Woo-hoo! New chapter!
And in this here chapter, my friends, is the first twist. Hope you all enjoy it.
Also, our beloved Prometheus is mentioned in this chapter... I wanted to remind everyone that this story is now AU, and so in my world, Prometheus is still around.
Thanks to (LJ users) herxcelncy and jennyannhass for the beta!
Entrance
"Unscheduled off-world activation!"
The words seemed to echo through the halls of the SGC more and more often these days, no one—save the General—hurried to the control room every time Harriman shouted the words anymore, as they had done in years past. It happened too often lately for anyone to be excited by it.
Always, a team was coming back early and hot, or the Jaffa were reporting that another of their worlds had been visited by a Prior.
Never any major trouble anymore.
Little did anyone know, today's alert was going to be quite different.
---
Landry was absent from Cheyenne Mountain today. Gone to some big meeting in Washington for the better part of the day.
And so when Harriman's alert of "Unscheduled off-world activation!" resounded in the hallways of the SGC, no one at all was sent running to the control room. Just happening to be walking by the corridor that lead to the control room at that moment, Marla decided, with a sigh, that she should just go and see what was going on this time.
After all, with no General around, someone had to make Harriman feel needed.
"What's up, Sergeant?" she asked upon entering the control room. She glanced up through the glass and noted that the Gate's iris was already closed.
"No IDC as of yet, ma'am," Harriman responded. "But the wormhole just opened, so we're waiting."
After a moment, Marla began to frown, but she deliberately stopped herself from asking the question right off. But when the wormhole had remained open for five minutes and nothing at all had come through—neither radio signal, nor anything striking the still-closed iris—she glanced at the readouts around her.
"If nothing's coming through, shouldn't it be closing down?" she asked.
Harriman was frowning too. "Yes, ma'am, it should be. But it isn't."
"Someone dialing in to prevent us from using the Gate to escape?" Marla inquired, even though she doubted this was the case.
"Nothing on deep space sensors, ma'am," a tech spoke up. "Prometheus is in orbit, and it hasn't reported anything either. Nothing's out there, ma'am."
Oh, God, this sounds familiar, she mused silently. She was quite capable of remembering the escapade three and a half years ago, when this same exact thing had happened. But Marla knew that this wasn't being caused by the device that Anubis had used against them years ago. Not only had it been destroyed, so had Anubis.
And some gut feeling whispered to her that it was the Ori causing this.
"Story of the SGC, eh?" she said, trying to alleviate the bit of tension that had silently set in over the techs in the room. "It shouldn't be, but it is." She sighed. "Look for the tiny power flux that we found last time this happened. That should tell us if it's the same weapon."
After a moment, one of the techs shakily announced, "Colonel Jameson, we can't find anything at all coming through. Even that small."
Marla took in a deep breath. "Okay. Harriman, try and shut it down."
The tech obediently tapped a few keys on his board. When nothing happened, he repeated the action. He looked up to Marla with a slightly less than surprised expression on his face. "It won't shut down, ma'am."
"Well, then. I think we have a problem." She switched almost immediately into command mode. "If it stays open for five more minutes, put the base into lockdown. When it exceeds thirty-eight minutes, put out a distress call. Right now, page Colonel Carter and have her come up here to take a look at things."
"Yes, ma'am," Harriman said with a tight nod.
Turning, Marla faced the glass window, staring at the Stargate below. She grasped her good hand and cast together behind her back in a military stance trained into her body after so many years.
This could be just what I've been hoping for, she thought. Handle this little crisis, and the Air Force has no choice but to promote me again. I'll be General Jameson soon.
"Colonel Carter to the control room, Colonel Carter to the control room."
Marla glanced down at her watch. The Gate had been open for eight minutes, and still nothing had come through. She glanced back up at the Stargate itself, noting that it looked so perfectly normal.
The sound of footsteps reached her ears, and Marla turned to find not only Carter entering the room, but also Daniel, pushing Vala's wheelchair in front of him. Marla felt her eyes narrow the tiniest bit. It probably wasn't the best idea to have a pair of useless civilians hanging around at the moment. Had it been anyone other than Daniel and Vala, she would've immediately ordered them out.
