CHAPTER 43
EPISODE……………COVENANT
A week before the episode though….
The temple was definitely of Ancient origin. When SG-4 found it they called the SGC telling them they needed Daniel to come help checking it out. Jack sent SG-1 and SG-3 seeing it was just a recon mission that looked to have no potential for having problems, but he was taking precautions. They walked out of the gate onto the sunny planet seeing trees, other plants, and lots of flowers. Lot's and lot's of flowers. Daniel didn't even make it off the small ramp before he was sneezing. Carter had SG-3 stay and watch the gate just in case. Reynolds only let them go because another SG team was at the structure to watch them if anything happened.
"Sorry Daniel." Carter said sympathetically. "Had I known…."
"Not your fault Sam." he said wiping his nose. "Just allergies."
"Didn't you take something? Didn't anyone tell you about this place?" Ford asked.
"No, I forgot to and no one told me."
"I thought so. Here." he said reaching in his pocket.
"Thanks." Daniel said taking the box of sinus pills. "You been carrying these awhile?"
"Actually for about month. I used to use them many years ago, before the incident in that Goa'uld ship in China. They work wonders for me, or used to."
"Being Immortal changed that then?"
"Yes."
"Lucky you." he said stepping over a rock.
"Only sometimes. Only sometimes." he said then muttered as he walked past a tree. "I even carry a extra vial of that Tretonin for Teal'c just in case."
They all walked out of the forest finding the large temple. It was looked like the statue they found with the Ancient head sucking wall device that got Jack all those months ago, but no such device was here. Instead it had a open door leading inside. SG-4 was standing outside patrolling it waiting for them.
"Colonel."
"Colonel." she said.
"There are several rooms inside but we found a door that we couldn't open. We figured that Doctor Jackson might be able to, failing that, the Captain might be able to bash it down."
"Was that a joke Colonel?" Ford asked raising an eyebrow at him.
"I was being serious Captain."
"Right. I'm going to go look at this….door with Daniel."
"And leave me out here, I don't think so." Carter said following.
"I will stay and keep watch Colonel Carter."
"Okay Teal'c. Call if anything happens."
He nodded and turned away doing perimeter duty.
The three walked through seeing several rooms in the small structure. All of the rooms had little of anything of value. Some old tables that may have had power to them once and screens that might have once showed pictures but now long since eroded with time and other problems. Looked like an attack on the structure itself was to blame.
"This is definitely an Ancient structure."
"Ancient as old or Ancient as…."
Carter looked at him turning quickly. Daniel turned from the wall slowly.
"Did I pull off what Jack would say well?"
"You've been hanging around the General too much I think." Carter said shaking her head.
"Actually yes. That did sound like him. Too much in fact."
"Sorry Daniel. Couldn't resist."
"Yeah. Neither could Jack if he were here. Nice touch though."
"So, think this might have been a listening post? Or something like the outpost on Earth?" Ford said changing the subject as he looked around.
"It looks like it could have been just that. What might have been a sleeping quarters is that room over there." Carter said pointing. "A kitchen like section, restroom, computer or lab room maybe. It's possible."
"Maybe that is what is beyond this door. One of those Ancient knowledge depositories." Ford said looking at the inscriptions on the doors. "You know, I could use it now that Herc is gone."
"What?!
Are you crazy?!" Sam yelled making Daniel jump.
Ford rolled
his eyes and sighed.
"Sometimes Sam I think you forget I can't die."
"You're right, I do forget." she said sarcastically. He hit a nerve. "I still don't think the idea is really worth going for just yet."
"He's right Sam, if there was one and it did work on him, then he could provide much more information that Jack ever did. Jack certainly didn't try much anyway."
"Yes, and see Thor would be able to hook me up to his computer like he did Jack and I could download it all. If not, then I could tell you what I learn or from what we observe me say and them once it takes me over eventually, then I just pass on, wake back up being restored. I wouldn't be surprised if I forgot everything that happened after being sucked like Jack though."
"Still sounds too risky to me. If we find one of those things, if we can't extract it from the wall, if the Goa'uld attack, then maybe I'll let you. Maybe." she stressed.
"Works for me. Any luck Daniel?"
"No. These symbols are not as easy to figure out as the others, not saying much there since reading Ancient isn't easy to begin with. Give me some time though."
"Got plenty of that, as long as the Goa'uld don't show up." he said sitting down.
"Can't help in any way?" she asked.
"No." he said running his hand along the symbols. "Ford was able to learn Goa'uld and a few others, but he can't seem to grasp this language."
"Sorry Sam, to me it looks like geometric shapes and lines. I seriously don't see a language. I know it is, but I don't see it well. I have been trying though. Barely have the basics."
"Alright, call if you need anything." she said going back outside.
"Colonel. How far did your recon of the surrounding area go?"
"From what we learned from the UAV and walking the area, we found the forest to the east and west go on for several miles. If there is anything out there, we never really looked beyond a couple of miles. The way south you already know and beyond the Stargate is more trees and flowers. The way behind us going north goes to that large hill you see. It seemed to steep to try climbing without equipment and since the UAV didn't show much beyond that except a heavy fog that was blocking the view of whatever is below. From what we can tell that steep hill is just a large drop off that stretches for miles in both directions."
"Understood. Has anyone tried to climb that hill then?"
"Not since your team came through. The Lieutenant tried finding a trail but didn't get anywhere. He got about twenty feet up and quit."
She nodded and called Ford out.
"We are going to go check out that hill side and attempt to see what is beyond it Colonel. Keep watch. Teal'c!"
"Yes Colonel." the other Colonel said going back to watching the area.
"Yes Colonel Carter." Teal'c said running up.
"We are going to check what's on the other side of that hill. What to come?"
He nodded and followed along. It took a few minutes and they came up to the hill seeing it was very steep.
"That Colonel was right. It is steep." she said.
Ford shook his head remembering worse.
"I've seen worse." he said looking it over.
"You have?"
"Yeah. Climbed worse too. Got tired of ripping my hands open so I quit. Won't have the same trouble this time." he said walking up the 30 some odd degree incline. He only got up it a few feet then turned around.
"You coming?"
She reached out and he grabbed her hand helping her up. Teal'c walked on his own and kept going, but slowly since the hill side was slick in some places. Ford kept hold of her hand helping her along making sure she didn't fall. He slipped a few times, Teal'c slipped and fell but never rolled down the hill. It took almost an hour but they made it to the top. The sight was absolutely incredible.
"Wow!!! There isn't even any place on Earth that comes close to this."
"Indeed. This view is truly a sight to behold."
"This is beautiful." Carter said slowly taking in the site.
The sight was truly majestic. Off to their left, a very large waterfall was streaming down into a open valley that stretched for several hundred miles. The water from the waterfall collected into a large lake that looked to maybe be able to hold a Navy Cruiser or possibly a Destroyer. They couldn't really tell since the view to the bottom was very far away. The water came from there going into a large stream that went zigzagging in some places until it went out of sight on the right side. Some small sections of the stream went up north.
"You got those binoculars on you Sam?"
"Sure." she said digging through her pack and giving them over.
He used them to look down finding the exact distant by the small numbers it displayed for him. He stepped back from the edge giving the binoculars back.
"Okay, I am officially afraid of heights now. That is impossibly far."
"How far is it Captain Ford?"
"Oh my god. It's almost twenty miles down." Carter said looking them backing up as well. "I seriously doubt any Immortal could survive that fall."
"I wouldn't jump if you ordered me to. Hell I wouldn't jump if any one ordered me to. Not unless someone was falling and I could save them."
"This planet must be bigger than Earth to have that big a drop off, off a cliff."
"Maybe we can have the Prometheus come by sometime and check it out. Might get some great pictures to share with our children."
"Are you with child Colonel Carter?" Teal'c asked concerned.
"No, no, no." they said together.
"He was speaking about the future Teal'c. When we finally become parents we could show them places we had been is what he meant."
"I see." he said. "Perhaps I may bring Ry'ack here one day."
"That would be a good idea. Though climbing equipment would help."
"Indeed."
"Sam, Ford, this is Daniel. I believe I figured out how to open it."
"We'll be there in a few moments." she said then looked down the hill. "On second thought, make that maybe half a hour."
"Where are you guys?"
"Up on a hill." Ford said.
"Not that one I saw as…"
"The same Daniel." Carter said.
"Lovely. Great view I take it?"
"Magnificent. Sorry you weren't here to see it. And you're the one with the camera!" Ford said through his com.
"It will still be there later. I can catch it then. See ya in a few." he said signing off.
It did take them a better part of an hour to get down and back to where Daniel was. Going up was one thing, but going down and trying to avoid sharp rocks, bushes and a few downed and decaying tress was another thing.
"Hi guys. Have fun?"
"Yeah." Carter and Ford said sounding exhausted.
"I did indeed."
"Great. Here we go then." he said depressing a couple of the symbols.
The door opened from the bottom coming up. Inside was a glass table that had long since lost all its power as well as the screen that was broken behind it. On the table though was something of interest. It was a perfectly round sphere of metal. The middle had a very thin and almost non existent line going all the way around. It sat on a pedestal shaped to hold it so it wouldn't roll away. Three unknown Ancient symbols were on it.
"Well, well, well. What have we here?" Daniel said slowly walking over to it.
"It looks like a metal ball." Ford said without thinking first.
"I see that Ford, but there must be some reason for it being here. Other than the dust on it, I'd say it's been sitting here for a very long time." Daniel said running a finger across it cautiously. Nothing happened.
"Any idea what those say?" Carter asked looking at the symbols.
"No. I haven't seen them in that way before. No idea's either in case you think of asking." Daniel said looking at them closely.
"Do you think it's safe to move?" Ford said tapping it.
"Don't know yet." Daniel said pulling out a small brush and removing the dust.
The others looked about the room but there was nothing there, no hidden panels either.
"How big is a ZPM Carter?"
She thought about it then told him the dimensions.
Ford used his fingers to judge the distance between the bottom and top of the metal sphere.
"It could be a container for a ZPM. Certainly would fit with room to spare. We haven't found a place for one here, so…" he said leaving it at that.
"Interesting container then. I have no idea how to open it and already tried to see if pushing the symbols would do the job. All the varieties didn't work." Daniel said.
"Should we not take it home for further study Colonel Carter?"
"We better get permission first otherwise the General will make us leave it at the gate. I'll go out and ask." she said leaving.
"Daniel I'm going to try and pick it up."
"I've already tried and it's heavy. It might not be moveable."
Ford tried anyway and it did lift off the small pedestal. But he had to set it back down quickly before he threw out his back.
"Whoa. That must weigh about two to three hundred pounds. Probably more."
"Yeah, that's the other thing I figured it being."
"A ZPM doesn't weigh that much though."
"True, but we don't know how they stored them much less even know if this is a ZPM container. For all we know it could be a glorified paper weight that says eat at Joe's. I don't know."
"I do not understand. What would eating at a man named Joe's accomplish here?"
That made Ford and Daniel laugh.
"Daniel was making a joke. It was a figure of speech Teal'c."
"I see."
"General O'Neill says it can come back with us. Can you lift it Ford?" Carter said coming back in.
"No way. Not without a serious back ache or dropping it."
"He already tried and could barely move it." Daniel said.
"I'll have the General send another team to retrieve it then. Let's go back home and wait."
And wait they did. For two hours. When it was finally brought through the gate, the SG team bringing it along on a special cart was so exhausted and sweating so bad that Jack gave them the day off, after seeing the infirmary first. The metal sphere was brought down to Carter's lab to be looked at since it would take too long to look at somewhere else due to its extreme weight. The weight was found out at being just shy of five hundred pounds.
"What is it?" Jack asked looking at the strange ball sitting on Carter's table. The pedestal that was on the planet was brought with it.
"Really sir, I don't yet."
"It's something the Ancients made Jack, but to what it does…."
"Any ideas?"
"Not really." Ford said, and after a moment he added. "Sir."
"Maybe it's a glorified paperweight." Jack said getting strange stares at him including Teal'c.
"What? It was just a suggestion." he said shrugging.
"Ford made an interesting suggestion as to what it might be and I think he might be right."
"You said you had no idea's!" Jack practically yelled looking at Ford.
"Well, it's a long shot, but it might be a storage case for a ZPM. The weight might be something to do with keeping it charged. Possibly." she said not sure.
"Whatever you all think it is, just find out what it is then get back to me." Jack said leaving.
"I'm going to take these symbols on here and go find out what I can from my notes." Daniel said. Teal'c nodded to them and left to do who knows what.
"Well Sam, I'd like to stay and help but the General wants me to help them do something in the control room with the computers since you are working on this."
"I never heard him say that."
"He told me over an hour ago when we got back. Something in the system is acting up and he wants me to check it out. I think it was Siler or Walter that told him."
"And he didn't ask me?" she said sounding offended.
"I have no idea why? We could switch places."
"We did that once." she said smiling mischievously.
"Funny Sam. Real funny."
"Now that I look back on it, it was a interesting experience. Well some of it was."
