SG-14 RETURN THROUGH A NINE CHEVRON WORMHOLE. ROUTINE CHECK UP IN THE INFIRMARY, CLEAR

~ Д Ψ Ψ μ ∑ µ ≈ Ξ ≠ Φ π ∑ ≍ ∁ ~

ℷ

"Off world activation, should be SG-14 Sir."

General O'Neill was in the Control Room talking to Sergeant Siler. It was very late and the night staff were on duty. The General was discussing the logistics of the micrometer mechanical re-calibration of the Iris settling that Sergeant Siler was currently supervising. It was a very detailed and excessively important procedure. And although it did not take long to complete, the early hours were the most appropriate time to carry out the work.

"Chevron seven locking. Sir?"

The Duty Sergeant shouted excitedly to General O'Neill.

"Sir still engaging!!"

General O'Neill came about and rushed at the console. As did Siler. SGC history was in the making. And the Iris, being off line, played no part in it. The General shouted at Siler.

"Cancel the assignment. Flip to the last known.. ..work it out later, get that thing back on line now!!

"Done Sir, four and a half minutes and I'll have it closed."

"Good man."

Sergeant Siler fled to the Gate Room and got his team fast into action.

"Lieutenant get me Colonel Carter immediately. Contact Doctor Jackson and Teal'c they're working up on Level twenty."

"Yes Sir."

"General, Chevron Eight engaged and starting to lock."

"Sergeant?"

"Sir, Chevron Eight locked."

All the Control Room staff and those from Level twenty-seven had crowed around General O'Neill, who was intently observing the Dialling console. And the StarGate's still spinning inner wheel.

The StarGate's inner Ring was still locating. Twirling with that somewhat pleasant grating sound. Tracking the outer Chevron housing, looking for a place to dock. Without a moments hesitation General O'Neill sounded the alarm.

"This is General O'Neill. This is not a drill. I say again, this is not a drill. All Gate Room Defence Teams to the ready!! SGs 3 and 5 battle dress and Gate Room. Lock down Levels sixteen and above! No surface access!! Standby!!"

"Sir the computers saying em, I think its saying, Sir? Chevron Nine locking, Chevron Nine locked."

"What in gad.."

Whoosh!

A normal looking unstable vortex. Usual length. Seemingly all the usual properties. It retracted itself to be assimilated back into subspace, leaving an even looking event horizon in its wake. Everything appeared normal. There was no accounting for the Ninth Chevron lock.

"Receiving I.D.C.. General, its SG-14."

"Send it!"

~ Д Ψ Ψ μ ∑ µ ≈ Ξ ≠ Φ π ∑ ≍ ∁ ~

Zero five hundred hours on Base.

Its completely dark. Theres a faint noise in the distance, fading in and out. Its getting louder, slowly louder. It's the harsh persistent ringing of an internal phone line.

In the dark a tired arm stretches out and a sleepy hand grabs the telephone.

"Yes this is Colonel Carter. Thats alright. Excuse me. Eight! Are you sure Lieutenant, Eight? Oh you're calling from the Control Room. Wheres General O'Neill? I'm on my way."

Just then the alarm system flared up. It had been a long time since battle stations had been called before the day had even begun. Daniel and Teal'c reached the Control Room moments before Colonel Carter.

SG-14 exited the event horizon into a Gate Room full of cocked weapons. The StarGate disengaged and the Iris, un-recalibrated and back on line, wrapped up behind them. All normal. Apart from the weapons. And apart from the two extra Chevrons.

Colonel Carter along side the night Duty Operator began frantically analysing the entire Gate output regarding the latest wormhole establishment. The Ninth Chevron wormhole.

"Sir we have nothing. Nothing out of the ordinary."

"How about out of the extraordinary Colonel?"

"Yes General of course. Its just that we have no trace of unusual activity. Sir I can't explain it. There wasn't even an extra power drainage."

"So the whole operation has been powered off world?"

"Sir. Our Gate also didn't consume any power from the remote supply. We'll keep working on it General because sure as anything somethings up and I'm inclined to proceed with extreme caution Sir. We know for a fact that deployment of the Eighth Chevron gives us extra-galactic bearings. The Ninth Chevron as yet no comment, but its engagement would imply at least an extra-galactic wormhole connection."

"What not from P7X 377?"

"No Sir."

"What about them?"

Without looking the General indicated the men in the Gate Room, SG-14.

"No comment Sir, if that's acceptable."

"For now Colonel, but set to it."

"Setting Sir."

