Briefing Room, SGC, a few hours later.
It would be nearly six hours later that Willow and SG-1 were called back to the Briefing Room. With the folder containing the results of Willow's background check in his hand, Hammond stepped out of his office before saying, "Welcome back everyone." General Hammond strode over to his seat at the head of the table and then motioned at everyone to take their seats. He had Willow seated next to him of his left while O'Neill sat on the right side across from Willow. Carter was seated next to Willow and both Daniel and Teal'c seated across the table. Hammond placed the blue folder – the cover had the Air Force logo embossed – on the table. He then turned towards Willow and asked, "Miss Rosenberg, I assume that my officers have made you feel at home here?"
"Yes, thank you," nodded Willow, "and please call me Willow. Miss Rosenberg makes me feel old." She quickly shook her head and waved her arms animatedly while saying, "not that I'm saying anyone here's too old or anything, or that I'm old or… I mean that… I…."
"Take a breather, Red," said O'Neill, raising an eyebrow at the redhead.
"Sorry," Willow replied, "when I get nervous, I kinda babble a bit."
"That's alright, Willow," Daniel said before General Hammond gave off a cough, making the others look back towards him.
The General placed his hands on the folder before saying, "I received the results of the background check thirty minutes ago." The General's gaze swept over everyone before landing on Willow, "your Security Clearance will take some time, there will be someone coming soon to conduct some interviews with you."
Returning to Sunnydale or going backpacking were certainly a couple of options. And so was staying on in Colorado Springs and working at this deep-space radar telemetry facility. It sounded interesting; she certainly hoped she could one day work on rovers that would be going off to Mars. 'That would be cool,' Willow thought to herself, 'but would I have to go to school here? Can I work? Will they let me do both? Mom and dad will be okay with it, I guess, but they'll have questions why I wouldn't go to Standford or MIT or something.' Willow then wondered once again if Hammond actually wanted her to stay on, after all, they wouldn't do background checks and security clearances for just anyone. Right? Her thoughts then turned to Buffy and the other Scoobies once again. After all, they have been a dominant fixture in her life. Could she let them go, just like that? She heard rumors of people losing contact with friends after a period of time whenever they go to out-of-state universities. If these people let her stay, would she lose contact with Buffy and the others? 'No,' Willow thought, 'if I stay, I'll be calling Buffy and Xander every day.'
Taking calming breaths, Willow looked on as the General opened the folder before saying he had another chat with the President after receiving the results of her background check. The bald man then looked at the rest of SG-1 before he started speaking again, "once again, the President agrees Willow would be an asset to this command." He continued, "while her background check obviously has no information about magic, there is plenty of information of her academic achievements. Great grades… many awards… part of the chess club… Great scores from standardized tests…" the General looked up at Carter and added, "she beat your scores, Captain."
Carter chuckled, and Willow grinned, her face slowly turning red in embarrassment.
The general then added he had some questions on why she was admitted to hospital a year ago. Willow wondered what happened a year ago. And then she remembered, she was hospitalized after being attacked in the High School library when she was attempting to restore Angel's soul. She was nearly done with the spell when demons broke into the library led by Angelus and _. They attacked her – shattering the Orb of Thesula in the process, Xander, Giles, and Kendra in the library. That was the day Giles was kidnapped and Kendra was killed by Drusilla. Willow had to be hospitalized, and it would be from the hospital that she attempted the soul restoration spell once again. That time, she was successful in restoring Angel's soul. But she couldn't give that explanation to Hammond and the others. She would have to reveal demons and vampires, and she didn't think she was ready to do that yet. She could say that she had used too much magic, and that she was exhausted. But she didn't know it the background check detailed the bruises she received.
"Well," Willow had to come up with another reason on the fly, "my friends and I are part of this neighbourhood watch group." Hammond nodded his head. Willow continued, "I have a small group of friends in that group who know I use magic and…"
"They know magic exists?" Carter asked. Willow noticed the others leaning forward on their seats, as if waiting for her answer.
Willow nodded her head before continuing, "Sunnydale has gangs that are usually hopped up on PCP and they sometimes cause trouble."
"That's true," Daniel jumped in, "I've done some research. There have been weekly reports of attacks by gangs on PCP or attacks by a serial killer who could be using a two-pronged barbeque fork to kill their victims."
Willow nodded her head, agreeing with Daniel.
"So, this one night," Willow returned to her story, "I was alone, and… well, I was attacked. I used some magic to throw him off me and I ran. My friends got to him before I could get hurt anymore."
"You should never have gone on your own," Carter said, concern in her voice.
