Stargate Horizons

CHAPTER TWELVE

The remainder of the week passed quickly, with everyone hard at work preparing for the expedition they were all hoping would be approved.  They were notified Sunday morning – Antarctica time – that Hammond had arrived in McMurdo and would be at the outpost shortly after noon.

A few minutes before the general was due to arrive, Daniel and Sam went up to the surface to greet him.  Meanwhile, down in the room with the control chair, Rodney McKay was dealing with a recalcitrant Doctor Beckett.  So far, McKay had managed to get the physician to sit in the chair only once, and Beckett had stayed seated for all of two or three seconds before getting up and leaving.  The Scotsman had stated that he could sit in the chair "all bloody day long", and nothing would happen.

Though it was totally incomprehensible to McKay, Beckett had expressed the wish that he didn't have the gene that the Ancient technology responded to.  McKay couldn't count the times that he wished he had it.  It seemed totally unfair that he of all people, someone who could really make use of the gene, hadn't been born with it.

McKay virtually dragged Beckett toward the room containing the control chair.

"Look, we've been through this," the doctor objected.  "I'm not your man."

"Keep moving," McKay ordered.

"I'm a doctor, a medical doctor."

"There is nothing to be afraid of."

"You don't understand.  I break things like this."

They came to a stop in front of the chair.

"This device has survived for millions of years intact," McKay responded, laying his hands the chair.  "It will survive you.  Now, sit down, close your eyes and concentrate."

Beckett surrendered with a loud sigh and sat in the chair.  "Again nothing," he said after only a couple of seconds.

McKay placed a hand on his shoulder, keeping him from getting up.  "This time, just try and imagine an image of where we are in the solar system."

The doctor closed his eyes.  After a moment, he said, "I think I feel something."  He opened his eyes.  "It could be lunch related."

"Shut up and concentrate," McKay responded, disgusted.

Beckett closed his eyes again.  Suddenly, the chair turned on.  At the same time, the drone that another man was working on activated.  The weapon took off, smashing into walls and bouncing around the room destructively, sending people diving out of the way.  It shot up through the shaft leading to the surface.

"What did I do?" Beckett asked.

On the elevator, heading up to the surface to greet the arriving general, a startled Doctor Weir watched as the drone rocketed past the elevator.

"Get us back down there!" Elizabeth commanded the person at the elevator controls.

Up on the surface, Daniel and Sam were shocked to see a golden streak of light smash through the glass dome covering the outpost's entrance and shoot up into the sky.

"It's a drone!" Daniel exclaimed.  He got on the radio.  "This is Doctor Jackson.  A drone just went airborne.  What's going on?"

"Daniel!  The helicopter!" Sam yelled.

The archeologist spun around to see the helicopter General Hammond was on approaching.  "Crap!" he cursed, knowing that there was a good chance the drone would home in on the aircraft as a target.

"Doctor Jackson, the drone is rogue," said someone over the radio.  "We've warning the helicopter to land immediately and cut their engines."

Even as the man made the announcement, Daniel and Sam watched in horror as the drone nearly struck the helicopter.  The pilot took evasive action, desperately trying to avoid the weapon.

Knowing that the drone had to be stopped, Daniel focused his telekinetic ability on it.  He'd almost managed to grab hold of it when it abruptly changed course, as if someone else was trying to control it . . . and not doing a very good job at it.

Daniel grabbed his radio.  "Get whoever's in the control chair out of it now!  I'll take care of the drone."

Down in the outpost, Weir heard Daniel's message and quickly yanked a startled Beckett out of the chair.  She then dashed toward the elevator, McKay and the physician right behind her.

When they got to the surface and exited the dome, they saw Daniel and Sam gazing up into the sky, where the helicopter was still trying to avoid the drone.  As the new arrivals watched, the drone suddenly appeared to pause.  Then it turned around and headed straight toward them.

"Look out!" McKay yelled, diving to the ground.  Blinking snow out of his eyes, he looked up to see that Daniel, Sam, Weir and Beckett hadn't moved.  And then he saw something else that just about had his jaw falling back into the snow.

