A/N: Happy New Year, everyone!

Chapter 27, part 1.

Alice stood in front of an aisle full of cereals, trying to remember what was the kind Deanna liked. Dee had come down with the flu, which relegated Alice and Dalia to doing grocery runs all week. Deanna usually did all the shopping and cooking around the house and, despite her protestations to the contrary, Alice not only had gotten used to never having to do this, but she had to admit it had been incredibly convenient to always come home to a homemade meal and a full fridge.

"What an oddly normal thing to do: buying cereal," a familiar voice said from behind her and Alice couldn't help but grimace. "Knowing what I do about you, it seems rather incongruous."

Alice turned around, trying to smooth her face into an inscrutable expression. "Good evening, Aga," she said with a sigh. The journalist stood just a few paces away, dressed casually in jeans and a blue puffer jacket, her blonde hair almost invisible under a knitted hat. She was wearing a sardonic smirk.

"Hello, Major. How are you doing?"

"I was better a moment ago," Alice replied, restraining the urge to roll her eyes. "Are you trying to get me back for all the surveillance I put on you? Following me, now?"

Aga chuckled. "I was in the area and decided to drop in on you, but saw you driving away in your car. So yeah, I followed. What a shocker to find out that you actually do the shopping like any of us mortals!"

This time Alice couldn't help the eye-roll. "It's Friday evening, Aga. I'm off the clock."

"That doesn't come easy for you, does it? With your workaholism?" Aga's smirk grew when she saw Alice's responding grimace. "Oh, yes, Major, I know that too. You might find that I know quite a lot more now than the last time we spoke, despite all your interfering."

Alice raised her eyebrows. "When ever have I interfered? I wish!"

"Oh, you know what I mean—my constant shadow." She jerked her head towards the end of the alley where a man in similarly casual clothing appeared to be browsing the wares.

Do you want me to tell you what sort of threats this shadow has saved you from? Alice thought, remembering the last report from the NID—which had recently foiled an attempt on Aga's life, and the journalist didn't even notice. It was better that she was unaware, Alice knew, but her complaining was getting on Alice's nerves.

She didn't respond immediately, and in the momentary silence Dalia's voice came very clearly.

"Hey, Alice, what's the difference between a washing machine and a dishwasher again? Because this detergent states it's for one and that one for the other… oops, sorry!" Dalia stopped, having finally bounded the corner, a plastic bottle in each hand, and stared at Aga. "Did I interrupt something?"

Alice faked a smile. "Dishwasher is where you put dirty dishes. Washing machine is for laundry—clothes. We have enough laundry detergent at home, but you can put the other one in the cart."

"That must be your new ward, then," Aga said with a grin. "The one that's supposedly come from the Magnificent Light cult in Idaho. Except no one seems to remember her—either from the compound itself, or from the raid, or from any point later."

Dalia looked like a deer in the headlights, frozen in place, her eyes large, evidently unsure how to react. Alice shook her head at the girl.

"Let's just finish up here, Dalia. Aga, I assume there's a point in your coming here. If you'd like to talk, you're gonna have to wait. You can follow us back home or meet us there—since apparently you know where I live, too."

Aga flashed her a bright smile. "I am good at my job, Major. Is that an invitation?"

Alice rolled her eyes again. "Sure, whatever." Then she turned back to the wall of cereals, grabbed the one she remembered seeing at home the most often, threw it into the cart and walked away purposefully.

Aga was already waiting, parked at the curb and leaning on the hood of her car, when they arrived back home half an hour later. Alice drove into the garage and told Dalia to unpack the groceries. Then she went to the front door, opened it and waved the journalist inside.

"You've got a nice place for yourself here," Aga commented as they went into the living room.

"It's rented," Alice replied with a shrug. "What do you want, Aga?"

They sat down—Alice in the armchair and Aga on the couch.

"I thought I would give you one last chance to comment before I go to print," the journalist announced, but there was something odd about her tone.

Alice raised an eyebrow. "You could've called for that. Come on, Aga. I'm tired of the games. Just spit it out."

Aga didn't look pleased at being called out that way, but she took it in stride. "Fine. Well. If you must know, I've come here today because… well, because I'm worried that you might have been right. Maybe this shouldn't go to print just yet."

Alice's eyebrows went up even higher. "Yeah? What about the public's right to know that you championed so much?"

Aga grimaced. "Do you have to throw it in my face?" She complained. "Listen, I still believe that the public has the right to know. But with what I've learned… I fear the reaction might be so huge, it could destabilize the entire world."