Willow gave a small smile before saying, "I learned that the hard way. My best friend, who was a part of this group, insisted I go to the hospital because I was a bit bruised and all. So, I went."
"It's a very unusual city," Daniel said leaning back on his chair, "people go missing, the local paper has a section dedicated to obituaries instead of sports."
Willow jumped in, "we don't really have a lot of sports teams."
"Still," Daniel said, "there are reports of murders, animal attacks, and… like Willow said… attacks by gangs on PCP. High crime rates for a small city. And that's not counting the unusually high number of churches, graveyards, and a thriving funeral home industry."
Willow added, "just one of those small city quirks, I guess."
"Just really unusual," Daniel clarified.
To not anyone in the know, it would be unusual. And Willow didn't think it would be good to reveal the truth. At least not yet. After all, what would they say about demons, vampires, werewolves, and so on. The General then interrupted her train after taking out another piece of paper from a pocket within folder. It wasn't part of the background check, Willow knew. It was the short explanation about magic she had submitted to the General a couple of hours ago.
The General handed the paper off to Colonel O'Neill who skimmed through it. Hammond said, "I've read through the report, and magic is apparently very powerful and versatile, but it comes with its risks, costs, and responsibilities."
O'Neill nodded his head; his facial expression showing awe at some points and worry on others. The paper was then passed to Teal'c and then to Daniel. Willow, for her part, said she was a relative beginner and that the Wishing Spell was the biggest one she had cast. Technically, it wasn't a lie. True, there was the Soul Restoration spell, but the Wishing Spell was one that teleported her from Sunnydale to Colorado Springs. And a part of her was afraid. Giles had always told her to be careful, that for all the benefits that comes with magic use, the most dangerous downsides were the corrupting influence of magic, becoming so dependent on magic that she would be helpless without it, and the potential for magical backlash. She believed her travelling could both be counted as a backlash as well; but a part of her felt as if she belonged here.
"Huh," Carter said reading through the paper while Willow was deep in thought.
A part of her wanted to return to Sunnydale, it was her home after all. She had her friends there as well, and she liked helping out, using her magic and research skills to beat back the threats in the dark. The incident with the wishing spell, along with her sudden arrival to Colorado Springs, showed her she still hadn't gotten a full handle on magic. She was afraid that she would dig deeper into magic just to prove she could be a great witch; and she was afraid by digging deeper, she would grow more dependent on it like a drug. And Giles did tell her, as a warning, that magic was like a drug. Willow felt magic was a form of excitement; after all, the re-ensoulment spell was a huge rush for her. But then again, soon after discovering Veruca and Oz waking up together, Willow was perfectly willing to cast a spell that would force both Oz and Veruka to hate each other. It was impulsive, and she had no idea of what would happen if she had cast the spell… she had no idea if there would be a backlash. And while she didn't cast the spell in the end, Willow felt saddened at the thought of actually having the desire to do so. Could she do it again? Pull herself from the brink?
Willow then realized she had already given into her impulsiveness and anger. The Wish spell was herself giving into her own dangerous impulses, her grief, and her anger. If she did move to Colorado Springs, she would be also without someone who could train her in using magic. 'Heck, I lived without magic for most of my life,' Willow thought to herself, 'and why would I need magic for deep space radar telemetry anyway?' Willow wondered maybe it was time she returned to a simpler life. If she decided to stay in Colorado Spring, she could refer Buffy and the others to Tara, a girl she met in her Wicca group. She sensed Tara had power, unlike the other girls in the group who were more concerned with bake sales.
It was something to think about, giving up magic. If she decided to stay in Colorado Springs, then it was something she may consider. Willow wondered if she needed to go to Colorado State or to the Air Force Academy if she was offered a position at the facility; the latter was something she had never considered before though. It would be something different; that's for sure. For now, Willow noticed another person in uniform walk up to the General, hand him another folder, and then walk off into a hallway.
The General handed her the folder, which the redhead then opened, only to find several sheets of paper inside. Hammond told her that she was looking at a Non-Disclosure Agreement. He said, "deep space radar telemetry is a small part of what we do here." Willow furrowed her eyebrows, "the bulk of the analysis is carried out in NORAD topside." Willow nodded her head, "while radar telemetry is indeed important for the protection of our country and the world, what we do here is… well…"
"More," Colonel O'Neill said, "more than anything you're thinking right now."
Willow thought the atmosphere suddenly got very dramatic. She was now more interested to know what it was that made up the bulk of what went on in this facility. 'Super advanced rovers maybe?' Willow wondered, 'or new space shuttles? Space lasers?'
