A/N: Okay, here's the first "mission" for the Tenth Chevron team. There are a few details I was unsure of, and I didn't have access to the material needed so I kind of fudged those details in a few places, but I think you'll get the picture. I have the next chapter almost completed but I'm interested to know what you guys think of this one and whether or not I should continue, so please review and let me know! Now on with the show…
Spoilers: Stargate: The Movie
Chapter 3: The Beginning -
It took two weeks to finish setting up L29 and to finish training the rest of the team. Finding a technician who was bright enough to handle operations was easy, but finding one who could deal with the pressures of secrecy and time travel was harder.
Eventually they went with a former colleague of Alexa's, Lieutenant Dave Hutchins, from her first AF post. He was a computer geek with little social life outside of work. He accepted the transfer readily when Alexa stressed the fact that he'd have time to work on projects. The second draw for Dave was the opportunity to exercise one of his favorite hobbies: false IDs and documents for undercover cases. Alexa had never asked how he got so good at it…knew it was better not to know.
While Alexa was busy introducing Dave to the world of the stargate program, Thalin and Korin were working to upgrade the DHD and puddle jumper to accept a ten chevron dialing sequence. Alexa had asked one day how they calculated the ninth and tenth chevrons since usually the ninth was used to travel between galaxies, but after receiving techno babble about star charts and years she decided to leave well enough alone and trust that the two Alterans knew what they were doing.
Seventeen days after the gate was delivered the three members of the 10th Chevron team – Tempus Errata Mundi (TEM) – and Dave gathered to discuss their first mission.
"There's something I don't understand." Alexa began. "How are we to know if something needs to be fixed and what that something is?"
"Why do you think we had you bring your puddle jumper here?" Thalin answered.
"But I destroyed the time travel device when I got to the SGC."
"If we could use Janus's time travel device don't you think we would use it instead of the gate?" Korin interjected.
"Then…"
"We've turned your puddle jumper into a 10th chevron conduit." Thalin explained. "Korin and I couldn't retain all of our knowledge from our time as ascended beings, so we don't remember all the events we have to change. There may be times that we have to allow events to unfold, then go back again and fix them. While other times we may be able to figure it out as we go."
"Great…" Alexa sighed. "Trial and error."
"Not quite." Thalin continued. "We have access to all of the SGC's files - they should help give us a reference point."
"Okay." Alexa said. "But how do we know when to go back?"
"That gets a little more complicated." Thalin answered. "Dave?"
"I've entered all the SGC reports into a computer program that used the information to extrapolate the probability of something going wrong. It's not perfect but at least it's a place to start." Dave explained.
"And this program of yours has extrapolated our first mission?" Alexa asked.
"Yep. In fact, had I taken the time to actually read the report I would have guessed this one myself." Dave answered. "It's chalk full of potential problems. Death, suicide, civilians, nuclear bombs. You name it, this mission has it."
"So when do we leave?"
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
"What took you so long?" Alexa asked over her shoulder.
"We had to make one slight adjustment to the flight plan." Thalin said as he stepped into the jumper.
"What kind of adjustment?" Alexa sighed.
"We have to make sure we come out through the Antarctica gate." Korin answered.
"Wait, we'll be on Earth?"
"Many of the events that could go wrong happened on Earth."
"Great." Alexa sighed. "Wait! What year are we going to?"
"1996."
"Month?"
"Does it matter?" Korin demanded.
"Yes."
"August."
"Damn." Alexa muttered. "What day?"
"Now you're just being ridiculous!" Korin exclaimed.
"It was in August 1996 that I found this jumper hidden in the cave with the gate." Alexa retorted. "And I did NOT see that gate activate."
"What day were you there?" Thalin interjected.
"The 17th."
"We'll be fine." Thalin assured.
"You're certain?"
"Yes."
"Okay then, dial her up."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Coming through the gate was uneventful, but Alexa couldn't help but notice the jumper sized hole already blown in the ice…her younger self had already been there and taken the puddle jumper.
Once they were in the air heading toward Colorado, Thalin pulled out three manila envelopes.
"Okay," Thalin began. "Each one of us will be going into Cheyenne Mountain as members of the Air Force." He opened the first folder. "Alexa, since you know Colorado Springs better than either of us, you'll be the one to go into the motor pool." Alexa nodded from her place at the controls. "And since Korin can't cook, I'll take the position in the mess hall."
"Commissary." Alexa interrupted.
"What?"
"They call it the commissary."
