Stargate Orientation

Posted on Sun Mar 10th, 2019 @ 1:08am by Civillian Dr. Jessica Andrews & Major Jacob Asher & Captain Kevin Hawkins & Civillian Ravi Azad PhD & Civillian Selyna Braeden

Mission: Aftermath
Location: Cheyenne Mountain Complex

Dr. Andrews entered the room. This was going to be a technical briefing on the Stargate itself for personnel who needed to know the mechanics and theory behind the gate's operation. "Please be seated, Ladies and gentlemen." She wore a women's suit and moved to the podium where she plugged in a thumb drive.

Jake sighed. He wasn't sure really what he was doing here. All he needed to know about the gate was how to dial it. But for some reason Jessica wanted him here so here he was.

Selyna entered quietly and took a seat. She really didn't know any of these people yet, but she had sworn to herself that she would remedy that as soon as possible. For now, though, she was to be briefed on the operation and mechanics of the Stargate. While she understood the physics behind it, she did think it was a good idea to know the pure engineering of it as well, just in case. So she sat quietly and listened.

Kevin walked into the room from the rear, almost feeling like he had to sneak in, and took a position in an empty seat. Still learning his newly assigned position and complex, he had started to feel almost overwhelmed with some things, while at others almost at home. Area 51 complex was kept under lock down in sections of the base with high security constantly checking your credentials. But here, even though it was one of the most hidden secret in the world, it was almost like a small military research compound. He had started to feel comfortable with others noticing his rank and new camo outfit, as he was getting used to it as well. But the eyes went to an empty patch on his upper arm, in which he had noticed a few had special patches. He was bound to learn what they were for, but as the woman at the front started to adjust and clear her throat, he refocused at the front as he sat down quietly.

"Good morning ladies and gentlemen. By now you should have familiarized yourself with the Cheyenne Mountain Complex. You are here because you are exactly what we need. Everything about this place must not leave this mountain, as it will guarantee certain destruction if it ever got out." Jessica opened the briefing room viewport. "This is called a Stargate. It is a device excavated in Egypt in 1932 from Giza. The Stargate, when applied with enough energy, forms in its aperture a wormhole that demolecularizes any person or object entering its event horizon and transmits it, as energy through a wormhole, to an identical gate on a destination world." Jessica noted. "We're not sure how many stargates exist in the galaxy, but the gate's dialing chevrons contain navigational markers used to track each gate in known space across hundreds of thousands of light-years. You're here because we require military, scientific personnel to explore these gates." Jessica mentioned.

That made sense, Selyna thought. Wormholes were notoriously unpredictable in their natural state, even assuming you could find a stable one naturally. But using technology to constrain the wormhole on both ends would force a stability, push the exotic matter that held the thing together from one stable point to another. Though the technology itself would need to be light years ahead of even their theoretical physics. And so far, what the other woman had said was very simplified. But then, not everyone in the room were scientists, so it made sense. But hadn't these people been using the Gate already? Wasn't this something they would already have been told? She didn't say anything yet because she wanted to hear everything Andrews had to say before asking anything -- one often got many of their questions answered if they simply listened long enough, her mother used to say.

"Now, the gate's activation sequence has to be given a series of precise calculations by a device we call a DHD, which means 'Dial Home Device.' Jess shook her head. "Leave it to these Military types to invent new acronyms for every little thing. When I was stranded on the other side of the gates, I studied these devices. They run off a type of quantum computer linked in a network known as the stargate network. I have not discovered who made the gates, but I know none of the current alien races, and if you've read the material on the System Lords, I doubt very much any current alien race could build these devices. The represent a technology that is beyond us. Now, each gate requires six reference points to orient the wormhole, and the wormhole goes one way, but both ways for certain wavelengths. You don't want to go back into the gate when there's an incoming wormhole." Jess mentioned. "It is not a pleasant way to die."

