TFS ORVILLE
5TH RAPID REACTIONARY TASK FORCE
DRACONIS 427, DRACONIAN SECTOR
DECEMBER 13, 2367
As the Command Center buzzed with activity, Charly Burke tried to keep her composure. The sight of Admiral Edouard Mercier on the holo-feed had already thrown her off. A hundred years old? She couldn't believe it. Her mind was spinning with all the overlapping pieces of her own dimension and this one. Everything was familiar yet unsettlingly different.
But her focus was drawn back to the immediate situation. Ry'ac stood beside her, concerned.
"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice gentle but filled with the firmness of someone used to battle. He had noticed her quiet distraction.
"Yes, it's just..." Charly nodded, then added with a shaky smile, "my first time being dematerialized and rematerialized to get from one place to another." She looked up at Ry'ac, whose calm presence somehow made her feel more grounded in the chaos around them.
"You'll get used to it," Charlotte Sheppard interjected with a knowing grin. "Just wait until you go through the Stargate."
Charly raised an eyebrow. "I've seen documentaries on the Stargate program. But what's it really like?"
Charlotte chuckled. "It's an experience, that's for sure."
Ry'ac stepped forward, activating a holographic pad in front of him. The device projected a swirling blue vortex—an accurate representation of the Stargate in action. As he began explaining the physics behind wormholes and how the Stargate created them, Charly found herself barely listening. Instead, she glanced around the command center, her eyes landing on the officers who seemed to be quietly managing an unfolding crisis.
Her gaze locked onto a familiar figure talking with General Carter O'Neil. Captain Kelly Grayson stood nearby, her hair pinned up in a neat bun, wearing a Tau'ri Federation grey coat with command-red accents on her shoulders. The silver bird on her collar, indicating her rank, caught Charly's attention. It was strange to see Kelly Grayson in a uniform so different from what Charly remembered in her own timeline, where the Planetary Union was the dominant force. Here, Kelly seemed more seasoned, more… hardened.
"No way," Charly muttered under her breath.
"Yes way," Ry'ac said with a teasing grin, misinterpreting her shock. "I'm a hundred years old."
Charly blinked. "Wait, what?" She turned to look at him, her disbelief evident. "I thought you were joking about that earlier. You don't look a day over twenty."
Ry'ac chuckled. "Well, Jaffa age differently than humans. I'm stronger and faster, but I've had plenty of time to get used to it."
Before Charly could respond, Charlotte Sheppard interrupted. "He also conveniently forgets to mention that Edouard Mercier isn't just the admiral of the biggest ship in the fleet."
Ry'ac held up a hand, trying to correct himself. "One of the biggest, okay? We have thousands of ships across 112 galaxies."
"That's a lot of galaxies," Charly said, crossing her arms as she processed the scale of it all.
Charlotte Sheppard nodded. "The Tau'ri Federation's Science Committee is constantly naming new galaxies as we explore further."
As the conversation lulled, General Carter O'Neil tapped her comm badge. A holo-display appeared in the air in front of her, showing sensor data in intricate detail. "Sensors are detecting tetryon particles around a subspace tear," she said, swiping the data to a larger holographic display in the center of the command center. "We need to adjust the ship's deflector array to emit tetryon radiation. It might expand the tear, but it could give us control over the rupture."
A science officer stepped forward, his uniform clean and crisp. "Or, General," he said, pointing to the readout, "we could beam a graviton field into the rupture. It might stabilize the tear without expanding it."
Carter raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "What's your name, Lieutenant?"
"Isaac Newton, ma'am," he said, with a precise nod.
Carter smirked. "Isaac Newton, huh? You sure about that?"
"Affirmative, General," Isaac replied coolly, his expression unchanging.
Before Carter could respond, Captain Kelly Grayson chimed in. "Isaac, you're suggesting we use gravitons to control the tear. But would that have any detrimental effects on this region of space?"
Isaac turned to face her, his calm demeanor unchanged. "Yes, Captain. Any variance in the graviton field could destabilize this entire sector. The calculations must be precise."
Carter sighed, rubbing her temples. "Well, we don't need to pull a Rodney McKay," came a voice from across the room. Gordon Malloy, always quick with a joke, grinned at the puzzled looks he was getting from the others.
