Season 2 - Chapter 2
Thoughts
"speech"
"Goa'uld speech"
SG SG SG SG SG SG SG
September 8th, 1998 – Moon base
"Come, you'll want to see this!", I hear Keira calling as soon as we ring in.
Usually, we stay at the base most days, but we made this a long weekend to be with family. We took the extended family - my parents, Sirius and Remus, the Weasleys, Delacours, Et-Al for an extended long weekend to the Red Sea. Some repelling charms, magical tents, clear blue sea, soft sands, and colourful sundowners – What can go wrong, right?
Don't get me started…
By Saturday evening I was waiting for Tuesday to come.
Keira, Calvin, and R are standing together with tea cups in their hands in front of the main hangar observation window. There is quite a crowd standing there with them all looking out.
"Slow Tuesday?" Harry teases when we get close. We are all so busy these days that we almost have no time to meet and talk. I do miss our early group meetings over a pint.
Or three.
"Sorry?" Bill mouths when we're close enough.
I'm not certain if he's apologising for Ron, Molly, or His father. I smile at him softly.
Not his fault
"Are you coming? It's starting!" R stresses.
We join the group to look out the window. Out in the hangar is a Frankenstein of an aeroplane. I've seen designs and mockups, but never imagined it's gonna be so ugly.
"Lovely" I just say.
Calvin snickers.
Siya and Ted, of the craft design team, are standing silently in front of a screen, and watching a list of entries turn green one at a time. The tension is so high they don't even argue with each other. 'Banter' they call it, but nobody is convinced. Yet somehow, they're one of the most effective teams around and have been ever since Ted recommended that we nick Siya from NASA.
Wasn't an easy task, let me tell you.
The monstrosity outside started its life as a Harrier Jump Jet, specifically, a Sea Harrier, which suffered a landing accident losing a wing. The other wing was cut off and both were replaced with small stubs. The fuselage was emptied, and then parts were taken mostly off of one of the whole space-fighters and were fitted in place. Taking out the engine and fuel tanks left more than enough free space for what was needed.
Beside me, Calvin looks a wee bit jumpy.
"Anxious?"
He smiles at me thinly. "We stripped those devices of any sort of control systems we could recognise and refitted them with self-developed ones. Since I still can't break into the actual code of those effing computers, this test flight is a practical test for my ability to recognise all computerised systems, at the very least."
"No progress?"
"Too little," he sighs. "I can probably be helped by an encryption specialist. Beatrix is great, but she's no use in discovering the language out of the gibberish of symbols. And she has no understanding of coding."
One more person to the list…
Outside, 'Frankie' lifts off and hovers about 5 feet over the floor, and then 5 whole yards. Troy is in the cockpit, yet Siya is controlling the, well – 'it,' from a station in the centre of the observation post.
"Alright, let's test it. Sway right – works. Left – works. Ted – adjust right by 12.4% and left by 8.7%?"
= Frankie, this is control. Troy, do you read me? Over =
= Clear Control =
= How are things going in the cockpit? Over =
= All systems nominal, control. Inertia damping is perfect. Cannot feel anything at all. Just the world moving outside the canopy. Over =
= Troy, control. Please repeat our motions, for control systems check and calibration? Over =
= Roger =
Outside, Frankie repeats the former manoeuvres.
"4.3% and 5.2% variation, right and left – compensating." Ted remarks.
= Troy, Control. Testing surging next. Over =
= Roger =
After a truly short while this gets repetitive, and we drift with our conversation.
"Thought you're building a new design?" I can hear Fleur asking.
"We are, but decided to run a full test of the combined components from the fighter and our control systems, so all will be tested when the new fuselage is ready for assembly." R replies.
"A squadron of X-Wings – Take that Vader!" Harry enthuses.
"Please, don't waste our time with that ridiculous design." Ted is perceptive enough to remark, even during testing.
"Ted?!" Siya pulls him back in with exasperation.
Strange how our team, Seth notwithstanding, is mostly geeks.
And real geeks don't like Star Wars…
= Frankie, control; all systems tested and green. Ready to take it outside? Over. = I hear Siya's voice over our conversation.
