Aberrant: Stargate Universe - Where do we go from here?

[Mr Fox]

Goodbyes were said with the Asgard as well as thank yous. The recriminations for Loki's behavior and hostility were left unsaid in the interest of future relations. He might be a real jerk, but he was still an Asgard and only one voice among them where the vast majority not only liked the humans but appreciated what they had done and felt obligated. This shiny new ship was just one outward sign of that new friendship and obligation.

There was perhaps a sneaking suspicion in Cam's mind that it was being given to them in part because with their new bodies this ship was not really suited to their new stature and physiques. He suspected that all of their ships would be either retrofitted or scrapped before long in favor of newer designs. He barely fit in the Captain's chair and didn't think a heavier man would have. Anyone assigned to command this ship would have to be a small man or in very good shape.

As the rest of the crew got settled Cam set a few safety protocols in the new ships systems. It would take months to adequately understand the Asgard tech but with the ships command codes, or the alien equivalent, it wasn't too hard to do a basic job.

As people started filtering onto the bridge Cam set course for the Milky Way towing their lower tech Earth ship behind them. Seeing that the accommodations on the bridge wouldn't be a comfortable place to chat so he moved everyone down to the galley and took a seat.

"So, I think we all need to talk. I know some of you have concerns with what to do with the Ascension device. I'm concerned too. Now that I can manually operate it at least in the crude way that we can, we could literally make an army of super strong, super tough soldiers, or we could could have it set so that anyone that touched it automatically was cured of cancer. That's a lot of power to put into the hands of anyone ourselves included. It's capable of great good or great evil depending on how it's used."

The group that sat around the tables was unusually grim as he continued, "My first question is who are we to decide? What right do we few have to make this decision for all of humanity? The only answer I have is that it is in our hands, and that makes it our responsibility whether we have a 'right' or not. If we give it over to the IOA and they were to use it for evil purposes we'd indirectly be responsible because we chose to give them the power. On the other hand, who are we few to deny humanity an instant cure for all congenital diseases? What are your thoughts. This is something that can't be decided based on Military structure. We all have a stake in what happens."

[z-Olivia Jenings-Izumi]

"There's no good way to open this up to humanity without breaking with the IOA and the SGC," Olivia pointed out softly. Vinny had been sitting comfortably next to her, but rose and left the room with a snort. Olivia's eyes flicked to watch her boyfriend leave, but she remained, her gaze worried.

"And even if we just use it for disease, sooner or later, it's going to get out that it can do more," she added. "What do we say to those people who could become specialists? Cam's proven that with the ATA treatment, we could have lots of specialists. But are we ready to have forty-eight percent of the population be granted these kind of powers? Even the best person in the world would struggle with these abilities."

Olivia folded her hands on her legs and said, "As much as it pains me to say, maybe we should hide it on Mars or something until we're sure everyone is ready for something like this?"

[Yseult Sierra]

"The device, it would be on Mars for a long time, I am thinking," Yseult proposed. Her expression was stiff with resolve, the effort of holding to her convictions plain. "I am believing the device, it should be destroyed, else, it will prove too much a temptation. This I am knowing. Perhaps, when we are capable of developing such a device ourselves, we may be ready for it. Perhaps."

Yseult crossed her legs, plucking at the skirt her eufiber suit was emulating. She glanced at Olivia with her odd, turquoise eyes, then shared the glance with the rest of the specialists. "And using it just to eliminate disease and genetic defects, in time, it will only cause further problems unless we develop other technologies concurrently."

"As is, Earth is already drastically over populated. If disease is eliminated, especially in areas like Africa and rural India and China, the population will increase explosively. We will not have the capacity to feed them. We will have to improve our sources of energy and agricultural to provide for them. Some of technology we have already gathered would help, if the military would begin sharing it openly, but I still do not believe it would be enough."

"Now, if we begin colonizing other planets, that would relieve the stress. However, with the danger of the Goa'uld, I believe the colonies at the moment would be in danger of being conquered piece meal. We do not have enough ships, as of yet. No, it is as Olivie has said, the greatest danger is the potential abuses powers such as ours could be used for from such a large population. And as long as any of use has access to the device, there is the possibility of it falling into the wrong hands, despite our best precautions."

"Despite everything I may wish to use the device for, and I assure you, there is at least... one thing I am deeply desiring, the best course of action is the destruction of the Ascension Device."

