"That would certainly explain something, wouldn't it?" Vala leaned down to take a look at the underside of the Ancient time travel device, now removed from the jumper and mounted on a transparent table at the SGC. Part of a Goa'uld hand device was wired into the time machine and hidden in a small compartment only visible from the bottom.
"Dr. Lee thinks this might be the same hand device as the one that was tied to Sirustep," Daniel told her.
"So she had more than one?"
"Well, possibly, but what I mean is this might literally be the same device. It did travel here from almost 400 years in the future, after all."
"Oh. So... what does that mean for us?"
"That sometime in the next 392 years, someone needs to find a jumper with a working time machine, rig it so it only activates when the hand device detects Sirustep's symbiote, plus make sure it goes off automatically and takes the pilot to the year 2005. And then leave it on the planet where Sam says it was found."
"Carter?"
"No, the alien Sam."
"Well. Who's going to do all that?"
"My guess is Sirustep will eventually do it herself. But hey - we've got a while to figure it out. We're hoping we can get Sam, Ashley, and the jumper back to the 24th century through other means."
Ashley and Misam sat across a table in a common area aboard the Daedalus, a U.S. Air Force spacecraft outfitted with Asgard technology. Despite the vessel's reliance on alien engineering, its interior design was Earth through and through - to Ashley, it looked just as plain and unassuming as the SGC.
"Ten more days 'till we get to the Asgard homeworld," Misam said. "I figured traveling back to the future wouldn't be too hard, but I guess it never occurred to me that it would be the Asgard who'd help us out on this. I mean, even in the 24th century, we still don't really know what they were like."
"They are from a galaxy far, far away, right?"
"Good point. You know, this sort of time control tech could really revolutionize the food supply. Just put your apples in a time distortion field. They'll stay fresh for decades."
"That's what you'd use it for?"
"That, and glowsticks." Misam adjusted the collar on his shirt. "You know, I don't think I told you this before you left, and it's just occurring to me now that you might not have heard."
"Heard what?"
"I had applied for that position with General Interplanetary, and they are quick. I already got back my assignment."
"Wow!" said Ashley. "Good for you!"
"It's delayed until they have enough people for the team, of course. But there's already a couple people on it. You're one of them."
"Wait. I'm on the team too? Even though I have no experience and a high school education that's centuries out of date."
"You might need to make sure you've given them the right mailing address, Ashley. But yeah, they want both of us. And a guy named Leaf."
"Leaf the monster?"
"Yeah, that is what it said... Thought it was kind of odd. You know him?"
"He's a friend of mine from off-planet. Lives in my building. Gray, furry, loves talking to humans."
"Ashley!" Misam smiled. "Look at this! You want to talk about making a difference, here it is. This team is coming together because of you."
