The Taking over the Universe plott

[Taoth Vaclarush]

*Reaching the pillars, Taoth starts to record readings. She hears a rustling in the bushes, looking up, there is nothing there. A little while passes and she hears another rustle, then her radio crackles, startling her*

Fen on radio: Taoth, this is Fen. How’s it going?

Taoth: Nothing yet, it’s giving of an etreamly small amount of radiation. The equipment can barely register it. If it hadn’t powered up at Shan, we would have most likely missed it altogether. How is he by the way?

Fen: Dizzy, headache, hopefully just after affects wearing off.

Taoth: Okay, I’ll radio when I have something. Taoth out.

*There is the rustling again, and an odd looking animal comes out of the bushes a bit further on baring it’s fangs. The equipment registers and energy spike*

Taoth: Now we’re getting somewhere *keeping a close eye on the animal and a hand near her weapon*

[Taoth Vaclarush]

*The animal moves closer, but Taoth carries on taking the readings, pretending not to notice it. When it’s uncomfortably close, about five meters away, she lowers her equipment and lifts her weapon. The creature pounces and she fires a round at it, making it wimper and limp back the way it came*

Fen from the radio: what was that?

Taoth: I’m not sure, I encountered an animal that looked something like a cross between a wolf a lynx and a hyeina. Let’s just say it wasn’t friendly.

Fen: We’ll be on our guard, you should get back. Oh, and Shan’s not so good

Taoth: I’ll take these last readings and be right there, two minutes *she cuts off the radio and looks at her equipment. The pillar has powered down* Huh *packing up, she heads back to the Fen and the others*

[Guest]

*Fenrir takers another sip of his tea and looks at Shan*

Fen: "Have you ever known any Ancient tech to do this to a wraith before?"

Shan: "I have not, the Ancients tried out several stun devices but none had this effect."

Fen: *Still looking thorough the database* "I see nothing about research on stun technology, just biological research..."

Vega: "What kind of research?"

Fen: "Mutations, changing the base genetic structure of several lifeforms indigenous to this planet to make them stronger, faster hunters... It doesn't look like this study was directly involved with the wraith evolution from human / iratus bug DNA being intertwined, but rather the researching Ancients working here were studying alternate evolution paths and how to influence that development."

Vega: "Why would they do that? It doesn't sound like something that could have helped them in the war against the wraith."

Fen: "Not directly but it could have resulted in quite a few military applications, vicious animals that could be engineered to hunt wraith, infect them, whatever the Ancients were hoping to develop from this."

Shan: "During the war, many things the Ancients tried against the overwhelming numbers of wraith emerging to meet them in battle but I cannot remember anything like that being used."

Vega: "Could have been quite effective though."

Fen: "True. I'm going to load up as much of this laptops harddrive as I can with data, get the spare external harddrives out of the bag, we should take as much of this research back with us as we can, it could come in useful."

[Taoth Vaclarush]

*As Taoth makes her way to the main control room, she hears low growling behind her. Picking up her pace, she almost bumps into Fen.*

Fen: Slow down

Taoth: I think I made someone a bit mad

Vega: You mean they’re coming after us?

Taoth: I’m hoping the pillars are gonna scare them off. Though the odd thing was, it powered up but didn’t start glowing the same way as with Shan. I got some interesting readings though... Have you found anything.

Fen: To do with that kind of technology, no. But biological research, yes.

Shan: It appears the ancients could have been trying to create a creature that would hunt wraith during the war.

Taoth: I doesn’t happen to be the one that tried to take a bite out of me just a moment ago

Vega: We don’t know, know one’s ever heared of it being done before

Fen: Could be another failed experiment

Taoth: That doesnt sound good.

Shan: We should probably try to explore the area a bit more, see if there’s a lab with more infomation or something about that defence mechanism, it’s worth further study

Fen: Shan’s right, that kind of technology would be really valuable

Taoth: I was kinda hoping to get back, but we’re not due to check in for a couple of hours. We’ll just have to be extra careful

[Guest]

*Heading down the remnants of a hallway the walk past one of the labs...*

Shan: "We should check in here, this lab looks like it was part of that project."

