Saturday 24 April 2021

ANZAC Day

 

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.


Lest we forget.


 

Tuesday 20 April 2021

Quinn's Code - The Grounded Geek - Part 6

 

I heard that you got grounded?” Jenna Swartz asked Quinn.



Yes. But it's over the top! A month for two late nights in a row! It's too much. I can't do any shopping!”


You shop a lot?” Jenna asked.


There's always something new out,” Quinn replied.


That's true. New programs, new games, new DVDs...”


Exactly.”


Your room must be bursting at the seams!”


True.”


Anyway, you must be bored.”


They didn't forbid me to go online.”


So you could buy things there.”


It's not the same!” Quinn said.


I guess not.”


But I'm going to sneak out and go to the Roller Hockey game.”


It would be worth it if you do,” Jenna said with a laugh.

You liked it last year?”


Absolutely. I've even entered the DeMartino pool.”


So have I.”


Jenna laughed. “So I take it that you're not coming to the meeting after school tomorrow?” she asked, reffering to the club that she was president of, the Anime Club.


I'm afraid not.”


Don't worry. I will give you a copy of the minutes.”


That would be good.”




January 24, 2006

At lunch Daria was surprised when she was approached by Brittany Taylor. “Yes, Brittany?”


Um, there have been some rumors going around that you'r parents have, like, experimented on you.”


Oh?”


That they give you generic makeup! Also subject you to, like, Jury Pruce Dancing?”


Brittany, who told you this?”


Kevin, also the other cheerleaders. Kevin for the generic makeup. Like, eep!”


Daria interuppted. “Brittany, Kevin misunderstood something. I'm sure that happens all the time.”


Brittany twirled one of her pigtails around her finger. “You're right,” she eventually admitted.


All that is happening is that I unfairly got grounded.”


Grounded, what for? Wait, what about the Jury Pruce Dancing?”


First it's not Jury Pruce Dancing. It's jurisprudence. Like in court. That's how I got grounded. A misguided attempt at including court procedure in parental discipline!”


Oo-oh!”


You understand?”


Brittany twirled her hair again. “I think so.” Daria sighed. “Your Mom's a lawyer, right?”


Yes,” Daria answered, sure that Brittany had at least understood some of what she had said.


So she decided to put, like, her work in practice at home?”

Exactly.”


So what did you get grounded for?”


Being out late two nights in a row,” Daria admitted knowing that Brittany may keep pressing, if she didn't answer.


So, you we'ren't late, like, two nights in a row?” Brittany asked with a twirl.


No! But Quinn was. It's partially her fault that I was grounded!” Daria as said. She banged her fist upon the table.


I see,” Brittany said.




January 25, 2006

As she arrived at school, Quinn met Jenna. Jenna gave her a copy of the minutes from the previous day's Anime Club meeting. “Cool, thanks, Jenna.”


You're welcome,” Quinn said.


How's the grounding going?”


Quinn grumbled. “There's only so many times I can play Monopoly and lose to Daria!” she said vehmently.


Is it that bad.”


It wouldn't be so bad if she weren't so smug about it!”


Annoy her back,” Jenna suggested.


You mean subject her to anime she doesn't like?”


Exactly,” Jenna said.


That's a good idea,” Quinn said with a slightly devious tone.


What of your parents?”


They usually loose first, although Mom wins sometimes.”


I can see that,” Jenna said.


I knew you would.”



Daria walked with Jane and Jennifer between classes. “The rumors concerning your grounding have dropped off today,” Jane said.


Good, let them talk about DeMartino,” Daria said.


What I have heard is closer to the truth,” Jane said.


I guess Brittany has quashed the other stuff.”


Brittany?” Jennifer asked.


She came to me yesterday at lunch. I refuted the rumors.”


Must have been rather good refuting,” Jane said.


She understood it better than I thought she would.”


I guess so,” Jane said, after some thought.


So, what are they saying about DeMartino?” Daria asked.


That he's been working out all week. He really wants to defeat Rock 'N' Roll Randy,” Jane said.


I imagine after last year he really wants to win the rematch,” Daria said.


Jennifer laughed.


Same here,” Jane said.



Indeed, all through Lawndale High, whereever students met between classes, they were discussing how well their head History teacher would do against his DJ rival...



After school, Quinn walked home with her friends. “I'll see you online,” she said as she arrived at the house.


See you then,” Cindy said.


I'll be on when I get home,” Kristen said.


Sure,” Quinn said as she opened the door.




January 26, 2006

Daria was annoyed. Quinn had asked her to watch an anime with her.

No, Quinn.”


This is a good one, It's about a card game, that's more than it appears.”


No!”


At least one episode?” Quinn asked.

Only one,” Daria said. It was only 20 or so minutes, afterall.