Isaac, however, remained serious. "I am unfamiliar with the term, Captain Malloy. Doctor Rodney McKay, however, is infamous for his reckless decisions, including the destruction of the first Asuran homeworld. How does that relate to the current situation?"
Charly, who had been standing nearby, couldn't resist stepping up. "I can do it."
All eyes turned to her. "Are you sure?" Isaac asked, clearly skeptical.
Charly nodded, feeling a strange confidence rise in her. "Yes, I can make the necessary adjustments to the deflector dish. You may not know me, but I've been working with similar technology in my universe."
"How did you accomplish this?" Isaac asked, narrowing his eyes in curiosity.
Charly shrugged. "It wasn't too difficult. Your doctors told me I have some sort of ancient gene. It allows me to interface with a lot of this advanced tech."
Before Isaac could respond, his console beeped loudly. He walked briskly to the station, his fingers flying across the interface as he analyzed the incoming data. "Sensors are detecting neutrino emissions just outside the solar system," he said, his voice steady but serious. "We have an incoming ship—Tau'ri Federation signature."
"Identify it," Admiral Mercier's voice commanded from the holo-feed.
Isaac's fingers moved quickly. "It's the Avalon, sir. They've just exited a wormhole."
Outside the Draconis system, the wormhole collapsed in on itself after ejecting a massive ship into normal space. The Avalon emerged gracefully, its engines humming as it slowed to sublight speeds, hovering just outside the system.
Back in the command center, Admiral Mercier and General Carter exchanged glances. "Looks like our backup just arrived," Carter said with a grim smile.
Charly stood near the back of the room, It is all so overwhelming. The sheer scale of the Federation, the advanced technology, the countless galaxies under their control; it was far beyond anything she had imagined. But here she is, standing in the midst of it all.
She couldn't help but glance at Isaac again. The Asuran reminded her too much of the synthetic life forms she had encountered in her universe. Cold, calculated, and seemingly emotionless. Yet here, in this dimension, he is after all, a citizen of the Tau'ri Federation. It felt strange; especially since, back in her world, she had developed a weapon specifically designed to destroy beings like him.
Charly Burke stood next to General Samantha Carter O'Neil, her arms crossed tightly as she kept her eyes on the holo pad displaying streams of data from the ship's core systems. The atmosphere in the control room was tense. Isaac, ever-stoic, continued his adjustments on the central console, his nanite-driven brain processing information faster than anyone else in the room could fathom. His mechanical fingers moved with a fluidity that belied his robotic nature, every input precise and purposeful.
"I'm not sure this is going to work, Lieutenant," O'Neil muttered, her brow furrowing as she studied the intricate readouts displayed on the holographic interface.
Isaac, his face expressionless, spoke in his usual detached manner. "If we cannot stabilize the subspace shear, we will be unable to send Ensign Burke back to her universe. The resulting destabilization could cause catastrophic consequences in both universes."
His words hung in the air, their calm delivery only heightening the gravity of the situation. The room buzzed with quiet tension, each person aware of the stakes. Gunnery Sergeant Charlotte Sheppard stood off to the side, her posture rigid, her eyes locked onto the conversation. She wasn't a scientist like her counterpart Charly, but her instincts—honed through years of combat and survival—told her that something about this felt wrong.
As Isaac mentioned the possibility of sending Charly back to her universe, Charlotte could no longer hold her tongue. She stepped forward, her gaze hard as she locked eyes with Charly. "Why send her back?" Charlotte's voice was steady, but a fierce intensity lay beneath her words. She could see the hesitation in Charly's eyes, the unspoken conflict that mirrored her own internal struggle. "Do you even want to go back to a universe that thinks you're dead?"
Her question cut through the technical jargon, striking at the heart of the matter. Charly Burke shifted uneasily, her arms still crossed, her mind racing. She had been grappling with that very question for weeks now, ever since the possibility of returning to her original universe had been raised. Did she want to go back? Would it even matter? In her universe, she had been left for dead, her absence unnoticed, her survival meaningless. Why should she return to a place that had no place for her?
