(Last part of "Pandora," see previous post for start.)
Spoiler:
Upstairs, Richard Woolsey is arguing with Chuck (the Atlantis gate technician) about offworld protocol when Col. Sheppard approaches, Mitchell and Vala in tow. John asks if he can start the meeting of the Pegasus races now, and Woolsey says the representatives are already in the briefing room waiting. As they walk by, though, Richard pulls Cameron over and asks how things are going on Earth. News of SG-1's hijacking of the Aurora ("Rogues, Part 1") gave them all great concern, and everyone here is worried about the actions of the UN lately. Mitchell says so far they're in the clear, but no one knows for sure how long this lull will last.
As they enter the briefing room, several familiar faces great Sheppard; Larrin of the Travelers and Ladon of the Genii are here, as promised, but there are also members of the Manaran people, the Athosians, two Satedan survivors, and several other dignitaries from races far more advanced that ordinary Pegasus humans. Sheppard quickly introduces them all to Mitchell and Vala, explaining that they're here as observers and visitors to Atlantis from Earth. The meeting begins and Larrin opens with a request for the Atlanteans to send the Daedalus or Apollo to a certain star system, saying that the Wraith have been raiding a critical trade nexus for many races. She would go herself, but the Traveler governing council cannot spare any warships at the moment, especially not her Aurora-class cruiser.
Sheppard says he'll speak to Col. Caldwell about helping out, but the war with the Wraith is escalating and the ships may be needed elsewhere soon enough. The next querry is raised by Ladon, who says that his people are working on a new type of nuclear bomb that could be used to strike at isolated enemy targets. The bombs should be ready by the year's end, but the Genii will need help getting the weapons to their targets. Suddenly, Mitchell's radio crackles, and Carter shouts for him and Vala to get down to the lab immediately. The two SG-1 members, eyes wide, jump from their chairs, apologize to the delegates and Sheppard, and rush from the room.
They emerge from a transporter on the lab's level and run inside, coming just in time to see a full-size hologram fading, and find that everyone in the room has stunned expressions on their faces. When Vala asks what just happened, Carter can only shake her head and shock and say that they just heard a message from Pandora... and it's not good.
Atlantis: 10,000 Years Ago
Moros and Melia, two of the governors of Atlantis, stand before a great hologram of the Pegasus and Milky Way galaxies, watching a trail of red blips hover in between the galactic void. Melia is in the middle of explaining that they've contacted the Nox back home and confirmed that a group of previously-unknown aliens has begun scouting the area. Lantean patrols have also reported that they've seen ships with similar descriptions, definitely not of Wraith origin. For some reason, an alien power is taking a long look at the two galaxies, but for what purpose?
The door to the room opens, and Pandora enters. She looks slightly older now, and it's clear that a few years have passed since the last time we saw her. She seems more mature and wise, but still has an air of arrogance about her. Glancing at the holo-map, Pandora asks why she was called away from her research, to which Melia only stares at her. After a moment, Moros explains that a new race has made its presence known in both Pegasus and the Milky Way, one that the Ancients have never encountered before. A single Aurora-class ship has been sent to what they think is the heart of the alien fleet to make contact, and it's expected that the vessel will return within the hour with news of what it found. When it comes back, they want Pandora to analyze whatever data it gathered.
At the moment, a PA announcement calls for the two Councilors to report to the control room immediately; the ship is returning, but it's taking fire from Wraith forces that have blockaded Lantea. High above, the ship takes evasive action as over a dozen hive ships and their escorts (in this small section of space alone) bombard its shields with plasma blasts. A stream of drones is released as the Aurora heads for the safety of the cityshield (which has been extended over a massive planetary area to shelter Lantean ships), and two of the hives explode as the missiles rip them to shreds. At last, the cruiser manages to make it through the shield, and it settles down beside the western pier, already extending a walkway so personnel can cross into the city.
In the control room, Moros and Melia, followed by Pandora, open communications with the ship's captain. The Ancient officer, a young man with a scar across his cheek, says that he was forced to make a retreat jump almost as soon as he emerged from hyperspace near the alien armada. There must have been hundreds of ships out there, and untold thousands of fightercraft. Had he hesitated even for a second, his ship would have been destroyed. Even so, though, he managed to get some data off a quick scan, and he transmits it to the control room. When the image of the fleet appears, it is unmistakable; the Der'kal.
