Continuing Stargate

[s09119]

Martuf was alright, but it always felt a little forced of a romance to me. Too much about how Jolinar and Lantash had something and not enough as to why Sam herself should have independent feelings. To each his own.

PS: I read throughout some of the S11-13 stuff earlier this week and... wow... I need to gut most of those episodes writing-wise and redo them completely. God I was a bad writer back then...

[JamesPeterson]

The storyline's themselves are good, but it's not like you could have magically become older when you were writing those parts. It's still one incredible read, don't be so hard on yourself.

[thekillman]

S09, you should leave them as you are. acceptance of the past is an important step to the future.


focus on the last of Continuing SG1 and then start on SGA or SGU. otherwise we'll be buisy with Sg1 for decades

[SG-18]

neat episode. I'm glad to see that the tollan lived. I'd kinda forgotten about them like so many other alien races we've randomly encountered over the years. Hopefully, with all the other races, they will be able to maintain some sort of longer lasting peace.

I do have a question SO9. You mentioned the trade between nations and in the original story they'd do that too, but not really any specifics. what do you imagine the tollan and earth would trade? precious metals? ipods? chocolate? what?

[Steelbox]

I liked the idea of her with Martuf more than Narim, but the man really did feel for her. I always thought it was especially romantic when you remember that Sam's the equvilient of a caveman in Tollan culture, but none of that mattered to him.

Shoo, completely forgot about Martuf. But i agree with s09, those feeling where not completely hers.

neat episode. I'm glad to see that the tollan lived. I'd kinda forgotten about them like so many other alien races we've randomly encountered over the years. Hopefully, with all the other races, they will be able to maintain some sort of longer lasting peace.

I do have a question SO9. You mentioned the trade between nations and in the original story they'd do that too, but not really any specifics. what do you imagine the tollan and earth would trade? precious metals? ipods? chocolate? what?

Primarily food, technologies to rebuild our cities faster, remember earth is still largely devastated even after years of reconquest.

[s09119]

Shoo, completely forgot about Martuf. But i agree with s09, those feeling where not completely hers.



Primarily food, technologies to rebuild our cities faster, remember earth is still largely devastated even after years of reconquest.

Well, a year and a half now. Not that long, even with all the work that's been done and the technologies we have.

But yes, I'd imagine that the Tollan would love getting their hands on some of our Asgard or Ancient gadgets, and those advanced ion cannons would make for a nice upgrade to our planetary defenses.

[s09119]

"The Looking Glass" spies an approaching "Epilogue"

Perhaps by twist of fate, the latest episode of Stargate Universe bears the same title of Continuing Stargate's final episode. Coincidence? I think not:

Things have been quiet in Earth's political scene ever since the topping of Robert Makepeace's traitorous resistance faction, but that's about to change. With the United Nations set to convene for the first time since the planet's fall to the Der'kal, word reaches the ISGC of a troubling turn. When it's revealed that a committee wants to use the record of upcoming history given by Janus to Jason Carter, apparently to ensure that the galaxy moves in a pro-Earth fashion, SG-1 is quick to sound the alarm. Because at the end of the day, sometimes just knowing about the bright future that's yet to come can seal its doom.

"The Looking Glass" will guest star ____ _____ as Jason Carter, Gildart Jackson as Janus, Lexa Doig as Dr. Carolyn Lam, and Bill Dow as Dr. Bill Lee.

[JamesPeterson]

"The Looking Glass" spies an approaching "Epilogue"

That actually is a really interesting coincidence now that you mention it.

[Choo1701]

Perhaps by twist of fate, the latest episode of Stargate Universe bears the same title of Continuing Stargate's final episode. Coincidence? I think not:

" We can haz Robert Carlyle? "

Darn politicans. Always wanting to know the future before it happens (and how much it'll cost). They'll properly end up complaining anyway!

[Steelbox]

Well, a year and a half now. Not that long, even with all the work that's been done and the technologies we have.

But yes, I'd imagine that the Tollan would love getting their hands on some of our Asgard or Ancient gadgets, and those advanced ion cannons would make for a nice upgrade to our planetary defenses.

Roles reversed? Now its time for the Tollan to drool for some asgard beaming! Or ZPM technologies. I bet that if the Tollan get a hand on some ZPMs, even if depleted, they would be able to study them better then we and reproduce the things faster.

