Chapter 5

The team had returned to Star Gate Command with Jonas Quinn after the trip off world. Pete Mitchell had settled into quarters for the evening. His head swirled as he was now immersed in the top secret world of the Star Gate. He sat at the desk in the simply furnished room and began to write a letter. He paused as he didn't know what to say or where to even begin. He placed the pen down and looked upon the photos of his deceased friends pinned in the wall above the desk of Goose and Iceman. How he missed his friends. How he wished they were there with him. He let out a small sigh as he figured he would never see them again not even to say goodbye as he prepared to leave Earth on a space ship. It seemed all so surreal to the man. He pinched himself wondering if perhaps he was having a dream or maybe none of it was real. He tried to write on the blank paper before him once more and again paused as he had no idea what to write. He then rubbed his eyes and looked around his desk. A small object caught his eye that laying in the corner of the desk. Curious, he picked it up and looked upon it. The object was black and shiny much like a jewel. It was smooth and well polished and the size of a small rock. He held it in the palm of his hand. He noticed a symbol and squinted to get a closer look. It seemed to be a foreign language to him. "Hmm, wonder where this thing came from?"

Then and without warning the object activated and emitted a bright white light. Blinded he held up his hand and then soon lost consciousness and then slumped over the desk with the black rock still in his grasp.

1986

Pete suddenly found himself sitting at a table and holding a fork instead of a pen. He looked down at the tray of food before him. Be blinked unsure what just happened. He recalled sitting at the desk in his quarters trying to write a letter to Penny. He then heard voices around him. Familiar voices. He looked up and sitting cross from him was his old friend Nick "Goose" Bradshaw.

Goose looked up with a mouth full of eggs. "You were saying?"

"Goose!" his eye grew wide.

"Mav." he replied unsure why his friend stopped talking mid-sentence and then acted rather odd.

Pete looked about. "I'm…back at Top Gun." he recognized the area. "How did I get here?"

Goose squinted, "You okay?"

"Must be that thing I found in my room." he quickly assessed. "I bet it was alien."

Goose placed his fork down and asked, "What?"

"You won't believe what happened to me." he told him. "I'm back at Top Gun. You are with me. What year is it, Goose?"

"Um…1986." he stated a bit concerned. "Maybe you should see a doctor."

"Nah, I'm great." he grinned. "I remember everything. That little rock must have done something to me." He looked down at his uniform and patted himself down his chest. "I'm still me. A little thinner." He felt his face, "You have a mirror?"

Goose sat stunned by how Pete suddenly seemed to have lost his mind.

Pete picked up the butter knife at the table and looked in the reflection. "I'm young again." he noted.

Goose stated, "I don't think you are up to flying today. Maybe we need to tell Charlie you are not feeling well."

He grinned from ear to ear. "I feel great, Goose. I know what happens. I know how to pull of the wash and avoid the spin. You are gonna be okay. I'm not letting you die this time."

Goose cocked an eyebrow, "Die this time?"

"I have a second chance. I'm in 1986 again. I'm a student in Top Gun again." he beamed. "It had to have been that black rock I found. Goose, aliens exist. I know how this all sounds but just a minute ago I was sitting at my desk in 2023 writing a letter as I am about to go on a space ship on a rescue mission."

Goose reached over and felt Pete's forehead. "Do you have a fever?" he wondered.

He grabbed his friend's wrist and grinned widely. "I'm great man. You are coming with me. You and Iceman. You two are coming with me to the Star Gate Command. You and Bradley are both gonna be on that rescue mission. I'm going to make sure of it."

"Bradley! My son?" he asked.

"He becomes a Top Gun pilot too." he nodded. He looked about laughing to himself. "I can't believe it. I'm back here and I know what is going to happen." He then figured, "I have got to get a hold of my cousin, Cameron."

"He's Air Force." Goose recalled.

"Yeah, he's friends with Sam and I have got to make sure she is friends with me and you and Iceman." he concluded. "She told me about the early days. The Navy would only send in Seals. We need to get in there. I can't waste my time being a test pilot. We have to get into Star Gate Command when it starts it up. I need to find General O'Neill, Daniel and a doctor named Janet Frasier."

Goose asked, "Have you lost it, Mav?"

He smiled brightly, "I just a second chance to do it all over again. Like a do over."

"You're scaring me, man." Goose told him.

He assured him, "I'm not nuts and this is gonna be epic."

1994

Pete dragged his friends, Goose and Iceman to the small auditorium in New York City. Over the years Pete came across as a psychic as his knowledge of the future played well into his hands. He prevented the accident that would have killed Goose. He let Iceman win the Top Gun trophy. He seemed wise beyond his years which also saved his relationship with civilian instructor Charlie Blackwood. Pete's biggest regret was not paying attention to the football games as he quickly understood he could have won every bet had he just paid attention prior. They sat in civilian clothing in the back of the theater as Dr. Daniel Jackson readied his presentation.