The drone, still heading right for them, abruptly slowed, then came to a complete stop directly in front of Daniel.  It hovered there in midair for a couple of seconds, then fell to the ground, its light extinguished.

"Good work, Doctor Jackson," Elizabeth said.  "I hate to think what would have happened if you hadn't been here."

"I told you I was the wrong person to sit in that bloody chair," Beckett said.

"I think you might have been able to get the drone under control in time," Daniel told him, trying to make him feel better.  "I could tell that you were affecting its course.  That's why I had you stop.  It was making it hard for me to grab it."

"I wasn't trying to control it," the doctor complained.  "I just wanted to shut it off."

Daniel glanced over at the helicopter, which had landed around thirty yards away.  "We need to go make sure General Hammond is okay."

As Daniel, Sam and Elizabeth hurried to the helicopter, McKay got to his feet.  "What the hell's going on here?  What was Jackson talking about?  How come the probe did that, just came to a stop in front of him like that?"

Doctor Beckett looked at him.  "You don't know?"

"Know what?"

"Doctor Jackson has very powerful paranormal abilities.  We're not sure exactly how it happened, but, when he returned to human form, he was genetically advanced far ahead of our level.  On top of that, his brain experienced some sort of mutation.  As you saw, the man is telekinetic.  He can also control fire, see the future, and do many other things.  He has blown up an Al'Kesh with the power of his mind and caught a Stargate that was falling."

McKay's eyes nearly bugged out.  "He-he-he caught a Stargate?" he squeaked.

"Yes.  The strength of his power is absolutely remarkable.  With his abilities, he has personally captured two Goa'uld and has saved the lives of hundreds of people."

All at once, McKay understood the warning Jack O'Neill had given him about not getting on Daniel's bad side.  He shuddered at the thought of having someone that powerful as an enemy.

So, this is what everyone had been talking about, the reason why the name of Daniel Jackson was on the lips of so many people.  Now that McKay knew the reason, he could really understand it.

Brushing snow off himself, the Canadian went back into the dome, grateful that his attitude hadn't gotten him into very big trouble.

He was almost to the elevator when the realization about something suddenly hit him.

"Oh.  Oh boy," he murmured, rubbing a hand over his butt cheek, thinking that he was lucky it had just been his butt and not something a lot worse.  Realizing what Jackson could have done to him, Rodney McKay got on the elevator with the thought that his mouth had almost gotten him into very big trouble after all.


Daniel, Sam and Elizabeth hurried up to the helicopter.  General Hammond and the pilot, Major Sheppard, had gotten out.

"Sir, are you all right?" Sam asked.

"Yes, thanks to Major Sheppard's impressive flying skills," Hammond replied.  He looked at Daniel.  "And, I'm guessing, your ability to stop that thing."

"I'm just happy that I stopped it in time, sir," the archeologist said.

"Could somebody please tell me what the hell that thing was?" asked Sheppard.

The general looked at him.  "I'd say that you certainly deserve to be given clearance after what just happened."

"Thank you, sir."  There was a pause.  "Clearance for what?"

Hammond chuckled.  "We'll explain everything to you in time, Major.  For right now, let's all go to the outpost."

The four people covered the distance to the outpost and descended the elevator.  As Major Sheppard went off to explore, the others went to Daniel's office, where they were joined by McKay.  The general was filled in on a few more details about Atlantis.  When Elizabeth explained to him that they'd need the ZPM to power the gate, his reaction was not a positive one.

"That power is needed for the defense of this planet, Doctor Weir," he said.  "There is no way of knowing if another Goa'uld will suddenly attack Earth."

"Sir, the Goa'uld all know about what happened to Anubis' fleet," Daniel pointed out.  "Frankly, they'd have to be pretty stupid to try and attack Earth when they all believe that we have a powerful alien weapon that could decimate any force they send against us.  Besides that, we are still a protected planet under the Asgard treaty.  Now, it's true that the Asgard aren't in much of a position to enforce that treaty, not when they're having to deal with the Replicators, but the Goa'uld don't know that.  Between the Asgard and the weapon, they'd have to be pretty desperate to attack Earth."

