Disclaimer: The characters of Dark Angel/Stargate SG1 are the property of the Fox Network and MGM. Any new/and or original characters and creations are the personal property of E.J Whitehouse ©.

~Chapter 2: Offers~

Alec rocked back in his seat, tears of laughter streaming down his face, as Max glared in his direction before discreetly kicking his ankle under the desk. Holding his hands up in surrender, he attempted to get his laughter under control, but was unable to keep the twinkle of amusement out of his hazel eyes.

“Ok, ok. Sorry, I’m fine”, he said smiling into the furious face of Max.

Turning away from her idiot partner, Max returned her attention back to the General and ‘what was his name, Tic? Teak? Talc? No, no Tealc. That was it Tealc.’

“You were saying General”.

Jack was enjoying himself immensely, he always loved folk’s reaction when he told them that aliens were real, and that travel to other planets was actually possible. And this was proving to be no exception. “Well 452-“, he began.

“Max. The names Max”, 452 said.

“-Sorry. Max” he apologised. “Like I said, the President feels that there is no other real alternative to the problem at hand.”

“Yeah, right”, Alec snorted.

“Shut up”, Max snapped.

“I’m just sayin’-“, he said as Max glared at him. “Fine, fine I’ll shut up”.

“I’m sorry General”, Max rolled her eyes “You’ll have to excuse idiot boy. He’s, well… he’s an idiot” her small smile, softened the otherwise harsh words.

Smiling Jack continued “Anyway, with the way things are, the president has authorised me to offer you, and all your fellow Transgenics a new home.”

Max nodded her head, for him to continue. “We are prepared to transport everyone to a new off-world location; where you’ll be able to build your own community. Were also willing to provide provisions and rations for up to two years, or until you become self sufficient”. Jack sat back in his chair and watched the Transgenics in front of him.

Looking at the General through half lidded eyes Alec asked the question that was playing on both Transgenics minds.

“So what’s the catch. Cause I’m pretty sure your not doing this out of the goodness of your heart.”

Mentally grimacing, Jack just knew this next part was not going to go down so well. “We would like some of you to consider joining the SGC, and go off planet with some of the other units.”

“And if we don’t, are you going to take back your ‘offer’” Max said.

“No, no the offer will still stand. We’d just like you to consider putting your ‘skills’ to use”. Jack attempted to placate the irate female in front of him. “I’m sure there’s a few of your people who would feel more comfortable back in a familiar military routine.”

Nudging her foot with his, Alec flicked his eyes towards the door. Max blinked her own in silent agreement to his question.

“If you’ll excuse General, Tealc. Max and I need to discuss this between ourselves, there’ll be guards posted outside this door, just in case you decide to do some unauthorised snooping of our facility.”

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“Well that was a complete crock of shit”, were the fist words to leave Alec’s mouth as soon as they’d left the room.

Max just looked at him, sighed closed her eyes and leaned against the wall. “C’mon Max, you’re not seriously buying this crap?” Alec asked askance.

“No Alec, I’m not. But it’s the best offer we’ve had”, she held up a hand to stop his next barrage of words. “Or do you really want to stay locked up in this toxic waste dump for the rest of your life? Cause I certainly don’t”, pushing away from the wall, she began to pace, “Look, I’m not going to take their offer at face value” she said stopping in front of him, “We’ll get a Psy-Ops unit in to check out what they’re sayin, when we go back in.”

“That’s not gonna be enough Max. This guy was obviously special-ops at some point in his career, and those guy’s were trained to with stand that kind of shit, just like we were.” Alec told her.

“Fine,” Max snapped, before softening her voice, “Fine. How about we find out if any of our guy’s have had dealings with this so called ‘Stargate Command’. I mean if it’s as important as they say it is, then you can just bet your ass, that Manticore had someone assigned there at some point to see if it was worth sticking their fingers in the proverbial pie.”

Alec chewed his thumb for a brief moment, thinking, before nodding his head in agreement.

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“What d’ya think big guy. You think they’re gonna go for it?” Jack asked.

“It is difficult to say O’Neil. The female seems interested in the possibility, but the male was somewhat more difficult to read.” Tealc said.

“Yeah, that was kinda my take on the situation as well”, Jack sighed as he settled himself in for a long wait.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Hey Hampton buddy”, Alec called.

Putting down the gun he was cleaning, Hampton raised his hands in the air. “Sorry Alec, but I’m all tapped out after that last poker game.”

Chuckling Alec slapped his friend on the back “Nah, that’s not it pal” he smiled. “You flew choppers right. Qualified on all types of aircraft back at Manticore” he asked.

Peering suspiciously at him, Hampton mumbled “Yeah why?”

“Well it’s like this-”, Alec began.

