Stargate SG-1 & Atlantis - Far Horizons (17 page)

“I also believe that the two aliens should be detained until we can determine for certain where they came from and what their agenda is. I’m aware that the male alien saved the lives of two of our citizens, at grave risk to himself, but I’m also aware of the fact that the power consumption of the machine has increased tenfold since the female alien’s arrival and since she started ‘consulting’ with the science institute.”

Carter just stared at the screen in confusion. The rate of increase of the machine’s power consumption was consistent over the past several years. Yes, it had increased since Carter’s arrival, but on the same track it had been on before she started working with Nardah.

There was a vote on all three of Kif’s resolutions. To Carter’s relief, the only one that passed was the independent audit of the machine — which was also the only one of the three that was reasonable. However, she was disheartened to see that the resolutions to detain her and Teal’c and to shut down the machine only lost by one vote each.

That night, both Teal’c and Macri, as well as two other peace officers, showed up to escort them home. At Carter’s questioning look, Teal’c said, “There are crowds gathered in the plaza that sits between this location and Tan Nardah’s dwelling.”

“And the death threats went through the roof after Kif’s idiot speech this morning,” Macri added. “As it is, we’re taking the long way home.”

“What difference does it make?” Nardah asked. “The resolution didn’t pass.”

Carter shook her head. Just because she didn’t like politicians didn’t mean she didn’t recognize their tactics. “It doesn’t matter. The vote was very close, and Kif wouldn’t have made that speech if he didn’t know he would strike a nerve with it. We need to be careful.”

Nardah sighed. “It’s ridiculous, it —”

Macri threw up his hands. “Nardah, someone tried to kill you today!”

Carter’s eyes went wide. “What?”

“Someone sent a bomb here to the science institute. We intercepted it in time, and with Teal’c’s help, we were able to track who delivered it. They’ve been arrested, but the point is,
someone sent a bomb here
. This isn’t just random people being cranky and sending you threatening mail. This is
real
.”

Teal’c said, “The explosive device was also accompanied by a note which specifically said that Major Carter and myself should be put to death for crimes against the city.”

Closing her eyes, Nardah let out a slow, steady breath. “Dammit. All right, Macri, you win. I know you’ve wanted to put a permanent guard on Carter and me, and I’ve resisted, but I’m done with that.”

“With your permission,” Teal’c said, “I would like to volunteer for that duty.”

Macri smiled. “I was already going to ask you to do it.”

Turning to Carter, Nardah said, “I’m afraid I owe you an apology, Carter, and I also need to inform you of something I should have told you about.”

Frowning, Carter asked, “What’s that, Nardah?”

She sighed. “In the sub-basement of the institute, we have a repository of various devices, experiments, and the like. You might be able to modify one or more of them to make that wave modulator you’ve been tinkering with.”

Carter opened her mouth, but Nardah put up both hands and cut her off.

“I know, I know, I should’ve told you sooner, but — well, I thought it was a fool’s errand, and besides, I was being selfish. I didn’t want you to go back to the ring and leave us forever. You’ve been a blessing, Carter, and so’ve you, Teal’c. My brother has never gushed about anyone the way he gushes about you.”

Macri winced. “Nardah…”

“Oh, stop it, Macri, you
have
been gushing. But it’s not fair to either of you.” Nardah went to her desk and took out a keysquare. “This will access the sub-basement. Now I can’t guarantee that you’ll find what you need, but —”

“But I might.” Carter accepted the keysquare. “Thank you, Nardah. And thanks for your honesty.”

“I’m just sorry it didn’t come sooner.”

“Fine,” Macri said impatiently. “Now if we’re done being all emotional, let’s get you two home.”

They did indeed take a more roundabout route home, but when they turned a corner of a side street, there was a huge crowd of about two dozen people armed with various knives, plus one woman with a pistol.

Standing at the center of the crowd was Kif. He appeared unarmed, which Carter unkindly figured was to cover his own ass in case things went badly.

“Please, Officer,” Kif said, “do not stand in the way of justice.”

Macri actually sneered at Kif, a facial expression Carter applauded. “How exactly is mob rule ‘justice,’ Councillor?”

“Your choice is simple, Officer,” Kif said as if Macri hadn’t spoken. “Hand the aliens over to us or accept the consequences of refusing.”

“Well done, Councillor, you just officially threatened a peace officer. You are hereby bound by law.”