"Ah…I'm going to go now. You call if you need anything." he said giving her a quick kiss.
"Well……"
"Okay, I thought it was interesting, and more."
"Really now!"
"We can talk more about this at home."
"We certainly will." she said smiling almost wickedly as she gave him a quick kiss. The kiss lasted longer until the phone rang.
"Carter's office. Yes sir. He's on his way up now sir. Yes sir."
Ford rubbed her shoulder as she hung up the phone.
"I'll see you later."
Up in the control room he was working on the system trying to find the glitch that was causing the system to freeze up for several seconds, or more sometimes, every so often. So far he was getting nowhere and about ready to ask Jack if he could call Sam to come help. He'd been at it for over half an hour.
Teal'c was headed for Carter's office to see if Ford could help him with something in the workout room. Ford was teaching him new fighting techniques along with a few other people in a special training class. He did not know that Ford was in the control room working and figured he was with Carter, as he usually was.
Daniel was looking over several notes dealing with those symbols. He decided to see if Ford might know something since he was helping study on the Ancient language, he didn't get it very well, but he was the second most authority on the planet. Well, maybe not the second, but close enough at the moment seeing as the few other people were currently off world.
Jack was in the restroom washing his hands when the alarms went off. And the base shook violently.
Carter was looking over the strange device with a scanning tool. The scan revealed that the device had massive amount of power inside. The three symbols suddenly lit up red and popped out as though they just became buttons. She thought about calling Daniel when the middle split bringing the top up one inch. Lights went all the way around and flashed red. The three symbols made a clicking noise and started depressing by themselves as a low whine noise started increasing.
Ford………Carter thought closing her eyes as the last symbol clicked into place.
The whole base and mountain complex shook on the Richter scale of 5.2 as a massive explosion took place inside the base. Fires broke out as equipment broke down and sparks flew. Glass everywhere shattered and smoke began pouring out of practically everything.
"REPORT!!!" Ford yelled getting off the floor.
"The whole base has went on full alert!!!"
"I can see that!!!! Damage report Walter!!!!"
"I don't know. All the systems are failing!!!!"
"Is the gate active at all!!!!"
"No!! The system is completely down and fried!!!!"
"Close the Iris!!!!"
"We can't up here!!!"
"Dammit!!!! Send out the emergency evacuation code to everyone of the base!!!!!" Ford yelled as a computer system blew up on the wall. And then caught fire.
"What?!"
"Tell everyone to abandon the base!!!! Get to the first floor and get out of here quick!! That's an order!!" Ford yelled jumping through the broken window into the gate room.
He grabbed the manual override and closed the Iris then ran up going back into the control room.
"What the hell is going on?!!!!!" Jack said seeing no one in the room.
Ford came running up the steps from below and heard the evacuation order over the speakers.
"Don't know Jack!!!! The base is falling apart!!!! I've ordered a complete evacuation!! I'm going to find Carter and the others. Don't dare try and stop me." he said starting to leave.
"I'm going with you then!!"
They ran through finding people running for the elevators or the emergency exits that were ladders leading out. Some asked what was going on, but they were ordered to evac. They ran into a hurt Daniel who was headed toward them. Looked like something must have hit him in the head by the small trickle of blood coming down his face.
"What's going on?!!!" he yelled as they passed by him.
"We don't know. Ford's going after Carter." Jack said still following.
They came around a corner finding a blaze of fire, smoke and one humongous hole in the base. They could see that a good forty feet below them and more was gone and four floors up was gone. The large hole in the base was so big it went into the rock face that was once behind the metal and concrete wall.
"No." Ford said in a small voice and then as he ran for the edge. "NO!!!!"
Jack and Daniel had to hold him back to keep from going further.
"Ford we got to get out of here!!!!" Jack yelled.
"No! She can't be gone!!!! Let me go dammit!!!" he yelled barely getting free.
"You couldn't survive that Ford, what makes you think she could have?!!" Daniel yelled. "I'm sorry Ford, she's gone."
"I…..no….dammit….no!!!" he cried breaking down.
He dropped to his knees crying, bawling as he realized the truth. All the fight he had left him as they let him go. Even with the smoke and fires going on, Ford didn't leave for almost two hours when search teams were sent in. Jack and Daniel both stayed with him the whole time.
A couple of weeks later they had the gate running again. The loss of life was found to be at 52 people. This included Sam, Teal'c and K-9. The damaged section of the base was off limits until it was restored. It was later found out that Ba'al had placed that metal sphere there hoping that an SG team would take it home. They had no idea it was a trap and fell for it. Ironically, Ford's coat was not destroyed since he had it in his room on the base. His room was trashed as was everything else on the base but it survived. The tremor was reported to be a earthquake that just came through the region suddenly to the public. Other than that, the problem was kept quite. Jack was really thinking of leaving the SGC but the higher ups said if he resigned his post, then they were giving it to Ford since he knew more about the place than most people. That and a lot of people that died were of higher rank. Colonel Reynolds also didn't make it. Jack gave the surprising news to him and, well, it didn't go well to say the least. Jack reported back saying he would stay as the SGC's commander after telling then what Ford had said. He left out all the obscene and heavily vulgar comments that went along with it though. Jack's superiors had him promote Ford to a full Colonel and command of SG-1. He grudgingly and reluctantly accepted. A plaque was placed on the doorway to where the late Carter's lab used to be.
It read, "To those who lost there lives in the tragic bombing of this facility. This transgression against those people and their loved ones will not go unnoticed or be forgotten. They shall be avenged."
One month later…….
Jack was standing on the ramp with the Stargate behind him as he spoke into the mike on the podium. Everyone on the base was looking hardened and battle ready despite not wearing any weapons. Everyone was in dress uniforms or otherwise. They waited until the base was in better performing function and with the body count fully found before doing a ceremony.
"Over a month ago…..we lost a lot of very valuable people. Some….very special and others….very close. The attack on this base was too close to home. Way to close." he said slowly as he wiped his eyes.
"We….cannot let this go unnoticed. The Goa'uld will pay for this, you can bet on it! Despite our loss, we must continue forward in their name, for they would not want us to quit. They would want us to fight! To win. To stop this atrocity from happening to anyone else. We cannot fail. From now on, we fight harder, better, stronger." he said with conviction.
Everyone yelled a hell yes sir. Most of everyone anyway. He dismissed everyone and things went back to normal, or as normal operations as possible. With the death of several SG teams and death of SG personal, the SG teams themselves had to be reassigned. SG-1 now consisted of Colonel Ford, Daniel, Major Cheryl Peterson who was on SG-8 and Lieutenant Joseph Franklin formerly on SG-15. Over the next month the Goa'uld never knew what hit them. Whenever they showed up, usually no matter how many troops or ships, they left or died or did push the SG teams back but not without very heavy losses. Within two months they had taken out over five Goa'ulds. Ba'al was beginning to fear them enough he tried over several attempts to destroy them by sending explosives through the gate. He didn't succeed. Ford personally was becoming a thorn in the Goa'uld's side. The Tok'ra had came out of hiding and helped the SGC the best they could. So far they had four Goa'uld motherships on their side now and the ships like the Prometheus was being produced quickly with the new materials they were gaining after taking several planets over. Ford wasn't using his personal cannons much anymore. He was using either thirty millimeter machine guns, hand held fifty caliber machine guns, or his personal favorite, a belt fed gatling gun he could carry on his hip. Sometimes he used a anti-tank rifle designed with a clip. Hercules returned to him after finding out what had happened to Carter and the others, mostly Carter though. With him back, Ford became more dangerous than ever before and some people quit being around him period. Things certainly changed when Ford stayed in Carter's former lab and worked on a computer until he was needed for something, otherwise he slept, ate and spent his free time in there. He actually never went back home after she died. He didn't sell the place either, just left it sitting there gaining dust and continued to pay the bills on the place.
Two months later……….
The death toll on Goa'ulds they had taken out was at fifteen now and many Jaffa began to realize that Ford was more of a god than the ones they served or used to serve. The Tauri had many planets they had liberated and had turned into strongholds quickly. There was many new rebel Jaffa's now that they were converting or looking for asylum on Earth. Ford became known as death reborn or slayer of the false gods. He didn't acknowledge it though. He barely talked to anyone anymore unless ordered to or it was Master Bra'tak, Daniel or Jack. Ba'al was making many of his Kull warriors to try and stop the Tauri but so far he was failing and reports from the Tok'ra said that he was on the verge of losing it, going crazy is what they meant. Just last week, from intel they got from the Tok'ra, they went to a planet of Ba'als and wiped out the facility he had set up to create more Kull warriors. It was practically a massacre. Ba'al lost the facility in less than an hour and the SG personal only lost three people.
Then one day…..
Jack walked into the office to see what Ford was up to. He knew it was probably a bad idea seeing Ford was becoming more secluded all the time. He hadn't left the base in over two weeks now and had barely talked to even his friends. He walked in seeing Ford at a computer with his coat on. He barely took his coat off anymore either and was always carrying his guns. Jack tried once to reason with Ford and have him not wear the coat and all the weapons and seeing as that went bad real quickly he never brought it up again. Even Daniel had became somewhat secluded.
"Colonel? What are you up to?"
"Working on an idea. What do you need Jack?" he said emotionlessly as he continued working on the computer. "I'm really busy."
After the promotion and with everything else going on, Ford had completely skipped the rank stuff and called everyone by name. Jack as first didn't like it, but seeing as Ford lost the most out of what happened, he didn't bother and getting on Ford's bad side was rumored to be like going up to a starving, mad pit bull and taunting it with meat.
"Anything I should know about?"
"No. I'm almost done anyway. Soon I'll have what I need. What I've always needed."
"What is it you're doing Colonel? You've been in here for weeks now, maybe months."
"Big deal. I don't care. Don't have to anymore." he said still emotionlessly.
"Ford. You have to try to get over it."
"Get over it?" he said angrily as he turned to him and punched his fist through the table. "Get over it?! The only thing I cared about in this miserable universe was her Jack!!! Other than you guys she was everything to me and that bastard killed her with a trap I should have seen through. You may be over it, but I sure as hell am not!! Don't dare try that sympathetic approach Jack!! I should have been the one down here, not her! I know for a fact you've never forgiven yourself about your son, so don't go there!"
Jack knew Ford was border lining insubordination but let it slid. Ford refused counseling when the incident happened. Everyone on the base saw a shrink except Ford. Ford told the shrink she had only one warning from him to stay away. She got the message and never came back.
"Ford…….you couldn't have know it was a trap." he said slowly. "No one could. You can't change it either."
"Wrong Jack. I can. Now I can anyway. I'm going back to fix the past." he said pulling a CD disc from the drive.
"How do you plan on doing that?"
"Simple. Found out when a solar flare is going to happen which is very soon. Sam once showed me how the time travel thing worked using the gate. I'm going back to change things."
Jack thought about that idea a moment as Ford did something else on the computer.
"No…..you're not. You try to pull this and I'll have security…."
"Sorry Jack, you have no say so in the matter." he said pulling a zat gun from beside the computer and shooting him.
Jack fell to the ground withering as Ford picked him up and moved him to a corner tying him up.
"Ford, when I get free….." Jack said extremely pissed.
"I'll be back in the past and time will be changed so forgive me when I do this." he said punching Jack out, hard.
He slumped back unconscious as Ford left the room after grabbing another zat gun. Ford rushed over to the armory, knocking the guard unconscious along with the people working there and grabbed a few things. He then entered the control room shooting everyone he saw quickly. He took the guards out as he walked into the room. No one was able to stop him as he placed the disc in the computer and within moments the gate started dialing as Ford worked on the computer shutting the doors down in the base. He programmed them to open back up in ten minutes, not that it was going to matter. The gate dialed out as he finished working on the doors and other systems and then ran down going up the event horizon. A quick look at his watch told him he had more time to wait than thought.
"Damn."
"Ford?!! What are you doing?!!!" Daniel said from the control room.
"Goodbye Daniel! See ya in the past!!!" he yelled running through.
"What does that…."
Ford walked into the control room popping his neck.
"Hey Major. O'Neill sent you down to check the system huh? It's acting up."
"Where's the Brigadier anyway?"
"Lunch is what he said."
"Figures. Probably stuffing his face with cake and Jello."
"Knowing him, he probably is."
"Not healthy but then I eat a lot of chocolate so I should talk. Okay, I'll look at it Walter and see if I can fix or find the problem. Sam's busy with that strange metal sphere. If she finishes it or gets stuck she can come help us out." he said getting under the console.
Suddenly the alarms went off making Ford roll out quickly as Walter moved over.
"Unauthorized off-world activation!!"
"Close the Iris." Ford said taking over since no one else is around of higher rank.
"Yes sir."
"Walter, remember?"
"Right, sorry Captain."
The metal spun closed sealing the opening as soldiers piled into the gate room.
"Any teams off world?"
"A couple but they are not due back till tomorrow." Walter said. "Wait, the IDC is coming through. It's SG-1 Captain." he said confused.
"It's what? Open the Iris!!"
