Part 6: Retreat
Eight o'clock on the dot the next morning, Jack walked into the SGC.
He wandered the early morning halls and reflected on his first trip down here and how much it had changed from its days as an old rundown missile silo. It had become a living thing somewhere along the road and Jack felt a slight twinge of loss at leaving this place behind. This place and the people it sheltered had changed his life.
When he eventually made it to the control room, the thumping heart of the SGC, Siler and Walter were both waiting for him, as they did every morning. But today, Jack didn't reach for the mug of coffee Walter offered him, or ask Siler for an update on the system.
Instead, he simply said, "It's time," and watched how the men's faces paled slightly, but remained resolute.
"Yes, sir," they echoed simultaneously.
Within ten minutes the Mountain had been completely cut off from the outside world and the staff, save the two government moles now being treated to their own cells, was assembled in the gateroom, moving carefully horded supplies through the gate to the Alpha Site.
Each would be given a chance to decide whether they wanted to step through the gate one last time.
Jack retreated to his office and perched down in the leather office chair that had once supported George Hammond. He ran his hands over the smooth wood surface of the desk and said aloud to the empty room, "I wish you were still here, sir."
But the hollow room had no advice to offer.
Pulling open the bottom drawer, Jack fished out a small well-read letter that Hammond had left for him the first day of his new Command. Jack tucked it carefully in his pocket, took one last look at the office and walked into the briefing room beyond. He suppressed the urge to walk the halls one last time, to follow the well-worn path between Daniel and Carter's labs, the commissary and Teal'c's quarters. They were all empty now, had been for years. Not even a hint of their previous inhabitants remained.
Jack walked down the tightly twisting stairs in to the Control Room, where Walter calmly sat monitoring gate activity below.
Jack touched Walter's shoulder and said, "Twenty minutes, Sergeant."
Walter nodded his understanding. "See you on the other side, sir."
Jack took one more look at the Stargate and requested transport up to Thor's ship.
Jack had never been one for speeches. He'd never really understood the need for words, when his actions could speak for themselves. But this war had taught him the awesome power of words. Suddenly power was in the hands of he who spoke loudest and longest.
Keep the people afraid. Keep them convinced that this way was the only way. Silence any other voices, by any means possible.
Words had become the currency of power on Earth.
Jack just hoped they could also be the vehicle for change. And today, they would have no choice but to listen.
Jack shifted uncertainly next to a small platform, still not convinced that this wasn't a job that better suited Daniel.
Almost as if summoned by his thoughts, Daniel appeared behind him. "We just received a message from Sam. She and Teal'c are safely away with the Prometheus."
Jack nodded silently, feeling a small beat of relief that half of his team was clear of this planet.
"O'Neill," Thor said from his position at a control panel some feet away. "Your world leaders are growing restless and their shock at finding themselves relocated seems to be wearing off."
Jack grimaced at the thought of their reaction to abrupt transported into an auditorium with their worst enemies.
"Show time, Jack," Daniel said.
"I was thinking," Jack said as his throat went dry, "that maybe you would be a better choice. You know how I am with speeches."
Daniel shook his head with small smile playing at his lips. But when he finally looked up and met Jack's slightly panicked eyes, his face was completely serious. "Today is a day for great men," he said with a small push in Jack's back.
Jack stumbled slightly and turned back to stare at Daniel, his chest constricting painfully. If weren't for the painfully intense look on Daniel's face, Jack would have assumed he was mocking him.
"I never claimed-," Jack started to protest.
"I know," Daniel interrupted. "The great ones never do."
Jack reached out a hand to Daniel's arm. "Daniel…," he mumbled inarticulately. He knew what Daniel was doing, what he was trying to say. Daniel was telling Jack that he forgave him this. That in his own way, he understood.
Jack opened his mouth, unsure of what to say.
But Daniel just smiled slightly and pushed Jack onto the platform.
"Good luck."
The lecture hall sat well over five hundred people, and every seat was occupied. Not that any of the people were calmly sitting. They were clustered in groups, some suspiciously staring at others, some yelling and pushing, and a few simply looking lost.
Jack shimmered into place on a small raised platform at the center of the room. He didn't shout to be heard over the din, but rather simply waited as a small wave of awareness rippled through the room. It wasn't long until complete silence reigned.
Jack cleared his throat and waved one hand awkwardly at the crowd in greeting. "Hi. Sorry for the inconvenience this little field trip may have caused you, but I needed to inform you all of some world events. Oh, and this is being broadcast on every major TV station, so the world is quite literally watching."
