Chapter 7 – Changes
Jack sat on the floor of the control room on the Valkyrie watching the view screen. The ship was still in a cloaked orbit around Earth. Jack’s group of refugees had spent the week adjusting to their new reality. The SGC members were taking it all in stride, but their families were another story.
At first they were shocked to learn about the Stargate and the roles their loved ones had played in saving the planet from one near disaster after another. But shock quickly changed to fascination, fear, and anger as they were told all the facts, especially as applied to their current situation.
Most of their shock and anger had been directed at the government. They were not naïve enough to think that no one would want to take advantage of their situation. And while they were more than a little bit upset to find out that the quarantine was for a shape-shifting virus rather than a type of influenza, it was the complete betrayal of their own government that fueled their anger. They just couldn’t understand how the US could justify handing them over to other nations. Their government was supposed to look out for their interests, not sell them out when the outlook was grim.
The SGC members were only slightly less angry. They knew that their chain of command, namely Jack, wouldn’t allow that level of betrayal to happen. Even if he wasn’t infected, they firmly believed that Jack would have found a way to smuggle them and their families’ off-world to safety. But that didn’t negate their anger at the inhumanity of those they had pledged to protect.
However, after a week, the whole group was finally settling in and preparing for their final change. The group had settled into a kind of quiet mourning for all the things they would no longer have or take part in. There was also a quiet, tense excitement as they began to anticipate the change.
Jack had offered to beam in any prized possessions from their homes. Clothes, family pictures, an antique china cabinet, and a handmade cradle were just a few items that Jack’s small group had deemed necessary in their new life. Jack knew that the ship had more than enough storage space for the bulkier objects and couldn’t begrudge anyone their comfort items.
Teal’c was quick to point out that the ship would easily supply all their needs with the help of an Asgard matter convert. Jack didn’t question how the big Jaffa could so easily manipulate the Asgard technology. He was almost afraid to ask, so he graciously accepted any help he could get. Of course, Sam immediately demanded to know all the details and Jack quickly left before he was roped into the conversation.
This was why Jack was currently alone on the bridge. He wanted time to think apart from the others. He had his own demons to wrestle and the constant mental bombardment was grating on his nerves. He felt strangely calm looking at the peaceful planet below.
Jack was angry, but not really surprised at the actions of the IOA and President Hayes. Without a cure, Hayes didn’t really have a choice. The disease protocols developed years earlier by Dr Frasier were ironclad. The group was infectious. The contagion must be contained. Therefore, they must be contained. Confined. Jailed. Locked up. Waiting around like lab monkeys for a doctor with a possible cure.
Except, they were people. Honorable, dedicated people who had done nothing wrong.
Jack couldn’t see his people confined indefinitely and treated like lab rats. He was taking a huge risk by freeing them from the quarantine. This disease could spread across the galaxy like wild fire if he and his people were not careful. How careful was the question he was trying to answer.
How could 60 odd people live in the galaxy alone without contact with others? Was that fair to the children? To their families? To them?
What would they do? Farm? Ranch cattle by day and hunt the forests as wolves at night? How would they teach the children? What would they teach the children?
Jack couldn’t see how this small group could successfully live in isolation for long. He couldn’t picture Dixon or Teal’c farming. He refused to see Sam doing anything but fiddling with technology.
They were a highly trained, highly specialized group. They were protectors, the best that Earth had to offer in its defense. Each person had all spent their lives developing the skills that ultimately lead them to the SGC and protecting their planet and humanity across the galaxy. Hell, across two galaxies. Jack just couldn’t take that away. In fact, he doubted that he could even if he wanted to.
As Jack continued to stare at the image, he was suddenly struck by a feeling, or rather, a lack of feeling. Before, Jack had always found inspiration in the serene beauty of Earth. He had felt both the love of the planet of his birth and the strong need to protect it from harm.
But now, Jack found nothing but a sense of duty. He felt detached and separate from his homeworld for the first time. He was no longer drawn to its beauty, but felt like a casual observer. Unattached. Objective. And that was odd...
Jack felt Sam enter the bridge; her emotions a heady mix of excitement and satisfaction. Jack savored the feel of her mind before turning back once more to the image of Earth. Sam quietly sat down next to him and took in the view.
They let a few minutes of silent contemplation pass before Jack finally spoke, “What do you see when you look at it?” Jack gestured to the image of Earth.