[Ryan Hawke]

He knew Yesult was right, but the thought of allowing diseases like those mentioned rankled mightily. For awhile the Marine Major now stat still and silent.

"It is too nice a package." He frowned.

"It can solve many problems, but will cause many more. A Shadow war has already been fought ever its use once.

"Cast it into the sun, or find some other way to destroy it completely. Even as someone who's greatly benefited from it, twice now, perhaps even as somoeone who's done so, I agree it is simply too much power. We cannot keep it."

[Rorx]

Gywn shrugged, he had already gone through such arguments with himself in the past and there was only one thing left to say now: "It's too dangerous to allow it to fall into the hands of the IOA or more directly to the Goa'uld."

[Mr Fox]

Cam didn't like what he was hearing but deep down he knew they were right. There was a little voice in the back of his mind saying it was just too dangerous, but it was warring with the louder voice that wanted to see genetic diseases ended. His grandmother had died of cancer when he was 8 and it had given him nightmares for nearly a year and the family had nearly fallen apart. It had been traumatic for him to say the least. How could they destroy the device that could eliminate that kind of suffering once and for all?

On the other hand, how could they ensure the device wouldn't be stolen and used for the evil purposes? An entire army of unscrupulous uber-soldiers with loyalty to the IOA instead of the SGC? He shuddered at the thought.

"What about hiding it? If I could study it further, I might be able to figure out how to make a device that could just do the one thing of curing disease without the ability to give people powers."

[Rorx]

Gwyn nods - he had considered this as well, "The problem lies in keeping it hidden and having the time to do the research. In the meantime the IOA and the Gou'ald that control the Trust that is influencing them will be demanding that it is returned and looking for it as well. Are you willing to go against the orders of the SGC command to conceal it for probably months if not years?"

He looks over to Yseult and back to Cam, "With the knowledge and powers you and Yseult have gained I believe you could achieve your goal without the original. Admittedly it will take longer, but it would also be safer and easier to have the time to do the research."

[Ryan Hawke]

"The IOA would find it eventually Colonel. Then we'd be charged with a number of things that would get us all locked up or killed."

"As much as I'd like to see it fix our problem diseases, what if there's still a cost, what if it cannot be perfected? It could give rise to far worse than what already exists."

He isn't particularly happy. "What would happen if our enemies get it? Can you really take that risk?"

[Mr Fox]

Cam frowned and his face became as dead serious as anyone had ever seen him, "I'd keep it out of the IOA's hands at all costs. I'd give my life to keep that from happening. I was thinking of keeping it on the Al'kesh for now. Keep the ship cloaked and parked on the other side of the planet from the base and no one would ever know it was there."

[Mr Fox]

Colonel Cameron Mitchell of the United States Air Force, decorated combat pilot and leader of SG1 knew what he had to do. They were right, the device was too dangerous to fall into enemy hands, whether those enemies were parasitic snake aliens or even slimier members of Earth's own government. It had to be put out of reach, but how could this small group make the decision to destroy something that could be humanities very salvation? The Ascension Device needed to be out of mind otherwise the IOA and eventually the Goa'uld would come after it and would keep coming until they succeeded. That meant Cam was going to have to die. At least as far as the others were concerned and there was only one way he could think of to do it. The SGC and IOA would not be happy and the other specialists would grieve. He snorted. He hoped the others would miss him. Given what he was about to do he wasn't sure if he deserved it; he knew they would not approve if they knew what he planned.

'For the greater good'. It was right, he felt it in his bones, but how many evil men in history had justified their actions with those very words? He shook himself out of his revere and finished programming the Asgard ship systems to plot a course to Earth. None of the others knew enough to pilot the ship and that was a blessing right now, it meant they wouldn't be able to stick around and investigate what was going to happen. He would have chuckled at the thought, but the situation just wasn't funny. He couldn't help but feel like he was betraying his friends. It had to be done, but that didn't bring him any comfort.

Two hours later when the two ships entered the edge of the Milkyway they dropped out of hyperspace into a small uninhabited star system and it was time to put the plan into action. He thumbed the comm, "Ok folks, I'm going to transfer over to the Odyssey and fly her close enough to that sun to transport the device into it. I want you guys to stay here at the edge of the system in case it causes the star to go boom like that time when Carter transported a stargate into one and destroyed Aphophis' fleet." He paused for a minute and then added as if reluctantly, "I've programmed this ship to fly the rest of the way to Earth if we lose contact for any reason."