[JamesPeterson]

Roles reversed? Now its time for the Tollan to drool for some asgard beaming! Or ZPM technologies. I bet that if the Tollan get a hand on some ZPMs, even if depleted, they would be able to study them better then we and reproduce the things faster.

I think Earth would actually be a bit more advanced than the Tollan now, so I'm not sure they could do much that we couldn't. Excepting things like making stargates, which they knew how to do from the Nox.

[s09119]

16x19 "The Looking Glass"
Synopsis: Word reaches the ISGC that the United Nations plans to use Janus's records of the future to ensure that time plays out in a pro-Earth fashion, and SG-1 mounts a defense of letting the timeline flow as intended.

Spoiler:

((30 second recap of "Sojourn" and "Paragon"))

Having settled into work at Stargate Command quite well, Jason Carter is in a research lab with Dr. Bill Lee, and the two have already begun to bicker. Jason is of the belief that they should give up on the now years-old attempt to construct a time dilation device with interstellar ranges, but his older partner believes it's still worth merit. The young man's aunt, Col. Samantha Carter, proposed it at the start of the war with the Der'kal as a way to contain the growing threat ("Behind Enemy Lines"), but they were never able to get a working model. Now Lee wants to keep the research as a potential counter to future conflicts, but Jason doesn't see the point. They lack the power generation, for one, and there would be infinite unforeseen consequences to freezing time across dozens of star systems. Innocents would inevitably be caught in the bubble, and they'd risk trapping people in there with whatever they were trying to keep locked away. Maybe they can pull out the file and try again in a decade or two, but for now, there are better things to work on.

Dropping the subject for now, Lee asks if Jason can be a bit more specific. After all, he still has the data crystal Janus gave him before he died ("Sojourn"), and it had a collection of the Lantean's memories from his adventure through time. As Bill recalls, it has an extensive record of what's scheduled to happen in the coming years, so why not just pull it out and see what they end up inventing? Then he laughs, pointing out that they'd be wreaking all sorts of havoc with the timeline. Smirking, Jason admits it'd be a goldmine for new ideas, but that's exactly the problem they'd run into. He pulls out the necklace on which he keens the crystal and gives it a tug, saying that he hasn't so much as peeked since he got it. Maybe someday he'll sneak a look, thug he never has any intention of sharing what he sees. The two of them laugh again, then turn around when there's a knock at the lab door. A pair of UN soldiers are there with a female official, and she smiles warmly when she sees the crystal around Jason's neck before asking if they have a moment to talk.

Upstairs, Dr. Danielle Talbot and Maj. Rebbecca Eaton are in the control room watching coverage of a meeting of the UN General Assembly at the other end of Manhattan. It's the first such event since the transition of power to the organization from the now-defunct Free People of Earth ("The Parting of Ways, Part 2"). Sipping some coffee, Rebbecca points to the ambassador from New Zealand, boasting that her home nation is on the Security Council this year. And with the reforms made to the supranational body following Earth's liberation, that actually means something now. Danielle chuckles, teasing that America's been on the Council all along, but she mockingly wishes Eaton the best of luck in catching up. It should be an interesting meeting all the same, and the diplomats have quite a mess to work out in the aftermath of the Der'kal occupation. The major cities may have been put back together, but the vast majority of the planet is still in desperate need of repair.

Suddenly, they hear shouting from the stairs, and they look out to see Jason Carter ranting at a woman flanked by two soldiers coming towards them. Raising an eyebrow, Talbot remarks that he's not usually one to cause a fuss, he's usually too tied up in his work down in the research wing. The two of them walk over to the entrance and ask who their visitor is, and the official introduces herself as Linda Dames, a Welsh political scientist now working for the United Nations. She explains that she politely requested the young Carter's presence at UNHQ to discuss a matter of planetary importance, and he refuses to cooperate. Glaring at her, Jason steps forward and says that she wanted him to hand over Janus's memory storage device for study and information download at a UN facility, and that's something he's never going to do. It was given to him in trust and he's not about to betray that.

Holding up a hand, Danielle asks if they're talking about the same thing she thinks they are; the crystal containing an account of the future, the one Janus passed on after his ship came crashing down at the Beta Site. Dames nods, saying that the Committee on Interstellar Affairs has requested the record for examination. They hope to provide a history book of sorts for the next few centuries and beyond that they can use to foresee events like the numerous alien invasions the galaxy has suffered. Now it's Eaton's turn to hold up a hand; the UN wants to get a grasp on exactly how the future's going to unfold? Ms. Dames doesn't see anything wrong with that, but Rebbecca already understands why Jason reacted so strongly to the idea. This sounds like it could go very, very bad, very, very quickly. But the official isn't too concerned about that, handing over a federal warrant to take the prodigy into custody along with the crystal. The Pentagon is apparently very interested in the direction this could go.

