Disclaimer:
Stargate does not belong to me, nor do any of the images displayed. This fic was created by me for entertainment purposes.
NA 1: This is a translation from Spanish. Before, I used to upload the translation from Google Translate, but I found this one and it seems better to me. Please comment to let me know what you think.
NA 2: If anyone wants to help with corrections or translations and serve as an editor, please send me a private message. I am too busy to do it myself. Again, my apologies to everyone.
NA3: También he publicado el original en español, ya pueden leerlo.
Stargate O'Neill, 12
A month later, Jack sat in the old control chair at the outpost. They had removed the ZPM and replaced it with a two meter tall contraption, which was the subspace power source they had designed and was finally ready. In addition, they integrated a shield generator and some defenses. For that, they dismantled a hatak, because it would take at least a year to start producing the technology they had obtained. Now they could only disassemble the Apophis ship and make improvements with them.
-All systems online and probes ready to pierce the shields of any Goa'uld ship, rendering them useless with one shot," Jack warned the group of military personnel selected to operate the chair in case of an alien attack. The military men squared up.
-Captain Sheppard, you are a natural carrier of the ancient genes, and you will always be the first choice to use the chair. So make sure you are rested and prepared at all times. Remember. Don't waste our ammunition, because even though it numbers in the tens of thousands, we have no weapon capable of matching it," Jack explained and the military men nodded in a firm stance. Jack nodded and got up from the chair, indicating to Sheppard to sit down and try it. Since he was a natural carrier, the chair activated instantly without any effort on his part.
-Excellent," said Jack, and left the pilots in place.
Sheppard was a recommendation he himself had made. It was easier to give advice now because no one asked him where he got his information or how he came to such conclusions. He was an official prodigy and that was the explanation. Jack used the nanites to open a subspace channel to contact his team.
-"Carter, the outpost is finished, armed, equipped and ready to blow to pieces any alien craft approaching Earth with hostile intentions," said Jack. "How are things going on your end? Are our Goa'uld super ships ready?" asked Jack. -Jack asked. A sigh was his first response.
-Sir, it's still a week away, we're adjusting the glider shields for cloaking, and reducing pilot space, plus adding the weapons system….
-Carter, don't make excuses, I had to locate a base forgotten for millions of years, dig it up, and look for people all over the planet who could operate it, plus build a power source -Jack interrupted smugly.
-Sir, my team has lost," Carter reluctantly admitted.
-So? -Jack asked, and he could almost hear her gritting her teeth.
-Sir, it's always better to have luck than brains," Carter said helplessly.
-Thank you, Carter. When this project is unveiled and you become famous, I'll make sure that's your signature phrase," Jack assured him, and heard something snap on the other end.
-Colonel O'Neill! -General Hammond growled.
-Sir! -Jack said in surprise, as he checked the comm channel to see how he could have missed General Hammond.
Jack was an experienced thug, it was not possible for him to overlook the general before disturbing his victim. Sir, please follow protocols. You must use your rank and name to join this private chat," Jack accused.
-Colonel O'Neill, you will delete Major Carter's words and will not discuss the subject again. That is an order! -General Hammond rebuked.
-Sir, it was a fair bet!
-Colonel O'Neill, do you want me to take your virtual reality capsule off base? -General Hammond asked menacingly.
-They're already erased, sir," Jack hastened to say, still not recovering from the confiscation of his PlayStation 1 and its games.
-I hope so," said General Hammond, who identified himself as "In Charge" in the chat room, and left.
-Carter, this is foul play of the highest order," Jack charged.
-Sir, you could not have won without cheating. You already knew the names of your staff when you made the deal, and I suspect you also knew the location of the base," Carter accused, and received dozens of endorsements from his scientific team, while his own complained about being falsely accused and doing everything within the legal framework. Jack gave it up, he had already lost his prize anyway, there was nothing to fight for.
-So, Dr. McKay, how's your weapons project coming along? And those personal shield generators? I've already told you my specs. I want them to be twice as strong as a Goa'uld personal shield and be able to withstand a whole platoon firing at them," Jack warned.
-Colonel O'Neill, my name is Rodney McKay, not McCoy," McKay scolded.
