Ace In The Hole
Chapter 54
"A dead man's switch?"
"Its a fail-safe used to complete a task should a person operating a device or machine be killed or incapacitated" McKaye explains "Many trains have them in case the driver looses consciousness"
"This is the answer to our problem" Cairns says pointing to the screen "Nautilus 4 can begin synthesising the suspension cradles for the gates, the steel and cement can be produced to the specified standard on dozens of alliance worlds, I think a team of trained builders could have a bunker like this complete and ready for use faster than you could teach the teams that are going to be needed to operate and defend it"
"By builders I'm guessing from Earth?" Sheppard asks looking intently at the design.
"Initially yes, Earth has qualified engineers with the right expertise we need to build this kind of structure quickly and to the standards we need ultimately we need them to teach a Pegasus team how to do you work" McKaye says pointedly.
"So you are on board with this now?" Rodney merely nods at Sheppard's barb.
"I still do not see how a what do you call it" Teyla frowns "Fortified concrete building can solve our problem"
The design on screen is chevron shaped with the gate clearly sitting at the top of the triangular structure facing down towards the smaller pointed end at the base of the chevron, the walls are as high as the gate itself on the inside sloping downwards on the outside towards the ground.
"The gate is in the wrong place" Sheppard says rubbing his chin "You have the exit sitting behind the gate"
"Actually there is an eighteen inch gap between the gate and the wall behind it" Cairns says with a smile.
"Let me explain" McKaye sighs "As soon as the gate detects an incoming wormhole the defence team take positions here and here" Rodney points to two slits in the back wall either side and behind the gate.
"See that's what I don't get!" Sheppard frowns "They are behind the gate "Shouldn't they be oh I don't know In front of the gate?"
"Why?" McKaye counters.
"Colonel one of the reasons I wanted to work on this project was because this has always bothered me from the moment I joined the program" Cairn's says "In all the reports that I read SG teams always cover the gate from the front" Cairns says looking clearly puzzled "Why? Its actually the riskiest and most dangerous place to be, its much safer being behind the gate because you are therefore behind the attacking force ready to ambush them when they step through"
"We have designed it so that the Wraith would have no where to hide the dhd is almost completely sunk into the floor offering no cover or protection, they'd be cut to bits" McKaye smirks.
"And the turret?" Sheppard frowns causing Rodney to sigh.
"Thanks to his hair brained ideas we conducted a few unusual experiments" Rodney nods to a smiling Dr Cairns.
"We discovered that an object can pass through the rear of the event horizon of an incoming wormhole like its not even there" Cairns says excitedly.
Sheppard's attention immediately switches to a rather sheepish looking McKaye "You never tested for that?"
"No! And in my defence neither did anyone at the SGC including Carter may I add!"
"I do not understand? How is this possible?" asks Teyla a slight frown forming.
"To be honest we aren't exactly sure the hows and whys" McKaye sighs annoyed at a puzzle beyond even his understanding
"The science here is way out of our league at the moment but the fact remains, an object can pass through the back of an active incoming wormhole as though nothing was there"
"Except" McKaye says
"Except for the period when an actual object is in transit, whilst someone or some thing is actually in the matter stream the rear of the gate is like an impenetrable shield the second they exit the field drops"
"What about radio signals?"
"No it has to be a physical object" McKaye says definitively.
"We tested this for days between Nautilus 1 and 4"
"So any Wraith entering would have to get past the waiting defenders whilst under constant fire, squeezing single file through the gap between the gate and the wall only to be cut down but the automated turret, cool"
"Actually if they got that far I would be amazed" Cairns says confidently.
"What are we missing?" Teyla asks intuitively.
"The dead man switch" McKaye says a smile finally forming at Teyla's frown.
"When an incoming wormhole is detected two defenders either side of the gate immediately arm the D.M.S. If Wraith come through they both let go of the switch, the pins holding the gate in suspension release and the active gate drops under its own weight into the slot below any Wraith coming through would have to be no more than?"
"Eighth of an inch, give or take" McKaye wiggles his hand
"They would be squashed like, well, bugs" Cairns shrugs "And if they sent through a stun grenade like they did when they attacked Earth the D.M.S. Would be triggered anyway dropping the gate into the pit preventing any Wraith from following after it"
"And if it is not the Wraith coming through?" Teyla asks unnerved at the prospect of any allies being caught in such a trap.
"That is why there is two not one triggers as a precaution for friendlies, anyway the defence team can simply lock off the D.M.S. And party" McKaye chuckles earning a glare from both herself and Sheppard.
"I like it I really do but I can see one problem" Sheppard sighs.
"We fortify the gate and the Wraith come along in a ship and move it?" Cairns says.