The crowd shifted uncomfortably for a moment, everyone craning their necks to see each other's reactions to this astounding proclamation.
"For those of you who don't know me," Jack continued, "I'm Jack O'Neill, commander of the United States' Stargate Program."
Gasps and whispers rose again and Jack waited calmly for it to pass. He had no notes for this speech, there was no precedence to follow, and so Jack just circumspectly shook out his tingling fingers and cut to the chase.
"I've had the honor to travel around this little galaxy of ours for the last eight years. One of my friends from out there once called the people of Earth very young. At the time, I thought they were underestimating us and in my arrogance I disregarded their warnings. But now, seeing what we've done to ourselves, I realize that she was right. Earth is very young. Too young to be playing with such grown up toys. Too young to deserve to have the secrets of the Universe at its fingertips. Those wonders are only used to make better and more effective weapons and it's a waste.
"I've sat by for a long time and done nothing, but no longer. So here's what I'm going to do. I'm leaving this planet. And I'm taking the Stargate with me. And the alien technology. Even the Prometheus."
The crowd broke out into frenzied protest, but Jack managed to quiet them by lifting one hand, his hologram flickering eerily.
"To be clear, I do this so there will be no more reason to fight. No more reason for blood. Something tells me you'll keep fighting anyway, but at least now you no longer have that excuse. It's time to wake up and figure out was this is really all about. It's time to fix it.
"I'm taking my people with me to start over somewhere else. We're going to keep exploring, meeting new friends and maybe even figuring out a little of that meaning of life stuff, but we're going to do it in the name of wonder and humanity, not war.
"When you're finally ready to join us, we'll be waiting."
"You'll be leaving us defenseless!" a voice cried out from the crowd.
As if on cue, Thor shimmered into view next to Jack. He calmly looked around the room, blinking slowly and ignoring all the gasps. "The Asgard have pledged to protect Earth from off-world aggressors," he said slowly as if speaking to children. "We will watch over you, though we wish to have no more direct contact with your kind or your violence."
Thor's eyes narrowed as he looked carefully around the room. "I am only regretful that I misread the potential of a few individuals as the potential for your entire race. But O'Neill has convinced me to keep you safe at the very least. May you strive to deserve this compassion."
Jack nearly choked as Thor disappeared once again, surprised by the vehemence of the little alien's words.
"O'Neill!" called an angry voice from the stunned crowd. Jack turned to see an irate Kinsey standing just behind and to the side of President Hayes. "Who the hell do you think you are? What right do you have?"
Silence filled the room and Jack forced himself to answer the hardest of all questions.
"I'm just a man, Kinsey," Jack said quietly. "A man forced to make difficult choices and doing the best he can to do what's right." Jack's eyes shifted to the man on Kinsey's left. "Something you may well remember to do yourself, Mr. President."
It was a bald statement to make to the leader of one of the most powerful nations in the world. But Jack could see beyond the way Hayes' face paled, he was also looking at Kinsey a little more closely.
Jack turned back to the crowd. "I love this planet and I have dedicated my life to protecting it. But now I'm done." A smile played at his lips. "I guess you could say that I'm retiring. It's time for all of you to learn how to save yourselves."
Jack took a moment to look at the assorted faces watching him with varying levels of disbelief. "Please, for everyone's sake, do it quickly."
One more deep breath and Jack stepped back off the platform and disappeared, leaving them to their fate.
They renamed the Alpha-site New Terra and moved to the surface, abandoning grey subterranean spaces for a life lived in the sun. They held elections and built schools and everyone from the youngest child to the oldest man knew what the Stargate was. It was even stated in the community charter that exploration for the betterment of man was the primary goal of the fledgling society.
SG-1 remained closely tied together, even as each sought to forge a new direction. Sam became obsessed with agriculture and maximizing crop production, turning her exceptional mind towards creating life, not extinguishing it. Teal'c ran back and forth between New Terra and Dakara, hoping that the follies of the Tau'ri might help temper the extremes of the Free Jaffa Nation. Daniel threw himself into continued archaeological study, working with artifacts brought back by the SG teams, banking on the chance that he might, one day, find the ultimate answers.
And Jack stood back and watched it all flow around him, every breath tied to his responsibility to these people and the choices he has made.
Every day was dangerous and they never knew what they might bring back with them through the gate, but every person here had chosen this life, had dedicated themselves to what the Stargate should have been about from the beginning: hope.
It wasn't Earth, but it was peace.
And that was enough.