"I've seen many things, but, this is a bit…off" said Hammond. Hammond sat in his usual chair at the briefing room. He was the General in charge of the whole Stargate program. Galen has tried to convince the General and his people that he and Dureena was from the future.
"But how is it that this being was able to send you back in time" asked Carter, Galen had told his story. But to her it didn't make sense.
"I don't know" said Galen.
"How do you go back?" asked Jackson
"I don't know" said Galen. He didn't like that answer, but he really didn't know.
"But I must go back" said Galen, dragging the word 'must'
"What's the rush?" asked Jackson
"I can't tell you that, I can only tell you that the lives on Earth are in great danger and we need to get back to help" said Galen. He couldn't tell them about the plague. It could change everything.
"What kind of danger?" asked O'Neill
"As I said, I can't tell you" said Galen
Just then a woman came in, dressed as a doctor.
"She's awake. Janet's said you can see her now" said the woman.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Galen walked into the infirmary behind of General Hammond who had led the way. While on the way to the infirmary. The General has promised to do whatever he can to get Galen back after Galen has stressed the importance of Galen and Dureena's presence in the future. Though Galen didn't give the team or the General any information about Earth's future dangers. General Hammond could feel the sense of urgency Galen had to get back, and for that, he was convinced that whatever Galen had to do in the future must be very important to Earth, and that was all he needed. He has decided that he will and must help Galen, for Earth's sake….but the question is how?
Galen walked ahead of Hammond when he sees Dureena sitting up on a bed in the infirmary. General Hammond stopped nearby the door.
"You alright?" Galen asked as he stood right in front of Dureena.
Dureena sighed in relief. Finally a familiar face. When she woke up, the doctor, Fraiser was the one who greeted. Dureena's first instinct was to run. But soldiers that stood guard outside the infirmary caught her in time. Fraiser managed to explain what the Sg1 team had told her before, which wasn't much, she only knew that Dureena was from 200 years in the future. Dureena didn't believe it at first. But when Fraiser said Galen was here, Dureena became a lot calmer. And she has cooperated with the doctor. But she refused to let the doctor's needle anywhere near her when Fraiser wanted to take a blood test. Though she knows Fraiser means well, she also knows that the doctor won't be able to do anything about her, she was not human, what would a primitive earth doctor know about an alien from Xander Prime?
"Better" Dureena replied
"She's just exhausted from all I could tell" said Fraiser with a pleasant smile. Galen nodded.
"Thanks doctor" Dureena said
"You're welcome" replied Fraiser as she walked to Hammond to report on Dureena's well being.
"What's going on, Galen?" asked Dureena
"Do you remember the black liquid that you touched before?" Galen asked
"Yes" Dureena replied
"Do you also remember I told you it was not wise to touch it?" asked Galen
"Yes" Dureena said grimly
"You should have listened to me" said Galen with a slight smile. Dureena gave him an odd look. But before Galen could explain, a siren went off and the whole place was flashing with red lights.
A soldier runs in the infirmary.
"What's going on" asked Hammond who seemed alerted.
"The gate is opening, sir?" said the soldier
"Who's opening it?" asked Hammond
"It's the Asgards" said a new voice.
Hammond turned to see Carter running in the infirmary.
"Thor?" asked Hammond
Carter nodded and began to run out again. Hammond followed. Behind him was Galen and Dureena.
"What gate?" asked Dureena almost running to keep up.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
"That gate" said Galen to Dureena. They stood in front of the gate, it was open. And in front of it was a short, gray-ish alien with big black eyes. Dureena was a bit shocked. She's never seen anything like this. Never even thought that something like that was possible.
"Stand down" Hammond said to the soldiers surrounding the gates, weapons ready to shoot when the order was given. As they were ordered, the soldiers stepped down. The gate behind the Asgard closed.
"It's good to see you again" said Hammond
"I wish I could say the same… I bring dire news" said Thor
"Is he a first ones?" Dureena asked Galen, but her eyes stayed at Thor
"Perhaps" said Galen
"Follow me" said Hammond as he gestured Thor to follow.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Thor, Hammond, the SG 1 team, Galen and Dureena sat in the briefing discussing. Hammond explained the Stargate to Galen, that the Stargate was a wormhole, capable of transporting anyone from one planet to another, only if both planets had a Stargate. They could go to any planet as long as they dialed the correct sequences. Galen wondered why this technology was not known in the future. A technology like that would be very convenient for space travel. Sadly, it could not fit through something as big as a ship.