"Oh, right, thank you." Thalin made a note in his folder. "Now, Korin, that leaves you as a lieutenant attached to the General's office." He paused. "Do you think you can handle taking orders for a few days?"
"It's not like you've given me much of a choice." Korin grumbled. "But I'm here, so I'll do what I have to do."
"Okay, I have all the appropriate insignia for everyone and a schedule for the bus that runs from Colorado Springs to Cheyenne Mountain. I also have three secure cell phones so that we can stay in contact."
Alexa sighed. "You do realize that cell phones from the future won't work here."
"That's why I adapted them using Alteran technology." Korin interjected. "Calls won't be possible, but short text messages will be as long as we are within a 100 mile radius."
"That'll work." Alexa conceded.
An hour later, the three were dressed in uniforms with the appropriate insignia and identification and were waiting for the bus to take them to Cheyenne Mountain. When it arrived they were three of a much larger group heading to the mountain. Once the bus pulled up, an Air Force sergeant stepped off and checked everyone's IDs as they boarded.
He paused as he checked Alexa's ID. "You're new." He stated crisply. "Ma'am." He added belatedly.
"Yes Sergeant, I've been transferred to Cheyenne's motor pool." Alexa responded.
"Welcome aboard, Ma'am." The Sergeant turned to Thalin and took his ID. "Airman Cooper, you're new also."
"Yes, Sir." Thalin responded. "Starting in the commissary today, Sir."
Alexa bit back her grin at Thalin's enthusiasm.
"Yes, Sergeant, I'm new to Cheyenne Mountain, but if you don't mind, I'd rather not be late to my first meeting with the General." Korin bit out as he handed over his ID.
The sergeant snapped to at Korin's tone of voice and saluted as he returned the ID.
"Sir, yes Sir."
Thalin shared a look with Alexa over Korin's antics before continuing on to the next available seat.
Within the hour TEM was situated into the jobs assigned to them. Thalin was busy gleaning what information he could from the conversations happening over meals, Korin was taking notes of a more official nature during briefings with the General's aides, and Alexa sat around listening to the other motor pool drivers discussing scuttlebutt.
"Yo Connors!" The major in charge of the motor pool called.
Alexa looked up. "Yes, Sir?"
"You know your way around Denver?" He asked.
"Yes, Sir."
"Good, get going, Mrs. Langford wants to leave as soon as she reaches ground level."
"Yes Sir!" Alexa grabbed the key the major tossed at her and hurried to the car. Once inside she racked her brain for any prior knowledge on the name Langford.
Alexa pulled the car as close to the mountain's entrance as she could, turned it off and stepped out to wait for Mrs. Langford. Less than five minutes later, a major exited the mountain accompanying an older woman. Upon seeing the two, Alexa flashed to a moment in Daniel's lab when she was first transferred to the SGC.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Alexa was wandering around Daniel's lab as he finished off a translation. As she was glancing at the books on one of his shelves, she noticed a shining gold emblem draped over a picture frame. She picked up the frame and medallion for a closer look.
"Who is this, Daniel, and why is she wearing the eye of Ra?" Alexa asked.
Daniel looked up from his translation and smiled sadly when he saw the picture.
"That's Catherine Langford." He said. "She's the one who recruited me into the SGC."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
"Mrs. Langford, Ma'am." Alexa greeted as she opened the back door. She smiled as she noticed the eye of Ra around the older woman's neck.
"Thank you, Captain. You know where we're going?" Catherine replied as she slipped into the car.
"Yes, Ma'am. Major." Alexa acknowledged.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Alexa wasn't surprised when Daniel was escorted out to the car only moments after they arrived at their destination. She listened intently as Catherine gave Daniel all the reasons he should join her and her research.
"Thank you, Mrs. Langford, but I'm not the man you're looking for. Besides, you were wrong about one thing," Daniel finally responded. "Not everyone walked out of my lecture."
Crap! Alexa thought as Daniel stepped out of the car. She pulled out the phone Thalin had given her. We have a problem. She texted.
Make that two. Korin replied.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
TEM met back at the jumper as soon as they could get away from their respective jobs, Alexa being the last one to arrive.
"Well that certainly didn't take long." Alexa growled as she threw her hat on the bench before slumping down next to it.
"What was your problem?" Thalin asked.
"Daniel turned Catherine Langford down."
"So?" Korin interjected.
"So…Catherine Langford recruited Daniel to the stargate program. She brought him on to figure out how the stargate worked."
"Do we know why he didn't accept?" Thalin asked.
