-1CHAPTER FOUR
STARGATE COMMAND, JULY 19, 1998, 0800 HOURS
Quinn Mallory sat in one of the two large mess halls on Level 22 of Stargate command, eating breakfast with his traveling companions, Wade Welles, Rembrandt Brown, and Professor Maximilian Arturo. As he munched on his Froot Loops, he listened to Arturo grouse about the fare.
"With the hundreds of billions of dollars we spend on our military establishment," Arturo said, looking with disgust at the gray, limp excuse for a sausage which he was holding up before his face, speared on his fork, like a lab exhibit, "one would think that at least some of those dollars would go to providing edible victuals. Bah!" He laid the sausage back on his plate, shaking his head in disdain.
"They ain't as bad as they look, Professor," Remmy said, then took a bite out of a sausage just like the one Arturo had so theatrically rejected. "I think they're pretty good." He popped another into his mouth.
Arturo looked at him with a jaundiced eye. "Each to his own, Mr. Brown," he said. "But truthfully, have you ever met a sausage you didn't like?"
Wade giggled at the exchange, then looked at Quinn. "Are you going to speak to them again about getting the timer back?," she asked.
Quinn swallowed his cereal, then nodded. "Yes," he said. "I've got to get them to see reason somehow."
"But Quinn, what if this is our Earth?," she asked, dipping her spoon into her oatmeal. "I know we've had a lot of disappointments, but this one is looking really good. Everything seems to be like it ought to be." She took a bite of her oatmeal, chewed thoughtfully, and swallowed.
Quinn nodded. He knew that Wade was right. This world seemed closer to their own home world than any of the others they'd encountered so far. But he was afraid to hope. "I just don't know, Wade. If it's not our world, twenty-nine years is a long, long time to be stuck here."
By now, Arturo and Remmy were listening to the exchange between Quinn and Wade. Remmy spoke up.
"Q-Ball," he asked, "how long can we keep going? What if we can never be sure we've found our Earth again? At what point do we just pick a place that seems homelike enough, and settle down?"
Wade nodded. "Remmy's right, Quinn," she said. She reached across the table and took one of his hands. "We can't keep going forever. Can we?" She looked at Arturo. "What do you think?"
Arturo smiled wanly. "I'm sorry, Miss Welles," he said. "I really can't intrude into this debate." Arturo had recently learned that he was afflicted with a terminal illness. Indeed, he had attempted to stop sliding upon learning of this, to settle down and enjoy what little time he had left. He had continued to slide because Quinn needed him, and because it was obvious that Quinn was more fearful of his friend and mentor's impending death than Arturo himself was. "I will abide by whatever Mr. Mallory decides."
Quinn looked at his dear friend and mentor sadly. He knew that Arturo was dying, but Arturo had requested that this be kept secret from the others. Quinn knew that Arturo had wanted to settle down on one of the worlds through which they'd passed, and had kept sliding because Quinn couldn't deal with losing him. Guilt surged through him as he reflected upon his own selfishness. Was it right to force the others to continue on this mad journey? Was there any point to it all?
As these depressing thoughts filled his mind, Colonel Jack O'Neill stepped up to their table.
"Good morning, all," he said cheerfully.
"Good morning, Colonel," Wade said, smiling. The others nodded and murmured their own greetings.
"General Hammond would like to speak with you," O'Neill said. "If you're done with breakfast," he added.
Quinn nodded. "We'd like to speak with him, too," he said, getting up. The other three got up as well.
"Great!," O'Neill said. "Let's go."
Quinn and his companions followed O'Neill out of the mess hall and down the corridor to an elevator. The elevator took them to Level 27, where O'Neill led them down another corridor to the by-now familiar briefing room. Upon entering, they found General Hammond waiting, along with Captain Samantha Carter, Dr. Daniel Jackson, and Teal'c.
"Good morning," General Hammond said as they entered. "Please be seated." The new arrivals did as they were told, taking seats along one side of the conference table. Colonel O'Neill moved to a place next to Hammond.
"I've spoken to the President," General Hammond began, "and in light of the results of our investigation of you and in light of the…shall we say, unique…technology which came with you, I've been authorized to reveal certain information to you which is classified as Ultra Top Secret. This information is, quite possibly, the most highly classified and sensitive information in the world. What I am about to tell you cannot, under any circumstances, ever be revealed to anyone outside this facility. It goes without saying that this regulation is strictly enforced and carries the highest penalties allowed by law."