Talbot looks over the paper for a long moment, hoping to see some loophole. But as a former employee of the government and United Nations itself, she already knows there won't be one. Sighing, she hands it back and tells Jason that he'll have to accompany Ms. Dames back to UNHQ for now. But she promises to get a call to Homeworld Command and demand to speak to someone about this as soon as she can. Not dissuaded, Dames smiles at her sweetly and thanks her for the cooperation. Her escorts turn Jason toward the exit and lead him down the stairs, the young man staring back at Eaton and Talbot worriedly.

It doesn’t take long for them to gather the rest of the team and bring them up to speed, and Col. Cameron Mitchell leads them out the O’Neill Terminal’s public exit toward a waiting SUV. Going through a dossier of personnel on the Committee mentioned by Linda Dames, Dr. Daniel Jackson notes that there are a good number of pre-conquest Earth power players represented. Most positions were replaced by either resistance fighters or members of the refugee faction when global governments got back on their feet. But here they have a body made up of political and corporate interests from the “old order,” so to speak, individuals who Daniel keenly remembers did everything they could to resist the influence of the Alliance of Great Races. Nodding, Vala Mal Doran asks if he thinks they want Janus’s crystal to continue the same old fight, using the knowledge to blunt the power of the Allies. If it were to succeed, Earth could effectively guarantee that it remains the most powerful force in the Milky Way for centuries, if not forever. It’s a worthwhile goal, of course, but not like this.

They pull up in front of the UN compound a few minutes later, brushing past the resurgent media and security and ducking inside. Taking the dossier from Daniel, Mitchell reads off the three Committee heads they’ll be dealing with shortly, noting that they are, indeed, all important figures from before the Der’kal sacked Earth (“Star By Star”). The first is an appointee from China, Hu Feng, who oversaw the actions of domestic corporations for the Communist Party. The second, a German by the name of Joseph Bosse, was a key member of the European Parliament and proved instrumental in backroom EU political deals. Lastly is the daughter of a Brazilian industrialist, Silvia Covas, who has earned a reputation as a brilliant but ruthless businesswoman in her own right. Whistling appreciatively, Eaton mutters that they’ll have their work cut out for them, but their best bet is probably to focus on Bosse first. She has no idea how China managed to get themselves a seat on the board given that their actions doomed the planet (“Divided We Fall”), and the Brazilian sounds like someone uninterested in the consequences when the potential bounty is so great. Cameron agrees, and they turn a corner toward the appropriate wing of the building.

In one of the spacious hearing chambers nearby, the three world figures are sitting behind a raised wooden platform, looking down at Jason Carter and the two soldiers that escorted him there. Pulling off his glasses, Mr. Feng asks the guards to hand over the data crystal in question to verify that it’s the one they want. Nodding, one of them extends a hand and asks the young man to give it up. When he doesn’t, the other grabs the chain and yanks it free, passing it up to the Committee over its owner’s forceful objections. The three of them take turns looking it over, then place it on the edge of the desk, none of them looking away for more than a few seconds at a time. Ms. Covas scans an ISGC report and points out that this isn’t an ordinary data storage device; it has no plug, and works via neural interface on contact. And of course, it’s coded to respond only to Jason’s DNA, meaning they’ll need him to cooperate in order to get a look at its contents.

Entering from the hall, Mitchell notes that it’d be pretty unethical to force someone to do that, and even more unethical to hook them up to a memory transfer device against their will afterwards. Mr. Bosse shifts uncomfortable, but Feng just sneers, telling the others that he knew SG-1 would make their way down here eventually. Waving them off, Covas suggests the team get their facts straight before making such bold assumptions. They have no intention of forcing Jason to do anything, and they’ve already thought up a number of ways to continue should he absolutely refuse to work with them. For example, they have technology from Atlantis capable of creating biological Replicators (SGA: “This Mortal Coil”). They could easily use some of the DNA they already have on record and make a copy, or even just a culture of genetic matter hooked up to a computer program. The possibilities are endless, really.