"Yet the fact remains that, without that weapon, Earth would be defenseless."


John Sheppard wandered around the outpost curiously.  He had no idea what this place was, but it sure didn't look like anything the U.S. had built, or any other country on the planet, for that matter.  And what in the heck was that thing that nearly shot down his helicopter?

The sound of someone speaking drew Sheppard toward a particular room.

"The second I shut my eyes, I could see," a man with a Scottish accent was saying.  "I felt power I've never had before.  I had it dancing all across the sky.  It was magical.  It really was.  If Doctor Jackson hadn't stepped in, I'm sure I could have stopped the drone myself."

"So, you were the one," Sheppard said, coming to a stop in the room.

Beckett stared at him, startled.  "Me?"  The two men he had been talking to left.

Not happy, Sheppard stepped up to the Scotsman. "You were the one who fired that thing at me."

The doctor's demeanor instant changed to one of sincere contriteness.  "Look, we're doing research, working with technology that's light-years beyond us, and we make mistakes.  I'm incredibly, incredibly sorry."

"Well, next time, just be a little more careful, okay?"

"That's what I said."

"What the heck was that thing anyway?"

"You mean the drone?"

Sheppard nodded.

"The weapon the Ancients built to defend this outpost."

"The who?"

Beckett started to get worried, afraid that he'd just given classified information to someone he shouldn't have.  "You do have security clearance to be here."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah.  General Hammond just gave it to me."

"Then you don't even know about the Stargate."

"The what?"


"Sir, I think we need to focus on what we could gain from going to Atlantis," Elizabeth said, trying to convince Hammond to change his mind.

"We think that there might be more ZPM's there," Sam added.

"And who knows what else we could find?" Daniel added.  "This isn't just some other civilization we're talking about.  These are the gate builders."

"The potential wealth of knowledge and technology . . . it outweighs anything we've come across since we stepped through the Stargate," Doctor Weir stated.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but, with the amount of power you would need to get there, isn't it possible that there won't be enough power to open the gate to that galaxy again?" Hammond asked.

"Yes, but the benefit to humanity is far greater than the risk, General, and it is a risk that every one of my expedition members are willing to take."  Elizabeth knew this was true, for not a single member of her team had backed out, a fact that brought her great pride.  Now, she just hoped that there would be an expedition to go on.


Doctor Beckett was just finishing telling Major Sheppard about the Stargate, the Ancients and the outpost.  The man had absorbed it all with surprising calmness, not seeming to be the least bit rattled by it all.

"A lot of people have been theorizing about the purpose of the gene and think that it was done on purpose by the Ancients.  They think the gene was used as a sort of genetic key, if you will, so that only their kind could operate certain dangerous and powerful technologies."

Sheppard walked around the chair, looking at it.  "So, some people have the same genes as these Ancients."

"The specific gene is very rare, but, on the whole, they looked very much like we do.  In fact they were first.  We're the second evolution of this form, the Ancients having explored this galaxy for millions of years before—"  Beckett saw that Sheppard was planning to sit in the chair and moved to stop him.  "Major, please don't," he said quickly.

"Come on.  What are the odds of me having the same genes as these guys?"

Sheppard sat down.  The chair and dais instantly lit up and reclined, shocking both him and Beckett.

"Quite slim actually," the doctor answered, dumbfounded.  He yelled for Doctor Weir, then told Sheppard not to move as he rushed off to find her.

Moments later, he returned with Daniel, Sam, Elizabeth, McKay, and General Hammond.

"Who is this?" Elizabeth asked.

"My pilot," Hammond replied.

"Major, think about where we are in the solar system," McKay instructed the confused man in the chair.

Almost immediately, a hologram of Earth's solar system appeared over their heads, surprising everyone and delighting Elizabeth.

Sheppard stared up at it.  "Did I do that?"

"You sure did, Major," the leader of the Atlantis team said excitedly.  With the exception of Daniel, none of the other people who sat in the chair had succeeded in controlling it so easily.

Also getting excited, McKay told the major to do several other things.  Sheppard complied even though he didn't understand how he was able to do these things.  All he had to do was think about doing something and it happened.