"Captain?"
Ford reached over slapping his hand on the scanning panel. It read his hand and opened the Iris.
"It might be the SG-1 team from the future. You never know with this place. We can't afford to not open it. I'll take the blame."
"You're the officer in charge Captain." Walter said as they watched the shimmering pool. It was several seconds in and nothing had happened.
"Maybe….." Walter began to say when someone walked through.
A metal clank was heard as something rolled down the ramp. A loud blast came from the gate room and the window to the control room shattered making everyone duck for cover. Ford just covered his face. Another metal clank came into the room as something was tossed in. Ford ran diving down the stairs as everyone else tried to move for cover. An explosion from below and above took place soon after knocking everyone but Ford out. He ran out into the gate room seeing someone running quickly through the doorway out into the base.
Damn!!!! Can't get to the intruder alert!!!! he thought running after whoever it was.
He suddenly sneezed hearing it ahead of him as well. He ran up through the corridors quickly and spun the person around after catching up, ready to deck them. It was himself.
"What the hell?! What are.."
"You! You need to watch everyone's back more closely. And take better care of SAM!!!!" He yelled sucker punching his counterpart.
Ford spun around slamming into the bulkhead and was instantly knocked out. His future self ran away after that.
"Damn, I guess it doesn't apply. Hmm." he said still running.
Sam was getting ready to do a scan when she heard someone running up. She went to set the scanning device aside near the metal sphere when she felt the presence of Goa'uld nearby. She heard something about unauthorized off world activation and was waiting to be called. Somebody must have broke through security she thought when Ford walked into the room. She breathed a sigh of relief.
"Ford you scared me! What's up?" she said picking the scanning device back up.
"Drop it Sam. And back away." he said pointing a zat at her.
Seeing her brought back enough memories he started loosing emotional control. Though Herc helped to keep him from loosing it.
"Ford, what are you doing?" she said putting the device down.
She felt the Goa'uld presence from him and it was beginning to scare her.
"I'm saving you." he said shooting her.
He caught her before she hit the floor.
"Forgive me Sam. I had to do this." he said setting her on the ground.
"I don't under…" she said slowly and sadly as tears formed.
"I can't explain. No time." he said kissing her quickly. "Trust me, I'm saving you."
He got up, set the zat's aside along with his personal cannon's and the belt, grabbed the sphere and ran.
Damn, this thing is heavy! Herc thought to him.
Hey, I picked this thing up back in the past, without your help.
Yeah, I saw that memory already. You put it down before you broke your back.
Jack came running into the control room hearing the alarms still going off and seeing everyone knocked out on the floor and a Jaffa stun grenade on the ground at his feet. The gate was shut down but he slammed his hand onto the palm scanner and closed the Iris. He quickly activated the intruder alert and called medical up to the control room as well as SG-1 seeing as the Iris code said SG-1 blinking on the screen. Teal'c came running in several minutes later along with Daniel. Ford and Carter had not showed up yet and he had a guard go find them.
Ford started rolling his unloaded coat around the sphere as he kept running for the deepest part of the base. He kept yelling to everyone run for their lives to the top of the complex. A few tried to question him, but he yelled it as an order as he kept running. He got to the lowest part of the base where the testing of explosive devices was done and rushed in, yelling at them to leave as he grabbed a young female airman.
"Sir?" she asked terrified.
"This is a very big bomb capable of destroying this base. Take this and use it when I yell." he said handing a strange crystal to her as he smashed another into the lower section of the wall.
The wall changed and started growing going downward. It was a Tok'ra tunnel being created. He picked his rolled up coat that was around the metal sphere.
"Okay airman, when I yell, you slam that into the wall here and it will close the tunnel behind me!"
"But you'll be…"
"Do it!!! That's an order!!! Then get out of here as fast as you can!!" he yelled at her running in.
After a few dozen yards in he yelled at her and she did as told. The area behind him started closing in as he kept moving forward.
Carter got up after Ford left and was really confused. She looked at her watch seeing it died so she looked at the one on the computer seeing several minutes had went by. She tried the phone, but it was tied up for some reason so she ran out heading for the control room to see what was going on. That Ford was hers but something was different, she couldn't figure it out. Something must have came through the gate and took him over or….basically her mind couldn't come up with anything that explained what he was doing and why he took the sphere as she kept running. It wasn't until later she remembered seeing stars on his shoulders that showed him to be a full bird Colonel that made her realize that was what she really found strange before he shot her making her so confused that she basically forgot the rank.
Jack was checking the camera's security to see who came through the gate. It was distorted so he couldn't tell who it was. A young female airman came rushing in explaining what she just did with Ford. He turned around quickly having the airman explain what she just said but slower since she was talking a mile a minute and with tears.
The crystal he activated ran out and the wall quit moving forward. Ford stopped next to the wall and turned around seeing the way behind him starting to close in slowly. He smashed another crystal into the wall again making it go further down and followed it. From all the information they learned about the bomb, from others they found in the future, any electrical currents directed at it would cause it to explode. Any tampering with it would cause it to exploded. Any attempt to take it back through the Stargate would make it explode. Any touch of sunlight would make it explode. He looked down hearing a noise from the device. It also was set to go off after going through the Stargate after a certain amount of time. And it did as he tossed it ahead of himself.
Jack was listening to her for the second time when the base started shaking badly until an explosion was heard with it. It was like a small earthquake that turned ugly quickly. The emergency doors came down all over the base seconds after the explosion, keeping the detonation localized to that level. The blast panel for the control room came down as well and they couldn't see the gate anymore. It only helped a little though as fire suppression systems as well as emergency power kicked in as main power failed all over the base. Carter ran in asking what was going on and where Ford was. Everything had quit shaking and most systems were trying to come back online.
"He…." the young woman began.
"He what?"
"Carter….he…."
"Sir? What are you….no. He didn't." she said slowly.
"I'm sorry Sam. He got rid of the bomb by taking it underground." Daniel said sadly.
"The Captain ordered me to seal the wall behind him with a Tok'ra crystal. I'm sorry Colonel." the young woman said through tears. She looked at Jack who waved her away. She turned leaving quickly.
"He's gone?" she said in a whisper. "He…"
"I'm sorry Sam. I didn't know what he was doing to be able to stop him." Jack said slowly.
She walked over into his open arms and cried. Daniel sat down rubbing his eyes as they teared up. Teal'c was down in the gate room and had been long before Carter had entered the room upstairs or heard about what had happened. He was holding the two Jaffa stun grenades as Ford walked in through the doorway rubbing his jaw. Teal'c noticed blood running down from his lip and from his head. Quite a bit actually, or was at one time.
"Captain Ford? Do you know what has transpired here?"
"I really wish I did Teal'c. I thought you might know."
"Are you injured?" he asked seeing Ford rubbing his jaw.
"Call it phantom pain. I can't believe I got punch by my future self. Damn, that hurt."
"I do not understand." he said after tilting his head.
"The person who came through the gate was a future version of me. Why, I have no idea. Was there an explosion on the base or something? I thought I heard one when I woke up." he said wiping the blood away with his handkerchief.
"Indeed there was. I do not know who or what has caused it as of yet."
"Hmm. Let's go see if the other's know anything. Hopefully it's nothing extremely terrible." he said moaning some.
His head had a dull ache from him hitting the bulkhead. If not for his healing abilities, he'd have brain damage or be dead.
"Indeed." he said following along.
Ford was still rubbing his jaw as he walked up the stairs. Jack was standing there holding Carter, neither looking in his direction. The wrong thoughts filled his head and he basically forgot the sound of crying he was starting to hear.
"Jack, what in the hell, do you think, you are doing?" he said narrowing his eyes. He emphasized the word hell, think and doing.
The first thing that got his attention was Daniel standing up quickly to his left as he walked up the stairs into the room so Teal'c could walk in. Daniel looked confused and surprised.
"You're….alive?" Daniel sputtered.
"What has transpired?" Teal'c asked seeing Carter was crying.
Ford only looked at Daniel confused then at the other two still confused.
"Ford?" she said slowly looking at him.
"Yeah." he said completely lost especially after she grabbed him forcefully. Forcefully enough he grunted. "What the hell is going on people? Who died?"
"We thought you were dead." Daniel said slowly.
"I come back though. Wait, why would I be dead?" he said totally confused.
"We were told that you died in the explosion though." Daniel said.
"Explosion? Okay, now I'm really lost." he said shaking his hands.
"That metal sphere was a bomb. You came into the lab, in your coat, and had a Goa'uld in you or a Tok'ra, then you shot me…." she said stepping back and wiping her eyes.
"Wait a minute! Time out. My future me shot you?"
"Future?" Daniel said.
"Yeah." he said then realized they were now confused. "Oh, you all must not know then. Okay, the gate activated, I was the only officer around with the highest rank and I had the Iris opened…"
"What the hell?" Jack said as the medical team showed up in the gate room and control room. "Why did you have it opened?!! What dumb idea went through…."
"We got the SG-1 IDC Jack! I figured it was one or all of us from the future. In this case it seemed to be……me. I never did figure out what he wanted though. He sucker punched me before I could find out anything. Need a clean up crew down that hallway there. Kinda a lot of blood on the wall and such."
The medical team nodded as they took the information and kept working.
"You hit yourself essentially." Jack said.
"Yeah. Hurt like hell to." he said rubbing his jaw still. "He broke it and several teeth. Not to mention he cracked my head open when I slammed into the wall. Thank god I heal quickly. I hate dentist."
"So he came back and got rid of the bomb then. Taking himself with it." Daniel said. He then explained what the female airman had to them.
"Hero to the end. Figures I'd do something like that."
"Well, that's settled. Let's go see what sort of damage has been done to the base and see who we're missing." Jack said.
"Good idea sir." Carter said sounding like herself again as she wiped her eyes.
"Hopefully no one was lost." Ford said following them out.
"Besides your other self?" Jack asked.
"Is that a joke? Because…"
"No."
The bomb testing or lockdown room for explosives was completely destroyed as was several rooms and hallways leading to it. Everything behind it was totally blown away. A large cavern was open beyond where the wall to the base should have been. They were all in awe of the damage.
"There's little if any debris. It must have completely annihilated everything in the blast."
"Thanks Carter. I didn't see that for myself." Jack said smartly.
"Yes sir."
She hadn't let go of Ford since finding out he was not gone. But she did now. Ford stepped out onto the broken ground gently. His boot didn't burn.
"I think it's safe to look further." he said walking out on the uneven ground.
He noticed a metal plate, a familiar metal plate on the ground. He picked it up and grunted as it burnt his hand. He tossed it past them as he shook his hand. Even with the force of the explosion, it didn't change the fact the center of the blast took place below. He looked out above the edge of where the room once was seeing a very big drop.
"You guys should see this!"
"We would Ford, but there is a problem with that interesting but really dumb idea." Jack said.
"Such as?" he said turning around.
Something smelt funny. Like burning rubber. He saw Daniel pointing at the ground and looked at his melting boots. He jumped and walked back over quickly getting back on the concrete section that wasn't damaged.
"Feet hot?"
"Not really, no. Didn't get that far. I'm going to go change shoes now though. I can feel my knives moving under the soles. They are probably hot though. Well, look on the bright side Jack, other than the fact no one was killed, this could be where the pool could be put in, or some sort of recreation area. If not, something can be placed here."
"Wait a minute." Carter said suddenly.
"What Carter?" Jack said.
"You said that you essential hit yourself, right?"
"Yeah, full fist. Would have took my head off if he used his full strength. I'm guessing Herc was with him and pulled some of the punch. Why?" he asked picking the metal plate up.
"But that's not possible. The theory states that…."
"Hold up!! Time out!!" Jack said signaling time out with his hands as they walked away from the blast area. "What are we talking about here? When you say the word theory Carter, I become completely lost after that."
"Really General, I thought you really tried to pay attention."
"Just because your future self saved us all, doesn't mean you get to be a smartass Captain. Go on Carter."
"Ford should have ceased to exist or…"
"Or caused a massive explosion or who knows what. I know the rules Sam, but I have never believed them. That dumb theory about no thing can occupy the same place at the same time. There is no actual proof." Ford said waving his hands. "Hey, airman, if you find anymore of these metal plates, bring them to me or put them in Carter's office."
"Yes sir." the airman said as others came to ascertain the extent of the damage. Jack gave them a quick run down of what he wanted then they left the area. It wasn't until they got near the locker room they started up again.
"Wait, there was full physical contact right?" Carter said really confused and excited about the information.
"Yeah, but that Doc Brown theory is nothing." Ford said as he entered into the locker room. He sat down taking his boots off.
"What theory?" Daniel said.
"It's a theory in a movie I watched. I think it's the basic theory about time travel actually. The theory states that if you were to go back in time and see yourself and touch yourself that two things would happen. The end of the universe or you both pass out or end up killing each other only. I think that was in Time Cop as well." he said rubbing his foot which did get burnt slightly. "Okay that's three, but you get the idea."
The sock was black and he removed it while looking for another pair of boots. As he put the boots on, after new socks, he looked up seeing them lost.