"Yeah." Alexa sighed. "It's almost legend at the SGC that Daniel was laughed out of Academia because of his belief that the pyramids were landing pads for alien spaceships. His last lecture, before accepting Catherine's offer, everyone walked out." She paused. "Someone didn't leave today."
"That's a fairly easy fix - we just need to know who didn't leave." Thalin said. "Korin? What was your problem?"
"O'Neill killed himself."
"WHAT!?!?" Thalin and Alexa exclaimed together.
"I know he was suicidal – that's why they offered him the mission to Abydos." Alexa said. "But I guess knowing him now I never really thought he would've gone through with it."
"Okay," Thalin sighed. "Obviously these two events are going to dramatically alter Earth's history. So…how are we going to fix this?
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Thalin sat in the back of the room listening as Daniel carried on about his theories of aliens and landing pads. The irony wasn't lost on him that Daniel was actually correct about his theories, but wouldn't be able to vindicate himself for the foreseeable future.
Taking a quick look around the room, Thalin picked out two men in the front row who seemed deeply engrossed in what Daniel was saying. He had to find some way to get their attention.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Alexa kept glancing at her watch, wondering what was taking so long.
"Yo Connors!" The major in charge of the motor pool called.
Alexa looked up from her watch and cringed. "Yes, Sir?"
"You know your way around Denver?" He asked.
"I can get to the airport, Sir, but that's about it." Alexa answered.
"Damn! Johnson's the only one who seems to know his way around Denver and he's already been assigned a job today."
"I could take his job, Major. I know my way around Colorado Springs like it was the back of my hand." Alexa jumped in.
"Johnson is assigned to General West today, Connors. We don't usually assign newbies to the General."
"Sir, I didn't make it to Captain by driving nobodies around. I've chauffeured my share of brass." Alexa argued.
"Fine." The major sighed. "Johnson should be just outside the General's office on L27. Relieve him and tell him to get his ass up here ASAP."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
"General, if I may?" Korin spoke up.
"What Lieutenant?" General West barked.
"I know I'm new here, Sir, but if I may make an observation?"
West grunted in response.
"Sir, if Colonel O'Neill is in a state of mind to take a suicide mission, might he not also be in a state of mind not to wait for the mission?"
"Major, you and the Captain need to get to O'Neill's immediately!" West ordered briskly.
"Uh, Sir?" The Captain interjected. "You asked me to…"
"Right." West growled. "Lieutenant, you'll be joining the Major."
"Yes, Sir." Korin nodded.
"And Major," West called as the two headed out of the room. "Take my driver."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
As people started filing out of the lecture, Thalin moved forward until he was sitting right behind the two academics who sympathized with Daniel.
"Can you believe this guy?" Thalin said as he leaned forward. "He's sending his career down the toilet and he'll take any supporters with him. Not that anyone would be stupid enough to align themselves with such a crack pot."
The two academics shared a look before getting up and leaving. With a smug smile Thalin turned and found himself face to face with Catherine Langford.
"Ma'am." Thalin tipped his head.
"Dr. Jackson?" Thalin heard Catherine say as he slipped out the back with a smile on his face.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
"When I said get us here quickly, Captain, I didn't mean break every law to do it." The major said.
"Of course not, Sir." Alexa hedged as she slowed and pulled the car to the curb in front of Jack's house.
Korin shook his head and followed the major up to the house. Once inside they followed Sara's directions up the stairs and to the first room on the right. As the door swung open, Korin caught sight of O'Neill slipping a hand gun under the pillow and surreptitiously putting the safety back on.
"Colonel O'Neill…"
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Alexa parked the jumper at the far end of the L29 gateroom, once again glad for the extension on the room – at least until the jumper hangar was complete.
"Welcome back." Dave greeted as TEM stepped off the jumper. "Obviously you were successful."
"I'm just glad this one was easy to fix." Alexa sighed. "I guess it's too much to hope that they'll all be this easy."
"How long were we gone, Dave?" Thalin asked.
"37 minutes, 43 seconds." Dave quipped. "And no interference from the SGC."
"Great." Thalin acknowledged. "Get some food and rest everyone, we'll go out at 0330 tomorrow."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
After grabbing food, Thalin glanced around the commissary before following Alexa and Korin to a table. Setting down his tray and taking a seat, he leaned across the table toward Alexa.
"Who are those two men talking heatedly in the corner?"
Alexa glanced over her shoulder and shrugged as she turned back around. "Drs. Felger and Lee, why?"
"They're the two that almost kept Daniel from joining the SGC."