SG5 Missions Thread

[Ryn]

<< Smyrna, Temple (south wall)>>

David sighed, scratched his head. Apparently, this button-pushing thing wasn't something he was good at. Nor really enjoyed, either... Well, so much for marines being the stoic, silent type. And I thought I held the record at monologues.

"OK. Time out." He made the gesture with his hands, and turned so they both had their backs to the square and were less visible, hoping Hughes would follow suit. They were drawing enough attention as it was. Passers-by were looking at the two Tau'ri and some even found them amusing.
He ignored the background noises and sights and focused fully on the soldier in front of him.

Crossing his arms, he replied. "Yes. From her giggles and what I picked up from your whisperings, I really did think it was a flirt. And if I think that, I'm sure the Major picked up on it as well. Be that as it may. If it's the truth or not, I don't know. And frankly, I don't care. It's up to you how you deal with your fellow officers. It's not my business.
And, you know ... I actually find it quite insulting for you to think I've had no relationships. Even if it's none of your business. I know I come across as weird and geeky sometimes. It's just how I am. Some find that appealing enough to find me interesting, even in the romantic sense. That said. We should really, really ignore the subject, and just focus on the job at hand. Can you do that ? Now what is it that you found ? Hmmm ?"

He relaxed a little and eyed the area Hughes had indicated before. Just loose stones ?

[Oranos]

<<Smyrna, Temple>>

Robert continued to listen, his back to the other man, and his eyes narrowing by the second. So giggles and whisperings automatically translated to his wanting to sleep with her and vice versa, did they? How clueless was the doctor? Did it ever once pass his mind that maybe, just maybe, the two officers had a sense of humor and were having a friendly conversation? And he had so few people he considered friends.

Hughes wheeled around, refraining from shoving Williams against the wall. "You're a damn hypocrite if I've ever seen one, doctor. You say you don't care, but you still stick your nose in my business. What gives you the right? You're no better than my father."

He blinked. 'Really, Hughes? Really? You might as well wear a sign around your neck if you're going to keep announcing your problems like this.'

Robert flippantly gestured towards his find. "Feel free to take a look. And maybe if you're lucky it won't melt your hand off." So the doctor didn't need to know the odds of that were slim. He hadn't exactly triggered anything like that when he'd run over his fingers over the surface before.

((*Applauds* Williams has rather nicely entrenched himself on the hate list. Well done, Ryn. ))

[DragonGate]

"You know the Asgard, the Reenlokia?" At a nod, she kept going, "They've been hit with a nasty computer bug that's crippling their technology, they came to the Tau'ri for help like always, so we have teams out across the galaxy looking for information, under the running theory that the Olympians did it as a round-about away to get at us by weakening our only reliable ally."

Crescent added her two drachma. "We're thinking that the non-physical weapon Mistress Prima mentioned could be it. Right, Boss?"

<<Continued>>

Stevens nodded to Crescent's theory, "Here's to hoping."

"It could be possible, when the boy returns with Mistress Prima we'll try to get more details from her. Though you have not said everything, Major Stevens."

"No, I haven't. After we leave Smyrna, we're gating to Balneum to continue looking for information." She laid the ribbon device on Ak'nar's desk. "I'm going to pretend to be a young Goa'uld, looking for favor to someone of higher status on the planet. My team are going to pretend to be my slaves."

Crescent pointed at herself. "Eurydice the lo'taur here."

Ak'nar had a 'yeah, sure, and Scylla and Charybdis will let a sailing ship go on by' look on his face. "I do not believe that plan will succeed, Major Stevens."

"She pretended to be one a while back and pulled it off."

"I heard of that. It caused some problems here, those of less conviction believed Nemesis would return. I do not believe you can pull it off at length." Major Stevens' arm was on his desk. It wasn't any trouble to grab her wrist and apply pressure where the two arm bones met the wrist.

Stevens knew exactly what he was trying to prove and stopped Crescent with her other arm as the blonde got to her feet. It took all of a minute of gritted teeth before she submitted with a yelp of pain and Ak'nar let go of her wrist. "All right, I get your point, jack***, a Goa'uld could just turn off the signal of pain from the nervous system. I still think I can pull this off."

