Ace In The Hole
Chapter 14
The view that greets them is a strange one. The area around the gate is barren with a single stone path leading off straight ahead of them, as the gate behind them disengages Rodney feels a slight rush of panic as he is plunged into darkness. Small dim lights set along the edge of the stone path are the only light there is except for the torch at the end of Sheppard's P90.
"Is it unusually dark here or is it my eyes" Rodney whines
"No Stars" Ronon states calmly looking into the sky
"That can't be right…. Unless…. We're not in Pegasus anymore…. That gate could have sent us way out further than a normal gate…. Oh god…. We've got no food…. Water…. Oh God"
"Rodney!" Sheppard barks snapping his panicking friend out of his ramblings "Let's see were the path leads"
"If…. And I stress if we are in the void somewhere outside the galaxy the area is too immense to cover…. If we can't get back"
"Let's just move out" Sheppard sighs setting off down the path
"If we are in the void between galaxies…. How come we have air?... and how come we are not frozen solid?... this place must have some sort of life supp…. Oh…. What the hell?" Rodney stands silently taking in all he can see.
After walking less than 20 feet they are standing at the top of a
Large circular hole almost 100ft wide and 20 feet deep, four sets of evenly spaced out steps lead down to the floor below. Sheppard grab's his binoculars and peers into the distance before spinning both left then right then looks to McKaye smiling.
"There is a path leading away from the other side and I'm almost certain I can make out another gate over there…. Think it could lead to Earth?" Sheppard asks
"If it is then this place has to be somewhere in the void between Pegasus and the Milky Way…. Oh God hang on…. I think I have…" Rodney suddenly shakes off his back pack and starts rummaging through until he pulls out a small device "This is a short range subspace receiver area 51 are trying to…. Doesn't matter but if I can…" As soon as Rodney turns the device on they can hear chatter over the Radio "That's Midway!... this receiver has a range of about 50 light years…. In inter-galactic terms…. We are on their doorstep" Rodney finishes excitedly.
"So we have figured out where we are…. We have less than 90 minutes before we have to check in…. so lets go down and see if its what we think it might be"
In the centre of the hole stands a circle of twelve vertical columns almost 20ft tall and 1ft wide on top of each column stands a circle ring around 1ft in diameter as they walk closer Rodney couldn't contain it any longer.
"Even smaller gates….If we came here by a Mini gate…. I'd say those are…. Micro gates…. You know we had bets on what a ZPM factory would look like and this ain't one of the suggestions…. I mean where's the reactor…the machine" Rodney can't help sound both confused and deflated.
"What about there?" Sheppard points to the circular console in the centre of the ring of columns and as they approach it is clearly divided into five sections.
Rodney hesitantly places his hand on the console nearest to him and it immediately lights up he then goes to move to the next console on the circle but as he removes his hand the first one goes offline.
"Um…. I wonder if" Rodney chunters to himself before stretching to place a hand on two consoles at the same time and sighs when only one lights up "Oh no…. I have a bad feeling…. Ronon put you're hand there" Ronon places his hand on the console and nothing happens "Sheppard you try" the console lights up immediately and Rodney lets out a long sigh.
"What?... McKaye?" Sheppard can't help the frustration in his voice come out a little.
"We need five gene carriers to get this place up and running.
"You gotta be kidding me?" Sheppard sighs in obvious frustration "Why the hell couldn't the Ancients ever do things the easy way?... OK …. Ronon and I will head back to Odyssey….I think they have a few gene carriers on board…. McKaye stay here see if you can figure it out" He and Ronon quickly disappear back up to the Mini gate.
Almost 30 minutes after he and Ronon had left they return with Teyla and three of the Odysseys crew in tow looking more than a little nervous.
"So figured out how it works yet?"
"No…. but I have had a look around up there…. There are 3 other Mini gates around the edge each with a different colour chevron crystal…. One gate has a yellow crystal but it also has a locking plate in it with the Ori symbol carved into it…. So I'm guessing we know where that goes"
"Another gate has a red crystal" Sheppard guesses
"Gate opposite ours…. I'd say it leads to the chamber under Stonehenge…. But the SGC have been unable to get down no rings have been detected…. Last I heard they were considering tunnelling"
"And the last gate?"
"Green crystal…. Lord knows where that leads.
"So back to my original question Rodney….have you figured out how it works yet" Sheppard smirks
"No!... Not yet…. But if gates are involved then it answers one question that Dr Jackson wanted to know" Rodney offers a smile.
"Which is?" Sheppard asks trying to hurry him along.
"What came first the Stargates or ZPM's looks like a ZPM is created using those some how" Rodney waves to the 12 Micro Stargates on top of the columns…. But how…. Unless this has a manual I am kinda stumped for once…. unless…. Those gates are all facing inwards right to a central spot right…. And here in the middle of this console…. that hole is obviously ZPM shaped right"
"So…." Sheppard can see his friends mind going over trying to figure it out and can't help smile. "Magnet's?" Sheppard smirks.
"No…. Gravity!…. it's such an unknown…. it's all around us but since we got anti gravity tech we take it for granted…. But if I'm right….Oh God…. I think I do know how this works"
"Everyone over here" McKaye barks almost bouncing with excitement.
"Guys don't look so nervous we are just checking the machine out" Sheppard smiles but they have all heard of Sheppard and McKaye's jump first and think later reputation and none of them are buying it for a second.
"Right guys each take a console…. Just place your hand on the panel to the right…. Nothing else I just wanna see how it works first"
The whole console lights up and Rodney goes to plug his laptop in but as he removes his hand his station goes off line.
"You're kidding…. I gotta keep one hand in contact? this is…. " Rodney sighs and connects his laptop before replacing his hand on the console "Teyla can you?" Teyla moves beside Rodney and begins to help him operate his laptop.