"Okay, I think we've seen enough," Elizabeth said.  "Major?  You can get out of the chair now."

Sheppard got to his feet and just stared at the chair for a moment.  "Well, that was interesting."  He looked at everyone, who were all still staring at him.  "Sirs, ma'ams.  If you will excuse me, I could sure use a bathroom."  He looked about.  "Uh, is there one down here anywhere?"

"Yes, there is.  You can ask anyone for directions," Weir replied.

Sheppard left to go find a bathroom.

"That was a surprise," Beckett said.

"It certainly was," Elizabeth agreed.  She turned to General Hammond.  The man had not yet come to a decision when Beckett came running in to get them.

The general saw the question in her eyes and knew what that question was.  "Very well, Doctor Weir.  I will speak with the president and recommend that you be allowed to go to Atlantis."

Elizabeth smiled.  "Thank you, sir."

Hammond's call to the president lasted just a few minutes.  Trusting the general's judgment, and liking the idea of the technology and valuable knowledge they might gain from Atlantis, Hayes agreed to allow the ZPM to be used.

A short while after Hammond went off to make the phone call, Elizabeth saw John Sheppard.  She approached him.

"Could you come with me to my office, please?" she asked.

In her office, Elizabeth asked the major if he would be willing to go to Atlantis.  His superior skill in operating the control chair would make him a valuable asset, one they might desperately need.  She explained everything to him, making sure he understood that it could be a one-way trip.  Sheppard told her that he'd think about it.  She couldn't get any more from him than that.

The news that the president had approved the expedition delighted everyone.  It also sent them all into a frenzy of packing.  Elizabeth had decided that they needed to leave as soon as possible.  She didn't want to take the chance that people in the military who didn't want to lose the Ancient weapon would talk the president into changing his mind.  The sooner they left, the better.

General Hammond was heading toward the elevator to get some lunch before his trip back to McMurdo when he was joined by Doctor Weir.

"Thank you again for approving this, sir," she said.

"We're all hoping that you find something there that will benefit Earth, Doctor Weir."

"We could be on our way to discovering an entirely new ancient civilization.  At best case scenario, we meet actual Ancients who are willing to help us, but if we don't. . . ."  Elizabeth looked at Hammond.  "General, we need Major Sheppard."

"Don't you already have around a dozen people who can use the Ancient technology?"

"Yes, with concentration and training, they could make it work, but John Sheppard, he does it naturally."

"I took the liberty of checking into his record, Doctor," Hammond told her, a slight note of disapproval in his voice.

"I know about the whole supposed black market in Afghanistan.  He was trying to save the lives of three servicemen."

"Yet the fact remains that he disobeyed a direct order."

"I know, sir.  I also know that Colonel O'Neill, who is your second in command at the SGC, has disobeyed orders from a superior officer more than once, yet he is considered to be a valuable asset to the program."

Hammond smiled slightly.  "Point taken, Doctor Weir.  All right.  You have my permission to ask Major Sheppard if he would be willing to go."

"That's the thing.  I already have."

"Oh?  What was his reply?"

"That he'd think about it."

"I see.  Well, then I guess you'll just have to hope that he agrees to go.  On an expedition like this, when the chances are high that none of you will come back, I cannot order anyone to go.  It must be strictly voluntary."

"I agree, General.  I wouldn't want anyone to be forced into going."

An hour later, Hammond and Sheppard were in the air, on their way back to McMurdo.

"Doctor Weir told me that she asked you to join the expedition to Atlantis," the general remarked.

"Yes, sir.  I told her that I'd think about it."

Hammond paused a moment, thinking about his reply.  "I have been the commander of the SGC for over seven years, and I can safely say that they have been the most incredible and rewarding years of my career.  I would not trade this experience for anything.  I feel sorry for those who will never get the opportunity to see what's out there and be a part of this adventure."

"I understand, sir, and it does sound incredible, but, with all due respect, General, we were just attacked by an alien missile.  Then I found out I have some mutant gene.  Then there's this Stargate thing and these expeditions to other galaxies.  I'm still a little overwhelmed."