"I do not agree. If Mistress Prima knows enough to satisfy you, I would say do not go through with this."

Stevens rubbed her wrist, Ak'nar had put a lot of pain on the spot, but it didn't look to bruise."We're going to be very low-key and I'm not going to be letting anyone get close enough to notice that something's not right."

Crescent was still feeling miffed. "What exactly would be not right?"

"Reacting to pain, failing in the application of wanton cruelty, somebody noticing there's nothing in your neck."

"I'm not letting any Goa'uld get that close."

"You will have to if you want information, Major Stevens." They were interrupted by the boy from the plaza, panting as he led an elderly woman who had ridden while the boy ran into the chamber.

"You could have well come yourself, Ak'nar." The elderly Jaffa woman bore the mark of Aphrodite on her head and the steel of her years.

He gestured at Major Stevens and Captain Crescent. "We have honored guests, Mistress."

Prima sucked in a breath. You didn't work closely to a Goa'uld without hearing of the Tau'ri, usually with many, many unkind descriptions. The only good point that were given was breaking the back of the System Lords. "I see, Ak'nar. I suppose you want me to attempt to explain what Aphrodite said when she barely understood it."

Ak'nar nodded. "If you would, Mistress. If you can satisfy them with what you know, we can avoid Major Stevens getting herself killed on Balneum trying to pretend at being a goddess."

She snorted. "I'm a good actor, and plenty of her memories are bouncing around. I can pull this off."



Captain Kari Crescent

[Ryn]

<<Smyrna, Temple>>

Buttons, way too many buttons, almost Times Square at New Year's Eve. So full of layers, Hughes was probably a whole new species of onion. So David did the hopefully wise thing and said nothing in return, and just focused on the whatsit that the other man had supposedly found. Some kind of... mechanism ? This stone, what did it do, other than wiggle ? He wiggled it some more, very very carefully. Something somewhere distinctly said 'click'. Quickly removing his hand to a safe place, David braced himself. And then a few rattling sounds. Ah. Wait. If he were right...

Williams hurried around the corner, just in time to see a small door opening there. Its location was logical, totally hidden from street view, and when closed, indiscernible. And they'd probably discovered its controls went both ways.

"Ah- HA. Jackpot, lieutenant! Come along!"

[Oranos]

<<Smyrna, Temple>>

Hughes grabbed Williams and held him back by the shoulder. "Don't get ahead of yourself." Why did the history types always feel the need to just go run off? He really did need to procure a shock collar for the doctor.

He reached for the radio with his other hand. "Major Stevens, it's your favorite marine. I found your not-so-main entrance, Williams managed to get it open. Gotta tell you, a little disappointed so far. Haven't seen a single poison dart or large boulder rolling towards me." Was it his imagination or was Williams really trying to break free from his grasp? Yeah, as if that would actually happen. "Something in particular you want us to look for inside?"

Robert released his grip on David's shoulder and pushed past him. He'd be the first one in and the last one out. But he paused just outside the temple and peered in, alert. "Try to follow in my footsteps as best as possible. I don't want you to set off any traps that may have been left behind."

He took the first hesitant steps inside.

[Ryn]

<<Smyrna, Temple side entrance>>

Ow. The lieutenant did have a firm grip. Pure muscle power had him locked on the spot, there was no use trying to break free, so David gave up his feeble attempts. Was this a punishment for the button-pushing ? "Lieutenant..." He sounded indignant.

But the man was talking in his radio, reporting to the Major, something which he should have thought of as well. Using a free hand, he clicked his own one on "on", hoping to hear the Major's response. ((if it works that way ))

David rubbed his shoulder as he waited patiently to go inside. The hallway seemed dark, there should be torches in there, though, somewhere in a niche.

Following the marine inside, he shot Hughes a disappointed look, still rubbing where the grip'd been. OK. Definitely a bruise, there.

"You hurt me. And for the record, I wasn't going to run in, was merely checking to see if that door really did open as I thought. And I wanted you there. That's all." It was going to be a rocky working relationship, neither party budging an inch, right ? It was enough to give him a headache. He really hoped Crescent would prove to be a buffer between them as the mission went its course.