Except, interrupts Daniel, for what they’re talking about doing here. Creating a repository of how the future is meant to play out would be disastrous, and they could spend a year going into detail on them. Pulling away from his guards, Jason says that they’re talking about messing with the fabric of reality itself; they could completely erase time as they know it. The history they create may work a dozen times after they begin changing events, but eventually things will start to shift in a big way. And when that happens, the future that Janus saw will be gone forever, replaced by something completely unforeseen. But there’s more to it than just the potential alterations this would make to the timeline, there’s the fact of what the Committee is proposing in and of itself.

(Beginning of "The Looking Glass," see next three posts for more.)

[s09119]

(More of "The Looking Glass," see previous post for beginning and next two posts for more.)

Spoiler:

Nodding, Vala wants to know what it means to chart things in a pro-Earth fashion anyway. Sure, there are benign uses such as catching a potential terrorist attack or natural disaster before it happens and saving innocent lives. Then there are less altruistic ones, like spotting a trade mission secured by the Jaffa and having the ISGC move a month in advance to take it for themselves instead. And where does that line of thought end, she’d like to know? Putting down upcoming dissent against Tau’ri actions with preemptive force, assassinating those who will one day hamper their interests? This can only end one way in her opinion, and as the only non-Earthborn person present, she’s the only one who can speak objectively on how the rest of the galaxy would react if they ever learned that was being proposed today. It reeks of hypocrisy, and it only grows worse when you consider the diplomatic mess caused by Free Jaffa ownership of the Dakara superweapon (“Threads”) or the Pandora’s Box incident (“Quid Pro Quo”).

Chuckling, Feng suggests that Jason show them what it is they have to fear, then, and swipes the crystal off the table before standing. He walks down to where Carter stands and dangles the relic in front of him, suggesting they take it on a field test. They can plug him into a memory recall device and he can activate the crystal, giving them a glimpse into this chaos they could cause. Daniel clears his throat and reminds the Chinese representative that such a “test” would still give them a view of the future. Even if they were to never touch the crystal again, they would know of an incident yet to take place and could interfere to change things. Looking on, Bosse offers his first real statement of the meeting, arguing that they could choose the closest record to the present day. That way, any potential hints of the future that they learn would be relatively minimal in usefulness; they wouldn’t have enough time to change anything. Jason looks to SG-1, but they’re letting him lead as he’s the only scientist present. He sighs and says that if that’s what it takes for the Committee to drop their plans, he supposes he’ll agree. After all, they’ve had experience with visions of the next few hours or days before (“Prophecy”) without disaster unfolding. He’ll do it, but only because he can’t think of another way to make them listen to reason without seeing it firsthand.

Several hours later, Dr. Talbot is escorting the Committee members down to the lower levels of the ISGC to the lab where Jason and Dr. Lee were previously working. She explains that equipment and personnel have been shuffled for this demonstration, then adds that she agrees with SG-1’s assessment of the situation for good measure. Straightening a Brazilian lapel, Ms. Covas says that she wasn’t expecting a UN-trained diplomat like Danielle to give away her personal feelings on the matter so easily. She’s somewhat disappointed, having heard of her excellent work for the General Assembly before joining the Stargate Program, and again in creating the Free People of Earth. Surprised by her compliment, Talbot adds that she originally proposed the Interstellar Alliance, as well. That, however, only illicits a look of annoyance from Covas and Feng, who dryly suggest she should have left such a pan-galactic idea by the wayside.

Turning into the appropriate lab, they see Dr. Lee setting up the necessary monitoring equipment while Vala wheels a Galaran memory recall device over (“Collateral Damage”). Standing nearby, Dr. Carolyn Lam doesn’t like any of this, but she’s given her OK for the demonstration so long as it can be ended at any time. She’s not sure just how Janus configured the neural link to work, and since something like this has never been used with a data crystal before, she’s not taking anything for granted. While Eaton and Daniel lead the three UN officials to their seats in the observation room, Vala presses a Tok’ra memory device to Jason’s temple, asking one last time if he’s sure he wants to do this. He nods, but whispers back that they shouldn’t hesitate to cut the connection if they even suspect something could be wrong… or if he finds himself in a memory that begins to give away critical information about an upcoming happening.