Vega: "I'll go first."

*Fenrir turns to Taoth*

Fen: "That creature that went for you, what was it like?"

Taoth: "Difficult to describe, like a big cat, maybe a small tiger but different, muscular with weird fur, razor sharp teeth and a really strange look about it."

Fen: "Hopefully that is all that is out there."

Taoth: "It was quite vicious."

Vega: "The consoles and view screen in here seem undamaged."

*Shan and Vega search the room looking while Taoth goes to one of the consoles and activates it*

Fen: "This looks interesting, more information on the research being done here."

Vega: "What about the defense systems, we need to know more about that device that knocked Shan out."

Taoth: "That should be on the mainframe, we might be able to access it from here."

*Taoth looks for information on the defense system while Fenrir checks out another console, Shan is looking at the structural damage*

Shan: "This facility looks like it was destroyed rather than decayed into ruin."

Vega: "A self-distruct wouldn't have done this so what are you suggesting, the outpost was fired on from space, possibly by the wraith?"

Shan: "It's possible, wraith destroy any advanced technology they cannot use, this facility would be something we would destroy."

Taoth: "Found something, those columns are part of an experimental security system that stuns none humans, there was meant to have been a shield there to stop Shan from entering but it must be damaged. The device can have various effects lasting for hours after stunning but they eventually wear off... So Shan, just hang in there you should be alright after a while."

Shan: "Can you turn it off before we leave, that is unless you plan to carry me back to the 'Gate."

Taoth: "Yeah, I was going to."

[Guest]

*Taoth starts loading more of the database onto Ancient crystals to take back when a crashing sound is heard..."

Vega: "What was that?!"

Fenrir: "It sounded quite close, down the hallway... I'll check."

*Fenrir goes out into the hallway and finds the ceiling has collapsed, some plants that have grown over part of the outpost are now hanging in through the broken ceiling*

Fen: "This place is structurally unsafe, part of the hallway has collapsed, we should get a move on."

Taoth: "I've almost finished loading the data to the crystals."

*Taoth loads the final file to the crystal then moves on to deactivating the defense systems*

Taoth: "There, it should be off now."

Shan: "Good, I'm feeling a bit better now but I don't want to go through that again."

*The team leave the lab and in the hallway they stop to look at the plant*

Fen: "It wasn't like that a moment ago..."

Taoth: "What do you mean?"

Fen: "The plant wasn't in that position and it seems to have moved into the hallway more."

Vega: "strange."

Shan: "Could it have fallen in more?"

Fen: "Maybe..."

Taoth: "Lets get a move on, that plant is the least of our concerns right now."

*The team make their way out of the facility*

[Taoth Vaclarush]

*They reach the stone wall and the pillars, Taoth pulls out a scanner*

Taoth: This isn’t possible... Shan, move futher away!

*Shan backs away quickly*

Fen: What’s going on?

Taoth: The energy is spiking and it’s building up

Shan: But you turned it off

Taoth: Yes, I thought I did

Vega: Guys, that plant that wasn’t our concern a moment ago, might be now

*The rest turn to see it moving towards them*

Shan: We need to move

Fen takes out a packet of C4 from his vest pocket: Rodney’s gonna kill us for this, he probably would have wanted to get a better look at these pillars

Taoth: What, with all these biologically mutated animals arounds

Shan: I suggest we get far enough, we have no idea how big the explosion will be

Fen: Good idea

*They jog the opposite direction to the plant, and when satisfied with the distance and a safe place with enough coverage*

Fen: Here goes *detonating the charge, the pillar blows, sending debri flying far over their heads*

Vega: Hope that did the trick

*Making their way back, Taoth checks her scanner*

Taoth: It’s clear, we can go

*Once past the pillars, they look back to see the plant has stopped*

Fen: It’s probably afraid of the pillars... Are you sure you turned them off

Taoth: Not a hundred percent, but yes

Shan: She probably did, just the wrong ones

*Looking to where he is pointing, they see another set of pillars*

Vega: Well, at least Rodney still has the option of coming back

Fen: And we really have to leave

*Picking up the pace, they start heading for the gate, until they hear a rustle in the bushes and the ground begins to shake*

[Guest]

Taoth: "That can't be good."