= Ready as can be =
= Free to head for the gate. Precious is out there for escort. Goodluck =
Frankie is moving up slowly, till it is within a chamber with double locks. We don't have force fields, or molecular replicators, or any such fancy tech, so air is treasured. Air is drawn out of the chamber and there's a minimal loss as Frankie is released out into space.
= Woohoo! = we can all hear Troy, over the comm, as he takes Frankie up and around.
"5,500 knots", Ted remarks.
"Asked him not to push it all the way till the Naquadah fuselage is ready." Siya answers the unasked question.
= Frankie, control. Please report? =
It takes a long moment till we hear back from Troy.
= Control, Frenkie. All systems are green. Fighter behaves within expected parameters. Not pushing the envelope as ordered =
= Roger Frankie. Any remarks? =
= Dampeners a bit too perfect. A tad feedback will help flying this thing better =
"As if we know how to do this," I can hear Ted remark.
"Can we add a gamer's seat to the fighter, and simulate feedback?" Calvin asks.
Siya looks at him as if he lost the plot. Ted, in contrast, looks pensive.
= Alright Frankie. Take it around the moon, then to the debris field and bring it back =
= Roger control. Frankie out =
"Alright," Beatrix declares. "Brilliant first flight!"
She receives frowns and glares from almost everyone. Not that she seems to care.
"Review about our Alteran friends?" R asks, when we're alone at the secret lab.
Secrets within secrets…
Harry and I stay quiet on purpose. We are both quite biased in this regard.
"We are accumulating quite a bit of information, but very little actual knowledge." Beatrix is leading the discussion. "We have good reason to believe that the book discovered in Glastonbury is a true, if simplified, representation of Alteran history. We are focusing on their activities and settlements here, on Earth, and in this galaxy.
"It is a bit confusing, because the book uses the name 'Avalon' both for the Milky Way galaxy, planet Earth, and the hidden cavern at Glastonbury. I get the idea that Earth was their main settlement in the Milky Way, but there is little actual information. Beside Earth, there are three or four interesting planets we would like to visit, but don't have the means so far. They're on our 'to do' list, for now.
"Few more issues are worth mentioning before turning the discussion back to Earth:
"One is the fact that the Alterans have emigrated, as a people, a few times. From their original birth galaxy, which is left unnamed and unidentified, to the Milky Way. From here to the Pegasus galaxy and back again. There were no reasons given, yet reading the text I get the notion that those migrations were not voluntary, and that every time, the Alterans reappeared diminished."
I find myself nodding in agreement. "That was my feeling exactly. As if there are Werewolves and Acromantulas in the woods, but they don't want to tell the 'children' and frighten them."
At least they didn't call them the 'Forbidden Galaxies'.
"Acro-whatsit?" Keira asks.
"Acromantulas are van-sized, man-eating spiders," Bill chuckles. "Common in forbidden woods close to the magical school in your neighbourhood."
"Cute," Beatrix remarks.
"Misunderstood, is the description a good friend of ours prefers," Harry laughs.
"Each time I think I've figured you out, you say something like this and make me think you're all out of you sodding minds," Seth comments. "Again!" he adds.
"Werewolves? Van-sized man-eating spiders? Near a school?! Honestly?"
Bill's looking at R all smug. "Think those are dangerous? Never got Fleur angry, obviously."
They are all looking at Fleur now. She sits on her armchair, her endless legs crossed daintily at the ankles, brushing her silvery hair behind her shoulder, and looking at her fingernails with a dreamy look on her face.
"Figures," Calvin deadpans, looking blatantly at Fleur's chest. "Like those could be all human."
R smacks him. We all laugh.
We don't get enough silliness anymore.
"So, aside from meta-human breasts, and other monsters, you're saying that there are dangers out there, which were too much for the Alterans to handle. As advanced and powerful as they are portrayed to be?"
"Hopefully not in our galaxy," Beatrix sums it up.