General O'Neil glanced at Charlotte, her blue eyes narrowing slightly, but she didn't dismiss the question outright. "It's not that simple, Sergeant. We don't fully understand the physics involved here. Keeping her in this universe could cause both realities to destabilize."
"I understand that, General," Charlotte responded, her tone sharper now. "But what's waiting for her back there? More battles? More people who won't care if she lives or dies? We don't even know if she'll survive the transition back, or what kind of side effects this… subspace rupture might have."
"Side effects?" Charly echoed, the words sticking in her throat. Her mind was trained to handle science, to calculate risks, and manage equations. But this? This was personal.
"Yeah," Charlotte pressed. "We're talking about realities colliding here. Who's to say that when you go through, you'll come out the same way you went in? You could be... changed."
Charly felt a chill run down her spine at Charlotte's words. The theoretical risks involved in crossing through the subspace shear had been discussed endlessly by the scientists onboard, but hearing it laid out so bluntly—so humanly—made the dangers feel more immediate. More real.
Colonel Ry'ac, who had been standing nearby, remained silent, his muscular arms folded across his broad chest. His stoic presence was a grounding force in the room, his experience as a warrior giving him an innate understanding of the stakes, though he rarely spoke unless it was necessary. When Charlotte met his gaze, he gave her a slight nod, a silent acknowledgment that he agreed with her assessment.
Charly's mind was a whirlwind of emotions. She appreciated Charlotte's concern, but the bigger picture weighed on her heavily. "Isaac's confident that this will work," she finally said, her voice quieter now. She glanced at Isaac, whose face remained impassive as he continued his adjustments to the ship's systems.
"Isaac's a computer made from billions of nanites," O'Neil said, her voice sharper now. "He doesn't worry. He can't."
"But has he been wrong before, General?" Charly asked, her tone soft but pointed.
O'Neil's face tightened for a moment before she sighed, a weary sound that betrayed her frustration. "No. Asurans are never wrong. But that doesn't mean the situation is without risk."
Isaac's calm voice cut through the conversation. "The deflector dish is ready. We can begin stabilizing the shear."
O'Neil tapped her comm device, her tone firm. "Hammond, this is O'Neil. Status report on the deflector dish?"
A voice crackled over the intercom. "Admiral Mercier here. The deflector dish is ready to deploy. Are you sure you want to proceed, General?"
"Yes," O'Neil replied, glancing once more at the readings on her holo pad. "We need to try. Proceed with the operation."
"Understood. Good luck."
O'Neil turned to Charly, her expression softer now but still marked with the weight of command. "You heard the Admiral. Let's do this."
Isaac's hands moved swiftly over his console, initiating the sequence that would bring the deflector dish online. "Initiating tetryon-graviton emission sequence."
Outside the ship, the massive dish began to glow, gathering power as it prepared to project a focused beam of exotic particles into the subspace shear. On the viewscreen, the rupture in space seemed to pulse with unnatural energy, a swirling tear that shimmered with eerie luminescence. It was both beautiful and terrifying, a crack in the fabric of reality that threatened to unravel everything they knew.
The deflector dish fired, sending a concentrated beam of tetryons and gravitons directly into the shear. The tear responded immediately, its shimmering edges rippling violently as energy cascaded across its surface. For a moment, the tear seemed to stabilize, its wild fluctuations calming as the beam held it in place.
"We're seeing stabilization," Isaac reported, his voice as steady as ever. "The rupture is holding at a steady oscillation."
But then, without warning, alarms began blaring throughout the ship. Red lights flashed across the control panels, and Isaac's calm voice took on an unusual urgency. "Warning. The rupture is destabilizing. We are detecting an unknown element within the shear—a molecular structure not native to this universe."
"What does that mean?" O'Neil demanded, her voice sharp.
"It means the rupture requires something from Charly's original universe to remain stable," Isaac explained. "Without it, the tear will collapse, potentially causing catastrophic damage to both realities."
Charly stared at the viewscreen in disbelief. The shimmering tear was now a chaotic swirl of colors and energy, threatening to spiral out of control. She looked at Charlotte, then at Ry'ac, who gave her an understanding nod. This decision wasn't just about physics. It was about her future.
