Another fairly effortless chapter, but I cut it in half as this seemed a natural break.
-x-
Durov and SG-1 were waiting outside Abramovich's briefing room.
"He's late." Remarked the Colonel looking at his watch, "Not like him."
"Colonel Tarelkin has to travel hundreds of kilometres to get here sir." Said Chaya, "You only have to go down some stairs."
Durov smiled, "Granted, but Gaius has come billions of kilometres and he arrived on time." He said with a look to the Roman, who also smiled.
"He's flying in is he?" asked Gaius.
Durov nodded, he'd explained some of their technology, and of course Gaius had seen aircraft in action before, but the man still marvelled at the routine use of coffee makers and so on, having only seen technology as magic beforehand.
He opened his mouth to speak but the door opened and Tarelkin came in, his face flushed, no doubt he'd rushed down due to his lateness. "Vladamir!" he exclaimed, slightly out of breath, "Sorry!"
"It's alright Nikolai, don't worry." Replied Durov, "You know my team?"
"Of course of course, Captain Vozchik, Doctor, Sergeants." Tarelkin greeted the others in turn. He looked at Gaius, "Ah! Comrade, good to see you!"
Durov knew Tarelkin was aware of Gaius, if only in his capacity as host and now expert in Goa'uld technology, but he hadn't realised they hadn't met yet, and made the introductions quickly before leading them all into the General's office.
Abramovich was waiting for them inside reviewing some papers. He waved them to sit. "Colonel Tarelkin, thank you for agreeing to arrive a day earlier so you might attend this briefing." He began, "I know we've got a number of issues to address regarding the wider Program but I think you'll be interested in this, Vladimir?"
Durov nodded, "Since our capture of Baal's Jaffa we've learned a number of things, firstly, the war between Baal and Apophis will likely continue with the disappearance of Mott, with SG-4 reporting no increased guards at the Chulak Stargate. This means that Apophis assumed Mott didn't arrive at all, and our efforts to conceal our battle were successful. I will note, the caseless ammunition, and indeed our normal ammunition seemed largely ineffective against the Jaffa armour. We have reason to believe Mott's guards were elite though, so maybe they had better equipment. The machine guns did fine though."
"I'll see about improving the ammunition, perhaps a new round. It may take some time though." Put in Tarelkin, making a note.
"Hopefully we won't encounter too many of them. I'm going to recommend one staff weapon per team from now on though, once we've acquired enough of them to stock the armoury. They're very powerful, and even might be useful for disguising bullet wounds if we can't evacuate bodies like last time." Durov paused, turning the page in his own notes, "On the second point, we've now got another source of information about Stargate addresses, to corroborate the Abydos temple and Vulcan's tablets. This leads me onto the main point of this briefing, which I'll let Igor take over to explain."
Igor nodded and leaned forward. "Myself and the archeological staff have uncovered several, for lack of a better term, 'discrepancies'." He began, "We assumed from the beginning because of the proximity of the artefacts when they were uncovered at Giza that the Goa'uld built the Stargate. However, we now believe that their parasitic nature caused them to simply to steal the technology and claim it for their own purposes. We now believe there is at least one other alien race out there, and more importantly, one in opposition to the Goa'uld."
Igor paused for what Durov could only assume was dramatic effect before continuing, "On the ruins outside Vulcan's palace we found three Stargate addresses which were all marked with a symbol for danger."
"What sort of symbol?" asked Tarelkin, "Sort of a skull or something?"
"Actually the mark Egyptian mortuary priests would use for their sacrifices, it means, effectively, 'spiritually hazardous'. In any case, though we didn't find this address on the Abydos temple, we did put it in front of the Jaffa prisoner, who reacted with great fear. Without thinking he told us the name of the world: Cimmeria."
Tarelkin interrupted again, "Forgive me Doctor, I'm afraid I'm still getting around to understanding this business of the Jaffa carrying Goa'uld in their bellies… If Vulcan had to write down the address and did so among the first things he did after he crashed on Elysium, why isn't the address on Ra's temple and why does the Jaffa know it? Also does he have a name?"