"Where's the rest of the band?" Marla asked sarcastically.
Daniel didn't seem to notice the sarcasm. Marla guessed it was from years spent with Jack O'Neill. "Teal'c and Colonel Mitchell are on Dekara," he answered. He paused, taking in the tense mood around the control room. "What's going on?"
"Well, we have a problem," Marla responded.
Carter raised an eyebrow. "What kind of problem?" she asked.
Taking another deep breath, Marla glanced over her shoulder at the Gate, then back to the lieutenant colonel. "The Gate has been open for almost ten minutes, and nothing at all has come through. Not even the tiniest power feed like when Anubis attacked three years ago. And it won't shut down, either."
Carter had already walked over and dropped herself into one of the tech's chairs. "Oh. That kind of problem." Her fingers flew across keys, bringing up diagnostics as her eyes scanned over them.
Marla glanced to her watch. "Ten minutes. Harriman?"
He nodded, and began the base's lockdown procedure.
"What's he doing?" Vala asked, eyeing the sergeant.
"Putting us in lockdown," Marla answered, once again assuming her position by the glass. "We've got a situation, and I don't want to open up whatever's wrong here to the rest of the world."
"Well, who put you in charge, Miss High and Mighty?" Vala asked.
Marla's eyes sparked fire over her shoulder at Vala. "The United States Air Force," she snapped. "I'm one of three colonels currently in this base, making me a ranking military officer. And of those three, I'm the only one even attempting to deal with this predicament." Her jaw set as she gazed harshly over her shoulder at everyone in the room. "If any of you have a problem with that, then I suggest you get out, and you get out right now."
No one so much as flinched.
"That's what I thought." She turned her head to gaze at the Gate again, attempting—and succeeding—to project a false air of coolness. Inside, she was worried that her rash behavior might have affected everyone's respect for her. She took in a deep breath, keeping the mask of indifference firmly on her face. "Sergeant?"
"The base is locked down, ma'am," Harriman responded.
"Goo—" Marla began when the sight below in the Gateroom cut her off.
The metal iris slowly wound open, and she stared at it wide-eyed for a moment before her head whipped around.
"Harriman!"
The tech was also staring, wide-eyed at the Stargate, his mouth slightly agape. He turned to Marla with his expression still quite shocked. "I didn't do it!" he insisted.
Marla's glare traveled to the other techs, but they all shook their heads.
"Try and close it!" she ordered. Switching to the intercom, she instructed the Gateroom security team to stand ready. And to shoot anything at all that came through the event horizon.
"Ma'am, we can't close the iris," Carter spoke up. "None of the Gate controls are responding at all."
"Okay." Marla sighed inwardly. "I think our problem just got—"
The electricity unexplainably blinked off around them.
"—worse."
Emerald eyes quickly scanned across the room, noting that every computer screen had gone blank, to everyone's great alarm. And, to Marla's personal fright, the only light came from the rippling blue surface of the wormhole. After sighing, the techs glanced up to the Stargate, and all grimaced.
Well, now they knew pulling the plug wasn't going to work.
"Much worse," Marla corrected herself.
"Back-up power should kick in soon, right?" Daniel asked. Immediately after the words left his mouth, the dim emergency lights came on, followed by the computers. "Well, I guess that answers my question."
"Harriman, put the base on full alert—no details—and get Siler down here to check out the power," Marla immediately ordered as the computer screens began refilling with data. "On second thought, hold up on the call. Wait until after the Gate shuts down, then get Siler down here. And Carter, make sure nothing's still coming through."
"Yes, ma'am," both answered, setting about their assignments.
Marla glanced down at her watch again. "Twenty-seven minutes," she announced. "Time leaks away."
"Attention!" Harriman's voice echoed throughout the base. "We have a situation." He went on with the announcement of high alert, but.
After a moment, Carter spoke up. "Colonel Jameson? Something is coming through now."
Marla immediately frowned. "What is it?"
"It looks like some form of energy," Carter answered. "Just pure energy. Very small amount, though. If we weren't putting things under such tight scrutiny now, we would have missed it completely."
"Thank God for small favors," Marla muttered absently. Coming to stand behind Carter, Marla looked over the lieutenant colonel's shoulder at the computer screen. "It's not doing anything, is it?"
