CHAPTER 37
Season eight opener
EPISODE---------NEW ORDER
It was morning at the SGC and Daniel was packing his backpack while looking for something else he needed to take with him. He grabbed a book and set it aside seeing it wasn't what he wanted so he went over to another shelf and saw their new commander in the doorway to his office.
"Dr. Weir."
"Elizabeth." she said.
"Elizabeth. Almost ready. Can't believe we are finally going." he said packing something. "I know I should have been ready a long time ago, but…"
"The talks have stalled again."
"You're kidding me." he said putting his hands on the table. His patience starting to be tested and it was obvious on his face, not to mention attitude.
"It's a complicated situation."
"The Antarctica treaty was established to promote scientific research in the area." he stated.
"With the interest of progress for all mankind." she said entering the room. "Not just the United States, but argue the other eleven nations all claiming shared jurisdiction. Article one states quite clearly, there is to be no establishing of a military base and no testing of any weapons. You saw first hand how powerful the Ancient outpost is."
"So in the meantime Jack just stays in that stasis pod down there? He sacrificed himself to save us, all of us, not just this country." he said with his anger just in check.
"I know. But the scale of Anubis's attack makes covering it up tenuous at best. If we are going to keep the entire world from finding out everything to do with the Stargate, we're going to need the full cooperation of every government that knows what is going on. It's going to take more time."
"And in the meantime we just sit here and do nothing?"
"I'm sorry Doctor Jackson." she said leaving.
"Daniel."
"Daniel." she said then left.
He picked a book up in frustration and felt like tossing it. Instead he put it down and rubbed his head thinking.
Later they were all in the briefing room. Weir was trying to tell them why the gate was not to be used. Ford was sitting on her left with Carter next to him. Teal'c was across from him with Daniel next to Teal'c.
"Why can't we use the gate?" Carter asked.
"It's not that we can't use it. Officially, all normal gate activity will remain suspended just until the agreement for control of the Antarctic site is resolved."
"What does one have to do with the other?" Carter asked.
Damned political idiots. Ford thought.
I agree. Now you know why I never wanted that sort of job. Like you, I preferred the action more than the talking. Herc thought.
"Well we obviously still have full jurisdiction control over the Stargate, but the President feels ultimately how we proceed with operations here at the SGC, will reflect on our international goodwill."
"In other words, it's our political leverage in negotiations." Daniel said.
She nodded. "I would never say that."
"What about Colonel O'Neill?" Carter asked.
"Yes! The most important reason for needing to use the gate." Ford said sitting up straighter.
"Look, I know what he means to the four of you. We all appreciate the sacrifice that Colonel O'Neill made."
"It won't be…"
"The Asguard can help him." Daniel said quickly interrupting Ford. "Last time they were able to erase the Ancient Knowledge from his mind before it killed him."
"We've tried contacting them. What do you suggest that we should do?"
"You're aware how we helped the Asguard trap the Replicators in the time dilation field on the planet Hala?"
"Something to that effect. That was a couple of years ago, right?"
"Basically we know that that trap is only going to hold them for so long. Thor and the Asguard must be monitoring the situation. If we can get there, we should be able to contact them."
"Isn't the planet you are talking about in another galaxy?"
"Othala." Daniel said.
"O'Neill used his knowledge of the Ancients to modify the Goa'uld vessel currently in our possession." Teal'c said.
"According to your and Ford's report Major, that ship is capable of flying faster and farther than anything the Goa'uld have."
"Yes. I think it might just get us there."
"It will. We can go, send out a message, the Asguard come, we come back and save Jack." Ford said.
"You sure you can get back?" she asked the Major.
"That may be a problem. There's a good chance that the trip may burn out the engines."
"Okay now that's the big problem. If you get there and it turns out you can't contact the Asguard…."
"We're willing to take the risk." she said.
"I agree. Besides they will hear us or be there, something to that effect."
"Why do you think that Mr. Primus?"
He closed his eyes a moment and breathed. She only called him that when she was agitated with him.
"Because I just know. It's…..it's….I just know. Trust me."
"I can't believe that. I don't trust you. They know you well enough, but I don't. As admirable as this idea is, I can't let you do it."
"For what reason?" Teal'c asked.
"Colonel O'Neill was able to fend off Anubis's fleet using the weapons from the Ancient outpost. Hopefully that will make the other Goa'uld think twice before attacking Earth in the foreseeable future, but the truth is, we don't know if we will be able to use those weapons again. And if we can't, we are going to need a new tactical advantage over the Goa'uld. At least that is what the Pentagon tells me. The modified cargo ship is to valuable right now."
Carter rolled her eyes during Weir's little speech. Daniel and Teal'c just kept looking at her as she spoke. Daniel did almost look like his patience was running out or frustration building. Ford shook his head very slightly as he closed his eyes.
"I'm sorry, request denied."
She nodded to them and got up leaving. Ford put his elbows on the table and rubbed his face muttering something. Daniel rolled his eyes and head at the stupidity of everything going on.
"What did you say?" Carter asked after standing up.
"Damned bureaucracy. We save the world, and then this. Absolute…" he cut himself off before saying worse things. "Never mind. I don't want to say something I might regret."
"Good idea. She's still mad at what you did to Kinsey." Daniel said.
"I should have just thrown him through anyway. I almost wish I was here when he was fired. I would have loved to see his face, especially after I tossed him out of here personally and literally."
"Colonel O'Neill would have approved." Teal'c said.
Weir was in her office filling out report and other papers when Carter came up to the door later. Ford thought about going with her, but told Sam it probably was not a good idea. He might just make things worse.
"What can I do for you Major?" she asked after Sam knocked on the door frame.
"I want you to reconsider my request." she said standing in the doorway.
"I'm sorry."
"That cargo ship was modified using the knowledge of the Ancients." she said moving to in front of the desk. Weir put down her pen to listen. "Now, there is no guarantee that anyone will ever be able to figure out how it was done."
"And as the most likely person on the planet that would be able to figure it out, are you saying that if I don't even let you attempt to contact the Asguard you won't even try?"
"I would never say that." she said nodding with a smile.
Ford might be able to figure it out since he was there watching the entire time and had better understandings on engine's than she did, but that part of the report was left out on purpose. According to Weir, Carter was the only one that was actually watching what Jack was doing. Truthfully, they had some idea what was done, but they hadn't been able to reproduce it yet under simulations.
"Right now that is the most advanced piece of technology we have."
"And it if weren't for Colonel O'Neill, we wouldn't have that ship. For that matter we wouldn't even be here discussing this."
"We have something we, or I can offer them in return for their help." Ford said from the doorway.
He was leaning against it with his back looking at something in his hand.
"You do? And how long have you been there?" Weir asked.
"Not long. Point being I can give them this." he said holding up one of his bullets.
"One of your bullets?" Weir said incredulously.
"You're right. That would work. Those bullets are made of a material we haven't even managed to recreate. The Asguard could possibly mass produce it and make ships that the Replicators could never damage, take over, or destroy." Carter exclaimed.
Weir looked at her completely lost.
"Ford's ammo is completely indestructible except under extreme forces, none of which we can really produce under any real circumstances on this planet. A black hole would be needed. The Replicators couldn't use it to make more of them selves. Once it has hardened the metal is totally indestructible."
Weir thought a few moments then gave an answer.
"We've got the coordinates from the Prometheus." Carter said talking to Ford and Teal'c. "Now based on the time it took for the modified ship to get from Toanos to Earth, I'm estimating that our trip to Othala will take up to ten days."
"Hey, so ah, how did you talk Weir into letting us go?" Daniel said coming in.
"I didn't." she said then bit her lip. "I talked her into letting us go. You're staying here."
Daniel looked at the three of them.
"Daniel, even with the modifications to the ship, there is no guarantee that it will get us there. And if it does, there's a good chance it will burn out the engines. The ship was never meant to fly at that speed, which means if we don't find the Asguard, we'll be stranded."
"I know."
"We need you here. You're our best chance at deciphering whatever is in that Ancient outpost."
"If we fail, you will be O'Neill's only hope." Teal'c said.
"Okay, I can see that, but how did Ford….wait, let me guess. You forced your way into going."
"Not really. I told her I knew how to fix the engines if they failed, possibly. That and I wouldn't leave Sam's side. All things considered, I think she was glad I was leaving."
"Can you fix the engines?" Daniel asked.
"I can't fix broken crystals, but maybe I can rig up something. I have a somewhat basic idea of what Jack did. Between me and Sam we could build one of those ships from the ground up. Engines just come naturally to me anyway. If the crystals are not all damaged by the time we get there, we can do something."
It only took about a day but they got the ship loaded and were off on the trip. Teal'c did most of the piloting. Carter and Ford were able to talk a lot when they were looking at the engines. Ford didn't have much of a clue as to how Jack really did it now that they were looking it over better. It was getting beyond him quickly, mostly cause of color trouble. They all talked a lot seeing as there was three of them instead of it just being Carter and Teal'c. They even played poker one night. Seeing as Teal'c and Ford had the perfect poker faces, Carter lost many times. They played with a point system seeing as they had no chips and no money. One of the conversations that Ford and Carter had though was interesting.
"If it was just us, if Teal'c hadn't come….."
Oh no.
Ah, I was wondering when this would come up. Hercules thought with interest.
Get your mind elsewhere. And out of my pants.
Their my pants too. The longest I ever went without was a month, you've broken that record, which I can understand and respect, but she's ready. Herc thought back with a few fond memories.
Shut up. And keep those memories to yourself.
"What do you think we would be doing?" she asked looking at him..
He dropped one of the crystals he was looking at. Luckily it landed on the small cloth pad on the floor.
"Caught you off guard with that one?"
"No kidding."
"Sorry, but seriously."
"Ah, I'm….I'm not sure really." he said nervously. "I….never thought about it."
"Really? I wondered about it and almost thought about telling Teal'c to stay, but Weir said she wanted him to go."
"I think I know why. I wouldn't have minded it being just us. Ah…"
"Nervous?"
"A little. This is the closets I've ever worked with a woman. Longest relationship I've ever had and certainly the most interesting time too. Ah….." he said blowing out a breath of held in air after thinking. "Part of me wonders if any work would get done if we were alone."
"Still nervous then?"
"Somewhat. If we were alone…I'd might be more nervous or I wouldn't be anymore by the time we got back."
"Hard to say huh? Have you even thought more about that time I asked you in?"
You have no idea how much I've thought about it. Herc thought.
Don't, go there.
"I have, some…..ah…..if we were alone, maybe."
"I can wait still. You're special, like no one else. I don't want to push you away."
"That's my line Sam. You're the special one."
"How about we compromise and say we are both special." she said interlacing her fingers with his.
"I can live with that." he said as they kissed a moment then got back to work. "I can say this, when we get back and save Jack, at least he won't say anything seeing as there was three on us on this ship instead of just the two of us."
"If it was just us, he won't let up. Ten days, if it was just us. We could turn up the heat and not wear…"
She laughed as he had to get up to, walk around a bit.
"I knew there was a small sliver of evil somewhere in there. You're enjoying this way to much." he muttered as she kept laughing at his, predicament.
"I was kidding about what I said, but it got the effect I wanted." she said laughing again.
Dr. Weir was in her office filling out more paper work when Daniel came up and knocked on the door. She looked up at him.
"Daniel."
"Elizabeth. I was just wondering if you heard anything." he said walking in with his hands in his pockets.
"They're still bogged down." she said laying a paper aside.
"It's been over a week."
"What did you expect, champagne, toast, quick round of handshakes, that sort of deal?"
"We were attacked by a space armada of alien ships, if that doesn't get us past our distrust for each other, what will?" he said crossing his arms with a fake smile.
"You forget, that those alien ships were destroyed by a single weapon. I mean that kind of power can give anyone a cause for concern."
"Yeah, not that I want this to come up as a attempt to get rid of you, but…ah, isn't this sort of international negotiation your sort of area of expertise?"
She sat back starting to think when the alarms went off.
"Unauthorized off world activation!!!!!"
They left quickly going to the control room. Weir came down the stairs first and was informed quickly of what was happening.
"We're receiving a signal, it's a text message."
"That's Goa'uld." Daniel said seeing the message.
"What does it say?" Weir asked.
"It's from one of the System Lords. Camulus, Celtic god of war."
"I'm not familiar with him." Weir said crossing her arms.
"We've never had any contact with him before." Daniel said with a worried look. "Wow."
"Yeah, of course. Wow." she said telling him by her look that she had no idea what it said.
"Sorry, its says he wants to arrange a meeting for the purposes of negotiating a treaty."
"A Goa'uld wants to negotiate a treaty with us?"
"Not just one Goa'uld, all of them. The System Lords. They want to send representatives here."
Teal'c called them both forward telling them that they were preparing to emerge from hyperspace. He put an optical piece over his right eye then touched the flight controls again as Ford grabbed his coat putting it on as Carter sat opposite of Teal'c.
"As soon as we drop out I will start broadcasting a signal. If the Asguard are monitoring the region, they should hear us."
"You know, I just realized that all I really have seen is, well, I saw you all when you were here at this planet, but personally I have never seen a Replicator."
Carter looked up cocking her head thinking.
"You are right Ford Primus."
"I don't know whether to say consider yourself lucky or not, since you like robotics."
"Well, I have wanted to see them….."
They came out of hyperspace, but nothing was there.
"But not if they want to…...something is missing."
"Should we not be able to see the planet?" Teal'c asked touching a part on the optical attachment.
"Yes." Carter said nervously as she looked at a console.
The ship rattled suddenly making them grab hold instinctively.
"What was that Sam?" Ford asked.
"We are experiencing the effects of a extremely gravitational force." Teal'c said.
"Something's not right. Teal'c turn us around and get us out of here now." Sam said.
"The hyperspace generator will not engage. Sublight engines are at maximum yet we are not moving." he said touching a few buttons.
"There's only one thing I know of that could create this kind of gravitational field."
"You've got to be kidding." Ford said seeing the small picture of what was behind them on the screen.
Outside, well behind the ship, a very large black hole was sucking everything it could in.
"Talk about luck." he muttered.
At the briefing table Dr. Weir was looking over a paper drawn up with the message from the Goa'uld.
"Are you sure this is the accurate translation of the message?"
Daniel was standing at the window looking out with his arms crossed. He walked over to the table responding.
"Pretty much."