Perhaps the most distressing piece of news, though, is which ships are in the image. While some of the alien battlecruisers can be seen, at the foreground rests one of the dreaded superships that have begun to enter the Milky Way in the modern day... and there are far more than one of them.
Atlantis: Present Day
Daniel finishes explaining that they stumbled upon a journal entry by Pandora apparently talking about the Der'kal. The aliens' name was never mentioned, but the description of their ships was unmistakable. Spirits that were so high after cracking her codes were shattered with the revelation that even more powerful cruisers are no doubt on their way to the Milky Way, ones that nearly destroyed an Ancient ship in seconds.
Still, one question remains; why didn't the Der'kal attack Pegasus? And, more interestingly, how did they know it was inhabited? Obviously they saw how weak the Lantean defenses were after years of war, and there's little doubt they could defeat the Wraith, so why did they choose to go elsewhere? Unfortunately, Pandora did not answer that querry, but she did drop a hint as to what, exactly, her "latest" idea was. She had reminded herself to look into the failed Project Arcturus, as it was an interesting springboard for a new weapon she had in mind, one that could utterly devastate the Wraith and this mysterious new enemy foe, should they attack.
McKay guesses that the "new idea" was the Box, and now they have a rough idea of how it must've worked. Somehow, Pandora must have perfected Arcturus and used the vast amount of energy available to her to create a device that could unleash a gargantuan level of power in one shot. If she found a way to channel it correctly, it could concievably be used to shatter planets or break apart entire fleets. But is it really possible that Arcturus could be made to work perfectly? The Ancients and Tau'ri have tried, and both failed in the long run, so how did she do it?
As they talk, Zelenka continues to try and decode Pandora's remaining files. He types in a command to analyze her other firewalls, but suddenly the screen goes black and fills with Ancient writing. The Czech curses and frantically tries to cancel what he did, but it's no good. Carter demands to know what he did, and Radek explains that he must have tripped some fail-safe program in the system; the remaining data is being deleted at an alarming rate!
Sam and McKay try to isolate the files relating to scientific research from the purge, but Pandora's safeguard tears down their firewalls almost as soon as they're up. Within minutes, there's nothing left except a single sentence in Ancient... but neither Daniel nor McKay can translate it just yet, it's encoded.
Some time later, the team reunites in the gate room to return to Earth. McKay and Zelenka have confirmed that there's nothing left of Pandora's files, but they plan on scouring every Ancient base in the galaxy for more information. Somewhere, there has to be some clue, and they will find it. In the meantime, SG-1 will look in the Milky Way for hints as well. Pandora was planning some way to ensure the safety of the Box, and she wasn't the only one involved. And everyone leaves a trail sometime.
As Sheppard and McKay say their good-byes, Teyla and Ronon call for them from above; in the rush, they seem to have forgotten the Pegasus dignitaries, who have been waiting in the conference room for an hour while everyone was concerned with Pandora's lab (apparently Sheppard left, too). The two Atlantis personnel turns and sprint up the stairs, shouting that they'll see SG-1 later, then disappear into the briefing room. And after saying good-bye to Teyla, Ronon, and Woolsey, the team departs for home...
Earth: 10,000 Years Ago
In Antarctica, Pandora and Janus stand overlooking a small Lantean settlement that has emerged around the Atlantus outpost. Most of their people have left Earth, and the few that remain will soon either ascend or leave themselves, but for now, they do their best to survive. Janus says that he convinced Moros and the Coucnil that Pandora had left as soon as she arrived back on Earth, thus throwing off suspicion that she stayed behind to finish her research. His old pupil thanks him, explaining that everything in Pegasus is ready for when it's needed.
Meanwhile, Janus says he'll get back to his own work. He already has another time jumper under construction, and he'll begin scouting the timeline for the exact period when the Box will be most needed. When he finally figures it out, he'll come back for her, and together they can find a way to give it to those that will need it. And with that, after one last good-bye, Janus steps through the stargate and leaves.
Years pass, centuries even, and Pandora eventually moves to Greece, where she retells the legend of Atlantis to a group of young men. And in a moment of weakness, the now-aged Lantean reminisces about her Box, and all the possible evils it contained... and yet also hope for the people that it might one day save.
That evening, after all her guests have left, Pandora looks to the sky and asks why Janus never returned for her, and why the time never came for them to head into the future together... and then, quite suddenly, she stumbles and falls, her breathing ragged. With one last glance at the door of her home, facing out toward the stars, the greatest mind of the Ancient race dies.
