Aberrant: Stargate Universe - Area 51: An unexpected arrival

[Mr Fox]

In a large room lined with metal shelves stacked with wooden crates stood an odd shaped stone framed mirror reflecting the dark room. With a flash of light that illuminated the shelves more brightly than the emergency 'Exit' sign the mirror no longer reflected but showed a different scene. Through the mirror showed what seemed like a cross between an alien laboratory and a museum and framed in the mirror blocking most of the view had there been anyone in the dusty room looking at the mirror was a man in a perfect copy of an SGC uniform carrying a P90. He slowly reached up and touched the surface of the mirror and then he was in the room looking back at the place he had been an instant before.

Somewhere in Area 51 alarms began sounding and soldiers in charge of guarding the base from intrusion began scrambling into defensive positions. In the security room where the monitors were showing an image of the newly arrived SG team member through the mirror, guards were talking on radios to other soldiers who began running toward the storage room. Before the newly arrived soldier could find his way to the exit the door slammed open and half a dozen men with guns on high alert were ordering him to drop his weapon and surrender.

[Charlie Cole]

It's gone. Ruined, not just destroyed. Frankly, it sounds a little selfish. But all that I've been through, the point of accomplishing something, it mattered. And now the work is ruined. Earth, my Earth is gone. The team is gone. Not true anymore. That's why I came here, to continue fixing up order. Order that helps, of course.

Disorder, and waste though, I've had plenty of that. The junkyard brought that truth clear as a pond. Still, it's the one I know. But, it's a waste of a soldier to let the Kull Warriors catch up, if any still survive. Forward march.

Charlie strode out towards the exit door of this new reality's Area 51, then stopped still as if the call "Officer on deck" had been made. As the guards ordered him to surrender, he smiled and lowered his P90 to the ground, then hands on his head. Good to see that they were keeping up the watch. He corrected the procedure of one of the soldiers, earning a scowl of indignation.

Then he waited, with all the patience in the world.

[Mr Fox]

Patience wasn't rewarded. In this universe or any other the military was known for hurry up and wait and that was just how the next couple weeks passed for Charlie. Disarmed and rushed out of the storage room to holding cell for dangerous aliens, he was poked and prodded and questioned for days on end. Finally long after patience turned to boredom, the call came down to transport the prisoner. Blindfolded and cuffed (just as a precaution) Charlie spent time in a truck then in a large prop airplane and then more time in a truck. When all was said and done, he easily recognized the SGC upon arrival.

In the briefing room sat General Landry, Colonel Mitchell, Specialist Olivia Jennings-Izumi and another young woman with whom he was unfamiliar. The general spoke to the guards who had transported Charlie, "Take the cuffs off of him."

To Charlie, "Son, I understand you are from an alternate reality." He seemed a little uncomfortable with the words. "Tell us about it."

[Charlie Cole]

As he saw Cam and Livy, Charlie became relaxed and smiled happily. If the Specialists were still around, that would make things- wait Livy?! His smile dropped by half, as he considered this change. If Livy was still around and free, then what about Vinny too? This was disconcerting to say the least.

To drive his mind away, he focused on Landry's question. His smile completely disappeared as he knew what he was about to say. He spoke, pointedly ignoring everyone's surprise at his voice, practically a computer-like monotone.

"Not much different than this reality, it would appear general. Except while myself and the other SGC Specialists were on an off-world mission, Annubis effectively destroyed the planet. The team was hunted down by Kull Warriors, leaving me the sole survivor. I then decided to pass through the quantum mirror to this reality."

[z-Olivia Jenings-Izumi]

The news had been exciting, to say the least. Olivia was curious about this stranger from the mirror, so when she was called in to be part of the interrogation on him, she was thrilled. She was dying to know about this alternate universe.

Olivia's eyebrows rose in surprise, mingled with a touch of horror. She swallowed and glanced at Landry, asking permission to speak. When granted, she asked, "How did Anubis destroy Earth?" She didn't elaborate or expound on why she wanted to know; if their Anubis was planning the same horror, they needed to stop it.

