CHAPTER THREE - The Tour
No! Time, thou shalt not boast that I do change.
Thy pyramids built up with newer might
To me are nothing novel, nothing strange;
They are but dressings of a former sight.
Our dates are brief, and therefore we admire
What thou dost foist upon us that is old,
And rather make them born to our desire
Than think that we before have heard them told.
Thy registers and thee I both defy,
Not wond'ring at the present, nor the past;
For thy records, and what we see, doth lie,
Made more or less by thy continual haste.
This I do vow, and this shall ever be,
I will be true despite thy scythe and thee.
Sonnet 123 by William Shakespeare
It always felt odd to be offworld without the rest of SG-1, but Jonas was glad to have convinced General Hammond nonetheless. The trek from the stargate to the newly discovered ruins required a good deal of walking, so Jonas, SG-8, and SG-3 got an early morning start. Like Colonel O'Neill, Colonel Reynolds kept two members of his team back to guard the Stargate. Nobody was taking for granted the fact that the Goa'uld were a very potential threat on this one.
Jonas had worked hard the previous evening to translate the inscription from the obelisk, but there simply wasn't enough information available to put the writing into any kind of context. For all he knew, it could have been a tetherball pole, a playground game he'd been amazed to discover Earth and Kelowna had in largely in common, though his people gave it a different name. In any case, he had high hopes that this new section of ruins would provide some clues.
"Well, this certainly doesn't look like it was a booming metropolis," Major Lorne remarked when they finally reached the site. He was right. There were little more than two-dozen buildings at best, all of a simple, straightforward design. Like the obelisk, the buildings seemed to be made from a basic, slate-gray stone, but these were not so perfectly preserved. While they appeared to be sound enough structurally, there were clear signs of age and wear on the corners of the buildings and in cracks along some of the walls. The overgrowth of plant life Sam had observed as missing from the obelisk was in abundance here.
"We really should have brought along one of the archeological teams, Major," observed Lieutenant Stewart. He glanced briefly at Jonas.
"I agree, Lieutenant," Lorne replied. "We're pretty much just here to do a preliminary sweep and take further trace samples in hopes of finding trinium. We probably shouldn't be here long."
"Then let's get started," said Jonas, taking a confident step forward. He was glad for the opportunity to be able to study this place without the interference of the archaeologists. While he had the highest respect for Doctor Jackson's colleagues, being around them always made him feel uncomfortable. Strictly speaking, he wasn't really one of them, no matter how familiar he was becoming with the practical applications of their field.
Leaving SG-8 to run their geological tests, he and the remaining members of SG-3 spread out to tour the buildings. Jonas's delight quickly reached exponential proportions when they discovered that there were a myriad of Ancient devices to be found, many that used crystal technology. Some appeared to be still in working order; others not so. He was glad he'd brought extra data discs for his camera.
The largest device was housed alone in its own building in the middle of the ruins. "Judging by the size of this thing—" Jonas said, studying it with his head cocked slightly and his hands on his hips, "—I'd say it was a generator of some kind."
"A generator?" echoed Colonel Reynolds. "For what?"
Jonas shrugged. "Who knows? If we can determine the purpose of this place maybe we can figure it out."
"Definitely a job for the archaeologists."
Jonas rapped his knuckles lightly on the surface of the device. "This thing is too big to move for now, but I know Major Carter will definitely be interested in it. We'll need to make sure we get some good, thorough video footage."
"I'll get Oleska on it."
"Thanks, Colonel," said Jonas, slapping the man lightly on the shoulder as he stepped back out of the building into the breezy morning.
The next building was only a few yards away. Jonas entered it alone, shining light into the corners of the first room that the sunlight didn't reach. Considering that almost an entire corner of the room was crumbling away, this didn't take much. Neither did it take long for Jonas to decide that the building had been some kind of residence, albeit a sparse one. There were a lot of personal-looking items lying about, although most of them he'd have been hard-pressed to decide their function.
The most interesting find was a table laden with small Ancient devices. Jonas paused. Although they'd already found enough Ancient toys to keep Doctor Jackson's colleagues busy for possibly years, something about this particular table stirred his instincts. He stared at the devices a long time, trying to decide if it would be okay to pick any of them up. He eventually decided to risk it, but took a few pictures of the table as he'd found it, just to be on the safe side.
