Ring of Salvation
by AJ Marks
Part 1
Apollo made his way towards the planet hoping to find something they might be able to use. They were approaching the edge of the galaxy and still had found nothing to indicate Earth was even close by. The planet seemed to support life according to the scans. He turned his viper to get a closer look to check it out followed by Starbuck but found nothing which indicated there might be any intelligent life on the planet.
“Looks like another bust,” Starbuck said to him over the intercom.
“Now we don’t know that, there might be something we can use on the planet,” Apollo stated unwilling to give up on the planet so easily and moved in for a closer look at the planet’s surface.
“Well, might get some food and water out of it,” Starbuck said finally.
“See, knew you might find something we could use,” Apollo said, hoping they might find something as well. He wasn’t sure how much further they could go before exiting the galaxy and doing that would prove deadly to the fleet. He didn’t think any of the ships could manage such a long journey.
Flying towards the planet he noticed his scanners were giving him an unusual reading, something he had yet to come across before while on a patrol. Taking some time to look again he noticed that he was getting some strange energy readings as well.
“Starbuck, you read that?” Apollo asked.
“Yeah, not sure what it is,” Starbuck replied.
“Let’s head down and investigate,” Apollo said switching over to contact the Galactica to inform them they were investigating a promising planet and some sort of strange energy reading from the scanners. Flying down into the atmosphere he got a shock. He noticed what appeared to be a building of some sort, a large dome shape which was very different than the surrounding area.
“You see that?” Starbuck asked.
“Yeah, let’s head down to check it out,” Apollo said not seeing anything else around which would indicate anymore buildings or any sort.
He flew around one more time but that was the only object which looked unnatural.
“Galactica this is patrol one,” Apollo said waiting a second for the Galactia to reply.
“Patrol one, this Core Command,” he heard Rigel’s voice say.
“Inform the commander we’ve spotted something on the planet’s surface and will be investigating,” Apollo stated.
“Understood,” Rigel said.
Apollo turned the viper and landed in a clearing not far away along with Starbuck.
“What do you think?” Starbuck asked as they moved towards the building looking for an entrance.
“I don’t know,” Starbuck replied as they approached.
The dome appeared almost solid but they quickly found what appeared to be a door and made their way inside.
“Whoa,” Starbuck said as they looked around the inside. There were several rooms and the level of technology required indicated a high level of technology. Apollo had never seen anything quite like it and continued on into the room until he found what appeared to be a control room.
“I haven’t seen anyone, you?” Starbuck asked.
“No, and it looks like no one is here,” Apollo said looking at the fact the tables appeared to be covered.
Pulling one back he noticed what appeared to be some sort of strange computer interface, something he had not expected at all.
“Each room is programmed to light up as we enter,” Starbuck said as he entered another room. “You’ve got to see this.”
Apollo tore his attention away from the computer and headed to the next room, which was the largest he had been in yet. The focus was a large ring sitting upright and several tables nearby.
“What do you think this is?” Starbuck asked.
“No idea, but the power readings have increased since we entered the building,” Apollo said.
“So it’s abandoned,” Starbuck said.
“That’s my guess,” Apollo replied unsure of what else it might mean. He looked around some more but found the complex, while a bit large, had no one inside nor any idea who might have built it. “Let’s head back, maybe my father will allow an expedition down here with Wilker.”
“Okay,” Starbuck said, as they moved back towards the exit and to their vipers.
*****
Adama sat listening to Apollo describe the building he and Starbuck explored. He had never heard of anything like this before either and had to agree it might be worth checking out as well. They could do it while checking out the water and food.
“All right, I’ll inform Doctor Wilker of the mission,” Adama said knowing the man probably would jump at the chance to explore this technology as he always did. Their last encounter with another technology had him excited for days. “But I’ll also want a security team down there as well. Someone built it and we don’t want to be surprised.”
“Wonder if they were destroyed by the Cylons?” Starbuck said.
“Don’t know, but the technology looks anything but Cylon,” Apollo replied.
“Another thing Wilker can check out,” Adama said, knowing that he had an extensive knowledge on how Cylons worked.
“I’ll get the team together, might need more than one shuttle,” Apollo stated.
“Won’t be a problem,” Adama said, watching as the both rose and left the room. He then went in search of Wilker, who usually spent most of his time in his lab. It didn’t take long for him to find the man working on something in the lab which he might hope would help the fleet. These days they spent their time trying to make the current engines more efficient.
“Ah, commander, welcome,” Wilker said.
“Doctor, our patrols found something they think you might like to investigate,” Adama said watching as the man’s eyes lit up with that thought.
“Really?” he asked.
“Seems like there was some sort of abandoned building on the planet which has some impressive technology,” Adama said.
“What type of technology?”
“Apollo said he never encountered anything like it before,” Adama said seeing that Wilker was now extremely interested in learning about this new technology. “Their putting together a team, including one for food and water right now.”
“Then I’ll be ready, how much time do I have?” he asked.
“You have time, they haven’t contacted the biology department yet,” Adama said.
“How many people can I take?”
“They’ll be taking two shuttles, I can have one for you and the other for the biologics,” Adama said thinking that might be the best way to do it.
“I’ll be quick in my preparations,” Wilker said.
*****
General Landry made his way into the room for another briefing. Already in there were Daniel and Samantha who were waiting for him along with a few others who were part of the Stargate Command and a Tok’ra who he wasn’t familiar with. The Tok’ra was a bald man who reminded Landry of Teal’c who was away at the moment.