"Next point of interest is the 'alliance of four races', as it's called. It's described as an alliance between the four oldest and most developed races, for mutual support, and to help and nourish the younger races in the galaxy. The Alterans are described as the oldest and most advanced of the four, but then again – an Alteran is the author of this book. The other races are the Nox, Furling, and Asgards. We have navigation pointers for both the Nox and the Furling home worlds, so we might be interested in visiting, when able. According to the book, the Asgards are not of this galaxy. On the other hand, they feature heavily in some Earth mythologies, so might have closer connections to Earth."
"Again, an item for our growing five-year-mission, once a capable ship is completed. Any other way of contacting them?" R asks.
"Not that we know of. The Astria Porta might be able to, but we decided not to use it, until we have a much better understanding of the technology, and the state of the galaxy." Calvin replays.
"Last interesting subject is the 'Ascension'." Beatrix says, and again, I find myself nodding in agreement. "The book describes the Alterans choosing to ascend to a higher level of existence. I would have thought it's a religious or spiritual reference, but the book is explicitly secular and scientific." she shrugs.
"Brilliant," R deadpans. "Any Idea, oh mages?"
"It sounds reminiscent to what our old headmaster called 'the next great adventure' but I'm not sure what exactly he meant by it." I answer.
Never actually understood any of the old nutter's meanings, except for his insistence on Harry dying.
"Can you ask him?"
We exchange uncomfortable looks. "We might try, but he's one of our least favourite people, so…" harry replays lamely.
No reason to tell then that the man has kicked the bucket.
"Let us dig around first?" I add.
Plead really.
Thankfully, R moves on. "Technology?"
"Nothing new, sadly" Keira responds.
"We still can't make head or tail with this technology. Well, we can make a few things work. First is the generator and all those crystals. Obviously, they generate whatever this Magic is, or store it, in the case of the crystals, but we have yet to measure this magic in any way. It doesn't manifest on the EM spectrum, and we can only recognise it as a tertiary phenomenon – meaning, the EM spectrum gets distorted, but not in a linear, constant, or even predictable way, for now."
"So, how do we know magic is generated or stored?" R presses.
"Runes," I simply answer. "First, we can sense magic, and have ways to make it visible to us, so we know it's there. Runes are many things, but also a way to have written spells. Like the wards we put on Precious and the fighter – I can Disillusion something."
Harry demonstrates by touching his cup and making it disappear from sight.
"I can also engrave it with Runes, and when supplied with magic, the Rune will activate for as long as magic is available."
They all heard this explanation before and are yet still not satisfied.
"Why is that significant? You said that the effect of spells is also dependent on the amount of magic available, and will last for as long?" Beatrix asks.
"It's the intent," Fleur explains.
Interesting!
She takes out her wand and touches her cup. "I can charm this cup light, heavy, red, invisible, large – It all depends on my intention." She then vanishes her coffee, turns the cup over and engraves a small Rune on the side. "I can also engrave a Rune on it, and every time it is supplied with magic," she now touches the Rune with her wand and the cup turns red. "It will have exactly the same effect, for as long as there is magic. It gives you permanence, stability, and quick of use functionality. Obviously, I can still charm it in any way I like," she adds, and charms the cup a bit larger, "unless it contradicts the charged Rune, in which case, the magic will clash." She now touches the cup again. It flashes blue for a second, then turns a horrible combination of colours.
"What we managed to do," I add before anyone has any more questions to carry us farther from the issue, "Is power a Rune, using both one of the crystals, and the generator."
"Though the generator had some explosive results, It gives out much more magic than a colour changing Rune can handle." Harry remarks dryly.
Keira nods in agreement. "We have a couple of those generators which put out magic and can charge Runes. Those can also power the tech found at Glastonbury, like the holographic emitters. We haven't managed to connect it with any kind of system yet, but Harry managed to do something neat, and projected out a memory of his, once it was powered on. We were able to watch a holographic display of the memory almost as if we were there ourselves."
"It was as if the projector had a mind I could commune with, but this mind was completely passive."
"Those devices can think?!" Calvin is alarmed now.