The first one he tried was a hand-held device. The base of it fit perfectly into his palm, and with the help of some obvious grooves, guided his hand into a shape so that his fingers hovered over several small, multi-colored keys arrayed across a panel. Underneath, his thumb was tucked into a position that accessed three more small keys. The device did not appear to be in working order. Mystified, Jonas set it down.
The second was a silver device curved like a pair of headphones. There was a tiny crystal on the side, as well as a small, ticked dial that could be turned a complete 360 degrees in either direction. Unlike its predecessor, the headset lit up the minute Jonas touched it. He briefly considered trying it on, but decided that bringing it back to Sam's lab to be analyzed would probably be more prudent.
None of the remaining devices really caught his attention, except the last, which was a nondescript cube slightly larger than one of Teal'c's golf balls that flared to life the moment he picked it up. Jonas held his breath, his body stiffening cautiously, but the device merely projected a hologram into the air before him— a two-foot square grid filled with information.
Intrigued, Jonas studied the words and symbols in the air before him, doing his best to make out what he could of the Ancient text. "Tampus," he murmured allowed, eyeing one that seemed more familiar than any of the others. "Time?" he guessed hesitatingly. His eyes roved further. "Operati," he added, "Workers." As he spoke, he inadvertently ran his thumb over the surface of the small cube, and noted with some surprise that a highlighted color of some kind changed from word to word at his touch. "It's a menu," he realized out loud a moment later.
Choosing one of the words he recognized, Jonas experimentally pushed harder on the surface of the device. To his great satisfaction, the hologram changed, revealing another menu and a good deal more information. Excitedly, he set the strange artifact down on the table, pulled out his camera, and began taking more pictures. A moment after he put it down, the artifact turned off again.
All three of the devices were carefully tucked inside his bag when everybody reassembled in the middle of the ruins about an hour alter. He'd shown the devices to Colonel Reynolds and gotten permission to take them back to the SGC.
"Well, I hope you gentleman had a more fruitful day than we did," Major Lorne said, blinking against the sun that had become quite high and hot since they'd arrived. He pulled his cap down a little closer to his eyes. "No trinium. Not even trace samples. I know it's early, but I'm beginning to think it isn't here."
"It was worth a shot," Jonas pointed out, hoping he was being helpful.
"Is there anything else, maybe?" asked Colonel Reynolds. "Naquadah?"
Lorne shook his head. "I wish. Lots of minerals, but nothing we can't find on Earth."
"Well," Reynolds replied, "Quinn found some things, at least. Let's move out. My kid's got a ball game tonight; I don't want to be late."
The remainder of Amelia's first day at Stargate Command had been spent trying to get some rest. This, however, was easier said than done. Every time she'd come close to drifting off, klaxons would start blaring all over the base, something that seemed to happen every couple of hours, regardless of whether or not there was an emergency. Eventually though, things calmed down enough that she was able to get some real rest, but not before she'd decided to invest in some earplugs as soon as possible.
True to his word, General Hammond's assigned tour guide arrived almost first thing the next morning. "Well, Miss Kinsey," said Lieutenant Grogan with a smile and a nod, 'I guess we get to pick up where we left off yesterday. Except this time you know about the stargate," he added, grinning.
Amelia's response to this was a shake of her head that betrayed her still-fresh amazement. "Yes, the stargate," she managed. "I think I understand now why you were so excited about this assignment."
Grogan waved a hand toward the door. "Shall we get started?" he asked cheerily, before stuffing his hands in his pockets. "We'll start at the top and work our way down."
Amelia found her tour fascinating. Stargate Command was a very well-equipped and efficient complex, complete with top-of-the-line science labs and libraries, medical facilities, and all manner of professional staff.
"Miss Kinsey, I'd like you to meet Doctor Fraiser, our Chief Medical Officer here at the SGC, and someone you'll probably come to know pretty well."
Doctor Fraiser was a small, pretty woman with very large brown eyes who, despite her diminutive size, conveyed an air of quiet authority. "I've been briefed as to your condition, she said to Amelia after the two of them had been introduced. She glanced at the clock on the wall. "I'm afraid I've already got a full schedule today, but I'd like to see you sometime in the next few days for some examinations, and also explain to you some of the history behind the treatment you're to receive. I understand that General Hammond and the Senator didn't give you very many details beyond the existence of the stargate itself?"