Alice nodded, wondering just how much Aga knew. It seemed like a lot. Who talked? It was useless to ask—there was no way the journalist was going to name her sources. "Whatever you already know—or think you know—I can assure you, there's more."

"More than space travel? More than the definitive proof of living, breathing aliens existing out there?" Aga shook her head.

At this moment, Dalia popped into the living room, her face both curious and anxious. "I've unpacked all the groceries," she told Alice, giving Aga a weird look.

"Thanks, Dalia. Will you check on Deanna, please?" Alice asked and the girl nodded and disappeared. She then turned back to the journalist. "If you really are worried about the consequences of going to print with what you know, perhaps don't print it."

"I can't. I already gave my editor a notice of an upcoming story… I've been working on it for six months. I can't just give it up. Plus… I am worried about the consequences, but I still believe people have the right to know. This is huge, this is… world-changing. We can't just sit on it!"

"So what do you want me to do about it?" Alice frowned. An idea popped into her head, but it was too vague yet to fully grasp.

"If you could just tell me that there is an official plan to reveal it someday… I'll deal with the other things if I know there is a plan to tell the public."

Alice didn't respond right away. Instead, she stared at a point in space for a while.

"Um, Major? Did you hear what I said?"

"Yes," Alice replied distractedly. "And no. I mean, there is no official plan. But maybe there could be…"

"What do you mean?"

"My CO has been trying to convince the decision-makers to adopt a plan of gradual release of information for a while now, but they're politicians working for more politicians… so you can imagine how that goes." Alice rolled her eyes.

Aga cocked her head to the side. "You mean the International Oversight Advisory?"

Alice restrained a curse. How did she know that?

"The problem is, of course, that keeping it secret is comfortable for everyone involved. Revealing it, even if we do it according to our gradual plan, will change everything, so they want to keep it secret for as long as possible. But if there is a possibility that it could go boom all at once… maybe they can be persuaded to try it our way."

"You want to use me as leverage to get them to approve your plan?" Aga looked amused. "What do I get out of it?"

Alice looked at the ceiling for a moment, meditating. "You said you wouldn't deal—ready to revise that statement?"

"Major, how nice to see you again!" Chapman Pincher called, approaching her quickly with his arm already extended for a handshake.

"Mr. Pincher," Alice nodded and shook his hand. "It's good to see you, too, sir," she lied. She wasn't really that fond of the man, despite the fact that he was, once again, on her side.

"What an exciting day, huh!" He said with a big, disingenuous smile. He always seemed too slick for her taste. "If you pull it off, it will change the course of history!"

She grimaced. She did not like to be reminded just how much her meddling was interfering with the future events as they should be happening. She had to keep reminding herself that this was a new bubble universe, that it wasn't actually changing the future because the future did not happen yet.

"It is mostly General Carter's plan, sir," she protested. "I just found a way to implement it—maybe."

"Well, we shall see. The President was confident that you would be able to convince them to go for it—he has a lot of faith in you."

She sighed. "I hope I won't disappoint him." She turned around, hearing the clicking of heels approaching. She bowed her head a little. "Doctor Shen. How nice to meet you again."

"Likewise, Major. I am eager to hear what you came here to talk to us about today."

"Thank you, ma'am. Please, go ahead, we are just waiting for General Carter."

Shen smiled at her in her inscrutable way, nodded to Pincher and disappeared into the room.

"Perhaps you should join them already, too, Mr. Pincher," Alice suggested and a moment later she was alone in the corridor. Not for long, though; Carter appeared beside her a minute later, in a bright flash of light.

"General."

"Major, sorry I'm late," Carter apologized with a smile.

"You aren't, ma'am, we still have a couple minutes."

"Good. Shall we, then?" The general gestured at the open door. Alice nodded and led the way.

The room looked a lot like the United Nations' Assembly Hall in New York, only smaller; but it had a lot of the same air of grandeur and luxury. Unlike at the UN, though, the seats were arranged in concentric rows around a small half-moon table; that was where Alice and Carter directed their steps. Pincher was already sitting in the chairman's place, surrounded by the representatives of the original Gate Treaty signatories: Russia, China, Great Britain and France.

"Welcome, everyone, and thank you for gathering here today. It is not every day that we get every single representative in one room," Pincher said into the microphone. "The first–and only–point on the agenda today will be presented by the SGC Commanding Officer Brigadier General Samantha Carter and the SG-7 Team Leader Major Alice Boyd. Please refrain from asking questions until such time as they indicate the floor is open. General." He nodded towards Carter.

