CHAPTER 2

Two weeks later...

Ford was almost the first one into the briefing room, except Hammond was there already waiting. He had on SGC issue BDU's now.

"General. Reporting as ordered." Ford said standing at attention, not like a first year cadet, but more like someone who knew how to show proper respect but without trying to impress someone. He didn't salute since he wasn't in the service.

"Be seated Mr. Primus."

As he sat down at the far end, "Permission to speak sir?" With a nod from the General, he continued. "First I'd like to thank you for giving me this chance, even if I might have failed..."

"What makes you think you have failed already son?"

"Nothing yet sir. I was thanking you for the opportunity even if I succeeded or not." When the General nodding in understanding Ford continued. "If I may sir, I would prefer to be called just Ford. I'm not looking for special treatment or anything like SG-1 where you sometimes are on first name bases, I just don't like hearing my last name much."

"Can I ask why?"

"My father was a hero per say and when I joined the force, well everyone kept trying to compare me to him. So I transferred over to another branch and worked my way up by myself. I was able to keep who I really was a secret for quite a few years till by a strange coincidence my department and his met up together and then everyone knew who I really was, but those few years of working without them knowing the truth showed I wasn't in my father's shadow. Me and my parents got along fine, it was the departments that didn't like him and I tried to stay as far away from working near or with him as possible."

"When you say was?"

"He was killed by dirty CIA agents, but I got them a few months later." When the General looked like he didn't like the sound of that, Ford said, "That sounded wrong, but I did everything by the book. I had the chance to shoot them, but I waited for backup and they were given the death penalty a few months later. That was eight years ago."

The General's posture relaxed after Ford was finished. "Sounds like your a team player son."

"I may carry a powerful gun sir, but rushing in is not my style unless I'm told to. Seen to many people cut down that way. In the four years I've been at this, not once had I been hit. Close calls, but no hits."

"Impressive story, but I have to say that I have no proof that it is even true, except for the close calls maybe. Doctor Fraiser said that your medical review showed no signs of ever being shot."

"Well, I have been hit before, in a sense. Being so rich, I had a special coat made that was capable of stopping bullets that were even armor piercing. Weighs like 40 pounds, or more, I forget really. I got hit, but the coat always took the impact. Besides that I always went in with a bullet proof vest on anyway or armored clothes. Unfortunately, I wasn't wearing it when I ended up here sir." he said sounding regretful.

"Do you miss your family any?"

"If you mean it like if I could go back would I? No. My mom passed on a year after my dad in a classified incident that I never really figured out. I have no one to go back to."

"No girlfriends or fiancé or…"

"None of the above. I never had anyone I was going out with anyway. No grandparents either or other relatives. I'm, alone. Been that way for so many years that I got use to it. Doesn't bother me."

Hammond was looking ready to say more when SG-1 showed up. They all went to their usual seats. He nodded to them as they sat down. Turning to the Colonel first he asked him to report on the training.

"Ford's weapon skills are quite incredible General. He knows how to use a variety of hand weapons and explosives. He didn't do to well with the PC-90. But with heavy weapons he hit the targets more than anything else. We tested his gun and it is capable of hitting something at three miles, now whether it hit's its target or not, is another story. As for its capability on impacting through an object, well you saw that report."

"Yes I did. That Hummer incident is not going to be easy to explain and is not cheap Colonel."

"I know sir."

"I said I'd pay for it." Ford said interrupting. "Sir." he said after a moment.

"I missed something apparently. What happened?" Daniel said.

"With what?" O'Neill asked.

"With the Hummer incident. I heard about something happening to one but not the details."

"If I may General?" O'Neill asked. With a nod, O'Neill explained. "We went to a secure deserted site to test out Ford's personal cannon as I call it. Well the Gunny we had testing it fired off one round toward the target two miles away, which he missed, and the second round went through one side of the Hummer behind him and out the other. It completely ruined the engine."

"I told you guys you should have waited." Ford said slowly.

"Yes you did." Jack muttered sarcastically.

"Why did he shoot one of our vehicles?" Daniel said getting back on subject.

"You didn't let me finish Daniel."

"Sorry."