January 27, 2006

Before School, Quinn met her friends. “So, Daria watched some anime?” Cindy asked.


Some Yu-Gi-Oh but she only watched one episode,” Quinn said.


Should get her to watch One Piece,” Kristen suggested.


“I will tomorrow,” Quinn said.


“I hope she likes it,” Kristen said.


“She may. But I'm not sure. I'm getting tired of her playing her music all day. I thought it was bad before. Now it's worse!”


“We'll have another game tonight then?” Cindy asked.


“Definitely,” Quinn aggreed.



Daria met her friends at lunch. “Quinn's subjecting me to Anime.”


“Nothing wrong with that,” Jennifer commented.


“It would depend on the anime in question I suppose.”


“Anime about card games!”


Yu-Gi-Oh, I suppose,” Jennifer said after taking a bite from her sandwich.


“It's worse than my parents attempting to play different card games after they had lost the board games.”


“So you found it boring?” Jennifer asked.


“Of course! Tomorrow, she's going to make me watch some pirate anime.”


“Depends on how well it's presented, I guess,” Jane said.


“If it's the one I think it is, it's worth it, Daria,” Jennifer said.


“If I like the first episode, it'll be worth it.”


Jennifer smiled. Daria wondered what that pirate anime would be about for her to be interested.



After Dinner, Kristen went to her room. “Gaming again, Kristen?” her brother Keith asked.


“Yes, Quinn's grounded, so we can't go to the Pizza place.”


“What did she get grounded for?” Keith asked.


“Being out late.”


“How long?”


“A month,” Kristen answered.


“That seems harsh.”


You're telling me,” Kristen said as she opened the Guild Wars client.



Sunday 11 April 2021

Jefferson's Interest - Part 1

 

It took until the beginning of the Summer between Junior and Senior years for Jefferson Brown to realise that Quinn Morgendorffer was never going to be in a long term relationship with him.

 

Late one June afternoon, while Lawndale was in the middle of a heat wave, he decided to tell his best friends (and until then, rivals for Quinn’s affection), Jamie White and Joseph Green...

 

 

 

Friday, June 23

It was hot in Lawndale. It had been forecast for over 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Jeffy Brown had parked in Dega Street near a coffee shop that was frequented by the less popular teens at his school. He had decided to ask his friends to meet him there so that they wouldn’t be distracted. He knew that Quinn never went there. Her sister and her artistic friend, did sometimes, but she didn’t.

 

“Why are we here, Jeffy?” Jamie asked, once they had their cappuccino’s and were sitting.

 

“Yeah. In this creepy place?” Joey asked.

 

“There’s something I need to tell you.”

 

“What is it?” Joey asked.

 

“It has taken me a while to realize this, but I don’t want to go out with Quinn anymore.”

 

Joey and Jamie were shocked. “What?” Joey finally asked.

 

“You heard me!” Jeffy said.

 

“You don’t like her?” Jamie asked.

 

“She’s boring. I always paid for the meals. She’s pretty, but we don’t share many interests.”

 

“You mean you’re dropping out?” Joey asked.

 

“If you mean that you and Jamie don’t have to worry competition from me, yes. Go ahead! I didn’t say that you had to stop dating her.”

 

“Um, OK,” Jamie said.

 

“So who are you going out with then?” Joey asked.

 

Jeffy thought for a moment. “I have no idea.”

 


Saturday 10 April 2021

Daria's Voyager - Ep 1. Part 2

 

Part 2

D 74656 – Bajor Sector

Tom Sloane emerged from the Ferengi establishment on Deep Space Nine’s Promenade. “Didn’t they warn you about Ferengi at the Academy?” he asked. The young Ensign, DeWit-Clinton was his name, had been rather out his depth…

 

“As a matter of fact, they did,” DeWit-Clinton said with a slight self-effacing laugh.

 

“Let’s get to Voyager,” Sloane said.

 

 

Ten minutes later they entered Voyager’s sickbay. “Run a level three diagnostic, just to be sure. Can I help you?”

 

“Tom Sloane, reporting on board.”

 

“Oh, yes. The observer,” the doctor said with condescension.

 

Tom picked up on it. “That’s me. As a matter of fact, I’m observing some kind of problem right now, Doctor,” he said placing scorn on the title.

 

“I was a surgeon at the hospital on Caldic Prime at the same time you were stationed there. We never actually met. Your medical records have arrived from your last posting, Mister Sloane. Everything seems to be in order. The Captain asked if you were on board. You should check in with her.”

 

“I haven’t reported to the Captain either,” De Wit-Clinton admitted.

 

“Well, Mr. DeWit-Clinton, that would be something a new Operations Officer should do.”

 

 

“What was that all about?” DeWit-Clinton asked as he and Sloane emerged from the Sickbay.