Fen: "I agree, there's either something really big coming this way of a whole load of smaller creatures."

Vega: "Or a plant."

Shan: "I have never known vegetation to act like animal life before."

Taoth: "So this is a first for you too then."

*The shaking becomes worse then a giant creature jumps out of the bushes heading straight for the team... They open fire and it runs right past them, the ground continues to shake*

Fen: "I don't think that creature was going to attack us, it's running from something."

Vega: "Whatever it is running from I don't think we want to find out."

Taoth: "Agreed, we should continue to the 'Gate."

*The whole forest begins to shake as the team run towards the 'Gate, just up the hill from the Stargate the team stop*

Fen: "This is bad."

Vega: "Very bad."

Taoth: "That plant has engulfed the Stargate, what now?"

[Guest]

*From the side of the Stargate several beasts appear... Everyone raises their weapons ready to fire*

Taoth: "Back off slowly, we should head back to the outpost."

Vega: "And then what?"

Taoth: "I haven't thought that far ahead yet but we can't stay here."

*The team back off slowly while keeping watch over the group of beasts by the Stargate, the get a fair distance along the path towards the outpost when a loud cry is heard, then another*

Fen: "Sounds like the plant was hungry."

*Another loud cry is heard*

Taoth: "Very hungry."

*The grounds starts shaking again, this time from the forest to the left*

Shan: "It would appear we're next on the menu."

Fen: "Great..."

Taoth: "Now would be a good time to run."

Vega: "Agreed."

*The ground shaking gets worse as the team run towards the outpost*

[Taoth Vaclarush]

*After a long time of running, they stop, each out of breath*

Shan: We have to keep moving

Fen: It’s not fair that wraith don’t tire as easily as humans

Taoth: No, I agree with him, we can’t stop to rest

Vega: How long until we miss the check in?

Taoth look: Still an hour

*The ground shakes violently again, and they start running. When they see the outpost, they pick up the pace*

Shan: Let’s make sure we go through the right pillars, you wouldn’t want me unconcious again

Taoth: Good point

*They head for the pillars that look a more battered than the ones at the next entrance.*

Taoth take out her equipment: It checks, go

*Inside the ruins*

Fen sees a smaller lab with good coverege: In here, I don’t want to meet that plant again

Shan: I don’t think that’s an option

*A large number of mutated animals passed the pillars, seeing the energy is down. A couple of plants have come out of the main building and are raching towards them. The foursom make it to the lab. Fen and Vega take aim while Taoth and Shan try to get the door closed*

Taoth: It’s stuck!

Fen: You can’t be serious

Shan: I wish she wasn’t

Fen: See if you can get it working from one of the control panels on the inside

*Taoth nods and goes further into the lab, Shan stays at the door, while Fen and Vega fire at the creatures. The lab lights up, but it’s still dim. Taoth goes to a console and hooks up a laptop, the screens are in much better condition than the ones in the lab they were in earlier*

Taoth: What about now?

Shan: No

Vega turns to look at the building: Where did it go?

Fen: Taoth, are you still there?

Shan steps out so Fen and Vega can see him: I think she turned on some kind on cloak

Fen: Well we’ll be better off inside then

*Fen and Vega go inside, still firing at the animals who keep coming, a bit confused now.*

Vega: Why would the ancients cloak one of their own buildings?

