Chapter 14

Loki looked nothing like his handsome brother Thor. The Asgard was shorter, thinner, had dark hair and gray eyes. His face was oval shaped with a pointed nose and thin lips. His pale skin reflected a lifestyle of little sunlight and being inside far too much. Loki sported black trousers and a black tunic and matching boots. Around his middle was a leather belt that held a pouch of his belongings. He waited for Thor and SG-1 in the park by the Star Gate.

Beside Loki stood a female Asgard also in black. She was a member of an elite special forces team named the Valkyries. She was short, only five foot two but rather athletic. She had long dark hair but her eyes were a hazel gray color. She wore a black leather jacket with a patch on the back of a large set of wings. Her trousers were made of black canvas with cargo pockets and she sported black boots. Around her middle was a duty belt with a holstered sidearm. Sitting at her feet was a black pack filled with gear for she was to be deployed on special assignment with Thor, Loki and the futuristic earth team called SG-1.

Loki mentioned in small talk, "I heard Quincy is with the cave dweller team, Kara."

She smirked, "You still jealous of your brother, Loki."

"I was never jealous of Thor." he denied. "Father just plays favorites."

She rolled her eyes, "Ah-ha."

Loki muttered to himself, "Really! A Valkyrie, Father. I don't need a sitter."

Kara smirked at him, "After you set fire to the lab in the university, he thinks you do."

"I was working on a cure for the female targeting virus. You should be defending me. It's your life I am trying to save." he huffed.

"Hmm," she rolled her eyes as Loki was always getting in trouble. She spied Thor walking towards her with the strange group he arrived with. She noticed the group wore uniforms and carried weapons. She spied Quincy with the group of strangers and walking beside Thor. She waited for them to get closer.

Quincy squinted as she spied Loki waiting up ahead near the Gate with a woman she had briefly met once before. She recognized the uniforms. "That's a Valkyrie! Odin is sending a Valkyrie with us."

Thor confirmed, "That is Kara. One of the top thirteen."

Daniel caught the conversation and noted, "Valkyries are a Norse mythology. Of thirteen sisters chosen to guild human souls to Valhalla after their death."

Quincy grinned, "In Norse mythology. Here…they are an elite special forces team. Kind of like the Asgard version of SG-1. They are Asgard military."

Thor greeted his brother and the Valkyrie. "Loki! Kara!" he then motioned, "This is the special military team from the future that father has asked us to assist. SG-1. Quincy is assisting as well."

Kara stated, "She's wearing a uniform. She looks to have joined cave dweller's military to me."

Mitchell miffed, "I'm getting real tired of being called a cave dweller."

"Me too." Jack agreed.

Quincy spoke up, "I have not joined the military of the cave dwellers. The cave dwellers do not have a military. They are cave dwellers. This is a special military team from ten thousand year into the future. They are an American special forces team called Star Gate One. S.G. One if you like. Stop calling my friends cave dwellers. They do not live in caves and their technology is not too far behind your own at this point."

Kara gave a nod, "I apologize for any insults."

Loki miffed, "I don't."

Thor stated disappointed, "You are not very kind, brother."

"Not everyone can be perfect like you are, brother." he smirked at him.

SG-1 traded glances as they never saw infighting with the Asgard before.

The Valkyrie spoke up, "I'm Kara! Odin asked me to escort all of you on the mission."

Sam replied, "I'm Major Samantha Carter. It's a pleasure to meet you, Kara."

Jack stated, "I'm Colonel O'Neill. The C.O." He motioned, "That's Teal'c, Major Mitchell."

Daniel offered a handshake to the woman, "I'm Dr. Daniel Jackson. I'm the linguist and archeologist."

Kara shook his hand and looked the man over. She did find him handsome but also made a note. "With universal translators what do we need a linguist for?"

Quincy stated, "We don't have the translators in the future."

She asked, "We don't?"

"Nope, and the whole damn galaxy goes to hell." she stated. "The Asgard are about to go extinct. My people do go extinct and our civilization collapsed. The Nox are hiding. The Furlings just disappeared. So, you get to come with us to see the Furlings, Kara."

She asked, "Just what kind of mission is this?" She assumed she was there to baby sit Loki but now it seemed there was more to the story.

"To save the galaxy." Quincy told her. "Meet the 5th race from Earth. They are the new powerhouse in the future." She admitted, "Yeah, they descended from cave dwellers but I have spent the last ten thousand years with them and those cave dwellers come in pretty handy."

"Alright then." Kara grabbed her bag at her feet and slung it over her shoulder. "Let's go save the galaxy."

Moments Later

SG-1 with Quincy, escorted by Thor, Kara and Loki stepped through the event horizon and soon emerged on the home world of the Furlings. It was a earth like planet as well and in much the same way the Asgard had a Star Gate set up in a central park, as did the Furlings.

Daniel noted, "The central park seems to be a reoccurring theme."

Sam figured, "Their Gates are all public."

Kara heard the comment. She asked, "Yours is not?" She found the statement odd.

"No," Sam shook her head.

"Why not?" she asked bewildered.

Sam excused, "Our government doesn't think the citizens are ready to know that there is life on other planets."

Kara started to laugh, "You are joking, right?" It was the most ridiculous excuse she ever heard. How could the citizens not know for there were billions of planets in the galaxy alone.

Sam winced as she realized it did sound idiotic.

Kara noticed the team's expression of pain. She asked, "You really are keeping it all a secret?"

Jack nodded.

"Sounds like you need a new government to me." she told them.

Daniel agreed, "We certainly do."

