Chapter Four - Story of an Aid Worker

I'm in Stargate Command being briefed about the mission I'm to undertake.

"You will be transported through the Stargate to an Ancient alien flying city to be deployed on the ground. Once there, you will survey the surrounding buildings, the condition of the people and their ability to look after themselves. You will talk to as many people as will see you. You will write down your observations and assessments, and make suggestions. Look for ways to first maintain a decent living condition and then ways to improve their living condition.

You will be our ambassadors on the ground, move mountains people to ensure we treat them very well. Make sure they have plenty of blankets and food and are relaxed in their homes. Get their impression of the situation - both while the Lucian Alliance were on the planet and now that they are mostly defeated. Look for ways to go above and beyond. You will have the resources of the entire city of Atlantis.

They now have Asgard Matter Creation devices lining each pier so creating several large packages will be no problem. We will be blanketing the planet with these pallet-sized packages containing food, clothing and other necessities. Let's make a very good first impression, people." said General Landry.

Now I'm in the hallway outside the gate room. Momentarily, they will activate the gate to send us several hundred light years to a planet full of some people who are supposed to be in need while also swarming with soldiers of the Lucian Alliance.

I'm walking now. Well half walking, half being pushed by the person behind me. There is quite a big group of us. We're spilling in from both sides all coming together to go through the gate. Immediately on the other side we are led to the jumper bay above Stargate command. I'm getting in one of the Jumpers now. We're heading down to the planet. We take what feels like a couple of shots which do no damage. I don't see much because I'm near the rear hatch. I just see a planet that looks like so many former Goa'uld occupied planets.

We're on the ground now and I'm on foot. We all instinctively fan out in search of willing prey. I just see faces hostile to not only my presence but my existence as well. Still loyal Lucian Alliance guys. We must still be close to their center of government. As I keep walking I start to see dwellings hardly fitting human habitation. These are the people I wish to see.

One man graces me with a few words. He tells me life is hard for him. He was physically injured and couldn't work. The Lucian Alliance had little need of someone not as strong as so many others. He lived in squalor, with barely enough to live on. His house was little more than the size of a broom closet.

This aid worker had an idea, what if Atlantis were to build them better habitations. Working together, Atlantis and the BC-304s that were sent later to help would build these people a better city with better dwellings than the one they found themselves in now. Atlantis would create parts of the dwellings that the BC-304s would then use the transporters to assemble.

Imagine, if you can, Atlantis periodically resituating itself over another part of the city while you're standing in the street. You see entire sections of the city disappear then reappear as newer, bigger buildings. Where you're standing might be remade right around you. Entire buildings disappear right in front of you and then all of a sudden you are standing in a much nicer building with hallways full of doors. You walk outside and see all around you massive buildings, easily meant to house hundreds of people. You're, maybe, talking to someone on that planet and here comes Atlantis with her six ship escort, all their shields still raised.

Maybe you're somewhere on the planet and you see Atlantis get her second shield, after the emitters and ZPMs had been installed. A whole other shield around the original one. Still mostly transparent but definitely more defined. It was amazing to watch as the whole shield blossomed over its companion.

While doing my duty not only to my own world but also to the people of this planet, I saw Atlantis transform. She became even stronger. No longer just a city ship, she was now a city of war. She had become something that in a few million years will sound more like a fairy tale than history. A magnificent shining city that might visit your planet and send down help or weapons fire. No ship stood her equal. In battle, she was undefeated. That's what they'll say. Every victory hers alone. Any defeats quietly hushed away. If there were, in fact, any defeats.

The reality was much better. Here was the beginning. On this planet. This is when Atlantis threw herself into the fray willingly and dominated. This was the first planet to buckle under her might. One of many.

Word was that, when it would be possible, the exterior shield emitters would be powered by nine ZPMs total. Who knew what other changes would happen to make this flying city a magical thing of fairy tales.

During the third week we were there, after the exterior shield had been activated, a fleet of at least fifty Ha'tak and thirty Al'kesh showed up to try and take the planet back. I was on the planet. Just as the fleet arrived, three guys popped out around me. I assume they meant to kill me. Without giving them the time, though, I activated my emergency transponder which let the ships in orbit know I needed to get out of here immediately. I was instantly beamed aboard Atlantis. Once aboard, I saw the armada facing us. Everyone else on the planet was beamed up shortly after me.