[Charlie Cole]

Charlie closed his eyes in pain. "Not literally, else wise I would not be here, but I do believe I am the last man on Earth from that reality. Not to mention Anubis did his best to turn the world into a wasteland."

[z028 Riley]

The unknown girl watched him with an open and inquisitive attention as he spoke. When he opened his eyes again, though, she looked pale and a little shaken. She nodded to the General and Cam and seemed to hesitate. She didn't say anything else but her eyes were full of sympathy for Charlie when they returned to watching him.

Click to reveal.. (For Fox)

Kyria is confirming his story and also telepathically informing Cam that the man is a Specialist and what his abilities are from her observation of his memories.

[Mr Fox]

Cam spoke, "A little more detail if you please Sgt. We've done some checking and the version of you from this reality was killed at the NID facility. No record was left to explain why. I'm just wondering how you survived it."

[Charlie Cole]

"Ah. That is simple. Just before the Army happened to arrive, I slipped the guards escorting me for a test. I got cornered by a pursuing team in a place rather close to the incinerator. I made it through, but it was a close call. Obviously, that me did not make it."

[z-Olivia Jenings-Izumi]

"Fascinating," Olivia said, her voice managing to convey interest even though she was far more concerned about the weapon that Anubis had used to destroy Earth. "However, I'd like to know a bit more about this weapon," she said tactfully, wondering if he was intentionally drawing it out, or if he was in shock and not thinking clearly. A definite point in his favor was that she didn't see any signs of him lying. "If our Anubis has something like that, we need to remove it yesterday."

She hated having to state the obvious, but she was becoming used to the fact that some people weren't as smart as she was. Gwyn was one who was smarter than her, and she sometimes wondered if he grew irritated with her 'slow' thoughts. It was that understanding that kept her from losing all patience with those with slower faculties, especially non-specialists.

Click to reveal..

Activating Lie Detector, 1 Quantum spent

[Charlie Cole]

Charlie managed to conceal his annoyance at Olivia's insistence on the 'weapon'. Was it him, or did this Izumi seem more annoying then the one he'd known?

"I believe Colonel Mitchell asked me a reasonable question. As for your's, we were off-world for an extended mission. The Kull ambush was the first sign anything was wrong back home. I can't say what kind of weapon, or if Anubis even had one."

Click to reveal..

Charlie has been telling the truth the whole time, including now. Unless I denote otherwise, he will continue to tell the truth.

[z-Olivia Jenings-Izumi]

"So you don't know if it was a weapon, or even if Anubis was responsible," Olivia said, and this time, there was no mistaking the annoyance in her tone. "Perhaps some details about what do you do actually know, instead of supposition about what you believe are in order."

Realizing that she was pushing someone who had no doubt seen some trauma, she sat back in her chair and said, "I don't mean to be harsh, but if there's a similar threat to our universe, you might have the information to stop it. So if you have anything more to tell us, can you please share?" She smiled her best smile, the one she always used when being sincere and forthright.

[Charlie Cole]

"I managed to get one of the Kull Warriors to talk." Charlie snapped. "I know Anubis was responsible, I don't know how he did it. But, if you've performed an-under Anubis' nose mission that would cause great humiliation recently, then you should worry."

Damn, but the smile reminded him of the one she'd had when he found out she'd killed the Sgt.

[z-Olivia Jenings-Izumi]

Olivia retained her smile with effort. "Relax, Sergent, we're on the same side here," she told him. Wishing that she had some of Kyria's social acumen, or that Kyria would use some of that right now, she added, "I think you can understand where my tension comes from. If you'd be a little more clear about that from the start, this would be a bit smoother. I don't want to sit here and grill you; that's not my style, and I'm sure you're probably not in the best place either." Her expression softened with sympathy as she said, "It sounds like you've had a really bad experience. I don't want to make it worse, in any way."

