Chapter Text
No Matter The Cost
By Susan L. McEwen
A fan-fiction full length novel based on the TV series Stargate SG-1 and its greater franchise.
Authors Note
For fans of Stargate SG1 television series, the bulk of this story takes place towards the later half of Season 4.
The reader should be aware that the following drama unfolds before the events of the episode ‘Entity’, as It’s important to note that character responses are in line with that timeline point of knowledge and experience.
Limited Copyright
The book may be printed in hard format for personal use only.
The Author does not claim copyright or ownership of Stargate, Stargate Sg-1, its characters or that of the properties used within the original Stargate Cannon.
This book and its storyline may not be reused in its entirety or substantial part thereof for any other Authors work.
Editing by Susan L. McEwen (with help from the Companion Community).
Dedication
My memory of my beautiful husband Don. You will always be my guiding light.
To my family and friends who have supported and tolerated my absence during this writing adventure, I thank you.
To ‘The Companion’ and its Discord community (you know who you are); I extend my grateful purple hearts in your direction, for both the inspiration and guidance I have freely received.
To my beautiful fur baby Maxy; who without your patient
uncluttered love and timely disruptions,
I would not have remained sane.
Lastly, but never least; I thank the creative visionaries and actors of the Stargate franchise I have grown to love; you have become the second family in my life that refused to leave me behind.
It has been an honour to become a member of such an inspired sci-fi community, which I hope in a tiny way I can give back to.
See you on the other side!
Susan
CHAPTER 1 PROLOGUE
0600 hours.
The early cold grey glimmer of dawn struggled across the frozen rugged peaks of Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado. A heady scent of dampened pine mingled with the frigid mountain air. The towering pine trees were barely noticeable, as the mountain stood imposingly silent under a pregnant blanket of fog… a modern day fortress concealing its deepest secret.
Beneath this rocky surface, layer by layer, a hidden world transformed. The steady chatter of military routine ebbed and faded, as one descended through the heart of the Cheyenne Mountain Complex. Level by sublevel, the heavy thrum of machinery, the low murmur of voices; weighted by the faint tremor of powerful technology, replaced the chilled silence above. Upon reaching Sublevel 28, the lowermost level, the air had become noticeably warm and dry; like the breath of a long forgotten early Fall.
Here, deep within the mountain's depths, the air hummed with a silent invisible energy. This energy… it clung to the skin; weightless, but alive. Each breathing pulse carrying the birth of a spark silently waiting to ignite.
Expectation.
You could feel it. It was like the stilled fingers of the void of space itself, brushing lightly across your cheek like a web upon the wind; subtle yet undeniable.
These concrete walls of the Gate Room stood cold and unyielding, towering above those who worked below with an austere indifference. They absorbed the warmth and swallowed the sound, watching over the space with a stoic, timeless gaze; unmoved by the lives that passed beneath them.
Yet, across its surface an unnatural light shone, from the light of a thousand suns… yet none.
An ancient Stargate stood at its breathing centre, with its heavy naquadah ring; both rare and powerful, reflecting the faint glow of a control room high above. The concrete walls and the people who populated this mountain held their collective breath. It was a moment that would never cease to awe.
A dozen or more Air Force military personnel and scientists bustled around this Stargate; their reverent voices adding to the low resonant hum, that hung beneath the constant whir of equipment. Six ancient chevrons now radiated with the renewed glow of a thousand dwarf suns, as the Stargates’ inner ring slowly ground to a halt upon reaching its final destination.
Those who worked diligently around the Gate stood well clear of the incoming wormhole; its watery vortex exploding into the Gate Room with a power that would obliterate all that stood in its path. The event horizon formed and shimmered as the gate stabilised, creating an impossible wormhole, a gateway to an unknown world. Those same cold austere walls, so previously unmoved, now bathed and basked themselves in the cool blue light of the stars.
The universe awaited.
A Mobile Analytic Laboratory Probe trundled forward on its tired treads, rolling up the wide, steel ramp towards the shimmering blue surface of the active Stargates’ yawning mouth. Inside the Gates Control Room, a select group of people watched the gate and the MALP’s slow progress.
Chief Master Sergeant Walter Harriman, a SGC Airforce Technician, sat now confidently at the Gates dialling computer; his face a mask of concentration, as he studied the chevrons stability statistics now filling the screen.
General George Hammond stood imposingly at the Control Room window; his figure framed against the vastness of the active Stargate below. His gaze traced the ancient ring. Even after years of command, the sight still held a quiet awe; a reminder that what lay before the team was far beyond any human understanding. But with that awe came the weight, the solemn burden of responsibility that rested heavily on his shoulders alone. Every mission, every life that passed through that gate, was a decision he bore; an honour and a duty intertwined with the enormity of command. His hands, clasped behind his back, were strong yet worn… steady from years of leading, though each and every decision had carved a deep line of reflection upon his face.