"On the last point yes, but he won't tell us, we got a lot out of him but eventually he got suspicions and I think he realises we're 'rebel slaves'" grinned Igor, "We had to trick a lot out of him anyway, so I recommend verifying a lot of what he's told us in case it was some trick by him in turn." He paused to collect his thoughts, "Regarding the issue of dating, this is more complex. We've dated the Abydosian temple to roughly 3500 years ago, and the ruins on Elysium to about half that. The Jaffa's knowledge from the look of him is about 40 years old, given his visceral reaction. My belief is that this world, and possibly the others Vulcan identified, are strongholds of whatever power opposes the Goa'uld and that over time their influence has changed. It would make sense that this enemy only started opposing the Goa'uld after they expanded using human slaves from ancient Egypt, rather than when we speculate they started to usurp Unas hosts on their home world." He explained, "The Jaffa is trusted enough to lead the guard detail for an emissary, so I'm assuming he's a Colonel or similar rank, what the villagers on Chulak called a 'Jaffa Lord'. I think it's probably the case that this Jaffa is aware of Cimmeria because of some stories or similar that they're told, rather than because it's a familiar military threat. He had the reaction of superstition, rather than determination or anger."
"Thank you Doctor, please continue."
"As I mentioned before, there are inconsistencies we've found. While many of the gods or rather, god-like figures of ancient mythology appear as malevolent figures attacking humanity, there are other gods who act as 'culture bearers', who teach writing to early human or protect cities from monsters. Consider Prometheus for example, who stole fire to give it to man. We know Vulcan was a Goa'uld, Zeus probably is as well, meaning Prometheus might be one of these protective gods belonging to this other polity."
Tarelkin asked a few more questions around Igor's theory, skirting close to the uncomfortable question of the Abrahamic god, before Abramovich took charge and noted the time. "Vladimir you'd better get going, good luck out there."
"Thank you sir!"
They all went down to get equipped, Chaya and Gaius temporarily joining SG-1 for the mission in case their expertise was needed, though the latter was not yet trusted with a pistol let alone a rifle. The Roman didn't mind, he had a legionary's sword that he'd gotten from Elysium where he now held a position of great honour as the one who killed Vulcan finally and most directly.
"Thank you again Colonel Durov for his opportunity." Said the aforementioned.
"You are most welcome Gaius. We're happy to have you." Replied Durov grandly. Because of his experiences Gaius was eager to help in their new war in any way he could, having so far only been assisting the researchers at Vulcan's palace with their work.
The readings on the probe were good and they all stepped through the gate, glancing around evenly.
"It really is amazingly mundane." Remarked Chaya. "The forest I mean." She said with a wave to the trees around them.
"Yes Doctor Belik has a theory about biological diversity and the different populations we've found. It sounded quite interesting when he explained it." Durov remarked, "At the moment though I'm rather more interested in that." He nodded forward.
In front of them was a ten metre obelisk of intricately carved stone, topped with a golden hammerhead.
"It's Thor's hammer, the Goa'uld's enemies must be Norse." Igor explained, and he approached it, but having only taken a step he stopped cold as a whining noise steadily build from the obelisk.
"Sounds like a charge is building up." Said Chaya, "Better get away from it."
Durov agreed but as soon as he went toward the edge of the small stone platform they were on he was struck by something and fell back. He shook himself and accepted Ilya's hand to stand up, rubbing his head.
"There's an energy shield sir!" the sniper explained, looking warily around them.
Durov took a breath but suddenly a ray of light shot out of the hammer, striking Igor. The man was unmoved, and only held up a hand as if looking into the sun. The ray lingered on his head for a moment, then moved onto Dimitri and the others, examining them each in turn.
Clearly trapped Durov waited till whatever was going on to finished before he tried moving, then, gingerly, he stepped off the stone platform. Unopposed this time he looked down, trying to fine where the energy field had sprung from, but saw only stone. He saw Igor looking at the monument and walked over.
"Well?" he asked, "What was that all about?"
Igor made a thoughtful noise, "Hm, I think it was examining us. It checked the head, probably looking for the presence of a Goa'uld, and it stopped us escaping until it had finished." He pondered, "I can't read any of this, we'll have to get Severov here."