Shan: I have no idea

Taoth comes over, presses a couple of keys on the pad by the door and it slides shut: Come on, I think we’re gonna find out

Fen: You couldn’t have done that any earlier

Taoth: I only got main power back online, besides, that won’t hold them for long

Shan: What is it you want us to see

*Taoth leads them to a hatch underneath a control panel on the floor*

Taoth: I almost didn’t find it

Vega: How are we meant to get in there

Taoth: Thankfully, thants the easy part

*The three look at her suspisiosly. She opens the hatch to reveal a panel*

Taoth: They left the code in place, all i have to do is press enter *Pressing a button, a door in the wall opens*

Fen: Nice

*They go through the door and down some stair. Coming into a large underground lab with a not so empty stasis pod. On the wall there is written in ancient letter ‘NEMESIS PROJECT I’

Shan: I don’t have a good feeling about this

[Guest]

*Taoth walks over to a console and activates it, a screen on the wall lights up and starts displaying research records*

Vega: "Nemesis Project? So the Ancients were working on a weapon here then?"

Taoth: "There should be something on this computer about it." *She continues reading the log entries*

Fen: "Being so deep underground, this must have been one of the main labs at this outpost."

*Shan walks over to the pod to take a closer look*

Taoth: "Here, I've found something: "The project has come to it's final stage, Nemesis, with this we should have a viable weapon against the wraith. From earlier studies with the synthesized-gene in other subjects we concluded that this lifeform will prove superior to the wraith in battle." - So this facility was creating a kind of super-weapon against the wraith in the form of a genetically enhanced lifeform. I'll see what the final entry says: *Taoth accesses the last entry on the database* "Upon completion of this subject it was discovered however that it could prove to be a threat to all other life in the galaxy as well, so we are abandoning the project and moving research onto wraith organic technology. The Nemesis subject will be destroyed before a review is sent back to the high council concluding that we have been unable to complete the research here." - Looks like this side project might have been kept secret from the other Ancients back on Atlantis."

Fen: "So this project was run by a rogue group of Ancients, no wonder there was no mention of this back in the Atlantis database... Makes you wonder what else they have been cooking up in secret facilities like this on other worlds."

Shan: "I don't like the sound of the subject being dangerous to all other life in the galaxy, could that be what is wrong with the animal and plant life outside? Some of the experiments escaped during the wraith attack and spread the mutation?"

Vega: "Can they do that?"

Shan: "I think so, to be superior to any other life it would have to have a quick and easy way to reproduce and adapt, best way to do that is to infect other lifeforms and take on their strengths."

Fen: "Is there anything more about the gene itself?"

Taoth: "Just a moment" *She searches for the information then after a minute stops* "No, nothing, maybe that will be on a database upstairs, this one doesn't seem connected to the main network here and only deals with the Nemesis Project."

Vega: "So what's the plan?"

Taoth: "We should go back up to the outpost, see if we can find anything to neutralize this mutation or find a way to get back to Atlantis alive."

Shan: "And Nemesis?"

Fen: "I don't think we should wake it, do you?"

Taoth: "Certainly not, we have enough problems out there without waking up a bigger one in here."

Vega: "Back to looking for a solution amongst the ruins then..."

*Taoth deactivates the console and walks towards the door, a small explosion and the lights go out... Everyone rushes to turn on their flashlights*

Shan: "What was that?"

Fen: "I'm guessing the generator blew, it hasn't had to power much in the past 10,000 years."

Taoth: "Ancient tech doesn't just pack in like that does it?"

Vega: "Nothing lasts forever."

Shan: "The pod, is it still powered?"

*Fenrir gos over to check*

Fen: "No, the power for this has gone out too, the creature wont survive long."

Taoth: "That's probably a good thing."

Vega: "Agreed."