He wanted badly to say good bye to everyone knowing that it would be years if ever before he saw them again and that even if he did they might not see him as a friend then. He couldn't risk it; he'd avoided everyone since the discussion earlier knowing that their super senses would betray him. They would detect something in his behavior and know he was planning something. With a final sigh he slid the white tear drop stone across the board into position and stepped around the console and was transported in a flash of white light across the distance between the two ships. His first act was to head to the bridge and scan the Odyssey to make sure no one was aboard besides himself. Assured that he was alone he turned the ship and set course for the star. When he was in position he'd be nearly obscured from the Asgard ship's view and their sensors would barely be able to detect him.

****

On the other ship Vinny grumbled and swore and looked at Olivia in the eyes, "Look I'm going to go make sure that ass-tard flyboy gets the job done. You know how I feel about those damn pilots, can't find their ass with both hands, a map, and a guide. Make one a CO on top of that and they really lose it." He grinned and gave Livy a kiss that promised more heat when he returned. "We've still got a couple hours after I get back to ourselves before we have to go give the brass our statements of what went down on the Asgard world in triplicate." Livy would have preferred he stayed and made good use of the rest of their time, but she understood and it would be good for Cam to have someone watching his back, she just wished it was someone other than Vin.

Vinny didn't know jack about the Asgard systems, but he knew how to reset the beam, it had been part of his tactical study of SG1's mission helping Thor defeat the replicators that had invaded his ship. O'Neill was a good general but his lack of technical knowledge had gotten his team in trouble more than once. Vinny didn't like being in charge of a team, but it meant he didn't want to be the reason his team got fragged either. So he had learned at least enough to get himself out of trouble should the situation arise. He flicked the white crystal teardrop away from it's current spot and right back to it, then stepped around to stand in the circle. Like Cam he flicked across to the other ship in an instant, but unlike Cam the ship was nearly out of range by the time Vinny transported.

****

Cam was no longer on the bridge when the alarm went off telling him that he wasn't the only one aboard. "Damn it!" he swore. Whoever it was, it was too late to transport them back, and turning around to take them back would betray his intentions. They would have to stay. He turned back to his preparations and finished arming the Mark V nuclear warhead. It would provide the big bada boom that the folks back aboard the Asgard ship would see as the Odyssey being destroyed by the solar flare. Timing had to be exact, but he wasn't worried about that. What he was worried about was who had transported over. Kyria would be welcome, she had enough of Cam's outlook on things to understand why he was doing it. He hoped it wasn't Yseult though, she'd never be content to stay in hiding with him working on the device, she'd want to go home to her family and he'd have to expose his plans.

****

Vinny wandered the ship looking for the damned flyboy. He hadn't been on the bridge, or with the Asgard core or with the cursed zappin machine. His patience was wearing very thin by the time he found him on the hanger deck with the 302s. The fuck is that ass-tard doing down here? Aloud he said, "The fuck are you doing down here... Sir?" Ass-tard

Cam swore and looked up from the final sequence and hit enter. The Mark IV would launch and detonate only meters from the ship. Or that's the way it would seem, if all went well the ship would be in hyperspace before it detonated. "Damn it Captain! Scared the crap out of me. I thought I was the only one aboard the ship. I told you all to stay on the Asgard ship. This is going to be dangerous." He felt a pang, but in a way he was relieved. Of everyone, Vinny, was his least favorite. If he had to sacrifice one life for the greater good at least it hadn't been Yseult, she had family.

"I'm arming this nuke, 'if you're going to do something do it right' my grandma used to say." Cam gestured at the bomb, "This will make damn sure no one will recover the device."

Vinny thought about that for a sec and gave a grudging nod of approval. Damned flyboy has a point. "You realize there'll be hell to pay for using a naquadah nuke, they'll probably take that shit outta yer paycheck." "Sir." He loved to needle the fucker by barely adding the Sir. So the bastard what he thought of him.

Cam ignored the insult the same way he always did and rather than make him angry it made him sad. He was sure he'd burn for what he was about to do if his grandmother was right about her bible preachin. "Give me a hand will ya. Need to get this into position to launch it. When I beam the device into space I want this thing waiting there with the countdown running. If the sun doesn't destroy it this will."