Quincy stated, "They have a democratically elected republic. Unlike most governments the United States is different. The Bill of Rights doesn't tell a citizen what they can do. It tells the government what it cannot do. Each citizen is born with rights. They don't earn privileges like in a monarchy." She glanced at Thor, "The Asgard in the future adopt a lot of that governing structure. You have a council that makes decisions on behalf of your people."

Loki laughed, "So my brother does not get to be ruler of Asgard. Brilliant!"

Thor stated, "I have no intention to rule like a king, Loki. I never have." He looked to Quincy, "You will have to tell me more about this Bill of Rights."

She agreed, "I will write it down for you."

Daniel added, "And the Constitution. Quincy is right. We do have a very strong form of government. It's just we have very weak leaders who are in government for money and power."

Kara rebutted, "But a true leader will put his people first. Odin puts us first."

He agreed, "Problem is that the very people who should not have power are attracted to it."

Thor looked directly at Loki. "That is an obvious statement."

Loki rolled his eyes annoyed.

Sam looked about and found not a person was in sight. "Where is everyone? Shouldn't the Furlings be here?"

Thor agreed, "They should."

Jack stated, "Let's check it out." He lead the team deeper into the empty city hoping to find answers.

Short Time Later

The team made their way down the main street of the Furling city. Sam spoke to Quincy as they walked. "Up until now I had no idea the Furlings even had cities. I thought they may have been a transient race. They left next to nothing behind. Only found one site the whole time we have been going off world."

Quincy stated, "They were a powerhouse in my time. Had cities, ships, all that. You didn't find any of it?"

"Nope!" she shook her head.

"I wonder why." she pondered.

As they walked Teal'c kept his eyes peeled. He found the whole area was silent. No sounds of birds or any kind.

They heard a crash come from a narrow alleyway nearby. The team spilt up to investigate. Teal'c and Kara went to the back of the alleyway going around a building. Jack led the rest to the mouth of the area. Slowly they made their way. Trash receptacles were piled to the side and the noise came from behind the metal cans. As Jack peered over the top of the waist high trash cans he spied a small head of a child huddling behind the cans.

"It's a kid." he declared upon lowering his rifle.

Teal'c and Kara came up from behind. They could see the small girl hiding behind the cans. She was dressed in yellow jumpsuit that was dirty and torn. She had blonde hair and green eyes and a delicate face. She looked no more than six years old.

Sam kneeled down to eyelevel with the girl. She gave a warm smile, "It's okay. We are won't hurt you. I'm Sam. Can you tell me your name?' she tried to assure the child.

She spoke low and shivered in fear. "Stella."

Sam asked, "Are you all alone?"

She nodded.

"You hungry?" she assessed the child had been going through the trash can.

She nodded again.

Sam dug into her pocket and retrieved a energy bar. She opened the package and handed it to the small girl. "Here."

The child took the bar.

"Do what happened to everyone?" she asked her.

She shivered and nodded as she ate.

Sam pressed, "What happened?" She could see how shaken the child was and feared what the girl must have witnessed.

Stella stated, "Black fog took them."

"Black fog?" she asked baffled.

She nodded, "Black fog."

Sam looked up to her companions. No one seemed to have any idea what black fog could be.

Daniel asked, "Any of you heard of black fog before? Thor? Kara? Loki? Quincy?"

"I have not." Thor informed.

"I have no idea." Loki agreed.

Kara stated, "It must be some kind of weapon."

Quincy stated, "Only black fog I heard of was in myths from my pirate days. Ships sailing into a black fog and the crew disappears and the ship is found floating without a crew. You know, a ghost ship." She mentioned, "I never saw anything like that myself though."

Sam lifted the child up in her arms. She looked to Jack. "We need to get her someplace safe, sir."

"Bring her back to Atlantis. Have Frasier check her out medically." he determined.

Daniel stated, "Maybe we can find some reference to black fog in the data banks in the city."

Jack cocked his head and stated, "I'm surprised you weren't diving into that when we got there."

"We have living Ancients." he reminded him. "We are in the Ancient's time. Why go through data banks when I can interview living Ancients?" He then looked at the little girl, "Now we have a living Furling. She's just a little kid but she is a Furling. The first one we ever met."

Stella placed her small head against Sam's shoulder as she was simply exhausted after being alone after her people disappeared into the black fog. She cried, "Will I see mother and father again?"

"I don't know, honey." Sam soothed the child. She turned with her team and walked out of the alleyway.

Cam made small talk as they walked. "You are really good with kids, Sam." he noted.

"I'm an aunt. I got some practice." she reminded him.

Cam stated, "You're a natural at it."

Quincy looked to Jack and mouthed the word "Competition."

He rolled his eyes annoyed.

Daniel was oblivious that Cam was also attracted to Sam. He agreed, "Sam's real good with kids. Really helps the team since…I'm not."

Loki complained, "Are all cave dwellers this ridiculous?"

"Behave brother." Thor warned him.

Kara glanced at Teal'c as she found him rather handsome, steady and strong. She looked for his reaction. He continued on towards the Gate ignoring the small talk. Kara asked, "You like children, Teal'c?"

"I have a son." he reported.

"Wife?" she wondered.

"She died." he stated.

"Sorry." she sympathized.

"As am I." he gave a nod of gratitude.

Sam held the child as Daniel dialed back to Atlantis on Earth. She glanced at Quincy and noted, "Quincy is good with kids too."

She blinked at Sam. "I'm ten thousand years old. I learned how to be good with kids. The first few hundred years I was awful at it."

"I'm sure you weren't awful." Sam shook her head amused and annoyed at the same time.

"I was the baby of my family. I was never around younger kids." she informed. "My sisters are the maternal ones. They will look after Stella."

Jack stated, "Good to know. I need Carter off world. Not babysitting."

"Yes sir." Sam agreed.

The wormhole soon established and the team walked through event horizon to Atlantis.