*The team leave the lab and head back up to the outpost... Back in the lab a hissing sound is heard as the stasis pod goes into emergency revival and Nemesis awakens*

[Taoth Vaclarush]

*Getting back up to the upper section of the lab, all of a sudden it’s quiet. Everyone stops moving, then they see the door out is slightly open*

Fen whispering: That’s bad

*Aiming their weapons, Taoth nods to Fen and he creeps closer to check outside. Turning to his team mates*

Fen: They’re just standing there, as if they’re waiting for something

Shan: Or afraid

Taoth: All of them? *coming to look over his shoulder*

Vega: You think it’s NEMESIS, that they sense it somehow

Shan: It is possible, if they have something in their genetic make-up enabling them to interact with… But why would they stop now?

Taoth: You’re not suggesting that in the explosion the project awoke, we left it still in stasis

*Turning to look at the way they had come from the underground lab*

Shan: We should check to make sure

Taoth: Fine. Fen, Vega, stay here incase the creaures outside change their mide. Shan lets go, you know more about this genetic stuff.

Fen: Radio if you got anything *Taoth nods*

*Down the stairs in the underground lab, Taoth and Shan turn on their flash lights again. The place has an odd green hue originating from the stasis pod. They walk towards it, but from a little way off they see it’s empty*

Taoth: Our day just got a whole lot better

Shan taps his radio: Fen, we don’t have good news. The stasis chamber is empty, PROJECT NEMESIS is awake

Fen on radio: That’s just perfect. Vega’s going through the data that’s up here and uploading it, we’re gonna have to find a way to neutralize these things. Either while we’re here or when we get back.

Taoth joins the radio conversation: What about the creatures, have they moved?

Fen: Not so far

Taoth hears a voice in her head: What was that? *Shan turns to looks at her* That voice

Shan: I hear nothing

[Guest]

*Nemesis reaches out to Taoth with his psychic powers and starts whispering, but the words make no sense*

Taoth: "You don't hear that, whispering."

Shan: "No, are you feeling alright?"

*Taoth looks around the room but the whispering doesn't seem to be coming from any particular direction... Shan just stands there watching her*

Taoth: "That is strange, I swear I can hear hear something..."

*Suddenly Taoth's mind is overwhelmed and she falls to the ground with a crushing headache, Shan rushes to her*

Shan: "Taoth! Are you alright?"

Taoth: "NOO, All of a, sudden, I have a, killer, head-ACHE!"

*Shan contacts Fenrir over the radio*

Shan: "Taoth needs medical assistance, I think she migh have been attacked..."

Fen: "Attacked? How? ...Shan?"

*Back in the secret lab both Shan and Taoth are on the floor, the headaches are becoming stronger*

Vega: "What's going on, are they alright?"

Fen: "I don't know, we're going to have to go back down there and find out..."

*Fenrir and Vega head back down to the lab, they find both Taoth and Shan curled up on the floor but alive, Fenrir attempts to talk to Taoth but she is unresponsive*

Fen: "What could do this, Nemesis?"

Vega: "It makes sense but I hope not."

*Something moves in the darkness, just a faint outline can be made out, the creature steps forward and they instantly recognise it as Nemesis... The creature releases Taoth and Shan from it's psychic grip, they move breathing a sigh of relief... All four of them then hear a voice in their heads*

Nemesis: "You are not of the race that created me though you share the same physical form and certain genetic characteristics, this one is clearly the enemy of my creators... From you I have learned their fate and that you came from their city on another world."

*Nemesis steps forward more* "You know why I was created and my purpose for being, those you knew as the Ancients believed I could be a threat to them but I was only concerned with carrying out my purpose, now I am free from stasis I will leave this world and begin that which I should have been allowed to start over 10,000 years ago... The downfall of the wraith."

*Taoth gets up and looks at Nemesis*

Taoth: "And what of all the other lifeforms in the galaxy?"

Nemesis: "They are of no concern to me, the wraith however are."

Fen: "So the Ancients got it wrong, you wont consume all life in the galaxy?"

Nemesis: "In the beginning, no... But if I choose to take on other life, what's to stop me? There is so much chaos in this universe and I have seen much of it in your minds, I could change that and bring a new order to this galaxy or even the whole universe itself."

