First Contact

Cainwen: Sorry! Life got in the way. Thanks to those who signed in and reviewed!
The planet to which they had just come was remarkable for several reasons. For one, it showed no sign of recent wraith activity, despite being in a rather wraith-infested area of the galaxy. For another, it was difficult to say what level of technology the native human population had achieved: their homes were simply constructed from natural and little modified materials like wood, stone and clay, but several had been seen carrying things that appeared similar to a tablet PC. Another remarkable thing about this planet was the sheer size of the trees. Nearly a hundred feet tall and thirty feet in diameter with a vast and spreading root system, branches that grew up, down and sideways, and sometimes all at once.

Otherwise, it could be said to be a wholly unremarkable planet, very earth-like, with a moderate climate, green plants, et cetera.

It was necessary to land the puddle jumper nearly a quarter of a mile outside of the nearest village. While Cullough had told John the gate address to the planet, he had not mentioned exactly where his daughter was hidden or how they would find her. John only had a sneaking suspicion that they were supposed to talk to the people in the village.

And so, here they were. John, Ronon, Teyla, Rodney, and Carson, along with a handful of marines and another handful of medical personnel. Fortunately, the jumper was large enough for all of them and a stretcher and the bags of medical equipment Beckett had insisted upon bringing. Now, they and all the paraphernalia were hiking along to the village. The paraphernalia was not hiking of course—it was getting a ride on the backs of everyone or on the stretcher. Luckily, the path was paved with smooth, slate-like stones that were closely laid and in good repair, which was a pleasant change from the rough dirt trails, or no trails at all that the team was used to treading.

When they came to the village, which had already been scouted by a UAV, they were in for quite a shock. Not that the village was shocking or the people terribly unusual. It could best be described as "quaint". The buildings tended to be the size of the average bungalow, though on closer inspection they all seemed to be connected through passages, either above or below ground. Despite their unpolished appearance from the air, it was clear from the ground that they were actually of beautifully intricate construction. Many of them seemed to use live trees in addition to the hand-hewn wood, stone and clay in their construction.

What was shocking was the reaction of the townspeople to their arrival.

"Thanks be to the Spirits and the One that they serve, you are here at last!" cried a man as they entered, stilling lugging the lazy equipment. Honestly, you would have thought that among all their inventions, the Lanteans could have invented something useful and nondestructive, like something to transport equipment over long distances and a variety of terrain.

"Uh, you've been expecting us?" asked Sheppard, confusedly taking off his sunglasses as the man approached them. He seemed to be the village leader, since the others in the square were soon crowding around him.

"Oh yes," he replied. "For 18,000 years...," he paused as he saw the baffled looks on the visitors' faces. "Pardon my manners," he apologized. "My name is Iain. Would you like to come this way?"

Sheppard motioned for the marines and medics to stay with the equipment while they went "this way".

Iain led them to what seemed to be a large meeting hall dug under the roots of an enormous tree. Inside, the floor had been laid in stone in an intricate pattern, and light streamed in through large, clear crystalline panels set amidst the tree roots.

"You seemed confused when I implied we were expecting you," he said calmly. Despite the bizarreness of the situation, he seemed completely unperturbed.

"Um yeah, about that," Sheppard said, "You wanna explain that a bit?"

Iain smiled reassuringly, which under the situation, the team found unsettling. "Of course. I assume you have come for the star child?"

"Star child?" Teyla repeated, raising her eyebrow.

"Yes," Iain replied, as though conversations such as these took place on a regular basis. "The child who has a star upon her temple," he indicated on himself.

"Mairghread has a star tattooed on her temple—Seàrlaid's sign," Sheppard whispered to the others. To Iain, he said, "Yeah, we've come for her, but, uh, how'd you know?"

Iain smiled again and beckoned them down a hallway off the main room. The walls were painted in elaborate murals with text running along the top.

"Nearly 18,000 years ago, a Mercy-Bringer came to our ancestors," Iain narrated the depictions of the events. "He brought with him the star child, a mere infant. He told us that the slaves of darkness were threatening their lives. He must fight against them, but his daughter could not," he indicated a picture of a wraith, slightly blurred as though in a tiny fog bank, holding a blanket wrapped bundle, speaking to villagers somewhat more primitive than the present ones. "He asked our people to guard over the place he would hide her until he or his people could return for her," he pointed to the picture of an enormous tree by a stream. "In exchange for our watchfulness and our continued obedience to the laws of the Spirits, he promised protection for our people from the slaves of darkness," he gestured to a picture of the night sky, were several bright, silvery objects hung in the sky, too large to be stars, too oddly shaped for a moon.

"Wait wait wait wait wait," interrupted Rodney. "You're saying you haven't been attacked by the wraith in 18000 years?"

"We have never felt their wrath," he replied. "We have been good and faithful guardians. We have kept the way of the Spirits, and tended the tree where the child sleeps."

"Your society hasn't changed in 18000 years?" asked Sheppard incredulously.

"We have grown; we have learned how to use things better," he pulled one of the tablet-like devices from a bag over his shoulder and handed it to Rodney. "But we have remained obedient. We have had no cause to wish for change. We are at peace with our neighbors, and we are safe from the 'Wraith'.

"This is incredible," Rodney muttered as he examined the tablet.

"We can show you how we make them if you like," Iain told him.

John ignored Rodney's outburst. "You'll excuse my disbelief, but that sounds too good to be true."

Iain stared at him calmly. "We have had problems along the way to be sure," he said. "But since we have been protected as we convenanted, it always seemed wisest to remain true to our ancestor's commitment."

"Hmm. But how did you know we were the ones you've been waiting for?" John probed further and changed the subject.

"Several weeks ago, we received a message from the Mercy-Bringer. His spirit appeared to us; he described you all and told us that you would come for his daughter, since he could no longer do so. And now," Iain said. "Would you like to go to the hiding place?"

TBC

Next: "Rise up, My Love, My Fair One, and Come Away"