She paused, glanced at the others in the room, and asked, "What was the mission that caused him to strike Earth so severely? And is there anything else we need to know as Earth's defenders?" Hopefully, that would help settle him down; it really didn't have to be like this.

[z028 Riley]

Kyria sighed and switched her mental connection to Cam. *Cam, I think it's best if you take over questioning, or at least interject more. He doesn't know me, and he has reasons to dislike and distrust Livy from things that happened in his reality. Those things didn't happen here, and he has assumed that, but it's still coloring his reaction to her and her questions.*

Aloud Kyria asked, "Do you remember the team that completed this mission or the planet that it was too? That would help in identifying if this reality has that occurance as a commonality. Obviously even if it has, the result has not been identical, but it would be good to know if we should be watching for any increase in troop movements or such here. Also, you said 'embarassment'. Do you know what kind? Personal, political, militaristic?"

[Charlie Cole]

"Planet P3T-2365. Anubis had a major base there, where we performed some sabotage of key targets for the Tok'ra. Turned out, Anubis was visiting, and we pulled it off right under his nose. The brass later learned that Anubis was flipping mad about it. The biggest damage seemed to be to his pride. I think that's made him decide he'd had enough."

[z028 Riley]

"So personal and militaristic," the young woman nodded. "I don't remember that planet designation, and yours might be a little different from ours. Was there a name for the planet or could you describe it more?"

She glanced down at General Landry, "Perhaps we should contact the Tok'ra and make sure that have not decided to pursue something similar on their own recently nor are planning to ask us to perform a similar mission for them? At least not until we have a clearer picture of Anubis' current weapons capability and fleet deployment."

[Mr Fox]

Cam nodded to Kyria's mental suggestion, but before he could speak General Landry interjected, "I think this has already happened here. Shortly before the Specialists were brought into the SGC Anubis showed up in orbit prepared to fire his super weapon at Earth. SG1 foiled his evil plan and we even thought he was destroyed, but he survived. A few weeks later the Russians sent a Russian cosmonaut on the international space station became possessed by Anubis. He managed to get himself reassigned to the SGC and from here escaped through the stargate. Since then he has been rebuilding his powerbase and trying to overcome the other system lords."

Landry looked at the Sgt from another universe, "It seems that according to the report you gave to the people at Area 51 that the Daniel Jackson in your universe did not interfere during the confrontation with Anubis on Abydos. That seems to be the big turning point between our realities."

[Charlie Cole]

"Apparently so sir." Charlie replied. He stopped, looking like he wanted to ask 'what happens now', but not able to ask the question. Then he did so. "With all due respect sir, what happens to me now?"

[Mr Fox]

General Landry gave the young man a serious look, "That's up to you son. You can stay in our reality and join the SGC since the original 'you' is dead, or we will allow you to use the mirror to go back to your own reality."

[Charlie Cole]

The choice was so easy, so obvious, Charlie had planned it out all along. "My Earth's gone. I'm here to stay."

[Mr Fox]

Landry looked at the ladies but neither Olivia or Kyria gave a shake of the head to indicate that Sgt Cole had been lying so he nodded his head decisively. "Good. You'll have to go though the standard evaluation process of course, psych and medical, but I'll start the paperwork."

He looked over to the ladies, "If you don't mind, would you escort the Sgt to the infirmary. I'd like to talk to Colonel Mitchell."

Cam had been about to rise from his seat, but then sat back hearing Landry's words.

[z-Olivia Jenings-Izumi]

Olivia stood, giving Sgt Cole a polite nod. "Sergeant, if you wouldn't mind?" She gestured at the door, letting him lead if he wished. He should know by now whether or not the layout of his SGC was similar, and she wasn't going to assume it wasn't.