It was Kif’s turn to sneer. “Don’t toy with me, Officer. I’m a member of the council, you can’t arrest me.”

“Actually, I can.” Macri unholstered his own weapon and pointed it at Kif. “The articles of law specify no exemptions.”

“How naïve. Put the pistol down, Officer.”

The other two officers also raised their pistols, and Teal’c held up his zat, activating it to the ready position with an electronic click. Carter wished she had her weapon, but consultants to the science institute didn’t generally walk around armed. Her rifle was back at Nardah’s dwelling.

The woman with the pistol also raised hers and aimed it at Teal’c. “Put it down, alien.”

“Congratulations, citizen,” Macri said to the woman, “you too are bound by law along with the councillor. Anyone else want to join them?”

“I haven’t done anything wrong.” The woman snarled. “The articles of law don’t say anything about threatening aliens. Or, for that matter, shooting them.”

She cocked the weapon. Carter immediately dove for cover, grabbing Nardah and pulling her to the ground as well.

Teal’c, though, stood his ground.

Macri cried, “No!” and leapt in front of Teal’c, just as the woman pulled the trigger.

The other two officers also fired, with Teal’c firing the zat.

But Macri blocked Teal’c’s shot, so he went rigid from the zat’s electric shock just as the bullet from the woman’s pistol slammed into his chest.

The woman also fell to the ground, bullet wounds in her chest and head from the other two officers.

Kif immediately turned and ran, and the rest of his mob panicked as well. The street was clear in moments, except for the bodies of Macri and the woman, as well as Nardah, Carter, Teal’c, and the other two officers. One of the latter had a communication device at his throat calling for medical aid.

Teal’c was kneeling with Macri’s body cradled in his arms. “He has no pulse.”

Nardah just stared at Teal’c, seemingly unable to comprehend what Teal’c had just said. “You mean, he’s — he’s dead?”

“Indeed. I am sorry, Tan Nardah. I did not wish for this to happen.”

“It’s — it’s not your fault, Teal’c.” She turned toward the now-empty street where Kif had stood. “I know exactly who to blame, believe me.”

For Carter, it was always a question of multitasking.

This time, though, it was to keep from falling asleep. She had spent days being questioned about the incident on the street, and attending hearings, and testifying in what was referred to as an inquest. However, when she wasn’t actually testifying or answering questions, she was sitting in the gallery. All work save for the barest maintenance had ceased on the machine pending the inquest results.

Carter had been able to go to the sub-basement during one of the recesses and make a quick inventory. Now she was juggling in her head how to kitbash some of the prototypes she found down there to do what her temporal waveform modulator was supposed to do; how they could reconfigure the geothermal taps; what to get Cassandra for her birthday; wondering whether or not O’Neill had gotten to his feet yet; hoping they consulted her notes at the SGC when they installed the beta gate; wondering who created the Replicators in the first place; and wishing that Councillor Ren Ympiz didn’t talk in quite so dull a monotone.

However, Carter did put all the various thoughts aside when Ren announced that the inquest was at an end and a decision had been reached.

“While Councillor Kif’s methods were deplorable, we do not wish to condemn his beliefs solely because he expressed them poorly.”

Carter winced and gave a sad look to Nardah and Xirale. Their brother was dead. That was a lot more than a poor expression of beliefs.

“It is the ruling of this inquest that Kif Mirak be stripped of his councillorship and imprisoned for a period of twelve years. It is the further ruling of this inquest that the audit of the machine will continue and that an observer appointed by the council will look over all work that occurs involving the machine for the next three months and make regular reports to the council. And it is the final ruling of this inquest that Tan Macri died a hero, and will be honored in the plaza, and this day of every year shall be deemed Tan Macri Day in his memory.”

On the one hand, Carter was glad it was over, and glad that Macri was being honored for his sacrifice. On the other, she wasn’t thrilled about the observer.

She was even less thrilled the following morning when the observer arrived. He was one of the council, a man named Ain Anred. He approached Carter and Mardah, and said without preamble, “I just want you to know that I find this entire project a waste of time, and that I voted to have it shut down and to have you and that other awful alien put in chains. Your job is to convince me that I was wrong.”

Carter raised both eyebrows and sighed. “Great.”

The first day was primarily spent explaining what they were doing. Three years of dumbing things down for the other members of SG-1 served Carter in good stead, as Ain had a sub-O’Neill-level of understanding of anything scientific.

And then at the end of it all, he asked, “Why can’t we just shut the blessed thing off?”