Iceman looked over at Pete and stated, "Your friend Daniel is little weird. You sure about this alien thing?"

"He's key to it." he nodded.

Goose watched as Daniel stumbled about trying to get the projector to work. He mentioned, "This dude is such a dork."

"He's actually pretty cool." Pete countered.

"I really don't see it." he informed.

"Just wait." he instructed.

Next into the theater was a familiar face. Young Samantha Carter who was asked by Pete to come to see Daniel's presentation. She came over to sit by the fellow pilots. "Hey guys. I made it." she cheered before them.

"Carter." Goose gave her a welcoming nod.

Iceman smiled upon her for he liked Sam very much. "Hey Carter. How's the Air Force treating you?"

"Could be better." she confessed. "Pete." She then gave him a hug and then took a seat beside the man.

"Sam," he assured her.

"So, this is your friend Daniel who is into space aliens." Sam assessed.

Pete assured, "You will like him." He glanced over and spied an older woman sitting near the rear by the pilots. He motioned, "Must be Katherine."

"You know the old lady?" Goose wondered.

"Not yet." he replied. He rose from his seat and went to her. "Katherine Langford?" he asked.

"Yes," she gave a smile as he eyes landed on the handsome man.

"I'm a friend of Daniel's. Folks call me 'Maverick.' I'm pretty sure this presentation is going to bomb but he's right about the pyramids. I understand your father found something in 1928. It's important. I'm here to make sure he gets in on it."

"And who are you?" she asked him.

"I'm Navy." he informed. "You need to make sure me and my friends here all get involved in that big ole ring your dad found."

"You know abut the ring." she figured.

"I know." he confirmed. "See you after the show." he went back to his seat. He looked at his friends, "That woman is Katherine Langford and she's holding the key to the future."

Goose asked him, "Not more of that Star Gate bullshit you were telling me about?"

"You will see." he stated confidently.

Iceman sat amused and watched as Daniel started his presentation to a large number of professors who all walked out in short time leaving just them and Katherine sitting in the seats. He shook his head, "This guy is a bigger dweeb than I thought."

"Stop picking on him, Tom." Sam chastised.

Pete soothed, "Daniel's got three Top Guns watching his six. We will cure him of the dweebness."

Daniel looked upon Katherine and assumed she would walk out. "I guess it's over. You don't have to stay." he stated.

She rose to her feet and walked to the front. She handed him a card, "You need to call me." She then turned and looked upon the pilot who approached her. As she walked towards them she gathered more business cards. "I think you also need to call me." She handed a card to Pete and to each of his friends.

Pete smiled, "Thanks Katherine. You have no idea how glad I am to finally meet you."

"I don't know who you are but you do intrigue me." she stated and then left the theater.

Iceman asked, "So, who was the crazy old lady?"

"The daughter of the man who found the Gate." he told them.

The group walked up to Daniel who stood on stage breaking down his presentation.

"I guess you are right, Tom. I guess it is stupid." he gave a deep sigh. His eyes then landed on Sam who he had never met before. "You are new."

"I'm Samantha Carter and I think your theory is very interesting." she held up a hand.

He shook her hand graciously, "I appreciate whatever support I can get."

"She gave me a card too." she told him. "Pete thinks she knows about a top secret device that can make a wormhole. I hope you call."

"I suppose I will." he agreed. He looked at Pete, "He seems to know more than most of us."

"I'm just reliving my life." he shrugged it off.

Iceman asked, "Then how come you can't picking a winning team?"

"I never paid any attention to sports." he informed.

Daniel stated, "I think Pete is reliving his life. He knew when the Soviet Union would fall and picked every single president. We can't disprove that he is not re-living his life."

Goose suggested, "If it was me and I was about to find an alien rock that would let me re-live my life, I would take the time to at least memorize the winning lotto numbers and then set myself up for life."

Tom rebutted, "I never played the lotto. I save your life. I made sure Iceman won the Top Gun trophy. I got us networked into the ground floor of Star Gate Command. Be grateful."

Goose warned, "Keep going on about that Star Gate stuff and they are gonna throw you in a padded room, Maverick."

He rolled his eyes, "They haven't yet."

Daniel asked amused, "So…do I get a cool call sign too or is that just a pilot thing?"

Pete cocked his head in thought and stated, "You get an honorary call sign."

Sam stated, "Mine is Einstein. How about we give him, Tesla?"

"I was thinking more like Merlin." Pete told her.

Iceman stated, "Doctor Dweeb."

"Dweeb, Tom?" Daniel miffed not amused.

Goose suggested, "What was that British show? Doctor Who!"

Daniel rolled his eyes as he gathered up his briefcase. "You guys done making fun of me?"

Pete shook his head and grinned, "Not on your life, Merlin."