 

“It’s a long story, Ted. I’m tired of telling it. I’m sure someone around here will tell you before long.”

 

 

In her Ready Room, Captain Morgendorffer was talking to her fiancé over subspace.

The doctor called.”

 

“And?”

 

I was right.

 

Daria let herself feel some joy, “She’s pregnant?”

 

The kittens are due in seven weeks.”

 

“Oh, Marcello, you have to take her home with you!”

 

With me? I just got the rugs cleaned.”

 

“She's with child. I can't leave her in a kennel while I'm…”

 

Marcello interrupted. “Is this another 'love me, love my cat' demand?

 

“Yes.”

 

How could I ever refuse you.”

 

“Thanks, Sweetie.”

 

So, when are you leaving?

 

“As soon as these system status reports are approved.”

 

All right. Then I won't bother you anymore.

 

Daria looked at Marcello with a stern, yet playful, expression. “Hey. You don’t bother me. Except the way I love to be bothered. You understand?”

 

I’ll remember that.”

 

“See you a few weeks.” She remembered something. “Oh, Marcello, go by my house and pick up the cat bed, she’ll be more comfortable.”

 

I already did. An hour ago.

 

The transmission ended. The door chine rang. “Enter,” she said in an all-business monotone.

 

“Gentlemen, welcome aboard Voyager.”

 

“Thank you, sir,” DeWit-Clinton said.

 

“Mr. DeWit-Clinton. At ease before something’s strained. Ensign, despite Starfleet protocol, I don't like being addressed as Sir.”

 

“I'm sorry, ma'am.”

 

“Ma’am is acceptable in a crunch, but I prefer Captain. We're getting ready to leave. Follow me to the Bridge.”

 

 

The three emerged from the ready room onto Voyager’s Bridge. “Did you have any problems getting here, Mr. Sloane?”

 

“None at all, Captain.”

 

“My First Officer, Lt. Commander Stevens. Ensign DeWit Clinton. Mr. Sloane.

 

“Welcome aboard Voyager!

 

Captain Morgendorffer showed DeWit-Clinton his station and then got Voyager underway.

 

 

 

Enroute to the Badlands

Sloane entered the forward lounge and went to a replicator. “Tomato soup,” he ordered.

 

There are fourteen varieties of tomato soup available from this replicator. With rice, with vegetables, Bolian style, with pasta, with...”

 

Sloane interrupted the computer. “Plain.”

 

Specify hot or chilled.

 

“Hot! Hot, plain, tomato soup.”

 

The meal appeared in the replicator. Tom took it and sat at a nearby table. Ted joined him. “Is it true?” he asked.

 

“Was the accident my fault? Yes. Pilot error. But it took me a while to admit it.”

 

“They said that you falsified reports.”

 

“That's right.”

 

“Why?” Ted asked.

 

“What's the difference? I lied!”

 

“But then you came forward and you admitted that it was your fault?”

 

“I'll tell you the truth, Ted. All I had to do was keep my mouth shut and I was home free. But I didn’t. I couldn't. The ghosts of those three dead officers came to me in the middle of the night and taught me the true meaning of Christmas. So, I confessed. Worst mistake I ever made but it wasn’t my last. After they cashiered me out of Starfleet, I went looking for a fight and found the Maquis. And on my first assignment, I was caught.”

 

“It must have been especially tough for you, being the son of an admiral.”

 

“Frankly, I think it was tougher on my father than it was on me, Look. I know those guys told you to stay away from me...” Tom was about to say more but was interrupted.

 

Morgendorffer to Sloane.”

 

“Go ahead.”

 

Report to the Bridge. We’re approaching the Badlands.”

 

 

Saturday 3 April 2021

Church notes - Easter Sunday 2021

 4th - Easter Sunday

Romans 8:9 - 11

Philippians 3:7 - 9


Easter

Mark 14:49 - 52


The disciples were afraid.


Matthew 28:1

Mark 16:1

Luke 24:1

John 20:1

All had fled, except some women.


Mary Magdelene

- She may not have been promiscuous or involved in prostitution, but Jesus did free her from demon possession.


God's love is unconditional.


No matter what we have done, we are forgiven,


Most relationships are transactional, with conditions. Not so with God.


Romans  5:6 - 8


Christ died for us!


Because of the Resurrection

- We can experience life beyond death.

Romans 8:11

Romans 6:3 - 5

An absolute certainty.

Colossians 3:1

Romans 8:33

The Resurrection is the basis of our confidence in our Salvation.


Because of the Resurrection

- Our lives have purpose and meaning.

We are part of God's purpose.


What are you going to put into the box?