Once they were in the hallway, she asked, "So, what are your special skills? The specialist teams are kinda filled up right now, but if you could give us an idea about what you can do, I might be able to guess where they'd assign you. I'm sure they wouldn't put you on a non-specialist team. They've seemed disinclined to have mixed teams so far." She kept her tone light and friendly, hoping to move past his obvious tension at the situation - and her. She remembered the way his smile had slipped when he'd looked at her, and she wondered if they'd been lovers or something. That would be awkward as hell.

[Charlie Cole]

As they walked, Charlie admitted to himself that shaking the memories would be hard, but they had no point in controlling his interactions with Vinny and Olivia. So he managed to smile and be friendly, though his voice was incapable of making tones like it used to.

"After my exposure to the artifact, I gained control over air itself, both manipulation and creation. I have a few primary methods of using my abilities, mostly applicable to combat. There are others that are difficult, but not impossible to achieve, like flying."

[z028 Riley]

Kyria sighed. "Someday, I think, I'll start jumping off of tall buildings until I figure out how to fly. It always looks so....liberating."

She pondered that for a moment, "I could try jumping off the mountain, but after the commotion over the pool I think maybe that would disturb too many of the baseline personnel. This general isn't so...spikey...as General O'neill was, and I'd like to keep it that way." She glanced at Livy, grinning, "I could try it out at the Beta site, though, yes?"

[Charlie Cole]

Charlie shook his head. "Not a good idea, jumping off of buildings. Besides, my version of flying, isn't really flying as much as make the air carry and propel you."

[z028 Riley]

"Were their no novas in your timeline that had a quantum expression that just allowed them to fly?" she asked curiously, tapping her finger against her lower lip as she thought. "It's a fairly common power, usually, though I suppose with the creation of novas through this Ancient artifact, it might be less common than amongst natural novas."

The three of them stepped into the elevator, which was already occupied by two baseline Airmen, members of SG-7 just getting ready to go on leave. The men watched Livy and Kyria, shifting uncomfortably after a few moments in the enclosed space with the two Specialists and trying not to stare.

Kyria seemed oblivious to them and returned to their topic of conversation with Cole, "Can you create air? That would be a very useful ability on exploration missions to environments that are unihabital otherwise, like water worlds. Which reminds me...Livy, would you help me put a request through to go back to that world that the Russians had been exploring? The underwater one with the liform or forms? I'd like to see if there's a true sentience to make contact with, and what it's like if there is."

[Charlie Cole]

"Interesting." Charlie noted. "Anyway, I can create air, but a sizable amount would be.. difficult, I'd say, for something like that. Unless, I trapped you in my air globes and sent in down into the water..."

[z-Olivia Jenings-Izumi]

"Kyria doesn't need to breathe, which is fun," Olivia said, grinning. In the next second, she realized that there were some interesting ways that could be taken and a flush darkened her face. One of Airmen's lips twitched as he suppressed some emotion or statement; it was hard to say what.

"Anyway," she said quickly, "Sgt, can you make something like an air cannon? An explosive burst of air that knocks enemies around?" Olivia was definitely interested in the applications of his powers.

[z028 Riley]

Kyria grinned, entirely unrepentent about the subtext that could be taken from Livy's statement. "I don't need to sleep, either," she teased.

She nodded at Cole, "I was mostly thinking for abandoned ships in space, or other enclosed but leaking spaces. You could be very useful on exploratory mission or in emergencies for those trapped that need to breath."

[Charlie Cole]

Charlie laughed, which sounded quite scaring and mechanical considering the nature of his voice. "You could stay up all night, Specialist Kyria. And yes, Olivia, I have mastered a more singularly targeted blast, but with a little extra effort, it can work like you described."

[z-Olivia Jenings-Izumi]

Olivia raised both eyebrows at Cole's statement to Kyria, but didn't say anything. The red-headed specialist could handle herself, even if another specialist came onto her. "We have the Beta Site where you could practice, if you wished," she said, then added softly, "and if you don't mind, I'd like to borrow your powers sometime. I find it's helpful to practice with something before I have to use it in an emergency, if you're ok with that." She smiled a little. "Some people don't like me to borrow their things, and I can respect that, whether its powers or something else."