"What movie you talking about?" Daniel said.
"Back to the Future. About a teenager and a brilliant scientist who travel through time in a Delorian. I had it once too. Should have brought it with me with the other DVD's."
"Never heard of it." Jack said.
"What? You of all people should have! Wait, never heard of the movie Back to the Future?"
They all shook their heads.
"Not again." he said rubbing his face. "This has got to be the strangest, but most interesting universe I've ever seen. I'll tell you about it later, we should see about damage assessment, injured personal and see if the gate still works. Got teams off planet you know."
"It's off world." Daniel said.
"Oh right, thanks." he said.
Jack gazed at him thinking.
"You looking to take my job, cause I'll give it to you so I can go back in the field again." Jack said hopefully. "I already have some of those plans going on."
"You know what's sad Brigadier. You're being serious. And if not for Sam here, no offense Sam."
"None taken." she said.
"I'd take the job. But seriously, I don't want it. I love my life and how it's going, more importantly who it's with." he said with a wink.
"You're hopeless." Jack muttered leaving the room.
"A hopeless romantic." Daniel said leaving.
Teal'c had a curious look on his face as he left to ask Daniel what that meant.
It didn't take long after that that the two were in a deep passionate kiss. That night they never got any sleep.
The next several days were spent finding out the damage, injuries and seeing about the gate itself. It was working thankfully and the teams off world came home just fine. The damage to the base was localized to that region mostly and with the new space, plans were put into place to turn the new area into a possible pool for swimming purposes and maybe other things. Injuries were minimal since the other Ford was able to get most of the personal to run to the upper levels. Most of those injured were by falling down, rushing things or scrapes and bruises. Other than that, no deaths. K-9 was helping Doctor Lee with something when everything went down. Right now though he was back in Carter's office.
"So Doc Brown existed in this universe." Ford said looking at the computer in Carter's office. She was looking at it as well.
"And you say he built a time machine out of an old car that isn't made anymore?"
"Yeah, said that it was cool since that particular car had style. Broke down a lot though. I wish we had it though. That thing could fly to. Had a hover unit put in it we could use."
"So some old guy managed to learn the secret to time travel. And I can't figure it out." she said sounding depressed.
"Don't worry about it Sam. That was about the only thing he actually got right. Since I didn't bring the movie set with me, I have no proof of anything other than what I saw and heard."
"Well, I can say this, you have to be the first person that ever survived a encounter with yourself." she said chuckling.
"Funny. I gotta go. Got something I'm making. It's a surprise so no I'm not telling you want it is."
"No fair. How long do I have to wait?"
"Not sure as of yet." he said smiling as he walked out backwards.
EPISODE………………COVENANT
Takes place about a week later.
Two men were arguing as they entered the room. The building belonged to a very highly known man who liked to tell the truth, usually no matter the consequences. The owner was wearing tan slacks with a blue button up shirt as he walked into his office. It was very nicely set up. He was also known for making airplanes safer and for engine work on planes, from commercial to military. Glass paneled walls lined the place and his office area. A metal desk was in one section of the room near the wall. Behind it was a couple of pictures on the wall along with a thin monitor on a small table. A couple of orange chairs with a orange couch were sitting in the middle of the room around a small square glass table.
"Once you walk through that door, there is no turning back." the bald man in a suit said following his friend in.
"Oh, I understand Brian and I'm not having any doubts." Alec said grabbing his leather jacket off a chair and putting it on as he kept walking.
He had brown curly hair, wasn't very tall, maybe almost six feet and had a TV face, like he was born to be seen for news.
"Alec, it is not just your credibility at stake here." Brian said trying to plead with his friend.
"You're right there. It's the leaders of the democratic free world who should be worried." Alec said getting into his personal elevator.
"Think about the people who work for this company, the share holders."
"I am Brian. They have the right to know the truth, as does everybody else." he said nodding to him.
Brian seemed to sigh as he walked over and got into the elevator.
"Trust me. We're doing the right thing." he said pushing the down button.
Down below in his building, Colson Industries, reporters were all packed together to hear the news he was about to tell the world. Several of his ideas on planes were on the walls, etched in glass. Alec exited the elevator and walked over to a podium with several mikes on it as the people shouted and took pictures.
"Thank you all for coming." he said once behind it. "As you all know, about five months ago, our planet suffered a horrible tragedy. Over two thousand American servicemen and women were killed when a meteor shower disrupted global communications and hit an United States naval carrier group on maneuvers in the Pacific Ocean. I'm here today to challenge the facts of that incident as they have been conveyed to the general public. On the day in question. None of our satellites detected a meteor shower."
At the SGC……
Daniel was watching the broadcast of what the guy was saying on TV when Sam and Ford walked in. They walked in as Alec was talking about the satellites not detecting anything.
"Hey, what's going on?" she asked being first into the room.
"Shhhh." Daniel said putting a finger to his lips then turned back to the TV.
"A news report?"
"Very important. Shhhh." Daniel said not turning to him.
The two shrugged at each other and then watched it with Daniel.
"Now I don't know how many governments around the world are in on this, but I do know that we are being lied to and the truth is being covered up! Ladies and gentlemen, there is life beyond our world. There are aliens out there and they have a technology far beyond ours, and they have been intervening in our existence for quite some time!" he said letting it sink in before going on.
"I have proof. I am giving the governments, off all the nations that are aware of this, twenty four hours, to reveal the truth, or I'm going to do it for them." Alec said then walked off with the camera's following and reporters asking questions.
"Well….there you go." Daniel said looking at them.
"It was bound to get in the open sooner or later. I'm guessing that this guy is not a…head case, since he wasn't shouted off the screen right away. He looks familiar, but…"
"No. He's famous and rich." Carter said.
"Like us?"
"Richer. We're in trouble. He would have to know something to go on the air."
"Oh man, I can see one guy in the FBI loving every minute of this."
At NCIS headquarters…..
The team, Agent Gibbs, Agent Dinozzo and Agent Todd all saw the broadcast and looked at each other. They knew to keep quiet, but realized the truth might be coming out.
At JAG……
The Admiral and Rabb along with several others saw the broadcast. Only Rabb and the Admiral looked at each other knowing the truth and what might be about to come and that the greatest case of their careers might take place soon, short though it was.
At FBI headquarters, Fox Mulder was watching the TV with interest. And he had dragged Scully over quickly almost pulling her arm out of its socket.
In the briefing room SG-1 was watching a TV program that was talking about the recent information that came out from Alec. A large plasma screen was on a metal tray, with wheels. They just had it against the wall watching it and were standing. They were not seated at the briefing table just yet.
"For those of you living on another planet for the last twenty years…." a lady said with the picture of Alec in the background.
"That sums it up for me." Ford said humorously.
"Alec Colson, age 42, net worth $60 billion dollars, runs a global empire of companies including communications, biotechnologies, aerospace and aviation. He's number eight on the fortune five hundred. He holds over two hundred proprietary patents….."
"Shut it off." Jack said walking in sounding upset.
Carter did quickly.
"You know who he is. Some of us better than others." Jack said walking over to the table but looked at Carter.
"What did he mean?" Ford asked slowly.
"We worked together briefly." she said like it was nothing.
"Really? I didn't know this. Can I ask on what?"
"Colson aviation worked on the multi control systems for the F-302." she said as they walked to the table. They didn't sit down yet and she was addressing everyone now. "Colson didn't know what they were for of course, but he is a brilliant engineer."
"He's also a little nuts, isn't he?" Jack asked.
"You've test flown experimental aircraft." Carter said.
"I'm an man from another universe where…well..." Ford said leaving it hanging.
"We all go through the gate." Daniel said.
"This isn't about us." Jack pointed out forcefully.
"Well, in a way, it is." Daniel said.
"The point is sir, he's not some loony cult leader. People are taking him seriously."
"So what do we think he knows?" Jack said opening a file. There was a picture of Alec at a younger age near a aircraft. From the looks of it, a stealth fighter.
"Considering his credibility, he has something. Something that would prove what he said." Ford said. "Some who owns that much and get up in front of the public with what he says is proof…."
"I have to agree with Ford. Colson owns several Earth observatory and weather satellites. He might have pictures of Anubis's fleet in orbit or the battle that was over Antarctica."
"What I don't understand is how it could have come this far?" Daniel said.
"He's probably kept things quiet on purpose until he had some hardcore evidence. Pictures can be made, forged, that sort of thing. He might have a piece of alien technology that actually works. Maybe a zat gun or something along those lines." Ford said.
"It's possible. Unfortunately, we don't know what he has. Here's something interesting though, he's gotten the national security speech from the Pentagon several times." Jack said looking through the file. "Apparently the President has called him personally."
"Why not tell him the truth?" Teal'c asked.
"His personality was profiled and he was deemed a security risk." Carter said making a gesture with the two of her fingers on each hand.
"For obvious reasons." Jack said.
"Apparently his father was a newspaper reporter that was imprisoned during the McCarthy era. He believed pretty strongly in the freedom of speech and the right for the people to know what the government is doing at all times." Daniel said.
"Leaking classified information could be considered as treason." Carter said.
"All right, see if he can be convinced not to go public." Jack said closing the folder then walking off to his office.
"Without actually telling him anything?" Daniel asked.
"Right." Jack said as he walked out of view.
"That's not going to be easy." Ford muttered. "So, how do we approach this Sam? You know him better."
She looked up at him, blew out a breath and shrugged.
"I'll figure something out by the time we get there, I hope."
"We have all the major networks, over a dozen live radio broadcast, reporters from both legit and tabloids, all waiting for the next shoe to drop." Brian said as they walked past the personal elevator and into the other part of Alec's office.
They still had the same clothes on from before but Brian had his coat off. This area had two tan couches and love seat near a small bar. The other side of the room had a large plasma TV with two monitors on either side. There was a nice coffee table in between the two couches and love seat.
"Brian, calm down." Alec said walking to the small bar.
"Stock trading has dropped twenty five percent. We have overextended ourselves competing for that last round of contracts. That stock price is the only thing covering our debt." he said sounding desperate. He made it sound like the end of the world was coming. "And you are alienating our biggest client. We are going to have to start selling off assets to…."
"What does that matter Brian," he said pouring a drink. "Given what we know?"
"I don't know. I'm guessing I'm just trying to hold onto some shred of reality."
"Well you, along with everyone else is going to have to start holding onto a whole new reality from now on." he said walking over to him.
"What if the world can't handle it? What if Washington is right and we should just keep this thing in the bag?" Brian said sounding more nervous.
"Trust me. The truth is always right."
"We've already caused mass hysteria. You have no idea how much chaos this could cause." Brian said fearfully.
"Alec….they're here." a secretary said walking in.
"Ah, show them in would you." he said motioning her to show them in.
She nodded and walked out to tell them.
"It will be okay." Alec said handing the drink to him and walking away. "Lieutenant Colonel." he said shaking her hand as Carter walked in.
"Alec." she said.
"Radiant as ever."
Carter was in a black blouse with a long white skirt and a white jacket. Daniel had a green jacket and pants on with a striped tie with a long white button up shirt. Ford had his three piece suit on, not that it was easy to see with the large coat he wore. He had unloaded it first, with the exception of his two personal cannon's and a few clips that stayed well hidden.
"Daniel Jackson." Daniel said shaking his hand.
"Oh Doc. I'm a big fan."
"Really?" he asked seemingly confused.
"Yes, I've been following you since your early career. The pyramids as landing places for alien ships? Fascinating."
"Yeah, that was a long time ago." he said trying to avoid that quickly.
"So, what have you been up to lately? It's like you dropped off the map."
"I've been around." he said smiling.
"Ah and you would be?" he said holding out his hand.
He almost said Captain. "Ford Carter." he said shaking it.
"Ah, you're the Captain that got that special overlooking that married this lovely lady. Also inventor of some small computerized robot dog."
"Ah yeah, I'm that Captain." he said smiling. The smile went away quickly and was replaced with surprise. "Wait a minute! Computer dog?" How the hell did he know about K-9?
"Yes. It's something that I had some friends check into after hearing about a computerize robot dog being in the military. So far I've only seen pictures, but no patents or plans."
Carter tried not to look shocked. If he knew this, then he might know about the Stargate itself. K-9 rarely left the base unless he came home with them. Even Daniel was surprised.
"Were….did you actually come by this information?"
"A friend of mine noticed your little robot dog once when you brought him home. I also saw a paper once talking about him and his abilities. I have pictures that were sent to me by a anonymous source. I believe his name is K-9." Colson then described what he looked like. "Apparently, from y understanding, you're dog is suppose to look like the same remote one they used on a TV show called Doctor Who. Does that mean that show is actually real on some level?"
"Okay, I admit there is a robot dog," he said slowly. "As for the Doctor, unfortunately, he's not. Wish to god it was, but it is not."
Carter thought about hitting him. That dog was way ahead of any computer on the planet and has several alien components in him. She didn't like the fact that someone had taken pictures of them, it if was really true, but national security was at risk at the moment, not their privacy.