"Maybe? Sorta? I don't think they have a 'thought', it's more like a connection. Interface maybe?" Harry sounds uncertain.
"The Alterans were Legilimencers, you reckon?" Bill asks, surprised.
"Legilimence?"
"The ability to read minds," I answer Calvin.
"I don't think so," Harry answers the original question. "It's similar, so mighta? But what I feel from the device is just a connection – not another mind."
"We think it's their interface. Or a possible interface, since there was no mind at Glastonbury, to activate it. Think about it – no keyboard, or mouse to clean – interfacing with machines at the speed of thought," I add.
Calvin's face lit up, though he's still reluctant regarding mind reading. In all honestly – so am I.
"Alright then, we have the emitters we vaguely know what they're doing, and working on interfacing with. We have the generators making magic for us. Those are powered by the same liquid Naquadah, like all the other tech, so we can keep powering them. We are currently testing their capabilities. We have this complex surrounded with Disillusion Runes powered by a generator, connected through Naquadah lines," Keira details.
"We don't really need those, because the complex is protected by that Fidelius thing anyhow. We know it works, since the base isn't visible anymore, and we are all 'in the secret'. We installed the other generator a few hundred miles from here and are testing all kinds of Runes and combinations of those."
"Those Runes can be used like a computer language," Calvin elaborates. "We are testing specific Runes, combinations of Runes, and different dialects. Preliminary results show that the Runes based on the Alteran script are the most efficient in channelling this magic. Those based on northern Runes, a tad less so. Egyptian hieroglyphs are capable, but much less efficient. Makes you think though, reading that the Asgards and the Norse gods of old were allies of the Alterans. The script of those Fleur calls 'Goblins' works nicely too. Also makes you think.
"Right now, we have what Bill calls a 'Protego Maxima' working at the testing range. It withstood plasma weapons fire from Precious canons and those of a fighter, as well as some Naquadah enhanced bombs. We didn't go all out on it since we're afraid to test the generator to death. We only have two of them after all.
"We need to run tests on different Runes, with different power settings and needs, with combinations of Runes. What we miss the most is a way to measure this power, so we'll know what we're doing, how much we're using, and just how close we are to the limit."
Keira agrees with this. "Magical meter would be lovely. Do you have anything like it at all?"
Bill shrugs.
"Bottom line, we are making progress. More progress than with the Goa'uld tech since we have people who can actually understand it. Still, we have a long way ahead of us before any of it is usable." Keira sums it up.
"Understand it?"
"It's like with 'Magneto'? He intuitively controls magnetic fields. Can probably produce electricity, and a lot of it, with some effort. But can he build a working power station? Electronics? Computing? X-women are artists, instinctively using powers, other use in scientific and industrial ways. Still, Edison and Tesla would have greatly benefited from having someone like him on their team."
"Aside from his need to take over the world," R remarks dryly.
"Yes, overlord tendencies aside," Keira chuckles. "What we need the most are more people on this project."
I start to speak out but am stopped in my tracks.
"We do understand the risks and issues with the magical world. We did all sign a magical contract that we will keep any Alteran magical tech off planet. But we do need to understand it, and we're not the only ones exploring." She states the obvious.
"We need to hasten our research, and for this to happen, we need more people on it outside Calvin and me personally – we just can't dedicate the needed time to one single project, which in itself is more than a two-person project to start with." She says exasperatedly. "We need a full-time team on it, with a couple of mages to assist. A Rune master, with a background in computer science would have been appreciated…"
Right!
"Alright," Harry sighs. "Gather a team and we'll sign them in. Hemione and I will look into more mages to join us."
"It's an opportunity for us to go to school, talk with some professors, explore, and have a chat with that bloody picture." He turns back to me.
For once, I approve of the language.
"Any other devices of interest?" R move the conversation onwards.
"Some," Keira answers. "There are three more devices that are certainly technological, but we know bugger-all about what they are. I'm not of the school of 'let's plug it in and see what happens', so further research is needed. There is also the Astria Porta. As far as we can tell, it's on and ready to use, but we stand by our former decision to not use it till we're more ready for the galaxy at large?"