"And so you should be, Major.  It's a lot to take in and a lot to think about."  He looked over at the younger man.  "I am not trying to tell you what you should do.  You are the only one who can decide what's best for you.  But I will say that, if you refuse this opportunity, I believe that there will come a day when you will regret it."

Sheppard met the general's eyes for a moment, then turned back to the view out the windscreen, his mind on a decision that would completely change his life.

A while later, they arrived at McMurdo.  The general disembarked and was getting ready to close the door when Sheppard's voice stopped him.

"Sir?"

Hammond looked up at him.  "Yes, Major?"

"Would it be all right if I went back to the States with you?  I've kind of got a lot of thinking to do, and I'd sort of like to do it at home."

Hammond gave him an understanding smile.  "Certainly, Son.  I'll arrange for you to get some leave time."

"Thank you, sir."

As the two men headed toward the dormitories, John Sheppard's mind was on the decision he needed to make . . . and what it would mean for his future if he said yes.


Jack stepped into the control room.  The entire base was a madhouse, the corridors clogged with people and crates of supplies destined for Atlantis.  The colonel saw Daniel stride past, explaining something to an Asian woman.

"Each chevron represents a point of space outside our galaxy, so we won't know till we lock it," he told her.  Jack, having already had this conversation with the archeologist, knew that he was explaining why they didn't know where in the Pegasus galaxy Atlantis was.

Jack stepped up to the window, looking down at still more chaos.  "We there yet?"

"Just waiting on Doctor McKay," Doctor Weir explained.

Jack glanced about.  "Anybody seen Carter?"

"I believe she's helping with some last minute things.  She's going to monitor the ZPM with Sergeant Siler while we dial up the gate."

A woman came up to them.  "Doctor Weir?  Could I see you for a moment?"

"Excuse me, Colonel," Elizabeth said before walking off with the woman.

Seated at the counter and going over some paperwork regarding the expedition, Daniel yet again looked down upon the people who, very soon, would be trekking across the gulf between galaxies to a place that he had been seeking for over a year.  He would not admit it to anyone, but a part of him ached to rush down there and join them.  But what he'd said before was true.  He was needed here.

At least the Atlantis team would have Major Sheppard.  Everyone had been pleased when the man decided to join the expedition, knowing that his skill in operating Ancient technology would be invaluable.

"Any second thoughts?" asked a voice behind him.  Daniel looked up at Jack.  He got to his feet to stand beside the older man.

"You mean about going?  Yes, I'd love to see Atlantis, but I haven't changed my mind."

"Good.  I guess I can give Siler back his wrench, then.  I borrowed it in case I had to clunk you over the head to keep you here."

Weir came up to them.  "I just received word that the ZPM has been hooked up successfully and appears to be functioning properly.  I guess I'd better get down there and make the announcement."  She left the control room, passing General Hammond on the way, who was just coming in.

Elizabeth entered the gate room, heading to the ramp.  "Could I have everyone's attention please?" she called as she walked up the ramp.  "All right, here we go.  We are about to try and make a connection. We have been unable to predict exactly how much power this is going to take, and we may only get the one chance at this.  So, if we are able to achieve a stable wormhole, we're not going to risk shutting the gate down.  We'll send in the MALP robot probe, check for viability and go.  Everything in one shot."

She looked around at her team, the faces of the men and women who would be traveling with her into the unknown, perhaps never to return.  "Every one of you volunteered for this mission, and you represent over a dozen countries.  You are the world's best and brightest, and, in light of the adventure we are about to embark on, you are also the bravest.  I hope we all return one day, having discovered a whole new realm for humanity to explore, but, as all of you know, we may never be able to return home.  I'd like to offer you all one last chance to withdraw your participation."

Elizabeth felt honored and proud all over again when not a single person backed out.  She smiled, knowing that she couldn't have asked for a finer group of people to embark on this adventure with.

Doctor Weir looked up at the control room.  "Begin the dialing sequence," she said, leaving the ramp.

Everyone in the control room, and many of those down in the gate room, held their breath as the dialing sequence began.  Elizabeth came up to the control room to watch.