Sam looked confused for a moment before she turned back to the image and considered her answer. “I see a lost home, betrayal, the past,” she answered finally as she turned back to regard him.
Jack nodded, “I see duty. But I used to see so much more…” Jack continued to watch the planet as he tried to find the words to express the changes. “I keep thinking that I should feel like I lost something, but I don’t…I should feel...something…shouldn’t I?”
Sam watched him carefully, “I don’t know.”
“I mean…we just lost everything. Our families, our careers, our homes, our friends…We should feel something after losing…everything…” Jack gave a small sigh, “But I don’t. Isn’t that bad?”
Sam gave him a small smile, “I don’t think so. I feel angry at what they tried to do to us, but I don’t feel like I lost anything. “Sam frowned slightly, “But I should…It’s just that everything has felt so…distant since we became infected. I don’t feel a part of them anymore,” she said as she gestured towards the planet. She leaned into him, “But I do feel connected to us. You, me, Teal’c and the others…I definitely feel strongly about our group.” She considered her thoughts, “I think I am angrier that they tried to hurt my people...my friends, family even, more than anything else. Does that make sense?”
“Yeah…” Jack replied. He understood that feeling very well as it mirrored his own thoughts. Somehow, Jack had lost his sense of patriotism and honor. He wanted to protect his family, his group, his friends, and he would do anything to do it. “You don’t hate them for what they tried to do?” he asked.
Sam looked at him closely, “No, but I find that strange as well. I should hate them, but now that they are no longer an immediate threat…I just don’t want to waste the energy. I have better things to do with my time.”
Several moments passed in comfortable silence. Finally, Sam asked, “So what do we do now?”
“I don’t know,” Jack answered truthfully. “We can’t stay up here forever. But where do we go? What do we do when we get there? We are still a threat to them,” he gestured to Earth, “But we can’t stay isolated for the rest of our lives. We certainly can’t live out our lives on this ship.”
Sam nodded and turned back to the screen, “Why does it have to change?” she asked.
Jack turned to look at her with one eyebrow raised.
“No. Hear me out. I know that we are different now, but do we have to be?...Remember our robots? They were different in form, physically better. They continued to go out into the universe and explore and occasionally they saved some people.” She turned a serious eye to Jack, “We could do that. Hell, all we would need is a safe haven to retreat to. A sanctuary. This ship can provide the equipment.” She gave him her most charming smile, “Why stop saving the world just because they don’t want to be saved by us?”
“The only reason I have to say ‘no’ is hard numbers. There aren’t enough of us. 20 odd military, 1 doctor, 12 civilian adults, and a whole passel of children,” Jack replied.
“So we recruit. Surely, there are people out there who are willing to risk infection for a chance to join us,” Sam added.
Jack looked thoughtful for a moment, “I’m pretty sure the Hak'tyl would accept. Most of the free Jaffa would, but I don’t really trust all of them. The Hak’tyl, Bra’tac, Ry’ac, and a few others would be welcome. The Cimmerians might also join us, or at least a few might.
Sam started to add to his tentative list, “What’s left of the Nasyans. They have never been happy in the Land of Light. The Pangarans...Juna...the ship people of Talthus...any Sodan who survived the Ori attack.”
“Alright...so we have options. But I only want to make the offer to people we trust implicitly and they need full disclosure before they are allowed to accept. That includes the fact that once they join us, there is no going back...It’s all or nothing,” Jack stated firmly.
“We will still need to trade for food and made goods,” Sam pointed out.
“Why? The Valkyrie can supply all of our needs,” Jack asked.
“For appearances. We don’t need them, but they don’t need to know that. If they suspect that we have all this technology AND these superhuman abilities, they will hunt us down out of fear.”
“See, that there is a good reason to stay away from people,” Jack emphasized.
“Which is why we need a safe place to go when things start to get too rough,” Sam pointed out.
“Yeah,” Jack replied absently. The Ancient Database was screaming in his ear. There was a city, most likely in ruins now, on a planet in a remote section of the galaxy, Meropis. Temperate climate. No natural wild-life, but small insects were abundant. “I think I know of a place that just might fit the bill.” Jack began to describe the planet and the city from the information provided in the Ancient Database.
Once they were agreed, they went to see the others and put the plan to a vote.
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TBC
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