General O'Neill spoke down to the Gate Room.

"Stand down Airmen. SG-14 Debrief in one hour! Wait there!"

"Sir if its alright I'd like to attend the Debrief."

"Colonel. SG-1. Something to do with the Nebulium?"

"I'm not really sure Sir."

"Well put it this way Carter, out of yes or no are you saying yes or are you saying no?"

"O'Neill, It would seem improbable that the return of SG-14 through a Nine Chevroned wormhole and the rising of the Nebulium, are unrelated."

"Jack I'd have to agree with Teal'c, its just to much of a coincidence."

"So how we thinking they're related? The men look fine."

"O'Neill the Nebulium by now must be alerted to Nicolas Ballard's departure. They may also be aware of our reconnaissance and Fact Finding. It is possible that they could have someway tampered with the StarGate Dialling sequence."

"Well Sir that's a very good explanation. Em, but then it doesn't actually account for our men getting back here safe and sound."

"No it doesn't does it Sam. Em, um."

"There seems little advantage in the Nebulium activating the Ninth Chevron, as you say everything appears as normal."

"Carter any unusual signals, spikes, energy drains, things that can't be accounted for?"

"No Sir everything, at this time, appears in order. There wasn't even greater power consumption. It just seems more or less the same as any other Dial.. ..Dial process."

"Daniel you're quiet?"

"Actually Jack I think the word is stunned. It's a difficult one. Like Teal'c says there doesn't really seem to be any advantage here. Em.."

"You mean in which case why would they?"

"Well for a start yeah why would they?

"Why would they Carter?"

"Em, em, em, Sir can I think about that one."

"Well think hard and fast Carter. We're on DEFCON Four here and you know how that usually pans."

"Yes Sir, three, two and hopefully not one. Actually Sir I'd like to go up to the infirmary, see what the medical scans are showing."

"Please do Colonel. I'd like to know that myself, but before you go lets check this out."

General O'Neill, Colonel Carter, Teal'c and Daniel went down to the Gate Room.

~ Д Ψ Ψ μ ∑ µ ≈ Ξ ≠ Φ π ∑ ≍ ∁ ~

"Is there a problem General?"

"Yeah theres a problem Major, you've just come through a Nine Chevroned wormhole, care to tell me what that's about."

"Sir I've no idea. We Dialled the correct address."

"What so you're saying on your side everything was in order. No change in routine. No added digits. You didn't let your fingers do the walking. You just Dialled the usual address?"

"Yes Sir. Everything was normal. We collected the rest of the samples, we've brought them back for analysis. We Dialled the usual address. That's it Sir."

"Okay Lyons, you and your Team report to the infirmary. Debrief at O six hundred. Carry on."

"Yes Sir."

General O'Neill shouted up to the Control Room.

"Sergeant any sign of Sergeant Harriman?"

"Not as yet Sir, hes had the call."

"Keep on it Sergeant and have Harriman report upstairs as soon as he comes in."

"Yes Sir."

"Come on, my office, lets go."

~ Д Ψ Ψ μ ∑ µ ≈ Ξ ≠ Φ π ∑ ≍ ∁ ~

SG-1 and General O'Neill made their way up to Level twenty-seven.

"You know what I'm thinking don't you?"

"Nebulium Sir. Sir I've instigated a full Gate diagnostic, I'll put Walter on it as soon as he reports. Until we get the stats back I can't really draw any accurate conclusions, but off the bat, I can not imagine any scenario whereby having Dialled a Seven Chevron address the Eighth and Ninth Chevron would also lock into place."

"So you're saying that they didn't Dial a Seven Chevron address?"

"No Sir I'm not saying that. I mean Major Lyons has just said that's exactly what they did. Em, no Sir, I think what it is is that we have absolutely no idea of how the Ninth Chevron operates. We're presuming its.. ..we're presuming its based on the functioning of the other Seven, Eight Chevrons, in which case going off em, Ancient engineering, you would have to Dial it to lock it.

But simce Major Lyons said they did not in fact Dial it.. ..but then it did lock though didn't it? No explanation at this moment Sir, but I have it in hand."

"Keep on this Carter because pound for penny, its something to do with the rising snakiness, oh sorry, em what is it, the rising feather, floating feather. Anyway dollars in the hand its something to do with that pyramid."

"To big a coincidence not to be Sir."

"Yes, but its not just that Carter.."

"Understood Sir."

~  Л Δ Π Σ Ω χ ψ Γ Ξ ζ μ ~

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