AN: I simply can't apologise enough for the lateness of this
update, but there's been quite a few things going on at the 'old homestead',
and I just haven't had either the time or the opportunity to sit down and get
it written. But just to let you know, the rest of ANL is already mapped out and
so are the first few chapters of its sequel 'A New World', so hopefully you
won't be waiting too long for those. :)
Chapter 3: Between the Lines
The floor began to rumble beneath their feet, as
light's started flashing and a disembodied voice floated over the base's speakers.
"Off world
activation in progress."
Looking out through the large wall of windows, they watched as the large
circular device came to life, lighting up like a christmas tree and a loud
'whooshing' sound could be heard as the Stargate sprang open discharging a
group of battered looking soldiers out onto the ramp way, before the shield
slammed shut behind them.
Alec watched as medic's rushed forward to help
the obviously battle weary individuals; checking them over and helping them to
stand. Turning away from the window he couldn't help but feel fission of
excitement shoot through his body at the activity that flowed all around them.
"What the Hell's going on?", demanded
Mole of the General, just managing to grab his attention before another
snot-nosed airman shoved a bunch of folders in to the Generals hands, before
scuttling away.
"That's classified", was O'Neil's distracted answer.
"Well declassify it you chimp. Cause' there is no way in hell that my
scaly green hide is setting foot through that-", Mole gestured towards the
Stargate "-goddamned contraption until you do!" he ended by chomping
down so hard on his ever present cigar, that it split in two. "Aarggh! damn it all to
hell", he growled as he tossed it into a near by waste paper basket.
"Mole!" Alec didn't shout, but
the steely sound behind that one word stopped him from beginning another round
of 'Bitch at the ordinary'. Instead Mole settled for glowering at anything that
moved, and muttering darkly under his breath about 'pretty-boy X5's and their
delusions of grandeur.
Alec just rolled his eyes at the antics of his friend, and turned towards
O'Neil. "Mole's right", he ignored the spluttering coughing sound
that came from
Jack looked at the three
transgenics standing in front of him, taking in their resolute looking faces;
before sighing and nodding his head in capitulation. "From the moment the
Stargate was first activated, we've basically been at war with a group of
aliens called Gould's", sinking down into a nearby chair he waited for
them to seat themselves. When they didn't move but remained standing, he
realised that they were treating this as an official debriefing and would
remain in their position until he finished.
"They're a race of
snake-like parasitic life-forms that take human's as 'hosts'", he looked
up into their eyes and felt a shiver of apprehension wash over him as he took
in the blank look in their eyes as they assimilated the information.
"They've enslaved
billions of planets, killing and enslaving the inhabitants indiscriminately.
And for the last twenty years or so we've been managing to keep them from doing
the same to Earth..."
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Max knocked on the scratched and weather worn
door and waited for a brief moment, listening for the sounds of movement on the
other side before popping her dark head around the frame. "Hey", Max
whispered.
Upon hearing Max's voice, Gem stopped her pacing and smiled in relief at her
visitor. "Oh thank god!" she sighed. Shaking her head and chuckling,
Max walked into Gems small TC apartment and quietly closed the door behind her.
A softly muffled snoring could be heard coming
from one of the bedrooms, and Max guessed that
Gently shifting the crying baby from her shoulder Gem tiredly rubbed her eyes,
making their already red rims appear even redder. "I swear Max, if I
didn't know any better, I'd think this little girl of mine had a dash of shark
DNA in her cocktail", she said just as a yawn overcame her. "Anyway,
what's up Max? you heard from Alec and the guy's
yet", Gem asked as she began her pacing again. Walking over to the small
window, Max gazed out into the night as she recalled the conversation that took
place earlier that day...
"No"
"No! what the hell d'you mean by no?", Max hotly demanded, as she
stood across from Alec, glaring at him as though she could disintegrate him
with her very thoughts.
"You're not going Max", he said again, as the two of them stood in
Max's tiny office glowering at each other.
"And why the hell not?"
"Because"
"Because?” Max repeated incredulously
"Goddamn it Alec, That's not reason; it's not even a sentence", she
growled as the frustration of their argument began to creep into her voice.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't be the one to go with
O'Neil."
Exhaling loudly, Alec spun away from her and ran
an agitated hand through his already tousled hair, "Because... because I'm
expendable and your not", he sighed and the tension that he'd been holding
in his shoulders evaporated.