She took a stand behind a lectern, shadowed by Alice on her left. "Thank you, Mr. Pincher." She cleared her throat. "Esteemed delegates, we come to you today with a matter of utmost importance. Some of you may have already heard me describe the risks we are facing, and the potential solutions we want to propose. Today, we make it official." She paused for effect. "As you all well know, the Stargate Program has been running for sixteen years now. I can tell you that when we were starting out, we could not have predicted that it would be alive for so long, or that it would become so vital to our planet's defense, growth and identity itself. It is difficult to overstate the impact it has had on every single person involved in the Program. And yet there are still countless people who have no idea any of this exists: extraterrestrials, human settlements on faraway planets, inhabited galaxies beyond the Milky Way, space travel, the Stargate itself. Not to mention the truth about our own existence—that we were not the first race of humans to inhabit the Earth. Can you imagine what would happen if people found out about it all?" Her words hung in the air for a moment, and then she continued: "Because I can. In fact, I've seen it happen in an alternate reality: riots, martial law, end of democracy and human rights. Now, in ten years, or in fifty—if the existence of the Stargate Program, and all that it entails, becomes public knowledge, the consequences will be dire. We've seen it happen, but we also have the data from simulations and projections. If you are curious just how bad it could get, we've included some of it in your briefing books."

There was a general shuffle when the representatives started opening the folders laying in front of each of them. Carter didn't give them much time to peruse, though.

"If we continue to do nothing, it will happen. Sooner or later, we—all of humanity, everywhere—will have to face it. There will be no escape. We've had sixteen years of relative quiet, though I should remind you that it was close a couple times—there was the episode with the Prometheus ten years ago, then the affair with Alec Colson, and a string of other, more minor incidents where someone said too much, seen too much, or classified information was leaked in other ways. Each year, it's going to be more difficult to keep the secret, as more and more people know about it. In fact, it's a minor miracle that we've managed to do it so far." She paused again for a beat. "We cannot continue to do nothing. We have to prepare. It will be infinitely better if we share the secret on our terms and in the right time, rather than if it breaks out suddenly. To that end, I propose to adopt a special plan of incremental declassification to 'prepare the ground', so to speak. All of our simulations and prognosis confirm that it is the best approach and the only one that does not end in near-apocalyptical end of our civilization as we know it. Our proposal is to start increasing the rate at which we introduce technology and science gathered through the Stargate to the wider public first—especially that which is related to human health, generation of clean energy, and other issues important to the society. The second step would be to share some of our archeological breakthroughs, including the real age of the pyramids and the idea that our evolution might not have been as random as we have always thought. Thirdly, we would start spreading rumors about the Stargate Program, the military and civilian involvement in it, and eventually about the actual nature of it: space travel, aliens, all of it. After some time we would begin a slow campaign of confirming or sharing small bits of information with the respectable media to ensure that it is accepted not just by, uhm, sci-fi enthusiasts, but the wider audience, too." She cleared her throat again. "This strategy would allow us to get people used to the idea of there being more out there, and we believe this would make the eventual disclosure of the entirety of the Program much less traumatic, and therefore would minimize the violent response. Whatever we do, this will have a big impact on our societies," she admitted seriously. "We will feel the economic and political repercussions, and they will be difficult. But we can survive that. What we cannot survive is the destruction and deconstruction of our civilization."

She lapsed into silence, giving them all a moment to process her words. Then she looked at Alice and nodded to her. "And now I would invite Major Alice Boyd, the Team Leader of SG-7 to speak for a moment. Major Boyd is an eight-year veteran in the Stargate Program; she began her career as an F-302 pilot aboard the Prometheus and was there for its destruction. She spent over three years as part of the Atlantis expedition and has been reassigned to the SGC six months ago as our very own expert on the Wraith. She is currently leading the New Light mission which has already yielded a vast treasure of intel on the Lucian Alliance, including advance warning of their recent attempted attack on our fair planet, which Major Boyd helped to thwart by using the Ancient Chair and then flying a 302 to ensure no enemy Glider made it to the surface. Major Boyd is a highly decorated officer, has a PhD in Computer Engineering, specializing in Artificial Intelligence, and is an expert on alien technology, including Ancient. Major?" Carter stepped aside, gesturing at Alice to take the place behind the lectern.