"But he's still in the developmental stage. Battery trouble and other things. It's still experimental. I just like Doctor Who so much I decided to try and create a working dog that looked like that one. And no you can't see him. Sorry."
"Too bad. Maybe some other time." he said. "Oh, I'm sorry, this is Brain Vulgar."
They said hi.
"Thank you for seeing us today." she said hoping to get down to business quickly. Hopefully he would show them what he had.
"Well, shall we. Let's all start with something I'm sure we can all agree on." he said walking over to the large TV with a monitor on each side.
"That meteor shower was a cover story. And a pretty weak one at that. Although under the circumstances, I'm not sure I could have come up with a better one." he said picking up a remote.
"What makes you say that?" Carter asked being a serious as possible.
He pushed a button and the screen changed to show a Goa'uld mothership come out of hyperspace near the moon.
"Nice." Ford said. "What is it?"
He didn't say anything but just pushed the forward button again and it brought up a picture of Antarctica during the battle scene, but too far focused out to see anything. He hit it again and again and finally with pride, again. This one showed the Prometheus with small ships flying around it. Detail was a little better, but not enough to identify any markings.
"Now that's not bad. Though I have seen much better Sci-fi ships drawn up." Ford said looking at it.
"Nice try, but I'm guessing that's one of ours?" he said after seeing Daniel look at Carter.
"We lost communication with twelve weather mapping satellites and communications for over six hours on the day in question. But when they came back online, they were able to transmit the information stored in the buffers." Brian said.
"Images like these can be faked." Carter said.
"Or made to seem fake." Alec said.
He pushed it again and a picture of Anubis's fleet was shown with him firing down at the planet. He put the remote down and got serious.
"I know why you are here Sam. The Pentagon sent you to make people like me look like a fraud."
"People like me?" she said raising an eyebrow.
"Oh very smart people. We have more than this. Now obviously I don't know everything, but I do have a right to. Everyone does."
"Anything we can say to stop you?" she said.
"Believe me, I've tried." Brian said.
"I think we are finished here. My secretary will show you out." he said gesturing.
"I thought the pictures were cool. I admit that I can draw better and if that is suppose to be one of our ships, somebody better go back to the drawing board."
"Right." Alec said almost sarcastically as they left.
"No seriously, the Star Trek ship concept is a much better possibility and idea. Stephen Hawking is working…" he was saying to Alec and then turned to his teammates as they left.
They walked out of the building and was about to discuss what just happened when Sam's cell phone rang. She pulled it off her hip and popped it open.
"Carter."
"Sam, it's Julia Donovan."
"How did you get this number?" Carter asked quite upset at the caller.
Ford looked at her worried. She motioned that everything was okay and to wait.
"I have my sources. Our camera truck just caught you and two good looking men going into Colson Industries head office in Seattle an hour ago. I just saw the feed."
"And?" she said as they walked slowly to the car. Daniel was looking at his cell phone.
"I was wondering if you had a official comment?"
"Yeah, I think your coverage is a little one sided." Sam said pulling her keys out. Ford figured it was some reporter then.
"Come on Sam, Colson's going to out the whole operation. You don't think that Washington can really contain this?"
"We'll see. I don't have to remind you about the whole disclosure agreement you signed, do I? The reporter from the Prometheus incident." she said walking up the driver side of the car.
Ford had made the Shelby Cobra into a red convertible by her request. It also had her name on the license plate. Their last name anyway. Daniel got into the back.
"Colson doesn't seem to be worried about going to jail."
"Well, he hasn't done anything illegal yet."
"We had an agreement. You said if something big was going to break, you would call me first."
"I will okay." she said sarcastically. "Bye-bye."
She tossed the phone into her purse.
"I got thirteen messages from Emmett Bergman." Daniel said with a smile that was not cheerful.
"Oh man. They are just crawling out of the wood work." Ford said as he looked at his phone. "I got nothing."
"Oh yeah." Carter said sighing as she started the vehicle.
She practically peeled out of the parking spot as they left and got onto the highway quickly. She completely avoided hitting everything easily.
"Nice job Sam. I see you've been watching me drive."
"It's easy with you as a teacher." she said shifting.
"How about we slow down now, okay." Daniel said seeing the speedometer said Carter was doing twenty over the limit. "We don't need to be pulled over."
"We'll be fine Daniel. I do this all the time now. Besides, the car is just about indestructible." Sam said smiling as she passed another car. Daniel groaned and sat back as Ford laughed.
Alec and his secretary were walking down from the third floor by stairs and came out of a small glass doorway coming out onto the second floor that overlooked the first floor. A walkway was around the edge. Another man and Brian was also following along.
"The switchboard has been jammed ever since the press conference." she said following him. "Every crack pot in the world is calling."
"I've arranged security for all of you and your families." Alec said.
"Do you really think we need to be worried?" she asked.
"I'd be more worried about the things we don't know at this point." Alec said.
"I'm trying to convince him it's not to late." Brian said.
"It is too late Brian. Too late for the world to know there was a large scale alien attack against our planet which was barely thwarted. Too late for the general public to realize they have been lied too by two different elected administrations about the very nature of our existence." Alec said making a point to not only Brian but the other two standing there.
"So we really are going through with everything?" she asked.
"I was really hoping the FED's would come clean." Alec said.
"I can't believe Washington has done more to try and stop us." Brian said. He really looked nervous. "Some sort of legal injunction."
"That would only legitimize our claim. They're obviously going to try and play this as if we can't be taken seriously." Alec said.
"We are one of the largest corporations in the world." she said.
"And we are telling the truth."
"Alec! It doesn't matter who we are or how right we are. They can stop us if they really want to." Brian said trying to get a point across.
Alec scoffed.
"Come on Brian, what are they going to do, hmm?" he said patting him on the arms then walking into his office. "Have me killed."
Brian looked extremely worried at that comment.
In the briefing room, again, they were watching that lady that called Carter earlier on the TV. SG-1 and Jack was there.
"Alec Colson…."
"Well he has to have something more significant than pictures, just like Ford said. I checked but no large pieces of the ships in the battle out in space have came down and everything recovered at the Antarctic site was securely watched." Carter said. "Nothing seems to be missing from Area 51 either."
"I've been going over the contracts assigned for Colson's companies for the last few years. I haven't gotten through all of them yet, but there is quite a few loosely related to R & D of new technologies we procured off world." Daniel said.
"Then he does have something. He had to get it from one of those." Ford said.
"We'll now head to Colson Industries." the lady said on the TV.
It switched over to the live feed of him coming up to the same podium he had started the whole problem from. Jack turned it up louder.
"Welcome and thank you for coming." Alec said on the screen.
"Twenty four hours up to the minute." Carter said looking at her watch.
"Yesterday I told you about the belief of intelligent life beyond our planet. I also told you that I believe several governments, including our own, have known about this and have been concealing the information for quite some time now. Yesterday, I challenged those governments to come clean, reveal the truth. But we only got silence. Which means I must present to you, the evidence I have." he said pausing a moment as a guy in the back spoke into a small unit on his shirt.
"How do I know aliens exist, ladies and gentlemen, seeing is believing." he said gesturing to a door.
A door just behind all the reporters opened slowly as they turned their camera's and other equipment to it. The door opened, a woman walked out and then a little gray alien with big slanted black eyes came out walking as well. It was an Asguard. The reporters went crazy as they took pictures and talked quickly. The Asguard blinked as flashes kept flashing.
"Well, I'd call that something." Jack said almost casually as he looked at them.
"How in the hell did he get an Asguard? Is it possible that he has been talking to one of them?" Ford asked.
No one said anything seeing as they were surprised as well, more shocked than anything else. Jack didn't seem to be one of them that was though.
"Hello, I was being serious." Ford said waving a hand. "That other Asguard, Loki, came and made a mini-Jack so is it possible…"
Carter shook her head with her mouth open not able to say anything. She just didn't know. Daniel had almost the same look. Jack shrugged and blew a breath out, then spoke.
"You know what people, we have a problem."
"Ya think?" Ford said sarcastically.
"That's my line." Jack stated quickly. Ford only shrugged.
"After yesterdays startling revelation of what appeared to be a live alien by billionaire industrialist Alec Colson." the reporter Julia Donovan said on the news.
A TV behind her was showing footage of the Asguard alien as it was being showed then switched to Alec talking.
"So far there has been no official statement from the Whitehouse and sources inside Colson Industries promise that there is definitely more to come."
Daniel was in his office doing work with papers as Carter was using his phone. Ford was using a laptop to see if he could locate information through…certain channels. Illegally of course. K-9 was making it so that if anyone tried to trace where the hacking was being done, they wouldn't find out, not that Ford was worried about being found out. Some of it was not totally illegal. K-9 was also digging for info as well.
"Okay, thank you Sergeant." Carter said getting off the phone. "Well, we just got a message back from Thor, as far as he knows, there is currently no Asguard on Earth."
"As far as he knows." Ford said.
"Yes. But Loki was here for years conducting experiments without the Asguard council knowing." Daniel said.
"Okay, here's a possibility." she said coming over to the table. Ford set the laptop aside finding little if anything. He had K-9 continue to look.
"What if……it wasn't really an Asguard?"
"Looked like one." Daniel said looking up from his work.
"Didn't sound like one." she said making a point.
"It's a clone. I'll be damned." Ford said smiling and shaking his head at the scope of what was really going on. "I should have realized that. It can't talk cause there's nobody home."
"Possibly. Colson did wrap things up pretty quickly without taking any questions." she said. "And it would make sense."
"But how would he clone it?" Daniel asked.
"If it is a clone." Carter said.
"As you said, he has several contracts with R & D for off world tech. One of them must have gotten hold of Asguard DNA. I have no clue how he managed that though." Ford leaning back and crossing his arms. "But, the Asguard have been cloning themselves for….for….a long time. Clone's have life but no brains until they are downloaded, remember."
"Yes. Thor mentioned something about that when we went and got Carter from the Replicators." Daniel said.
"Ah yeah, lets not go there. Anyway, lets go look through those contracts again Sam. I think we'll find our answer there." he said holding out a hand.
"Yes we might." she said taking it as they left.
K-9 followed along behind quitting the work on the laptop and shutting it down.
"The networks all want interviews." Brian said.
"Too bad our friend can't talk." Alec said as they walked to his office.
"We know he's capable. The MRI's show a larynx not too different from ours, but he doesn't seem to have anything to say." the secretary said following.
"They also want full access plus medical and scientific personal to verify what we say it is." Brian said.
"How do we convince the world of alien intelligence when this guy doesn't seem to have any?" she asked.
"We can't just trot this thing our on television with wild claims when we don't have any thing to back it up. Granted it's an amazing genetic experiment. But we don't even know if the thing is really alien." Brian said as they entered the office.
"What else could it be?" Alec said spreading his arms out.
"All we know is that the DNA came from the department of defense." she said.
"Look, we are trying to build a circumstantial case here. The more questions we can raise, the more the burden of proof is going to shift in Washington." Alec said as he went over and sat down behind his desk. "Sooner or later they are going to have to respond to public pressure. The media is going crazy with this whole thing, so let's just sit tight and see what happens."
"Well, Ford hit it on the nail." Daniel said as they entered the briefing room by passing Jack's office. Jack was already at the table. "It is a clone."
"Really?" Jack said looking at a folder that Daniel gave him. The others sat down.
"It seems that a Colson biotech research company was given a copy of Asguard DNA for sequencing." Daniel said. "Ford and Sam found out about it in a contract."
"We were trying to help with their cloning problem." Carter said.
"So Colson grew a clone?" Jack asked.
"They weren't told it was alien DNA." Daniel said. "It was meant to be a blind study, but obviously their research went farther than the contract specified."
"Asguard DNA is programmed to grow a clone into full maturity in just three months. But they are essential an empty shell until a consciousness is put into them." Carter said.
"It's like a baby in a adult body." Ford said.
"It did not speak because it was not capable." Teal'c said understanding.
"Exactly. They must have used what time they had just teaching it how to walk." Carter said.
"Well, the Pentagon has lost all patience." Jack said putting the folder down.
"What are they going to do?" Daniel asked.
"They want us to put a stop to it." Jack said.
"How?" Daniel asked.
"I'm not shooting him if that's what you're thinking or anyone else higher up." Ford said.
"No. Something better. We are calling in a marker." Jack said smiling.
They didn't understand what Jack meant. Ford got it after Jack looked at his watch and then around the room.
"Thor's coming."
"Bingo Captain." Jack said brightly.
"I figured that…." Ford was saying when a bright light showed up near the end of the table.
"Greetings." Thor said.
"See."
"Hey Thor! How's things going with…"
"The metal is slowly being produced as we speak. It is very difficult to get it into the shapes we need. Once hardened, it cannot be made liquid again unless under extreme temperatures. And those temperatures are dangerous lethal to work near."
"Sorry it's causing so much trouble."
"The trouble is minor compared to what it will be able to do in our war with the Replicators once we have completed our new ship."
"New ship you say? Is it named after me again?" Jack asked sounding hopeful.