“Because,” Nardah said impatiently, “the only reason we’re all still alive right now is because of this machine. If we turn it off, nothing will stop the collision of the tectonic plates and the earthquakes will destroy the city.”

“And you have proof of this?”

“We have mathematical models that conclusively —”

Ain shook his head. “You misunderstand me, Tan Nardah. I’m not speaking of models you made up on your computers. I’m talking about physical proof. Actual real-world proof.”

“Councillor,” Carter said, “if I understand you correctly, the only way you’ll believe that it’ll cause earthquakes if we turn the machine off is if we actually turn it off and we get earthquakes?”

“I believe, alien, that you have summed it up nicely, yes. I would like to propose that you shut the machine off for a day so we can see what it is actually doing.”

Nardah stared at him. “That’s insane.”

“Nonetheless, I think it would go a long way toward proving the machine’s usefulness.”

“So not satisfied with getting my brother killed, you and your fellow imbeciles want
more
dead bodies on your hands?”

Ain put his hands on his hips. “I will not be spoken to this way!”

Carter stepped between the two of them. “It doesn’t matter. With respect, Councillor Ain, you don’t have any authority to give us orders. Your sole purpose is to observe and report your findings to the rest of the council, correct?”

Reluctantly, Ain said, “That is so, yes. But I still think —”

“I don’t care
what
you think,” Nardah said. “Now I’ve answered all your stupid questions. From this point forth, you can just observe. If you have any questions, ask Carter. I’m done talking to you.”

With that, Nardah left the room in a huff.

“Her behavior will go in my report,” Ain muttered to himself.

Carter stared angrily at the councillor. “Her behavior is because she just lost her brother — to a person who used a lot of the same rhetoric you’re using right now.”

“Have a care, alien. Your presence will not be tolerated forever.”

And then Ain followed Nardah out of the office area.

Shaking her head, Carter muttered, “Better not be forever.”

That night, she went back to Macri’s former dwelling, which Xirale and Nardah insisted that Teal’c and Carter use. As a peace officer’s dwelling, it was more secure than most. Even with Kif disgraced, a lot of his attitudes still prevailed, as Carter’s conversation with Ain had proven. Better to be safe.

“Teal’c, I think I may have — what is that on your chin?”

The Jaffa raised an eyebrow.

Then Carter grinned as she realized that over the past few days, he had grown a soul-patch and dyed it blond, just like the peace officers. “You’re growing one of those beard things?”

Nodding, Teal’c said, “Tan Macri died saving my life. I am growing this patch on my soul in order to honor his memory.”

Carter nodded. Then she pulled out her minicomputer. “I think I may have found a way to build my waveform modulator. Apparently, years ago, someone experimented with making a sonic weapon that he wanted to sell to the peace officers. But he never was able to properly weaponize it; he just made a gun that makes a subsonic noise that might give a few people a headache.”

“How does that assist in your endeavor, Major Carter?”

“It’s the delivery system I need. I’ve already got a power source and something I
think
I can convert into a dimensional shifter like the one in the quantum mirror. I should be able to get this together in the next week or so.”

“I am grateful to hear that, Major Carter.”

“Yeah.” She sat down on the couch. “I just hope I still have access to the institute for that long.” Then she told Teal’c about Councillor Ain.

“It would seem that Councillor Kif was not the only opponent to the machine.”

“No. And it’s ridiculous. It’s like those people back on Earth who dismiss evolution saying ‘it’s just a theory.’ A theory isn’t ‘just’ anything, it’s a conclusion based on detailed, hard data that has been gone over with a fine-tooth comb. But the only evidence Ain will accept is an actual disaster!” She shook her head. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to rant.”

“You may rant all you wish, Major Carter.”

She smiled. “Thanks, Teal’c. Truly, I don’t think I’d have gotten through this without you.”

“You would not have been in this situation were it not for me, as it was I who chose to dial this world.”

“True.” She got up from the couch. “I’m going to take a bath.” Another technological invention that had passed by this world was the shower, but they valued baths quite a bit, and tonight, Carter definitely needed one.

Ain observed Nardah and Carter for two months. During those eight weeks, Carter and Nardah managed to find a way to streamline the geothermal taps’ work, and for the first time in years
decrease
the power used by the machine. That, if nothing else, did a great deal to shut Ain up, which made everyone happy. (Except Ain, but few in the science institute were all that concerned with the councillor’s happiness.)