Durov nodded, Doctor Severov was another of their regional experts, this time for the northern culture and languages.
"It's funny I mentioned Herakles because in Tacitus' Germania he's compared with a figure which is clearly Thor. The most I know about him is that he protected the people from the giants."
"The Goa'uld aren't unusually large though." Said Durov.
"I suppose they might have infested a large alien species?" mused Igor.
"Movement in the trees!" hissed Ilya, raising his weapon. Durov turned and saw a shape coming out of the woods. Ilya was a disciplined soldier, and Durov had no need to tell him to hold his fire as a man came riding out on a horse.
"You aren't gods!" he remarked as he approached and dismounted.
"No." said Igor, "We come from Midgard."
The stranger made an oath is his own language, "Then we are brothers!" and he embraced Igor who clearly hadn't been expecting such a move.
"I am Olaf Hereksson. I welcome you here, we've not had any but the ettins come through the portal for as long as I can think of, not since old Haki Wormtongue."
Durov had several questions but waited till they'd all introduced themselves and Olaf had invited them back to his village for food before he started. Till then he walked with Igor to confer, "Your assessment?"
"Midgard is the human realm, in the nine realms of Norse mythology, the giants have their own realm and so on. Ettins are Goa'uld." Igor explained quietly. Durov nodded and they walked another few minutes to the village. As on Chulak, there was little to differentiate this one from many others Durov had seen or fought through.
"Olaf," the Colonel said after they'd sat down in a large hall, "How did you know we weren't gods?"
"Well its simple, you don't look like them. If Thor or any of the Asgard came down to visit us they'd dress much better." Said Olaf, and indeed, given they were all wearing camouflage gear apart from their black berets it was probably true.
"Asgard? Not the Aesir?" asked Igor.
Olaf was taken aback, "For strangers you know much of the gods." He remarked, "Are you a skald?"
Igor spluttered to explain and Durov interceded, "You mentioned an ettin who'd come here before?"
"Aye, Haki, a great hero, he united all the valleys once."
"When was this?"
"Many seasons ago, in the time of my grandfather's grandfather."
"Then he's dead?"
"Of course, he was only a man. He sought the Hall of Thor's Might and Thor took him to Thrudvang. No doubt he serves Thor now in battle."
That only raised more question and they talked more with Olaf for a while, a few of the other villagers coming over after a while. The evening came on though and while Olaf offered them lodging for the night, Durov considered it a successful first visit, and they made their excuses, promising to come back the next day to speak more. As they walked back Durov turned again to Igor. "Some interesting things here then."
"The Hall of Thor's Might?"
"That, and this Haki character."
"What do you think?"
"I'll have to ask Severov." Replied Igor, "l think Haki might have been a Goa'uld… Or possibly a Jaffa. Olaf was talking about him disappearing in a flash of light from the platform, and then turning up a few months later. Either he was tested by Thor, or perhaps his Goa'uld was removed somehow and he was returned to the planet. Certainly Haki seems a benevolent fellow if he's built them that waterwheel and other things like irrigation."
Durov nodded, Olaf's stories had been just that, stories, but it did sound like Haki had been taken by Thor. "You think wherever the energy beam takes Goa'uld once it examines them is the Hall of Might?"
"No no, he was more specific on that part. Haki gave them various things, probably because of his advanced technical knowledge, either natively or because he'd been a host. Then when he made various diplomatic agreements with the different towns around here he went to find Thor's Hall, and was apparently taken in another beam of light. Now maybe Thor killed him for being a host but that would rather defeat the point of the whole exercise now wouldn't it?"
"Colonel I didn't feel anything unusual when the beam passed over me." Said Gaius who'd been listening.
Durov nodded, "Alright, we've got some work to do then. First, Igor and Gaius, I want you to brief Severov and be briefed by him also on Norse mythology. Family trees, basic facts, that sort of thing. Meanwhile I'm going to secure some of those primordial Goa'uld from PD-4 and see what the beam does to them. Then we'll have one of the teams hold one and send them through to wherever the beam takes people. They obviously don't die if this Haki was found a few months later. I'll send other teams to go and search the area Haki was found in, and while that's going on we'll take Severov along with us to find this Hall of Might."