"What do you make of it?"
"Well, to be honest, I'm not sure what to think."
"The Goa'uld did come here once to negotiate a treaty."
"Yeah, but with the Asguard, not with us." he said putting his arms on the back of the chair. "Earth just served as neutral territory. For them to want to meet with us is extremely unusual."
She
nodded. "Maybe we gained a bit of respect in their eyes."
"Yeah,
they must have heard about what we did to Anubis. They couldn't
defeat him with all their combine forces and we did it in a single
day."
"Which may explain why they want to come here."
"Yeah, to see how we did it."
Carter and Ford looked the engines over seeing they were not functioning again with new crystals and a few other things. They came back forward with Carter explaining the situation.
"It's pretty much what we expected. We burned out the hyper drive getting here."
"That is most unfortunate." he said removing the eye head set.
"Even if it was working, it would have been very dangerous to open a window this close to the event horizon of a black hole."
"Are we that far off course?" Teal'c asked.
"No. We came out of hyperspace exactly where we were suppose to. But this doesn't make any sense. Hala's sun wasn't nearly massive enough to collapse into a black hole."
"Yet that appears to be what is happening." Teal'c stated.
"What do we do?" Ford said crossing his arms. "Divert what power from everything but life support to get away?"
"That might work, it might not. Better to try though. Come on."
Dr. Weir was on the phone in her office talking to the President explaining what she had just learned.
"The President has authorized me to pursue negotiations with the Goa'uld." she said coming out of her office. Daniel was sitting at the table looking over a few sheets of paper.
"Okay." he said mildly without really paying attention. He was concentrating more on the papers while twirling a pen.
"You don't think I can handle it?" she said almost sounding nervous.
"I didn't say that, but if I may, you don't sound all that confident." he said paying attention.
"Well as you have said, I have brokered my share of international negotiations. This will just be my first intergalactical one."
"The System Lords cannot be trusted either as a group or individuals. Their posturing egomaniacs, driven by an insatiable lust for power, each one capable of unimaginable evil."
"See? What should I be nervous? Sounds like an average day at the United Nations." she said sitting on the table.
Daniel smiled nodding, then went back to his paper work.
"Look, I'm not afraid to admit when I need help. So what can you tell me?"
He tossed his papers onto the table and put the top back on his pen.
"The High Counsel of the System Lords is a rather flimsy coalition of the most powerful Goa'ulds in the galaxy, who only cooperate when it suits them. Their numbers vary from time to time, new ones rise up, old ones knocked off. We think there is about a dozen right now. I can put together a summary of what we know."
"Alright. I can't just assume to open the Iris and let the representatives walk through?"
"No. That would probably be a bad idea. We should get them to meet us at a neutral location, preferably a planet of our choosing. Send a team, check them out to make sure they are unarmed, and then escort them back here."
"Good. Send the message." she said approving the idea.
She left and Daniel got up to do it, not really wanting to be the one to do it.
The cargo ship was starting to lose its foothold at staying away from the black hole as it was slowly being sucked in.
"We are now being pulled backwards! Perhaps if we divert power from the shields…"
"Right now they are the only thing holding the ship together." Carter said working on a open conduit.
"We shut those down, this thing will be crushed like a tin can." Ford said helping Carter move or examine crystals.
They we not getting anywhere really. The hyper drive system was completely fried and power couldn't be diverted from it.
"We should have brought a naquada generator with us."
"That would help." she said.
"I do not believe we have any other choice!!"
Carter looked at Ford.
"It's
our only option. There's nothing else I can think of."
"Me
neither." she said moving over to an open panel and pulled a
crystal out.
"Diverting power." she said.
The engines accelerated with the power increase, audibly.
"We are moving forward." Teal'c said.
They both came running forward.
"It's not going to be enough. We are losing hull integrity."
They all looked around hearing a loud creak. A area in the back section split and smoke spewed out.
"Hull breach!!!!" Ford yelled.
Teal'c got out of his chair moving over to them as the back started ripping off. Ford grabbed them both into a tight embrace not letting go. The whole ship ripped apart as a bright beam of light surrounded them. The ship was torn apart quickly by the tremendous forces. Ford let go slowly when he didn't feel the coldness of space and seeing they were not spinning through it either.
"Greetings."
"Thor." Carter said in surprise at seeing him.
"Impeccable timing! Bless you Thor." Ford said bowing.
Thor slowly turned his station to them and nodded.
"It is good to see you again Major Carter, Teal'c, Ford."
"Likewise." she said walking over to him.
"I see you got all our stuff too. Thanks." Ford said.
Carter gave him a brief reason for their visit.
Weir came into Daniel's office seeing him sitting at a small table.
"So the Goa'uld have agreed to our terms to travel here?" she said walking over. She pulled up a chair as he spoke handing over some papers.
"Yeah. I was just going over some of the research material the delegates are sending. Camulus was the one who sent the original message. Then there's Amaterasu, Japanese sun goddess, and the last one is Lord Yu." he said handing the papers over as he named off the Goa'uld's.
"Yu?"
"Don't. Every joke, every pun, done to death. Seriously." he said shaking his head.
"I just remember reading he's not himself or something. Of course, for a Goa'uld, I don't know what that means exactly." she said looking at the papers. "Please continue."
"Well, he no longer has the ability to take on a new host and it seems the regenerative powers of the sarcophagus are losing their effectiveness for him. Basically he's suffering from old age."
"He's senile. Why are, would they choose him as a representative?"
"Well, his underlings may be doing a good job of covering for him."
"The other System Lords don't know." she said nodding in understanding.
"The interesting thing is that Lord Yu was the one System Lord who opposed Anubis's desire to be reinstatement into the High Counsel after his banishment."
She looked at him not understanding.
"Long story. The point is he fell out of favor when the other System Lords accepted Anubis back and he used his power to become a De Facto leader."
"So you think that now that Anubis is gone, the power of balance has shifted back to Lord Yu?"
"On the bright side, out of all the Goa'uld, Lord Yu has been the most cooperative in the past."
"I thought you said that none of them could be trusted?"
"Oh they can't, especially not a crazy one."
"That's the bright side?"
"More of a slightly less dark side." he said with a waving hand.
"I am afraid I cannot leave this sector Major. Not at the moment." Thor said.
"Thor. You're the only one who can save Colonel O'Neill."
"As you have said, he is being preserved in stasis at the moment. I will be glad to return with you to Earth as soon as my mission is done here."
"Mission? What mission you on?" Ford asked.
"I must wait here until I am certain the Replicators have been destroyed. You may have noticed that Hala's sun has collapsed into a black hole."
"Oh yeah. We almost had front row seats, personally." Ford said.
"I'm sorry I did not reach you sooner. I did not expect to see you."
"Yeah, you have not been responding to our attempts to contact you." Carter said.
"I am sorry. Time space distortions from the black hole have interfered with my ships long range communication."
"Makes sense." Ford said looking through his pockets.
"Understandable." Carter said.
"Indeed….for some." Teal'c said earning a smile from Carter.
"The time dilation was only a temporary measure. We knew that the time it would take for the human Replicator machines to get to the machine would translate to less than two years outside the field. Therefore a more permanent solution was devised."
"So you collapsed the sun?" Carter asked.
"By artificially increasing its gravitational field, yes."
"That's, pretty cool." Carter said admiring the idea.
"That's the first time I've heard you say that word." Ford said. "I have to agree with you Thor. That is a great idea."
Thor turned the station back to the way it was facing before picking them up.
"As you
can see, the planet has broken apart, however, a large number of
Replicators have come together in a coherent mass that has yet to
pass into the event horizon." he said showing them the screen
filled with data of what was happening as well as the picture.
"Even
if they can withstand the gravitational force without being torn
apart, there's no way they could ever…" Carter was saying.
"Interesting." Thor said interrupting her.
"They're escaping aren't they?" Ford said sounding dejected.
"Yes. The mass of Replicator blocks have begun moving away from the event horizon."
"We better load up." Ford said opening the box of PC-90's.
"I do not understand Ford Primus?" Teal'c said.
"They just lost their planet and seeing as this ship has lots of parts to rebuild themselves, I'd say they are going for this ship." he said loading two of them.
"How is it possible for them to leave?"
"They have the time dilation device." Thor said answering Carter's question. "They seemed to have used it to counteract the effects of the gravitational forces that should be pulling them in."
"Frightening. Not only that they can do that, but that you don't know how." she said.
"Agreed." Thor said.
"They are picking up speed. Scans indicate that they are forming together."
"Into what?" Teal'c asked holding a shotgun.
"A ship. They are escaping." Thor said. "Their course indicates they are headed this way."
"Sam, catch." Ford said tossing one over. She caught it and gave it a quick check as he grabbed another. "Good time to fire those engines up and get us out of here Thor."
Weir was at the bottom of the gate as it dialed. The Iris was closed and Daniel hadn't showed up yet. She rubbed her hands together nervously. There was a lot of soldiers in the room with their weapons ready in case.
"I thought you were going to stand me up?" she said as he walked through the door.
"Yeah, sorry." he said buttoning his sleeves. "Heard anything for the rest of my team?"
"No." she said as the gate engaged.
"I'm getting a signal ma'am. SG-7 reports that we have a green light." she heard from inside the control room.
"Open the Iris."
With the familiar grinding of metal the large twirled seal over the gate turned and opened up showing off the spectacular blue horizon. A Japanese woman in a long dress, a man in what looked to be old possibly Roman looking clothes, he had a cape and skirt. Lord Yu with his personal assistant and body guard came through last.
"Welcome to Earth. Allow me to introduce…"
"We are not here to know your names." Camulus said.
"Really, I generally find that it helps so much…" Weir started saying again.
"We prefer to present our offer, so we can spend as brief a time as possible on this planet." the Japanese lady said.
Weir looked over a Daniel then back at them.
"Right this way."
They walked off the ramp heading toward the door that would lead to the briefing room while the SG team behind them went the other direction.
"Have you ever seen anything like it?" Carter asked as the Thor had his ship slowly moving away from them.
The Replicator ship was shaped a lot like a comet. Big head with trailing streams. But these streams where attached parts, all Replicator. It had glowing blue sections too. A large long but somewhat thin section came out of the back spinning. It spinned all the way through to the ship. The front of the ship's middle spinned as well.
"No. And it is doubtful that my ships weapons will be effective against it."
"Can you jump into hyperspace?"
"We must clear the distortion field of the black hole first."
The Replicator ship fired a long spike out of its front section at them.
"They have fired upon us." Thor said.
"Can you evade?"
"No Mr. Primus."
"Can they penetrate your shields?" Carter asked.
"It is more than likely."
They watched on the screen as a small yellow spike came closer to the aft right section of the ship.
"Brace for impact." Thor said.
The ship shook, but barely. An alarm went off.
"The ship has been breached."
"Where?" Carter asked.
He zoomed in on the damaged section and it flashed on screen where the diagram of the ship showed a breach.
"The damage was minimal. The projectile was most likely composed of Replicators. They are not visible to my ships scanners. This is how they have boarded in the past."
"Can you use the shields to prevent decompression in those sections?" she asked.
"Yes."
"Let's go then. Lead the way Sam." Ford said.
In the briefing room, the delegates were seated at the table talking to Daniel and Weir. A couple of guards stood nearby in case the Goa'uld tried anything. Weir sat at the head of the table, of course. Daniel on her right with the Japanese Goa'uld lady next to him while Camulus, then Lord Yu were on her left. Lord Yu's servant stood off behind him.
"Your unexpected defeat of Anubis, has created an unstable situation among the System Lords." Camulus said. "In order to avoid a war, we came to an agreement to divide his armies and territories openly."
"How civilized of you." Daniel said sarcastically.
"Yes." Camulus said. "Unfortunately one among us has broken that agreement."
"No, no, no. Don't tell me, let me guess." Daniel said.
"Ba'al." he and the Japanese lady said.
"He was able to learn the location of the planet where Anubis was creating his Kull warriors." Camulus said.
"Ba'al got there before you did and found out a way to program the soldiers serve him." Daniel stated.
"With those Orak at his command, Ba'al has tipped the balance of power in his favor." she said.
"Orak?" Weir asked looking at Daniel.
"Unspeakable." Daniel translated for her. She nodded then looked back at Camulus.
"In battle, the Kull warriors are far superior to the Jaffa. Already, many among us have began to speak of capitulation, much as they did with Anubis. If that happens, Ba'al will indeed be unstoppable."
"This is all very interesting I'm sure. But I fail to see what it has to do with us." Weir said leaning onto the table with her elbows.
Lord Yu signaled for his aid to come over and he spoke into his ear. He stood up after a moment then spoke.
"My master wishes to say, that it is well known that the Tauri have possession of a powerful new weapon, something far beyond their current level of technology."
"Yes, we used it to kill Anubis and destroy his whole fleet." Daniel said proudly.
"By means of this weapon. Ba'al can be stopped from conquering the galaxy." the aid said.
Walking through Thor's ship, Carter glanced over seeing Ford was carrying two PC-90's. She asked him a question while still being on guard as they kept walking.
"I thought you couldn't hit anything with those?"
"No. I can use pretty much any weapon. I don't like machine or rapid firing guns on the small scale. Seeing as I have to shoot a small insect like robotic creature, I won't have trouble with these and they will work better than my pistols. I also won't put a bullet through the hull this way."
"If you say so. You've proven your marksmen skill in more ways than one. I won't doubt it now."
They walked into a room with aluminum like gold panels inset into sections of the wall. They could hear the movements of the Replicators in the walls but couldn't see them.
"They are in the walls." Ford said.
Teal'c turned looking back the way they came while Carter moved on past the wall going around it. Ford looked around more still moving forward.
"That is very annoying." he said hearing the rattling they made in the walls. "Wait a minute. Sam where are you?"
"I'm over here." she said still looking around.
He jogged over quickly passing the wall and saw her walking away from him, not purposely.
"Sam, you see anything….." he was saying when he noticed a Replicator on the floor behind her.
He started bringing the guns up and yelling to her to get down when she vanished. Teal'c came up behind Ford and blasted the Replicator.
"Thor!!! Carter just went missing down here!!!! She was beamed away, did you do it?!!!"
"No I did not. The Replicators must have her."
"Get after them then!!!! Maximum speed!!" Ford yelled turning to the sounds behind him.
Teal'c turned with him firing his shotgun.