"Ok there…. Oh my…. It doesn't…. Oh they didn't…. Um how did…. Oh I see…. They didn't…. And that oh…. I…. Wow!" Rodney babbles causing the group to frown in annoyance it's not long before Sheppard snaps.
"McKaye!"
"Let go…. And come over here and I'll try to explain…. Right…. Oh and I want it known that I was right…. OK? …. What's the most powerful natural phenomenon we know of?" McKaye asks with glee.
"The Sun…. or a star I should say" a young crewman answers hesitantly knowing full well McKayes reputation.
"Erm…. No!" Rodney offers rolling his eyes
"A Black hole" Sheppard offers a grin
"Close but no" McKaye smiles
"A supermassive black hole" The young crewman offers excitedly.
"Well…. Yes" Rodney's slightly annoyed that they got it but continues with a sigh "They taped the blackhole holding the Milky Way together"
"What?... Ok McKaye explain and take it slow" Sheppard sighs
"The Milky Way is spinning around what we call a Supermassive Black Hole…. Now we are talking big roughly 4.1 million solar masses…. The gravity this thing puts out is huge…. I mean it holds every other star and blackhole in place literally holding the Milky Way together as it spins" Rodney stops making sure everyone understands before he continues "The Ancients…. God knows how…. managed to space twelve of these micro gates around the event horizon of this thing…. How they stay in place…. I may never know to be honest…. Anyway when the machines activated these twelve gates dial those twelve gates simultaneously" Rodney points to the twelve small gates high above them.
"Dialling a black hole is bad Rodney…. You saying these dial the mother of all black holes 12 times over" Sheppard asks with a hesitation creeping into his voice.
"If we were to activate one of those gates in the middle of… oh say Pegasus… the tidal gravitational force of that particular blackhole… would suck half of Pegasus through that micro gate in less than a year" The eyes of the assembled group go wide.
"OK…. One gate is bad…. Twelve gates is?" Sheppard asks
"A perfectly balanced gravitational field…. with the 12 gates multiplying its force 12 times over…. In essence they are using the blackholes field in reverse instead of the massive force crushing down in on itself it literally pulls a hole in the universe itself and allows them to tap the rift energy beneath…. They turned a drain into a fountain…. A White hole for want of a better term"
"And rift energy is?" Sheppard asks although his head is thumping already.
"Imagine the universe like a leaky bag of water…. Blackholes are the holes…. the leaks sucking matter and energy out of the universe right?" Sheppard nods "We know that there are an infinite number of parallel universes that's a fact right?" Sheppard nods once more "OK so that's infinite number of leaky bags…. all leaking energy to the space between those universes…. The Ancients figured a way to tap that energy and pull it back into our universe creating in essence micro universe within our own universe"
Rodney can see all the faces around him looking at him with varying degrees of confusion and he has to smile to himself for wishing it was Radek that was here now.
"The Ancients taped the energy of the Multiverse itself possibly the same energy that created all the universes and although dangerous to set up so long as the gates connect correctly it is an unending inexhaustible power supply…. This makes project Arcturus look small in comparison"
"So if they had all this then why the push for Arcturus seems like we are missing something big McKaye" Sheppard knows from experience how Rodney can get carried away.
"This thing needs to stay perfectly balanced and stable if those gates misalign by even the slightest the field would collapse and well you wouldn't be around to know about it that's for sure…. if this were in the heart of the Pegasus galaxy and there were an accident of some kind…. The results would be….Bad!…. Arcturus was eventually meant to be mobile and power everything from their cities to their ships…. Like ZPMs do"
"So why put it here on this rock?" Sheppard asks
"I'm guessing…. But I'd say this place is just an asteroid of some sorts…. Geologically dead so no tremors…. No weather patterns or anything else that could upset those gates up there…. Remember?"
"So how do you turn it on?"
"I need to go over the details that I have downloaded onto here and make sure that there is nothing that has been missed…. This place is too important to risk loosing in an accident" Rodney clammers nervous of the look Sheppard has in his eyes.
"Unlimited ZPM's Rodney…. All our 304's could be crossing between Pegasus and the Milky Way in days instead of weeks"
"And if we loose this place recklessly we may have to wait decades or even centuries before we are at the level of development needed to build a place like this on our own…. Look John its one thing we can't chance messing up" Rodney states as clearly as possible.
Sheppard nods slightly, Rodney never uses his first name only when he is being completely earnest and he knows when to follow Rodney's advice.
"Before we head back to Odyssey I want to try something... the other gate….With the red chevron…. If we dial it and it is Earth we should be able to contact the Hammond or the Artemis in orbit right?"
"Do you wish to report into Earth Colonel" Teyla asks with a slightly confused frown.
"Not really…. But if it is Earth…. It gives us another way home as well as the gate bridge…. Kinda like a back door" Sheppard grins "Ronon head back to the Pegasus gate with Teyla and these three guys…. Rodney and I will go make a quick call home"
Sheppard starts bounding up the opposite set of stairs with Rodney hot on his heels as Teyla, Ronon and the three Odyssey crewmembers head back up the steps towards the Pegasus gate as soon as he reaches the gate he places his hand upon the pedestal in front of it and the gate immediately springs into life.
"This is Colonel John Sheppard authentication code Alpha Gamma Delta Nine Three to USS Hammond do you receive me?"
[John?]
"Hi Sam…. How's the weather back home?" Sheppard can't help the smile on his face.
[How the hell am I communicating with you?]
"It will be in my report…. Let's just say it looks like Lt. Weir's lead may have panned out we will be in touch ASAP…. Sheppard out" Sheppard shuts the gate down offers Rodney another grin before they head back for home. "Let's get back to Atlantis"