7
Chapter 5: Making a Portable DHD
-Earth/Al'kesh-
Jack and Sam glanced around the new bridge of the Al'kesh. The changes that Thor had made drastically changed the look of the whole front of the ship. While parts of the bridge still had the old feeling of goa'uld technology, the new Asgard technology had softened the previous gold-on-gold look.
Sam was just absorbing the whole look of her new work station. The co-pilot seat was now a detailed Asgard interface computer work station. The Asgard had kindly even left a shelf for her laptop with a compatible power interface.
Sam tore her eyes away from her seat to the pilot work station. The Asgard had completely transformed the hard chair and weird ball type control to a far more comfortable setup. The seat alone looked far more comfortable. The controller was replaced with the controls that they had suggested but upgraded to more closely resemble the aircraft controls that she and Jack were far more familiar with. Sam even noted that the sub-light and hyper-space drive controls were in panels that would switch places.
"I think that Thor lives a secret life as an engineer," Sam told Jack with a sly smile on her face.
"I think you're right," Jack said as he eyed the two work stations. Then he gave Sam a wicked grin, "Wanna try them out?"
Sam's eyes flashed in delight. "Do I ever? Where to?" she asked as she slipped into her co-pilot chair. The work station lit up with her presence. She opened the navigation home screen and noted that she could enter several ways to navigate. Stargate glyphs, star coordinates, or second star to the right…
"Well," Jack started, "I need parts for a ship based DHD. What about Ernest's planet? That was close."
"Heliopolis?" Sam asked. "Do you remember the glyphs?"
"I remember that they were one glyph off from Abydos," Jack replied. "Shade? Are my memories clearer?" Jack asked.
Sam typed in the Abydos glyphs as a starting point and waited for Shade.
Yes, I see them. You are correct. They are just one glyph off. The third glyph, Shade replied. It is this glyph instead.
"Shade said it's the third glyph," Jack said and stood behind Sam. "That's the one," Jack said as he pointed to it. "You know. We may want to download the SGC database while we are here. You got the space with the new Asgard memory space."
Sam gave him a look and then reconsidered. "I hate to hack the SGC, but you are probably right. It wouldn't hurt to make a list of planets without Stargates and add names and details on that as well as Star Coordinates."
"I know. Logistics suck. But that is what wins a war, not bullets," Jack replied to her sad sigh.
Information is the most important aspect to any war. Look at the last battle. Our ability to use information is what won that battle given that both sides could not defeat shields with weapons fire, Shade interjected.
"Exactly, Shade," Jack replied aloud. "Information is key to any war. We secure our information and infiltrate their information."
"And THAT is what logistics is all about," Sam replied with a sigh. She hacked into the dialing computer and made a copy of the Stargate addresses and all the missions related to those addresses. The new Asgard technology made the download incredibly fast. "Wow… Okay, done."
"Really?" Jack asked.
"Yeah, the Asgard have REALLY fast processers," Sam replied.
"Cool," Jack said. He moved over to the pilot seat and got comfortable, "Set navigation and away we go."
The Al'kesh turned and moved away from Earth before jumping into hyperspace. It seemed like they had just entered hyperspace when they exited over Heliopolis.
"Did I do something wrong?" Jack asked.
"Um…" Sam examined her screens and grinned at him. "Nope. We are here."
"That was fast. Did Thor upgrade our engines too?" Jack asked.
"He must have," Sam replied. "I mean, I know that Earth and Heliopolis and Abydos are pretty close on a cosmic scale, but…"
"Close enough to hop… literally. I barely felt that hyperspace jump," Jack said. "Okay, find me the DHD."
Sam started to peck at her new Asgard keyboard interface and found the naquadah sensors and the cameras.
"Cool," Sam whispered as she zoomed into the area with the most naquadah. The Stargate would be in that area. The DHD nearby.
Jack glanced over at the screens at started to read them from his side. "That is cool. Can you zoom?"
"Oh yeah," Sam replied as she did just that. From orbit they were able to zoom into the area where the castle had stood. She could see the Stargate where it had fallen below the cliff. It was intact. "Do you think we should take it?"
"The Stargate? Why?" Jack asked.
"For Earth. They could probably use a spare. Or we could keep it here until we need to put it where Earth needs to use a Stargate to get people," Sam said.