The Replicator ship powered up and took off past the Asguard ship and entered into hyperspace. Ford and Teal'c came back onto the bridge moments later. Ford tossed the PC-90's aside seeing as he spent the ammo in the clips.
"We have eliminated all the Replicators we could locate." Teal'c said.
"You got this ship moving yet?" Ford asked.
"Yes. The Replicator ship has moved into hyperspace. Unfortunately we have no way of knowing if there are any Replicators left on board." he said moving the pearl colored half egg shaped object across his console.
"If
Ba'al defeats us, how long do you think it will be before he turns
his attention to you?" Camulus asked.
"If he does, he will
suffer the same fate as Anubis." Weir said sitting back in her
chair.
"There are other worlds in this galaxy, without the luxury of such advanced defenses." the Japanese lady said.
"What are you taking about?" Daniel said looking at her.
"We could not help but notice that the Asguard did not come to your aid when Anubis attacked your planet." she said. "We have heard nothing from the Asguard for quite some time now."
"Really. That's odd cause we talk to them all the time." Daniel said smiling.
"The Asguard didn't come because they knew it wasn't necessary." Weir said.
"Ba'al believes otherwise." she said. "He is convinced that the Asguard can no longer exercise power in this part of the galaxy. He plans to take the planets protected under the Goa'uld Asguard treaty for himself."
"If you do not help us stop him, millions of humans will die…and millions more will be enslaved." Camulus said.
On Thor's screen, it showed his ship just behind the Replicator ship in hyperspace.
"Do you know its destination?" Teal'c asked loading the shotgun.
Ford was watching the screen in silent but very visible anger, clenching and unclenching his fist.
"Before you destroyed them, the Replicators were able to access the ships computer. They learned the location of Orilla, the planet where we are attempting to rebuild the Asguard civilization. I assumed it would be their first target."
"What is your reasoning?"
"Orilla is rich in Neutronium, which is a key element in Asguard technology. It is also essential in the creation of human form Replicators."
"Won't matter how much they get. They kill Sam, I will personally hunt them down and destroyed ever single block I find until the end of time if need be. Which reminds me." he said taking something from his pocket.
"This is what the Tauri call a bullet." Thor said seeing the small object placed on his console.
"Scan it. You'll find it is very different from any other metal you have ever came across. It's my gift to the Asguard in the fight with the Replicators. Something they can never destroy, that is if you can create the stuff."
Thor set a program to scan the unknown material after he had it beamed to another location.
Carter didn't have her weapon, or anything other than the clothes on her as she walked around the small room. It had nowhere to go to. Light panels were on the wall that kept the room lit. Three small sections on either side with small slanted sections underneath. She walked around touching the wall and lights as she looked. It definitely was a Replicator room by the way the bricks looked. She touched the wall then jumped back as part of it became liquid forming into a man. A very familiar man, one she hadn't seen for over two years.
"Major Carter." he said.
He had black curly hair and was a few inches taller than her. He wore a gray charcoal outfit that seemed to fit like a suit, but was not one.
"Fifth." she said with fear as she backed up. Great timing. Ford's not here and I really could use him.
"I imagine you never expected to see me again." he said in anger.
"Look, I'm sorry we left you behind, but we had to do it." she said still backing up. "We couldn't risk the others getting out. You know what they are capable of."
He kept moving forward looking at her.
"I know you must be upset."
"Upset?"
"We betray you. It must have hurt. See that's the part of you that's most like us…" she said when she noticed she ran out of wall. "The human part of you. I understand how you feel."
"No, you don't." he said very angrily. "You couldn't, but I promise, you will."
He brought his hand up slowly. Carter saw it and grabbed it trying to keep him away but he pushed his hand into her head making her scream. The last thing she thought of was wishing Ford was there to help her.
In the briefing room they were on a break. Some food was set out for the Goa'uld guest. Lord Yu's assistant didn't seem to mind it but Lord Yu spit it out on the floor then looked at the guard with distaste. The guard did nothing, not even looked at him. Camulus just looked out the window. The other Goa'uld, the Japanese lady sat and ate, doing little else.
"How many planets are protected under this treaty?" Weir asked Daniel.
They were in her office talking privately. He was sitting in the chair in front of her desk.
"Twenty six." he said rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Twenty seven if you include Earth."
"And what good is it if the Asguard are not actually available to protect anything."
"At one time they were, more recently its been trading on a threat, kinda like a big bluff."
"Well Ba'al is about to call the bluff."
"Unfortunately there is nothing we can do about that. Earth is safe as long as the Goa'uld think we can defend ourselves."
"But that's a bluff too."
"Yeah, more or less." he said smiling falsely.
She sighed then told Daniel a story.
"When I was a kid, my dad used to have these weekly poker games. All I remember is the smoke making my eyes water. I'm starting to wish I paid more attention." she said crossing her arms.
"I'm sure that you've misrepresented the truth in other negotiations."
"No, actually my job has always been to get people to recognize the truth." she said sitting in her chair.
"Well, if they even get a hint to the fact that we can't use the Ancient weapon to defend ourselves. Trust me, this game, is over." he said sounding like he was stating a fact.
She nodded.
"Too dramatic?"
"At this point, not for me."
Thor's
ship kept following through hyperspace, slowly gaining on the
Replicator ship.
"How can we stop them?" Teal'c asked
placing his shotgun on the console.
"My
ships weapons will not function in hyperspace, much like the shields.
However in close proximity, the self destruct may be sufficient to
eliminate both ships." Thor said. Teal'c stood up more
straightly with that statement. Ford didn't move, just kept
looking at the screen.
"I am sorry, but we have no choice. If
the human form Replicators reach Orilla, they will have the resources
to replicate many thousands of times. I cannot allow that to
happen."
"So be it." Teal'c said.
"I hate the idea. But Sam would agree to the plan as would Daniel or Jack if they were here and any one of us was over there." Ford said. "Before you blow us up though, send what data you can to your home planet or whatever ship you can raise and give them the data on what I gave you."
"Agreed." Thor said.
Carter's memories flashed through her head and through Fifth's head as he looked through them. He pulled back leaving Carter grabbing her forehead and breathing hard. She was not standing anymore but sitting on the floor.
"Why are you doing this?" she said in pain. She was holding her head with one hand while holding herself up off the floor with the other.
"You think you deserve better?" he said contemptuously.
"You can see my thoughts. You know I didn't want to do it." she said sitting up.
He looked at her then turned away.
"I suppose in a way, I should thank you. Because of what you did to me, I came to realize my full potential." he said turning back around at the end of the small room. "I am more human that the others. At first I thought it was a weakness. But now I see, it makes me capable of so much more."
"Fifth please…" she said exhaustedly and pleadingly.
"My brother's and sisters will devour entire civilizations to replicate…but they will know nothing of cruelty, or betrayal, or revenge. Not like us." he said moving toward her again. "Isn't that right…Major Carter."
"No. No." she cried as he put his hand back into her head.
"We appreciate you bringing us this information, but it doesn't change the fact that we can't get involved in any internal Goa'uld disputes, and if Ba'al tried to attack any of the protected planets, he'll suffer the consequences." Weir said. The break was over and they were talking again.
"Unfortunately we do not share you faith in the Asguard." Camulus said. "We must stop Ba'al before it comes to that."
"You'll forgive my bluntness, but that it not our problem." Weir said.
Lord Yu slammed his hand down on the table getting everyone's attention. The guards only moved slightly, hands closer to their weapons.
"Enough!!! With each passing moment, Anubis grows more powerful." Yu said.
Everyone looked at him and then around the table some.
"You mean Ba'al." Daniel said.
"My master is fatigued, we request a short adjournment…" Yu's aid began to say.
"Silence!!! I need no adjournment." he said. The aid bowed and backed off.
Everyone said nothing for a moment, then Camulus after looking a Yu briefly spoke.
"We know you have a new formidable defensive weapon, you must wait for your enemies to come to you. And that can be dangerous. What if an enemy were able to devise a means for defeating this weapon?"
"What exactly are you offering?" Weir asked.
"Hyperdrive engines." he said.
"We know you have battleships that are not capable of interstellar travel." the Japanese lady said.
"We are offering you the means to built a fleet of ships as advanced as Goa'uld Hatak vessels." he said and then leaned forward as he spoke. "You could take the fight to the enemy."
"We are almost within range." Thor said. His ship was getting closer by the minute.
"Well Teal'c, if this truly is the end, it was an honor to serve with you." Ford said holding out his hand. Teal'c took it in the Jaffa embrace.
"Indeed it was."
The ships got closer and closer, almost to the touching point.
"Now." Thor said when suddenly the room went dark a moment as power seemed to fail.
"We are slowing down."
They looked at he screen seeing the Replicator ship moving ahead fast.
"Something is interfering with the controls. Something outside the auxiliary control console outside the engine room." Thor said.
Teal'c went to grab his shotgun when Ford stopped him.
"I got it Teal'c. Wait here please."
Teal'c nodded and Ford ran off.
"Your offer is very generous, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline." Weir said surprising the guest.
"You would be able to hold to protective planets treaty, with or without aid of the Asguard." Camulus said.
"How many hyperdrives are you willing to give us?" Daniel asked.
"How many ships can you build?" the Japanese lady asked.
"The real question is how many ships do you have?" Daniel said. "If we are to enforce this treaty ourselves, we need to build enough ships to match any fleet that would opposes us."
"We are not at liberty to disclose such information." Camulus said.
"Well then this discussion is over." Weir said.
"How can you blithely reject such an offer?" the Japanese lady asked.
"Because we are not about to fight your battles for you. How is a couple of hyperdrive engines going to do us any good in the long run? Besides, we already have that technology at our disposal."
"You have viable hyperdrive technology?" Camulus asked surprised.
"Yes we do. And with the help of the Asguard, we are in the process of implementing it right now. So thank you very much." she said standing up.
"This Ancient weapon, such an advanced piece of technology, the power requirements must be enormous." the Japanese lady said. "Even simple maintenance must be extremely difficult, given you limited capabilities."
Weir sat back down. "We manage."
"Of course, we believe you, what if Ba'al was to receive information that the Ancient weapon was, temporarily out of commission." she said.
"Hmmm. He would come to this world to claim it for himself." Camulus said. "The Tauri would be forced to destroy him."
"And we would have to give them, nothing." she said.
"Oh come on. Ba'al would never fall for that. He knows how desperate you are. I think he might find this information a little bit convenient." Daniel said not really believing himself.
"Perhaps, but you leave us few options." Camulus said.
"Okay, we'll do it." Weir said.
"We will?" Daniel said sounding unconvinced.
"In exchange we want Ba'als territory.
"What do you mean?" Camulus said with a chuckle.
"That's the way it works right? When one System Lord kills another, he takes over his armies, his planet's, his fleets. That's what we want. Everything in Ba'als possession."
Camulus looked at her surprised at the notion.
"You cannot be serious." the Japanese lady said.
"If we are going to destroy Ba'al for you. Why should we settle for anything less." Weir said with seriousness.
"Preposterous." Yu said.
"We cannot except those terms." Camulus said.
"Take it or leave it." she said. She was dead serious.
"We must send a message to the other System Lords. To advise them of our current situation."
"Go ahead." she said getting out of her chair.
Ford walked into the room seeing one Replicator on a console. He walked in quickly and it turned. With his gloves on he reached out grabbing it and treated it like a rubix cube he wanted to destroy. It was dead very quickly as the small parts fell to the ground. He looked around seeing if there was any more and seeing none he headed back the bridge still grinding away. It was helping him vent.
"Got it Thor." he said. "I'm coming back up."
"Unfortunately the Replicators are now beyond our reach. We cannot stop them from reaching the new Asguard home world." Thor said.
"I guess you did learn something from your father's poker games." Daniel said sitting in her office again. The door was closed.
"Always bet big when bluffing." she said walking behind her desk.
"I just didn't know you wanted to become a System Lord."
"I just tried to say something to keep them talking. They are probably going to draw Ba'al here no matter what we say." she said leaning on the desk with both hands.
"Well, we can be pretty sure they are not going to agree to our terms."
"I know." she said sitting down. "We may have to revive Colonel O'Neill."
"What?" Daniel said sitting up straighter. This really got his attention.
"If they suspect we are bluffing, they will come and take the weapon for themselves. If they don't, they will trick Ba'al into coming. Either way, we may end up having to use that weapon again to defend this planet."
"We don't even know if there is enough power to fire another shot."
"I know."
"If you try to revive Jack without the Asguard standing by it will kill him. In fact he will probably die before he can do anything to help us."
"Dr. Weir. Here's a copy of the message sent back to the System Lords. It's coded." a guy said coming in and giving the data disk to her. He left after handing it over.
"We need to know what they are thinking." she said handing it to Daniel. He took it almost forcefully and walked out.
Ford came back onto the bridge brushing off his gloves. He pretty much left a dusty trail from that console to the bridge. Teal'c raised an eyebrow seeing a couple of broken blocks fall from his hands and he grind them into the floor.
"I have sent a advanced warning to Orilla. By providing them with the Replicator ships course and speed they should have an approximate location as to where and when it will drop out of hyperspace. What ships we have available, will be waiting in ambush."
"You believe that the Asguard vessels can destroy the Replicators before they can raise their shields." Teal'c said.
"They will only be defenseless for a few moments, but if my calculations are accurate, that should be sufficient."
More memories flashed through her head and into Fifth's as he kept messing in her mind. He pulled his hand out of her head making her drop to the floor in the middle of the room. She cried not only in pain, but fear and being invaded.
"Stop it please." she cried rolling onto her back and grabbing her head as he walked around her talking.
"Why should I?" he said with anger.
"You can't change what happened. Does this make you feel better? I never intended to abandon you." she said getting up. She only could get to kneeling on her knees though.
"But you did. You gained my trust then you used me and left me behind."
"It wasn't my decision." she said trying to get him to understand.
"You could have come back for me."
"There was no time." she shouted.
"Time? Thanks to what you did I had plenty of time, to think about what a fool I was."
"Fifth
I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what we did to you." she said
breaking up.
"Yes…." he said getting on his knees. "You
are now."
"Part of being human is having compassion. Learning to forgive." she said crying.
"Yes. I'm not there yet. I need more time." he said bringing his hand up.
She jerked as he moved closer. That was it for her. Her breaking point was reached. She silently wished Ford was here to save her as she cried out softly and broke down into tears. He stopped and put his hand on the side of her head as she kept crying. He started feeling sorry for her.