"No, they didn't," Amelia confirmed. "And I'd really appreciate that, doctor. I'm very curious about this treatment."
"Naturally. I look forward to it then, Miss Kinsey."
"Thank you, Doctor."
Another part of the tour consisted of what Grogan referred to as the 'real-life' levels, which included locker rooms, a rec room, a mess, and other personal-type areas. Along the way, Amelia questioned him about his time so far in the service and how he'd come to be a part of the stargate program. His stories were fascinating and insightful, and when mixed with his upbeat, easygoing personality, made for a very enjoyable morning.
At last they made their way to the very bottom level. "I know you got to see the stargate yesterday," Grogan said as the elevator descended down to the number 28, "but I thought you might like a closer look, so I asked General Hammond and he said it's okay. Provided, of course, you realize that this is definitely an off-limits area. Most of the time." His eyes twinkled as he spoke.
"Yes, I assumed that was a given, "Amelia said with a laugh. They stepped out of the elevator, down a short hallway, and into the large room where the stargate stood. Up close it was even more imposing than it had been the day before. For a moment Amelia could only stare. When she remembered to catch her breath, she managed a shaky, "Wow." Then she laughed.
"What's so funny?" Grogan asked.
"Nothing. I've just got to think of a more original way to express my amazement, is all. That's the same thing I said yesterday."
Before Grogan had a chance to reply, there was a loud sound from the stargate, causing Amelia to jump about a foot in the air. She stared as a light on the side of the gate sprang to life and those blasted klaxons started blaring. The wheel inside the stargate began spinning, and she jumped again when a strange sheet of metal sprang out, seemingly from within the stargate itself, to cover the center of the gate in a thick, shiny metal. A loud whoosh-ing sound issued from the gate and a bright light flared behind it.
"Please step back, Miss Kinsey," said Grogan, at once the consummate soldier. He shuffled back towards the door, keeping a wary eye on the gate. He seemed to be waiting for something. A few moments later, the metal sheath retracted once again, revealing a glowing wall of watery light that caused Amelia's eyes to bug in amazement once more. "It's okay," Grogan assured her. "If they opened the iris, then they received a code from one of our people." He looked at his watch. "Probably Lorne's and Reynolds' teams coming back with Jonas."
"Jonas Quinn?" Amelia asked.
He looked at her, eyebrows raised. "You know him?"
"Yes, I met him yesterday," said Amelia distractedly, still staring at the shimmering light.
"Oh. Well, cool."
Amelia didn't bother replying. Just then, people had begun emerging from the Stargate, each accompanied by a soft slurping sound. There were nine in all, and she immediately recognized Jonas Quinn among them.
"Welcome back, people," said General Hammond's voice over an intercom speaker. Amelia turned around, and saw the General standing there behind the glass of another window close by. "I trust your mission was a success?"
"Successful enough, General," called Jonas towards the window with a broad smile.
"No," called another man at the same time, causing several of the others to chuckle around him.
General Hammond seemed amused as well. "We'll debrief at 1400 hours," he said, and turned from the microphone.
Grogan stepped forward to high-five another young man about his own age. "Ryans! How was it?" he asked eagerly.
"Windy," replied his companion, pulling off his helmet. "Who's this?" he asked, nodding at Amelia.
His question was answered from an unexpected source. "Miss Kinsey, it's good to see you again," said Jonas Quinn, stepping up to the small group. "What do you think of the stargate?" he asked.
"It's—" Amelia struggled to find a word for a moment as she stared at the vast ring just behind the men. "Wow," she finally said, with yet another laugh.
Jonas grinned. "That was pretty much my reaction," he said.
"Well, Miss Kinsey," I'm afraid we've got one more stop and then tour's end," spoke up Grogan as his friend Ryans walked off towards the door. Grogan gave a wide smile. "I've got my own offworld mission this afternoon," he said proudly.
"Oh, you were having a tour?" Jonas asked. "How did you like it?"
"It was very informative, Mr. Quinn," said Amelia. "The Lieutenant here has been a splendid guide."
"You can just call me Jonas. So where is this last stop?" he asked, turning to Grogan.
"Control room."
"Really? I was just heading there myself."