Turning to O'Neill, he said, "Colonel…" O'Neill rose, and picking up a stack of papers in front of him, distributed one copy each to Quinn and his companions. After O'Neill returned to his seat, Hammond continued.
"Please read these documents," Hammond said. "By signing them, you agree to abide by the terms of the security agreement, under penalty of law. If, for some reason, you feel you cannot sign this document, you will be escorted out of this room and returned to your quarters. Those of you who do sign and remain may not reveal the contents of this discussion to anyone who has not signed this waiver. Once again, failure to comply with this directive will be punished to the full extent of the law, and carries the highest penalties allowed by law."
Quinn and his companions read the documents, and one by one, they all signed them. Colonel O'Neill retrieved them and handed them to General Hammond. General Hammond quickly examined the signatures, then placed the documents into a manila folder, which he set down on the table in front of him.
"Mr. Mallory, Professor Arturo, Mr. Brown, Miss Welles," Hammond began, "you've no doubt wondered exactly what sort of military facility this is."
Quinn spoke up. "Yes, General. Based on bits and pieces we've heard, I gather that your activity here centers around something called a Stargate. But as to what that might be, or anything else, it's all still a complete mystery to us." The others nodded.
Hammond nodded. "You are very observant, Mr. Mallory," the General said. "I had thought that might be the case. Yes, our program here is called Stargate Command, and our operations do indeed center around the Stargate, which is the large, ring-like object which you saw on your arrival here."
"So that's a Stargate," Wade Welles said. "I wondered what on earth that could be." The others nodded.
"A Stargate is a device which allows nearly instantaneous travel, via a wormhole, to a Stargate located on another planet in the Milky Way galaxy," General Hammond said. "For the past year, we've been sending teams through the gate to explore planets scattered throughout the galaxy. In the process, we've discovered that the majority of this galaxy is under the despotic rule of a highly advanced alien race called the Goa'uld. and as of now, Earth is at war with them."
"And you're keeping this secret from the people of the world?," Wade Welles burst out. "That's insane!"
Dr. Arturo shook his head. "No, actually, Miss Welles, it makes complete sense," he said. "If such information were released, the result would be worldwide panic which would lead to needless death and suffering, as well as impairing the ability of our military forces to defend the planet."
General Hammond nodded. "Exactly so, Doctor," he said. "Therefore, the decision was made, at the very highest levels, to keep that information secret."
"But how can you fight a war without the people of Earth knowing?," Remmy asked, disbelieving what he was hearing.
"Thus far," General Hammond said, "the war has been mostly fought on other planets. Our tactic has been to send in small special ops teams to perform sabotage operations on enemy facilities and to seek to acquire alien technology with which we can defend the Earth."
"What stops these…Goa'uld…from doing the same to you?," Remmy asked.
"We have a shield which protects our gate, called the Iris," Hammond said. "We only allow incoming gate travel when we are certain that the incoming travelers are not hostile. When the Iris is closed, anyone attempting to come through the gate is instantly killed."
"You say your war has been mostly fought that way," Quinn said. "But not completely?"
"No, not completely," General Hammond said. "The Goa'uld have ships capable of faster-than-light travel, and they sent a small fleet here a few months ago to conquer the planet. Had they succeeded, the population of Earth would have been either exterminated or enslaved."
"They obviously didn't succeed," Quinn said. "How did you beat them and keep that secret?"
"We were lucky," Hammond said. "There were two enemy vessels on approach to Earth. Colonel O'Neill and SG-1 managed to get aboard one of the alien starships. They managed to sabotage the vessel, and the explosion of the one also destroyed the other. The explosions were seen from all over the earth."
Colonel O'Neill smiled. "The government put out the story that it was a large asteroid which had entered Earth's atmosphere and then exploded."
"And people believed that?," Remmy asked, shaking his head.
"There were skeptics, of course," O'Neill said. "But contrary to popular belief, when Uncle Sam really wants to keep a secret, he can."