Philippians 3:7 - 9

What Paul had acheived as a Pharisee meant a lot in the Jewish culture of the day. He was a person of power in the community. But he threw it away after the Damascus Road encounter. What it was was nothing compared to Christ.


Jesus needs to be at the centre and the purpose of your life.


If a man can predict his own death and resurrection and pull it off, I just go with whatever that man says - Andy Standly



Thursday 1 April 2021

Changes in Time and Space - Chapter 3 - Part I The SGC

 

Chapter 3: Twelve and the Stargate

Part I – The SGC

1 February 2007

It was a normal day at Stargate Command; as normal as a day could get at a US Air Force installation with an interstellar portal device anyway. Everyone had their duties to attend to at the base and nothing seemed too out of the ordinary. The scanners had a few blips, but nothing too severe; this was to be expected with the base hidden under a mountain.


“Unscheduled Off-World Activation!” The claxon was blaring and the Stargate’s Iris closed; everything was going as per protocol. Then the incoming wormhole opened...


“Receiving SG1’s IDC,” Harriman reported while tending to the console.


“Open the Iris,” General Hank Landry commanded, his eyes never faltered from the portal.


Harriman pressed his palm to the reader and the Iris opened in just over a second. After a few seconds SG1 came through, stepping onto the platform one by one.


“Report to debriefing,” Landry said, once they had all emerged and the gate shut down.


“Yes, General,” Colonel Cameron Mitchell replied.


Things were not routine for much longer. Shortly after SG1 had emerged from the gate a reverberating grinding sound was heard. They immediately saw the source, as a box resembling a 1950’s London Police Box phased in and out with the reverberation and eventually solidified. SG1 and the Gate room guards were startled. They raised their weapons.


“What’s that?” Mitchell asked as he prepared for anything that might have come next.


“Unknown, sir.”



“What do you think is in there?” Mitchell asked as he approached what looked like a door on the box.

“It could be anything, Sir,” Colonel Samantha Carter pointed out as she followed.


“It could be a trap, ColonelMitchell,” Teal’c said.


The team paid attention as the door of the box opened. A tall brown haired man emerged from the blue box, immediately followed by a younger female companion with ear length dark blonde hair. The latter was startled by the appearance of the team, but quickly regained control of her expression.


Mitchell immediately raised his P90. “Don’t move! Identify yourself!”


“I am the Doctor, and this is my travelling companion, Tamsin Davis,” the Doctor said with a gesture to his companion.


“How did you penetrate this base?” Teal’c asked, flatly.


The Doctor looked at the symbol on Teal’c’s forehead. “Interesting Ornamentation. Is it of cultural significance?”


Teal’c stared at the Doctor.


The Doctor stared back.


“It signifies servitude to a false god,” Teal’c intoned in his usual near-monotone voice.


“Interesting,” the Doctor said.


“How did you penetrate this base with that box device?” Carter asked, her natural curiosity showing.


The Doctor hesitated. “I would be more inclined to answer if there were not so many guns pointed in my direction,” he pointed out. “Take me to your leader.”


Mitchell and Teal’c both rolled their eyes at the cliché. Mitchell didn’t really expect it to be said.


“Follow me,” Dr. Daniel Jackson directed. He lead the way out of the gate room, followed by Mitchell and Teal’c.


Tamsin nervously ran her hand through her hair. ‘He doesn’t seem that military,’ she thought. She and the Doctor followed the soldiers toward the left hand door.

Inside the TARDIS, Felicia Lovell and Kiara Asheru had been watching the view screen. “That was surprising,” Felicia indicated.


“What was?” Kiara asked. She turned and leaned toward the console to get a better look, sending her dark brown, minibraided, pigtails down the front of her torso.


“Usually Americans take us prisoner quicker than that!” Felicia emphasised, remembering the few times that they had run into American military forces.


“Maybe they are different in this universe?” Kiara asked, as she flicked one of her pigtails over her shoulder. ‘Tyria may not exist either!’ she thought.


“A good point,” Felicia conceded, as she ruffled her chin-length, light brown, hair.


“And now to wait for the Doctor to give us the all clear,” Kiara pointed out as she turned to Tamsin.


“Yes.


“We’ll be bored.


“We can use the scanner to investigate the base,” Felicia said. She knew that the scanner could probably see all of it, depending on how large it was.


“Good idea.


Felicia’s phone rang. She grabbed it and answered it, seeing who the call was from. “It’s Tamsin, we can listen in on the briefing.


Kiara sat down at the console as Felicia put her phone on speaker and placed it there. “That’s good.”


Felicia switched on the scanner as she started listening to the briefing. She looked at the diagram of the SGC that had appeared on the screen. “It appears that we are at least 28 floors underground.”


“If you want to keep something secret, put it underground,” Kiara observed, remembering that many criminal organisations on Tyria put their headquarters in caves. She had certainly found many such in her adventures.