The three of them went back out into the hallway, but instead of the elevator, they took a short flight of stairs up to a small room filled with computers and equipment where the General had been standing when the stargate activated. He was still there, leaning over a computer monitor and conferring with a technician. He straightened when he noticed the threesome. "Miss Kinsey, how are you enjoying your tour?"
"She found it most informative, General," Jonas said. Amelia turned to blink at him.
"I'm glad to hear it," said Hammond. "Now that you know some of the layout, I can give you clearance to certain areas, which I'm sure will make your stay more comfortab—"
"General!" called an urgent voice from behind them. Amelia, Jonas, and Grogan turned and saw a woman with short blond hair heading purposefully towards them.
"Major?" asked Jonas, clearly puzzled. "I thought you were off today."
"I was," said the woman. She exhaled and gave the general a very serious look. "Something's up," she said. "General, I need to speak with you right away." Her eyes rested briefly on Amelia and Grogan. "In private," she added.
"Of course, Major. Lieutenant, please escort Miss Kinsey back to her quarters. I'll send someone to brief her on security policy as soon as they can be spared."
"Um, General, I don't mean to be impolite, but I haven't eaten anything all morning, and—"
"Of course. My apologies. Lieutenant, do you have time to escort Miss Kinsey to the commissary?"
Grogan glanced at his watch, furrowing his brow. "I can take her there, but we've got a mission briefing in ten minutes."
"I'll take you, Miss Kinsey," said Jonas helpfully. "I could go for something to eat myself. That is if you don't mind me swinging by the security labs first, General," he added, hoisting the bag he held in his hand. "I brought some stuff back."
"That will be fine, thank you, Jonas," said General Hammond with a nod. Then he looked back at the blond woman. "Major?" They walked off together.
"Well, it was fun, Miss Kinsey," said Grogan. "I've gotta run. See ya, Jonas!" Jonas gave him a small wave as he headed back down the stairs.
"Thank you!" Amelia called to his retreating back.
"So how long have you played the violin?" Jonas asked, studying Amelia Kinsey from across the small mess table. As promised, he'd brought her here after a quick trip to drop off his new offworld acquisitions. Everything brought through the gate had to go through a preliminary security screening before anyone was permitted to study it further.
He noticed Miss Kinsey was a very neat and meticulous eater. She was also sitting up perfectly straight, unlike Jonas who was slouching back casually in his chair. He supposed her proper table manners could be attributed to her privileged upbringing. He also noted that she'd eaten very little, despite the fact that they'd been here for half an hour.
"Since I was five," she said after she'd swallowed a bite of salad. "Violin was one of many 'accomplishments' my mother shuffled me through when I was little." She pursed her lips in concentration. "Among them ballet, painting, piano, French, tennis, voice, and riding."
"Wow," said Jonas, "that's a lot of accomplishments."
Amelia smiled. "Well, violin was the only thing I really latched on to, although I suppose my French is passable. And I do like playing tennis, when I get a chance. But I like volleyball better."
"Not on the list?" he asked.
"Are you kidding? Not nearly refined enough," she laughed.
"Apparently not."
There was a lull in the conversation, and Amelia peered at him curiously for a long moment. "So you're from another planet?" she finally asked.
Jonas nodded slowly. "Kelowna," he said. "Well, actually, Kelowna is the name of my country. We don't have a name for our whole planet."
"Why are you here on Earth?"
Jonas paused, fighting down the usual wave of sadness that welled up whenever something made him think of home. He was usually pretty good at keeping it from his mind. Then he sighed. "That's a long story."
"Ah." Amelia pushed a tomato around her plate with a fork for a moment before she said, with a wry smile, "You know, I get the feeling I'm going to run into a lot of long stories around this place, most of which nobody will be allowed to tell me."
"My government was conducting some highly controversial experiments," Jonas said calmly, surprising himself in the ease with which the words came out. "Colonel O'Neill convinced me that what they were doing was wrong, but they wouldn't listen to me. So I helped myself to some valuable research material that Earth was interested in and came here. I can't go back home. If I do, I'll be arrested and charged with high treason."
Amelia stared back at him, eyes wide. She had stopped fiddling with her fork. "Oh," she finally said. "Jonas, I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to push you to tell me. I was just making an observation."
He gave a small smile. "It's all right. I was actually hesitating for personal reasons. There are some basic guidelines about what we can and cannot tell visitors— all dependent on the nature of their visit, of course."