With everything set and ready to go, Vala heads up to join the others in the observation room, leaving Dr. Lam, Dr. Lee, and Col. Mitchell alone with Jason. Cameron doesn’t want to be far if drastic measures need to be taken, and he gives Samantha’s nephew an encouraging pat on the shoulder before stepping away. Lee takes the crystal off a nearby tray and attaches a pair of electrodes to its largest facet, hoping that it works as planned. And sure enough, a moment later the nearby monitor pulses with random flashes, indication that the jury-rigged system works. Giving him the go-ahead, begin, Mitchell makes a point of turning to the Committee representatives and reminding them that this is to demonstrate the danger of knowing the future, not the promise. But they don’t seem interested in what he has to say, merely leaning forward expectantly and waiting for the show to start. Shaking his head, he nods at Jason to begin whenever he’s ready. Sucking in a deep breath, the young man reaches over to the crystal and takes it in his fingers. He closes his eyes and concentrates, focusing on nothing else. And suddenly, he hears voices around him, opening his eyes to find that he’s no longer in the ISGC.

Instead, he finds himself at the United Nations building, though no one appears to notice his presence. The General Assembly meeting that Eaton and Talbot were discussing earlier in the day is in full swing, with diplomats from varying nations debating planetary policy now that the UN has vastly expanded powers and authority. The current topic seems to be on the upcoming selection process for Earth’s representative to the executive council of the Interstellar Alliance, the Avidan (“Sui Generis”). A few prominent names are listed as candidates, including Dr. Daniel Jackson and Dr. Danielle Talbot, though they’re not alone. China and Russia are pushing for an up-and-coming European Union military officer to get the vote, arguing that he will resist attempts to further integrate the planet with the ISA. And up at the podium are the three members of the Committee on Interstellar Affairs, testifying that the Sino-Russian candidate is the one to back. Jason can’t help but scowl a little at that.

But this isn’t the kind of memory he needs to make his case, so instead he closes his eyes and tries again, thinking “disaster” instead of “soon.” When he next looks up, he gasps and dives behind a nearby colonnade of Ancient design, just barely avoiding an exploding plasma grenade. He’s offworld now, on some swamp planet that’s become a battlefield between Alliance forces and a Der’kal warlord. Up above, two alien interceptors shred an F-302’s left wing, causing it to spin out of control and slam into the Ancient temple that Earth and the Venii have apparently taken an interest in. On the ground, Jason watches as human and Venii soldiers push forward under heavy fire, trying to drive their foes back through the stargate. They seem to be gaining the upper hand, but then there’s a crackling boom thunders across the entire plain. There’s barely enough time for anyone to lift their head to look before massive emerald plasma blasts begin vaporizing swaths of the area, the result of the victorious Der’kal fleet in orbit beginning bombardment. With nearly the entire Allied force obliterated at once, it’s obvious why this would fall under the “disaster” category. Jason’s given no time to reflect, however, as the second such burst slams into the ground where he’s taking cover at the temple, blowing the dreamscape away.

Back in the ISGC, Mr. Feng is demanding to know why they have yet to see anything resembling a clear picture emerge on the monitor, but no one has any answers for him. Down in the lab, Dr. Lee is frantically typing at his computer, insisting that his algorithm works and that the connection is sound. But the image hasn’t changed, showing nothing but occasional flashes of light while Jason’s closed eyes dart wildly as if in REM sleep. Dr. Lam checks his vitals, concerned that something might be adversely affecting his mental connection with the memory recall device, but there’s nothing wrong with him. His mental stats confirm that he’s in something of a dream like state, so it’s more than likely that he’s tapped into the archive just fine. The problem, then, has to be a technological one, a result of trying to interface such an unusual medium with the typical setup.

Growing tired of this, Ms. Covas asks bluntly if the ISGC is trying to pull some elaborate scheme to convince them it doesn’t work at all. Talbot quickly slides back into diplomacy, assuring her that’s not the case, but Mr. Bosse is also wondering if SG-1 thinks they can just be silenced by trickery. He reminds the team that he is also a ranking member of the UN’s Committee on Stargate Operations, the body that has the most direct influence over the Stargate Program, its finances, and the resources allocated to it. If he and the others have legitimate reason to believe that they’re being misled, he’ll have no choice but to argue against greater or even sustained funding at the upcoming budget talks. Biting her lip, Danielle assures the delegates that Dr. Lee will find out what’s causing the incompatibility soon, but until that time, they should at least note that the crystal appears to work as intended; it’s pulsing a dull white light through Jason’s clenched fingers. Nonetheless, Mr. Feng says that if they don’t see something soon, there may well be repercussions down the line. He waves two passing UN guards to wait in the lab in case there are any more difficulties, making SG-1 wonder if they’re going to find their own trial run co-opted.