Daniel was in his office finishing the translation when Weir walked in.
"Progress?"
"Yeah, it basically confirms what we suspected. They think we are bluffing, but they have no way to confirm their suspicions, so they are not sure what to do."
"They could still try and draw Ba'al here. Let him figure it out for them."
"Yeah, that's dangerous for them, because if we can't power the weapon.."
"Which we can't."
"Ba'al will ended up with Earth and the Ancient weapon in his possession."
The alarms went off announcing an off world activation. She went over to the phone and got hold of upstairs.
"This is Weir, what's happening. Okay, we'll be right down." she said hanging it up. "Our guest just got a response."
They both left going to the control room.
They were waiting, since they could do little else when the screen came on with another Asguard showing.
"Commander Thor. This of the Aegir of the Valhalla. We have assumed defensive positions and are awaiting the target ship."
"Understood."
The Replicator ship came out of hyperspace above the Asguard planet. Several other Asguard ships were above it and they all opened fire. It took about ten hits then blew up in a blue explosion.
"The enemy ship has been destroyed." Aegir informed Thor.
"I am sorry Teal'c. Ford." Thor said.
Ford reached out behind him grabbing the console but failed to keep a grip as he slid to the floor.
"Mr. Primus?" Teal'c said moving to help him.
"I'm fine. I'm…..just…..let me be." he said with his voice breaking up. "Son of a…"
He was taking deep breaths as he tried to keep from bawling. Teal'c could see tears falling as Ford fought for control.
I lost her. I never had the chance to tell her how much I truly cared, and I lost her.
I am sorry Ford. I know how this feels. For what it is worth, she knew and you did tell her on many occasions.
I wanted to ask her……Wait…something……is not right…wait!
Ford stood up quickly startling them both.
"Wait!!! Sam is alive! She has to be. The Replicators would know that you could send a message ahead before they got to your planet. They would have planned for this. If there are Replicators on the planet, she is there with them. I bet my life on it!"
"That is a possibility." Thor said as Ford was wiping his eyes and muttering something he didn't hear.
Daniel rushed into the gate control room as the gate was being dialed to send their guest home.
"I need to see the most recent message they received."
The guy touched a few buttons bringing it up. Daniel read it quickly.
"It's unfortunate you're being recalled." Weir said standing down with the guest at the end of the ramp. The gate was still dialing. "I thought we were making such good progress."
"Your demands are ridiculous. We have no choice but to terminate negotiations." Camulus said standing at the end of the ramp.
"Well, give my regards to Ba'al." Weir said being sarcastically cheerful.
Weir left the room while Daniel was still up in the control room reading. The gate opened and the guest started toward the gate.
"Shut it down." Daniel said.
"What?" the guy next to him said.
Daniel moved around him hitting the abort button. The guest stopped at the mouth of the gate when it quit. They turned around in surprise.
"What is the meaning of this?" the Japanese lady asked as they walked down the ramp.
Weir had turned around coming back in and was there as Daniel came through the other door.
"The second message. They've been recalled because the System Lord's have decided to test our defenses. They are going to attack Earth. They'll be here within the hour." he said coming in front of them.
Weir was not happy with the news. She had guards come in and escort them to locked quarters.
"We are political dignitaries! How dare you prevent us from leaving!!!" Camulus said as they were surrounded.
"Sending ships here to attack us is an act of war, and a foolish one at that, given what are defenses are capable of." Weir stated forcefully.
"My lord did not order such action." Yu's aide said.
"Then undo it." Daniel said. "Tell the System Lords to call the ship back!"
"The decision they have made is one of desperation, forced upon them by your unwillingness to help." the Japanese lady said. "Persuading them to change its course can only be done in person."
"A full council vote." the aide said.
"Even if I did believe you, all good faith is out the window at this point." Weir said. She was really angry, but kept it in check. "You are our prisoners. Take them away."
At gun point, several of them, they were lead out of the room to secure rooms.
"Good thing Ford isn't here. I'm willing to bet he'd beat the hell out of them." Daniel said as the Goa'uld's were taken out of the room.
"I agree."
"Though, I have to say, I'd call it poetic justice. You know, if Ford was here to lay into them."
Thor's ship came out of hyperspace at his planet. The blue field it came from disappearing quickly as the ship moved forward.
"Greetings Thor." a Asguard on the screen said.
"Greetings." Thor said. Teal'c and Ford watched keeping silent, for the moment. "Teal'c, Ford, this is Penagal of the Asguard High Council."
Teal'c and Ford nodded.
"I regret to report that the debris from the destroyed Replicator ship could not be contained. We were unable to prevent countless Replicator parts from raining down on Orilla. They have already begun replicating and infesting our systems. Control of the city is in jeopardy."
"Should you not consider evacuating your people?" Teal'c asked.
"That is no longer possible." the other Asguard said.
"There are to many." Thor said. "We carried numerous stored minds aboard the computers of our ships when we fled our homeworld. When Orilla was finally found, we were able to place those minds into cloned bodies so that we could build our new colony."
"The Replicators have already infesting those systems needed to save those minds." Penagal said. "If we lose this battle, they will perish along with their bodies. Taking with them the hopes of the Asguard race."
"Orilla is the last chance we'll ever have of rebuilding our empire." Thor said.
"Then we must find a way to save it." Teal'c said.
"Jack knows."
"Indeed."
Just outside of Earth's orbit, the Prometheus was standing guard, as it were. She was keeping watch for not only the approaching Goa'uld ship, but anything else that might come.
"Sir, sensors have detected an alien vessel." a female officer said as she pushed various buttons. "It exited hyperspace 14,000 kilometers out. Eight degrees starboard."
"Designation?"
"None yet sir. Vessel is the size of a Goa'uld mothership. Closing fast, visual range in six seconds."
"Hold your positions. Prepare to fire."
She called out a countdown.
"On screen. Maximum magnification."
One the computer like screen a picture with data underneath and beside the starfield showed a small dot which didn't get much bigger with the magnification.
"Open a channel. Broadcast on all frequencies and translate into Goa'uld." he said getting out of the command chair.
"Yes sir." she said pushing more buttons.
"This is Colonel Lionel Pendergast of the United States Air Force Prometheus. Unidentified vessel, failure to reply will be constituted as an act of aggression and we will respond with the full force of our weapons."
The screen changed saying incoming transmission. The picture changed showing Ford and Teal'c.
"You can stand down Colonel. It's just us coming back with a friend." Ford said.
"Teal'c." the lady said.
She must have known him personally because Ford had no idea who she was. Actually he barely knew many of the women there at the SGC.
"We offer greetings from Thor the Supreme Commander of the Asguard fleet. We are aboard the Daniel Jackson." Teal'c said.
"We are just here to pick up a few things then go help them with some troubles back home. And to help Colonel O'Neill." Ford said.
The Colonel of the Prometheus smiled.
"Glad to see you are okay SG-1. Where's M…"
"Sorry, we can't really talk much more. Got things to do." Ford said quickly. Thor cut off the com per Ford's request.
Needless to say, the Prometheus crew was stumped as to why, but seeing that SG-1 was okay, they went back to their duties. The colonel thought Ford's quick and somewhat forceful response was strange but there was little he could do about it.
In the briefing room, guards were more around seeing as to the new situation. They had assault rifles with them this time. The guest were seated at the table ready to talk again as Weir walked out of her office.
"I have just received word that the Asguard have arrived. They want to witness the demonstration of our new Ancient defense technology that you have forced us into." she said holding her hands behind her back.
"There's still time to call off the attack." she said after they had looked at each other.
"We would also like to witness the demonstration." the Japanese lady said.
Daniel came into the room by the stairs just then.
"Your ship isn't coming. It was destroyed on route by Ba'al. The collective forces of the System Lords are bowing, and you're losing the war." he said placing his hands on his hips.
"And so are you." Lord Yu said.
Suddenly Daniel was engulfed in a white light and disappeared. Everyone looked around at each other.
Daniel appeared on Thor's ship next to the window, same spot as where the other members of SG-1 had been beamed up as the cargo ship fell apart. He looked behind him then back at them.
"Hey guys." he said walking toward them.
"Our new colony is in grave jeopardy. The Replicators have escaped the Time Dilatation Device and are threatening to destroy the Asguard." Thor said.
"Okay, so what can we do?" Daniel asked.
"Thor believes the Ancient knowledge stored in O'Neill's mind can help destroy the Replicators once and for all." Teal'c stated.
"But Jack's frozen down in Antarcti…"
The sound of Asguard beaming technology was heard and in a pod that only showed from half way up the chest and up showed Jack. Some control device was on it to.
"That was quick." Ford said going over.
Jack looked asleep. Daniel walked over and looked at Jack then looked at Teal'c and Ford.
"As I was saying, where's Sam?"
"I failed to keep her from being taken by the Replicators. She's…..talk to Teal'c." he said sadly as he tapped on the glass. Needless to say Jack didn't move.
"Ford is correct. Whether she survived the destruction of their ship or not is unknown. Ford believes that she is still alive. I believe it is also possible."
Daniel didn't like the news, but said nothing.
Carter awoke in her bed. She got up slowly looking around seeing is was her home but different. She got out of the bed and noticed she had much longer hair, past shoulder length. She then went into the kitchen seeing it was clean, but something was cooking in the oven. Seeing no one else in the house she got a coat on and went outside. Ford was outside working in the garden. She didn't remember there being a garden though. Just lots of flowers and pretty bushes. He turned looking at her.
"Morning. Or is it afternoon? Sleep well." he said getting up and brushing himself off.
"What's going on?"
"Going on? I don't get it." he said raising an eyebrow as he set some gardening tools aside as well as his gloves.
"This, everything looks different. What the hell happened?"
Ford closed his eyes and shook his head.
"You hungry. Let's go in."
"This isn't happening. It can't be real. The last thing I remember is I was on a Replicator ship…and this is another way of screwing with my mind." she said looking at the ground thinking.
"Here's what I know and I've had to tell you numerous times. You quit the SGC after that incident. Something happened that you have never talked about and I have never pushed you into talking about and that's why you left. We got married over a year ago and have lived here ever since. You have thought about moving a couple of times, but have never actually made a decision. Pretty much since whatever happened you've been seeing a shrink because you can't shake the nightmares. It was a very bad mission that went wrong. That's it." he said putting a hand on her shoulder gently. He then kissed her lightly. She didn't kiss back at first.
"Did that feel real?"
"Yes." she said almost reluctantly.
"Okay. Let's go in unless you want to stay out here."
"Okay."
The Daniel Jackson was back in hyperspace headed for Orilla.
"What are you going to do?" Daniel asked Thor as the gray guy walked over to the pod.
"I am going to merge O'Neill's mind with the ships computer."
"You sure you want to give Jack that much access to the ship?" Ford said. "He might goof off with it."
Thor looked at him. If it was possible, Thor would have raised an eyebrow.
"It was a joke. Never mind."
"To merge him as you say, you're going to have to defrost him first, right? I bring this up because he was near death when we froze him." Daniel said quickly.
He could tell right away that Thor had no idea where Ford was going with what he said. It was a little on the funny side though, but certain problems and circumstances made the joke barely laughable at this moment.
"Hopefully the pod will sustain his life." Thor said.
"Hopefully?" Daniel said after the SG team looked at each other.
"What other choice do we have?" Thor said turning to Daniel.
"Well, can't you just save him like the last time this happened? Just wipe the Ancient knowledge from his mind."
"Then we might lose the only chance at finding something that could defeat the Replicators and maybe an idea or two on how to defeat the Goa'uld." Ford said standing up.
"Ford is correct." Thor said.
"You have no right to risk his life. And you, I can't believe…" Daniel started in.
"Daniel. What would Jack choose? I know if I had the knowledge, I would choose this." Ford said slowly as he looked at him. "And Sam would too."
"I believe O'Neill would approve." Teal'c stated.
"We can't make that choice for him, no matter what's at stake. Can't you just extract the Ancient information into the computer? Then we can all benefit from it, maybe even learn how to use the Ancient weapons on Earth."
"You cannot even begin to comprehend the extent of what was unfolding in O'Neill mind. Our scientist long ago extracted parts of the library of Ancient knowledge and learned much from it. We have been studying it for as long as I can remember and we have barely scratched the surface."
"So we would be looking for a needle in a haystack." Daniel said.
"A haystack of infinite size." Thor said.
"That's big." Daniel said.
"Well, once Jack is hooked up to the computer he can download what he knows into it." Ford said. "It should work in theory."
"I am hoping that O'Neill's conscious mind can provide a direct conduit to the information we need." Thor said working on the console.
The guest were all placed under lock and key in separate rooms of the base. In Lord Yu's room, they did little except sit and wait. The door buzzed and opened. Lord Yu was sitting on the bed while the aide was standing by.
"You requested to see me?" Weir said coming in. The door was opened by a guard.
"You must let us go." the aide said.
"I don't have to do anything at this point." she said angrily. "If that's what…" she said turning away.
"If your intent is to extract information from us, you should know I will die before I say anything." he said stepping forward. "And nothing my master says can be trusted."
"Look, no one has decided what to do with you."
"Anubis was overconfident and he still needed the bulk of his armada to keep the System Lords at bay. The fleet he used to attack Earth was small, compared to that which Ba'al will have to defeat the System Lords. He will rule the galaxy. And when that happens, no weapons will be powerful enough to stop him."
"What would you have me do?" she asked crossing her arms.
"Free us to fight. Or if we must….die with honor."
"He is not well." Thor said after a few moments. He had been working on scanning and other functions of the pod before speaking.
"I told you." Daniel said where he had his head in his arms on the console.
Teal'c was next to him while Ford was against the wall watching what Thor was doing. So many questions went through his head, but he didn't disturb Thor.
"The process of interfacing his mind is complex."
"Hello? Testing, testing, one, two, testing, testing, hello? Is this thing on?" Jack said through the ships intercom suddenly.
"Jack?" Daniel said coming over to the pod.
"O'Neill, can you hear us?" Thor asked.
"Hey! Hey guys. What's going on?"
"Your mind has been interfaced with the Daniel Jackson." Thor said.
"What?" Jack said.
"What?" Daniel said more bewildered.
"The name of Thor's ship is the Daniel Jackson." Teal'c said.
