CHAPTER 17

They dropped off a very impressed General Hammond who was beamed into SGC amid chaos as the base was on full alert from his unannounced absence. After a very interesting conversation with the President, General Hammond was able to stand down the SGC. He spent the next two days writing his report.

Harry, Hermione, and Sam were lying in bed that night discussing their lives and the day. Hermione turned to them "I love doing what I am doing here at Atlantis but I miss both of you terribly." Harry responded by tightening his hug on her.

Sam touched the side of Hermione's face "Its' unfair. We should all be together."

Harry sighed "I don't like it either but we still do not have a way to gather more Alterran's from earth. For that matter, most people on earth don't even know that the Star Gate exists."

Hermione snuggled into Harry's shoulder "So let's tell them."

Sam looked worried "Do you know what a panic that would cause? How economies would react to the presence of aliens?"

Harry turned to her "Sam if it's one thing I have learned in America, most people believe that aliens do exist and that your government is hiding it from them. I don't think they or the world would react that badly to it."

Sam answered back "This is huge! We can't just show up on the door step and announce ourselves."

Hermione smiled "Why not?"

Sam sat there speechless and then looked over at Hermione without blinking. She finally smiled at her "Sometimes I swear you are smarter than Harry and I combined. Why not indeed!"

Harry held both of them and grinned "So, we announce ourselves to the world?" His smile became a sneer "I think I can make Hermione incoherent and speechless within the next thirty minutes."

Sam giggled "No I think we can leave her speechless."

Hermione smiled and pulled the sheet around her neck tighter "The last time you two did this I couldn't walk right for days." Harry and Sam pounced on her with very little warning. Hermione's shrieks could be heard in the hallways.

Hermione moaned on top of the bed as Harry and Sam ran their fingers along her back and legs. Hermione sighed "I think I know exactly how jello feels with you two around."

Sam laughed and smack her butt "Tell me you didn't love every minute of that."

Hermione smirked back at her and Harry "It was pure torture and I didn't love every minute of it… I loved every second of it." She ended with a laugh. Sam and Harry pounced on her again.

Harry and Sam arrived at SGC and were called to the Mission conference room. They found a very concerned looking General Hammond and the President sitting as they came in. The President stood and walked over to them "You two, I swear I should throw you in prison. The problem is that you would escape and there would be nothing I could do about it.

The President looked at Harry "This country, hell the entire planet, owes you a debt of gratitude for saving us from an attack." The President sat back at the conference table and looked up at them "On the other hand this report is very disturbing because it reveals that Earth is not your only base of operation."

Harry looked at him and smiled. With a twitch of his fingers he changed to gray pants and a robe of sheer white with the Alterran symbol. Sam followed suit and then they sat down across from the President.

Harry extended his hands up and gave a little bow "It is a pleasure to meet you President Devonshire. I am High Councilor Omicron from the Alterran council and World of New Eden. Beside me is my wife and fellow council member Counselor Theta."

Harry waved his hand and Hermione appeared in the chair to his left "This is my wife Zeta and she is the city administrator for the Alterran capitol city of Atlantis."

Harry again waved his hand and five others appeared "The tall and distinguished man is Councilor and Captain of the Alterran ship Hestaphera. Next to him is Counselor and Captain Alexis of the Alterran Battle Cruiser Graphon, next to her is our Counselor and chief scientist Hironto, next to him is counselor Dimitra, last but finally not least is counselor and chief healer Sumter. We represent the leadership of the Alterran's in this Galaxy. Harry leaned back and smiled.

General Hammond's eyes were nearly wide open before the president caught his breath and put his thoughts together. "High Counselor Omicron is it? As you know I cannot negotiate accords or treaties on my own." Harry nodded his understanding. The President continued "How much can you do?"

It was Captain Brax that spoke up "High Counselor Omicron has full authority to speak and act for the Alterran people and New Eden. We have a right to review but we must have a super majority to override his decisions. You can count on his word to hold sway with his people."

The President looked up "His people. It is obvious that Harry has been very busy." The President looked at Harry "Have you been playing me for a fool?"

Harry looked shocked "What, how could you think that?" Harry sat back "After this last year how could you think that? I admit I have not told you everything, but you have done the same to me."

Sam moved her hand to stay anymore statements from him "Harry has been walking a tightrope over the last year and has protected the United States and the world from many threats. He has never betrayed you."

Hermione then replied "He has definitely shocked you but that does not mean he has lied or deceived you."