-Dr. McCoy, stop diverting attention. Carter will finish his work in a week.
I thought you said you went to who-knows-where and did who-knows-what to be almost like her, "in her opinion," but now you're bargaining for a name to buy extra time. McCoy, you're pitiful," said Jack. Stop beating around the bush and tell me about my weapons and shield. Don't forget to mention if you can make yourself invisible," said Jack.
-You're just making upgrades, my team is working from scratch," McKay complained. Still, we've made progress and we're about to test a prototype.
Dr. McCoy, about-to-be is not a measure of time, you're pitiful. Even with a tok'ra lab at your disposal and detailed schematics by a prodigy, you're still slacking," Jack said with a sigh.
-I have more work assigned to me," McKay complained bitterly. Jack knew Maybourne was pressuring him to rush out more lie detector devices, but since McKay couldn't say that, because he'd end up in a dark cell under the NID's watchful eye, Jack took the opportunity to tease him. McKay never liked him, he talked too much and too fast, made a thousand excuses for being late, and was ten times more smug than any other scientist.
Now that he was working with him, Jack realized that he was twice as difficult to deal with in person…..
McKay left the chat room. Jack chuckled to himself. Since his team had finished earlier, he had all the time it would take Carter and McKay to finish their projects to rest, while his team of collaborators took care of the final adjustments.
…
Jack took the cargo ship and returned to the SGC. He didn't need pilots, as the nanites in his body took care of any Goa'uld interface.
Arriving at the SGC, Jack saw that the whole place was still being remodeled, and was another unfinished project. It would be another month before they would resume activities, as they were making many improvements, including communications and sensors. Fortunately, the tok'ra allowed them to use their labs in exchange for the lie detector technology. They were not industrial production labs, at best they were personal workshops, but they didn't even have that, and the Tollan, who did, slammed the door in their faces, continuing their stubborn way of doing things.
The only ones who were keeping their word and overseeing that nothing blew up in their faces were the Asgard, though Jack could see their expression of helplessness at the mess they themselves were making, stripping ships and dismantling their structures… They looked like piranhas when they smelled blood. One hatak, one bomber and twelve death gliders had already been dismantled and their components used in the various projects.
Jack also knew that the Goa'uld would have a hard time when the projects were finished, because the allied governments, consisting of Canada, the United States, England, Australia and Israel, were planning to launch a massive plunder against the Goa'uld. They had been preparing troops and transporting armored vehicles to the SGC for two weeks from where they would launch the ground attacks.
The plans were simple: the Tok'ra would provide them with information on strategic locations where equipment and weapons were plentiful. They needed refineries and factories. There was also the looting of ships, but that would be once they had prepared factories and plants to replace the parts once they took the ships.
For all of these operations, infiltration technology would be of vital importance. A team would infiltrate and eliminate the Goa'uld in charge, leaving the Jaffa without instructions, cutting off communications and even using their own bases against them by closing doors or maintenance systems. Then the troops would come in and wipe out any resistance. The troops would be composed of soldiers with nanites and powerful weapons, backed by armored ground vehicles, and adapted to break through the gate.
As for Goa'uld retaliation, any ship approaching Earth would be detected by a network of hyperspace-sensing satellites and destroyed as soon as it showed its face. Concealed Goa'uld ships would not be a problem, as Alteran infiltration technology was superior and their enhanced sensors could detect them.
…
Jack looked around. This was a separate war from the SGC, run by allied military forces. They were just supposed to keep scouting. But not him. He had already taken O'Neill's place for a long time. There was nothing holding him there anymore, only things that would delay him from fulfilling the rest of his plans.
Jack sighed as he slowly walked the last few feet to reach the portal. Though he shuffled his feet, his steps slowed as he gritted his teeth and looked around, unwilling to give up on this life, despite knowing it didn't belong to him and couldn't be his.
Jack reached out and pulled a door control from a storage bracelet. He pressed it without interruption, even though there were people and military men everywhere. But no one even asked him what he was doing. Although he wished they would stop him so he would have an excuse to stay.
After the gate was active and connected to Atlantis, Jack took a deep breath. From now on, his journey would continue alone.
-Goodbye, SGC Command," he waved goodbye to the place.