Jessica flipped the presentation. "Now, you will meet aliens on this journey, and more or less, you've already met an extraterrestrial... kinda.." Jessica smirked.

The pilot cocked his head as he had taken in the information that she had seemed to have rehearsed over and over before. It was a lot to take in when it came to the science, but he had gotten the basics before when introduced to some of the alien technology and its origins.

Ravi's brain disregarded the final statement; it didn't seem important right now. However, he took notes on everything else she said. He was of the mind that one could never take too many notes. As they had come in handy on more than a thousand occasions in the past, his theory was proven.

"Why Doctor Andrews," Jake said with a grin. "Are you saying there's an extraterrestrial in this room with us right now?? Now who could that be, I wonder?"

Salara finally spoke. "Your sarcasm is why we're going to be inviting you to all of our briefings and debriefings, Major. And you Military types indeed have too many acronyms, briefings, and debriefings for no reason." The Voice had changed, as it seemed otherworldly. "Greetings, my name is Salara. I and Jessica are indeed the aforementioned 'alien' in this room, and we share this form in a symbiotic relationship. While this seems strange to you, know that this is as Jessica would say the 'tip of the iceberg.' You will encounter things you have never seen before, and they will challenge everything you know is true." Salara noted. "I am a Tok'Ra, the best way to describe me is that I was born from another race known as the Goa'uld, and I will get to that in a moment. We live in harmony with a human host rather than dominating them. Jessica comes from your world through circumstances that you will learn later, suffice to say we're partners of a sort."

Hawk's jaw almost dropped as he tried to understand what was happening, but the quick glow of the doctor's eyes now caught him off guard. He had been planning on meeting these new species, but so quickly? It was almost like he had walked out of the real world and into the men in black head quarters. This was going to take a little more time to get used to.

Selyna had been watching the woman's eyes, studying her, or she might have missed the split-second glow that flared then vanished in them before the... what? Symboiont? Co-habitant? What was she to call them?... had spoken. The being identified itself -- correct that; herself -- but Selyna had been processing the rest of her statements. They shared the body? That dounded vaguely... creepy. She wasn't at all sure she wanted anything or anyone sharing her body. Then the next bit sank in. This Tok'Ra was related to the Gua'uld? Or did that go the other way around? Did it even matter? Ultimately, it didn't, so she moved on. The science she understood, but this alien element was going to take getting used to.

Jake chuckled. "That's just how things work, Salara. We plan a mission, we go on the mission, then we discuss what happened on the mission. Wash, rinse, repeat. Done right, it works. I've known Nathan Wolf for awhile now. He won't hold any more briefings or debriefings than he deems necessary."

"Turnabout is always fair play, Major. Furthermore, You've just now been invited to Jessica's archaeological briefing." Salara noted. "Now, to continue. We will be fighting a secret war. The Goa'uld has a technological advantage, but this war is not just a war for technology and resources. Our foe seek to ensure their dominance over all worlds, and to do that, they must systematically destroy those who do not believe in their false divinity. Until approximately twenty-five years ago, the Goa'uld, also known as the System Lords ruled uncontested. Now more worlds and people realize they are not gods, so now this particular race wars with the constant rebellions that have rocked it, as well as each other."

"The System Lords themselves are nothing short of evil megalomaniacs. They fear loosing power, and will pursue it at all costs. Fortunately Earth is just far enough away to avoid a concentrated attack from this foe with their motherships, but that will change eventually if the rebellions are defeated, or if one System Lord takes Ra's place as Supreme System Lord." Salara noted. "I realize this sounds like your science fiction, but this is not fiction."

"So why haven't the ... Tok'Ra overpowered the Gua'uld? You seem to be infiltrating their hierarchy. Why not assassinate them all one by one, and take their places? At that point, change things till you are able to disband the power house," Hawkins asked after getting his nerves and ignoring the fact that he was talking to an alien in a human's body.