"As I was saying, when he fired the first shot, the recoil dislocated his shoulder and threw him back several feet. When the gun hit the ground it went off and that's how the Hummer was hit. Luckily no one got killed."

"Why didn't you just have Ford fire it for you?" Daniel asked.

"One, he was with Carter, and two, we didn't know what it was truly capable of." O'Neill explained.

"Then who hit the target everyone is talking about."

"Ford did…." when Daniel tried to say something, O'Neill kept going before he could talk. "After we had him brought down. He was the only one that looked capable of firing it. I don't know how, but he hit that target General, dead on. I'm just glad he's on our side."

"How can you stand the recoil from that weapon?" Carter asked still surprised at his strength.

"Years and years of practice. More years than I can remember. The amount of ammo I used in an elephant gun could have paid for the gas in a rig to travel around the world. It's only been the last decade that I've been able to fire it and not get hurt. I'm also trained in several martial arts that tone the body and bring out inner strength."

"I gotta know something. Why do you have a weapon like this anyway? It's way to powerful for any police or law enforcement I know of?" Jack asked.

Ford kinda squirmed in his seat.

"Um, I'd rather not say at this moment. Not a great story."

"Alright, let's move on. Major Carter." Hammond said.

"Well sir, he's got the intelligence to be an astrophysicist or possibly a couple of other fields, but prefers to do what he has been doing. I gave him some of our reports from other missions and he was able to tell me a lot of the things we did without looking at the reports. His computer skills are impressive, if not amazing. Ford is nearly on par with my skills and actually understands what I'm talking about. He would be very valuable to the SGC sir."

"He wasn't humoring you was he…."

"No Colonel I wouldn't do that. And no offense but unlike you I understand what she is saying. Always have." Ford said smiling inwardly. Jack must have noticed and gave him a small glare.

"Wait a minute! Wait a minute….if you're actually that smart, as Carter here, then why are you not dressed in a white lab coat with geeky glasses and all that stuff?"

"I've wondered that myself, okay not like the Colonel put it, but how is it that you aren't…" Carter said trying to say something to him in a way that wouldn't be offensive.

"Like Jack?" he said a little to quickly and not thinking first. Carter let a small grin show to his statement and Jack had stiffened up visibly.

"Sorry Colonel. How shall I put this…..no offense to anyone, especially you Carter, I'm more action orientated though I know how to do other things. I actually kept most of my intellectual capabilities to myself seeing as I didn't want the people back home that I worked for, knowing I had the capacity to build a nuclear bomb with ease or other scientific stuff. If they knew what I was really capable of, I'd still be there in some think tank with no freedom. Here I can express that side of me and not get pulled away seeing as I would be more important here. And it can be put to better use."

"I can agree with that." she said.

"Understood Major. Doctor Jackson." Hammond said seeing the Colonel looking ready to maybe say something….vulgar possibly or at least a sarcastic remark to Ford's statement.

When Daniel kept looking at the table, Hammond called out for him again. Ford leaned over and tapped him on the shoulder when Hammond was about to yell louder.

"Yes." he said looking around. "What is it?"

"General's talking to you Daniel." Ford said.

"Huh. Oh, sorry." Daniel said looking more alert, or at least in the room.

"Is something bothering you Doctor?"

"Something about that address that Ford gave us. I recognize the symbols or address I should say, but I can't figure out why." Daniel explained looking more lost than ever.

"Must be something you knew when you were ascended." Ford said.

He got a strange look from Daniel and the other's. "Possibly. Anyway what did you, oh...Ford showed some remarkable skills in different languages but recognizing different artifacts better than I almost. Probably from his law enforcement training. He knows fluent Japanese and Chinese. What you could call rusty Russian and some Goa'uld. That might be from what he learned from us though."

"Anything else to add?" Jack asked.

"Not that I can think of."

"Thank you Doctor Jackson. Alright, Teal'c. How did he fair with you?"

"Considerable better than O'Neill and his boxing technique's." Teal'c stated.

"Hey!" O'Neill said looking at Teal'c sharply.

Ford had to cough a few times to keep from laughing. Even Carter thought it sounded funny and had to bite her lip and look away. She heard some talk around the base that Teal'c had been knocked down several times by Mr. Primus.