Atlantis and the BC-304s rose from their positions above the city to meet this foe in outer space. The enemy spread out and sent forth all of their gliders. The BC-304s fanned out around Atlantis. They remained on guard but inactive while Atlantis started creating drones. I had heard that the designs had been tweaked since the first battle on this planet. The drones from the Command ships had been thoroughly studied while they were being reabsorbed as energy and the lessons learned there were put into the new drones. They were now based on the Ancient drones, Ancient replicators and the enemy drones. It was theorized they would now be better able to avoid enemy fire while maximizing their ability to hit the enemy.

Thousands must have been created. They were everywhere. They started with the gliders while the Ha'taks and Al'kesh opened fire on Atlantis and her BC-304 escorts. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw our drones fan out to avoid the enemies weapons fire. They moved out of the way and remained strong in number for when they finally reached the Ha'taks. Their efforts were pointless on Atlantis so they focused their weapons fire on the BC-304s whose shields were less powerful than the city ship. They all decided to seek safe haven inside Atlantis' shield.

All the gliders had been taken out by our drones. All that was left were the Ha'taks and Al'kesh and they relentlessly fired everything they had on Atlantis. The shields held firm, not diminishing at all. The drones continued forward as they reached weapons range. Thousands of them opened fire on the fleet of Ha'taks. Combined their weapons fire greatly taxed the enemies' shields.

Atlantis had opened fire with her Asgard Beams. The thirty beams easily destroyed thirty of their ships. The remaining twenty-five decided it would be better to sacrifice themselves than be destroyed so easily without causing any sort of damage. They knew their fates were sealed. There was no retreat. They began a kamikaze run, straight at Atlantis. They collided with our drones which destroyed seven of them. Eighteen quickly grew closer to Atlantis coming within twice the length of Atlantis when they were destroyed. The force of which impacted the shields. They fluctuated in response but easily absorbed the damage. Atlantis remained unharmed.

The battle was over and again Atlantis easily dominated the enemy forces, but General Carter still wondered if it would be enough against the Wraith. They came in huge waves meant to completely overwhelm you, did we now have enough to not only withstand but also dominate any number of foe? Were we now powerful enough to do what the Ancients could not?

Is this what our existence had been leading up to? Were we led here by their unseen hands toward this final battle? In their own city, nonetheless? Had it actually been their plan to have us fight their battles for them? Were the Goa'uld merely the testing ground for a much stronger foe who was so alike? Were they truly that humble, to be able to say, "I am not capable of this."? To say that this is beyond their ability to think in the way necessary to destroy this foe.

Had the Goa'uld been purposely lead to technologies many millions of years their superior, far beyond their ability for complete understanding. Yet, still much farther ahead than their intended foe, the Tau'ri. Much like the Wraith, who were so much more powerful and who had a more hands-on approach than the Goa'uld. If not for the defenses of Atlantis, we would easily have been defeated by now. Without the vastly superior technology of the Ancients, the Tau'ri stood little chance to come out the victor.

Had we as a species been meant to be far more warlike than our predecessors or was that merely an unforeseen consequence? We have been at war on some part of this planet since the invention of writing which greatly dealt with not only current wars but also past ones, i.e. The Iliad, which predates writing. We have been killing each other for many thousands of years. Was it part of some bigger plan? Had the Ancients intended us to be their saviors in endeavors which forced an entire galaxy into herd status. Was it now our job to restore the balance they upset?

We would do it and well. Defeat was not an option and eventually they would find their way to this galaxy, even if they all had to go into status while a few piloted them the many years it would take. Eventually, they would come. They had the patience to outlast several generations. They will have remained the same but we will become who knows what. A stronger opponent who easily defeats them or a more arrogant opponent who allows itself to be outwitted? Would we still be capable of victory against such a foe after their tale had become more science fiction than reality? Would we have plans in place for victory with military minds fully versed on their tactics and weaknesses in place to steer the battle? Would we still be so warlike, now that peace is sustainable?

The battles of today dictate the battles of tomorrow. While I'll never carry a gun into battle, I will do my part on behalf of my planet. I am doing it here to help my planet gain an ally in the war against the Lucian Alliance. Whoever these people are, it is hoped that they are not all die hard fanatics of the Alliance. Though, we are living by the motto: trust, but verify.

If these people were to remain good friends, then more technologies could be shared to improve their daily lives. Though, that would have to wait for sometime, maybe a few decades to ensure they really are the good friends they claim to be. Friendships could often be tenuous for many years before trust could really be established. Earth would take its time to ensure the safety of its own people first.

After the battle was over and all the enemy vessels were destroyed, Atlantis reentered the atmosphere to continue hovering over the city. She would remain for a few more weeks to ensure the safety of this planet but also to allow for the completion of her upgrades.