"The work we do is highly classified, above top-secret," Hammond explained, "like I said, the President wants you for this program. As do I." Before Willow could say anything, Hammond continued, "the upside of using magic is… useful. I am concerned about the downsides though. Are you able to handle yourself without it?"
"I don't understand? Handle myself how?"
"Academically," Hammon asked. Willow nodded her head. He then added, "how about physically? There would be times when teams would be deployed…"
"Overseas?" Willow asked.
"You could say that," Daniel said before giving a tight smile.
Colonel O'Neill jumped in, "when Daniel first joined up, he couldn't throw a solid punch."
"I could," Daniel countered.
"You strained yourself punching the sandbag… and you weren't even hitting it hard," O'Neill pointed out.
"Daniel's a civilian consultant," Captain Carter said, "he's still had to undergo training in unarmed and armed combat." Carter continued, "what the General's asking is, are you willing to do the work… and I mean training… to get you out there… with a team."
"You have shown you have certain unique abilities," Hammond said, "and those can certainly come in handy at important… much needed times. Are you able to handle yourself without constantly relying on your magic?"
"With training, I guess…" No, Willow realized something. She had always been a mouse at Sunnydale High. Even after meeting Buffy, she was still somewhat mousy… not as much as before… but still a mouse. Not that it was Buffy's fault. Willow didn't blame her or Xander. She needed to be more confident. More outgoing. So, she answered confidently, "yes."
"Before we continue on, I need you to sign these non-disclosure forms," said the General as Willow looked back up at the man, "they basically state you cannot tell anyone what you have seen or heard about this place. It would be your choice to accept or reject the offer I am planning to give you, but you will not be able to tell anyone about it. Do you understand, young lady?"
"Yes, as long as I have the choice of rejecting or accepting your offer," said Willow nervously.
"Very well" said the General, "but even if you sign it, and you decide not to accept the offer; the NDA is still in effect. You cannot tell anyone what you see or hear."
"I - I understand," Willow said, nodding her head before picking up the pen attached to the corner of the folder, and then she read the agreement.
Once Willow had read and signed the forms, General Hammond asked Major Carter to take over the briefing. She told Willow about the history of the Stargate, the extent of the Stargate network, the Goa'uld, the Jaffaa, and the Asgard. She decided to leave out the Ancients for now; Carter was afraid too much information too soon could scare Willow. Once the blonde officer finished explaining everything, the others were staring looking at Willow. Waiting for her reaction.
Willow stared back at them with her mouth open like a goldfish; she was stunned. It took a few seconds before she shook her head and leaned forwards.
"Wait a sec, there really are aliens? I mean little green men from Mars?"
O'Neil lifted a finger, leaned forwards, and said, "Grey, actually. Roswell grey."
"And they're not from Mars. Their home world is called Orilla, in the Othala galaxy," added Daniel.
"Othala Galaxy? How many aliens have you encountered? Are they good, bad? Like in Star Trek?" asked Willow excitedly.
"Well, it's a bit complicated," added Daniel chuckling, "you see, most of the civilizations in our galaxy are made up of humans who were taken from Earth thousands of years ago. The people living in these worlds are, in fact, the descendants of these kidnapped souls. So technically they aren't aliens, just their culture and practices are alien to us. But if you really look closely at how they live, if you look at their cultures… most of them are modeled on how their ancestors used to live on Earth."
"Wow, this is heavy," breathed Willow.
"Willow Rosenberg, what do weights have to do with our conversation?" asked Teal'c with a confused expression.
"Uh, nothing Murray," said Willow shaking her head before continuing, "it just means that it's a lot of information."
"As you have signed the required forms, I am allowed to tell you my name is Teal'c." Willow snapped her head towards him and grinned when she realized he may not be from Earth. It was then she noticed the symbol on his forehead, and then things clicked in her head… and her grin only got wider. Teal'c continued, "Murray is a cover name not of my own choosing. I am a Jaffa and I am fighting alongside SG1 and the Tau'ri to free my people".
"Wow, I'm sitting next to an alien", said Willow excitedly, "Sorry, not alien. But you're from outer space and that's just so cool. Xander would kill to be here right now"
"I do not feel this Xander should murder someone to meet me," said Teal'c with his eyebrow raised.
"Um… Teal'c… buddy, that's just a figure of speech. There's no murder happening," O'Neill said shaking his head.
"Murr… Sorry, I mean Teal'c said something about SG1 and the Tau'ri. What are they?" asked Willow as she turned to the General, and then at Major Carter and the others.