"I cannot lie about how things turned out Colonel O'Neill. He has considerable more amount of training in fighting hand to hand than even I."

"He beat you?!" O'Neill said with surprise written all over his face.

"Several times." Teal'c stated. No emotion was on his face at all, as usual.

"How badly?" O'Neill asked looking at Ford.

"When I knocked him down, I either helped him up or asked if he wanted to quit."

"What did you train in anyway?" O'Neill asked Ford.

"Many styles. I'll give you a, better demonstration some time."

"I guess you decided not to show me everything during those two weeks."

"I couldn't show everything I know. Otherwise you'd have broken, objects or dead people."

"Alright then. Ford, you have proven yourself capable of joining the SGC. For now, you'll be teamed with SG-1 until Colonel O'Neill wants to transfer you to another team."

"Thank you sir." Ford said not able to contain his smile.

"You seem a little to happy for joining what could be a suicide mission any time we step through that thing." O'Neill said seeing his smile.

"Being accepted into the SGC is just part of why I'm happy. Being put under your command made it better. I was hoping it would work out this way. Besides that your team has the most fun. Why, if I may ask, did you put me under Colonel O'Neill's charge sir? I have a pretty good idea…"

"If your story about your universe is true son, then keeping you with SG-1 would probably seem more familiar with everything you told us that you shouldn't know about SG-1's missions. Besides that you have more respect for them."

"Understandable sir. Thank you again."

"If there's nothing else." Hammond said looking around the table.

"Yeah, umm...are we going to try those gate coordinates that Ford gave us?" Daniel asked.

"That was the next thing I was about to have Major Carter go try after we leave Doctor Jackson. Have you remembered anything about them yet?"

"No. I'm not sure why it seems important either."

"Can you tell me if this address we are dialing is hostile or not Daniel?" Jack asked.

"Nope." Daniel said dropping his hands on the table like he was lost.

"Okay. Let's go see if that address can be dialed or not Major."

"Yes sir."

"Dismissed."

As everyone got up, Hammond asked Ford if he was serious about paying for the damaged vehicle.

"I only really need probably twenty five million sir. The rest I'll let you take for whatever you feel necessary. I just hope you don't feel like retiring."

"Retire?! With the things I've seen and heard here. That's a long ways off son. Besides, I suggest you keep the money, you may need it later considering that gun of yours and the fact you'll need a home off base soon along with the essentials."

"Good point General."

Down in the gate control room, Sam was starting the process.

"Chevron one locked."

The rest of SG-1 was also there waiting to see if the address would work or not. Hammond was just coming down the stairs as she announced the second Chevron.

"Chevron two locked."

The M.A.L.P. was parked at the bottom of the gate ramp waiting to be sent through.

"Chevron three locked."

Ford was watching with awe as the large ring continued to circle around. O'Neill was standing next to him and Daniel was on his left chewing on a fingernail.

"If you've seen us in action before as you say, why the sudden surprise with the gate?" O'Neill asked.

"Seeing on television is one thing, really seeing it is another Colonel. Besides, everyone I've seen that has seen it for the first time seems to do the same thing. It's just impressive!" he said opening his arms at it.

O'Neill nodded getting what Ford was saying. A lot of people that learned about the gate was impressed with seeing it the first time.

"Chevron four locked."

O'Neill and Ford turned to look at Daniel as he seemed to be mumbling to himself.

"Chevron five locked."

"Daniel?" they said in unison.

"Sorry Colonel." Ford said forgetting where he was for a moment. "Too much time spent talking to the TV."

"Hmm. I do that to the Simpsons a lot. Daniel?"

"Yeah." Daniel said turning to them.

"Chevron six locked."

"Everything okay?" Jack asked.

"Yeah, just fine."

"Chevron seven locked."

"Here it comes." Ford mumbled.

"What comes?" Jack asked.

"Chevron eight…….locked."

All the power systems in the base flickered for a moment and then the familiar whoosh sound made by the gate was heard as it came on.

"It did it." Carter said sounding shocked.

"Was the power failure from the gate Major?" Hammond asked.

"I think the other gate we dialed to was the cause. It must be close enough that we did make establish a wormhole to get there like any other time. It's probably just so far away that the gate needed to pull a little more power than usual sir."