"All the information in the ships computer is available to you." Thor said.
"Ah, right, here we go. This is cool." Jack said. "I can do pretty much anything I want can't I."
Teal'c and Daniel rolled their eyes looking around as Jack spoke. Jack turned the lights on and off a few times.
"Dammit Jack! Knock it off. We have more important things at stake." Ford yelled.
"Sorry." he said turning the lights back on.
"If you wish, you may appear to us as a holo…" Thor was saying when Jack showed up near the console. He shook himself.
"Damn." he said. His voice had a computer lacing in it.
"You okay?" Daniel asked.
"It's a little weird. But yeah, I'm okay." he said waving his hand.
"At least you're not speaking Ancient."
"There's that."
"Actually the computer is translating." Thor said.
"Ah." Jack said coming over to his body. "I've never looked better."
"There is not much time O'Neill."
"Thor's planet….." Teal'c began saying.
"I know. Ships log."
"Can you help with the Replicators?" Thor asked.
"Already on it."
"Jack.."
"Daniel. The computer recorded the whole conversation. Thanks for your concern." Jack said. He looked around a bit then waved his hands in front of him.
"Talk amongst yourselves." he said then went back to the console and faded away.
Weir came back into Camulus's room after the guard opened the door.
"I've discussed the situation with my superiors and we have decided to let you all go." she said holding her hands together in front of her. Camulus was sitting on the bed looking deep in thought as he held his hands together under his chin.
"I must admit that comes as a surprise." he said sitting up.
"Well it seems we haven't had much success in interrogating Goa'uld's in the past. It has been made apparent to me that you are much more useful fighting Ba'al." she said getting ready to leave.
"Dr. Weir."
"You know my name?" she said with her hand on the door.
"This may come as a surprise to you." he said standing.
"Well at this point I don't think anything can surprise me."
"I wish to request asylum."
"Well it seems as though I was wrong again."
"My fleet was destroyed before I came here. My domain was among the first to fall. I have nothing left with which to fight. The only thing waiting for me through the Stargate is shame and torture. So it is not true that I will be more useful to you out there. Perhaps, I can be some use to you here."
Weir was surprised yet again as she thought.
Carter did go inside with him and they had pancakes.
"Thanks. That was great." she said putting her fork down. Ford nodded and took the plates away. "It tasted very real."
Ford set the plates in the soapy water and sighed. She sighed as well.
"I was thinking we could rent a movie tonight, sit down and try to forget about the past. Watch anything you want."
"You can't really expect me to play along." she said.
Ford dropped the plate he was washing in the sink and it shattered making her jump.
"Sam. You're really making this difficult." he said slowly.
"It just can't be real."
He turned around quickly.
"What in the hell do I have to do to prove it is?!!! I gave up everything to be with you. I didn't mind and still don't, but whatever happened that day really messed you up in the head. We've been married for over a year and still no honeymoon. Other than a occasional kiss, that's as close as you've allowed me! You barely talk to me anymore about the past and nothing about what happened on that ship! I can't help you if you don't let me in!" he yelled.
"See. That is not Ford! He would not be like this."
Ford sighed and looked at the counter top.
"Sam. I loved you from the first day I saw you and still do, but this is not going to work if it keeps up. My patience is beginning to be tested here. You just push me away on some days. Even though I can't die, it's killing me some days anyway."
"Nothing you say is ever going to convince me. I know who you are, I just don't understand why. What do you want from me? Why are you doing this?" she said shaking her head.
Ford walked out from behind the counter and moved to her. As he got near the table he changed to look like Fifth.
"Because I love you." he said smiling.
Sam sat back feeling scared but tried not to show it.
Teal'c and Thor were looking at the screen of some weapon Jack was making.
"What is it?" Teal'c asked.
"I am unsure." Thor said turning to the pod.
"It seems O'Neill's mind is building something virtually, in conjunction with the ships computer. I do not know how much longer his life can be sustained." he said looking at the small console on the pod.
"Jack! Can you hear me?" Daniel asked.
"I must revive him now."
"Wait, not yet!" Jack said as Thor activated the console.
A red light beamed over Jacks face twice then the glass panel moved back. Jack reached up and touched his head. Ford was looking at him from behind him while Teal'c and Daniel was on the side.
"Oy. What a headache."
"Take it easy, you've been through a lot." Daniel said kneeling down.
He looked at them all then put his arm down.
"What now?"
"What's the last thing you remember?"
"Getting my head sucked, by one of those damned, Ancient head suckers…" he said as Daniel and Ford helped him out. He sat on the head part. "And something about twins."
"Great. Forgot everything." Ford muttered. "Wait, twins?"
Jack looked at Teal'c curiously.
"Teal'c, what's with the hair?"
"O'Neill."
"Thor." he said looking over at him. "Do you have an aspirin?"
"You will feel better momentarily and your memory will slowly return."
Jack nodded then looked back at Teal'c who was smiling.
"Teal'c, what's with the hair?"
"The specifications for the device you created still remain in the computer. I will attempt to synthesize it." he said working on the console.
A beam of light appeared on the table just off from Thor's main computer console and the device was there. Everyone looked but Ford was the only one that went over.
"Sweet." he said sounding sleepy. "What is it?"
"We don't know, but you made it?" Daniel said looking back at him.
"No."
"Yes." Daniel said quickly.
Jack looked back at it and squinted. "No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Knock it off guys." Ford said.
"You accessed the Ancient knowledge in your mind and used the ships computer to design it." Thor said making Daniel jump.
"Doesn't mean I know what it is." Jack said.
"It was doubtful at best that he would remember. The knowledge of the Ancients is gone."
"All right, let me have a look." he said getting out of the pod.
Daniel and Teal'c had to help him stand.
"Got legs. Whoa." he said as they helped him over.
"It's a weapon. I can tell you that much. Got what looks to be a trigger or something close. I'm not testing it though. Might blow out the wall here, maybe." Ford said tapping the face plate.
It looked more like a strange octagonal shield with some wires and a large slip on hand device behind it. Very strange and hard to describe. Jack looked it over as he stood behind it and tapped on it. Thor looked at him expectantly from his side.
"A weapon you think?"
"I'm an expert in that field remember. Besides, a….glorified toaster oven isn't going to kill the Replicators, so what else could it be?"
"Hmm." he said, then after a moment. "I've got nothing."
"Why does that not surprise me."
The ship dropped out of hyperspace and another Asguard came on the screen.
"Penagal. I am relieved you are still able to communicate." Thor said.
"Talk about bad reception though." Ford said seeing the screen was fuzzing out some.
"It may not last long. Were you able to procure a means to fight the Replicators?"
"Possibly. We still need to do more research."
"You should know those infecting the colony are behaving in an organized fashion unlike any Replicators we have encountered before."
"Perhaps they are being controlled by a human form leader that has yet to reveal themselves." Thor said.
"If the human form Replicator survived then it's possible that Sam survived as well isn't it?" Daniel said.
"I said that earlier." Ford stated.
"Right. You did say that. Sorry."
"It is also possible that the old human form Replicators have created a new human form to lead them as they did once before."
"Can you scan the planet for life signs?" Daniel asked.
"We already have. There are no life signs." Penagal said.
"They are hiding her from sensors." Ford said.
"Yeah. They probably are." Jack said slowly as he glared at Ford.
The screen went off suddenly as transmission was lost.
"Penagal. Can you hear me?" Thor said. He looked at them announcing they lost contact.
Fifth was
sitting at the table with Carter talking to her still.
"Did you
really think you could convince me that this illusion was my life?
That I would just accept it?"
"If it was something that you wanted badly enough in your mind."
"Is that why you tortured me for so long? So I would want this as an alternative?" she said looking around.
"No. I tortured you because I was mad. Why do you think I hated you so much for what you did to me."
Carter looked down at her hands as he continued.
"From the first moment we met, when you let me inside your mind…"
She looked back up at him.
"I saw you like no one else ever could."
"Human emotions can be very overwhelming. The fact that you feel anything is a miracle. It makes you very special."
"I'm glad you see that." he said smiling.
"Don't." she said putting a finger up. "You don't understand. I could never be happy this way."
"Then you will be unhappy, for a very long time." he said angrily.
Carter was in reality standing against the wall with Replicator blocks all around her and covering her, except her face. Her eyes open as her mind was manipulated. Replicators walked around her on the wall slowly.
The Stargate was open as the guest walked through the door to leave. They nodded to her as they walked up the ramp. Weir nodded back with her arms crossed. Guards were all around the gate room. The Japanese lady turned around to speak before leaving.
"Make sure Camulus knows, he will forever be branded a traitor and a coward."
With that parting of information she walked through the gate.
"You let her get captured? You don't even know if she is still alive."
"Jack, I would have stopped it if I could." Ford said forcefully. "I tried to keep her safe. I blew it. I'm kicking my self as it is, I don't need you helping out!"
"Yeah, you did and I'm chewing you out anyway. If she is dead…"
"You can shoot me in the head later if you wish, but only if she is gone. For now we have more important things to do. I'm believing she is still with one of those human form Replicators. If memory serves me, it's probably Fifth. And really this is all your fault!" he said pointing a finger into his chest roughly.
"My fault?" he said curious as to this accusation and somewhat angry at the accusation. He rubbed his chest where Ford poked him hard and almost knocked him over. "Ow."
"Yeah. Had you brought him along those couple of years ago and allowed him on the Prometheus, there's a good chance that the war with the Replicators would be over and this wouldn't be happening."
"I made a decision…"
"And it was the wrong one!"
"Ford. O'Neill. This is non productive." Teal'c stated looking at the both of them with a mean glare.
"Truce." Jack said after a moment.
"Truce." Ford said shaking his hand.
Thor was looking over the unknown weapon that Jack had created.
"Most intriguing."
"Can you make it work?" Daniel asked.
The other three were behind him near the console keeping quiet this time.
"To be honest. I am exactly unsure as to what it is. It could be a weapon as Ford Primus has stated, but not like anything I have seen."
"Don't look at me." Jack said when Daniel turned to him.
"Thor this is Commander Aegir of the Valhalla." the Asguard said coming on the screen. "We have lost contact with the colony."
"Aegir. What have you to report."
"We have located what appears to be the remains of a human form Replicator floating in space. It obviously survived the destruction of its ship. By all appearances it is currently inactive."
"Transmit coordinates." Thor said.
"Use caution Thor." he said then the screen went off.
Ford popped his knuckles and slid on his gloves.
"What are you doing?" Jack asked as Thor walked over to his main console.
"Thor is beaming it aboard and I don't think it's dead. Why would we get that sort of break."
"True. That is right, Thor?"
"Yes O'Neill. We may gain insight as to their weaknesses. We must learn the location of the human form controlling the Replicators on the planet." he said touching his console.
The pod that was holding Jack now held a black short haired Replicator. Some area's on him showed more blocks than human form.
"Anybody recognize him?" Daniel said leaning over barely.
"No." Teal'c said.
"Is it dead?" Jack asked putting his hands on the pod and looking in.
"Hopefully, not completely." Thor said.
Jack backed off as though he got shocked. Ford almost chuckled as he walked past Jack and looked in the pod.
"All Replicators are linked by a sophisticated communication system. If we can tap into their network, we will be able to see what any of the other Replicators can see."
"And if he wakes up, is this pod going to hold him?"
"Probably not."
"Then perhaps there is not great wisdom in this." Jack said as Teal'c grabbed the shotgun and cocked it making Daniel and Jack jump.
"I will transport it back into space if necessary, but we must take the risk."
"Good." Jack said shaking a finger as he saw what Teal'c had grabbed.
He ran over and grabbed a weapon for himself and Daniel. He walked back over handing a PC-90 to him. The screen came up showing what a human would call static but not with the same sound. It was more like a series of clicks. Soft and small sounding.
"What's that?" Daniel asked looking at the screen briefly.
"Replicator communication data." Thor said. "I am searching for any references to other human forms."
"You can't just keep me here forever!" Carter said coming out of her hallway. Fifth just stood in the living room with his hands behind his back listening.
"Yes I can."
"No matter what you ever do, I will never, ever, participate in this fantasy."
He looked away from her quickly like he noticed something.
"What?" she asked.
Jack and them were still looking at the pod keeping their guns on it. Ford was standing out of the way of fire, but right near the pod. Jack looked back at the screen and didn't look away. Ford glanced then completely looked heading to the screen.
"It's Sam! She's alive!" he said walking to the screen.
"Zoom in!" Jack said.
The screen moved closer and somewhat clearer to show Sam inside a Replicator wall.
"It is Sam." Daniel said.
"Can you pinpoint her location?" Jack asked.
"She is in a small Replicator structure on the planet. It is some distance outside the colony. Near a rich vein of Neutronium." he said as the screen changed showing a picture of the planet where the Replicator structure was. All your really could see was a large forest and a locator for where she was.
"They must be using it to create more human Replicators." Teal'c said.
Ford walked away from the screen and passed by them going to the pod. He was in the line of fire this time.
"At least one of the human form Replicators must have separated from the ship with Major Carter prior to it exiting hyperspace." Thor said.
"Good. He's awake." Ford said sounding evil like.
"Move." Jack said.
"Not a chance. I'm going to get some answers if he gets out."
The human form Replicator looked at them then at Ford. His body shifted like when the liquid terminator in Terminator Two fixed himself. Jack and the other two took a few steps back.
"Beam it out!" Jack yelled.
The transported beam tried to beam him out but wasn't working.
"I am trying. It has made it self resistant."
The lights went out in the room as power slightly failed.
"It has breached the internal barrier and interfaced with the ships computer." Thor said.
The guy pulled back the cover and went to get out. Ford pulled him out very hard and forcefully and slammed him into the wall hard enough the wall dented.
"Tell your friend to let Carter go and you can go free, my personal promise, or else."
The guy smiled and grabbed Ford's arms trying to break free. Ford dug his fingers in. If it were a human he did this too the ribs would have cracked and there would be massive bleeding. In this case the guy only cringed slightly. Ford pulled him off the wall and slammed him into the side of the pod where he avoided being hit in the face.
"Get that damned weapon!!!" Ford said hitting the guy with a right hook.
Part of the Replicator came away in his hand. It turned into a few blocks which he dropped.
"Interesting." Thor said as the Replicator got off the ground.
"You're not so invulnerable are you." Ford sneered as the guy shifted his body making the ripped out section disappear.