“Certainly.”


“It’s beginning.”


Felicia increased the volume on the phone.



After entering, SG-1 and General Landry sat opposite the Doctor and Tamsin in the briefing room.

Landry leaned towards the Doctor and started by asking “So you say that blue box is your ship?”


“Yes,” the Doctor answered, after a second’s hesitation.


“Rather small for a ship isn’t it?” Daniel asked with a glance of slight confusion.


The Doctor remained silent, glaring at the archaeologist.


“It’s bigger in the inside than the outside,” Tamsin explained, after a minute of awkward silence. She felt that someone had to answer.


“What?” Landry asked.


The Doctor gave Tamsin a brief glare before turning back to SG1. “It’s dimensionally transcendental.”


“What does that mean?” Daniel asked, with similar confusion to before.


“You mean that the door to the box opens perpendicularly into a different dimension to the regular three dimensions of space, allowing for more space in the box than physics would normally allow?” Carter asked excitedly.


‘You’re good. I couldn’t understand it. I still can’t understand it,’ Tamsin thought with a wry expression.


“To put it crudely, yes,” the Doctor conceded as he gave Carter a slight look of annoyance.


Mitchell turned to Teal’c “Tell me you didn’t understand a word of that?”


Teal’c raised an eyebrow and stated, “I didn’t understand a word of that.”


“Thanks.


“Neither did I,” Daniel added.


Landry turned back to the Doctor and asked. “But that doesn’t explain how the box managed to penetrate our defences. Isn’t the Gate Room supposed to be shielded against transporters?”


“It is, Sir, but the box obviously appeared via a different process,” Carter answered.


‘Evidently, yes,’ Tamsin thought.


“You’re good,” the Doctor stated.


“Thank you,” Carter replied.


“We only have their word for it,” General Landry said.


The Doctor didn’t like where this is going. “She’s correct,” he said, referring to Carter’s surmising.

“Are you saying we need to look inside that box?” Mitchell asked.


“Yes. Consider it an order,” Landry directed.


‘Great!’ Tamsin thought.


The Doctor sighed. “Wait a minute! Calm down. I am willing to allow your team to examine my ship. You only have to ask.” He didn’t want Landry to get any further riled up.



“Kiara, the Doctor is back with the soldiers,” Felicia observed, from where she was looking at the scanner.


“I’ll unlock the door,” Kiara decided. ‘At least the temporal grace field allows me to use my elementalist powers,’ she thought. She unlocked the door, and then stepped outside.


“Be ready if they try anything,” Felicia said.


Kiara took up position next to the door. “I’m ready now.”


“OK, some ground rules. Only two of the SG1 team are allowed in,” the Doctor explained. “And I’ll be asking about the purpose of this facility.”


“No,” Landry objected.


“Otherwise you will not know what is in that box,” the Doctor declared.


“Agreed,” General Landry said, after he had given the matter some thought.


“Colonel Mitchell and Dr. Jackson can follow me in,” the Doctor decided.


“Good,” Mitchell said.


“Why not myself?” Carter asked, looking surprised at the Doctor.


“He thinks you will be too curious,” Tamsin pointed out. ‘She’s definitely a military scientist,’ she thought.


“I’ll try to hold my enthusiasm in check,” Carter responded, as she longingly looked at the TARDIS.


The Doctor noticed her look. “No,” he objected.


“I won’t speculate too much,” Carter added.


“You wouldn’t be able to help yourself.”


“Agreed,” Landry added.


Carter nodded as the Doctor unlocked the TARDIS and gestured for Mitchell and Jackson to follow.


It took a while for Jackson and Mitchell to recover from their initial shock at the size of the TARDIS interior. The large roundled space was half the size of the Gateroom outside.

“This is amazing. This is definitely the product of a culture more highly advanced than the Lantians were or the Ori are,” Dr. Jackson said as he walked around the console room.He approached the console.


“Swell,” Mitchell said.


“Indications of wormhole activity,” the Doctor said, from the console.


“What did you say?” Mitchell asked.


“Wormhole activity. That round device in this room is a portal device isn’t it?” the Doctor asked, as he gestured to the image of the Stargate on the scanner screen.


“I’m not saying anything,” Daniel countered. He looked at Col. Mitchell.


“That’s classified,” Mitchell said.


“And my sensors are very advanced,” the Doctor countered. He looked at what the scanner had found out about the Stargate.


“He will get his answer,” Kiara maintained, from where she stood to the right of the two SG1 members.


“It is a Stargate. An artefact originally built by a culture who called themselves the Alterans and who later became the Lantians I mentioned,” Daniel lectured.


‘Interesting,’ Felicia thought.


“There are thousands of them across the galaxy,” Mitchell elaborated.