"Wow." was all Ford could say as he watched the ripple effect. He kept staring at it as things went on around him.

"Lieutenant. Send the M.A.L.P. through."

"Yes sir."

Ford was pulled from his gaze as he watched the wheeled vehicle go through. A few minutes later, the mount telemetry came through on the screen.

"I have the visual mount uplink sir." the Lieutenant said.

On the screen showed trees everywhere. Most looked a lot like pine. A couple of trees were on the ground showing signs that the gates ripple effect knocked them over. As the mount panned back and forth they saw only more trees.

"It looks like nothing has been in this section of the forest for years sir. Those trees that got hit by the gate wave look to be at least forty years old or more. From the looks of things this forest stretches for miles. I can't give you much more until we send a team sir." Walter said.

"Have the M.A.L.P. take a quick look around in case there is anything out there Major. SG-1 will go in two hours."

"Yes sir." they all said, but not all at the same time.

"Unless I'm needed at the moment sir, I'd like to go to the armory." Ford said.

Hammond nodded and went back to watching the screen the Major was moving the mount on. O'Neill followed shortly after Ford left.

"Why are you going to the armory so soon?" O'Neil asked him as they continued to walk.

"I wanted to see if you had the necessary parts to make more ammo for my gun. Beside that I always carry it with me and with the things I've seen that's happened here before I'd prefer to keep it with me at all times or at least where I can get at it."

"You do know you can't carry it with you at all times, right?"

"Yes sir. I'm going to put it in my room on the base here so I'd rather it be there in case of an invasion or intruder."

"Makes sense. See you in two hours then." O'Neill said stopping and going another direction.

When Ford got to the armory, he talked with the officer's there and explained what he need for his type of ammo. They said they'd need the General's approval but would check it out. Ford said he'd wait for there answer and was able to get his gun, the rounds, and the extra parts that it came with that he had brought with him.

Two hours later...

SG-1 and its newest member, Ford, were standing at the bottom of the ramp as the gate control room was dialing.

"Chevron six locked."

Ford was carrying all his ammo with him, in clips on his belt and a few extra that were just normal ammo, with his gun behind him as usual, along with all the normal gear that each SG team is set up with. He was also carrying the same rifle each team came with. He wanted a 30 millimeter machine gun, but O'Neill thought he had enough firepower in his handgun to begin with.

"I think a former Goa'uld we dealt with before once was on this planet." Daniel said as the last Chevron went into place.

Major Carter was able to find out how much power the gate needed to activate the new address so when the gate was opened again, power didn't fluctuate the next time. Ford's jaw dropped as the wave burst out as usual.

"Incredible." Ford exclaimed.

"Anyway, what do you mean Daniel?" O'Neill asked.

"Just something I slightly remembered."

"Is there a problem SG-1?" Hammond asked from the control room.

"No sir. Just checking something. Let's go where no man's gone before." O'Neill said with his usual joking stance as he walked through. Ford went next and then the others went all at once.

Ford figured it would be just like in the TV series and it was, too much in fact as he exited the gate. O'Neill was standing at the bottom near the M.A.L.P. and turned around to watch the rest of them come through. Ford was still standing there as the walked down.

"Ford?" O'Neill asked with concern.

"Damn that's cold! Brrrrr. I wasn't ready for it." he said in a low voice. Shaking himself he walked down rubbing his arms. O'Neill just laughed a bit. "I hate the cold."

"You'll get use to it. Carter, Teal'c. Scout around. See if there is any trails or roads, or anything not normally found in a forest."

Carter looked like she was going to say something else, but said "Yes sir."

"What do you want me to do Colonel?" Ford asked.

"Stay with me. If there is anything hostile, I don't need you getting shot or injured with whatever they or it might use. Daniel."

"Yeah." Daniel said coming over from looking at the DHD.

"Notice anything familiar?"

Daniel gave him that look like, oh yeah, right like I would know. "No Jack. I just remembered that there was once a Goa'uld here that we have already encountered, but I don't know which one." he said sarcastically.

"Wish I had something I could tell you Colonel. I don't know why I had the vision of seeing a gate address." Ford said.

Daniel's face changed to what looked like he remembered something but it escaped him just as quickly.