"Thank you, General." Alice had to pull down the microphone to adjust it to her height. "I, of course, join General Carter in urging you all to give serious consideration to the plan she has just proposed. I had the doubtful privilege of seeing on my own eyes what would be the consequence of doing nothing, but that is not the only reason to eventually reveal the existence of the Program and all that it entails. We should do it, simply, because it is the right thing to do." She paused, smiling wanly. "I know this is a rather un-political approach, but I want to remind you that our morality is what distinguishes us from other intelligent beings that we would not like to stand too close to, like Wraith or Replicators. An argument like that would not fly with them, but I hope you can take it to heart. We cannot, in good conscience, continue to hide the truth about the very nature of our existence and our identity, from people for much longer. It is, simply put, unethical. I have been recently reminded of that fact by a very surprising source: a journalist." There was a whisper of gasps across the room. "A New York Times' reporter named Aga Foster has been gathering information on the Program and all of its associated secrets for over six months now. As far as we know, she gained access to some of our most classified data and may have sources in very high places. Either way, she has enough to go to print. But a couple weeks ago, she has come to me and point-blank asked me if we had any plan to reveal this to the public. She believes strongly that the public has the right to know, but she also acknowledges that revealing it all at once might be too destabilizing." Alice paused for effect again. "For the past six months we were trying to discourage her from pursuing the story. The NID has been shadowing her, and even the Trust—or whatever offshoot of it is still operational—tried to warn her off it by beating her up. There was also an attempt on her life, thwarted by her NID shadow. Still, she would not relent, and we do not have any legal recourse to stop her. We already have a deal with Julia Donovan for an exclusive when this breaks, but Ms. Foster wouldn't deal. That is, until now." Alice wet her lips. "She will abandon the story under three conditions: one, that we tell her everything; two, that we present her with a comprehensive plan to reveal the existence of the Program to the public according to the incremental declassification strategy outlined by General Carter; and three, that we will include her in the plan—she would receive some of the information we decide to disseminate, though she understands that it won't be exclusive. Those are her terms, and if we disagree, she will go to print—or, as she has warned me, if something happens to her, she's made assurances that the whole story will go on the Internet automatically. So, see, the alternative isn't really between implementing General Carter's strategy or doing nothing in the hopes that it would stay secret for a while longer. The real choice is between having it revealed now and causing panic, violent riots, economy collapse and all those other consequences we have seen and predicted; or do it later, but on our own terms and in a way that guarantees the best chances of success."

Alice nodded and took a step back to indicate that she was done. The moment she did, the hum of raised voices filled the room, until Pincher tapped a gavel on the table to bring order.

"Please, let's keep our discussions civilized for just a few more moments!" He called to everyone. "General Carter and Major Boyd will now take questions!" Again, there was an uproar, so he added loudly: "The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Russia!"

"Major Boyd, how can you say that we cannot stop this journalist!" The Russian representative asked, visibly outraged. "It is so simple!"

"Sir, while the Stargate Program governance is based on multilateral agreements and bound by the decisions of this Advisory, the laws of each country still need to be observed," Alice replied calmly. "In the United States, we have the freedom of speech, and we cannot legally force the press to abandon any story they want to publish. That would be censorship."

He harrumphed and seemed like he wanted to argue, but Pincher quickly jumped in to let the representative from Germany speak.

"General, you've mentioned you have done simulations and projections. Did you also take into account the costs of both scenarios?"

Carter nodded seriously. "Yes, sir. You will find the detailed numbers in your briefing books, but in a nutshell, we compared three scenarios: letting the truth out now, versus in fifteen years, versus doing it incrementally as we proposed today. There are a great many factors to think about, but if we only limit ourselves to the cost of predicted panic—that would include supply issues, panic-buying, stealing and destruction of goods and property, and the costs of deploying additional police and military troops to keep calm—if we only limit ourselves to that specific dimension, we are talking about over fifteen trillion US dollars saved worldwide with our plan compared to the first year after the sudden reveal, either now or in the future. And that's just the start. We have provided some more dimensions detailed in the briefing books, and if you are interested in a particular factor, you can always let us know and we'll be happy to pass it through our simulations as well."

"Fifteen trillion?" Even Pincher was shocked with the number. "How did you calculate that?"

Carter raised her eyebrows. "It's a very long formula, but I assure you it was checked and rechecked by multiple people."