Closely behind, quietly stood Colonel Johnathon J. O’Neill; leader of the SGC’s flagship team SG-1. A highly decorated member of the United States Airforce, O’Neill was respected equally for his courageous spirit and his sharp, often cutting tongue. He was one of the original members of the first Stargate program, having also been Leader of its off-world recognisance team. To his closest friends, he is sometimes referred to simply as Jack. His stance is slightly tilted to one side, as he watches the MALP’s slow march towards its destination.
Beside him in equal silence, stood Major Samantha Carter; the teams Second-In-Command. Ex-Pentagon and Gulf War veteran, Carter was the SGC’s Lead Scientist holding a Ph.D. in Theoretical Astrophysics. Her studied attention was split between the intense mystery of the Gate Room and the nearby unfeeling block of a computer console. A bulky tracking monitor above her head blinked into life, as it showed the impossible journey of the MALP; its path travelling vast distances across space to its intended target.
Near the furthest corner of the window, Dr Daniel Jackson, the teams Civilian Archaeologist and Linguistics Expert rocked lightly on his feet. Like Colonel O’Neill, Daniel had also been a member of the original Stargate Recon team. His look was a typical mixture of forced restraint and barely contained excitement.
Behind him, Daniel’s polar opposite silently watched the Gate Room. Teal’c of Chulak was both alien and friend to the world he now stood upon. A stoic imposing Jaffa Warrior, who had once been First Prime to the Goa’uld Apophis; he now lent his strength, courage and wisdom as a valued member to SG-1.
After what seemed like a tense, eternal minute where everyone gathered held their collective breath; the MALP’s video relay in the control room flickered to life. A dark, dense environment of an alien planet filled the screen.
“Is it just me, or does the MALP need my night vision goggles?” Jack quipped, jiggling back and forth on his heels, while standing with his arms crossed beside the monitor. His brow furrowed slightly as he peered at the grainy images. “I can’t make out a damned thing.”
Sam, standing by his side, leaned in closer to get a better look. “It’s dark, Sir. Really dark. It looks to be a forest of some kind, but the canopy is so dense that barely any light penetrates to the ground. But Sir… there’s more.”
Sam gestured to the readings displayed on a smaller screen beside the video feed. “The MALP is registering some highly unusual energy readings. They are honestly all over the place. The MALP’s sensors are also picking up significant geothermal fluctuations.”
Jack took a deep breath. “Which means what exactly? Earthquakes? A volcano nearby?”
Sam shook her head. “It’s hard to say Sir. I would strongly doubt that the cause is from a volcano, as the oxygen and temperature are all sitting within safe levels. However, the electromagnetic readings are unlike anything I have ever seen. It’s as if the planets’ atmosphere is charged with… something? But what that something is, I cannot say?
Hammond frowned as he listened to his team. “Dr Daniel Jackson, what else do we know about this planet? I know since we found it you have been searching for its existence in the archives?”
“Not much I’m afraid.” Daniel shook his head. “The address was buried deep in the Ancients’ database that Jack was able to upload, after his brush with the Ancients’ Repository of Knowledge. General… the only reason we know about it, is because Sam located an anomaly in the latest address batch upload to the control system. The biggest issue we have, is that the receiving gate location sits deep behind known Goa’uld territory. Whether or not their influence has reached that far in remains unknown.
Sam leaned over to punch a fresh command into the Stargates command computer. “General… when the gate database produced the new set of destinations, I had directed the Hubble to scan the sector; as we normally do for any new destination set, just to double-check our mapping. Previous HST deep scans across the immediate area in question had found no known system, let alone a planet. So, for the Ancients’ Repository to direct us to a gate that simply should’nt exist?... this planet was well hidden and maybe for a good reason.”
Hammond’s frown deepened. “So, we have an Ancient address, to a planet that till now didn’t exist on any chart, possibly deep within known Goa’uld territory teaming with crazy energy readings and almost no visibility. Colonel O’Neill, you really expect me to clear your team to go in there?!”
Shaking his head, Hammond turned to look out of the Command room window, his face pensive. “For all you know, Colonel, this planet could be heavily populated by the Goa’uld!... Teal’c, I trust your judgement in these situations… do you have any prior knowledge of this planet?”
Teal’c, who had been standing stoically to the side, now approached the window beside Hammond, concern wrapped across his normally calm features. “That I do not, General Hammond. If the Goa’uld are indeed there, as you suspect, it was not spoken of during my time as First Prime to the Goa’uld Apophis.”
