CHAPTER 48
Author's Note: Everything that has happened from the start of the show, up to season eight has happened. The only change is Carter is not seeing, has not seen and is not marrying Pete. Sorry to those who don't like this. It is my story anyway.
Ford stepped through the Mirror to find himself in a storage room. Where that room was, he didn't know. The Mirror shut off behind him as he stepped forward looking for a door. He shifted the briefcase in his right hand as he continued to look around. Some of the stuff on the shelves in the semi dark room was stuff from the SGC. Hell just about everything was from the SGC. This was all stuff they found that was big items.
"I've stepped into either a storage facility, possibly Area 51. An abandoned section of a storage facility, not likely since little dust is around." he said running a finger along a shelf. It came back clean.
"Or worst case, in a sense, a N.I.D. or Trust storage facility for there ill gotten loot." he whispered.
Ford pulled his personal cannon with his left hand and walked up to the door he finally found that had a clear smoky look to the small window. He leaned against the door and not the window listening. He opened the door slowly seeing as he heard nothing and saw nothing either but recognized the walls. He was in Area 51.
"Good. At least I won't have to fight my way out." he said putting the gun away. He opened the coat up so anyone would see that he was a Major and might leave him alone. He made his way through the hallways finding no one around and avoided the camera's and made it look like he did by accident. Some of them he let see him though. He was close to the way outside, that was until he rounded a corner and came face to face with a guard. The guard took a stance and reached for his gun.
"Stand down Mr. Frankensen." Ford said glancing at his name tag quickly. "Dammit. Thor got the beam down point wrong."
"Major?" the man asked still wary or him.
"Thor dropped….okay not Thor specifically but one of the other Asguard dropped me off here when I was suppose to go to the SGC. Certainly got the coordinates wrong or something. I have my orders in here if you'll let me reach into my pocket."
"Do it slowly Major."
Ford used two fingers and pulled the orders out. According to the orders, General Hammond was transferring him to the SGC. Ford and the others back in the other universe only hoped that in this universe, Hammond was still in charge somewhere or at least know to be working with the SGC. Hammond even signed it. Several more guards showed up behind Ford and behind the other guard as Ford handed the papers over.
I hope I don't get a body search. he thought as the guard looked at the papers.
"What is going on here solider?" a somewhere in his fifties man with a graying crew cut said from behind the guy that catch Ford.
"This man says that an Asguard dropped him off here by mistake sir. He mentioned Thor and that he was suppose to be at the SGC. He has his orders right here." he said handing them over.
The older man, a Captain from the looks of the rank, looked it over then gave Ford a skeptical look. But that was after reading the orders which seemed strange. Hammond had put in the orders for anyone who came across Ford, to have him taken to the SGC right away. Top priority and very important. No questions asked, no phone calls to be made. Hammond has signed it personally.
"Name's Major Ford Primus. Never heard of ya."
"Not very common name sir."
"Fine. What's in the briefcase?"
"Nothing from here sir. I have documents for O'Neill."
"General O'Neill. He's going to love that. Open it."
Ford did so slowly. He had to put in a four digit code on either side and then use his thumb print to unlock it completely. He showed it to the Captain who looked inside and lifted the tied up folders. He bent it and twisted it. Other than files, there was nothing like a disc or anything from the Area 51 place as far as he could tell. The folders were sealed shut and said General O'Neill's or Lieutenant Colonel Carter's or the other two member's of SG-1's eyes only.
"I'm going to assume that I can't look through these?"
"That would be correct Captain. They are very top secret and only meant for General O'Neill and Lieutenant Colonel Carters eyes. And the other two."
"Where did you get dropped off exactly?" he said putting the folders back. Ford closed the case and it locked automatically.
"Some room down the hallway. I didn't even look at the door but there was a lot of large objects in the room on shelves and such. I didn't touch anything."
"Hmm. Come with me. We have to verify with our security camera's in that area."
Oh no!
"Sorry sir, but the camera's in that section are still down for repairs. We have guards patrolling that area until then." another guard said.
"I'm sorry to say I never saw anyone. I just left the room and turned left following it until I found someone." Ford said.
"Wonderful. Fine then, we'll get you sent off to the SGC. You better hope that nothing comes up missing."
"I've seen nothing of interest here sir. My only interest is to get to the General as ordered and help save the world."