[Charlie Cole]

Alarm bells born from memories rang in Charlie's, and even rational logic could not fully shake his fear. "Nnnh-yhhh." he slowly ground out, attracting Kyria and Livy's full attention. Embarrassed, he went for the time-saving method.

"I need to think about that. 'Kay?"

[z-Olivia Jenings-Izumi]

Olivia swallowed a sigh as she wondered just what kind of a beast the other her had been in Cole's universe. Olivia knew that she was capable of dark things, even things that she considered evil. She'd thought about killing Hatchins, once or twice. And she'd thought about rounding up her friends and an assortment of long, unpleasantly shaped objects and showing Hatchins what rape was.

But that wasn't who she choose to be, when the moments of opportunity for that kind of violence arose. She'd discarded those ideas, and lived a happier life for it. She could look herself in the mirror, and once she'd seen Hatchins pay for his crime, she would be content.

"Whoever she was," Olivia said, "I'm not. I know it won't be easy to feel in your heart but it's true. If you ever want to talk about it, I'm available." There was an aura about her of calm; it wasn't the supernatural one. It was just Olivia at something resembling peace.

Click to reveal..

Just to be all official about it-

Olivia's Wits+Rapport: 4 sux

8,9,5,1,7,9,

[Charlie Cole]

Speak and unburden himself. It sounded like honest working advice. Just a little at a time. And.. looking at this Livy, it was plain she wasn't the same.

Charlie exhaled and smiled, the same way he had before seeing Livy the first time. "You're right." he admitted, taking her hand for a moment, before releasing it.

"It wasn't that long ago, you see. And after you went on the run, Vinny snapped. I still remember the stink of those dead Free Jaffa. And the look on his face as I blasted him senseless."

[z-Olivia Jenings-Izumi]

For a second, she gaped at him, her mouth dropping open a little. She recovered before the two airmen did, just as the door opened to the car. She stepped forward and led the two specialists out before she said, "Wow, yeah, I, ah... That doesn't sound like me at all." It didn't sound that far off from the violence that Vinny was capable of, but Olivia didn't want to dwell on that. She also wasn't keen on the idea of her absence sending Vinny over the edge, but to be fair, an old woman crossing his path could set her pugnacious boyfriend over the edge.

The comment about the dead Free Jaffa would stick with her for a long time to come, though.

"So you brought Vinny in?" Olivia queried. She smiled a little. "Now I can't wait to try your powers... when you're ready, of course."

[Charlie Cole]

"Really?" Charlie noted with amusement. "Well, as long as I'm there, I won't mind you practicing. Actually, it should be a joint-workout. That might help my tension."

[z-Olivia Jenings-Izumi]

With his flat monotone, it was hard to read his subtext. Olivia was able to determine that he wasn't flirting, even if his words could be taken as such. Olivia nodded in answer to his first question and admitted, "I didn't have the ability to copy for a while, and I was always a little envious of everyone else getting to play with neat stuff. So when I get the chance to play with something new, it's always exciting." Her eyes sparkled warmly as she stopped at the door to the infirmary. "While you're being checked out, do you want me to set up a hop to the Beta Site to stretch? We can grab anyone else who wants to go and make a party of it."

Olivia had come to enjoy getting away from the SGC and its fishbowl effect. There was something relaxing in being a million miles away from your worries and concerns.

[Charlie Cole]

Charlie's eyes were alight with a soldier's glee at the idea of shedding tension through an exercise. "I was wondering whether that would be permissible or not. Excellent idea."

[OOC: The thread will be opening up for folks now. Just assume Livy get the message out and you can be at the Beta Site.]

[Rorx]

Gwyn had heard of a trip out to the Beta site and was the first to be waiting in the gate room in his fatigues, sunglasses, sidearm and a light daypack with his laptop.