"Not that we can detect, ma'am," Carter replied.
Head cocking to the side, Marla raised an eyebrow. "Odd."
"Yes, ma'am it is," the astrophysicist agreed. "But it might just be some form of malfunction in the Gate itself due to the stress it's currently under."
"Keep an eye on it just the same," Marla ordered before turning to walk back to her previous position near the window of security glass. She felt a strong, gnawing premonition forming in her gut as she stared at the customary blue surface of the wormhole below. An unexplained impulse pressed her to say, "Harriman, page SG-6. I want them down here too."
For a moment, the sergeant just stared at her. "Ma'am?" he inquired, as if asking, "Are you sure?"
"Do it, Sergeant," she ordered firmly. "Call Colonel Skinner, Lieutenant Oliander, and Doctor Thrace to the control room, on the double. I want them down here as quickly as possible."
The tech nodded just as firmly as his commanding officer had spoken. "Yes, ma'am," he said. His voice then rang out on the base-wide speakers. "Colonel Skinner, Lieutenant Oliander, and Doctor Thrace to the control room as quickly as possible. Colonel Skinner, Lieutenant Oliander, and Doctor Thrace to the control room."
Closing her eyes and sighing deeply, Marla turned her back to the Gate. When she opened them, she was looking back into a little corner of the control room where an occupied wheelchair was parked, out of the way. In it, Vala sat quietly, good hand folded over the casted one in her lap. She almost immediately noticed Marla looking at her, and locked gazes with her.
Silently, Marla moved to Vala's side, and crouched down beside her.
"Marla, do you think something big is going to happen?" Vala asked quietly.
She hesitated, feeling some strange need to lie to soften the experience for her friend. After that moment of uncertainty, she decided to hedge around the issue. "Well, something's always happening here," she said. "Nothing ever seems to run smoothly, no matter how much we all want it to. We've all gotten used to it, though."
"You didn't answer my question," Vala said flatly.
No, I didn't. Again, the colonel hesitated before answering. This time, though, she decided on the truth. "Yes, I do think something's going to happen," she murmured quietly. "I have a gut feeling about it."
"Well, then," Vala said, with a light sigh. "I wonder—"
"Colonel Jameson!" Carter's voice interrupted. "We have something. A radio signal is coming through the wormhole now."
Marla was back to her feet and across the room in seconds. "Well, let's hear it then."
"Patching it through…" Carter said, tapping the keys again.
Seconds later, a familiarly toned voice rang out from the speakers around the control room. "Those that dare oppose the Ori will be punished with death," the Prior's voice flatly intoned. "And those that defy them have their days numbered. Their insolence will not be endured. Those called Colonel Marla Jameson and Vala Mal Doran shall soon feel the depth of the Ori's wrath, and their lives shall end on this day."
Everyone sat silently after the Prior's short speech finished. Marla was frozen with fear, despite everything in her yelling not to be frightened. Her eyes were wide and she had to force herself to breath.
"End radio signal," Carter announced quietly.
Every ounce of strength came rushing back to Marla then, and she gave a determined grunt. Let the Prior come. She would fight him with her bare hands if need be. Well, bare hand and cast.
Even so determined, she knew that the Ori were a foe that they were continually underestimating, and she didn't intend to do so again.
"Harriman, give the evacuation order for levels twenty-eight through twenty-three," she determinedly ordered. "I want everyone out of here but those of us in this room and the team in the Gateroom." She checked her watch, and noted that thirty-one minutes had elapsed since the wormhole first opened. "They all have five minutes to clear out, and then you're going to start closing blast doors. Seal this area like an airlock. No one's coming in, and nothing's getting out."
Harriman nodded firmly, though Marla thought she read fear in his eyes. "Yes, ma'am."
The cold emerald eyes that were such a deep part of her reputation traveled around the room, landing shortly on the face of every tech. "Anyone who wants to leave needs to do so now. In five minutes, you'll all have no choice."
For a moment, the room was frozen and not one person dared even flinch under the colonel's intense gaze. Then, slowly as common sense likely grabbed a hold of him and banished his fear of his commanding officer, one young tech stood, removed his headset, and walked away. Marla half expected for everyone to stand and follow, but no one else so much as flinched.