Hammond turned to tap the top of the control monitor. “And what of the MALP’s readings?... Major?... because I would be more than happy to pull the pin on this right here and now!”
Sam sat looking closely at the video relay. The MALP had worked its way unimpeded into the planets Gate clearing, coming to a halt near the Dial Home Device. The darkened forest was completely devoid of activity. “General, the MALP has registered no threat since exiting the gate. It has come to a halt beside the DHD without any interference. I believe that, had there been a significant Goa’uld presence to warrant concern, we would have known about it by now.”
Hammond crossed his arms looking hard at Sam. “Then what of the energy readings? … if that place is unstable? …”
Clearing her throat, Sam paced to the viewing window to look out at the active Stargate. As she turned back to her team, an excited sparkle lit across her eyes. “General, there has to be a plausible explanation behind the extraneous variables affecting the energy levels on the planet. If I could get the opportunity to isolate these variables to a point of convergence on the exergonic…”
“AGH!!!” Jack suddenly raised his hands in mock supplication. “Major, please!!! You’re hurting my head!!!”
Caught mid-sentence, Sam looked slightly abashed. “Sorry Sir, what I was trying to say, is that there should be a simple reason behind the strange energy readings. It will just be a matter of locating the source.”
Jack leaned back on his feet, wrapping the fingers of his hands together. “That was much better Carter!” grinning wryly… “Look, we have been to worse places General and survived to tell the tale. But I know you’re not a fan of the great unknowns.”
“The unknowns are exactly what concern me, Colonel,” Hammond replied. “Not one of you have been able to say with surety what you will find out there. That address was not meant to be found… at least not by us.”
Daniel Jackson interjected. His voice thoughtful. “These unknowns are precisely why we need to investigate, General. The Ancients would never leave things like this to chance.”
Daniel deliberately slowed his speech, forcing everyone to turn to what he was saying. “This address was hidden deep in the Ancient’s’ Repository. It could mean there’s something important on that planet. If Jack had been chosen in the past to be a recipient of that knowledge, perhaps it’s something we need to understand.”
Daniel paused for the effect he needed.
“Maybe the Ancients wanted us to find this planet.”
Sam nodded in agreement. “General, we have all seen how advanced the Ancients’ technology is. If there’s even a slight chance, that we could uncover something of value, something that could help us in our fight against the Goa’uld… I believe it’s worth the risk.”
Jack smirked with a quick side glance in Carters direction. “Besides General, we’ll have Carter with us as always. If there’s any nasty converging variables in those trees, she’ll handle it, I’m sure.”
Daniel rolled his eyes in Sam’s direction and shrugged in effected sympathy.
Hammond regarded his team, the weight of responsibility clear in his eyes. “I don’t like sending you in like this blind, but you are right. The potential rewards could outweigh the risks.” He paused, then nodded decisively. “Colonel, you have six hours tops to see if there’s anything there worth finding. If the Goa’uld are already there, you come back through that gate. Understood?”
Jack gave a mock salute. “Yes, Sir. We’ll be in and out before you know it. Just like a walk in the park.”
“Except this park has potentially killer trees,” Daniel muttered under his breath as he stared at the video monitor.
His comment earned a raised eyebrow from Jack. “Daniel, you were the first to suggest we should look at the place! As you said yourself, ad nauseum may I add, ‘a hidden Ancient planet is worth looking at!’… Daniel, I’m absolutely sure, as always, there will be a nice Ancient ruin or two in there for you to get lost in. That alone should help you forget about those trees for an hour or six at least!”
Sam suppressed a smile and gave Daniel a returned sympathetic shrug, as the team made their way down to the gate room; the teasing banter having successfully masked their underlying tension. As they approached the awaiting event horizon however, Sam could not shake the heavy feeling within, that whatever lay on the other side of the gate; something was indeed waiting for them to arrive. Maybe it was just the thought of stepping into a world that the Ancients had intended to keep hidden; or perhaps it was something far darker. The MALP’s readings had been confusing after all, and that fact alone was always enough to make her feel unsettled.
As the team took up their positions, Jack turned to look back at Hammond standing in the control room window. Jack quietly nodded.
Hammond leaned towards the Gate room intercom, never once taking his eyes off SGI, and its leader.
“SG-1, you have a go. God speed.”
With the words spoken that he was waiting for, Jack replied with a quick salute and turned back towards the waiting gate. He had unslung the P90 from his shoulder to a more protective position across his chest, cradling its weight in his right arm; the gun armed and ready to fire at a moment’s notice. His team now followed suit, shifting the weight of their weaponry to an offensive stance.
“Right kids, ready or not… here we go,” he murmured.
Colonel Jack O’Neill stepped lightly through the gate into the unknown darkness beyond, with his trusted team following half a step behind.