“To what do we owe the honor of the Tok’ra visiting us?” Landry asked sitting down.
“I am Gareld,” he said in his Tok’ra voice. “We’ve uncovered something unusual that we think you might want to be aware of.”
“It’s not another enemy?” Landry said.
“No sir, we’ve looked it over, it appeared to be stargate addresses, more specifically ones which are outside of our galaxy,” Sam replied.
“And there was an unusual address that we found,” Daniel said.
“Unusual how?” Landry asked.
“We know that stargates exist on many other galaxies,” Gerald said, something Landry did know. “This seems to be a massive directory of addresses for gates for several other galaxies, but this one address is the only one for this galaxy.”
“Only one?” Landry said, thinking he was starting to understand what they meant.
“It seemed the Ancients were keeping track of the worlds they put stargates on, and it’s a lot, but for all the addresses only this one galaxy had one gate address, the others have as many as our galaxy,” Daniel said.
“And you want to investigate it?” Landry said.
“We want to know why, it might be an outpost, or they found another race, it could be a good first contact situation,” Sam said.
“First contacts and us haven’t seem to be doing so well lately,” Landry said. “And I don’t want another Atlantis or Ori thing to happen,” Landry said.
“It won’t sir, we worked on a way around that,” Sam said.
“We’ve found a few ZPMs which we can hook up to the gate for a quick return,” Daniel said. “We might not even need it, whoever is on the other end might have the technology to return us back home.”
“Sir, a small team could be there and back,” Sam said. “It also could help, especially if we find new allies.”
Landry thought about that for several seconds. “All right, get SG-1 together and we’ll send a MALP though and only if you are 100% certain you can return will we authorize the mission.”
“You won’t regret is sir,” Sam said sounding excited by the opportunity to go.
“I hope I so,” Landry said.
He watched as they left knowing they had gathered a few ZPMs in the hope to explore the other galaxies and find new allies. They had to start somewhere. He only hoped the Ancients hadn’t stopped their planting gates in the galaxy for some dangerous reason.
Standing he made his way over to look at the gate seeing the gate activate, right on time for Teal’cs return back to the SGC. He came through the gate and Landry hoped his mission was successful as well. They still needed the Jaffa as their allies and not enemies.
It felt strange to be in command of one of the most powerful groups in the universe, yet no one on his planet knew it was even going on. They had built up a small fleet of ships, explored hundreds of planets, fought wars and managed to keep it secret.
“I hear we’ve got a new mission?” Mitchell said entering the room.
“Yeah, another galaxy,” Landry said.
“Um, isn’t that dangerous, I mean getting back,” Mitchell said.
“Sam and Daniel have promised me you can return easily,” Landry said.
“No offense, but they’ve been wrong before,” Mitchell said.
“I know, but they wouldn’t lie about this,” Landry replied back to him, watching as he thought about it for a few seconds. “Where’s Vala?”
“Still hasn’t returned,” Mitchell said. “Something about needing to do something.”
“Hope she isn’t causing trouble,” Landry said, knowing the last thing they needed was get involved in something she had done.
*****
Starbuck walked around the building along with Boomer as they looked at everything around them. The construction was unlike anything either of them had ever seen before.
“What do you think?” Starbuck asked, not having a clue who might built the building.
“No idea, and no idea why they built it,” Boomer replied. “It’s got no defenses, except the shield around it which seems to have protected it.”
“It’s got no scanners, no nothing that I can tell,” Starbuck said.
“Or what its power source is,” Boomer said.
“That’s the weird thing,” Starbuck said agreeing with his friend. There appeared to be no known power source for the building or why it was still active.
“Starbuck,” Apollo’s voice said over the intercom.
“Yeah,” Starbuck replied.
“Come on back to the main room, Wilker found something, I want you and Boomer there as well,” Apollo said.
“On our way,” Starbuck said heading back to the main room, the one with the strange disk. He found Wilker and Apollo waiting for him in the room.
“So, what’s up?” Boomer asked.
“I think I’ve found the power source, and its incredible,” Wilker said moving off to one of the side rooms, down a hallway and finally into a small room. “This thing,” he said pointing to a small disk in the ground.
“That?” Boomer said.
“Notice there are three here, one isn’t lit, but it comes out like this,” Wilker said, pushing it and out came a yellow cylindrical object. “Whoever they were they were advanced. I think I can take this one back and study it, perhaps figure it out.”
Apollo had to agree, if they could produce something which give this power it would be an advance for the fleet unlike anything they ever had seen before. And no one else around, it made sense.
“Captain?” a voice said. “We’re about done here, need to get back to run the rest of the tests.”
“All right, we’re headed back to the shuttles as well,” Apollo said then looked over at Wilker, “Take it with us then.”
They headed towards the exit and stopped. Starbuck thought he heard something when they reached the door, something mechanical inside.
“You hear that?” Starbuck said.
“Yeah,” Apollo replied back. “Wilker, you and your team head back to the shuttle, we’ll check it out.”
Starbuck had a feeling he would be headed back in, and taking a breath headed back into the building where he heard a new sound, something he couldn’t quite place.
“Be careful,” Apollo said, drawing his blaster.
“Don’t have to tell me twice,” Starbuck said, drawing his own blaster and headed inside again.
End part 1