The president blew out a breath "I never got the sense that he did but what you are hiding, what you have shown us by revealing not one but two ships, it led us…"

Harry finished "to wonder about our loyalty." The President looked at him and nodded his head. Harry continued "This is where I was born; this is where I was raised." Harry looked at General Hammond "Do you doubt my loyalty?"

General Hammond answered "No Harry I do not doubt your loyalty even if I sometimes don't like your choices for us. It is my belief that you have our best interests at heart and if we were threatened you would defend us."

Harry turned to the President "Your feelings of betrayal are misplaced." Harry leaned forward "I think my people are seriously deranged for electing me as their leader but I will not shirk my duty. I am the leader of a world for a highly advanced race, a race that has been conquering the stars for millions of years and as far as I know the oldest living beings in the galaxy."

Harry sighed "I cannot give you all the benefit of the years of knowledge and technology without the millions of years of wisdom that goes with it. It would destroy you."

Captain Alexis spoke up "We have in our distant past given our technology to younger species and in the end they destroyed themselves. Do you wish us to let you destroy what you are?"

The President looked at her "No, of course not but our world has many problems and ailments that you could fix and make better. As their leader how can I not want something better for my people?"

Hermione smiled "That is what makes you a great leader and the reason my husband trust you so much." Hermione looked over at Harry "If we are there to pick you up every time you fall, then you will never feel the need to improve. Soon your culture will stagnate before eventually dying off. We have seen this happen many times throughout our history."

Harry pointed a thumb at the people behind him "The Alterran's seeded this galaxy with life; they represent the best of your heritage and what humanity could become. They are our ancestors in many ways but only if you strive for something better."

Harry looked around the room "We wish to announce ourselves to the world. To let everyone on this planet know that they are a part of a greater community and to begin the steps to take their place among the stars."

"As you well know the gaould enslaved this world thousands of years ago and placed humans on many different worlds to use for labor. Many of those worlds were abandoned when they stripped that world of resources. Most are not as advanced as you, some are about at the same level, and a few are far more advanced than you are. There are other species out there as well and all can be learned from but it starts by announcing there is a universe out there to explore."

"This will change everything about who we are." The President announced to the room.

Sam smiled at him "Yes it will."

The President looked at Harry for a minute "Ok I am trying to wrap my head around it and all that it means but Harry you have something else you need to tell me, don't you."

Harry looked at Captain Brax who nodded and then turned back "We have found another gate on earth. There was an Alterran outpost here at one point and it was abandoned. We found another gate buried there. I suggest when we announce ourselves that we present a public gate for the world to use to explore with and the one at SGC command to stay out of public view."

The President smiled at him "That would alleviate many problems for me and letting the world that we have known and been using the star gate without telling our allies and enemies."

Harry smiled "I know and that is why I suggested it. I actually need another at New Eden but we have decided to build a new one. The other issue is I want access to humans for testing of the recessive Alterran gene. It is my belief that certain sectors of the human population have the gene and if it were activated then that person would become an Alterran."

The President smiled "Is that how you are hoping to populate this new world of yours?"

Harry nodded "Yes and if our calculations are correct perhaps .5 percent of the earth population would have this recessive gene. We believe the only way people will come forward is if we make our story known and ask for volunteers. Those that have the gene and the gene can be activated would be asked to join us on our new home world with their non Alterran family."

Hermione answered "The council has deliberated on this and we would offer for immediate family rights to become citizen's which does not mean grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, etc. It would only include husband/ wife and their children. They can come to earth to visit other family.

The President looked in deep thought "I don't see a problem with this as long as it stays voluntary. What about training and providing information to everyone."

Harry answered "We assumed that we would have facilities in some other countries and that we could conduct training and orientation before transferring them to and from New Eden."

The President looked at him "You know that intermingling our people like this will invariable transfer technology."

Harry laughed "Really hadn't thought of that." Harry turned very smug but also remembered that it will invariable change the hearts, minds, and attitudes. I think your world should prepare for a unified earth government eventually."

The President laughed "Why Harry I do believe that sounds almost subversive in nature."

Sam snorted "Almost sounds subversive?"

The President scratched his head "Well I think we should keep thoughts like that to ourselves. When do we do this, make our joint announcement?"

Harry looked at him in six months "I think we need to adjust peoples thinking about alien life and to do that they will need some education about the true nature of the universe. If we use the media to provide information I think that would do it."

Sam grinned "Dr. Daniel Jackson made a wonderful discovery about three years ago that was very true. He now has evidence that an extraterrestrial life form populated the earth long before man became homo-sapien. In fact they are the reason that man became homo-sapien. We should let him publish his papers."

General Hammond shook his head "The world is never going to be the same."