She nodded firmly. "Good. Now give the evacuation order."
She turned as Harriman began announcing the evacuation, and to her great surprise, saw that Daniel and Vala remained.
"Should you two really stay here?" Marla asked.
Vala's jaw set determinedly. "The Prior spoke my name right beside yours. I have just as much right to be here as you do."
One auburn eyebrow arched. "I'm not in a wheelchair."
"No," Vala conceded, "but you are in a cast."
"Touché," Marla murmured, tipping her head slightly as she accepted the point. She considered mentioning that Vala wasn't the one in command here, but decided not even that fact would not sway the dark-haired thief. Instead, she turned to Daniel. "Jackson?"
He too, stood firm. "Wherever Vala goes, I go."
Marla knew what he meant, but still arched an eyebrow at him.
"Yes, he's like an obedient little puppy," Vala quipped, grinning. "Following me everywhere I go."
"Hey!" Daniel protested, glaring at Vala. "I am definitely not your puppy. And I do not willingly follow you everywhere."
Unable to resist, Marla muttered, "Shut-up, Jackson. You know you do."
"I do not!" Daniel strongly disagreed. "The only reason I—"
"Colonel Jameson?" Sergeant Harriman interrupted. "What about SG-6, ma'am? Should they evacuate too, or should they still come down here?"
Marla considered it for only a moment. "I want them here. But tell them to go to the armory first. I want them here fully armed." To herself, she quietly added, "Not that it'll help us any."
Harriman gave a short nod and relayed the order. While he did, everyone else was still, and after he quieted, the room was completely silent. The room was so noiseless, one could have heard the proverbial pin drop.
Finally, Harriman announced, "Evacuation complete. Excluding the people in this room, and SG-6 in the armory, levels twenty-eight through twenty-three are empty."
"Good. Begin closing and locking all blast doors," she ordered. "Start by sealing level twenty-three off, then slowly work down towards the Gateroom. And, of course, leave a path from the armory back here open. And one of the Gateroom blast doors too," she added, glancing down to the security team still standing ready.
Thank God they're so steady, Marla thought, making an uncharacteristic mental note to thank them later.
Announcing the numbers as he went, Harriman slowly sealed off levels twenty-three, twenty-four, twenty-five, twenty-six, and twenty-seven.
"Sealing sub-level twenty-eight," he announced finally.
Marla checked her watch once more. "And not a moment too soon. Thirty-seven minutes, and counting. Almost at the moment of truth."
"So this is it," Vala murmured.
"This is it," everyone agreed in unison.
Moving back to her position by the window and assuming her rigid stance, Marla nodded curtly. "This is it."
The very moment the words left her mouth, the electricity once again shut down around them. This time though, the emergency power was what shut down, leaving them nothing at all to fall back on. The Stargate, as before, remained open and shimmering.
"That was not a coincidence," she urgently observed. Alarmed, she quickly ordered the security team in the Gateroom to move into the next room so that they might be shielded by at least one blast door.
"Ma'am, with no power, I can't remotely lock down the rest of the blast-doors," Harriman said urgently.
"Yes, thank you, Captain Obvious," Marla snapped sarcastically, "I never would—"
In front of them, the blue wormhole surface began rippling harsher, and below, even the security team stopped to turn around and stare. Every eye was fixed on the Stargate everyone just waiting for it to produce a Prior. But then the color of the event horizon abruptly changed from a bright, medium-toned blue to a light, almost white one, as it usually did right before closing. A cheer started in everyone's throats.
Everyone but Marla's.
Only by the feeling burning deep in her gut did she know this was not what they were all hoping for.
A desperate shriek left her mouth instead of an excited cheer of victory. "Everyone, DOWN!" she thundered.
Below, instead of shrinking as the wormhole closed, the bright circle inside the Stargate's rim grew rapidly outward, expanding at an unnaturally fast rate until it completely filled the Gateroom with its mass. Every inch of the wide room was covered by the bright glow and every wall was scorched as it spewed forth.
Marla turned and threw herself to the floor just as the wide glass window blew inwards.
Gah! The dreaded cliffhanger!