[DragonGate]

<<Continued. Ak'nar's Office in the Senate chambers>>

"I am still quite skeptical of your plan having any success, Major Stevens. But you insist on going through with it, I will give you all the assistance I can." He stepped out of his office and flagged down a human herald. "You, there, go fetch Theolaus if he is about, and bring Namara to my office. I know she is lurking around the Senate trying to cobble someone's shoes."

Mistress Prima brushed at her plaited hair and started speaking. "I don't know if what I learned from my mistress is important at all, but I'll try to explain it. The queen made little sense when she repeated it, since Aphrodite has little more sense than a goose. Her lord Hephaeustus had created a weapon at his mother queen Hera's command, but not a physical thing. He spent many nights locked away in his labs and clicking away on his computers, and had only a single crystal to give Hera wheh she came to collect. She seemed pleased, though I don't know what was on the crystal." Prima shook her gray head, trying to fathom the weird ways of the Goa'uld.

Jen jumped when her radio went static and then a transmission went over the net.

"Major Stevens, it's your favorite marine. I found your not-so-main entrance, Williams managed to get it open. Gotta tell you, a little disappointed so far. Haven't seen a single poison dart or large boulder rolling towards me." "Something in particular you want us to look for inside?"

Jen pulled her radio and pressed the Push-to-talk. " Be happy there's no boulders, Lieutenant. Try to find the main sanctuary first, from there get into the private chambers where Nemesis would have her living space. I'm on my way. Stevens over." She let go so Hughes could add more if he needed.

"Crescent, stay here and speak with Nemesis' ex-slaves, particularly Namara, if you can get past her attitude. I'm going to go join Hughes and Williams." She plucked the ribbon device back up, she'd need it if her memory served, and left the Senate.

Crescent looked at Ak'nar and Prima. "Does her undercover plan have any hope whatsoever?"

Prima chuckled and grimaced at the same time. "It will work until one of higher lords on Balneum wants her closer attentions and realizes she feels pain and lacks a symbiote."

<<Across the plaza to the temple>>

Stevens walked quickly, keeping the device pressed against her leg and unobtrusive as a golden hand-sized frame can be. She ignored the stares and the occasional whisper of apologies from anyone who wanted to play it safe if they were in her way.

She ran a hand along the dusty marble foundation until she found her Indiana Jones-wanna be, though Hughes was far from Short Round. "Good work, troops. There should be a light control here somewhere. And the Jaffa woman seems to know a lot, no way to know if what she remembers Hephaeustus creating for Hera is the virus that's been bedeviling the Asgard. Though he gave her a data crystal, I'd bet it had the virus program on it."

Cautiously reaching in, she knew there was power, Nemesis had come through here before and never used a torch, Stevens gestured positions. "I've got point, Hughes, you cover the six, Williams, stay in the middle of us." She pulled and clicked open her zat in her right hand while feeling for a control switch.

[Oranos]

<<Smyrna, Temple>>

The major's response was prompt. Start with the main sanctuary, try to find the private chambers. And she was on her way over.

"Be happy you haven't seen any boulders?" Robert mouthed and blinked, his hand fell away from the radio. The instructions were clear enough and he had nothing else to add."Yeah, sure."

But he didn't really care what the doctor was planning to do, only what it'd looked like. It was still his job to keep him safe, and a sore shoulder wouldn't kill the man. "Oh, stop your whining. You're going to give me a headache."

Stevens would be able to catch up soon enough, they didn't have much of a head start on her. The senate chamber was only across the plaza and he was only just inside the temple now. At the major's approach, he turned his head in her direction. She explained the situation on her and Crescent's end.

In response to the crystal, if it was the virus, "That would definitely fit into nonphysical weapon. But it could have just as easily been schematics for something else." Of course, what were the odds of that? Not everybody was as off the walls with their work as he was. "I think I'd take the same bet, though." Major Stevens indicated positions. She took the lead, Williams the middle. He nodded and took up the rear as ordered.

She reached in for a control switch with one hand, he saw. With the other, the snake-like sidearm uncoiled and sprang forward.

((Can't do much more with Hughes in back. ))

[Ryn]

<< Smyrna Temple>>

It was almost funny, and David grinned a little bitterly at the lieutenant's response. Oh, but they were going to work together just fine.