Ten minutes later, Hampton was scratching the dark goatee he wore, and nodding his head at Alec. “Yeah, they’re the real deal man. I got sent on a mission there a few years back. Just Intel gathering y’know. Went in as a techie; cause’ Lydecker and Renfro wanted know what was going on and how it could benefit them”, he told his friend. “Anyway, some seriously weird shit goes on under Cheyenne Mountain. Alien footholds, incursions. That kind of thing”, he shrugged.

“So this General Jack O’Neil, what’s he like?” Alec asked.

“A pretty decent guy. He’s got a helluva military record, been busted back a couple of times for disobeying orders. And refusing to leave his men in the field”, Hampton said. Thoughtfully he glanced around HQ, before turning back to Alec.

“If he say’s they’ve got a world for us to live on, then he means it. The General does not bullshit”.

Absentmindedly nodding his head, Alec said his thanks and wandered off to find Max; leaving Hampton with the unfamiliar feeling of hope in his chest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Hey”, was the soft greeting that made him turn around in his seat.

“Hey yourself”, Logan answered in that quiet whispering way of his.

Walking into the living area, Max flopped down onto one of the overstuffed couches, and closed her tired eyes for a moment.

“What’s up?” Logan asked, concern for her well being filling his voice.

“Uh, what isn’t up! Life, the Universe, everything.” Max snorted loudly as she realised what she’d just said ‘yep the universe was definitely what was up’. The slight whirring sound of the exo-skeleton told Max that Logan was coming over to where she was. Scrubbing her face, she sat up.

“Anything I can help you with”, he asked.

“Actually, yeah there is. I kinda need you to dig up some information on a General Jack O’Neil.” Max said, as she got up and began pacing the room.

Logan watched the woman he loved pace his living room like a caged tigress. In fact he could practically feel the suppressed tension and excitement seeping from her body.

“Sure, I’ll do it after I’ve finished this lead I’m follow-“, he was cut off by Max as she whipped around.

“Can’t you do that after. I really need this Information ASAP Logan. It’s a kind off ‘time is of the essence thing’” she said.

“I guess so, if it’s that important”, he acquiesced as he moved back over to his computer. “You going to tell me what it’s all about?” he asked.

For a split second Max toyed with the idea of telling him everything. But that’s all it was, a second. Because she’d realised long ago that Logan wouldn’t be able to let it go; he’d want to be ‘involved’ with the discussions. And she knew that that would go down like a ton of bricks with the others. So instead she gave him a simpler version of the truth, just enough to satisfy his curiosity.

“He’s just the latest in a long line of government guy’s, who’ve been sent to ‘deal’ with the Transgenic problem”, she shrugged.

Logan knew she was keeping something back, something important. But from the set of her shoulders, and the closed look on her face, he also knew she wasn’t going to give him any answers unless she was ready to. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t do some ‘digging’ of his own.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Geeze, ya think they’re ever gonna give us a bathroom break”, Jack muttered whilst Tealc, simply arched an eyebrow in commiseration.

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“Yo, Mole. Ya seen Max?” Alec shouted over to the lizard man.

Removing the cigar from his mouth, and scratching his scaly head Mole thought for a moment. “Think her Majesty went to see the ordinary”.

“Thanks man”, Alec waved over his shoulder as he headed towards the tunnels that lead to Cales apartment.

Five minutes later he announced his presence to the room. “Well how’s my favourite ‘Not like that’ couple today!” What he received in return was a glare from Logan, and a roll of the eyes and a small smile from Max.

Sauntering over to where she was seated on the couch, he gracefully threw himself down on the seat next to her, yanking on a lock of her newly shortened curls as he did so.

“What”, she snapped.

Keeping his voice low enough so that only Max would hear him, he murmured “I asked around, and it turns out you were right”, Max arched an eyebrow as if to say ‘aren’t I always’ and motioned for him to carry on.

Rolling his eyes he continued “anyway, according to Hampton it’s all true. The snake dudes, the little grey men, everything.

And this O’Neil is apparently a decent guy; takes shit from no one. Hampton reckons that if he’s offering us a new world, then that’s what he’s doing.” When he finished he watched Max, as she thoughtfully nibbled her lower lip, and unconsciously mimicked her movements with his own.

“Yeah, from what Logan dug up for me on this General, that’s pretty much what I’d concluded to.”

Nodding his head Alec asked “So are we gonna put it to the others; ask em what they think?”

Shrugging Max agreed “Well it’s not like it’s solely up to us. It effects everyone. So yeah we’ll call a meeting for tonight and we’ll vote on it.”

“Ok, so in the mean time we send the General and his flunkies back to wherever and then let them know what’s the what tomorrow.” Alec said.