"Those who had evidence to the contrary…primarily certain astronomers whose telescopes were trained on that area of the sky at the time…were quietly rounded up and the evidence destroyed," Hammond said. "They were placed under a waiver similar to the one you've just signed."
"But why don't these Goa'uld just come back and finish the job," Remmy asked.
"We're not sure why they haven't," General Hammond admitted. "The most likely theory is that they don't know the cause of the destruction of their warships, and so are being cautious. Or it could be that we're just not considered a big enough threat to worry about, and they plan to deal with us at a more convenient time."
"Who are these Goa'uld?," Quinn asked. "What are they like?"
Colonel O'Neill looked at Teal'c. "Teal'c, why don't you show them?" Teal'c smiled slightly, then stood up. He lifted his shirt to reveal an odd-looking X-shaped formation on his belly. It looked like a poorly-healed wound to Quinn. Then, to the horror of Quinn and the others, Teal'c stuck his hand into this…whatever it was…and slowly pulled out a weird-looking, snake-like creature which writhed and struggled in his hand. As he pulled it free, it gave out a high-pitched squeal.
Wade shrieked in terror, recoiling out of her chair and huddling in one corner of the room. "Oh my God!," she exclaimed. "Teal'c is one of these Goa'ulds?" Remmy and Quinn got up to comfort her.
Teal'c replaced the squirming creature back into the pouch on his belly, which resealed itself. "No," he said, "I am not a Goa'uld. The creature which I removed from the symbiote pouch is a Goa'uld."
Gradually Remmy and Quinn got Wade back under control, and the three of them resumed their seats. As they did so, Daniel Jackson spoke up. "The Goa'uld are a race of parasitic life forms. Teal'c is a Jaffa, one of a race of genetically engineered humans who were bred to serve as incubators for the Goa'uld young, and also to serve as warriors for the Goa'uld."
Teal'c nodded. "In exchange for protecting the young Goa'uld while it matures, the Goa'uld provides superior strength and endurance, resistance to disease and long life. It also can heal wounds which are received by the Jaffa in whose body it resides."
"When the Goa'uld matures," Dr. Jackson continued, "it is taken from the Jaffa's pouch and enters a human host, attaching itself to the host's brain and completely suppressing the will and personality of the host, enslaving the person. In this way, the Goa'uld gains the ability to use technology, control armies, and…"
"And all the other dastardly things they do," Colonel O'Neill said. "All you really need to know is that the Goa'uld are evil, pure and simple. They destroy life on a planetary scale when it suits them, and those who are not destroyed are enslaved. They are the ultimate galactic bad guys. And we will resist them until either we or they are dead and buried."
"You say they take human hosts," Dr. Arturo said. "Where do they get these hosts?"
"Thousands of years ago," Daniel Jackson replied, "the Goa'uld came to Earth and enslaved the human race. They displayed great powers and the primitive people of that time worshipped them as gods. They found humans to be the ideal host for their species, and colonies of humans were transplanted to planets across the galaxy. Some of these eventually were used to create the Jaffa. Others were used as slave labor, or as hosts for the Goa'uld themselves. The descendants of these people are still exploited by the Goa'uld today."
"If that is true, then why aren't they still here?," Quinn asked.
"The Goa'uld System Lord who established himself here on Earth was called Ra. He was worshipped by the Egyptians as the God of the Sun," Daniel Jackson said. "There was a great rebellion against his rule in 2995 B.C., Ra was defeated and he and the lesser Goa'uld who served him were forced to flee. For reasons which are unknown, he never came back, but established himself on the planet Abydos."
"Did the Goa'uld build the Stargates, then?," Dr. Arturo asked.
"No," Captain Carter said. "Another, even older and more powerful race, who we know as the Gate Builders, did that. The Goa'uld have simply plundered the technology left behind by the Gate Builders. They create very little of their own."
"How long have you known about the Stargates and the Goa'uld?," Quinn asked.
"Our own Stargate was discovered in Egypt in 1928," Daniel Jackson said. "It was brought to the United States, but it took decades of intensive study to figure out what it was intended to do and how to operate it. This occurred only in 1994."
Quinn looked at General Hammond. "General," he said, "all this is fascinating, but why are you telling us about it?"