"No."
Jack's face instantly fell.
"I assume a different name has been chosen." Teal'c said.
"Yes. It is to be called the Ford Primus."
"I should have known." Jack said with a grumble as Ford brightened considerably.
Ford shook his head. "That's changed Thor."
"I do not understand."
"On Earth, the custom during weddings is for the female to take on the last name of the grooms. Sometimes there are exceptions, in this case Ford took on Carter's name." Jack said.
"I see. Do you wish it to be changed then?"
"If you can." Ford said.
"It will be done so then. The ship is still many months if not years from completion."
"Bummer."
"Indeed." Thor said in understanding.
"Excuse me. Excuse me." Alec's secretary said as she rushed to his office. She rushed in talking fast. "It's gone."
"What do you mean?" Alec asked looking up from the paper work he was doing.
"The alien! The computer's, everything!"
"What? What about the security…?" he said getting up.
"Nobody took it. It disappeared! We were just standing there. There was a bright flash of light then it was all gone!!" she said as he got his leather coat.
"Have Ron send out the decoy car and get my plane ready for a trip to Washington. Have it ready for me at the hanger." he said walking out.
Ford and Carter were sent down to Julie Donovan's new set to be the ones to tell the world that Colson made a hoax of the alien. Ford came but was not getting in front of a camera. They both went having to wear their full uniforms, Ford was minus his tie as always. Carter was sitting behind the desk with Julia Donovan sitting on her right. A man on the set was putting a small mike on her lapel as they got ready for the broadcast. Ford stood behind the camera man keeping watch. He had his armored coat on. The only weapons he had with him though was his personal cannons. He sensed something was up and Carter let him bring it seeing as he was usually right.
"Are you ready?" Julia said. She had a black blouse with a off pink jacket on.
"Not really." Sam said nervously.
She looked over at Ford practically pleading for him to come sit down anyway. He wouldn't though. He was camera shy which surprised everyone when he told them at the base. Jack figured it was for the best seeing as Ford was a classified subject in Washington anyway. Carter only glared at Jack for taking Ford's side.
"Try not to think about the camera. Focus on me." Julia said.
"It's not that." she said turning back to her. "I respect Alec Colson. I don't like being asked to discredit a man who has ever right to want the truth."
"And he found it." Ford muttered to himself. No one was around him luckily.
"And you have been ordered to do this?"
"Yeah." Sam said sadly.
"Well, if you want to go against those orders, feel free." she said straightening her jacket.
Music came on as someone counted down.
"In five, four, three, two, one…."
"We are here with Lieutenant Colonel Samantha P. Carter of the United States Air Force." Julia said as the camera started on her then moved back to show Sam on the TV. "Welcome."
"Thank you." Carter said smiling.
"Your background is Astrophysics and you're one of the militaries leading scientific researchers. We are all eager and ready to finally hear some reaction from Washington regarding the revelation made by Alec Colson."
"Well, first of all, I can assure people that if aliens really existed, and were visiting the planet, we would know about it." she said smiling. Little do they know.
"So you are saying that his claims have no merit? We all saw a alien on live television."
"Yes, well Hollywood has been helping us see things on TV for a long time."
"Are you saying the alien wasn't real?"
"It depends on what you mean as real."
In Alec's car, he was watching with Brian as they drove down the road in a limousine.
"You noticed she hasn't actually lied once." Alec said.
"I can show you some advanced methods for creating realistic 3-D images that we have been working on." Carter said.
"By all means." Julia said.
"We have been experimenting with technology that makes it possible to create anything you can imagine, virtually." she said then looked to her left. A whining noise was heard then slowly Thor appeared until he was fully there.
"Wow. That looks just like the alien that Colson introduced to us." Julia said shocked.
"Greeting people of Earth." Thor said. His voice was slightly altered, having a mechanical sound to it.
Way to go Thor! Ford thought smiling.
"That's amazing! He looks so real." Julia said astonished.
"Though I look real, I have been created through the use of advanced holographic technology." Thor said.
"That's just incredible." Julia said astounded as Carter looked over at her.
Carter waved a hand through him distorting the image momentarily.
"It's just a projection. You'll probably be seeing technology like this in theme park rides in a few years." Carter said.
I serious doubt that Sam. Ford thought. Even if we had the technology.
"Oh, she's good." Alec said.
Later after the show, Carter and Ford were there talking to Julia. She was not happy as she rewound the interview.
"It's not the exclusive I had in mind." she said turning to them. "But it will still do huge numbers."
"You're hilarious." Carter said sarcastically. "After everything you have seen and been through, you still care about ratings."
Carter walked a few steps away shaking her head.
"How did you do it?" Julia asked.
Sam turned around near Ford who was leaning against the wall.
"I've seen visual effects before Sam. I mean this was some sort of…" she stopped as a woman from the set handed her a piece of paper. "That was alien technology wasn't it?"
"No. It was very expensive, and I mean expensive, holo technology. I am one of the head leaders of the project. Ever watch Star Trek? We are trying to duplicate that holodeck effect. So far we just got what you saw done and that's really about it. We can create a variety of other people or objects, but only a single one at a time and they can't move anywhere as of yet. You saw that it only talked, but didn't walk over to anyone or anything." Ford said pushing himself off the wall. "It's all basically in the research and development stage mostly. I can't really give more beyond that."
Carter was impressed, though she didn't show it. Ford really came up with a good explanation that seemed feasibly enough to maybe get her off their back. It seemed to be working.
"Details are classified right?" she said crossing her arms.
"What else." he said shrugging. "Basically, it will be used to help train people better and such. Like a virtually flight simulator for instance."
Julia shook her head and looked at the paper in her hand closely.
"What it is?" Carter asked seeing the worried look.
"Ten minutes ago, Alec Colson's private plane was forced into an emergency landing after almost crashing immediately after take off from Seatack. The plane suffered a sudden loss of depressurization and loss of engine power, but was able to land without incident. Excuse me." she said walking away quickly.
Sam started to walk toward her.
"Wait, Sam. If you go up there, we might get blamed for this. The Air Force is probably are going to be blamed anyway."
"I…maybe you're right."
"I need something on Colson's wife and his daughters. They died in a plane crash when he was twenty four. That is why he started Colson Aviation. Let's go." Julia said sitting behind the news desk as the couple talked.
Sam's cell rang and she turned away from the sight of the news desk.
"Carter."
"Sam, it's Alec Colson." Alec was inside his limousine and on the phone. Outside the limo was people going over his plane and Brian getting looked at. Sirens were heard in the background. Sam closed her eyes then looked around and walked farther away to a more secure location.
"Are you okay?" she asked quietly. She mouthed to Ford it was Alec. He mouth back was the guy okay.
"News travels fast. It was close. Brian is still as white as a sheet." he said as Brian got in.
"How did you get this number?" she said then mouthed that Alec was fine.
"Oh, I have my sources. You know, the ground crew here found evidence that the plane had been tampered with."
"Somebody tried to kill you?" she asked surprised.
"Seems that way. Any ideas?"
"You think I know?! Why would I go on TV to publicly discredit you if I knew you were about to be assassinated." she said insulted that he thought she was the cause.
"To make sure that it looked like Washington didn't have anything to do with it. And a fine job you did to by the way."
She was upset by that remark and Ford could see it. Luckily no one was around to ask questions.
"I'm sorry. I was following orders."
"Yeah, I know Sam. I don't believe for a second that you were in on it. If it was our government, I'm sure you were just a pawn."
"That doesn't make me feel any better. Look Alec, I can assure you…"
"It's okay. It's okay. It certainly wasn't my first rough landing and it won't be my last. I won't be stopped Sam. I promise you, one way or another, the world is going to know the truth." he said hanging up.
Sam looked at her phone then closed it.
"You need a new phone."
"Yeah. Something that can't be traced." she mumbled.
"What did he say?" he asked slowly.
"Ah, that he wouldn't be stopped from telling the world the truth."
"Wonderful. Alright, let's bring him in."
"What was that?" she asked hoping she didn't hear him say that.
"We bring him in, telling him the whole truth and why it would be a bad idea for the world to know it. He seems intelligent enough to understand why, I hope."
"His profile says he's a security risk. I seriously doubt he would keep quiet. If he knew where we worked and the things going on…"
"We don't bring him in, not ourselves anyway. If Thor brings him to the base, he won't know where it is so he can't do anything."
"Now that is an idea that might work." she said patting his arm. "Let's go."
"How about a hyperdrive for the Prometheus?" Jack said in full uniform at his desk. Daniel was seated on the left while Thor was in the chair on the right.
"That is something I must discuss with the High Council." Thor said.
"Thor come on. You said you wanted to get something nice for the President." Jack said.
Carter and Ford walked in. Daniel looked up from some papers.
"Carter's."
"You enjoy saying that don't you?" Ford said slowly.
"Very much. It's so much easier since you two never seem to be apart." he said with a smile.
They didn't say anything to that remark.
"So what's up?"
"Sir, did you find out anything about the attempt on Colson yet?"
"It wasn't us." Jack stated.
"We think that Colson might have Goa'uld ship parts that were salvaged when they came down in Antarctica." Daniel said.
"I thought we had that area of his background checked out already and found he didn't have anything." Ford said.
"Well, a subsidiary of his was involved in the clean up."
"Great." he muttered.
"Since it doesn't look like we can discredit him without having more trouble sir, I think we should tell the truth."
"Something tells me that Ford had a hand in this." Jack muttered.
"It's his idea."
"And that would be?" Daniel asked.
"Since Thor is still here, we have him beamed into," he said then pointed. "The briefing room and tell him everything. He won't know where this place is and won't be able to find us either when he is gone. We tell him why it is important the secret is kept and go from there. Hopefully he will get the idea and leave keeping his trap shut."
"If he does listen, think of what help he could be with the resources he has." she said.
"Nice. Well, Thor and I are meeting with the President in five minutes. I'll bring it up." Jack said grabbing his hat.
"Five minutes?" she said with confusion on her face. There was no way they could see the President in five minutes being all the way across the…wait.
"Oh yeah." Jack said smiling as he buttoned his jacket as they were suddenly beamed away in the flash of light.
"Right." she said. Daniel shrugged and went back to his papers.
"We really need those transporter devices. So much could get done without a time schedule problem."
"I wish." she muttered.
"The only problem is we'd never be able to drive our cars." he said following her out.
"2:00 we go live. With the pictures, the pieces of alien ship, everything we got." Colson said to his secretary and Brian. They were sitting on the couch while he paced.
"Alec, they tried to kill us." Brian said looking ready to cry or break down.
"And you think that doesn't work in our favor?"
"Dying doesn't work in our favor!!!!" Brian practically yelled.
Alec suddenly disappeared in a bright beam of light. He then appeared near the briefing room table with Thor next to him. He looked around shocked especially seeing the little gray man next to him.
"Okay…what just happened?" he said scared.
SG-1, minus Teal'c was walking up behind him.
"Well in layman's terms, we beamed you up and then down again." Daniel said.
"Where am I?" he said looking around.
"The most secretly guarded place on the planet." Ford said shaking his hand.
"Cheyenne Mountain Complex, Colorado." Carter said. It was agreed to tell him everything including the location as well, per the President's orders. "You know Daniel, of course."
"Ah, hi." he said shaking his hand.
"And this is….Thor." she said.
"Greetings." Thor said.
"Ah, so this is a real one." Alec said turning to him excited.
"Yep." she said.
"Well, what happened to the clone?"
"It will become a host to an Asguard consciousness whose physical body is failing." Thor said.
"Okay." he said still in shock.
"Now I must take my leave. General O'Neill says he will see you all tomorrow." Thor said then beamed out.
"Jack must be enjoying a private room in the White House." Ford said.
"Probably." Daniel said.
"Trust me, it isn't worth it. Jack would be better off in his own home."
"Master." K-9 said rolling in.
"K-9. Good timing. There is someone who wants to see you." Carter said.
"So this K-9." Alec aid kneeling down.
"Yes. He has proved to be a valuable resource and tool not to mention friend of ours here at the SCG. But as Ford said before…"
"Thank you Mistress." he said wagging his antenna tail.
"He's still a prototype experiment." Alec said as he reached out to touch K-9.
K-9 backed off then shut down. Before Alec was beamed in, Carter and Ford came up with a plan and told K-9 certain instructions to do when and if Alec tried to touch him. They were going to tell him to back off and that would have been the other instruction to shut down.
"Like I said, he's still being worked on." Ford said picking him up and putting him on the table.
"Good work K-9. I'll be back to get you down." he said whispering to him.
"I want to show you something else." Sam said walking over and opening the blast panels covering the windows. They came up and showed the gate room.
Alec looked at it seemingly impressed.
"That is the most important object on the planet." Ford said.
"We call it a Stargate." she said. Between the three of them, they gave him a brief run down of what the device did and was capable of.
"I'm okay Brian. I promise you, I'm fine. I'll be back in a couple of days." Alec said from a phone in the room they gave him for the night inside the base.