We all agree.
"Yes, we let the American play with it. We're not calling until we know that it's the Narns on the other side and not the Shadows. Is it safe, though?" R asks.
"The Port is set inside an enlarged container, without the keyboard and under Fidelius. The container is under Fidelius itself, charmed unbreakable, and is out on the surface. If someone comes in, we will be alerted and they will find themselves without a way out. If they manage to blow their way out, they'll be wishing for space suits. So, unless they send something that can blow up the moon – we will not be at risk." Bill answers.
Calvin looks disturbed. "Sorry, this elaborate and convoluted scheme sounds right out of a bad superhero movie. As we know all too well – the villain always gets away. Just why are we not disconnecting it till we're interested in using the thing?"
There is a long moment of silence in the room. Then Fleur stands, pops out, appears back after a couple of minutes and smiles thinly.
"Brilliant," R remarks. "Any new discoveries to share?" she asks us.
"We went back to the Ministry to check on the Arch," Harry tells. "We are now certain it is Alteran. Hermione and I could interface with it, like we can with the Port. Now that we know what to look for, we found a service port in the back of the dais."
Exactly where any sane person would have made one.
"It's powered by this large crystal. We didn't disconnect it, since the Unspeakables will notice…"
"Unspeakables?"
"That's what the employees of the Department of Mysteries are called. Please don't expect logic?
"The crystal – if we ever really need one, we know where to find it. We found an additional generator which was turned off. We have disconnected it and brought it here. One more emitter – took that one too. All other devices were unpowered. There is a strange device on a side wall. We took images of, and will take it, once we have a decent mock-up to leave in its place – otherwise the Unspeakables will notice."
"There were also lines leading to other rooms. But we couldn't follow those without being noticed," I pick up the story. "Honestly, there are probably many other items and information in there, but those are the worst kind of wizards to mess with. We can either let it be, or get organized, stage a raid on the department, and rob them blind. Then, we must be ready to fight them, and the whole ministry. It will be a shock to the wizarding government and will make headline news all around the world."
Dramatic much?
I only get a Gallic Shrug from Fleur.
"Where are we going?" I ask R after leaving the magic lab.
"Where no woman has gone before," she smirks.
Brilliant, a geek comedian.
"Time comes when one has to spread her wings."
"You enjoy this, don't you?" I deadpan.
She smirks at me and keeps going in the general direction of the hangar.
"What goes around, comes around," I tell her.
She ignores me till we reach the hangar observatory room. "Ring us up?"
I smack the button hard, and we're in Precious.
That was a proper punishment!
Troy is here, and Kaden – one of the pilots.
Harry, finding his throne free of Beatrix, hurries and sits there.
I blatantly go to the pilot seat and take it. Troy sits in the co-pilot seat without a word.
"Welcome to air-Isis, where may Precious take you, this fine evening?"
"Start by taking us to the other side of the debris field."
I'm never going to be a fighter pilot, but flying Precious around is something I can do now with ease.
What, with countless, endless, missions to the debris field.
"Point us 43 degree right from the sun, along the system's plain."
I shrug and precious turns to the left and a tad down. On my left, Troy turns the scanner setting to a wider view.
R now reaches over my shoulder and removes the duct tape covering one of the buttons on the dashboard.
Seriously?
"Well? Punch it!" she smirks.
"Engaged!" I say.
A blue vortex is forming in front of precious, sucking us in. Behind me, people standing find themselves on their arses. I smirk slightly.
Comes around
Precious is being led through a tunnel of smoke, light and lightning.
"Five, four, three, two, one, cut!" orders Troy, and I press the button again. Nothing happens, and I look at him questioningly.
Bugger!
He reaches over and presses the button right next to it, to its left. The tunnel turns into a vortex and spits Precious out. I see something out of the corner of my eye and turn Precious to the right. There, just in front of us, is a large reddish planet.
Is that?!
"Well, what are you waiting for?" R asks. "We have a Union Jack to fly!"
Once again, huge shout to flyboy38, my beta, who takes the time to make sure story is a much better read.
Cheers!
SFD