"Sir, we found what's looks to be a trail about 6 meters off to the north." Carter said running up. Teal'c was just behind her.

"Really." O'Neill said, surprised they found something.

"Indeed O'Neill. From the trails look, it has been used recently." Teal'c said.

"Did you see where it went?"

"The path leads off to the east, possibly deeper into the forest. The other direction leads north into what might be a clearing sir." Carter said. "I also found a boot print, but what I found doesn't seem….right."

"Alright. Let's go check it out."

She brought them over to a boot print. A cowboy boot print.

"Right foot, size ten, male, well worn, around six feet tall, maybe 200 pounds. But why would a cowboy boot be here?" Ford said after he knelt down next to it. "It's not very old either."

"How…wait, the cop training." Jack said.

"Yeah." Ford said standing up.

"Interesting. Maybe whoever has this boot will be friendly. Hopefully we can understand them and they won't have that accent." Jack said telling them to move along.

As they walked through the trees and past other old fallen logs, Ford realized something was, different.

"Doctor Jackson..."

"Daniel."

"No problem. Daniel, did you take a sinus tablet or something before we left?"

"No I didn't. Why?"

"Your allergies aren't acting up."

"You're right." Daniel said stopping and taking a deep breath. "Strange."

"I actually think most allergies are from not only the natural air, but a combo between that and man's idiotic pollution problems. But that's my opinion. Hey Colonel." Ford said through his CB unit on his vest.

O'Neill went to grab for his CB unit when he turned around. "I'm right here Ford."

"Sorry. I'm trying to get out of the habit of considering everything a hostile situation until investigated. Calling in reports and orders through this same device became very common even if the officer you needed was right outside. Anyway I found something."

"What is it?" he said as they all walked up.

"I've noticed that there is no moss, no spider webs, and no other forms of anything that would be considered in an Earth forest along those lines."

"So? What did you find?" O'Neill said slightly annoyed.

"This bit of what I think is fox hair." Ford said pointing at a small patch that was hung up on a branch.

"Okay. And this is important why?" O'Neill asked placing his arms across the butt of his PC90.

"I see what you mean Ford. I've noticed no signs of decay like an Earth type forest either. No hair from animals or feathers either. We should have at least seen something like that." Carter said.

"I'm pretty sure it's fox hair. If not, I'd guarantee that I know its canine hair." Ford said.

"And how, pray tell, would you know it's dog hair?" Jack asked.

"On my vacation weeks, I'd go animal watching. It's a lot like hunting, but no shooting involved. I loved to watch wolves and foxes, occasional bear, wasn't into bird or deer. I don't think hunting is a good sport unless you really need the food. Fishing on the other hand I do like."

Jack seemed to smile brightly at Ford's last statement.

"The only thing that's got me curious is how the hair got this high?"

"Could have been the wind." Daniel suggested.

"I thought that too until I noticed the hair was pulled from the animal. This branch brushed against it. See it Major."

She looked closer and noticed Ford was right.

"Maybe it's nothing Colonel. Just the only thing I noticed out of place."

"Well I'm glad to see you were paying attention even if it ended up being nothing. Let's go."

Ford looked at it a moment longer before following.

The air smelled like pine trees and wildflowers, which was strange since no flowers were in sight. It seemed there was more ferns everywhere that any other plant. Ford stopped to look at the ground more closely for a few seconds. "Strange." he said before catching up.

"What is it that seems strange Ford Primus?" Teal'c asked.

Ford almost chuckled at Teal'c saying his name like he does Daniel. "No insects anywhere. Sure I'm glad to see no wasp and hornets for one, especially spiders, but there should be something crawling around."

"Fine with me. I hate insects anyway." O'Neill said. "Especially mosquitoes."

After several more minutes they path ahead looked to go into a clearing as Major Carter said earlier. As they exited the forest, they could see structures out in the distance. O'Neill pulled out his binoculars and whistled as he looked through them.

"Whatever or whoever is out there, is a good forty...no forty six miles away." O'Neill said. "We might make it at first light it we start now..."

Ford interrupted the Colonel when he pulled his handgun, cocked it and pointed it behind them in a quick motion. "We are not alone."