"I've got to go, alright bye." he said after the door was knocked on. Carter walked in as he hung up.
"Are you ready?"
"Well, look at you." he said impressed.
"Yeah, soldier Sam." she said like it was no big deal. She was in clothes for going off world.
"I get a uniform too." he said pointing at the bundle in her arm.
"Yep." she said tossing it at him.
She left and he got dressed. A few minutes later he walked out and they went to the gate room. As she knew, Ford was waiting at the end of the ramp, but with K-9. The gate was in the dialing process when she walked in. She didn't have anything but the zat gun strapped to her thigh, but she could easily tell Ford was fully loaded.
"We are bringing K-9?" she asked smiling.
"Yeah, why not. I can use him as an excuse later for needing work on if you two are going to do what I think."
"Which would be?" she asked giving him a raised eyebrow.
"Flying." Ford whispered to her as he picked K-9 up.
"Ah." she said as Alec walked in.
The gate opened with the watery whoosh making Alec step back in surprise and somewhat shock. She only smiled and started up the ramp with Ford.
"So, ah, were are we going?"
"P4X-650. We have an off world base there."
"And how far away is that?" he asked as Ford disappeared into the gate.
"640 light years." she said stopping near the event horizon.
"Really." he said shocked. She grabbed his arm and pulled him through.
They walked out and the gate shut down and ended up in a underground room. Behind the gate was a wall with a couple of wall computers flashing lights. On the wall to the left was a couple of occupied chairs that were at a bank of computers. On the right it went to another room. The left side also went farther into the base where they couldn't see at the moment.
"Didn't feel a thing." Alec said happily.
"You were demolecularized."
"Welcome to the Alpha site." a tall, but not as tall as Ford, black man said walking up. He had some hair.
"Alec Colson, Captain Shepfield." she said introducing them. They shook hands.
"Well, it's….it's nice." Alec said looking around.
"Where's Captain Ford?" she said looking around worried.
"He was here a moment ago. I think he took off into the base. Shall I call him?"
"No. Just wondered if he made it here."
"So where are we actually?" Alec asked.
"Our last Alpha site were destroyed in an attack. We decided to build this one underground like the SGC." she said.
"The conditions are a bit Spartan, but it is our home away from home." Shepfield said as they walked off to the left. He was giving a brief tour.
"I guess I was just expecting something a little more, I don't know, otherworldly." Alec said.
Carter pulled her card out and slid it through a card reader next to a door that had the letter's R-3. It opened and they walked through. What lay inside impressed Alec. It was an F-302 sitting in a hanger. A very small hanger.
"Oh. Now that…..that's more like it." he said very excited but spoke slowly.
"It's called the F-302. Alien-human hybrid." she said as they walked over to it.
"And this is what the M.E.C.S. were for."
"And thanks to you, it's capable of leaving the atmosphere and returning." she said as he touched it and looked it over. "We used a number of these to defend Earth five months ago. This is one of the many advancements that we have made from the technology we procured through the Stargate."
Ford walked up beside her as she finished. If it weren't for the fact she heard K-9 rolling up she won't have even noticed Ford coming.
"Nice isn't it."
"Where were you?"
"Somebody had a question about a computer problem. I fixed it." he said shrugging. "So, I'm guessing you haven't asked."
"No, I was just about to."
"Ask what?" Alec said turning to them.
"Want to take it for a ride?"
He brightened even more than before at the prospect.
"I'll be watching from the ground. Take it easy up there." Ford said as they got prepped to go. He kneeled down and whispered to K-9 after they had taken off. "Keep a sensor lock on that plane and let me know if anything goes wrong."
"Yes Master." K-9 said as they walked outside. "Tracking now."
Back at Colson's office, Brian was standing behind Alec's desk and working on a pad in his hand. The secretary walked by, saw him and walked in.
"Brian, what are you doing?"
"Alec wants all the evidence that we have about the alien cover up duplicated and secured off premises." he said. "You can get started on whatever we have left of the clone research."
"Okay." she said then left.
He sighed and grabbed his cell phone as it rang.
"Volger. I know. I told you I don't know where he is." Long pause. "I have a meeting with the S.E.C. this afternoon." Another pause. "Don't worry. It will work." he said.
He was told more information then hung up looking ready to breakdown and cry.
"Beautiful." Alec said as he looked out the window.
"Yeah." Carter said from the front seat of the plane.
"Must be hard, keeping all of this secret. I don't know how you do it."
"I think of all the fear it would cause. The potential chaos."
"Ah, but what about all the greater meaning, of bringing this to people's lives. Just knowing that all of this…..this is out here."
"What's out here is a enemy so advanced, so evil, it's a miracle that we haven't been wiped out or enslaved yet. We have been very lucky so far. I think that most people would have a hard time living with the thought of constant impending doom."
"Oh, right, the old if you had cancer argument. Would you rather know you are going to die or would you want to live out your final days in blissful ignorance."
"Yeah, I guess I don't really buy it either." she said.
"Well, I would like to know, to try and cure it. And if I couldn't do that, I would try to make my final days as meaningful as possible."
There was a pause of silence as she debated something.
"You want a turn?"
"I thought I was going to have to ask." he said happily.
"Switching to co-pilot controls. Go ahead, she's all yours."
"Master. My scans indicate that the co-pilot has taken over."
"Is something wrong with Sam?"
"No Master. She gave him control."
"Oh. That figures. She should be fine then. He know how to fly. Keep me informed." he said typing away on a laptop that he had brought with him outside. Reports he was trying to finish. Sometimes he really worded them up just to bug Jack.
Alec did a barrel roll and a few other moves.
"So, what do you think?"
"Amazing!!! She feels maneuvers like a FA-22 and feels like a 747!"
"That's the inertial dampeners."
"All right, let's try this." he said aiming for the ground. The plane went into a steep dive.
"Master. The plane has went into a steep dive."
"Is it pilot error?" he asked worrying quickly.
"No master. It is intentional. Probability of pulling out of dive decreasing."
"What?! Can you do anything?!"
"No Master. Now at 28 chance of failure."
A screen came up telling Carter of a system error.
"Alec…"
The ground was getting closer.
"Alec pull up!"
Carter pushed the necessary buttons and took over pulling up hard.
"Probability of impact now at 56. Correction, the Mistress has taken over. Crash has been avoided Master."
Ford leaned back into the ground and called inside to tell them everything was okay. They said their sensors said the same thing and thanked him anyway.
Carter managed to pull up just in time as the plane skimmed the top of the trees. Several trees lost their tops, but the crash was avoided.
I wonder how mad Ford is going to be? she wondered.
"Flight this is Alpha command. Is everything okay out there?" a voice said over the radio.
"It is now. We're fine, thanks. We are bringing her back in."
"Understood. You just about freaked your husband into a heart attack Colonel. He was ready to come after you in another plane."
"Thanks." she said signing off with a sigh.
They got back to the base without a problem. A flight controller was directing her on where to park the plane. Ford was standing over near the doorway into the base with K-9 at his feet. She saw him but couldn't tell what he was feeling, his face showed no emotion. The plane stopped and the canopy opened.
"Well that was reckless!" she said taking her helmet off and turning the plane off as well.
"Ah, the 302 can handle it." he said as he took his helmet off. "I know. I may have not known it's name but I helped you build it, remember?"
"It was a joy ride. I took you up for a little fun." she said upset as she got out on the wing.
"This isn't a game Sam." he said seriously. "What you guys are doing up here, it is life and death for all of us."
"We know that." she stated.
"It wasn't much fun feeling out of control like that, was it?"
"You don't have to make your point, with my life." she said with some anger. Then she muttered quietly. "Now that I have one outside the base."
"Oh come on. We were never going to crash. Unlike my plane back on Earth." he said undoing his straps.
"I told you, we had nothing to do with it." she said shaking her head.
"Yeah, well, someone did." he said getting out. "And if you think that…or any of this is going to prevent me from telling the world what they have a right to know. Then you're dead wrong."
Sam shook her head again and got off the plane with him following.
"So, what happened up there?" Ford said flatly.
"He decided to prove a point." she said.
"A very important one I might add." he said walking up.
Ford took a deep breath.
"I'm
going to assume that you….talked to him then?" he said putting it
mildly as he looked at her.
"Oh yeah."
"Then unless you tell me otherwise, I won't do anything."
Sam felt better. Part of her thought she would have to call security to have them remove Ford from Alec. Even after all this time of being married, he still surprised her sometimes. Alec, looked confused at the conversation. She assumed he didn't understand that he was practically threatened with major bodily harm.
"Who are you really? You don't strike me as an average Captain." he said crossing his arms. "You're special in some way, but I can't figure out why."
"I'm nobody special. Just another soldier." he said casually. "Smart soldier like her, but another soldier anyway."
Ford never bragged about himself and that was another thing she liked about him. He didn't show himself off, by telling others about what he could and could not do. The only time he actually showed off was if he twirled his guns. Not many could do it the way he did and he liked that aspect. He did a lot when Jack as around, but on purpose, or used to when Jack was with them off world. This time though she felt differently.
"Oh no. He is really special. And I'm not meaning as to being with me. I mean as to what he does and can do."
"Sam. Don't, please." he said looking her in the eyes.
She was going to do it anyway making him groan as he turned away.
"He has helped the SGC in ways that I cannot even begin to explain. Some so classified that it would be treasoness if I said anything."
"What? He can do just about anything?" he said mockingly.
"That is exactly what I'm saying. His I.Q. is equal if not higher than mine. He can do the job of practically anyone on the base. He can fly and drive pretty much everything we have created out there, including several alien vessels. His computer skills are so high that they rival me in some areas. He also has taken more hits than anyone in the SGC has since the program was started. Since he has joined us, he has saved not only SGC teams but the world with us as well in cases where without him, we might not have made it. His courage, determination, and bravery have far surpassed anyone I have ever seen or heard. No matter what happens, to him or anyone else, he never gives up."
"Enough Sam. I think he gets the idea." Ford said putting hand on her shoulder. If she kept going he was going to cover her mouth next.
Alec was impressed, the words anyway, if everything she said was real. He didn't believe she was lying and it didn't strike him as though she would on purpose either.
"Quite a resume you have there." he said showing he was impressed.
"Yeah, well, I'm just doing my part in the war." he said. "A war that should be kept secret."
"I'm pretty sure that you were lying about the robot dog needing more work. With credentials like that….."
"Yeah he works without any problems. He's fully functional, but he's not part of Earth's technology and that is just one reason why he can't be mass produced. There's a airman here that is having trouble with……..something. I promised I'd look it over with him so just call me when you're ready." Ford said giving her shoulder a squeeze and then walked away with K-9.
"Are all those things you said about him real?"
"Completely."
"What was that comment about the taking hits?"
"His coat is lined with a special metal that is practically indestructible. Most of the enemies we have run across, haven't got through him yet. Unfortunately, we can't duplicate the metal."
"Now that I find hard to believe." he said thinking she was lying. "Unless he got that metal from another planet…or from those little gray men."
"He got it from the Asguard. But it is so hard to create and almost as rare that they aren't sharing it with us, yet. It's not possible to create it here on Earth."
"Hmm. So why does he have it?"
"Well, he….did them a favor and….I can't tell you about it."
Alec didn't actually believe that statement, but kept quiet as they left the hanger.
A short time later………….
"Alec, there is something else I need to talk to you about." Carter said walking up the short flight of stairs to the Stargate. He was standing next to the ring looking it over. He walked over to her as she kept going.
"There's a clandestine group of private business men like yourself who were informed of the Stargate program, over six years ago by rogue elements of the N.I.D. We've tried to identify them and bring them down, but they are very highly connected. Former Vice President Kinsey has been linked to them. Now instead of going public like you, they have been funding various secret endeavors, all aimed at controlling alien technology for their own purposes."
"Which are?"
"You'd have to ask them. Personal profit, maybe they think they can do a better job of defending the planet than we can."
"Why are you telling me all of this?" he asked looking away.
"Because I think that's who may have been trying to kill you. They have even tried to kill Ford, more than once."
That got his attention back.
"They will never get control of the gate if the world finds out. I'm betting they are the ones behind the sabotage on your plane."
"When I was young, all I ever dreamed about was flying." he said sitting down. She sat down with him. "I had every make of aero plane ever built hanging from my ceiling. And then….well I take you know about my wife and daughter?"
She nodded sadly.
"One of the down sides of celebrity, we have no secrets. Anyway, after the crash, I vowed to make flying as safe as it could possibly be. I really thought I could do it better than anyone else."
"And it made a difference." she said agreeing.
"But nothings perfect is it?"
"No." she said looking at the ground.
"Intergalactic travel, advanced alien civilizations, humans living on other worlds. I do realize that there maybe bad guys out there too." he said leaning back.
"You have no idea how bad." she said seriously.
"But in the end, we have to believe in humanity. Who knows, this might bring us all together as a planet."
"If we knew it would play out that way, then….." she said thinking.
"You're afraid that knowing about the Stargate would fracture the world more than it already is."