"Because the Goa'uld are many, and the Tok'Ra are few." Salara explained. "Both races are a dying race, Captain. While the Goa'uld have many queens, the Tok'Ra have one; Egeira, and we don't know where she is. We do not have the fleets, troops, and manpower necessary to fight an extended campaign against them. That and my colleagues would find it offensive to be compared to them, as they are an anathema to us, and it disgusts us even further to set ourselves up as System lords. We desire to destroy our enemy, but we do not want to take their place, nor do we want a power vacuum or to feed the ambitions of another empire. We'd be replacing System Lords with System Lords, and I doubt many people in this room would want such a thing."

Governments. It was all about power and who had it and who didn't. It seemed that no matter the species, the end result was the same. There were tyrants and those who wanted them removed. Selyna sighed softly. She decided to leave that be and move to something that was more... scientific. "Is there a way to tell the difference between Tok'Ra and Gua'uld other than waiting for them to demonstrate their nature?" she asked, hoping that there was some method for determining who one was dealing with before getting into trouble.

"A Tok'Ra will not contact you directly. They are too cautious for that. That being said, assume all individuals with a symbiont are Goa'uld. They are not above treachery to fulfill their goals, and in this kind of war, we hold the fate of millions in our hands." Jessica mentioned. But there is a way to tell a Tok'Ra from a Goa'uld. I have two EEG patterns, both me and Salara. A Goa'uld would only have one."

"So you are telling us that the Goa'uld erase the personality of the the host and yet the Tok'Ra don't," Kevin asked trying to understand all of this symbiosis and alien life form.

"The Tok'Ra exist in harmony with our hosts. The Goa'uld consume their hosts, though we do suspect that aspects of the host survive the Goa'uld's mental ravaging. The Tok'Ra possess devices that can completely seperate a Goa'uld from hits host. It's exceptionally painful and traumatic though, and I and Jessica find it to be a crude machine."

"But you're saying it can be done, right?" Jake asked, his mind going to Shae's situation with her mother, who was the current host of the Goa'uld Inari. If there was a chance the Tok'Ra could separate a host from it's Goa'uld invader, then all they had to worry about was finding and capturing Inari without killing or seriously injuring her. No small task, but possibly worth it to reunite Shae with her mother. "It's painful and traumatic, but it can be done?"

"Imagine being absorbed by another will and it begins ripping you apart. Taking who you are and using it for its own gain. Dominating you on a mental level, and suddenly you're torn from it, freed, but you're never the same as you were. The extractor is a crude device, Major. A product of the Tok'Ra's anger towards the Goa'uld. True we despise the Goa'uld's barbaric ways, but when you've done enough things in anger, it leaves wounds in everything you've touched. Yes, It can be done. But for a person to heal afterwards, can be more painful." Salara mentioned. "Regardless, if they try to take you as a host, save the last bullet for yourself."

Jake shook his head. "Damn. Still, if there's something of the host left, there ought to be a way to extract the symbiote and restore the host that's less gruesome. You said yourself the method you just described came from a combination of Tok'Ra science and Tok'Ra anger. What if we were to combine Tok'Ra science and some good old fashioned human ingenuity, not to mention human compassion and human decency? I bet we could come up with a less unpleasant and less damaging way to separate host and symbiote without destroying both."

Salara chuckled. "Unlikely. The Tok'Ra council is full of boring old men and women. They'll all run out of things to say before they ever agree to that Major, but technology does exist that could possibly do such a thing."

"Great," Jake said. "How do we get a hold of it?"

Jessica spoke. "There are people who serve the system lords, but in every empire or organization, there exists people who can sell you anything for the right price. But it's risky trusting a criminal."

Jake nodded. "Okay," Jake said. "Okay. We'll have to revisit this later and then again with General Wolf. I want to be able to give this my full focus, so for now, go on with your orientation."

Jessica nodded. "Actually, this is all I have for you. We're concluded."