"SG1 is the front-line team for Stargate Command made up of myself, Carter, Daniel and Teal'c," explained Colonel O'Neill as he motioned towards each member and then looked at the redhead, "we get the hardest assignments. It seems every week we get shot at by some crazy Goa'uld."
"As for the Tau'ri? Technically speaking, we are the people of the Tau'ri. It means the first world. Earth was from where the Goa'uld took people as slaves and brought them to other worlds. But we can go through more of that later," explained Dr. Jackson.
"Wow," Willow said surprised.
It was then that the General turned to Willow, and asked her something that the redhead thought was not possible, she knew that messages had been sent out to space but there was no response. And now she found out that there's been an organization working in secret that's been sending people to other planets. The redhead brought herself back to Earth when the General asked her how she'd feel about joining the Stargate Program. The young woman just couldn't believe her ears when the General promised her that her magical abilities would be kept above top secret; that her file would only be for the President alone, and that not even the vice-president or the joint chiefs will know about her abilities. Willow listened while the General reiterated that she's an incredibly intelligent young woman who would be an asset to the program and to the country.
"While you certainly have the option to work as a civilian specialist like Dr. Jackson," the General said, Willow turned towards Daniel who shrugged his shoulders. Hammond continued, "or graduate from the Air Force Academy as an officer."
Willow was still in disbelieve about everything she had heard. Vampires, demons, Slayers… they existed, Willow knew they existed. And now, she just found out Aliens exist as well. Not only do they exist, but there is a way to travel to others worlds… other human populated worlds… through a piece of alien technology. She never really expected to hear anything like this. Rovers and space debris… all of that didn't seem important now. She wondered whether she should be a civilian or an officer.
"You can take your time…"
General Hammond's voice faded into the background. Whether as a civilian specialist or an officer, she would be able to work in the facility. She guessed the Academy option would be more rigorous, especially for her. She thought back to all the movies where drill sergeants would be screaming at the recruits as they hurried through their training. Could she handle something like that? Would she do something like that? Would she be able to thrive in a military environment? It would be different. And what about magic? Earlier she was thinking she didn't need magic to work in the facility when she believed it was a simple tracking station. But now… can magic even work on another world?
'I was living pretty well when I didn't know about magic,' Willow thought to herself, 'and I did want to go somewhere where I accepted for myself, and not just for magic.' And the Academy was something she would never have considered. Just thinking about the military basic training was making her nervous. But Willow felt it was something she needed to do… she wanted to go a different path. The Wish got her out of Sunnydale, and now she had an opportunity to take a path she would never have travelled.
"The Air Force is looking for the best and brightest, Willow," said the General as Willow refocused on his voice, "if you choose to accept this offer, I will sponsor your entry into the Air force Academy and you will be doing various work in this facility whenever you're on break. Once you graduate, you will be placed into a SG team, and sent out on missions through the Stargate. So, what do you say?"
It was time to jump with both feet. Demons, vampires, ghosts – Willow has encountered all of these… heck, she turned into ghost for Halloween. But this was something different, something so out of this world that… well… it was out of this world. The existence of aliens was one thing, but to travel to other worlds. Not other countries, but other worlds! The idea was blowing her mind. She felt as if her heart was about to tear itself out of her own ribcage; it was that exciting. Yes. Yes. That would be her answer. She wanted to do something she wanted to do. And she wanted this. Could she regret it later? Maybe. The training would be a nightmare. But if she could face her own vampiric alternate version, then she could face someone screaming at her to run run run!
"For a chance to visit other worlds, meet other humans, and meet aliens?" Willow excitedly said as she looked at the General, and then at Major Carter, Daniel, and then at Teal'c before turning towards the General again, "Oh I would definitely accept."
"Very good," said the General nodding his head, "I'm glad to hear that. In the meantime, I will finish all the needed paperwork. Whenever you are ready, Colonel O'Neill will make the arrangements for you to call your folks and friends. Also, we will make arrangements to bring back anything you require from your home. But remember, you can tell your friends and family anything except for the existence of the Stargate program, aliens, and everything we talked about here. In that understood?"
Willow nodded her head. She was doing the right thing.
The redhead knew her earlier feelings was spot on, that her accidental arrival at the SGC because of her wish was a blessing in disguise. These people believed that she was intelligent and resourceful enough to join their ranks, not just because she has magic powers, but because of the person she is. Now she needed to figure out what to tell Buffy, Xander, and the others.
"Dismissed people," said Hammond
"Hey Willow, we're going for a bite to eat in town. Feel up to joining us?" asked Daniel to the blushing and smiling girl.
"Sure," said Willow. "Definitely."
To Be Continued.