"They have given up talking about the Ring Mystery" Janet said to him as she walked into the room, glancing at the computer system disguised as a local electronic entertainment system, handing Tarvek a glass of a local juice product "Nothing at all on it today"

"Hmm, aye, that is good" the red orc currently in the guise of a tanned human gave an amused snort "Though it has been almost two weeks in but a day or two, and no evidence discovered. There is only so long such talk can persist without update"

'Which is good, as they aren't seeking us out publicly at the least' he thought to himself, accepting the glass, and taking a sip. A public hunt would be much more difficult to evade than one where secret hunters and officers of the law sought them out. Tarvek had spent time ensuring access to those various officers communication channels. Access and a program running to watch for any references to the event, their temporary identification or address, and any 'monster' or similarly odd mentions in the general area. There had been extensive communications on the subject, at first, but it had rapidly dwindled with no deaths, limited evidence, and no witnesses so far.

Janet had a frown on her face, though she was holding up well Tarvek felt, after a depressed mood for several days after resting and realising their situation "It doesn't exactly feel right, hiding and spying"

Tarvek shrugged, moving to sit on the couch, the heat in these lands unpleasant at times, though not so much now, as darkness fell outside "Perhaps, and while protocol is to follow local laws where possible…revealing ourselves would likely lead to poor results as I do not have the strength, we do not, to bargain. And that can lead to needless complications"

"You did say that such choices were optional" she pointed out sitting down beside him with a bemused smile, the local propaganda-information services playing "It is in the lesson you were intent on giving"

"Aye, aye it is…senior pathfinder by dint of being the only one here" he muttered, shaking his head with a grunt of acknowledgement "Protocols guide, and yes I can interact…but, it is dangerous Janet, and you can keep a secret yourself as you said in regards the stargate. If I was settling here perhaps, or matters required…"

"Like needing supplies?" she asked with a chuckle, after a minute of quiet consideration it felt like after his trailing off "Looking back, you were so careful in revealing information"

He nodded "One has to be, revealing multiversal knowledge is dangerous. No just to the revealer, but to those learning of it as they may act in haste and bring terrible forces upon themselves. Only the fact that this Anubis and his forces were also banished to this realm makes me wish to reveal information…though I feel that is best achieved through a dumping of data upon our departure. With the portal systems clearly unused, and what is revealed to myself of these Gou'ald, there are other places than Earth likely a target for many decades and centuries ahead"

Then sipped his drink, followed by a sigh and shake of his head "Nor is there much we can do beyond words of warning and basic information. Your earth struggled to defend itself against such as them, and there is little either of us can offer. Nor do either of us have any duty to this world beyond words of warning and aid"

'Because to stand as guardian is to give forth commitments and oaths we cannot keep' he thought, as the only true aid they could give was such warnings, and then returning in the future. Bringing forth those who could initiate a true first contact, and offer forth actual support against such an invader as a dark god with a fleet of starships 'To attempt to do so would involve breaking duty and my promise of aid to Janet here, even if she does not quite grasp that as yet'

"Unfortunately, what you just said is all true, even if I'd like it otherwise" Janet rested back on the couch beside him "I had just hoped, perhaps, that there would be Stargate Command on this….dimension's earth. With a convenient dimension mirror, and, even if not, that there could be…options"

"Unless you wish to stay here for many years, sadly there is limited options. There are dimensions ahead, though resting here a time is a pleasant idea. Even if it is…less than my tastes"

She gave a questioning eyebrow raise towards "Preferred the empty forest world? The horrid ruined dead world?"

"If you must know, I do prefer the forests and such lands somewhat, though where I stayed was too empty and too rugged. Cities have their benefit, and place, as the Lord sayeth, but…I do prefer less urban environs" he admitted with a shrug, relaxing a time "Nor those ruined landscapes we came from last"

"Not long walks upon the beach?"

"Beaches, perhaps, though not greater sand regions such as deserts. Not fond of those either" he answered her somewhat bemused sounding question "Dislike such heat as well"

The human sighed "Yes, you have mentioned that about here"

"It is very warm, even the fellow upon the screen that give forth the weather has said it is unusually so"

It was within the limits of the polymorph, as true discomfort was distant as damage would dispel it…but it was mildly annoying as he sweated in the daily heat even in adopting shorter leggings and sleeveless shirt. One had to live the disguise as his seniors had taught him, from drinking through it as he was now, so that simple body language didn't stand out. Memories of failing that attempt, several times, rose back up, an amusing thought now of rotten fruit being thrown at him, though it was less amusing at the time. But it had taught him to get as good at it as he could manage in the spell.

"Never been here…back home I mean. In Australia, back in…my home" Janet shook her head "You know what I mean?"

He nodded, he did, and he could understand it took time to grasp such mechanics. Gave a smile, though it was in his human guise "Aye, tis a thing that will come to you, though it seems strange most likely. Nor have hath I ever travelled such either, these lands being those of our Rachni citizens owing to…history and being refugees in those first wars. Though that was only the Earth I was trained upon, others were just humans, or other"

"I am curious to see this alien Australia then" she offered back trying to give forth good cheer perhaps "Though I have to perhaps to get home?"

"Most likely, security to access the homeworlds is high" he admitted, as he did not want to give falsities as they both would be screened upon his return, if they returned, for the safety of all "The realms beyond are dangerous, and even your SGC did such as well upon your own soldiers returns"

Bastion Earth was a screening fortress world after all, so it was their best bet for such things if he got back home alive.

"Yes, something I had to do often enough that I completely understand. While I doubt it will be fun when it happens, I'll be glad when it does as it means mission success"

He gave a smile in response "Aye, true that"

Tarvek sighed as his pip-boy wrist-comp pinged softly, though it was hidden by the polymorph, and so he activated it holographically, bringing up the screen above his 'human' right arm "There's been a burst of activity again"

"Police in relation to us?"

He frowned, scrolling down through the dumb AI-analysis "No, sudden increase in activity amongst those on the military side if I am reading this correctly. Not in relation to us I'm sure, as it is from their orbital monitoring systems. Its…"

Tarvek's frown deepened, as there were other signals that had triggered the pushed up the report. Non-human language transmissions, his systems identifying it, yet…

"Hmm, this is different, and concerning. Distant transmissions, but closing, along with possible scans. Non-human language" he said to her studying it "Asgard is closest reference"

"The Asgard are here?" Janet said "Oh, you had said you had connection to their vessel"

"Not the Asgard perhaps, or this plane's…as the language and signal are very different. Like drangoc orcish to…I mean, as between French and Mandarin perhaps. Signal seems very primitive compared…in that Asgard sensors were like magic at times. This is much cruder…"

Astria Porta…multiple references, closest translation…along with {Investigate?} {Locate?}…

'Energy flare?...our arrival, but that…' Tarvek didn't like the fact there was directed flashes to his systems, along with indications of orbital insertion, and of significant objects moving in the system beyond…

Janet was studying him "Trouble?"

"Potentially, I do not know. There is an alert being raised by the native defence forces" he answered as he processed the information "And something is signalling forces towards this part of the planet. Not of those Gou'ald, but…not as the Asgard. I, let alone the natives, would not detect such. Least not the ones from your dimension. Concerning as they speak of active investigation in worryingly war-like words…"

--