"Yeah. Not just stop us from fighting the Goa'uld, but end things for good. We've seen it happened on other planets like Earth. In one case, public revelation of the Stargate caused an apocalyptic world war."
"That would be the ultimate irony wouldn't it." he said almost laughing. She could tell then he wasn't taking things seriously. "You secretly stop the world from being destroyed by alien invaders only to destroy ourselves out of fear from the fact."
"Change your mind?"
"Not really." he said after a moment.
Sam sighed and slowly shook her head.
"I don't think it would happen." he said getting up and walking to the gate. "And if a truth of this magnitude, about the very nature of human existence, could lead us to destroy ourselves….then I would say we would deserve it, wouldn't you?"
She didn't agree, but also didn't say anything. After everything they had said to him and showed him, he still wanted to tell the world. She got up and had one of the airman get Ford. Once he showed up they went home. They came back and went up to the briefing room finding Daniel looking at a new report.
"Investigators now believe that Alec Colson created the alien hoax in order to divert attention from his real corporate financial problems. Colson, who still has made no public statement…" Julia said as Daniel then shut it off.
"Corporate financial problems? What is she talking about?" Alec said not understanding.
"The story broke an hour ago. The President has halted trading on the markets. Your companies stock had fallen 80, and the Dow is down 500 points on the whole." Daniel said crossing his arms.
"That's a lot of loss." Ford commented. My money got it there. Not all of it thankfully.
"Yeah." Daniel said.
"What's going on?" Carter asked at a loss.
"The F.C.C. is investigating you for securities fraud." Daniel said looking at Alec.
"That's ridiculous!" Alec exclaimed.
"They're saying that there are irregularities in your companies last two financial statements." Daniel said.
"Why, it's not true!!!"
"I'd have to agree." Ford said.
This surprised everyone.
"What?" Carter said. "I thought you didn't like Alec?"
"No. I had a problem with him nearly crashing the plane into the ground with you in it. Beyond that I have no problems."
"What?!" Daniel said.
"Another time Daniel." Ford said waving the thought away. "Anyway, Alec's reputation is too great to be suddenly be put into this situation. He tried to reveal the truth about everything, this is what he got for doing so. It's a set up. The government couldn't do anything to discredit him without making it look like he was telling the truth even after what you did with Thor in that news broadcast. Someone wants him shut up and shut down. They succeeded."
"The timing is bang on. I am being set up!"
"Well, we have a vague idea who, but where they are is another story. But it makes sense." Carter said.
Alec was sent home and refused to sign the legal papers stating he had to keep his mouth shut. He was told that if he tried telling the world, they would deny everything and he'd probably be brought up on treason charges. He walked into his office with Carter and Ford finding Brian sitting on the couch drinking. No one else was in the building since it was near nighttime. Sam saw Ford reach into his pocket and she heard something click. She figured it might be a gun, but he never carried anything that small, that she noticed anyway. When he saw her looking he slowly pulled it out enough for her to see. It was a tape recorder. He put it back before anyone else saw.
"What are they doing here?" he asked setting his drink down.
"They want to help Brian." he said going over and sitting down.
"Great, do they have a time machine so that we can go back and undo all the mistakes we have made."
"Sad thing is we do have one." Ford muttered loud enough for only Sam to hear. She realized he meant the gate, but that was pretty unreliable and not a option.
"Brian….Brian? What is going on?" Alec asked sincerely. Ford and Carter stayed standing near the door.
"You wouldn't listen. You wouldn't stop." Brian said pointing a shaky finger at him then standing up and walking away from them all.
"So you admit you did this?" he asked not understanding.
"Oh, you go off on your adventures. You fly your planes." Brian said leaning back with his arms out from him as he spoke being sarcastic along with sounding ready to break down. The guy was falling apart and by the looks of the bottle on the table, he had been drinking for some time.
"You drop by every now and then with a bright idea. Ever since we were kids, you were biting off more than you could chew, and I'm always having to bail you out."
Alec was frowning with concern and confusion. They didn't know why Brian had sold Alec out.
"So you doctored the books!!!" he said standing up.
"I had to. I had to do something. I told you. We were over extended, the stock price was the only thing keeping us afloat." he said border lining on hysteria. "But you never listen."
"No, I don't believe this." Alec said shaking his head.
"Alec, who….who do you think told the S.E.C.?"
"What? Why? Why Brian? Why now? What difference could it make Brian? Once the truth came out….!!" Alec said on the verge of shouting.
"Alec, I almost died in that plane too! I still have a family. They tried to kill us." he said sounding ready to cry.
"Who?" Alec almost shouted again.
"Did you really think they were going to let you tell a secret like this?"
"Brian, what are you talking…." he yelled.
"They call themselves the Trust." he said quickly then sat down as though he lost his ability to stand.
Alec looked at the Carter's, but they only could shake their heads not knowing anything, not really anyway. The only thing they knew about the Trust dealt with the incident with Teal'c and the murder charge set up and Daniel having to tell them some translation. They knew they were the rogue N.I.D., but beyond that it was guess work how they were still operating, where at and with who. They both had sympathetic looks though. This was worse than they thought.
"Look, all I know is…..they are very powerful." Brian said crying. "And they think that Washington abdicated its duty to protect the planet. Maybe even caused the problem in the first place. They see it as their responsibility to step in."
Alec looked at them a moment then sat down thinking.
"We can fix this."
"It's too late. It's done. It can't be undone." he practically whispered.
"Brian, we will both go to jail."
"Yeah, but my family will be safe."
"What about the rest of the people of this company? What about their families?" Alec said with his voice rising again.
"Why weren't you thinking about them three days ago?" Brian asked looking at him like it was a sudden revelation.
"How did they know? How did the people that threatened you know that you'd cook the books?" Carter said walking a little closer. "How did they know there would be enough to indict you and Alec?"
Brian looked at his lap still crying slightly. Alec looked at Carter who had nothing else to ask or say. He then realized what happened.
"They got to you six months ago." he said pointing at Brian.
"Alec, they knew what you had. Don't ask me how. They had to make sure they could stop you. You were wrong, Alec. True or not, this shouldn't come out. The world's not ready." he said as tears ran down his face.
Alec got up frustrated.
"There must be something we can do!"
"You signed false financial statements." she said.
"No, I mean about the people who tried to kill us!"
"All I know is that they operate above the law and threaten people's lives before."
"Then we have to bring them down." Alec said with confidence.
"We have tried, believe me."
"Well, we have to try again."
"She said we have tried. I've tried with…" he said pausing. She heard the click of the tape recording being shut off. "Tried with illegal means by hacking measures. They have came after me in the past and failed with devastating results. Since….I've started working with Sam, I've made many enemies that have threatened many friends and other people. They don't care who is in the way as long as their goals are met. Whoever they are, they keep themselves very secret from the world and from the internet. Where ever they are, they are keeping themselves very secluded."
"Then how are you still here?"
"Like Sam said before, I'm special in a way that taking my life or my friends life would make things much more difficult for them quickly. I know the truth about things, where the truth is about those things, and how much damage it could do to not only to many people and this nation, but to the world. If you think the aliens being real is like a single nuke bomb of information, what I know would be considered planetary destruction on a global scale. I've only told one other person what I know, some things anyway. Unfortunately, the information I know only keeps me and a few others safe, but won't get the Trust to come out from where ever they are."
Alec looked at Sam and she only nodded slowly.
"I've got to try and fix things if I can."
"I know. You can call if you need anything." Carter said.
They left leaving their number. On the way back.
"I'm guessing that you were recording everything that was said in case he said something interesting or helpful?"
"That was the idea, but……Brian's family was being threatened the Trust. It wasn't a waste though. We can check phone records and all the information that came into this building over the last six months that wasn't papers. Hopefully I can find something inside the Pentagon or higher up, or is it down? You can't never tell anymore with all the secrecy and building of underground bases."
Back at the SGC…..
SG-1 and Jack was coming off the elevator to level 28. Jack walked out first with Carter next to him. He was holding his gut like it was giving him trouble but never said anything and no one asked, though they noticed. Ford hadn't had a chance to cook lately, so he must have had to make himself something to eat earlier or it was something else. Ford and Daniel were behind them with Teal'c following.
"So Colson has convinced Vulgar to arrange a meeting with his contact and wear a wire. Hopefully we will get enough to connect him with the rogue N.I.D. and then flip him for someone bigger. We're coordinating with Agent Barret."
"At the very least it may restore Colson's public image." Daniel said as they entered Jack's office.
"Well yeah, especially if it turns out that someone in direct corporate competition is pulling the strings." she said taking a seat.
Daniel took the other one as Jack sat behind the desk. Seeing as there was only two seats, Teal'c stood near the door they came in and Ford near the door to the briefing room.
"Unfortunately, without further evidence, Brian Vulgar's word alone is not going to be enough to undo all the damage that is already done to the company." she said.
"What of Brian Vulgar's safety?" Teal'c asked.
"He's under surveillance while his family is being put into protective custody." Ford said.
"Well, I guess the secret is safe…again." Jack said.
"For now." Daniel said.
Jack shrugged at Daniel when his phone rang. He picked it up saying, "O'Neill."
"You know, I wouldn't count Colson out just yet." she said. "He still feels really strong that the world should know the truth."
"All right. Thank you." Jack said putting the phone back.
"Bad news isn't it."
"Yeah. Could you hear that Captain?"
"No. Your poker face gave it away."
Jack stared at him a moment too long like he was thinking of a retort.
"What is it sir?"
"It is bad news as your husband noticed." Jack said emphasizing husband. "Surveillance just found Brian dead in his bathroom."
"Was it murder?" Ford asked slowly after too much silence was in the air.
"Unfortunately no. He hung himself."
The silence was eerie, again.
"Damn. Does Colson know yet?" Ford asked after about a minute.
"I don't know. More than likely he has been informed though." Jack said.
"We better go check on him then." Ford said getting off the wall.
"Why?" Daniel asked.
"He just lost his best friend, everything he owns and has been discredited. It's a text book sign of what's left to live for."
Jack had both Carter's leave immediately.
They walked into his office a few hours later. There was several people still working in the building but no one was really around Colson's office. They walked in seeing he wasn't there until they noticed him in the small room with the bar sitting on the couch with his back to them. He was moving, some. As they walked up to enter the small room they both saw a nine millimeter Glock in his hand. He was just looking at it. Since Carter would have better luck talking to him, Ford stayed next to the opening to make sure if anyone came into the office he would signal them away. He silently slid his coat back on the right side to allow better access to his pistol just in case.
"Alec." she said seeing the gun. He didn't even glance their way even as she slowly sat down next to him. "I'm so sorry about Brian."
"Might as well have put the gun against his head and pulled the trigger myself." he said lifting the gun.
"You couldn't have known." she said watching the gun.
He looked over at her skeptically.
"You saw how scared he was. I know what his family meant to him. He was never going to do anything that would put them in danger."
"Alec…" she said slowly as she continued to watch the gun.
She knew if Alec went to shoot himself that she would be able to get the gun from him in time, possibly. He was really looking more depressed every second. Another thought going through her head was he might shoot her.
"He was my best friend." he said sadly and guiltily.
"He betrayed you."
"No." he said rolling his head. "I betrayed him." he said holding the gun in the air. It made her jumpy.
"Why…don't you put the gun down." she said slowly.
"Give it to me. Suicide is not the answer here. You want people to remember you that way?" Ford said with his hand out.
He looked at the gun then back at them.
"My life is over. Everything I worked for, everything I believed in, held to be true…"
"Still exist. Congress is looking into providing relief, the companies, the employees will survive." she said.
"While I go to jail for something I didn't do!"
"Back on the Alpha site, you said that you would like whatever time you had left to be meaningful, no matter what."
Ford figured that was something said in the plane ride.
"We are here to give you that chance."
"How? By making all the indictments about me disappear." he said with a wave of his empty hand.
"No. You would disappear." Ford said.
"Problem with a guy like me, is that there is no place on Earth I can hide."
"I'm not talking about Earth." she said.
"Oh no. I can't let you do that." he said realizing what they were saying.
"Believe me, we wouldn't be here without the approval of our superiors. The President knows that you were not responsible but he's also not sorry that you were discredited."
Alec looked away thinking.
"Please Alec, come with us. You can still make a difference. He who fights and runs away…."
Alec looked back at her then at the gun she was looking at. He handed it to her who gave it to Ford. Ford removed the clip which was empty. The bullet in the chamber he popped out and put in his pocket with the gun. Only once the gun was out of the guys hand did Ford breath more easily and so did Carter.
"Lives to fight another day." Alec said.
They both nodded.
"And no one will ever know."
"Welcome to my world." she said smiling.
"It may be one big secret you can never tell anyone, yet, but you can work with technology to help save everyone so you can tell them one day what really happened."
"I can live with that. Can't keep it a secret forever."
"You can fly the F-302." she said.
"With someone else this time though." Ford commented.
"Yes. Think I could get one of those dogs maybe?"
"You never give up." Ford said chuckling as Alec got up. "It might be able to be arranged."