Vega: "Bit ambitious, you know, not all life will want to be subjected to your sense of order."

Nemesis: "They will have no choice, I was created to be the superior lifeform..."

*Shan glares at Nemesis*

Shan: "We will fight you!"

Nemesis: "Will you? You kind is already dead, they were the moment I was conceived."

*Nemesis takes another step forward*

Nemesis: "I will not harm you, any of you, you will be spared to witness the new order I shall create, the time is at hand for the wraith's total annihilation."

*Nemesis raises both hands and the team fall to the ground unconscious... When they awake several hours later the creature is gone*

[Taoth Vaclarush]

Taoth jumps up, grasping her head as the throbbing sets in: We have to stop it!

Fen rubbing his forehead: With what, it’s gone.

Shan also trying to supress the headache: Probably far away on another planet by now

Taoth: We’ll get Rodney or someone to come and figure out the last set of dialled co-ordinates

Vega presses her head against the wall behind her: Don’t they get easily scrambled when someone dials in or out?

Fen: And, who’s to says Nemesis didn’t dial another planet *giving it a thought he takes out one of the laptops*

Taoth: Come on, we’ll figure it out here. Then get back up and got after it

Shan: I don’t mean to dampen your spirits but realistically speaking none of us are in any condition to face it again

Vega: And we are at a slight disadvantage, then there are the creatures outside…

Fen is busily going through some of the downloaded data: Wait, I wouldn’t go counting us out just yet. This talks about some kind of failsafe mechanism that was built into Nemesis, should something go wrong. The ancients never got round to testing it, but assuming it works, and we figure out how. We could shut it down once and for all.

Vega: Wouldn’t the ancients have used it when abandoning the project?

Fen: It says they didn’t issue the order, it had to come from a higher command, who was killed… something

Shan: Nemesis did say it wouldn’t harm us

Taoth: Well, are we gonna go or not?

*The three nod decisively*

Fen: Now it’s less of a suicide mission than five minutes ago

*Getting up, taking some painkillers and going to the upper lab, the whole place is trashed. The computers are broken and screens smashed*

Shan: It probably didn’t want us getting the research data

Taoth looks at Fen and Vega: Good thing you guys downloaded most of it

*Peeking outside, weapons trained. To their surprise there isn’t a single animal or plant outside*

Fen: You don’t think it took them with it

Taoth: I’d definitely prefer not to. But look on the bright side, if they’re gone we can actually access the gate

Vega: Comforting thought. They could be waiting for us in ambush, if not here then on the other planet

Taoth clicks her fingers: Once we get the address we go by Jumper, and here, we’d have to get to the gate anyway so lets be careful

*Walking back to the gate, there is still no sign of any of the creatures*

Shan: What time is it?

Fen checks: Why…

Shan: Estimating the time we were unconscious, we probably missed our scheduled check in

Taoth: He’s right,

Vega: But why haven’t they tried to contact us. Or if we were out during that they would have sent someone to check in on us

*They come to the gate*

Fen: Not if it was buried

*The Stargate is leaning up from the ground, and there is a huge ditch were it had been buried by the plant earlier on*

[Guest]

Taoth: "Hopefully the 'Gate hasn't been damaged or a control crystal removed."

*Taoth checks the DHD*

Taoth: "They're all there."

Shan: "So what's the plan? Back to Atlantis and study the research material?"

Taoth: "Yes, we need to know exactly what we are dealing with."

Fen: *dialing the Stargate* "That failsafe I mentioned, it's in the form of a retro-virus that neutralizes the enhanced gene that Nemesis and the creatures are mutated by... If we can synthesis it one of us is going to have to get pretty close to use it on Nemesis."

Vega: "Sounds like fun, wont he see it coming a mile off being psychic and all?"

Fen: "That's something we'll have to plan out carefully."

*The Stargate activates and Taoth send the IDC, then the team step through... Back in Atlantis they take the data straight to the lab and upload it onto a computer*