As the view pulls out of the house and up into the night sky, a brief flash of white light can be seen... but is it ascension, or something else? Perhaps no one will ever know, but at least there is the legend of Pandora's Box to carry on her legacy, right up to the day when it could fufill its creator's dreams and, finally, save the galaxy.
As they enter the briefing room, several familiar faces great Sheppard; Larrin of the Travelers and Ladon of the Genii are here, as promised, but there are also members of the Manaran people, the Athosians, two Satedan survivors, and several other dignitaries from races far more advanced that ordinary Pegasus humans. Sheppard quickly introduces them all to Mitchell and Vala, explaining that they're here as observers and visitors to Atlantis from Earth. The meeting begins and Larrin opens with a request for the Atlanteans to send the Daedalus or Apollo to a certain star system, saying that the Wraith have been raiding a critical trade nexus for many races. She would go herself, but the Traveler governing council cannot spare any warships at the moment, especially not her Aurora-class cruiser.
Sheppard says he'll speak to Col. Caldwell about helping out, but the war with the Wraith is escalating and the ships may be needed elsewhere soon enough. The next querry is raised by Ladon, who says that his people are working on a new type of nuclear bomb that could be used to strike at isolated enemy targets. The bombs should be ready by the year's end, but the Genii will need help getting the weapons to their targets. Suddenly, Mitchell's radio crackles, and Carter shouts for him and Vala to get down to the lab immediately. The two SG-1 members, eyes wide, jump from their chairs, apologize to the delegates and Sheppard, and rush from the room.
They emerge from a transporter on the lab's level and run inside, coming just in time to see a full-size hologram fading, and find that everyone in the room has stunned expressions on their faces. When Vala asks what just happened, Carter can only shake her head and shock and say that they just heard a message from Pandora... and it's not good.
Atlantis: 10,000 Years Ago
Moros and Melia, two of the governors of Atlantis, stand before a great hologram of the Pegasus and Milky Way galaxies, watching a trail of red blips hover in between the galactic void. Melia is in the middle of explaining that they've contacted the Nox back home and confirmed that a group of previously-unknown aliens has begun scouting the area. Lantean patrols have also reported that they've seen ships with similar descriptions, definitely not of Wraith origin. For some reason, an alien power is taking a long look at the two galaxies, but for what purpose?
The door to the room opens, and Pandora enters. She looks slightly older now, and it's clear that a few years have passed since the last time we saw her. She seems more mature and wise, but still has an air of arrogance about her. Glancing at the holo-map, Pandora asks why she was called away from her research, to which Melia only stares at her. After a moment, Moros explains that a new race has made its presence known in both Pegasus and the Milky Way, one that the Ancients have never encountered before. A single Aurora-class ship has been sent to what they think is the heart of the alien fleet to make contact, and it's expected that the vessel will return within the hour with news of what it found. When it comes back, they want Pandora to analyze whatever data it gathered.
At the moment, a PA announcement calls for the two Councilors to report to the control room immediately; the ship is returning, but it's taking fire from Wraith forces that have blockaded Lantea. High above, the ship takes evasive action as over a dozen hive ships and their escorts (in this small section of space alone) bombard its shields with plasma blasts. A stream of drones is released as the Aurora heads for the safety of the cityshield (which has been extended over a massive planetary area to shelter Lantean ships), and two of the hives explode as the missiles rip them to shreds. At last, the cruiser manages to make it through the shield, and it settles down beside the western pier, already extending a walkway so personnel can cross into the city.
In the control room, Moros and Melia, followed by Pandora, open communications with the ship's captain. The Ancient officer, a young man with a scar across his cheek, says that he was forced to make a retreat jump almost as soon as he emerged from hyperspace near the alien armada. There must have been hundreds of ships out there, and untold thousands of fightercraft. Had he hesitated even for a second, his ship would have been destroyed. Even so, though, he managed to get some data off a quick scan, and he transmits it to the control room. When the image of the fleet appears, it is unmistakable; the Der'kal.
Perhaps the most distressing piece of news, though, is which ships are in the image. While some of the alien battlecruisers can be seen, at the foreground rests one of the dreaded superships that have begun to enter the Milky Way in the modern day... and there are far more than one of them.