"Well, Mr. Mallory," General Hammond said, "as you are aware, the investigation into your story and the possibility that you are, in fact, natives of our Earth, has strongly indicated that such is, in fact, the case. While we may not ever be able to be one hundred percent certain, every test has been positive. I'm sure that you've considered the possible military applications of the technology you've developed. Given the situation in which Earth now finds itself, it goes without saying that we can use every advantage we can get. It is our hope that, as citizens of Earth, you will want to assist us with the defense of the planet, and the President has authorized me to offer the four of you positions with the Stargate Program."
"Wait a minute," Remmy said. "What would I do here? I'm a musician!"
Colonel O'Neill smiled. "Yes, I remember you. The Crying Man. I loved Tears In My Fro." Daniel Jackson and Samantha Carter looked at him, mystified. O'Neill smirked at them. "A little before your time," he said.
"Actually," General Hammond said, "we retrieved your military record. You were in the United States Navy at the end of the Vietnam War. So you have some military training and combat experience. And your travels over the past couple of years, based on some of what you've told us, have given you experience which is almost directly applicable to our operations here. I think you'd make a fine addition to one of our SG-teams." He looked at Wade Welles. "The same with you, Miss Welles. Or if you prefer a less hazardous duty, you have some experience with computers, from what I understand. We can always use another research assistant." Looking over at Quinn and Arturo, he said, "Mr. Mallory, Doctor Arturo, I think your skills speak for themselves and would be a huge asset to our program."
Quinn's mind was reeling as he listened. As he considered the offer, Dr. Arturo spoke up.
"General," he said, "I feel there is something you must know, before I accept such an offer. I am dying. I was recently diagnosed with a terminal illness."
"I am aware of that, Doctor," Hammond said. "Doctor Fraiser's analysis of the blood sample she took from you indicated that was the case. However, we can offer you some hope. The Goa'uld have healing devices which can perform medical miracles. Many other races likely do as well. We will make it a priority to obtain one of these devices at the earliest opportunity."
"There's something else you need to know, General," Quinn said. "In our travels, we found that most of the Earths we visited were quite similar to this one. They were inhabited by people like us…humans. But not all."
"Not all?," Hammond said, as the implications of Quinn's statement began to hit home.
"No, General," Quinn said. "We ran into one race in particular, called the Kromaggs, which pose a severe threat to this world. The Kromaggs are a hominid primate species which evidently competed with, and killed off, Homo Sapiens on its version of Earth. They developed a highly advanced civilization, and later developed sliding technology which allowed them to visit other universes, just like we have done. They were horrified to find that Homo Sapiens dominated most of the Earths in the alternate universes, and they began invading these alternate Earths, brutally conquering, and then enslaving or exterminating the people. We know they have already conquered dozens, if not hundreds of worlds. Although we have no evidence that they are capable of space travel as the Goa'uld seem to be, they could be every bit as dangerous an enemy as the Goa'uld."
"How technologically advanced are they?," Hammond asked.
"Very," Quinn said. "Our experience with them was brief, but we know they have advanced energy weapons and anti-gravity propulsion, at the very least. And they are telepathic on some level…they have the ability to implant illusions in the minds of others."
Hammond sighed and sat back in his chair. "Well, all the more reason why we need you here."
"Q-Ball, what do you think?," Remmy asked.
Quinn sighed. "I don't know what to think. This is all a little much to swallow, all in one bite." Then he looked at Arturo. These people have offered him a chance, albeit a small one, for a cure, Quinn thought to himself. I can't take that away from him. He looked at his companions, then back at General Hammond.
"I'm willing to stay, if the others are," Quinn said.
"I accept your offer, General," Arturo said immediately.
Wade and Remmy looked at each other, then at Quinn and Arturo. Then, both of them nodded.
"We'll stay, too," they said together.
General Hammond smiled. "Good!," he said. "Welcome to the Stargate Program. I look forward to working with all of you." He stood up. "SG-1 will see to your orientation into the mysteries of the program," he said. "Dismissed."
Quinn got up and, with the others, filed out of the room. As he did so, his head was swimming, his mind still boggled by the fantastic information he had learned in the meeting. A super-secret program waging a secret interstellar war with an advanced alien race? And he was going to be a part of it? What in hell have I gotten us into this time?, he thought to himself. God help us.