"Nice," Jack said, complimenting her on her speech.

"Thank you."

"Chevron five encoded," announced the technician controlling the gate.

McKay entered the control room a few seconds before the sixth chevron was encoded.

"This is it," Elizabeth said, breathless with excitement.  She looked at McKay, who was standing beside her, appearing surprisingly calm.  "Seriously, Doctor.  Calm down.  You're embarrassing me."

"Chevron seven encoded," the technician said.

McKay turned to Weir.  "I've never been so excited in my entire life," he told her in a calm voice.

A moment later, the eighth and final chevron locked, and, with a roar, the Stargate engaged, opening a wormhole to another galaxy.  Everyone in the gate room clapped and cheered.

"Send the MALP," Weir ordered.

The MALP was sent through.  Seconds later, they were receiving telemetry from it.

Everyone gathered around the monitor and stared at the image coming through.

"What is it we're looking at?" Elizabeth asked.  She couldn't see a thing, the image being completely dark.

"Switching to zero lux," the technician said as McKay took a seat.

Some shapes became visible on the screen.

McKay studied the data being transmitted.  "Radar indicates a large room."

"Is it structurally intact?" Daniel asked.

"Sensors state there's oxygen, no measurable toxins.  We have viable life support."  McKay stood.  "Looks like we're not getting out of this."

Hammond turned to the Atlantis team leader.  "Doctor Weir, you have a go."

She gave him a nod.  "Thank you, sir."  With a smile of goodbye, she turned and left.

Down in the gate room, Colonel Sumner, the leader of the military members of the expedition, was busy giving orders.

"Let's go people.  We don't know how much time we've got.  Security teams one and two," he started moving up ramp, "you're up first.  All other personnel will follow on our signal.  Once on the other side keep moving.  Clear the disembarkation area.  On my lead."

"Hold on, Colonel," Elizabeth said as she entered the room and grabbed her backpack.  "We go through together."  She walked up the ramp to face the man.

"Fair enough," he said.

They continued up the ramp, pausing at the event horizon.  The colonel raised his weapon and stepped through the gate with the three other members of the teams.

Weir paused and looked back up into the control room.  Hammond leaned down to the microphone.

"Godspeed, Doctor Weir."

With a final nod, Elizabeth Weir stepped through.

As Daniel watched her pass through the event horizon, he was seized with a sudden, violent vision.  Images marched across his mind's eyes, scenes of horror and death that left him reeling.

As he came out of the vision, he heard Hammond give the okay for the rest of the expedition team to go through, having just received the word from Sumner that everything was all clear.  Daniel looked down and saw that Major Sheppard was on the ramp, preparing to go through with Lieutenant Aidan Ford.

He grabbed the microphone.  "Major Sheppard!  Wait!"

Before Jack could ask what was going on, Daniel was dashing out of the control room and down to the gate room.  He ran up to Sheppard.

"Is something wrong, Doctor Jackson?" the man asked.

"I need to speak to you."

"Uh . . . okay."  Sheppard turned to Ford.  "Go on through, Lieutenant.  Let the colonel know that I'll be there in a moment."

"Yes, sir."

Daniel led the major down the ramp and off to a spot a few yards away from the crowd.

"There's not much time to explain," Daniel began.  "Are you aware that I have the ability to see events in the future?"

"Yeah, someone told me about that."

"Then I want you to listen to me very carefully.  If you don't do something to prevent it, your first mission through the Atlantis gate is going to result in something that will not only cost the lives of some of your team but will also result in a terrible disaster.  You have to warn Colonel Sumner.  Tell him not to go into the city.  That's all you have to do."

"Um, sir, I can't guarantee that he's going to listen to me.  He's not my biggest fan."  The colonel had made no secret of the fact that he knew about the incident in Afghanistan and had a big issue with Sheppard going against the orders of a superior officer.

"Then tell Doctor Weir what I've told you.  She has the authority to order Sumner not to go into the city.  And if that still doesn't work, it'll be up to you to prevent what I just saw.  There's no time to explain what I'm talking about, but you're going to encounter a . . . a female from another species.  Whatever you do, do not kill her.  You'll know who I'm talking about when the time comes.  Your instincts and training are going to tell you to kill her, but don't.  If you do, billions of people will die.  Do you understand me?"