The two Transgenic’s sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes just listening to the rhythmic tapping of Logan’s fingers against his computers keyboard, as they let the day’s events and their decisions sink in.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tealc was looking out through the room’s small dingy, grime covered window; watching a group of children going through an advanced kataa. Each child’s body perfectly in sync with those around them, it was a beautiful display of power and strength. Something that the warrior inside Tealc could well appreciate, as it brought back memories of his own childhood training; and he couldn’t help but wonder about just how much of a ‘warrior’ resided inside these people.

The door to their room swung open, making Jack jerk up from where he’d slumped in his seat. The female Transgenic walked in, followed closely behind by her male counterpart.

“General. Tealc”, Max acknowledged, “We’ve discussed your offer between us and we’ve decided to put your proposition to our people.”

“If you’d like to head on out, we’ll contact you in the morning with our decision”, Alec continued.

Jack felt the knot that had been residing in his stomach begin to lesson at those words. And the image of his son’s body that had been at the forefront of his mind since he’d begun reading these soldiers files, started to fade. He knew it wasn’t the same thing at all, but if he could convince these kids and their families to accept his offer, then perhaps it would go someway towards alleviating the guilt that he still felt over the death of his son.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“All right, alright. Settle down,” Alec called to the large crowd of Transgenics that filled Terminal City’s underground parking garage.

A small raised platform had been quickly constructed by a group of X4’s, and this is what Max and Alec found themselves standing on now. Once the noise had died down, Max stepped forward on the dais, and began to speak.

“As I’m sure you all know, we had a visitor today. An air force General in fact,” Max looked out over the sea of faces as she spoke, a feeling of dejavu’ sneaking over her, as he mind flashed back to that night one month ago, when they were all here and about to decide the path that their lives were going to take.

“He came here with an offer from the President himself, a practical if somewhat unorthodox solution to both our problems”, pausing for a moment, Max felt Alec step up beside her, the brush of his body next to hers giving her the fortitude to carry on with her speech.

Taking a deep breathe, she took in the scents of her people; they felt a sense of expectation, of restlessness and a hundred other different feelings and emotions. But covering everything like a blanket, was the feeling of hope.

How long had it been since any of them had felt like that; if indeed they ever had.

“The General has offered us the chance of a new home, someplace where we won’t be hunted down by White and his buddies.

A place where we can finally learn to understand what and who we are. Where our children, and their children’s, children can live free without the fear of persecution”, she faltered for an instant as she remembered the faces of everyone they’d lost, Brin, Tinga, Ben, Biggs, Cece and the countless others who’d been unable to make it to the relative safety of Terminal City and those who’d never survived Manticore. The gentle touch of Alec’s warm hand on the small of her back, brought her back to the present.

“So what’s the catch with this”, a voice shouted from the crowd, and the murmured voices of agreement echoed the question.

“Well that’s the thing-”, Alec began, as he proceeded to explain the rest of O’Neil’s offer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Is this some sort of freaky joke”, Mole demanded “You really expect us to believe in the existence of little green men from outer space?”

“Hey, that’s a speciest remark”, Alec said “After all, you’re a big green lizard dude from Earth, and you expect us to believe in you”, he smirked in Moles direction, as a few muffled chuckles could be heard amongst the crowd.

Taking the cigar from his mouth and gesturing rudely with it, Mole shouted back “Hey Princess, don’t make me come up there and go all ‘Godzilla’ on your ass,”

“God, what is it with you people and my ass. First it was Max and now you,” Alec shook his head while unsuccessfully trying to hide his smile. The next thing he knew he was being smacked upside the head by Max, and being told to shut up.

Sighing Max scrubbed a hand through her hair, and cut off Mole before he could start another war of words with the idiot standing next to her.

“Look guy’s it doesn’t really matter whether or not we believe in ‘aliens’. The fact of the matter is they exist and this offer of a planet to live on is very, very real.” Looking around her, Max spotted the face she’d been looking for “Hampton”, she called “Hampton, come on up here and tell us, what you told Alec” she asked.

Nodding his head the tall dark haired Transgenic made his way through the crowds and up to the platform.

“It’s like this”, he began “Like I told Alec, a few years ago Manticore sent me undercover to the SGC, to find out if all the rumours they’d heard were true. And to discover how it could be used to their advantage”, Hampton watched several of the X-series nodding their heads in understanding. After all that was the type of mission they’d all participated in on Manticore's behalf in the past. “Anyway it’s all true, Moles little green men, although to be honest they’re more grey than green”, he said and was rewarded with a snort from Mole. “The stargate’s real folks and if General O’Neil say’s there’s a planet – a home for us, then I for one believe him.” Hampton finished in silence, as the voices of everyone having died down while he had been speaking.

Looking up at Max from his position in front of the dais, he threw a hesitant smile in her direction before moving off to rejoin the crowd. Max waited for a moment and let everything that Hampton had said sink in, before calling for a vote.

One by one fists were raised in the air in agreement, as Manticore’s children once again chose a new path, and a new life.