"Shut it down," O'Neil ordered. "We can't risk it."
Isaac's hands moved swiftly, and the deflector dish powered down, the beam cutting off as the rupture slowly began to collapse in on itself. The room fell silent as the tear in space faded, leaving nothing but empty stars where the anomaly had once been.
Charly let out a long breath, her chest heavy with a mix of relief and disappointment. She had wanted an answer, but now, all she had were more questions.
"Thank you, ma'am," Charly finally said, her voice wavering slightly.
TFS HAMMOND
5TH RAPID REACTIONARY TASK FORCE
DRACONIS 427, DRACONIAN SECTOR
Charly stares out of the viewport in her VIP quarters aboard the TFS Hammond, watching the stars drift by in the inky void of space. The room is large and well-appointed, a reminder of her newfound status as a guest in this universe. Her mind is far from the luxurious accommodations, though. It's weighed down by the question that hangs over her head, the decision that General Carter O'Neill has asked her to make.
They could send her back to her own universe—if she wanted to go. But the process was fraught with risks, unknown side effects, and the looming threat of entropic cascade failure. Charly hadn't felt any symptoms yet, but the scientists were adamant that it was only a matter of time before her presence here became unsustainable. She could sense their fear and concern during the meeting. Subspace shears were dangerous enough on their own but combined with the destabilizing effect of being in a parallel reality… it was a recipe for disaster.
The stars blur together as she loses focus, her thoughts drifting. She had told General O'Neill she needed time to think about it, but what was there to think about? Going back meant returning to the universe that had written her off, that thought she was dead. The universe where she had no one, where her team had left her behind. Here, though… here, things felt different.
A chime echoes through the room, snapping her out of her reverie. She turns toward the door, her pulse quickening slightly. It's late—2300 hours, she recalls glancing at her watch just a short while ago. Who would be visiting her at this time?
She steps toward the door, her heart thumping softly in her chest as she approaches the sensor. The door slides open with a quiet hiss, revealing Ry'ac. He's out of uniform, dressed casually in khaki jeans and a beige sweater that hugs his broad frame. In his hands, he holds a bouquet of vibrant flowers, their delicate petals glowing softly under the lights of the corridor.
"Ry'ac," Charly says, blinking in surprise. She hadn't expected him, not like this, not now. She had seen him earlier in the day during the briefing, but now he looks so different, relaxed, and warm, a stark contrast to the Jaffa warrior she was used to seeing in the field.
Ry'ac's expression softens, and a small smile tugs at the corners of his lips. "Charly," he says, holding the flowers out to her. "I was wondering if you'd join me for dinner?"
"Dinner?" she echoes, glancing instinctively at her watch. 2300 hours. "Isn't it late?"
Ry'ac chuckles, his deep voice rumbling softly. "The galley is open 24 hours, 7 days a week," he explains. "There's always time for dinner."
Charly can't help but smile. The tension in her chest loosens just a bit as she takes the flowers from him, bringing them to her nose. The scent is unfamiliar, but pleasant, like lavender mixed with something sweeter. The flowers are stunning, resembling roses but with a unique twist—orange petals that fade into white at the tips.
"They're beautiful," she says softly, tracing a finger along the delicate petals. "What kind of flowers are these?"
"Puffum roses," Ry'ac says with pride. "They're native to my homeworld, Chulak."
Charly's smile widens as she turns toward the table, placing the bouquet carefully down. "They smell amazing," she says, glancing back at him. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Ry'ac replies, his gaze lingering on her. His dark eyes are warm, and for a moment, there's a silence between them that feels charged, as though there's something unsaid hanging in the air.
"Let me freshen up," Charly says, breaking the silence as she turns toward the small bathroom at the back of the room.
"You look beautiful just the way you are," Ry'ac says, his voice low and sincere.
Charly pauses mid-step, feeling a blush rise to her cheeks. She wasn't used to compliments like that, not in this context. Sure, she'd been praised for her skills in combat or her tactical mind, but not like this. She turns back to face him, her heart skipping a beat. There's something about Ry'ac—his confidence, his strength, the way he looks at her—that makes her feel seen in a way she hasn't felt in a long time.