"I can see that. Shade, can we make the DHD on the ship directional? I don't want to set the one in the hold off," Jack said.
I don't think so, Shade replied. It would be better to secure the Stargates at another location. Naquadah planet?
"Shade said that it can't be directional, but we could put them somewhere safe for future use. She suggested the planet with the Naquadah stash," Jack relayed aloud.
"That's a good idea, Shade," Sam said. She targeted the beaming sensors to the Stargate and then sent it to the open area in the hold.
The external sensors now just showed the Naquadah signatures of the DHD and the other alien device that Daniel had wanted to research. Jack looked behind him and eyeballed the space.
"We have enough room behind me in this corner for the DHD," Jack said.
Sam grunted and targeted that signature before beaming it into the space behind Jack. She sighed, still looking at the device on the planet. "I want to take it for Daniel," she said softly.
Jack immediately knew that she was talking about the device. He also knew that Daniel would have a fit because he was missing 'context'. He loved his 'meaning of life' stuff. "I know. Tell you what. The weather is better now. I beam down and take all the pictures that Danny wanted. The room. The walls. The placement of the device. Then I call you and you beam me up. Then you beam the device up to our living room. We go back to Earth and beam the device and the pictures down to Daniel."
Sam snuffled and then got up and wrapped her arms around him, "I love you, Jack."
"I love you, too, Sam," Jack replied. Jack got up and started back to change. If he was going down to the surface, he wanted boots.
SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG
-Earth/Al'kesh-
The trip to the surface had been a nice break for Jack and Shade. Shade had been fascinated with the device that had been left at Heliopolis but had agreed that they had other things that needed to be completed. The task of deciphering the device would fall to Daniel and his people.
Once Jack, Shade, and the device were back on Al'kesh, Jack took them back to Earth. Jack had solidly taped the SD photo card with a hand written note to Daniel on the top of the device. The picture on the note was the Blair Witch Stones with check the tablet.
"Alright, Sam. It's ready," Jack called out to her. He headed back to the bridge. "Send it to the Gate Room."
"Done," Sam replied as she handed Jack the tablet.
Jack immediately started a text message on the tablet. The device is from the Heliopolis. Earnest's Planet. We had to get some parts and thought we would get Daniel a present. Pictures are on the SD card. I tried to remember all the times Daniel rambled about 'Context'. He sent the message.
Are you still in orbit? The message came back from Hammond.
Yes, Jack replied.
Jacob has those documents you and Sam requested. I'll have him go get them and let you know when he is ready, Hammond texted.
Thank you, Jack sent back. "Hammond says that your dad has the paperwork we need. He will send a text when he is ready to beam," Jack told Sam.
"Cool," Sam replied. She immediately looked in at the tracking beacon that she had placed in her father's watch/shield.
Jack tossed the tablet on the pilot's seat and glanced around, "You know, we need more seats up here."
"Or," Sam replied. "We can enjoy our living room when we have company."
"But I want to watch you work…" Jack whined at her.
Sam turned a glare at him, "Don't you have a DHD to play with?"
"Fine!" Jack huffed. "I'll just wait for your dad," he said with a smirk. Then he turned and walked out of the bridge to collect the crystal tuning tools he need to pull apart the DHD.
By the time he got back, Jack noticed a reply on the tablet.
Jacob is ready, Hammond texted.
Tell him we are going to beam him in two minutes, Jack replied. "Get ready to beam your dad to the living room in two minutes." Jack then spun around and went to the living room to greet Jacob.
Jack had just taken a seat on the recliner when the white light announce Jacob's arrival.
"Jacob, Selmak, welcome back to our humble Al'kesh," Jack greeted.
"Jack, Shade, good to see you, where's Sam?" Jacob asked as he set down his briefcase and took a seat on the couch.
"On her way. She was on the beaming controls. Thor upgraded our ship," Jack said with a wide grin.
Jacob smiled back, "I noticed. Daniel was in raptures over that device. I guess I'll have to read that Mission Report." Jacob gave a resigned sigh. "You guys have really upgraded the comfort level on this Al'kesh. I appreciate the couches."
"You think that's nice. You should see the pilot's seat. Holy monkeys. When Thor did his upgrade, we got rid of the goa'uld crap they use to pilot this ship and put in something a bit more Tau'ri. Thor tweaked it. I swear there is a hidden engineer in that Asgard," Jack was openly grinning now. "I have yet to pry Sam from her co-pilot seat."