-At least you said goodbye," said Daniel's voice, appearing ten feet away from him after deactivating a stealth device. Carter, Teal'c and General Hammond were also there. Jack gritted his teeth as he realized he had been tricked.
-They are prototypes. McKay and I worked together to finish them in time," Carter explained.
-How did they know I was leaving? -Jack asked.
-Well, you didn't hide your secret project, and we didn't have to think too hard to know what you intended to do with a dialing device. Besides, you seemed desperate to keep Earth safe," Daniel explained.
-I'm not Jack O'Neill….
-You're an Ascended, the Nox told us months ago," Daniel said. Jack frowned, he had thought those green plants were trustworthy.
-Daniel, you don't even know what it means to be an ascended. If I were an ascended, I wouldn't even be able to talk to them," Jack explained.
-I meant you were," Daniel clarified. Jack sighed.
-Sir, you know too many things to have only an enhanced perception," Carter said smugly. She couldn't accept being outclassed by a lazy bum, but if that lazy bum had been an ascended one, that was good enough. Jack decided not to ruin his idyllic fantasies.
-General Hammond, sir, I have to go now. I've taken a life that doesn't belong to me, I just hope my compensation to him will be enough. I didn't expect to end up here," Jack said sincerely.
-I just wanted to ask you about the real Colonel O'Neill before you left, and thank you on behalf of Earth," said General Hammon. Jack nodded.
-I guess in half a year he'll be back with you, it shouldn't take me any longer to create a proper corps," said Jack.
-By the way, what's your real name? -Carter asked. Daniel nodded and General Hammond and Teal'c looked at him expectantly.
-I'm sorry, I forgot. That's one of the reasons I ended up here, but you can call me Xion from now on," said Xion, shaking hands with each of them.
-Xion, it's been a pain in the ass getting to know you," said Daniel with a not entirely cheerful smile, as he massaged his neck. They all laughed.
-Don't complain, I warn you, my personality and O'Neill's aren't much different," Xion warned.
-Well, Jack never grabbed my neck, threatened to shoot me, was going to blow up a bomb in my face and called me a hippie a couple of times, but he never grabbed my neck," said Daniel and they all laughed again.
-I'll be sure to pay him back, and also give him fair compensation for the time I used his body. I'm sure he'll be more than satisfied. Besides, I won't erase the memories of these years, so it won't be necessary to fill him in on the situation until now," said Xion.
-Hmmm… I'm not sure that's a good idea," said Daniel with some trepidation. General Hammond shook his head.
-Xion, on behalf of Earth, I want to thank you for everything you've done for us. I also wish you well on your future path," said General Hammond. Xion nodded.
-Sir, thank you for everything. It has been an honor to serve at your side, and I guess I won't be able to come back to this place anymore," Xion said.
-More things to sort out? -Teal'c asked.
-Life-sucking beings, ravaging an entire galaxy," Xion replied.
-That sounds a little more dangerous than the Goa'uld," Carter said.
-And creepy," Daniel added.
-Nonsense, I'll take care of them in a few months. Do you want to come with me? There's a lot to see there, you'll even get to talk to the Ancients, although they're all grunts with no personality. Humans are better, except the Tollan, they seem to have inherited the no personality," said Xion, then fell silent. After waiting so long, he had forgotten about another danger.
-Is something wrong? -Carter asked. Xion nodded.
-There is another population of humans as advanced as the Tollan, but even more devoid of personality. They are genocidal. Do not contact them or Earth and the rest of the galaxy will be decimated. They are extremely dangerous and have the empathic ability of a reptile. Don't believe a word they say; their main weapon is genetics, and in that field Earth cannot defend itself against them. They are called the Aschen, though they call themselves the Aschen Federation by including the worlds they have decimated and now use as breeding planets.
"If you meet them, they will try to offer you everything in exchange for portal addresses or worlds to conquer. They don't like to explore, but they are not violent and will not kidnap you. So, if you encounter their worlds, pretend you have never heard of them and never set foot on their world again," Xion explained in detail.
-We will follow your advice," General Hammond assured him.
-Sir, the power source that I created….
-It is nothing compared to what you have given to this planet," General Hammond said. Xion nodded and finally entered the portal.