Still in his own mind, Jason’s found himself in an expanse of white after being struck by the Der’kal plasma blast on the swamp planet. Looking around, he guesses that this is the default view one gets when not viewing a particular memory. While he’s there, he wonders if everything’s going okay back at the lab, then realizes that he has no idea how to get out of this interface. There doesn’t appear to be any exits, and the crystal isn’t represented within the dreamscape. So he decides to try and find his own way out, closing his eyes and concentrating on “leave.” The world around him flashes and reforms itself, and when he looks out again, he finds himself in the gate room of the O’Neill Stargate Terminal.

A few feet away, Daniel Jackson is standing in a suit and tie, some luggage behind him and briefcase in hand. Dr. Talbot is just stepping away to head up to the control room when Vala approaches, looking angry. She asks what he’s thinking, accepting an appointment to the Avidan after making just made such a fuss about her leaving SG-1 to solidify her leadership of the Lucian Alliance (“Dual”). As if they’ve had this conversation many times in the past few months, Daniel sighs and points out that she chose to move on first. Without her, the team just isn’t the same, and he’s getting too old to be running around the galaxy fighting who-knows-what. Mitchell and Eaton, the next generation of SG-1, they can be the heroes. It’s time for him to move on just like the rest of the other three original members did; Jack O’Neill became head of Homeworld Command, Teal’c left to lead the Free Jaffa Nation, and Samantha Carter has been commander of Earth’s fleet for years. His time’s come, too, to let the torch be passed.

[s09119]

(More of "The Looking Glass," see previous two posts for beginning and next post for end.)

Spoiler:

Vala doesn’t seem moved by the speech, though, and glares coldly at him while the gate beings dialing out to Heliopolis. Jackson pleads with her to stop being like this, pointing out that they can still see one another whenever they like, it’s not as if he’s going to Atlantis. That has no effect on her mood, however, and she tells Daniel that if he wants to go get dragged into Alliance politics for the rest of his life, she won’t stop him. Growing aggravated himself, Daniel tells her to drop the act and just get to the point. He tried to be there for her, he even tried to act on his feelings for her, but every time he’s gotten close, she’s shot him down. Shouting as the stargate activates behind him, he says that if she wants to choose the Lucian Alliance and her search for Tomin over him, that’s her prerogative. But if she’s still conflicted over how she feels, she can deal with it herself. He won’t stand here and be insulted because she can’t do anything but act out against those that most care for her. With that, he grabs his things and storms through the puddle, leaving a stunned Vala to stare after him for a long, long moment.

Closing his eyes again, Jason shakes his head and clears the memory, letting it dissipate into the white void like mist. That’s not what he wanted to see, and it’s not what he’s supposed to be doing in here. Witnessing even trivial events like that can bleed into larger ones, and he’s starting to get too good a handle on the direction things will take in the near future. Wondering aloud if he should have Dr. Lee wipe his own memory of all this when it’s over, he turns his thoughts to how he can disconnect from the crystal. Reflexively, he reaches out his hand, closes it, and then opens it as if to signify letting go. Nothing happens, unfortunately, and he’s left trying to think of another way to get out.

In the real world, Dr. Lam has pulled Talbot into the hallway to discuss what she thinks about the interface problem they’re having. As she said earlier, she can’t see anything physically or mentally wrong with Jason. On the contrary, his brain activity is back to where it was when he still has near-ascension abilities (“Paragon”). She doesn’t think it will stay that way, however, as it consistently drops back down to normal levels every time the extreme REM activity ceases. She’s assuming that it only jumps when his brain accesses the records within the data crystal, which would make sense. Jason’s body can’t handle that kind of mental strain for long periods now that he’s back to just being human, and that may actually be what’s causing such an issue. Not quite getting her point, Danielle asks if she’s saying that long-term use of the crystal could kill him, like using Pandora’s Box did to Jack O’Neill (“Quid Pro Quo”). That’s not it, either, though; the crystal poses no danger to his health, he’d just naturally fall out of synch with it eventually due to a lack of physiological compatibility.