"Well, yeh"
"We have an idea there, actually it was Rodneys idea" Cairns grins at McKayes little smirk "Each fortified gate is going to be a permanent structure so we don't want the Wraith to be able to detect them if they come in ships, but we also don't want to risk advanced tech falling into their hands either so putting advanced tech on a gate permanently is out of the question, so each time a sentential detects a Wraith vessel we dispatch a modified jumper"
"Unlike Wraith darts a jumper is manoeuvrable enough to still get through the gate safely" McKaye brings up the representation of a Jumper on the screen sitting comfortably in the structure.
"The jumper will extend its cloak around the structure and hide it from the Wraith"
"Making it undetectable" Sheppard says realisation dawning
"Exactly"
"What if they detect tracks on the ground heading towards the gate?"
"That is one thing that we are going to have to monitor carefully" Cairns admits. "Maybe alter approach routes or even use astro-turf" when he realises Teyla's looking at him confused Cairns can't help but grin "Astro-turf is synthetic grass used for playing football the real football"
"Soccer is not football" Sheppard grins at Cairns playful barb.
"And American football is just Rugby with padding"
"Do these structures have a name?" Teyla says smiling at the two men breaking their concentration.
"Viacastra" Cairns says with a smile.
"Road Fort?" Sheppard says nonchalantly catching everyone off guard.
"Since when do you know any Ancient?" McKaye gripes
"I'm not an idiot Rodney! I don't spend all my time playing golf and making out you know" Sheppard scowls before nodding "Good work guys, I'll contact the SGC and see if we can get a team here to get things started"
Only four weeks later Sheppard is standing in the newly constructed Viacastra Sarisia slowly running his hand down one of the smooth almost granite like walls.
"So what do you think?" McKaye asks with a gleam in his eyes.
"I can't believe its been built so fast" Sheppard says whilst slowly spinning around looking at the solid imposing walls surrounding them "Is it me or doe's the wall actually shine? It looks more like granite than concrete"
"We added raw low grade Naquadah ore to the mix, it gives it extra strength and some interesting energy absorption characteristics and to be honest we thought that it kinda makes it look cool"
"Energy characteristics?"
"Quite by chance we have discovered that it actually amplifies and strengthens the Jumpers cloaking field"
"I heard you had a few problems?" a small playful smile flickers across Sheppard's face when he catches the annoyed look his best friend gives him.
"Not problems really"
"We kinda forgot to take into account the added weight of the cradle that the gate is held in, we had to strengthen the hydraulic jacks put in place to lift the damn thing back out of the pit once its been released" Cairns says.
"And how are these jacks being powered? Please don't say there's a Naquadah reactor involved" Sheppard sighs
"Really! do we look that dumb?" Rodney glares.
"The whole complex taps into the DHD's own power source the amount of power used is minimal" Cairns chuckles.
"Since the DHD's power crystal is designed to last centuries we thought it the easiest and most obvious choice"
"And the turret?"
"We have installed a modified Phalanx CIWS, it is designed to destroy any darts should they somehow manage to squeeze through and as a last line of defence should there be a problem"
"Lets hope it never has to be used" Sheppard sighs "Good work guys" Sheppard turns his attention to Tamar who is standing near by "How has the training gone?"
"It's gone well so Ronon has been informing us"
"Ronon said that?" Sheppard smiles "High praise indeed"
"Many of the Pastor's" Sheppard frowns at the word
"Pastor?" Tamar just smiles.
"Those that guard the gates are to be called Pastor's"
"It's just on Earth a Pastor is a priest not an armed guard"
"Well it was decided at the last council meeting that the people charged with our protection should be given a name synonymous with strength and protection"
"Pastor was actually Ladon's idea"
"Ladon! Does he have a thing for warrior priests now"
"Actually colonel pastor is Ancient for..." Tamar trails off in thought with a smile "I will let you look it up later, in the mean time I must get a move on or my wife will not be happy, good journey Colonel" Tamar bows his head and heads off down the trail towards his village.
As Sheppard wonders off towards the Phalanx set on a small platform less than ten foot away from the rear of the main structure, he is gone no longer than a few seconds before the gate starts dialling in and the alarm sounds.
The newly trained Sarisian Pastor's immediately start running through the now well rehearsed drill and quickly take up defensive positions covering the gate and arming the DMS as McKaye and Cairns come bolting out of the enclosure.
[Lorne to Sheppard] Lornes voice is loud and clear over the comm as soon as the gate connects.
"Go ahead" Sheppard says whilst grinning at the two flustered scientists that are panting hard behind him.
[Sir you better return to the city right away]
"What's happened now?"
[We just received a message from Earth, they have requested that the 304's return to Earth immediately]
"Why?" Sheppard grinds out obviously annoyed.
"The Apollo has been destroyed" Lorne says sombrely curbing Sheppard's mood in an instant.
"We're on our way"