"What was that, Jack?" Sam asked from the doorway.
"Oh, I was just telling your dad how I had to bribe you with a visit from him to get you to leave your new work space," Jack said with a grin.
Sam came over and gave him a kiss, "A bribe?"
"Yes," Jack replied.
"You know, I might resent that if it wasn't true," Sam replied.
"You might. But it's true, so you'll just get even," Jack said with a bigger grin.
Jacob sat back and watched the whole exchange. Samantha is much happier now, Selmak stated.
Yes, she is, Jacob replied mentally. And he has everything to do with it. "Well, Sammie," Jacob said catching the attention of the two, "Here is the paperwork you requested. George has completed everything he could for you. Some just need signatures, some need more."
Jack and Sam took the paperwork and immediately started to read and complete what they could. They handed finished forms back to Jacob. When all of it was as complete as possible, Jacob closed the briefcase.
"Do you want to see the changes, dad?" Sam asked excitedly.
"Holy Hannah, you are more excited than you ever were at Christmas," Jacob exclaimed.
"Hey, Santa has nothing on Thor," Jack replied as he led the way to the bridge.
Jacob and Selmak were both stunned by the changes to the bridge. It barely looked like the original Al'kesh. Sam had already jumped back into her seat and was beginning to type away at the keyboard. Jacob noted that it was an Asgard version of a human keyboard.
The window in front of Sam suddenly displayed a holographic screen.
"Is that a navigation screen?" Jacob asked.
"Yup," Sam said with a grin. "I've locked in coordinates for the Land of Light. Want to drive?"
Jack gestured to the pilot chair. Jacob noted the changes. He carefully sat and instantly loved the seat. Sel, I want one, he told Selmak. Jacob instinctively reached for the controllers and moved the Al'kesh out of orbit around Earth. He found the thrusters and pushed the sub-light engines a bit while maneuvering to get a feel for the handling. It is a dream, Sel.
Finally, Jacob hit the hyperdrive. His left hand jumped when the controls pulled away from his hand and were switched for different controls. "What?"
"Hyperdrive controls. They are variable controls, too," Jack said with a grin.
"Variable?" Jacob asked to clarify.
"Oh yeah," Jack replied, with a grin.
Jacob grinned. The hyperdrive controls were just like the sub-light controls. Thrusters. He slowly increased the hyperdrive, then decreased it. It was smooth. "It didn't even red-line," Jacob stated with a grin.
"You should have seen the trip to Heliopolis," Jack said. "I blinked and missed it."
Jacob laughed. He missed this. He was a pilot and for all that flying a Tel'tak was challenging. THIS was flying for him. Stick, rudder, and thrusters. "I want one," Jacob said aloud.
"Talk to Thor," Jack said. "He designed all the plans for integrating the Asgard technology into this Al'kesh. He used Sam and I for input on the control interface. You may not get the technology, but the new interface tech is just the skin on top."
"Considering what Thor was saying about the Protected Planets Treaty. Nothing is stopping the Asgard from giving us, meaning the Tau'ri and the Tok'ra, what we need to defeat the goa'uld," Jacob said. "How's that DNA thing he was working on?" Jacob asked.
Sam grinned at her dad, "Great actually. I am working on a device that will instantly take the DNA of the person and the symbiote to compare at the Stargate. I'll let the techies work out a civilian version. Thor gave us copies of the Tok'ra maternal DNA strand. We are comparing known goa'uld to get other known goa'uld maternal DNA strands."
"That makes sense," Jacob said. "One type of goa'uld may not be as crazy as another type."
"For now, all we have to compare is Osiris and Zipacna. They didn't share a mother," Sam said sadly.
"You can sample the primtah from the Jaffa," Selmak stated. "They frequently come from the queen of the Jaffa's Lord."
"But what of the Jaffa who have a Lord with no queen?" Jack asked.
"The temples would supply the primtah," Selmak said. "I don't know which queen supplies which temple."
The Al'kesh arrived above the Land of Light. Jacob turned the ship around. "Back to Earth, Sammie."
"Roger that," Sam replied typing at her seat. "Ready."
Jacob hit the controls to jump the Al'kesh back into hyperspace.
SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG
