Chapter 3
Jack stood in the storage room inspecting the civilian firearms and gear that came through the mirror with the Janet and the two teens. He held the lever action rifle in his hand as he looked the weapon over. "A thirty-thirty." he noted the caliber of the popular hunting rifle. He then looked at the rifle Charlie carried. "Three o-eight." he read. "That will drop an elephant." he noted. He placed the bolt action down and picked up the third weapon that Jackie carried. He looked it over. "Twenty two!" he was most surprised by the low caliber.
He dug deeper into the gear. "Old canned food. Water bottles. Old newspaper pieces." he pondered. "TP maybe?" he continued. "Bandanas, extra socks, shoe laces, pocket knives, hunting knives…" he opened a small paper sack. "Rabbit pelts?" He wondered why they had animal pelts. He continued. "Looks like a bar of homemade soap. Combs, toothbrushes, tooth powder." He opened the tin, "Looks like baking soda." he assessed what the tooth powder was. He continued. "Basic walkie talkies. Compass, old map…" he dug through the pockets of the clothing. He grasped what felt like a photo. He removed it and looked upon the image of himself standing with Charlie and Jackie as children. He paused for a moment. "If Sarah didn't miscarry the first, I never would went to Abydos and Charlie never would have died." he correctly assumed. The photo was a glimpse into another life that he could have lived.
The door of the store room opened and Sam Carter stepped inside. "Sir!" she found him going through the gear. She paused for a moment. "Jackie, Charlie and Janet want to know if they can get some personal items from their gear." She spied the photo in his hand. "Your alternate?"
"Yeah." he nodded. "Found it in Jackie's shirt pocket."
"Probably all she had left of him." she correctly figured.
"Yeah." he agreed. "I'll make sure she gets it." He placed the photo in his own shirt pocket. "What do you make of this?" He picked up the lever action rifle. "It's a twenty two."
Sam pondered. "Small game hunting? The infrastructure collapsed, they need to eat and hunt to eat."
"I found some rabbit pelts." he added.
"Probably eating rabbit." she figured. "And if the infrastructure goes down, no more stores or malls. You have to scavenge and hunt for food. Maybe the pelts would be good for trade. You can make hats and gloves out of them." She pondered. "They were set back a hundred years by the invasion."
"I can see that happening." he agreed. "And no rescue coming. Just trying to survive and avoid Ra."
"Pretty much." she nodded in agreement.
Jack then started to place the gear in boxes for long term storage. "They can take any personal items. They can get the weapons for personal use after they have settled into new housing."
"You are going to give the rifles back?" she asked surprised.
"These are some nice Henry's, Carter." he nodded. "And now we got a good idea what would survive an invasion in case it ever happens here."
"You mean that whole 'Red Dawn' kids taking on the enemy with military grade weapons is not it?" she laughed.
"Obviously not." he agreed. "Hunting rifles would be it. Makes sense. You can find ammo and parts. Plus, most know how to use it."
"And versatile." Sam added. "The twenty two is a great idea. Lots of ammo, low caliber for hunting and can still be used in self defense. Not as much stopping power but would be very accessible." She asked. "What else were they carrying?"
"Charlie had the bolt action chambered in three o-eight. Frasier had the thirty-thirty lever." he informed.
"The thirty-thirty can be used for hunting and self defense. Same with the bolt action." Sam figured.
Jack started to secure the gear. "Have to get more on what other weapons they used. Everything they tell us can go into the contingency plans."
"Use them as a source of info for our own defenses." Sam understood.
"That's the idea." he agreed.
The pair soon left the storage room and started down the hallway.
As they neared the elevator the door slid open and an familiar face stepped off.
"General Hammond." Sam grinned surprised. "Sir. I didn't know you were coming in."
"George." Jack greeted.
"I heard about Janet coming through the mirror. I wanted to see her." he confessed. "Good to see you again, Colonel." he gave Sam a warm smile. "Jack." he gave a nod.
"This way." Jack motioned.
George walked beside Sam. Sh told him. "Janet came through with Jackie and Charlie O'Neill."
"I was informed." he nodded.
"They know you. You, in their world helped raise them after the invasion. You knew Janet as a civilian. They lost your alternate last year." she informed.
"We have given them the option to stay?" he asked.
Jack stated. "No way in hell I'm sending them back."
"Good." Hammond agreed. "I look forward to getting to know the kids."
They soon arrived at the main briefing room. Sitting at the table, with many forms to fill out, was Janet, Charlie and Jackie.
Jackie asked, "Why do I have to fill out my mother's maiden name?"
"Standard forms, Jackie." Janet told her.
"Do they want my entire family tree too?" she asked sarcastically.
Jack spoke. "I got a visitor for you three."
All eyes fell on General Hammond.
Charlie called. "Gramps." He quickly made his way over to him and gave the older man a hug.
Jack asked himself. "Gramps?"
Jackie hugged him next. "Grandpa." she called him. "You don't know us here, do you?"
"I look forward to knowing you." he assured. He looked upon Janet. "Welcome to the SGC, Dr. Frasier." he gave her a coy smile pleased she had returned in some form.
"George." she replied and then she took hugged him and held him tight.
He wasn't used to being called by name by Janet Frasier but understood this Janet was never in the military and was a close friend. "Anything you need. You just ask." he stated.
She released him. "I think we will be fine."
Charlie stood grinning from ear to ear. "It's almost like we're a family again. Just missing my birth mom."
"She's coming in to see you, Charlie." Jack told him.
"Awesome." he cheered.
Jackie stated. "She doesn't know me. Does she?"
"I have not told her what happened. Just asked her to come in." he explained. "It's up to her if she wants to meet you."
"You think she will want to meet me?" she asked doubtful.
He pondered "I really don't know. Losing Charlie was a lot on her. I wish I could say but I can't."
"I understand if she doesn't." Jackie told him.
Charlie assured. "I will make sure she knows about you. I'm going to tell her all about you."
"Don't push it on her, Charlie." she requested.
Janet urged. "Listen to your sister, Charlie. She's the sensible one out of you two."
He rolled his eyes. "I got it."
Jack asked. "So it was your sister who kept you out of trouble?"
He shrugged. "She's got that thing she does."
"What thing?" he asked.
"That thing." he waved it off.
Jack looked to Janet. "What's he talking about?"
"Jackie is our psychic." Janet informed. "She can see things right before they happen. If she has a bad feeling about going someplace, we don't go there." She continued. "It's fascinating really. I have a kept a journal recording her premonitions and how many times she has been right."
Jackie stood with a disgusted look. "Why did you have to tell everyone about that? It's embarrassing."
Janet countered. "You have an amazing track record. I would love to study it. Like in that CIA study they did. Project Stargate. With the remove viewing. She sees things."
Jackie winced. "Please stop."
Janet stated. "You said we would find something important in that old house. And we did!"
"Important! Like food!" she stated. "I didn't see that weird mirror."
Charlie countered. "Yes you did. In that weird dream you told me about last week. When you dreamed we were in Alice in Wonderland and we all fell through a mirror and Dad was there giving us a tour."
"It was a dream about Alice in Wonderland. It was creepy and yes, we found a creepy mirror and dad is here…" she sighed. "Shit." she muttered.
Sam stated. "There could be something to it. There are advanced technologies that require advanced intellect to operate. And you and Charlie both have the Ancient gene. You inherited that from your father."
Janet asked. "That gene you were talking about is from the race of being that made that Gate?"
"Yes." Sam confirmed. "What happened to the Gate in your world?"
"Ra has it." she informed. "He set it up in Central Park in the middle of New York City which is now Ra's capital. Those loyal to Ra get to live in an apartment, have fresh food, a Ra approved job and use the Ra approved currency to buy things, that are also Ra approved."
Jack soured. "Sounds like a Ra approved nightmare."
"Kind of is." Janet told him. "Kneel to Ra, hand over your assets and loyalty and you can live a much easier life. Lot of politicians totally bent that knee along with some Pentagon officials."
"Who refused?" Jack asked. "I want to know who will stand firm."
"Hank Landry refused. Was sent to prison and tortured." Janet recalled. "The day he was to be executed a bunch of former military specialist rescued him. He's leads the resistance now."
"I can see Hank telling Ra to stick it." Jack agreed. "Who else is on Ra's shit list?"
"You mean Ra's most wanted?" Janet asked amused.
He nodded. "Yes."
"Guy named Rodney McKay. A man named John Sheppard. Elizabeth Weir. Richard Woosley." she rattled off.
"Woolsey!" Jack gasped. "You mean that little weasel is a patriot?"
She nodded. "Yup."
He gasped. "Wow!"
Sam asked. "What did Rodney do to get on Ra's most wanted list and where am I?" She pondered. "Why am I not on it?"
"I don't know." Janet replied amused by the question. "You know Dr. McKay?"
"I do." she nodded and bit her bottom lip in thought. He irritated her usually.
Jackie asked. "What about Sheppard and Dr. Weir? Those two lead the New York State resistance branch."
"We know Liz but not John Sheppard." she informed. She looked to Jack. "Maybe we could find him and bring him in?"
"I guess." he shrugged. "How do we know which John Sheppard to find though?"
Sam suggested. "We have a mirror. We could go to their world and gather intel."
"We could do that." Jack agreed.