"QKT-2114 is an active gate, sir."
"Send the probe."
The small round metal probe floated through the gate. Images popped up on a screen beside the technician. "The probe is in a swoosh depression so the gate is in a face down horizontal position, sir."
"Set the probe to leave the depression when we close the gate and then we will redial."
Five minutes later they made a successful redial. "So what is the probe telling us now?"
"It has a breathable atmosphere with a current temperature in the habitable zone. Plant life is visible."
"Is there a pedestal?"
The probe slowly spun. "Affirmative, sir." The probe glided towards the pedestal and rotated so the dial was visible.
Another technician, watching the video feed across the room, smiled and announced, "It looks like there are two previously unknown symbols. The linguists will be excited."
"Yeah for the linguists. What is that to the left of the pedestal?"
The technician moved the probe again. "It appears to be headstone, sir. I think the Tauri symbol is carved at the top."
The officer leaned closer to the screen. "Get closer. Let's see what is says."
" It says Colonel Samantha Carter O'Neill USAF, explorer, soldier, wife and mother."
"USAF?"
"Yes, sir."
"Look that up see if the name is in our system."
The technician behind him started typing while the one in front started moving the probe.
"Colonel Samantha Carter is Tauri, sir. She was on the team that designed the first dialing computer. She is listed as MIA." He moved over to read the biography on Samantha.
"Sir, there's another one. It also has a Tauri symbol on it." The officer turned around and went back to the visuals coming in from the probe. "It says Brigadier General Jonathon "Jack" O'Neill USAF, explorer, soldier, husband, and father."
The second technician plugged that name into the computer. "He was also a Tauri, sir. He ran Homeworld Security which later became the Tauri office for the United Stargate Alliance."
"This planet has just moved up to the top of the exploration list. Get a ROWR ready. We can let it get the gate up and cover up that hole."
An hour later the remote off world robot, ROWR, was being sent through the gate. They gave it four hours to get the gate vertical before dialing back up. The commander was pleased to see the ROWR had raised the gate and covered the hole. A team went through as soon as the commander gave them a thumbs up.
The five people that stepped through the gate were pleased to find the sun shining and a slight breeze blowing. As they surveyed the surrounding area a tall well built man of about forty years of age walked up a path that led to the gate.
"Greetings. I am Jaconil. Did you lift the gate?" The man pointed to the now vertical stargate.
"Yes, we did. I am Major Marzon. My team and I came through the gate after our ROWR raised it." He pointed to the odd square robot floating beside the gate.
The man's eyes lit up. "A floating robot that can raise something this heavy? It would be very useful around here."
Major Marzon smiled. "One of the things we can discuss while we are here is an exchange of technology. We are interested in learning more about the two headstones near the pedestal." He tilted his head in the general direction of the headstones.
"My great grandparents are buried there. They died long before I was born. My grandfather brought my dad here every summer. They stayed in the cabin that my great grandfather built." He pointed through the trees where the team could just see the small cabin. "My father later built his home near here. When I heard all the noise and saw lights I decided to investigate."
"We're glad you did."
"So are you from another planet?"
"Yes, I'm from Barnil. Each of us is actually from a different planet."
"My grandfather said his parents told him this was a gate that let people move between planets but I never really believed it." Jaconil looked back at the gate. "My grandfather would love to meet you. He came to the gate every year until it too difficult for him to make the trip to check to see if the gate had been opened. His father told him that as long as the rock they had placed at the bottom of the hole was still there the gate had not been opened."
"A rock?"
"Yes, it was a flat stone that had SG-1 carved into it. I've been the one my grandfather has sent to check the gate the last few years so I've seen it many times."
"Do you have any idea why your great grandparents have that symbol carved on their headstones?"
Jaconil shook his head, "I never asked my grandfather but you can if you'd like. I know he'd want to meet you."
Jaconil led the team to his home where they got into a hover truck and headed to town. He told them all about their small agricultural town which provided most of the food for this continent. His sister had moved to one of the larger cities but he preferred to stay near Uraba. The ride took about ten minutes. They stopped in front of a small three story building.
"My grandfather decided he preferred living here instead of with my parents. He felt like a burden even though we told him he was wrong. He's a stubborn old man."
They walked into the facility and found it clean and brightly lit. Jaconil led them to a small apartment on the second floor.
"Grandfather? I've brought some guests."
An old man in a hover chair came out from a back room. "Jaconil? Is that you?"
"Yes. This is Major Marzon. He and his team came through the gate."
His grandfather's eyes narrowed. "Really?"
"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. We came because our probe sent us pictures on your parents' headstones. The symbol carved on them is called the Tauri symbol."
"Please have a seat." Each of the team and Jaconil took a seat in a chair or on the small sofa. "Are you from Earth?"
"No, sir. A couple people at our base were born on Earth though and I've read about it."
"That symbol represented their home, Earth. They came here through the gate. As I understand it they arrived because of an accident and couldn't get home so they made a life here."
"Our records had them listed as MIA, missing in action. They were sent on a diplomatic mission and never arrived."
The old man nodded. "Sounds about right. SO if you aren't from Earth are you part of Stargate Command?"
Marzon looked over at one of the women on his team. The old man looked at her as she shook her head. "No sir. Stargate Command became the United Stargate Alliance, we call it USA for short."
"So Cheyenne Mountain still exists?"
The girl smiled. "Yes, sir. Earth's main gate is still located there. I've never been but I've read about the history of Stargate Command. Your parents were integral to the foundation of Stargate Command and made contact with many worlds. Your mother is credited with building the first computer that could open a Stargate without a pedestal. Your father ran what is now USA."
The old man smiled. "I wish my sister was still alive to hear that. She never really believed Mom and Dad were from another planet."
"So what did your parents do here?"
"My father farmed and my mother built and repaired machines. When I was about ten she built the first of the hover cars you can see all over town now. Thanks to the changes she made to some of our farm machinery we can grow more food on less land, which is better for the environment. I learned a lot about machines from her. They made my sister and I go to the university, despite my protests. My parents were getting older by time we finished so I came home to run the farm. My sister stayed in the city and became a doctor. They lived long enough to see us both get married but they never got to meet their grandchildren. Eventually my sister and her husband moved back here and took over the clinic."
The girl smiled. "Even here they made history."
"I guess they did." The team stayed and talked with the old man for a couple hours. Afterwards Jaconil introduced them to the town council who decided to let the planet reagents know about their visitors. The USA established a based in Uraba and Jaconil's eldest daughter became the first Urabian to travel through the gate on a USA team, carrying on the family tradition.
** Thanks for all the awesome reviews. Although this story is done another story is already floating around in my head. I have to get caught up with all my work before I will allow myself to start writing it though. Maybe I can start it in a week or two!