asking you a few questions – but don't be afraid, you won't be harmed in any way…"

"So…" Daniel tried to start a friendly conversation with the pilot of the mysterious 'Mobile Suit', "Aren't you kind of afraid one of the men now guarding your Mobile Suit, or anyone else for that matter, gets a little too curious for his own good and tries to… pilot it?"

"It won't work," came Heero's short reply.

"Oh, okay," Daniel replied, knowing that the young man's short answer had a hidden message: I shouldn't ask anything else about me or my Mobile Suit if I were you…

The rest of the walk back to Humvee was deadly quiet. After about thirty-five minutes, SG-5 joined them – with various Airmen giving the newcomer a quick glance now and then – but nothing out of the ordinary happened, and by the time it they had arrived at the Humvees, Daniel's feet were not only sore, but it was also completely dark. Heero was guided into one of the Jeeps, and took place between two Airmen – both obviously armed.

I wonder where this will lead me to…This situation is getting more and more complicated. Not only have I lost Wing Zero, I'm being taken away to a military base in God-knows-where and I don't have a clue of how to get back to After Colony 195. Great. Just great…

"Welcome to the SGC, Mr. Yuy," a tall bald man had said as soon as Heero and his 'guides' had entered the base, stepped into an elevator and descended at least twenty-five levels underground. (Some damn secret facility, Heero had thought). "But seeing how late it already is, I will leave the rest of the formalities for now – we'll give you some quarters, there you can get some sleep, and we'll continue next thing in the morning. If that is okay with you, that is."

"Sure," Heero had replied. Everything was fine with him… and now he lay down, on his bed. When he glanced at the alarm next to his bed, he saw the faint lines of 5:37. It had been 0:11 when he had first entered his… quarters, and much to his surprise – he had almost instantly fallen asleep as soon as his head had hit the pillow. And now, five hours later, he was awake and couldn't get himself to sleep anymore. The reason he woke up in the first place? At 5:15, some damn alarm had gone off, he had heard many military boots walk past the door of his quarters… and since then he hadn't been able to close his eyes again. Not that he wanted to. It was just… there was something odd to this base. Something that he couldn't trace. If he remembered correctly, there weren't any major wars on the Northern American continent in the early twenty-first century – so, why was this base fully operational? Why did dozens of Airmen inhabit this place like it was their second home? And – the question that had been nagging him from the beginning – why had the woman, Carter, told him earlier that he wasn't the first visitor to Earth. Had they encountered actual aliens? If yes, that would be a natural explanation to why they didn't treat him as a 'great threat to humanity'. Yet.

"So, what's up with this… kid? Guy? Man?" Jack said, as he sat down for breakfast. It had been a disturbing morning. First, there was the mysterious unscheduled inbound traveler at the ungodly hour of 5.15 in the morning, next, Sam had been trying to avoid every damn question about the Falcon. And now, as Jack was eating his Fruit Loops, he wanted some damn answers.

"I've told you before," Sam answered, "I can't tell you, 'cause I don't know myself. We had been walking in the forest for an hour or so, Daniel says he hears some 'hum', and then Travers suddenly yells he sees a metal wall in the middle of the forest. I figure, that's weird, so me and Daniel run up to him – we look up… and what we see is… unbelievable."

"What was it then?" Jack curiously asked.

"Really, Jack," SG-1's archeologist answered, "You should've been there… it was so big."

"What was so big?"

"It was unlike I'd ever seen before…" Sam said dreamily.

"WHAT was unlike you'd ever seen before?"

"Some sort of robot. Twenty meters high, with angel wings."

"That all?" The Colonel said sarcastically.

"Okay," Daniel admitted, "So, my description of the thing sucks. But once you see it… you'll be amazed."

"I can't wait."

"And then suddenly, without any warning, the thing bends down on one knee – with so much ease, just like a human being," Sam continued with a glazy look in her eyes, "I wonder what kind of technology's behind that… it must be really advanced…"

"Yeah – well, bottom line," Daniel continued, "Next thing we know, some kind of hatch opens up, and the kid – boy – man – whatever, steps outside."

Jack raised an eyebrow à la Teal'c. "And now you're here? That's all?"

"Yeah, I guess. Well, I tried to talk with him on our way back here – asked him about his so-called 'Mobile Suit', if he wasn't worried that anyone else would try to pilot it while he was gone, he wasn't by the way – but he wouldn't open up. Never spoke more than – what, two or three words?"

"No – he said more," Sam answered, "Remember, 'You asked what it's called. It's called a Mobile Suit.' That's at least… what, ten words?"

The Colonel couldn't help but smirk. "Sounds like a nice fellow to me."