Post by mal on Feb 20, 2018 18:30:21 GMT -5
Maxwell Edison
(Solo - Pilot)
Edison stood a long time under the scalding hot shower at Alternity HQ. He'd been solo for many months on Abydos. He'd recovered the bodies of the local soldiers or Jaffa as they were called. They were the personal enforcers of the local "god' who actually called himself Ra. And, truth be told, the people were very like the ancient Egyptians. Edison was a bit of an expert, and had infiltrated more then a few middle eastern terror cells successfullly in his time in military intelligence.
Everyone always said CIA, but it was actually another branch entirely.
Then he'd been recruited by this outfit called Alternity. A quasi corporate quasi military company which he learned had discovered an ancient relic capable of teleporting across the galaxy. How foolish they'd been on their first attempt to use the device. They'd sent probes through and saw the inside of a dusty temple filled with riches. It was assumed to be another device elsewhere on earth, presumably egypt judging by the relics. Eager for the riches, and indeed to recover the second device, they'd sent first robotic probes then test animals through without harm. If they could recover the second device they'd be able to teleport from one side of the planet to the other. The profits could be beyond measuring if they mastered the technology.
And so, Edison and a team of specialist had been called in. Equipped with Satelite phones, gear and of course weapons (The middle east could be a challenging place), they went through. And discovered the gate had sent them not across the planet, but across the galaxy. Another planet. However, this planet was not uninhabited. A local population lived there, seeming to be a stagnated ancient Egyptian culture, copper or bronze age. Edison still remembered his amazement at being able to fluently speak the native language ... apparently an effect of the gate. The "Stargate". The prospective fortunes they had expected just became infinitely more vast. This was an entire new WORLD!
However, there was a fly in the ointment. The peaceful natives were ruled by a being calling himself Ra, after the ancient Egyptian god. Hell, he claimed to BE the ancient Egyptian god. And this Ra, and his personal soldiers were NOT stagnated in their technology. No, they were well in advance of Earth's and Edison had barely survived an encounter with the soldiers, who were as surprised at the Earthlings weapons as the Earthling were surprised at their own. Edison and his three surviving teammates hid the soldiers' bodies and carried their fallen comrades bodies BACK to the temple and gated back home, battered and beaten.
No reprisals came, and Alternity hesitantly reopened the wormhole. The temple was as they had left it. Of course they had not come here. The temple had been SEALED from the inside. Easy enough to leave from but like a fire exit, one could not return. Without propping the door, of course. As they'd done, sealing it again when they'd returned. Alternity's green eventually overcame it's caution and they sent one man back to investigate. Him. Mixing again with the locals, this time having pigmented his skin to blend it, Maxwell gathered information again. This time leary and respectful of the soldiers, whom he learned were called Jaffa. Ra's Jaffa had instigated a hunt in the city for their missing comrades, and hundreds of locals had been tortured or killed.
Edison discretely recovered the Jaffa's bodies and brought them back to the temple, sending them and their impressive gear back to Alternity. Then he again merged with the locals, taking the identity of a traveller from a distant city come to trade silver for silks, claiming to want only small samples to relay home with a possibility of large purchases later. He managed to ingratiate himself with a local family and overheard the son complaining about the Jaffa and their murderous ways. Edison, away from the parent, spoke to the lad and endorsed his complaints. The boy, surprised at the approval, introduced him to some friends. They in turn introduced others and he eventually was invited to what he realized was a resistance meeting.
But, things can never go smoothly. The Jaffa raided the meeting, and the boy was killed. Edison had escaped with the help of a young woman and she took him to hid in yet another ancient temple hidden in the abandoned mines. Ra had the people mining for something called Naquada. Whatever that was. This mine had long played out. However, the girl's ancestors had stumbled on the temple while mining, and realized it was NOT dedicated to Ra. They reburied the temple, leaving only a tiny crawl space to enter, and the place became a family secret. And good hiding place during Ra's occassional purges. (Apparently Ra was hundreds of years old.
Not likely. But it was entirely feasible that generation after generation used the name to inspire fear.)
It was in the temple, which revealed itself to a burial chamber, with statues, urns of ashes and wall carvings. He even recovered a strange disc of an odd metal.
Naquada, perhaps? Back to the point, nearly a week was spent in the chamber, and when they eventually emerged, blinking in the harsh light of the dawn, Edison bid her goodbye and returned to the temple. Exhausted, and smelling fiercely bad he assumed, he returned to Alternity, made his reports and took a period of R&R, visiting the graves of his fallen teammates then returning to base to await his next assignment.
He assumed they'd eventually call him when needed. After the science nerds were done playing with the toys they'd brought back. And he was not disappointed.
"Commander Edison?"
He turned, looking out at the man from under the scalding steam.
"Yes, Sargeant?" They used ranks here, even though it wasn't pure military. But it was a good way to define command structure.
"Sir, the Director wants to see you. Immediately."
Edison nodded.
"Thank you Sergeant. Five minutes, or less."
"Yes, sir."
The young man left. Maxwell liked him. He'd been recruited after being discharged from the army. Striking an officer. And reports said justifiably. Gutsy. He toweled off and dressed, Military boots, jeans, and a t-shirt. No, it wasn't military here. Only the ID badge clipped to his belt showed his rank. Must like when he was in MI. A short walk and a few man trap doors later, and he was in the Director's office. Or almost there. He was diverted by the secretary to the adjoining conference room. He walked in and saw the Director, and a gaggle of tech nerds. Actually, he shouldn't call them that. Didn't he himself have a dual degree in advanced electronics and computer programming?
"Director."
The director nodded, and gestured to a chair.
"Have a seat, Edison. Again, good work in the field. I hope you're happy with your bonus?"
He nodded.
"As long as you remember I have a profit share agreement also."