The major stared into Daniel's eyes, seeing the intensity in the man's gaze.  Though he didn't know what the archeologist was talking about, he knew that he needed to heed Daniel's warning.  "Yes, I understand."

Just then, Jack came up to them.  "Is something wrong?"

"I had some information that I needed to tell the major," Daniel replied.  He turned back to the Sheppard.  "Good luck."

"Thank you, sir."

Sheppard saluted Jack, then headed to the gate, joining the people that were going through.

"Daniel?  Would you like to tell me what that was all about?" Jack asked.

"I will later, after they're all through."

The two men watched the members of the Atlantis team step through the gate, carrying crates and pushing carts of supplies and equipment.  Shortly after the last person went through, they heard Doctor Weir's voice come back through

"General Hammond, Atlantis base, offers greetings from the Pegasus Galaxy.  You may cut power to the gate."  A moment later, the gate shut down.

Daniel and Jack went up to the control room.

"Doctor Jackson, is something wrong?" Hammond asked.

"Yes, sir, but I'm hoping that I just prevented it from happening."

"I think you'd better explain."

"I will, sir."

The three of them went to the briefing room.

"I had a vision," Daniel began.  "In it I saw an alien species that lives in the Pegasus galaxy.  They're called the Wraith, and they are heartless killers.  They feed off human beings, draining their victim's life force until the person dies, having aged decades in mere seconds."

"Oh, lovely," Jack commented.  Why was it that these bad aliens kept picking on humans?

"The Wraith go through some form of hibernation, sleeping for hundreds of years.  Only a limited number of them are awake at any given time, which is the only thing that prevents the entire human population from being wiped out.  In the vision I had, Major Sheppard killed one of them, a female who is like the queen of a hive.  Her death caused the Wraith to wake up . . . all of them."

"Crap.  I'm not liking the picture I'm getting here."

"It was a disaster.  They decimated the human population of the galaxy, taking the inhabitants of entire planets to feed upon."

"Doctor Jackson, you should have told me this before the rest of the team went through," Hammond chastised.  "I would have put a halt to the mission."

"Sir, Colonel Sumner, Doctor Weir and two of the security teams had already gone through.  If you'd stopped everyone else from joining them, they'd have been stranded there alone, and I can't predict how that would have affected things.  The one thing that's more important than anything else is that the Wraith don't make it here, to this galaxy.  The rest of the team is needed there to help prevent that from happening.  Not only that, but something else I saw leads me to believe that there is going to be some kind of problem in the city.  I saw water flooding the place.  From what else I saw, they fix the problem, and everything is fine, but, without the rest of the team, I have a feeling that the people who already went through would have died."

"Even so, you should have told me, Doctor."

"There was no time, General.  The ZPM could have failed at any second."

Hammond thought about that.  "All right.  I will trust your judgment that the best course of action was to allow the mission to continue.  Hopefully, the ZPM has enough power left to dial the gate again so that we can do more to prevent this from happening."

"Judging by what I saw, I don't think that's going to be the case."

It turned out that Daniel was right.  Opening the wormhole to the Pegasus galaxy had almost completely drained the ZPM.  There was no chance that they'd be able to dial again.  Daniel also knew that the Atlantis team was not going to find any functioning ZPM's in the city.  Unless some other way could be found to reach them, they were truly on their own.

"You could have helped them," Sam said while she and Daniel were having a late lunch.  "With your abilities. . . ."

Daniel shook his head.  "My abilities could have done just so much, Sam.  About the only thing my being there would have accomplished for sure is that I could have made certain that Sumner did not go to the ruins."

"Do you think that Major Sheppard will do what you told him to?"

"I don't know, but I think he will.  I have to believe that he will."

As they resumed eating, Daniel thought about the courageous group of people who were, even now, beginning a battle against an enemy far worse than the Goa'uld could ever be.  He sent out a silent wish that their battle would be victorious.

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