The Doctor thought for a few moments. “That sounds like something an advanced race would do,” he commented.


“So, you explore through the Stargate, looking for advanced technology?” Felicia asked, her eyebrows rising in surprise.


“That is part of it,” Daniel admitted.


“There is more, isn’t there?” the Doctor asked.


Mitchell lowered his sidearm and holstered it. ‘Not that shooting him would be a good idea anyway, he could certainly have a means of defense’ “Yes, there are aliens out there who want to conquer Earth. We defeat one interstellar Empire and we now have an intergalactic invasion to contend with,” he explained, his expression showed that he didn’t like the circumstances surrounding the invasion at all.


‘The more things change, the more they stay the same,’ Tamsin thought, with a wry expression.


“Interesting, I am not a native of this universe but I would like to know more,” the Doctor said, his expression showing his interest.


“Not of this universe?” Daniel asked, confused.


“Yes, there is a whole multiverse out there,” the Doctor pointed out.


“I know. I have been to two parallels,” Daniel said, as he remembered the incidents with the Quantum Mirror.

“Really?”Kiara asked, intrigued.


“Yes,” Dr. Jackson answered.


“The TARDIS can occasionally hop between universes, but not often,” the Doctor explained.


“TARDIS?” Colonel Mitchell asked. He looked around the room. He couldn’t see the name anywhere.


“That’s what the ship is called,” Kiara added.


“It means Time and Relative Dimension in Space,” Felicia said.


Mitchell was still confused “Time?” he asked.


“It travels through time as well as space,” Kiara elaborated as she took a step towards Mitchell.


“Definitely way more advanced than the Lantians,” Daniel said, and slight shake of his head.


“That is interesting, so your civilisation must be powerful in your universe?” Mitchell asked, curiously.


‘And they have only seen the console room!’ Kiara thought with a smirk on her face. She was sure that the Doctor didn’t want them to guess at the true scale of the TARDIS interior yet. She then considered what Mitchell had just asked. ‘You don’t know what you just asked...’


The Doctor frowned and didn’t answer. He evasively looked away.


Mitchell considered that what he asked had hit a tough spot. ‘Maybe he’s a renegade?’ he wondered.


“They are taking their time,” Landry complained, after ten minutes at passed. He gestured at the TARDIS.


“They could be looking at the various objects in the console room,” Tamsin explained with a look of slight annoyance.


“I would like to have a look,” Carter said enthusiastically, gesturing at the ship.


“If the Doctor lets you,” Tamsin pointed out.


“Can you trust him?” Landry asked, turning to Tamsin.


“Absolutely. Just don’t get on his bad side,” Tamsin said.


Really? Is that all?” the general asked.


“Trust me! You don’t want to be on his bad side,” Tamsin emphasised, her voice slightly raised.


“That is not specific, TamsinDavis,” Teal’c objected as he turned towards her.


“You will know when you’re on his bad side,” Tamsin explained. An expression of slight fear and her voice showed that she was slightly intimidated by the Jaffa.


Teal’c raised his eye brows and glared at Tamsin.


“If you do something very unethical or hypocritical, you are likely to get on his bad side. Otherwise you’re fine,she said with a slight wavering in her voice.


“Indeed?”


“Yes,” Tamsin said, recovering.


“Makes sense,” Carter added.



After another five or six minutes, the TARDIS doors opened and Colonel Mitchell and Dr. Jackson emerged.


“Wow,” Mitchell said.


“He was a member of a civilisation that makes the Lantians look like Victorian Britain by comparison,” Daniel explained, after he had emerged.


“Are you sure?” Carter asked with a look of disbelief.


“Yes. This machine here can travel in time and the interior is larger than the interior of Atlantis at least,” Daniel explained, gesturing at the TARDIS.


“You said ‘was’,” Landry pointed out.


“He said that his civilisation perished in what he called a Time War against a force of approximately equal advancement,” Daniel said.


“Time War? That doesn’t make sense,” Carter asserted.


“He also said that he has come from a different universe,” Daniel added.



The Doctor and Felicia emerged. “There has to be a reason why I am here. Fill me in on recent events,” he besought.


“Why do you want to know about our situation?” Landry asked.


“I may be able to help,” the Doctor said.


“Come to my office and I’ll fill you and one of your crew in,” Landry said, turning towards the doors to the right.

“Right away,” the Doctor said.


“Cool,” Tamsin attested.


“You can fill me in,” Kiara asked.


“I’ll choose,” the Doctor said.


Kiara acquiesced, as the Doctor and Tamsin followed General Landry to his office. “I’ll wait,” she added.


---

The Doctor reflected that lying about the Time Lords surviving was a good idea. ‘Best not to spook them too much.’ They had enough to worry about with the Ori.