"Feeling's mutual, lieutenant." He muttered back about the headache. They were saved by the bell, in this case the arrival of their CO. He nodded in greeting, then took up the position requested and watched her as she tried to light up the corridor. Hmm, was there perhaps electricity ? It was too dark to see any wires or lights on the ceiling, although the wires could've been worked inside the walls, or cleverly hidden. It would be logical since there'd been steam power in the temple. Although it didn't really match the ancient Greek theme, he guessed the goddess hadn't cared for that much.

Ugh. That ribbon device. He sure hoped he would never be on its receiving end. It looked so menacing while activated.

Oh, what. Data crystal ? Well, now that was something David hadn't yet been able to study or work out what it all meant. Still, he did have a question or two.

"Major, if you say some of the goa'uld are plain stupid, then how would they have worked out the Asgard computers' weakness ? Just plain luck, or did they get hired help ?" He figured the Tau'ri weren't the only humanoids with geniuses amongst them.

[DragonGate]

<<Temple of Nemesis, concealed priest's entrance>>

Stevens slid her hand along the wall, before her hand touched a coiled snake set out from the stone. "Bingo!" She twisted the small device and the scones in the niches down the passage lit in quick succession.

"Just in case the priests did leave any booby traps, I'm going to try and trigger anything waiting for us." She glanced back, then folded and holstered her zat, and slid the ribbon on her left hand. Extending her arm, she took a moment to plumb the depths of sci-fi knowledge. "Raise your hand if you've seen 'Cube,' we'd prefer to keep our boots, I assume."

She drew a breath and charged the device close to full and fired a shockwave down the hallway. Nothing shot out from a wall, if there had been traps set they had probably broken from lack of maintenance in the past months. When the dust settled, she answered Williams while she gestured the two men forward and started walking. "Definitely not stupid, most of the species aren't inventors, they're parasites that use what they find or steal, but you can't control a galaxy for thousands of years and be stupid. Hephaeustus, though, he's a Goa'uld Einstein. Almost anything that can't be identified as stolen from X, he probably invented. If anybody could stab a hole in Asgard computer security, I'd bet on that horse."

[Oranos]

<<Smyrna, Temple>>

Robert's head had begun to bob to an unheard tune as he patiently waited. Stevens just needed to find and activate the correct control. And in rapid succession, on down the line, the wall scones came back to life.

Robert looked up, interest fully peaked, as Stevens raised her hand to use the ribbon. The shockwave traveled down the hallway, and when the dust finally settled, he blinked. He knew of the powerful energy blast a hand device could produce, but he'd never actually seen one in action before. And he couldn't help but stop and stare. There were only--what?--a handful of people that could use one.

As Stevens waved the pair to follow and explained, Robert's mind had already switched tracks again. "Hold up a sec. So Heph-" He stopped cold before he could butcher the name. "Whatever his name probably produced the virus. Do we know for sure if the time frame coincides with when the Asgard's computers went on the fritz?"

[Ryn]

<<Smyrna, Temple>>

He didn't raise the hand upon the "Cube"-question. It was not a familiar movie title, and David guessed he might look it up if the base had it in the dvd section.

And oh wow. That was impressive, the ribbon activating the lights. "How's this work then ?" He wondered out loud. "Is it electricity, I see no wires ? Or steam again ?"

As she talked about Hephaestus, David nodded. "Ah. Yes. Makes sense, him being the god of technology and all. If he is their Einstein, then I guess he would be the main culprit we need to look for and if possible defeat... Say, did Nemesis steal his temple by any chance ? With all the fancy things we've found so far.". He figured though that the statue in front of the temple would probably have been a different one, more to represent Heph, and it hadn't looked that way. Although Nemesis could've put up a different one, naturally.

He nodded again at Hughes' question, thinking it valid. "Call him Vulcan, lieutenant, I think that might be easier for you, it is the Roman equivalent of dear ole Heph. And of course, another pop-culture reference.".

[DragonGate]

<<Temple of Nemesis, priest's entrance>>

"Mistress Prima didn't give a time frame, but she came here pretty recently from what I was able to collect from Ak'nar, so the time frame has a rough match to it."