Atlantis: Present Day
Daniel finishes explaining that they stumbled upon a journal entry by Pandora apparently talking about the Der'kal. The aliens' name was never mentioned, but the description of their ships was unmistakable. Spirits that were so high after cracking her codes were shattered with the revelation that even more powerful cruisers are no doubt on their way to the Milky Way, ones that nearly destroyed an Ancient ship in seconds.
Still, one question remains; why didn't the Der'kal attack Pegasus? And, more interestingly, how did they know it was inhabited? Obviously they saw how weak the Lantean defenses were after years of war, and there's little doubt they could defeat the Wraith, so why did they choose to go elsewhere? Unfortunately, Pandora did not answer that querry, but she did drop a hint as to what, exactly, her "latest" idea was. She had reminded herself to look into the failed Project Arcturus, as it was an interesting springboard for a new weapon she had in mind, one that could utterly devastate the Wraith and this mysterious new enemy foe, should they attack.
McKay guesses that the "new idea" was the Box, and now they have a rough idea of how it must've worked. Somehow, Pandora must have perfected Arcturus and used the vast amount of energy available to her to create a device that could unleash a gargantuan level of power in one shot. If she found a way to channel it correctly, it could concievably be used to shatter planets or break apart entire fleets. But is it really possible that Arcturus could be made to work perfectly? The Ancients and Tau'ri have tried, and both failed in the long run, so how did she do it?
As they talk, Zelenka continues to try and decode Pandora's remaining files. He types in a command to analyze her other firewalls, but suddenly the screen goes black and fills with Ancient writing. The Czech curses and frantically tries to cancel what he did, but it's no good. Carter demands to know what he did, and Radek explains that he must have tripped some fail-safe program in the system; the remaining data is being deleted at an alarming rate!
Sam and McKay try to isolate the files relating to scientific research from the purge, but Pandora's safeguard tears down their firewalls almost as soon as they're up. Within minutes, there's nothing left except a single sentence in Ancient... but neither Daniel nor McKay can translate it just yet, it's encoded.
Some time later, the team reunites in the gate room to return to Earth. McKay and Zelenka have confirmed that there's nothing left of Pandora's files, but they plan on scouring every Ancient base in the galaxy for more information. Somewhere, there has to be some clue, and they will find it. In the meantime, SG-1 will look in the Milky Way for hints as well. Pandora was planning some way to ensure the safety of the Box, and she wasn't the only one involved. And everyone leaves a trail sometime.
As Sheppard and McKay say their good-byes, Teyla and Ronon call for them from above; in the rush, they seem to have forgotten the Pegasus dignitaries, who have been waiting in the conference room for an hour while everyone was concerned with Pandora's lab (apparently Sheppard left, too). The two Atlantis personnel turns and sprint up the stairs, shouting that they'll see SG-1 later, then disappear into the briefing room. And after saying good-bye to Teyla, Ronon, and Woolsey, the team departs for home...
Earth: 10,000 Years Ago
In Antarctica, Pandora and Janus stand overlooking a small Lantean settlement that has emerged around the Atlantus outpost. Most of their people have left Earth, and the few that remain will soon either ascend or leave themselves, but for now, they do their best to survive. Janus says that he convinced Moros and the Coucnil that Pandora had left as soon as she arrived back on Earth, thus throwing off suspicion that she stayed behind to finish her research. His old pupil thanks him, explaining that everything in Pegasus is ready for when it's needed.
Meanwhile, Janus says he'll get back to his own work. He already has another time jumper under construction, and he'll begin scouting the timeline for the exact period when the Box will be most needed. When he finally figures it out, he'll come back for her, and together they can find a way to give it to those that will need it. And with that, after one last good-bye, Janus steps through the stargate and leaves.
Years pass, centuries even, and Pandora eventually moves to Greece, where she retells the legend of Atlantis to a group of young men. And in a moment of weakness, the now-aged Lantean reminisces about her Box, and all the possible evils it contained... and yet also hope for the people that it might one day save.
That evening, after all her guests have left, Pandora looks to the sky and asks why Janus never returned for her, and why the time never came for them to head into the future together... and then, quite suddenly, she stumbles and falls, her breathing ragged. With one last glance at the door of her home, facing out toward the stars, the greatest mind of the Ancient race dies.
As the view pulls out of the house and up into the night sky, a brief flash of white light can be seen... but is it ascension, or something else? Perhaps no one will ever know, but at least there is the legend of Pandora's Box to carry on her legacy, right up to the day when it could fufill its creator's dreams and, finally, save the galaxy.
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