---

Later that night SG1 sat in the SGC cafeteria.


“What do you think of the Doctor?” Colonel Mitchell asked from one end of the table.


“I don’t know. Other than what he revealed about the nature of his ship and the fate of his civilisation, he is rather private,” Daniel commented.


“That’s what I thought too,” Mitchell said.


“What of his crew?” Teal’c asked, from the other side of Daniel.


Daniel turned to Teal’c “They are not really crew. More like assistants,” hepointed out.


“Or travelling companions.” Mitchell added.


“They are either from Earth in their universe, or a planet in the Greater Magellanic Cloud,” Daniel said.


“From the United Kingdom,” Teal’c said.


“How do you know?” Mitchell asked.


“Ms. Davis said that she is from the county of Devon. She and Ms. Lovell both have the accents.


“I must have missed that,” Mitchell commented.


“Do you think that the general would have told him about the Ori?” Carter asked.


“That is possible,” Mitchell realised.


“I agree,” Daniel said.


“You think he could be of use?” Mitchell asked.


“Absolutely,” Carter said.


“He had to have encountered similar beings,” Mitchell added.


“That is by no means certain,” Carter countered.


Felicia heard a knock on the door of the quarters she had been assigned by SGC personnel. She went and opened it. “Hi, Tamsin,” she said.


“I was just wondering how you were.


“I am fine.


“I mean, we had defeated Vile, and now we are in a different universe. We are unlikely to find your Doctor here,” Tamsin said in a consolatory tone.


“It was a long shot at best,” Felicia said with a shrug of her shoulders.


“True,” Tamsin said as she sat on the spare chair.


“Thanks for coming by,” Felicia said in a welcoming tone.


“You’re welcome. Do you think something is going to happen?”


“It’s a military base. I certainly think that something is going to happen. Whether it would be one of those ‘Priors’ coming through that ‘Gate’, I don’t know.”


“I agree.”


“The Doctor might volunteer us to go with one of the SG teams on a mission. I wouldn’t put it past him.”


“Has that happened with your Doctor?”


“Yes, but not often,” Felicia answered, smiling as she remembered one of the times that occurred...


“Not that often here, either. But he did ask you to chase after the poisoner,” Tamsin said.


Felicia frowned. “We know how that ended.


“I admit that, but it did at least put us on the track to taking down Vile,” Tamsin said, encouragingly.


“Thanks,” Felicia said, slightly happier.


“Now, what do you say about going online and finding out about this world?” Tamsin asked, standing up.


Felicia perked up. “Sure. I mean all we know is that America exists and that the Stargate Program is a secret.”

“Yeah.”


The two acquaintances (nearly friends, although they wouldn’t admit that) then left the room.


Elsewhere in the SGC, an enlistee sent a letter to their ‘superiors’. The TARDIS may be of interest to them... ‘Who knows what it can do...’



2 February 2007

The Doctor entered the cafeteria for breakfast. His companions (including the future one, Felicia) were already there, as were SG-1, all sitting around two tables that had been pushed together.


“Welcome, Doctor. Have you found a reason why you are here yet?” Colonel Mitchell asked.


“Possibly, what can you tell me about this ‘Adria’?” the Doctor asked as he walked up.


“Not much. She is the embodiment of the Ori in human form, and has many powers,” Daniel answered.


“What sort of powers?” the Doctor asked.


“Telepathy and Telekinesis and that is the start of it,” Daniel said.


“She can also heal people,” Cameron added.


“Is that all?” the Doctor asked, as he sat down.


“No, but Vala can better answer your questions,” Daniel answered.


“Vala?” the Doctor asked, his eyebrows raised.


“Vala Mal Doran, the Ori used her as an incubator for Adria,” Daniel explained.


“Incubator?” Felicia asked, with curiosity.


“They impregnated her...” Daniel began.


“That’s wrong!” Tamsin interrupted, disgust showing on her face. She shook her head as if saying “very wrong.”


“I get it,” Felicia said.


“That’s putting it mildly,” Daniel added.


“Where can I find this Vala?” the Doctor asked as he stood up.


“You would have to ask the General. She is currently exploring Colorado with an escort,” Daniel explained.

‘He doesn’t seem to trust her, even with an escort,’ the Doctor thought. He turned “Right! I will be back with her,” he explained. He left the cafeteria.


“Is he doing what I think he is doing?” Daniel asked.


“Yes,” Tamsin said, with surety in her voice.


“I better accompany him,” Daniel asserted.


“If he lets you,” Tamsin imparted.


“I am sure that he will once I explain to him,” Daniel rejoined.


“Be quick then,” Tamsin said, with a slight laugh and a shooing gesture.


“I will be.