While Hyperspace and the jumpgates were convenient ways for ships to travel, it just doesn't compare to the speed of a Stargate which was almost instant. In fact, you don't need a ship if you had the jumpgate.
But Galen came to the conclusion that something must have happened to the gates, because he didn't remember ever seeing a gate on Caltuc when he was with the Excalibur's crew, but just now when the Sg1 team arrived and took them back, he did. Something must have destroyed or removed the Stargates within the 200 years and that's why he's never seen the Stargates in the future….or perhaps, Earth kept this a secret, which was not much of a surprise. Earth's government of the future was almost popular for keeping secrets….they had conducted tests on human soldiers trying to make them invincible and then tried to kill them, they had created shadow hybrids which ended up killing Gideon's ship, the Ceberus and tried to cover it up….Earth hiding the Stargates and keeping it a secret wasn't really that hard to imagine.
That aside, Galen had explained to Thor that Galen and Dureena that they were from the future. When Galen brought up the Calutcans, Thor nodded as if he knew what they were. And he said that the war was long time ago. He did not mention the Shakash or Shadows, Thor was hiding something, Galen knew, perhaps Thor thought it wasn't time for Earth to know about the Shadows. Even the Minbari didn't tell Earth about the Shadows because they felt it wasn't the right time.
"I'm unfamiliar with the way of time travel of which you speak of" said Thor
"We have encountered time travel before, but nothing like that" agreed Carter
"Then we're back to where we started" said Dureena as if hopeless. Galen sat still, he didn't have anything else to say. He didn't know what could be said. If he were able to go back, he could tell Gideon so much about the Stargate project. Though as a Technomage he's seen much, but the Stargate really has gotten him…. Intrigued. But the odds of going back are unlikely. Galen sighed.
The room fell into an awkward silence. O'Neill watched the room impatiently. He cleared his throat to break the silence. He then remembered Thor said something about bad news.
"Thor, you said something about bringing us news?" asked O'Neill
But O'Neill suddenly felt as if he shouldn't have asked, as Thor's face grew….grim. Though he didn't really have much expression in the first place. But O'Neill got the feeling that he wasn't going to like the news.
"We've been keeping a close eye on Goa'uld, and we've recently discovered they have gathered…they are planning for an attack…on your world" said Thor
"What?" asked Jackson
"Through what we have been watching, we predict that the Goa'uld will attack your world soon, in two weeks of your time" said
"That's…soon" said Carter
"They have gathered quietly, we were considered fortunate to have manage to pick up their activity in time to warn you" said Thor
"Not fortunate enough" said Tealc
"Do you know where they gathered?" asked Carter
"I do have the details regarding the gathering" replied Thor
"We've got to do something' said O'Neill
"What can we do now?" asked Jackson
"Send us on a mission, destroy them before they do that to us" said O'Neill
"That might be unwise" said Thor
Everyone at the table turned to him.
"The gathering is at a planet not far from earth, with ships they will arrive in 2 weeks. You can however reached them with the Stargate, but the Stargate on the planet is heavily guarded, it would be suicide" said Thor
"We got to do this" said O'Neill
"This is a suicide mission, Colonel" said Hammond
"Sir, I would gladly try, we have billions of lives on this planet, I'd rather die trying" said O'Neill
"I agree" said Carter
"As do I" said Teal'c
"Count me in" said Jackson. Tealc gave him an approving smile. Hammond didn't say anything, he knew he couldn't change the SG 1 team's mind, it was useless to try. Hammond felt helpless, he dealt with many problem that has been thrown at him, but to find out that the end of Earth was two weeks away was a bit hard to take in quickly.
"Perhaps I may be of assistance" said Galen all of a sudden. Everyone turned to him
"I thought you just wanted to get your ass out of this place" said O'Neill
"I still do, Colonel… but Earth is my home as well" said Galen. He was human yes, from Earth but he did not grow up or lived on Earth, but nonetheless, the humans were his people, and Earth is his home, the home that he was trying to save alongside Gideon and Excalibur.
O'Neill looked from Galen to Dureena
"And you?" O'Neill asked
"I'm willing to help" said Dureena
Hammond smiled though grimly, but a smile nonetheless. "Very well, this mission is a dangerous one, you leave at 1300 hours, volunteers from any of the other SG team will be welcomed to join this mission…we only have one chance"
"Don't worry, sir" said O'Neill "We won't screw it"