Bullets burst through him as Teal'c and Daniel gave him several rounds. Ford slid his hidden blade out as they stopped shooting. The Replicator shifted again and swung at Ford who came close again. Ford brought his right arm up slicing the Replicator arm right off. The other arm came out quick hitting Ford in the face throwing him into the pod. Ford shook it off and put his fist into the guys face. Blade first. His other blade came out and he made several quick moves through the body cutting parts off. He backed off finding no blade on his right arm. The human form Replicator, now more a pile of parts, was turning back into a human form was suddenly disintegrated into dust as a wave washed over him and Ford.
"Had to do something." Jack said as everyone looked at him. He had the strange weapon on his right hand. "Ford said it was a weapon."
The lights came back on and everyone slowly started moving again.
"It seems to have disrupted all communication between the individual cells, rendering each one inert." Thor said. "We have tried to duplicate this technology in the past with no success."
"Great. Does that mean we can use this thing to whack the rest of those bugs?" Jack asked.
"Even better O'Neill. Now that I have seen what the device does. I may be able to duplicate a much larger version to broadcast a disruption wave all over Orilla."
"All good. While you're doing that…"
"I cannot transport you inside the Replicator ship while it's on the planet. Their defenses prevent it, but I can get you close."
"Close is good."
"Here. Take this. So we may communicate." Thor said handing over one of those pearl half egg shaped devices. Jack picked it up and nodded.
Ford retracted the left side blade and grabbed a couple of guns. They got together and Thor beamed them all down. It was a very wooded area but looked like many trails were around.
"Were you going to try and tear him apart?"
"Quite literally until there was nothing left to rebuild into." Ford growled as he held two PC-90's.
"I thought you would say that." Jack said as they walked slowly through the woods.
They had taken a good few yards worth of steps and seen nor heard anything. Teal'c suddenly turned around seeing a rattling Replicator on the tree. He blasted it then backed up with the others into a small open area. There was tons of them coming at them instantly. They opened up on them quickly. Jack was doing better since he was taking them out at about twenty or more at a time.
"Who's your daddy?!!!" Jack yelled shooting at a bunch near Daniel.
"Stop!!!"
They all turned around seeing Fifth standing next to a tall old tree with lots of moss. Figured as it were, Ford was the closest to him and instantly pointed both guns at him. He almost fired to.
"If you harm me or anymore of my brethren, Major Carter will died instantly." he said as the remaining Replicators moved over to him. Ford tossed his two guns on the ground.
"Let her go. You want someone to torture or get information or whatever the hell you want, take me. I'll take her place."
"You would hardly be worth it." Fifth said to Ford. He then turned away leaving. Ford started to go after him.
"Ford!" Jack yelled.
It took everything Ford had not to go after the arrogant man. He lifted his left hand in the air clenching and unclenching it. The others jumped as he lashed out with the same hand taking a large chunk out of the tree as he hit it.
"Damn!!" he yelled.
Thor brought his ship down and parked it over the colony.
"O'Neill, I have successfully modified my ship to emit a massive disrupting wave."
"Excellent. I knew you could do it." Jack said through the small device.
"The weapon is only fifty percent charged. If this works, you will have saved the Asguard once again."
"I'm really happy for ya. Extremely proud. But we have a little problem down here. Fifth detected our approach and claims he can kill Carter instantly." Jack said standing.
Daniel was standing just away from him some while Teal'c walked around looking. Ford sat on the ground tapping the back of his head against the damaged tree in frustration.
"O'Neill…"
"Hey! I know what you're going to say! Her life was already sacrificed, and you got your whole planet to worry about…but…..I got problems too."
"Jack…" Daniel said.
"Hang on a second."
They could hear lots of metal moving.
"This could be very bad." Daniel said raising his gun. There was tons of them coming at them, including some of the bigger versions.
Ford grabbed the guns he dropped and stood up. They stood together near each other and waited. The bugs went past them, completely ignoring them. Ford even reached out and it brushed his hand on one as it kept going.
"This isn't good." he muttered.
"What are they doing?!" Daniel said.
"Looks like they are running away." Jack said. "Thor you ready yet?!"
"What is happening O'Neill?"
"They are running away."
"You must stop them O'Neill. The weapon is not ready yet. They cannot be permitted to escape."
"Come on!" Jack said motioning them to follow after the bugs.
"I know you can hear me!!" Carter yelled coming out of the house.
"What's happening?! Fifth where are you?!" she yelled walking down the steps into the yard looking around.
"We must leave." Fifth said after she turned around seeing him.
"Why?"
"The have found a means to fight us."
"The Asguard? How?"
"The one you call O'Neill."
"What?" she said moving closer.
"There are still many of us left in the city. We cannot wait for them. They will be killed." he said looking off to the side.
"Don't expect me to be sorry."
"Your friends. They are killing…trying to stop us."
They found them buggers, no pun intended and poured it on. Jack was shutting them down quickly while the other three were blasting them to pieces.
"They are trying to save me."
"No. They do not care about you. I told them I would kill you if they did not stop." he said walking forward.
She had to step back. He looked off to his left suddenly.
The group walked out of some low trees finding a very large construct of Replicator parts. It looked a lot like a spider with its legs out holding it up. Lots of Replicators were merging with it. The thing had to be at least the size of a construction dump truck.
"Whoa. That is…."
"Strange? Freaky?" Jack suggested.
"The biggest metal spider I have ever seen." Ford said in awe.
"Ugly." Jack muttered.
"Well, we know these won't do any good." he said dropping the PC's and pulling his shotgun out and pulling several explosive rounds out slowly.
"I can't do this." he said as he stopped loading it.
"Carter…"
"I can't Jack. You got the weapon that will anyway." Ford said putting them away. "The best I can do is try and rip it apart."
"Then why don't you kill me? You know why my friends won't just stop to save me?"
"No."
"Because they know when it comes right down to it, they know I would rather be dead than trapped like this forever. No matter what you feel for me, I will never love you back. Kill me if you want, but if you have one shred of humanity, and you really truly love me, you'll let me go." I hope he doesn't kill me. I finally have a chance at a real life. A possible family life.
He looked off to the side as he thought. He looked sad to her, but she didn't really care, much. He looked back at her slowly and was actually crying.
Jack and the others watched at the Replicator structure rose into the air and brought its legs in and flew off quickly into hyperspace. Jack went to aim but couldn't do it. Above the colony, Thor had fully powered up the weapon and fired it. A large wave dispersed over the colony and then the whole planet.
"O'Neill. The weapon worked. Reports from the colony say that all remained Replicators have been neutralized. While the ship did escape, at least we have an effect means to fighting them now."
"Yeah, well. At least there's that." Jack said. They were all feeling terrible seeing as Carter wasn't with them.
Ford looked ready to drop or pass out possibly as he leaned against a tree with his eyes closed.
"O'Neill, I am detecting a fifth life sign in your immediate vicinity."
Ford grabbed the device from Jack scaring him momentarily.
"What direction?!!!"
Thor rattled off a northeastern direction. Ford tossed the device in the air not hearing anything else as he ran.
"Geez, didn't even give us a chance to follow or anything. Let's go." Jack said as he picked the device off the ground.
Ford did find her laying in a small open area. He ran up quickly slowly picked her up.
"Sam?"
"I'm okay." she said slowly.
"Jesus Christ Sam. You scared me to death." he said holding her close crying.
"I'm okay." she said holding him. "Now that you're here."
"She okay then?" Jack said walking up with the other two seeing them embraced. It took them a few moments to find out where Ford went. He took off like a bolt of lightening and was gone from sight quickly.
"Yes sir. I'm fine." she said as they stood up. "Glad to see you again."
"Likewise." he said giving her a hug.
"Let's go home." Daniel said.
"Good idea. Who knows how many Simpson's episodes I've missed. Wait, did you record them for me?" Jack said looking at Ford who was wiping his eyes. They could understand why and didn't say anything about it.
This lighten the mood well causing everyone to laugh except Jack.
"Yeah Jack. I never forgot." he said.
"Great. Let's go home."
On Thor's ship they were being taken home. The guys caught Ford in another room, on purpose because they wanted to talk to him alone. Carter was told by Jack it was a guy thing, again, and she stayed on the bridge with Thor, reluctantly still.
"Ford. Are you ever going to ask her?"
"The big question. After this incident. I'm really thinking about it. I seriously want to, but I'm going to find that ring first then ask."
"Good, because if you weren't, I, we were going to make you."
"Make me?" Ford said turning around.
"Yeah." Jack said feeling confident. "You're dragging her around, kinda."
"Glad to know you guys care." he said putting a hand on Jack's shoulder. "I'm really happy to see you are behind me on this. I didn't know what you guys would have said when I asked her."
"Well, we just want to see her happy." Daniel said.
"Indeed. I have noticed that Major Carter has not had a family life like us."
"You're right Teal'c." Jack said after a moment. "Us three guys have had that marriage experience. She never has had the chance yet. You better make her happy."
"I promise to do whatever it takes to keep her that way." Ford said putting a hand up showing he was sincerely promising.
"Good for you. Let us know huh. We want to be there when you ask, if we can."
"If it's possible guys, I will let you know."
"You better make it possible." Jack stated. "I want to see her face light up."
"So do I." Daniel stated.
Carter wanted to know what they talked about, but despite how much she bugged Ford, he promised, under orders from Jack that he wouldn't say anything, though it was a lie. He also promised that they didn't talk about their three days together in each others bodies. She gave up when they got home, which luckily didn't take long.
After getting home they were able to get cleaned, check out, and dismissed from the infirmary. Weir was in the office putting her things away in boxes as Jack knocked on the door.
"Colonel come in." she said pulling something from the bottom desk drawer. "How are you feeling?"
"Not bad. Haven't had the urge to go anywhere or build anything lately." he said rubbing his hands together as he sat down.
"Well, you have been given a clean bill of health as far as the finest medical professionals on this planet are concerned." she said putting something in a box.
"Yeah, but what do they know." he said looking at his hands.
"The President asked me to extend a invitation to you. Dinner at the White House."
"Do you know what they are having?" he said shaking his head slightly. He didn't want to go and didn't really care.
"I don't think I've had the chance to personally thank you yet." she said leaning on the desk.
"For what?"
"You've risked your life over and over and asked for nothing in return."
"Well, don't be fooled. I'm making a list." he said smiling with a nod.
"Well I doubt very much that there is anything that can properly repay you."
"You going somewhere?" he asked looking around seeing the boxes.
"As a matter of fact, the President has asked me to supervise the research of the Ancient outpost." she said still packing. "It's going to be a delicate situation given all the various international claims that are already being made on the site."
"Sounds right up your alley."
"Yeah, well so much more than this job."
"Does that mean Hammond will be coming back?"
"No. He's being promoted. He will be overseeing all things pertaining to Earth's defense. The SGC, the 303, the Antarctic site…I believe it is being called, Homeworld Security."
Jack nodded. "Any idea who we are going to be stuck with?"
She crossed her arms smiling.
"There is one man who the President believes can run the SGC and make it politically viable from an international perspective, despite the fact that he is part of the American military establishment."
"Do we know this….shrub?" he said almost sarcastically.
"Well you know him rather well." she said holding herself up with her hands on the desk as she slowly spoke who it was. "Brigadier General Jack O'Neill."
"Me?" he asked surprised.
"Yeah, you." she said smiling.
"Brigadier. Hmm. Well, it is on my list."
"Congratulations."
He got up speaking.
"I should be clear. I like the promotion, the pay check, the parking spot, but I really don't want to be in charge of anything, no."
"Sadly all those things kinda go together." she said putting her hands behind her back. "So I guess you have some thinking to do."
"I hate that."
Jack had gotten his team together, told them about the news which Ford thought was great news as did the others in some ways and they were discussing it in Daniel's office.
"Maybe
you should break it down into pros and cons." Daniel said. Ford
sat next to him with Carter on his left followed by Teal'c then
Jack.
"I've spent my whole life sticking it to the man. If
I do this, I'll be the man. I don't think I can be the man."
Jack said looking at the strange object Daniel had amongst his other
things in his hand then at them.
"Can't stick anyone but yourself then huh. There's always the mirror."
Everyone but Jack laughed at Ford's joke. Jack only rolled his eyes.
"You'll be inheriting a pretty big can of worms with the state of affairs out there." Carter said.
"If Ba'al is gaining dominance over the System Lords we face a formidable challenge ahead." Teal'c said.
"Plus, who knows where and when Fifth and the other Replicators will turn up." Carter said.
"Here on Earth we have never been under so much scrutiny as we will be now that the other governments know about the Stargate." Daniel said.
"I've never had a desk."
"That's a con?" Daniel said.
"Con."
"Wait. I have a desk, Carter has a desk, so does Daniel." Ford said. "I've seen your desk. And you at it. You have Homer scratched into the top."
"For the record sir. You do have a desk." Carter said.
"I do?" Jack said like he believed he didn't. "And Homer is on it?"
"Stupid only goes so far." Ford said.
"Yeah, well…."
"On the flip side of the coin, nobody knows how to run this place better than you." Daniel said.
"Why thank you Daniel."
"With a little help from your friends and advisors of course."
"If you don't take the job sir, we could end up with someone much worse." Carter said.
"Probably someone who's never heard of this place." Ford said. "Think about it this way, with you in charge, at least you know the job is getting done right or at least the way you would like it."
"That's a pro." Daniel said nodding.
"I for one, will miss you accompanying us on our missions O'Neill." Teal'c said.
"Now see, I'm not sure if I'm ready to give that up either. Watching you guys go off and have all the fun." he said pouting as he looked at his hands.
"Risking our lives in the face of danger." Daniel said.
"Yeah, that. Seeing Ford get shot and survive many times over." he said smiling.
"I should have seen that coming." Ford said chuckling with them.
"Well I'm sure there will be situations were you can accompany us in the field." Carter said. "Sir."
"You'll be in charge. You can do whatever you want." Daniel said.
"I'll be able to do whatever I want." Jack said sounding like he brighten up a bit.
"Within reason…sir."
"Think about everything that has happened since the SGC started. With everything that you have seen here and have seen done, if there was or is something you don't like that is within reason as Sam said, you can change it. You'll have your own semi private office to place whatever you want. If you could get approval you could build onto this place possibly. Forget the cons and think about what you can do to this place to liven it up as it were."