"What about that?"
Ford looked to see that the Captain was pointing at his SGC issue bag.
"Ah, my personal belongings sir. I didn't have much to take with me. Pretty much everything I own is on me. General Hammond said clothes and other items would be on the base for me."
"We better get you out of here then. I don't want General Hammond coming down on me for an Asguard mistake."
Several hours later Ford walked up to the gate of the SGC. The guards were also wary of him as he pulled his papers out. Seeing that it was Hammond that signed them, they let him in.
"Thanks Private. Can't wait to see this Stargate that he talked about." Ford said as he was escorted to the door.
"It's something Major. Be careful down there."
"Anything I should be worried about, such as something happened here recently?"
"Why do you ask sir?" the guy said skeptically.
"Just a feeling. General Hammond said that Ja…General O'Neill might not be in the best of moods when I show up."
"That's a possibility sir. The gate was stolen not to long ago…"
That might be a week ago then.
"And we almost lost SG-1 again."
"Ouch. His former team from what I hear."
"Yes sir. Just take the elevator to level 28 and…" he said naming off the directions to the General's office.
"Thanks."
It didn't take long and Ford felt like he was at home. The elevator looked the same as the one he always used to take as did the corridors as he left the lift and went to the General's office. Several people acknowledged him seeing his rank, but otherwise didn't bother him. Everything set in and he remembered to be more professional as he walked up to the door. He knocked on it gently and waited. There was a grumbled, accompanied by a come in.
"Brigadier O'Neill."
He looked up from his work seeing a man in a large black coat that didn't move much. He was in a Air Force Major uniform. The hat was under his arm, he didn't salute and he didn't have a tie.
"Major? There's probably a file here…" he said shifting through the mess on his desk.
"Ah, no sir. You won't find nothing on me. I don't actually exist." he said slowly.
Jack looked up at him and briefly thought about calling for the guards.
"Don't exist? And yet I can't see through you."
Ford let out a short laugh.
"Sorry sir."
"Tell me what you…."
"Sir, I just read the report on the planet that SG-7 came back from. There is…oh sorry General. I didn't notice you were busy. I can come back." she said jerking a thumb over her shoulder.
Ford did everything in his willpower not to look at Carter other than just acknowledging her. Jack was about to tell her he'd get back to her, but seeing Ford chewing on his bottom lip made him wonder something. Ford had glanced at her for just a moment when she came in and he saw that Ford knew her. He seemed to know him too, something about the look gave it away. When she went to say something.
"Wait Carter." he said standing up. "Okay Major, I saw that look."
"What look Brigadier?" Ford asked nervously.
"What the hell are you hiding?" Jack said calmly as he walked around the desk. Ford kept himself straight and looking ahead.
"Ah….I should have known this wouldn't go well. Can we talk out there?" Ford said dropping his military stature.
"What for?"
"What I have in here will make you want to sit down. Both of you."
The look on their faces was not what he wanted to see. He had seen that look before. He groaned and pinched his nose as he set his bag down.
"Good grief. It is not a bomb. It's papers from you counterparts. I came through the Quantum Mirror."
"Counterparts? You came from an alternate universe?! That could…."
"Won't do anything to me or anyone else Colonel. I saw and heard what happens when….anyway, I don't actually exist in this universe so being here won't mess anything up."
"Watch the tone Major. You're speaking to a superior officer." Jack said crossing his arms and moving closer.
Ford may have been taller, but Jack could be intimidating when he needed to be.
"True, and I'm sorry for any disrespect that may have been taken, but I'm not a Major here really. I'm like Daniel now. I just had to keep the uniform to get out of Area 51." he said loosening the collar. He lifted the briefcase up and unlocked it.
Jack looked inside and lifted the files out. He removed the small rope around it and noticed his name wrote on top of one of the folders as he turned it over. Colonel Carter's was wrote on another one as was Daniels and one for Teal'c. He did a quick glance through them and looked up sharply at Ford.
"I do something wrong?"
"No. I just hate more paper work and this looks like I might be working a long time. We better go in here and talk. Airman, get Daniel and Teal'c."
"Yes sir."
They walked out into the briefing room. Jack took his normal seat and Sam took hers. Ford almost went to the seat he would normally sit in. He instead walked to the end of the table.