Max scowled darkly at his leather coated back, before rolling her eyes in
exasperation. "You're not expendable either Alec; none of us are. Not
anymore."
Turning back around to face her, he grinned sheepishly, "Yeah, well you're
still not going."
"Damn it Alec, I swear I'm gonna kick-"
"My ass. Yeah, yeah I know Max", His lips
twitched slightly as Max prepared to verbally attack him again. "Look,
before you do something I'll regret, how about letting me finish."
"Fine!", Max said as she threw her hands up in defeat, and dropped
gracefully onto the small worn couch that took up the one side of her
office.
Leaning back against her desk, Alec continued 2I'm
fully aware that were not dispensable anymore", he held up a hand when he
saw that she was about to interrupt, "But, you're even less so. I mean
c'mon for a start, the ordinaries know you, but more importantly you know them
and how they think. Secondly you’re on the CDC's hit list, and if they get
'wind' that you’re on the other side of our city's fair wall's, they're gonna
come packin, in the hopes of getting their hands on that love-bug your
carryin'. And thirdly-", he said as he ticked of the fingers on his hand,
"-not only d'ya have that 'whole' no junk DNA thing going on; but we still
don't know what the hell was up with those runes of yours", Alec finished,
as he folded his arms, crossed his ankles and arched an eyebrow in her
direction.
In response Max continued to sit on her couch, as
her teeth ground themselves into oblivion. She really, really hated it when he
was right. “Fine, go play tinker, tailor, soldier, spy.
I’ll just stay here and play the part of Susie homemaker”, she said in disgust
and glared darkly at the asshole, as he began to chuckle. “But you’re takin’
Mole and
“OK.”
“Good.”
“Good.”
“I really, really hate you y’know that”, Max
ground out.
“Yep”.
Max watched as a
couple of X5’s walked down the darkened street below, and grinned as the female
smacked the guy she was with upside the head and continued to walk, even as he
stopped to rub his head before laughing and he jogged to catch up with her.
“To be honest I wonder
sometimes if the big idiot even knows how to use a cell phone properly. Anyway,
he’s probably gotten distracted by some big breasted, blonde lieutenant”, she
sniffed before turning back to watch her friend as she tried to soothe her
daughter; a small smile playing on her lips as she heard Eve happily gurgle
away as her mother tried to suppress another yawn. “C’mon, hand Evie over and
go and get some rest”, she said to Gem as she walked over and gently took the
small child from her tired mother’s arms.
“Are you sure Max? you don’t mind”, Gem asked as she looked longingly towards
her own bedroom.
Glancing up from Eve,
Max smiled “Geeze Gem, when are you gonna’ stop askin’ me that”, she chuckled
“I mean I’ve been stopping by every night since the little one started keeping
you up. So I think your pretty safe in assuming that I’m happy to help.”
“Well just as long as you’re
sure”, Gem said as she started hedging her way towards her bedroom door.
“Yes, I’m sure. Now
go”, Max chuckled as she waved Gem off.
“Thanks Max”, Gem
whispered before disappearing into her room.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
“-So that’s it,” Jack
finished. For a moment more the three of them continued to remain frozen in
place, as their genetically enhanced minds sifted through this new information.
Alec was the first to shake it off, and throw himself
down into one of the chairs that surrounded the conference table. “So the
question I want to know is, will these snake dudes be
heading to the planet you’ve offered us?”
!To
be honest it’s a possibility, a slight one. But it’s highly doubtful that it
will ever happen. P5X-799 is deserted, there hasn’t been any inhabitant on it
for at least five thousand years or more,” Jack told them “so there’s really no
reason for the Goul’d to target it.”
“Look General,” the
normally reticent
Jack cocked his head to
the side and studied
______________________________________________________________________________________________
A computer beeped and
whirred in the quiet of the darkened room, as the screens greenish glow threw
the slumped figure of a sleeping man into shadows; causing him to twitch
slightly in his sleep, and mutter a few incomprehensible words.
The computer beeped
once more and classified government data began to scroll across it’s surface,
and the words ‘TRACE IN PROGRESS’ began to silently flash, never once waking
the sleeping man.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Somewhere deep inside
the Pentagon a telephone was dialed, a connection was made. Ten minutes later a
helicopter was in the air, and the team of black-clad armored soldiers silently
checked their weapons…
Tbc