There’s where her new theory comes in to explain their failure to connect him to the memory recall device. Janus put a DNA lock into the crystal’s programming to make certain that Jason would be the only one capable of accessing what was stored inside. Given that by that point, Jason had gained very advanced abilities, he may also have installed a lockout against anyone not similarly evolved, just to be safe. If that’s the case, the young Carter may be in a lot of danger just by going into the archives. The link may not function properly as the program inside gets conflicting answers on whether or not he hits the requirements for use, and even if the use itself doesn’t put him in any harm, a faulty connection could. Janus had no reason to think Jason would suddenly lose his evolved status, but now that he has, she can see potential issues. She’s not quite ready to pull the plug on this yet, not until she’s sure there won’t be any negatives, but she admits that it may need to happen if they don’t get a response soon.

Meanwhile, Jason’s given up trying to find a way out for now, merely sitting in the white void and rubbing his temples. He lets his thoughts drift for a moment, then looks around to realize he must have been thinking of something to trigger another memory. This one has to be at least a couple hundred years in the future; he’s standing on the bridge of a warship over Earth, and citysprawl has again covered most of the planet. It looks as if the catastrophic damage from Der’kal bombardment has been all but erased, and there are multiple massive space stations hovering nearby to service incoming and outbound vessels of all shapes and sizes. Looking over it all, Jason whistles, impressed, and then turns to see someone who looks strikingly like him sitting in the ship’s command chair. The man looks to be roughly 40 years of age, with dark blond hair and bright, intelligent eyes. Sure enough, the name on his uniform reads CARTER, and a crewmember informs the apparent Colonel that “it” is about to return from its test flight. Nodding, Col. Carter leans forward in his chair, looking out past Jason at space with interest.

A moment later, a hyperspace window opens, ejecting an enormous starship into orbit. Jason’s jaw drops at the sight of it, as it has to be at least twice the size of a Jupiter-class, which is itself more than double the size of a DSC-304. The craft shows far more Ancient stylistic traits than any human ship yet, with sleek lines blending into geometric patterning. If anything, it appears more Aurora than Daedalus, but it retains the classic look of a Tau’ri warship all the same. Col. Carter seems just as impressed, standing and coming to the window just a few feet from where Jason looks on. Tapping his radio, the officer welcomes the Interstellar Command Cruiser prototype, the ICC-311 Liberty. It’s just returned from its maiden voyage across the intergalactic gulf to the Pegasus Galaxy, and it promises to be the first of the Interstellar Alliance’s frontline starcraft for years to come.

Jason leans into bridge window and shakes his head in astonishment. What he’s seen here is proof-positive that Earth will not only persevere but flourish in the future, to a point no one thought possible. He watches the Liberty move in to dock with one of the space stations and whispers that he’d give just about anything to see all this come to pass in person. But his place is in the 2010s, not whenever he is now, and he’ll have to leave it to his or Samantha’s descendent next to him to handle the future. Taking one last look around, he waves away the vision and finds himself back in the white plane, but this time he’s not alone. Nearby is Janus, or at least a representation of him, commenting that he seems to have overlooked something in the data crystal’s encoding that is responsible for inhibiting Jason’s ability to leave the interface. It was due to an unfortunate oversight in the young man’s physiology, and because he’s no longer near-ascended, the program became corrupted. The Ancient explains that he’s not actually here; all this is just a convenient view of the subroutine that runs the data retrieval process. That said, he thinks he’s corrected the issue, and hands over a replica of the crystal. When he wants out, he need only crush it, and it should splinter in his palm.

Thanking the virtual Janus for the assistance, Jason looks down and decides that it’s time he ends this voyage, squeezing his fist tightly until he hears a shattering sound. Instantly, a bright white light radiates out, and the next thing Jason sees is the laboratory at the ISGC. Dr. Lee is looking at him, shocked, from his computer, and Dr. Lam audibly breathes a sigh of relief. She rushes over and pulls out her flashlight, checking his responses and vitals, and confirms that he’s alright. But not everyone is so excited, and Ms. Covas is demanding answers. She wants to know why Jason misled them like this and why the Committee shouldn’t take action against him and SG-1 for obstruction. Carter just sits up, stretching, and assures them that he did no such thing. A flaw in the data crystal’s program failed to account for him ever losing his evolved human abilities, and it prevented his subconscious from exiting the memory archives. That’s also likely why they weren't able to see anything on the monitor, since none of the visions were getting past his unconscious mind.