"Now see, that is a pro." Jack said pointing at Ford. "I can change a few things around here. I always wondered about if they could put a pool in possibly."
"A pool Jack?" Daniel said.
"Yeah. Some people have said they wish one was close. In the base it would work well. Improve moral maybe." he said putting the strange object down. "Ford once suggested it."
They looked at him.
"I like to swim." Ford said shrugging. "Helps me vent sometimes."
"Also could practice my fly fishing." he said making a fishing gesture.
"Indeed. As Ford said, I saw that coming."
This got a great amount of laughter out of them. As it was Teal'c didn't do much in the way of jokes, but when he did, it was good.
Down in the gate room a podium with the seal of the United States of America along with four flags behind it stood on the ramp. Everyone that was an officer was assembled into the room. Everyone else was in the control room watching. Teal'c, Daniel, Carter, and Ford were standing off to the left of the ramp in special dress clothes. Carter was in uniform though. Weir walked up going behind the podium.
"Although my time here has been brief, it has been indelible. I will remember every one of you and your hard work. I'm not one for long goodbye's so without further ado, it is with great pleasure that I introduce you to your new commanding officer. Brigadier General Jack O'Neill."
The door leading to the control room opened and Jack walked out of full dress uniform. Minus the hat. Everyone stood at attention as he walked by up the ramp. Carter noticed Ford did the same even though he had no rank. But he did it just like he was trained like everyone else that was enlisted. Weir walked down off it as he took the podium. Teal'c nodded to O'Neill as he walked by.
He tapped the mike first.
"At ease."
Everyone followed the order and looked more comfortable.
"You all know how much I……love speeches. So I'll make this short. I wish I could say, I didn't owe anything, to anyone. But the truth is, I would not be standing here if not for the support of each and everyone of you. I hope I can be as good a leader as we have had in the past and as good as you deserve."
"Here, here." Daniel said. Everyone started clapping for him.
He looked at them all with a partial smile as the clapped. After they were finished he continued.
"The other reason I took this job, was because I could do really cool stuff like this. It is with great pride, that as the first order of business as Commander of this base is the announcement of the promotion of Major Samantha Carter to Lieutenant Colonel."
She was surprised and shocked in some ways as he called her up. Everyone clapped greatly for her. She came up and Walter came forward to read as Jack put on her new pins.
"The President of the United States has placed special trust and confidence in the patriotism, integrity, and capabilities in Major Samantha Carter. Samantha Carter is herby promoted to the grade of Lieutenant Colonel, United States Air Force."
"Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter." Jack said saluting her. She saluted back and everyone clapped again.
"Now raise your right hand and repeat after me." he said. She did and he continued.
"I, insert name." he said raising his as well.
"I, Samantha Carter….."
After the promotion, the SG-1 group went out to celebrate at the local diner. Jack went telling them it was probably his last night out with them so he'd get on his new duties in the morning. There was cake and lots of fun. Ford still didn't drink though and none of them got plastered, slightly drunk, but not plastered. He ended up driving Carter home and she talked about what happened to her seeing as she needed to get it off her mind. They talked, her doing the most of talking though, and he listened. She eventually cried herself to sleep on his lap and he stayed there all night watching her.
Out in space, very far away, the rebuilt Replicator ship traveled on. Fifth walked up to a wall as many Replicators worked on something being made inside it.
"Don't be afraid. I know the first moment of consciousness can be frightening. I will show you everything. Share everything I know. You have no idea how happy I am that we were able to collect enough Neutronium."
Fifth backed up a step as a female walked out of the wall now that the Replicators were finished. She stood in the middle of the room with a slime of some sort all over her.
"We have much time to share. We must search for a new home for our brethren to propagate. It will pass quickly for us though. Soon enough, everyone will know. Together, we cannot be stopped." he said touching her face.
It was a copy of Samantha Carter.
Opening part of Stargate Atlantis before leaving Earth………..
Just above the Antarctic snow, a large dome was built over the site where Colonel O'Neill, now General, had found the outpost that saved the world. One section led off to a couple of buildings as did two other branches. Like a triangle branch design. An elevator was going down into the depths of the ice to the outpost. It was officially, but not to the public, the longest elevator ride in the world, probably in existence. A large area had been excavated out and machines, computers, shelves and other equipment and lots of lights were around the place. Many people were working on the technology that was discovered. Doctor Weir walked off the elevator hearing an announcement.
"This is operations. General O'Neill is inbound. Twenty minutes out."
She walked over grabbing a electronic clipboard and signed in.
"Doctor Weir." a guy said while working on one of the only remaining Ancient missiles that Jack used earlier.
It looked strange, like something from the depths of the sea.
"Peter." she said signing and walking toward the chair O'Neill used.
"You see. Nothing!" a Scottish guy said getting out of the chair and putting his hands in the air exasperated.
"Carson! Get back here." another guy said standing next to it.
"I can sit in that chair all bloody day long and nothing will happen! It's a waste of time!" he said walking away and passing Weir. He had a Scottish accent as well. "Excuse me Doctor Weir."
"He's not even trying." the other guy said walking up to her.
"He's the one who discovered the gene that this technology responds to." she said pointing at the guy walking away.
"Yeah, well he says he wished he never had it." the upset and aggravated man said.
"Really?"
"I know. Can you believe that?" he said sounding surprised.
"We could always test you a third time Rodney."
"That's very funny." he said sarcastically.
They started walking over to the chair as she spoke.
"We have only found a handful of people that are genetically compatible with the Ancient technology, and despite your heroic efforts to interface your technology with theirs, we need everyone of them to sit in this chair. Including Doctor Beckett." she said standing beside it on the right side.
Rodney stood just off to the left in front of it with his hands behind his back.
"What am I suppose to do? He's afraid of the thing." he said gesturing.
"This chair controls the most powerful weapon known to human kind. I'm afraid of the thing." she said chuckling slightly but not in a funny way. "But every time someone sits in it, we learn something new about the Ancients who built this outpost. Doctor Beckett should be proud he's genetically enhanced."
"It's not more advanced. It's a random characteristic." he said moving his hands around in gestures.
"This really bothers you, this whole gene thing huh?" she said coming around and standing in front of him.
"Ah, clearly I am overcome with envy." he said sarcastically.
Daniel came around the corner of a section in the outpost holding a orange folder.
"Ah, just the people I need to see." he said then turned around walking away. The two looked at each other then he came back in.
"Come with me."
They followed along passing other people who were working. A computer was showing gate addresses as they walked up to the doorway.
"We've come closer and closer to finding the location of the lost city." he said walking into the room he was using.
A couple large tables, several computers other than the one going through gate addresses, several shelves with various items and other equipment along with a large board for felt pens was in the room. There actually wasn't much room to walk around.
"But it turns out we have been looking in the wrong place all along." he said going to the board with felt writing all over it, gate addresses. "Now we thought we had a Stargate address, six symbols representing coordinates in space, that determine the location of the planet that the Ancients went to after leaving Antarctica. Now recently we have determined the seventh symbol." he said writing on the board the symbol for Earth.
"The point of origin, Earth." Weir said.
"That's not it."
"Then your address must be incorrect." Rodney said.
"Not incorrect, incomplete." he said writing a symbol between the sixth symbol and Earth. There was now eight symbols.
"What are you saying Doctor Jackson?" Weir asked.
"It's an eight symbol address. Just like the one Ford had but this is much farther away. I believe it is further away than we have ever been, but it is not out of reach."
"Atlantis." Rodney said.
"Atlantis." Daniel said keeping in his excitement. "We can go there."
Out above the large ice continent, a blue four seater helicopter was flying over the ice going for the outpost. Inside was two people. Brigadier General Jack O'Neill and Major Sheppard, who was flying.
"Apache, Blackhawk, Cobra, Osprey…" Sheppard was naming off the planes he had flown.
"A lot of training for the Antarctic." Jack said.
"It's the one continent I have never set foot on."
"It's one of my least favorite continents. Ford has the same thought."
"I kinda like it here." he said leaning over to Jack's ear since Jack was looking out the window.
"You like it here?" Jack said looking at him surprised and confused. Who other than Eskimos would like a place like this!
"Yes sir. Be there in about ten minutes sir." he said flying over a mountain ridge and turning right.
Rodney was taking the Scottish man back to the chair to have him try it again.
"Look, we have been through this. I am not your man!"
"Keep moving."
"Look, I'm a doctor, a medical doctor."
"There's nothing to be afraid of."
"You don't understand. I break things like this." he said as Rodney turned the chair to him.
"This device has survived a million years intact. It will survive you. Now, sit down, close your eyes, and concentrate." he said pointing at the chair.
"Again, nothing." he said almost instantly after sitting down.
"This time, just try and imagine where we are in the solar system." he said after pushing the guy back into the seat.
He closed his eyes and tried concentrating. Rodney stood there watching him and the small scanning device in his hand.
"I think I feel something. It could be lunch related." he said opening his eyes.
"Shut up and concentrate." he said getting agitated quickly.
He closed his eyes and tried again. After a few second the chair lit up and tilted back. He opened his eyes and looked frightened. The Ancient missile became activate and took off hitting the wall causing a small explosion. It raced around the room hitting several things then flew out of the room going up the large shaft.
"What did I do?" he asked scared.
Weir and several others were going topside to await O'Neill's landing when the missile flew by.
"Get us back down there!" she yelled.
The missile breached the top of the dome and flew out quickly.
Jack and Sheppard were still on approach when they heard a message.
"All inbound craft, we have a rouge drone that could seek a target on its own. Land immediately and shut off your craft. This is not a drill, I repeat…"
Sheppard looked up seeing the yellow fireball like thing coming at him and quickly made the helicopter do a quick downward and off the right move.
"It's too late! Hang on." he said as it flew by them.
"Break right!!" Jack said.
Sheppard broke left as the missile flew by.
"I said right!!!"
"I'm getting to that sir." he said going right.
Everyone was just about in a panic below as they tried to figure out what was going on topside.
"I told you I was the wrong person." Carson said from the chair as Daniel and Weir ran up.
"It doesn't matter now! Just do something!" Rodney yelled looking at a large screen near the chair.
"Like what?" the Scottish guy said sounding nervous and scared.
"Concentrate on shutting that weapon down before it hurts someone." Weir said forcefully but gentle as well. She didn't want him anymore freaked out.
He closed his eyes and tried concentrating on it.
Back above, Sheppard was still evading the missile.
"I can't see it." he said looking around.
"Pull up! Pull up!" Jack said quickly.
The helicopter went up quickly as the missile flew under where they had just been. Carson was still concentrating as Sheppard continued his evasion. He angled the helicopter toward the snow below.
"What about now?" Jack asked.
"Now is good." he said.
He pulled up quickly as he came over a snow hill. The missile impacted into the snow as he quickly landed the craft and shut it down on Jack's orders.
"What the hell was that?"
"Wait for it." Jack said.
Out in the distance on a mountain the missile came out and turned toward them.
"Get out!!!" Sheppard yelled grabbing his door.
They both got out quickly. Sheppard dived onto the snow and Jack got out still holding the door as the missile came down, shut off and skidded up to him, inches from his hand. Jack had his hand out like he was ready to stop it, bare handed. Luckily he didn't have too.
"I think I did it." Carson said opening his eyes.
Sheppard got off the ground with snow covering him for the waist down while Jack got back in with no snow on him.
"That was different." Sheppard said.
"For me…..not so much." he said breathing right again. He picked up the drone and they took off again.
Daniel was looking at the guy in the chair when a young black Lieutenant walked up.
"Major Sheppard reports that the drone has been incapacitated. General O'Neill's helicopter is unharmed and on its way again. Eight minutes out." he said touching the ear piece in his ear.
"Thank god." Weir said with relief.
"Holy crap." Carson said wanting out of the chair.
Jack came off the elevator and instantly Daniel was there waiting.
"Jack!"
"Daniel. Warm welcome."
"Wasn't me. How did you ah.."
"Keep my ass from getting blown out of the sky? With the exceptional flying of Major John Sheppard." he said pointing at the dark haired man. "He likes it here."
"Exceptional? You like it here?" Daniel said looking at the guy.
"Lets say we cut to the part were you start talking real fast." he said smacking Daniel on the arm.
"Ah, Weir is in here." he said as they walked off leaving the Major alone.
"Hey, don't touch anything." Jack said to John as he walked away.
"So where are Ford and Sam?"
"Watching the base. They are the most experienced with the place other than me. And Ford refused to come here again."
"Actually Jack they are the most experienced period. You just have the commanding experience."
"Ouch." Jack said as they entered the room.
"As for Ford not coming, I'm not surprised. What surprised me was his blood said he has the same gene that can activate this place. And he has a incredibly high concentration."
"Yeah, I heard that too. He refused to come no matter what. Unless I dragged Carter along that is. But she refused to come either barring her resignation if ordered."
Sheppard looked around. He had no clue what was going on.
"I figure that the Ancients packed up their city and left somewhere between five and ten million years ago." Daniel said leaning on the table as he talked to Jack, Weir and Rodney. Jack was the only one sitting. The table had a blue map of the galaxy on it. A large star map essentially.
"In their….flying city?" Jack asked.
"Yeah."
Jack shook his head and looked at the ground. Daniel had seen that before.
"What?"
"Flying city?" he said not completely convinced.
"Well, keep in mind this is the race that built the Stargate. They did everything big."
"So, why did they leave?"
"Why did they leave? Who knows. We know the Ancients on Earth were suffering from a plague. Maybe some of them were trying to start over, seeding life in a new galaxy. Maybe that is what Ancients do. The point is, we know where they went."
"Pegasus." Jack said.
"Yes. It's the name of a dwarf galaxy in the local group."
"After all this time, is there actual hope of meeting them?" Rodney asked.
"Who knows, but isn't that reason enough to go?" he said looking at them all.
"Well I've been choosing members for this expedition for months Doctor, I'm not the one who needs convincing." she said happily and looked at O'Neill.
"Well I'm convinced." he said looking at her. "Have fun."
"It's a little more complicated than that." Daniel said.
"We need the Zed-PM to power the gate." Rodney said.
"What?" Jack said looking at Rodney.
"ZPM. He's Canadian." Daniel said.
"I'm sorry." he said sounding sincere.
"Zero Point Module General. The Ancient power source you recovered and is now powering the Ancient defense outpost. We have since determined that it get its enormous power from vacuum energy derived from a self contained region of sub-space time." he said gesturing with his hands on how it worked. He was very happy with himself to.