She steps closer to him, her eyes softening as she reaches up to gently place her palm against the side of his cheek. Ry'ac's skin is warm under her touch, and she can feel the steady pulse of his heartbeat beneath her fingers. He leans into her touch, his eyes searching hers, as if asking a question he hasn't voiced.
"Why waste time eating dinner," Charly says, her voice barely above a whisper, "when we could have dessert right now?"
Her words hang in the air between them, electric and full of unspoken promises. Ry'ac's breath hitches slightly, and for a brief moment, neither of them moves. Then, slowly, he leans in, closing the distance between them until their lips are just a breath apart.
Charly's heart races as her body tingles with anticipation. She's never felt so drawn to someone before, so completely connected in a way that feels almost instinctual. There's no hesitation as Ry'ac's hand comes up to cup the back of her neck, pulling her gently toward him until their lips finally meet.
The kiss is soft at first, tentative, as though they're both testing the waters. But then it deepens, the warmth of Ry'ac's body pressing against hers as he wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. Charly's hands slide up his chest, feeling the solid muscle beneath the soft fabric of his sweater. It's intoxicating, the way his touch ignites something inside her that she didn't even realize had been lying dormant.
They break apart for just a moment, both of them breathing heavily, their foreheads resting together as they catch their breath.
"Are you sure about this?" Ry'ac asks, his voice low and rough, his hand still resting on the small of her back.
Charly looks up at him, her eyes searching his. She knows what he's asking—this isn't just about physical attraction. There's more at stake here, more between them than just this moment. But as she stands there, wrapped in his arms, she knows the answer.
"I've never been surer of anything," she whispers, her fingers tracing the line of his jaw before pulling him into another kiss.
This time, there's no hesitation, no doubt. Ry'ac responds with a quiet urgency, his hands exploring the curve of her body as he lifts her effortlessly off the floor, carrying her toward the bed in the corner of the room. Charly's heart pounds in her chest as she lets herself get lost in the moment, in the warmth of his embrace, in the way he makes her feel like she's the only person in the universe.
As they collapse onto the bed, the world outside the viewport fades away. The stars, the subspace rupture, the uncertainty of her place in this universe—all of it dissolves, leaving only the two of them. For the first time since she arrived in this strange new reality, Charly feels like she's found something solid, something real. And as they lose themselves in each other, she knows that whatever happens next, she doesn't have to face it alone.
Later, they lie together, tangled in each other's arms, the soft glow of the stars casting a gentle light over the room. Charly rests her head against Ry'ac's chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, feeling the rise and fall of his breathing.
"You're really 100 years old?" Charly asks with a small, playful smile, her finger tracing lazy circles on his chest.
Ry'ac chuckles softly, his hand running through her hair. "In Jaffa years, yes. We age differently than humans."
"I guess that makes you a bit of a cradle robber," she teases, looking up at him with a mischievous glint in her eye.
Ry'ac laughs, the sound deep and comforting. "If that bothers you, I could always act my age."
Charly smirks and leans up to kiss him softly. "Don't you dare."
They fall into a comfortable silence, the weight of the world momentarily forgotten as they simply enjoy the quiet intimacy of the moment. But in the back of Charly's mind, the question still lingers. The choice she has to make—the decision that will change everything.
"Ry'ac," she says quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Hmm?" he murmurs, his eyes half-closed as he strokes her hair.
"Do you think I should go back?" The question is out before she can stop herself, and she immediately regrets asking it. She doesn't want to burden him with this, but at the same time, she can't ignore the uncertainty gnawing at her.
Ry'ac opens his eyes and looks down at her, his expression thoughtful. He's quiet for a moment, as if considering his words carefully.
"I can't tell you what to do, Charly," he says gently. "This is your decision. But… if it were me, I'd stay."
Charly's heart skips a beat at his words, and she looks up at him, searching his face for any sign of doubt. But there is none. Ry'ac's gaze is steady, his eyes full of warmth and sincerity.
"I'd stay because this is where you belong," he continues, his voice soft but firm. "Not in a universe
Authors Notes: Thank you LuciferP for the review. Remember in Ripple Effect, none of the dopplganger didn't suffer from entropic cascade failure.