Surprisingly, that actually seems to brighten Feng’s mood, and he claps his hands joyfully. Now that they know what the problem was and it has been rectified, they can get down to the business of giving the crystal a test run. But Jason has changed his mind, deciding that he never should have agreed to something like this in the first place. He tells Dr. Lee that he wants his memories of the whole experience wiped as soon as they’re done here, and then he’s going to seal the artifact away where no one can tap its secrets. His aunt would never have let things get this far, and it’s not a mistake he intends on repeating. Talbot agrees; if the Committee wants to make a case to the United Nations to cut the ISGC’s budget over this, they can be certain the she and SG-1 will be right there to convince the Assembly otherwise. The experiment is over, and Danielle tells Lee and Lam to begin disassembling the uplink equipment.

Furious, Covas orders the UN soldiers standing by to seize the data crystal. Picking it off the tray, Jason gets off the bed he was lying on and backs toward the wall, warning them to stay away. When Covas and Feng repeat the order and the guards get within arm’s reach, Carter gives a quick glance at Dr. Talbot before smashing the device to the ground. Everyone looks stunned, and the two most-interested Committee members begin screaming angrily. The gem breaks into a more than a dozen pieces, small electrical arcs flashing between the fragments. In the stunned pause that follows, Mitchell gets between the soldiers and their target, telling them to back down. He’s not going to let this escalate any further, and coldly advises the Committee to remember that they don’t have absolute power here.

Rebuffed, Mr. Feng promises that the ISGC will regret this, and hisses at Jason to give up on any ideas of advancement within the Stargate Program. Ms. Covas echoes his threat, promising that the Brazilian government will be sending an envoy to the White House to lodge a formal complaint with the President. The two of them storm from the observation room, but Mr. Bosse lingers behind. Now that they know that there was no attempted trickery at play here, he retracts his own earlier threat of recommending decreased funding for stargate operations. He offers Talbot and the team his personal apologies for the tension, and while he still believes the crystal could have been put to good use, he thinks Earth will manage alright without it. Germany had hoped to use this asset to buoy its way to a better bargaining position with other countries, but their Chancellor had harbored her own misgivings about the whole idea from the onset. Perhaps it’s better that the future remains an unknown.

[s09119]

(End of "The Looking Glass," see previous three posts for beginning.)

Spoiler:

Watching as the last of the Committee exits, Jason sighs and asks Dr. Lee to get the memory recall device ready again. He’d rather just do the wipe now rather than wait and accidentally let something slip in the interim. Bending down, he goes to retrieve what’s left of Janus’s crystal, but one last electrical arc catches him as he scoops them up. Suddenly the young man finds himself not at the ISGC, but in a spacious office at the very top of the Citadel on Heliopolis. It must be centuries from the present, seeing as the modest settlement has blossomed into a city as expansive as New York or Shanghai. Massive sky scrapers and beautiful monuments dot the surroundings, and numerous ground and hovercraft buzz about. Starships more advanced than anything Jason has ever seen approach for landing, and down below, beings of races he’s never heard of are walking about. The walls are lined with holographic displays of news stations around the galaxy, with talking heads of myriad species going over recent events. It seems like a beautiful, if uneventful, day.

And then, without warning, something happens. Though Jason’s vantage point doesn’t allow him a view of the cause, piercing screams cry out from every direction. Bullets and energy blasts can be heard firing, transports veer off-course and tumble to the streets below, and the sound of glass shattering and metal crunching echo out through the city. Two explosions shake the Citadel so hard that the office windows break apart, knocking Jason to the floor and loosing a sudden gale to whip at his clothes and hair. He can only look on in horror as a nearby tower crumbles, witnessing what must be some devastation of the Alliance capital, but completely and totally helpless to interfere. The newscasters on the walls suddenly react in terror to something on their own planets before their connections fizzle out; one by one, live feeds from Earth, Chulak, V’en, Arrakis, and other major strongholds disappear. With a cry, Jason lets go of the crystal fragments, breaking the vision and letting reality flow back around him. Aware that everyone is staring at him, he shakily gathers the pieces of the gem, now completely dead, and manages to shove them in his pocket. Pulling himself onto the table, he whispers for Dr. Lee to hurry up and get rid of his memories before he changes his mind.

Closing his eyes while a bewildered Bill complies, he just repeats to himself that to change the future is to risk everything they fought for. That even with the best of intentions, interfering with the timeline can unexpectedly change the galaxy forever. What he doesn’t ask himself, just before his memories of the experience fade, is what was it he saw that may well destroy it anyway.