"This is familiar."
"What?" Jack asked.
"Nothing. Talking to myself Brigadier." Ford said taking his coat off. He set it on the floor near the wall seeing as a coat rack was not available. It still made a thumping noise as it hit the floor.
"What the hell was that?"
"My coat is armored. It protects me from staff weapon hits and other heavy impacts. Oh, ah page three has a note in it." he said standing near the chair.
He took the uniform coat off and set it across the back of the chair. His medal's were on the coat showing as he sat down.
"Page three? Hmm, lets see. Signed by me, no surprise there."
"Same here sir. My counterpart had a lot to say." she said still reading.
"Ford Primus has two specialties for helping in the fight with the Goa'uld. One is his weapons, his other is….he'll tell or show you." Jack read off.
"Weapons?" Carter asked looking at him.
"Yes. I have them on me." he said removing the personal cannons slowly.
He set one gun on the table and removed the clip. He did the same with the other and then pulled a cloth out. After setting the guns and clips on it he slid it down to them. Carter set down the folder she had and picked one of the guns up slowly.
"Why's this thing so heavy?" she said looking at it. Jack was looking at the other one as Daniel and Teal'c walked in.
"Hey Jack. What's going on? Who's this?" Daniel asked looking at Ford.
"Hello Doctor Jackson. Names Ford." Ford said with his hand out.
"Daniel, please." he said shaking it then sitting down.
"Teal'c." Ford said with a nod.
Teal'c smiled slightly and nodded as well as he sat down.
"Here Daniel." Jack said sliding a folder over.
"I don't remember signing anything."
"You didn't Daniel." Jack said looking through the folder again and sliding one small folder to Teal'c.
"Your counterpart did in another universe Daniel."
"Say what Sam?"
"I come from another universe where I helped all of you in the fight to save the Earth and well everything to have to do with the SGC. I've been at it for over a year now, or was it longer, I forget. Anyway, please forgive me for anything I might say later seeing as I'm more used to being on a first name basis and more used to being with you all specifically."
The next hour went well. They all asked a few questions on everything in the folders and in his past. They didn't seem to have much trouble with him being a former Tok'ra host. Carter then understood why Ford gave her a strange feeling. The folders left out all his personal past with Sam and so did he.
"So why did you come here?" Daniel asked.
"Two of me working at the same place wasn't going to work. We weren't going to be able to get along." Ford said casually.
"You're leaving something out. Let me guess, it was a woman?"
"Only you Brigadier, only you." he said flatly. "Yes, that was the reason. No, I'm not going to explain it. It's not important."
Jack seemed to just grunt at that.
"What's this about another specialty?" Daniel asked.
"You cut my head off, I die. Otherwise I'm pretty much Immortal. Another added benefit is I can't be taken as a host and controlled."
"Immortal?" Carter asked in disbelief.
"This I got to see." Jack said. "How can you prove this? Do we shoot you or…"
Ford reached into his pocket and pulled a Swiss Army knife out. He stabbed the blade through his hand and grunted.
"Ow!" Jack said.
They jumped as he pulled the knife out and didn't move to hold his hand or anything. He held it up and they saw it bled then it stopped. Suddenly the wound was gone. He wiped his hand on a handkerchief and showed the hand again.
"This is impossible." Teal'c said slowly.
"No, just a advantage for me. I've taken a lot of Goa'uld out because of my….gift. I've saved a lot of lives too."
"Okay. I want the doctor to check you out anyway."
"That doesn't surprise me Brigadier. Every mission I came back on I went through the same standard medical check up. Ah, I'm sorry if this brings up bad memories but, is Janet still around?" he asked slowly. From the sad looks and silence.
"Never mind. I can guess what happened. Look, I want to stay and help."
That certainly sounds familiar. Oh yeah, I spoke the same words when I first arrived. Duh! he thought.
"Not like I can go anywhere anyway. I know too much and…..well those folders should explain everything."
"That and more." Jack mumbled.
It took a week to get the paper work and other top secret stuff done and Ford was accepted into the SGC. He became part of SG-1 and helped them as he did in the other universe. He saw and talked with Thor. He gave the Asguard a bullet and they managed to start creating more of the Adamantium.
The rest of his adventure continues in another story apart from this one, it is called,
"The Light Side?"