Stevens tapped the coiled snake on the wall. "Electricity, but the generator only powers select parts of the temple. I think just this entrance and her private chambers, at least for straight-out Goa'uld technology. More primitive technology is scattered around. Far as I can remember, this had always been her territory, at least since the Goa'uld were driven off Earth." She shook her head, it was a pity how far backward humans had managed to go during the knights-and-castles times, if Nemesis' memories of Ancient Greece were accurate.

Satisfied that there were no working traps, Stevens stripped the ribbon device from her hand, wiping the back of the crystal's setting and the crystal itself clean with her uniform jacket. "The force should have triggered anything, and I figured I ought to break you guys in to seeing me use one. That was, like, 90% or so."

She walked forward, confident as the smooth stone reflected the light from the wall lamps. Sunlight showed up ahead, Stevens drew a breath as she stepped out of the tunnel. "Come on, the service isn't in session right now."

<Main Sanctuary>

The tunnel's exit was concealed behind a gilt statue, to loyal worshippers, if there were any left, it might look like an appearance from nowhere. Sunlight was coming in and the inner side of the main doors could be seen. To herself, "Now which way was her room?"

Stevens looked back in the tunnel exit. "Fan out, we're looking for the living quarters of Nemesis, her immediate attendants, and the temple priests. That's where we're getting out authentic Greek duds."



_____________________________________
((And adding this because odds are high I'll have to drop out very soon, and the ash cloud in Europe is making departure uncertain. For all I know, I could get a call and be on the plane tomorrow.))

Elsewhere on the planet, a loyal soul had left the main town square and was running into the forest. Lady Hera had gambled that sooner or later, the Tau'ri would return to Smyrna and posted one trustworthy Jaffa. Now he had one mission, to get to the communications sphere where he'd hidden it and send back a report before the Tau'ri left Smyrna. Digging in the roots below a olive tree at the edge of someone's land, he pulled the small box from the ground and removed the gray-brown sphere, dusting it off from where it had been put away for months.

He activated the device and immediately got one of the higher commanders on Olympus, assigned to screen contacts for their queen. "They have returned! I do not know how long they will stay, our lady will have to act fast to take advantage of this and capture Nemesis' former vessel."

On the other end, the tribune, who had been very bored until now, leaned closer to his device. "You're sure of this?"

"Would anyone misidentify that hair, Tribune?"

"Hold your position and don't follow them about, Lady Hera will hear of this immediately and send forces appropiate to the task." The connection was cut abruptly, the Jaffa reburied the communications device under the olive tree and headed back to town at a slower pace than he'd left.

[Ryn]

<<Smyrna -- inside the Temple>>

David stood watching the inside of the Temple, mouth somewhat agape in awe of everything. Wow. Such splendour everywhere. It took a lot of brain power to process this AND the major's explanation AND use of ribbon.

"Service ? Are you saying they still use this place ? For what religion ? And you know, major, I don't think I'll ever get used to that ribbon, that thing is just... well, scary.".

He walked around as he talked, careful not to trip over or touch anything unnecessary.
The lay-out was as expected, a nice big atrium, used for worship. Statues. An altar. ((I think -- or a throne ))

"How about over there ?" He gestured vaguely to a corner, it looked as though it was the entrance to other areas.




((I do hope you'll get the chance to say 'bye', DG *hugs* if not, keep safe!!! ))

[Oranos]

<<Smyrna, Temple>>

What made the doctor think he actually gave a damn? If he had really wanted to know, he would have asked. Robert shook his head. Why did the man need to put in his two cents on everything, and have the nerve to tell him what to say, and butt into his business? The man was more than just a liability, but freakin' annoying, too.

So he was thankful for the major's response. It set him to thinking. And it was sounding more and more like Hephaestus could be their culprit. Hopefully the last pieces would fall into place soon.

Coming out from behind the statue, Hughes had already started to manuever through the temple's main atrium. The view didn't much interest him, not in the same way it did for Williams. "Just another weapon as far as I'm concerned. Doesn't much bother me. A rather impressive display, though."

But he was walking towards an opening and poked his head in. "Do I even want to know what I'm going to have to wear?"



((Yup, we'll miss you. Stay safe and we'll look forward to having you back.))