It's like talking to Carter or Ford. Oy!
"That's a waste of a perfectly good explanation. The answer is no."
Major Sheppard was walking around looking, and still as lost as ever. He walked into the room with the chair as Carson was talking about how he was using the chair.
"So you were the one." Sheppard said after Carson stopped talking to some lady and a guy next to her.
The two left quickly and he got behind the chair as Sheppard walked up to it.
"You're the one who fired that thing at me."
"We're doing research. Working with technology that is light years beyond us." Carson said as Sheppard looked at the chair. "And we make mistakes. I'm incredibly, incredibly sorry."
"Well next time be just a little more careful okay." he said dropping the angry attitude.
"That's what I said."
"So what the hell was that thing anyway?"
"You mean the drone?"
He nodded.
"The weapon built by the Ancients to defend this outpost." he said gesturing around.
"The who?"
"You do have security clearance to be here?" he asked seeming surprised this guy knew nothing.
"Yeah, yeah. General O'Neill just gave it to me." he said looking off in the Generals direction.
"Then you don't even know about the Stargate."
"The what?"
"Jack you know that gating to another galaxy requires an enormous amount of power."
"Yes, I do. Find another way."
"There is no other way." Daniel said quickly.
Jack paused a moment thinking.
"You think there might be more of these….Zed things in Atlantis?"
"Yes! And who knows what else we could find." Daniel said forcefully. Why can't he see how important this is!!! "This isn't some other civilization we could find, these are the gate builders."
"The potential wealth of knowledge and technology. It outweighs anything we have ever come across since we stepped through the Stargate." Weir said.
"Well, with the amount of power you need for this trek. Odds are it will be one way." Jack said.
"Yes, we know. But the benefit to humanity is far greater than the risk General." Weir said. "And it's a risk everyone of my expedition members is willing to take."
"We think the gene is was used as some sort of a genetic key, if you will." Carson said telling Sheppard about it. Sheppard looked at the chair and seriously thought about sitting it in as Carson walked away from it. "So that only their kind could operate certain dangerous and powerful technologies."
"So some people have the same genes at these Ancients?" he said walking around the chair.
"The specific gene is very rare, but on a whole, they look the same as we do." Carson said. "If fact they were the first, we are the second evolution of this form. The Ancients having explored this galaxy for millions of years….Major, please don't." he said rushing up as Sheppard started to sit down.
"Why, what are the odds of me having the same genes as these guys?" he said. During where he was saying me having these genes, everything lit up as he sat down and the chair leaned back. Carson looked shocked and didn't say anything for a few seconds at Sheppard looked around with his eyes.
"Quite slim actually. Don't move!" he said rushing out.
"Who is this?" Weir asked rushing in with everyone else. Jack, Daniel, Rodney and Carson. Jack didn't stop but walked up to the chair.
"I said don't touch anything." Jack said.
"I just sat down." he said not moving much.
"Major. Think about where we are in the solar system." Rodney said.
He looked ahead and thought about it. Suddenly the area above them changed and a holographic star map showed up.
"Did I do that?"
"We could be on our way to discovering a entirely new ancient civilization." Weir said as Jack and her walked out toward the elevator.
"Best case scenario, we meet actual Ancients who are willing to help us, but if we don't……General we need him." she said as they walked through the small outpost.
"Sorry, Doc. I need Daniel here."
"I'm talking about Major Sheppard." she said as they approached the elevator.
"Oh. Don't you have a dozen or so people already that can use the Ancient technology?"
"With enough concentration and training they can make it work, but John Sheppard. He does it naturally."
"You know, I checked into his record."
"I know about the whole supposed black mark in Afghanistan. He was trying to save the lives of three service men."
"Disobeying an order in the process." Jack said quickly.
"I have read your own files General. And seen some of Fords, though he's like Daniel. Please?"
"Right." he said puffing out a held in breath. He got into the elevator as it opened up. "Okay, it's your expedition. You ask him."
"That's the thing, I have." she said holding the door open.
"Really?"
John Sheppard was doing a final check of the helicopter systems as Jack got in.
"This isn't a long trip but I'll be succinct as possible." Jack said after a few moments of thinking as the Major kept getting things ready to go.
"Well that's pretty succinct." he said after a moment.
"Thank you."
"I told Doctor Weir, that well you know, I'd think about it."
"And? So?" Jack said putting his glasses on. "Well? What?"
"With all due respect sir, we were just attacked by an alien missile. Then I find out I have this mutant gene and that there is this Stargate thing and these expeditions to other galaxies." he said as the helicopter started up.
"You know, this isn't about you Sheppard. It's a lot bigger than that."
"Right now, at this very second, whether I decided to go on this mission or not, it is about me."
Jack shook his head as Sheppard put his helmet on.
"Let me ask you something. Why did you become a pilot?" he asked after putting his headset on.
"I think people that don't want to fly are crazy."
"And I think that people who don't want to go through the Stargate are equally as whacked." Jack said looking at him. "Now if you can't give me a yes or no by the time we reach McMurdo. I don't even want ya."
And they flew off.
At the SGC, things were, well…….hectic as hell. Most if not all the hallways leading to the gate room were filled with boxes, other supplies and god only knows what else. Jack told SG-1 that they were on stand down for the time being. Most if not all SG teams were in the same predicament. Some went home. SG-1 didn't though. Jack came down from his office as Daniel walked by talking to some female officer about how the gate was going to dial the eight symbols address.
"We there yet?" he asked looking around.
"We are waiting on Dr. McKay." Weir said.
Down in the power room for the gate system Rodney McKay was putting the ZPM into a human designed system to increase the power they needed for running the gate to Atlantis. Earlier though before the ZPM was ready to be installed he made a visit to someone before getting ready to leave.
Carter was working in her office on a computer project when the last man she wanted to see, okay not the last, but one on the list walked in.
"So, did you miss me at all?"
"What do you want McKay?" she said turning to him.
She didn't care how he took her attitude. She never did, not really.
"I came to see if you wanted to say anything to me before I go off to the Lost City." he said with a wave of his hand.
"Other than possibly good riddance? I admit you're smart…"
"So you noticed." he said smiling as he leaned on her table.
She only gave him a glare as she continued. "But your mannerism, your attitude…."
"Attitude?"
"You tried to get Teal'c killed! Your other plan almost destroyed this planet."
"I was working on what I believed to be the best plan of action from what I knew."
"That was the problem. You can't compromise without a fight."
"Anyway, enough about me. What about you?"
"Me?" she said seeing he turned it around quickly.
"You're so pretty when you're angry."
"You…" she said almost growling.
"Hey Sam." Ford said walking in and going over to her tool section.
"Hey." she said with a tone that she wanted his attention, but he didn't notice.
"Now where is that…okay here's one." he said picking up some small computer working tool and twirling it in his fingers as he kept searching. "Where is that other…"
"What are you looking for Ford?"
"I thought Ford was a black guy?" Rodney said.
Ford turned around seeing he and Sam were not alone. The guy looked familiar but he was thinking other things and went back to what he was doing.
"That Ford is a young Lieutenant and that's his last name. Ford is my first name. Now, I'm looking for….oh here's that one and there's the other one. I think that's it. Though I think I'm missing something. Hmm. I'll bring these right back." he said turning around and starting to leave.
"Ford!"
"What's up?" he said turning around.
Then he noticed the look of help on her face and walked back in standing next to her as she jerked her head for him to come back.
"Don't you know who this is and what he is doing here?" she said crossing her arms, visibly angry.
"Um, sorry to say he doesn't seem familiar. But my mind is elsewhere, which is why I need these tools. I'm guessing he is someone going to Atlantis. In which case, have fun." he said taking a step for the door.
"He's the one that almost got Teal'c killed when he was stuck in the Stargate system. Remember now?"
"Wait, I do know you." he said looking more closely.
"You do? I don't know you. In fact I've never seen you before." he said smugly.
"You are that moron that tried to get rid of Teal'c after he got trapped in the gate. How was Siberia?" Ford said smiling sarcastically.
"That was cold. What did I do to you?" he asked sounding scared.
"He's also hitting on me." Carter said. "I don't like it."
He looked at her turning his head quickly.
"Why is it any business of his?"
"He doesn't know." Ford said chuckling. He leaned over the table getting very close to Rodney's face and spoke calmly. "I'm her boyfriend. I saw how you treated her before, both times. If she told me to, I'd probably shoot you, so I advise that you leave, now."
Rodney looked at the tall man and thought a moment as he backed off some.
"You're bluffing."
"No. He'll do it." Carter said.
Rodney had a small flash of fear in his eyes, that went away for a moment until he heard what she said next.
"Unfortunately you don't have your guns with you." she said looking and seeing his gun was not on the back of his hip. Rodney thought she was looking at his ass. "But he doesn't need a gun. He's taken on Kull warriors with his bare hands."
"I'm not bluffing, ask Daniel, or Jack, hell ask Weir. She could give you a nice story of what I almost did to Kinsey."
"You were the one who did that…."
"Yeah." he said moving a little closer.
"Wait! You're the guy who's been taking then enemy on bared handed?!"
"That's me." he said smiling. "Want a demonstration?"
He turned and left quickly.
"What an ass." she said.
"Sorry I wasn't here when he showed up. I didn't know he was here. I thought he was still in Siberia."
"I'll be fine now. You being my personal bodyguard and all." she said wrapping her arms around him.
"Bodyguard huh? Is that all?" he said smiling.
"No. You're more than that." she said as they kissed for a few moments or minutes. Hard to tell since they didn't keep track. "So, what are the tools for? You're mind is definitely elsewhere."
"Can't
tell you. It's a surprise."
"For me?" she said
brightening.
"Yes. But I can't give any hints. I promise you that you will love it."
"Damn. I'll just have to wait and see then."
"That's right you. No searching either. Or you'll ruin the surprise." he said tapping her nose gently then with another kiss he left. "And no, no one knows what I am doing and don't go looking into the computers for info either."
"Oh very well." she said with a pout. "This better be good."
"Trust me, it will be."
Back in the power room Rodney had Siler activated the system and the ZPM glowed almost instantly giving more power to the system.
Sheppard came through the crowded hallways, in full get up as though he was going off world like any SG team. PC-90 included. He walked into the gate room and encountered the Colonel going to Atlantis who only looked at him. Weir walked in calling for everyone's attention as she headed to the base of the ramp.
"All right here we go." she said from below as Daniel got up to watch everything next to Jack.
Ford was there to watch the momentous occasions as he called it. Jack said it might not work and Ford betted him time off it would. Jack didn't take the bet though. People were walking into the gate room to hear what she had to say and continued to do so as she spoke.
"We're about to try and make a connection. We have been unable to predict exactly how much power this is going to take and we may only get the one chance at this. So if we get a stable wormhole, we are not going to risk shutting the gate down. We will send a M.A.L.P. robot probe, check for viability, and go. Everything in one shot." she said looking at everyone as she allowed it to sink in.
"Now, everyone of you volunteered for this mission and you represent over a dozen countries. You are the worlds best and brightest and in light of the adventure we are about to embark on…you're also the bravest." she said and smiled seeing Major Sheppard standing in the front row.
He smiled back at her with a small nod.
"I hope that we all return one day having discovered a whole new realm for humanity to explore. But as all of you know….we all may never be able to return home." she said sadly. She looked around and let that sink in as well before continuing again.
"I would like to offer you all one last chance to withdraw your participation."
She looked around seeing no one moving but awaiting her order.
"Begin the dialing sequence." she said moving out of the way. The alarms went off as Walter dialed the gate.
"Nice." Jack said to her as she walked in.
"Doctor Weir. Have fun on this new adventure and I apologize for anything I might have done that upset you." Ford said shaking her hand.
"Apology accepted Mr. Primus. Considering the information and thing Kinsey did later with me, he deserved it. I only wish you were here to throw him out that time."
Rodney walked in, saw Ford, which everyone saw the frightening look in his eyes. He stood next to Weir but out of arms reach of Ford. Ford was standing next to Jack on his right with Daniel on the other side of Jack. The gate spun around landing on the Earth symbol and locked in.
"Chevron eight is locked."
When gate activated with no trouble, everyone cheered.
"Send the M.A.L.P." Weir said.
The guy working activated it and it went through with no problems. It sent back telemetry that said it was in a large room with oxygen, no toxins, and no visible enemies. Daniel was surprised seeing the camera showed what it could, showing things intact.
"Dr. Weir, you have a go." Jack said.
"Thank you….sir." she said then walked down and into the gate room. Rodney had left after seeing it was a viable place to go.
The Colonel below started spouting off orders about who went through first. As he got near the gate, Weir told him they went through together as she grabbed her pack and got behind him.
"Fair enough." he said walking through.
Weir looked back at them one last time and Jack gave her a nod. She turned and went through with others following.
"Jack, it's not to late…"
"No." he said with his arms crossed.
"Daniel! What the hell are you thinking?! You're seriously needed here not only for your expertise but your friendship as well. Other than Sam, you, Jack and Teal'c are the only real family I have."
"Expedition team. Move out." Jack said through the mike.
As everyone started leaving Jack grabbed a bottle and walked out waiting for everyone to be gone.
"General O'Neill, Atlantis base offers greetings from the Pegasus Galaxy." was heard after everyone went through. It was Doctor Weir. "You may cut power to the gate."
Jack set the bottle down and rolled it in and then after a few moments had them shut it down. A note on the large bottle said, Bon Voyage, General Jack O'Neill.
As everyone started getting things back to normal operations, especially in the gate room Jack asked what that look was that Rodney had.
"Oh that. He was hitting on Sam and I told him to go away or else. She didn't like him and neither did I. She had me tell him to go away. Felt real nice." he said smiling.
"He certainly got on her bad side before." Daniel said starting to walk away. "Oh and Ford. Thanks. That does make me feel better."
Ford nodded as Daniel walked off.
"You consider me family?"
"Yes Jack. I have no one here. I've looked, Sam's looked, several other different um…will just say certain government places looked and my blood type is unique, to me. No one else comes close, though I am human. And that was a blood sample taken before I became, you know."
"Ah."
"Hey did I see Rebecca down there?"
"Yes, she volunteered to go and I didn't stop her."
"Interesting. I've got some things I need to do. See ya later Jack."