"Really? Do you think you can tell me what they are? That way I'll have a better idea what sort of questions will just be a waste of my time."
"Mostly the off-limits stuff is military in nature. Details about defensive technologies or any strategic details that are important to the war."
"War?" Amelia asked, alarmed.
Jonas winced. "See, there I probably said too much." When SG-1 were offworld, the Colonel was forever scolding Jonas for being too forward. "But there's all kinds of purely exploratory information I'm sure you'd be allowed access to, if you asked. Other cultures we've encountered— stuff like that."
Amelia nodded thoughtfully. "It's funny," she said, studying him again. "You don't seem very alien. I've always thought aliens would be… I don't know, purple or something."
He grinned. "Well, the Asgard are gray, if that helps."
"Yeah?"
"Sure. Short and gray. And naked," he added.
"Nice."
"As for me, well, there's actually a lot of human life in the galaxy. And it all originated on Earth, believe it or not. Thousands of years ago, a repressive race of aliens know as the Goa'uld used the stargate to colonize human slave worlds all over the galaxy. Kelowna was one of them."
"What happened to them?"
"To who? The Goa'uld or the humans?"
"Both."
"Many of the human worlds, like Earth and Kelowna, managed to rebel against the Goa'uld and evolve into independent societies."
"And the Goa'uld?"
"Ah, well… they're still around," Jonas said nonchalantly. Or at least he hoped it was nonchalant. Colonel O'Neill always said he was a terrible liar too. If Amelia Kinsey suspected anything, however, she gave no sign. What really surprised him was the feeling that he could tell her. She seemed to be a pretty levelheaded person, and Jonas got the impression she was also trustworthy, despite her unfortunate relations.
When he'd met the Senator the day before, Jonas had felt almost instantly why Colonel O'Neill didn't like the man. Kinsey reminded Jonas somewhat of Commander Hale back on Kelowna. Ambitious and shifty— he'd fairly radiated enmity when Jonas had shaken his hand. Not for the first time, Jonas wondered exactly what the details were on the history between Kinsey and Colonel O'Neill.
The intercom crackled. "SG-1, please report to General Hammond's office. Repeat, SG-1, please report to General Hammond's office."
"Oh, that's me," said Jonas, grinning proudly at Amelia. Even after all these months, the excitement of knowing SG-1 included him had not worn off. "If you're done I can take you back to your quarters."
She wiped her mouth off with a napkin and nodded. "I am, thanks. I appreciate you coming here with me."
"No problem. I enjoyed it."
After he'd escorted Amelia back to the VIP room, Jonas made all possible speed down to General Hammond's office, where he found the General and the rest of the team waiting for him. "Sorry I'm late," he said, shuffling in to stand behind the seat where Sam was sitting. "Had to take a slight detour." He frowned at the presence of Colonel O'Neill in the room. "Colonel, I thought you were off today too."
"Carter called me on her way here."
"Glad to see you could join us, Jonas," said General Hammond. "Teal'c, could you shut the door, please?" When Teal'c had done so, the General continued. "There's been a serious security breach regarding the Prometheus project. Since we don't have any idea where the information leak came from, I'm going to keep this matter as secure as possible. In other words, this meeting is to be kept to yourselves until further notice. This morning, Major Carter was approached by a reporter asking some very knowledgeable questions about Prometheus."
As General Hammond continued speaking, Jonas decided he was glad he'd gotten the chance for such a leisurely lunch. It seemed the next few days weren't going to be very quiet, after all.
A/N: I revised the last chapter to include the Sonnet that I forgot to include in my haste. So those of you who adore the Bards words as I do… go check it out!
And now I would like to expound on a fun and small minor change that gets the most shine time in this chapter, which is the addition (replacement) of Major Lorne to this story. He used to be Major Lars, but as those of you who've been keeping up on your Atlantis know, he's quickly becoming a much beloved and popular secondary face in the Stargate 'verse. What I didn't know was that he'd been on SG-1 for a single episode, Enemy Mine, in Season Seven. Ironically, that's the only episode of SG-1 I've never watched even once all the way through, because I thought it was so incredibly dull. However, Lorne was at the time on a team doing involved in naquadah mining, so I thought making the simple change from Lars to Lorne would be fun for my story.
Next chapter: Malek
Until then!
Saché