Vinny moved to the other side of the heavy cart and bent to grab the lifting bar. Cam walked over to the tool chest and put his tools away and walked back as if to take his side. In a single swift motion he pulled the long screwdriver from his belt and shoved it directly through Vinny's back and into his heart. He said in the man's ear as he died, "Damn it, why'd you have to come over here. I would have left and you all would have never heard of me again, not for years at least, but I can't let you stop me. The device is too important, it could be our best hope for the future." It was said quiet but fiercely and the only sound on the hanger deck beside the hum of the force shield holding in the atmosphere was a slight cough as Vinny's heart blood spilled into his left lung and spattered across the face of the nuke's display. Cam eased him down on top of the nuke and checked to make sure he was dead.

It migth be the 'right thing', but he felt like a right bastard. He'd killed people more than once since joining the SGC, but not like this, not with his hands, and not someone who he worked with. Vinny was never exactly a friend, but fuck, this was messed up. It wasn't supposed to happen like this damn it!!!

Without delay he hit the button that launched the nuke and sent the ship hurling itself into hyperspace.

****

On the bridge of Earth's new Asgard ship the crew was gathered to watch the destruction of the device on the display. There was a grainy view of a tiny dark dot on the screen next to the overwhelming orb of the star. Kyria paled as all blood drained from her face and looked to Livy, a hand clasped to her mouth as if to hold in whatever she was about to say. As others on the bridge took notice of her expression a bright flash replaced the Odyssey on the screen and then it was gone.

Kyria lowered her hand and reached out to Livy, "I'm soo sorry. He's gone. Vinny's gone."

[z-Olivia Jenings-Izumi]

Olivia began to think. She couldn't help it, couldn't think the obvious. "Someone needs to stop this ship from jumping," she said quickly. "We have to stay and provide a rescue effort." She started scanning the controls, looking for something she could understand. Why hadn't she learned at least the basics before she needed them!

"Livy-"

"Kyria, please, just find a way to stop the automatic jump," Olivia interrupted.

"He's-"

"Just stop the jump!" Olivia shouted and slammed her hands on the console, her patience breaking at the look in the telepath's eyes. The look that Kyria was giving her was ripping her hope away. She couldn't think that through to the end. She couldn't let herself to where Kyria was trying to lead her.

We were making it work.

She shook off the thought. "Someone stop this damned thing, before it jumps!"

[Yseult Sierra]

Yse shared a look with Kyria over Olivia's shoulder, her own inhuman eyes bright with unshed tears. She gave the unearthly red-head a barely perceptible nod, indicating that she would try, for Olivia's sake, but had little hope of succeeding.

"I- I will be trying, Olivie," She said, stopping to swallow, hesitating before giving Olivia a consoling pat on the shoulder.

"Then try!" Olivia cried.

Yseult flinched, but rushed to the console, mouth tight with the effort of suppressing her own sobs. She didn't know Vincent Wright very well, but he had been in the SGC the entire she had been there. Cameron Mitchell's lost hurt her even more. Though new to the SGC, he had helped her reunite with her husband and children, and now, she could never repay him for that gift.

Hands flying over the console, telekinetic touches reaching to manipulate others, Yseult frowned. Despite being able to read Asgard, with more than a passing familiarity with computer systems and a mind that functioned with blinding speed, she was still unable to stop the automated jump sequence. The Asgard systems were elegantly logical, efficient, but rigid, resistant to being manipulated in unsanctioned ways. The lock Cameron had initiated remained firmly in place.

Yseult's grunt was almost a sob, but she finally managed to find a logic sequence that the computer would accept. With bureaucratic reluctance, the system lock began to unravel.

"The sequence, I am almost having it pau-"

Too late. Space and time seemed to stretch. In an eternal instant, the ship, and all those in it, were compressed into a point of white light.

They jumped.

[Ryan Hawke]

Ryan could do little, and the only thing that came to mind, he'd tried to man one of the stations, but he just didn't know enough to abort the jump. Just prior to the jump, he looked out the veiwport and brought his right hand to his forhead in a final salute to Vinny and Cam. "Godspeed, brothers."

[Rorx]

Gwyn sped from the room at Olivia's request trying to get to Engineering to have a better chance at breaking the lock but he had barely started his attempts when the ship jumped out.

[Mr Fox]

Gwyn and others made futile attempts to stop the ship's jump and return to the star system where their friends had just been lost, but to no avail.

In a very short time the ship dropped out of hyperspace in the Sol system and cloaked before pulling into orbit around the Earth.

[Continued in Aftermath]