"Oh, I'm sure, I believe you, General. I mean, nobody in this room has any doubts that if you had anything with it, it must be accurate. It's just… well, unbelievable," he admitted, but then he cleared his throat. "Uhm, okay, Mr. Bardeau?"

"You both said that you saw the consequences of doing nothing," the Canadian representative stated. "Can you elaborate on that?"

"I'm afraid we cannot, sir," Carter replied cautiously. "These were alternative reality scenarios, the details of which should not be shared with a larger audience due to questions of causality itself. But I can assure you, what we have seen confirms all of our simulations and predictions."

"How detailed is this plan of yours, exactly?" The Indian rep put in, without being called upon by Pincher.

"We have broken it down into phases with specific milestones after each, but the plan itself will be, and must be, progressively elaborated," the General explained. "The first steps are detailed in your briefing books, along with the overall timeline and milestones. As I mentioned, we will start with increasing the ratio of sharing technology and scientific discoveries with the wider audiences, both directly and indirectly—meaning through publications in scientific journals and more frequent participation in scientific conferences, lectures and suchlike by some of our best minds in the Program, including Major Boyd here, but also through sharing intel with civilian scientists and companies to ensure that it is not too easily traced back to us, at least at the beginning. Of course, we will follow the established protocol for screening and selecting candidates for cooperation."

"I have to say, General, I am glad to hear of this plan," Shen said, ignoring Pincher's scathing look for speaking out of term. "As you know, ever since the original Gate Treaty was signed, China has always been in favor of revealing the truth to our citizens. In the end, we were persuaded otherwise—and it was by your own late General Hammond and a lucky alien intervention."

"Yes, I remember, Doctor Shen," Carter acknowledged. "But what was right ten years ago might not be right now."

"Either way, China will be in favor of this plan."

"Russia will oppose it!" The Russian rep spoke heatedly. "And we have to have unanimity on this one!"

"Why?" One of the delegates from the Baltic states asked, agitated. "We should vote with a standard majority!"

Two or three more people started talking at the same time, so Pincher used his gavel once again. "Order, please!" He called. "We will not solve this issue on this session. Let us take in the proposal General Carter has made, read the briefing book, ask any additional questions we might have, talk to our bosses, and come back to re-discuss this matter in a couple weeks. I will set the next meeting for the 11th of February, unless there are any formal objections?" He waited for about two seconds. "No? Good. Then I consider this meeting closed. Thank you all." And he tapped his gavel on the table to dissolve the assembly.

Unfortunately for Carter and Alice, it did not mean their job was done. They were immediately surrounded by an agitated crowd and everyone was talking at the same time and asking the same questions over and over again. Alice almost lost her voice, trying to speak loudly enough to be heard, before she was finally able to get out of there, three hours later.

"Good job, Major," the general told her as they fled from the building. It was quite chilly for Nevada, but they weren't going to stay long. "You sounded very convincing. I like the morality thing you started with. Didn't even go through my mind to appeal to their better angels."

"I'm not sure they have any," Alice croaked with a smirk. "I was more trying to shame them into doing the right thing. I mean, who wants to be compared to a Wraith?" She shrugged.

"Good point. Either way, excellent work. Though there's still a lot to do before they agree. Lots and lots of meetings, talks in the couloirs, persuading and convincing of people… but I think we might have a chance if they agree on a majority vote instead of unanimous consent. I don't ever seen Russia accepting the plan."

Alice nodded. "What's the voting process for deciding the voting process, though?" She quipped and Carter grinned.

"That's the question." She pulled her phone from a pocket and speed-dialed 6. "Hey, Albert, can you give us a lift back to Colorado? Thanks."

And a moment later they were enveloped by a flash of white light and when they blinked, they were standing in front of the entrance to the SGC. A very useful way to travel, Alice thought as they walked inside, saluted and greeted by airmen and marines as they passed. Wonder if we can ever make that a viable solution for the entire planet… But that was a pipe dream; she was close to finding a way to miniaturize the Asgard transporter unit for use on a satellite, but there was still a problem with finding an acceptable power source.

She had to admit, though, that her work was going a little better nowadays. She was sleeping a little better—not a lot, but it was still progress: she could usually count on four solid hours of sleep each night, and sometimes even more. She was feeling more refreshed and less tired, but there were still days when all she could do was stare into a whiteboard while her mind was idling away. Nevertheless, it was slowly getting better, and it gave her hope and strength to keep trying to improve. And that, in itself, was already a minor miracle.