Daniel entered the TARDIS after the Doctor. “You want to come with me?” the Doctor asked, as he turned from the console.


“Yes. Vala won’t trust anyone else.”




Rocky Ford, Colorado, United States of America


Vala Mal Doran had just finished breakfast at the Subway on the corner of Elm Street and North Tenth Street, when the TARDIS started to rematerialise.


Her escort pulled their guns on the blue box as it appeared.


Daniel emerged from the TARDIS with his hands raised. “Don’t shoot!” he implored.


“Daniel! How did you get here?” Vala asked, her hands on her hips.


“An interdimensional traveller has arrived in the SGC,” Daniel explained.


“Like last year?” she asked.


“No, it’s different...Daniel began. He looked around...and we shouldn’t be discussing this on a street corner in the middle of a town. Come into the TARDIS and we will go back to the SGC,” Daniel said, he grabbed one of Vala’s wrists and pulled her into the TARDIS.


“Wait, Daniel!” Vala exclaimed as she resisted.


Vala was shocked. “How can this box be bigger on the inside than the outside?” she wondered aloud as she walked further in and towards the console.


“It is the product of a civilisation that would make the Ancients look primitive by comparison,” Daniel said as he lead her to the console.

“Really?”Vala asked, as her escort continued to enter the TARDIS.


“Yes,” Daniel explained.


The Doctor confronted the escort. “This is as classified as the Stargate, got it!”


“I understand, Sir,” the leader of the escort confirmed, whilst trying to hide his awe at the interior scale of the TARDIS.


“Good,” the Doctor said.


“We’re going back to the SGC?” Vala asked.


“Yes, where you are going to tell me all about Adria,” the Doctor said as he began to make adjustments on the console.


Vala tensed.


“Don’t worry, the Doctor just wants information,” Daniel said.


“Right,” Vala said, still worried.


The Doctor set the TARDIS in motion, heading back to the SGC. “Here we go.”



Stargate Command


The TARDIS rematerialised in the Gateroom. Vala emerged first. “Why do you want to know about Adria? And what kind of name is ‘Doctor’ anyway?” she asked.


“I may be able to help against the forces of the Ori. Stop their plan for taking over this galaxy,” the Doctor explained as he exited the TARDIS.


“Really?”Vala asked, turning.


“Yes,” the Doctor said.


“Are you sure?”


“Yes!”


“We better go to the briefing room,” Vala hinted.


“Yes,” Daniel said.

A few hours later, the Doctor entered General Landry’s office.


“Are you saying that you want your assistants to join SG-1 on their next mission?” General Landry asked, after the Doctor had sat down.


“Yes,” the Doctor answered.


“Why should I approve of this idea?” Landry asked with a dubious tone and look.

“They may be able to notice something that SG-1 might miss.”


“They would be liabilities!”


“They can handle themselves.”


“Unlikely!”


“You don’t know half of the things I encounter on a regular basis. Things that may make the Goa’uld look like school yard bullies by comparison!”


“That’s not proof that they can handle themselves, only that you can handle the threats that you encounter.”


The Doctor backed off slightly. “Kiara is a native of a world in a medieval era. She has fought things there that you cannot imagine.


“Don’t insult my intelligence. I could imagine what the Goa’uld look like just from the mission reports without any pictures.”


The Doctor paced in front of the desk before turning back to the general. “The point is, that she would be able to handle herself in a combat situation. She may surprise SG-1.”


“Fine, but what about the other two?” the General asked as he made a gesture for the Doctor to sit down. “All I know about them is that they are British college students.


“Ms. Davis has been in combat situations before and handled them well. She also has a black belt in Karate,” the Doctor explained.


“I will think about it. But that leaves Ms. Lovell, whom has said that she has only joined you recently.”


“In the most recent adventure of ours, she has proved most resourceful...” the Doctor began.


The General listened intently, while still being exasperated at the Doctor not staying still.


The Doctor approached his companions where they were talking in the cafeteria.


“Doctor, in this universe, Atlantis was an Ancient city that they left under the ocean in another galaxy,” Tamsin explained excitedly.

“Interesting,” he said as he took a seat next to her. “After a lot of persuasion, the general has agreed to let you go on SG-1’s next mission.”


“That’s good!” Kiara was excited.


“You will have to obey Colonel Mitchell’s commands,” the Doctor directed.

“That’s obvious,” Tamsin said, with slight sarcasm.


“Try to find out what this ‘Adria’ person is planning with regard to conversion of the Milky Way to Origin or whatever that religion is called,” the Doctor added.


“That would be difficult,” Kiara said as her face took on a whimsical look.


The Doctor considered. “Of course it will be, but at least try.”


“Of course I will,” Kiara assured.


“We won’t let you down,” Tamsin added.


I know,” the Doctor said.