The director laughed.
"Of course. Please ... sit"
(Solo - Pilot)
Edison stood a long time under the scalding hot shower at Alternity HQ. He'd been solo for many months on Abydos. He'd recovered the bodies of the local soldiers or Jaffa as they were called. They were the personal enforcers of the local "god' who actually called himself Ra. And, truth be told, the people were very like the ancient Egyptians. Edison was a bit of an expert, and had infiltrated more then a few middle eastern terror cells successfullly in his time in military intelligence.
Everyone always said CIA, but it was actually another branch entirely.
Then he'd been recruited by this outfit called Alternity. A quasi corporate quasi military company which he learned had discovered an ancient relic capable of teleporting across the galaxy. How foolish they'd been on their first attempt to use the device. They'd sent probes through and saw the inside of a dusty temple filled with riches. It was assumed to be another device elsewhere on earth, presumably egypt judging by the relics. Eager for the riches, and indeed to recover the second device, they'd sent first robotic probes then test animals through without harm. If they could recover the second device they'd be able to teleport from one side of the planet to the other. The profits could be beyond measuring if they mastered the technology.
And so, Edison and a team of specialist had been called in. Equipped with Satelite phones, gear and of course weapons (The middle east could be a challenging place), they went through. And discovered the gate had sent them not across the planet, but across the galaxy. Another planet. However, this planet was not uninhabited. A local population lived there, seeming to be a stagnated ancient Egyptian culture, copper or bronze age. Edison still remembered his amazement at being able to fluently speak the native language ... apparently an effect of the gate. The "Stargate". The prospective fortunes they had expected just became infinitely more vast. This was an entire new WORLD!
However, there was a fly in the ointment. The peaceful natives were ruled by a being calling himself Ra, after the ancient Egyptian god. Hell, he claimed to BE the ancient Egyptian god. And this Ra, and his personal soldiers were NOT stagnated in their technology. No, they were well in advance of Earth's and Edison had barely survived an encounter with the soldiers, who were as surprised at the Earthlings weapons as the Earthling were surprised at their own. Edison and his three surviving teammates hid the soldiers' bodies and carried their fallen comrades bodies BACK to the temple and gated back home, battered and beaten.
No reprisals came, and Alternity hesitantly reopened the wormhole. The temple was as they had left it. Of course they had not come here. The temple had been SEALED from the inside. Easy enough to leave from but like a fire exit, one could not return. Without propping the door, of course. As they'd done, sealing it again when they'd returned. Alternity's green eventually overcame it's caution and they sent one man back to investigate. Him. Mixing again with the locals, this time having pigmented his skin to blend it, Maxwell gathered information again. This time leary and respectful of the soldiers, whom he learned were called Jaffa. Ra's Jaffa had instigated a hunt in the city for their missing comrades, and hundreds of locals had been tortured or killed.
Edison discretely recovered the Jaffa's bodies and brought them back to the temple, sending them and their impressive gear back to Alternity. Then he again merged with the locals, taking the identity of a traveller from a distant city come to trade silver for silks, claiming to want only small samples to relay home with a possibility of large purchases later. He managed to ingratiate himself with a local family and overheard the son complaining about the Jaffa and their murderous ways. Edison, away from the parent, spoke to the lad and endorsed his complaints. The boy, surprised at the approval, introduced him to some friends. They in turn introduced others and he eventually was invited to what he realized was a resistance meeting.
But, things can never go smoothly. The Jaffa raided the meeting, and the boy was killed. Edison had escaped with the help of a young woman and she took him to hid in yet another ancient temple hidden in the abandoned mines. Ra had the people mining for something called Naquada. Whatever that was. This mine had long played out. However, the girl's ancestors had stumbled on the temple while mining, and realized it was NOT dedicated to Ra. They reburied the temple, leaving only a tiny crawl space to enter, and the place became a family secret. And good hiding place during Ra's occassional purges. (Apparently Ra was hundreds of years old.
Not likely. But it was entirely feasible that generation after generation used the name to inspire fear.)
It was in the temple, which revealed itself to a burial chamber, with statues, urns of ashes and wall carvings. He even recovered a strange disc of an odd metal.
Naquada, perhaps? Back to the point, nearly a week was spent in the chamber, and when they eventually emerged, blinking in the harsh light of the dawn, Edison bid her goodbye and returned to the temple. Exhausted, and smelling fiercely bad he assumed, he returned to Alternity, made his reports and took a period of R&R, visiting the graves of his fallen teammates then returning to base to await his next assignment.
He assumed they'd eventually call him when needed. After the science nerds were done playing with the toys they'd brought back. And he was not disappointed.
"Commander Edison?"
He turned, looking out at the man from under the scalding steam.
"Yes, Sargeant?" They used ranks here, even though it wasn't pure military. But it was a good way to define command structure.
"Sir, the Director wants to see you. Immediately."
Edison nodded.
"Thank you Sergeant. Five minutes, or less."
"Yes, sir."
The young man left. Maxwell liked him. He'd been recruited after being discharged from the army. Striking an officer. And reports said justifiably. Gutsy. He toweled off and dressed, Military boots, jeans, and a t-shirt. No, it wasn't military here. Only the ID badge clipped to his belt showed his rank. Must like when he was in MI. A short walk and a few man trap doors later, and he was in the Director's office. Or almost there. He was diverted by the secretary to the adjoining conference room. He walked in and saw the Director, and a gaggle of tech nerds. Actually, he shouldn't call them that. Didn't he himself have a dual degree in advanced electronics and computer programming?
"Director."
The director nodded, and gestured to a chair.
"Have a seat, Edison. Again, good work in the field. I hope you're happy with your bonus?"
He nodded.
"As long as you remember I have a profit share agreement also."
The director laughed.
"Of course. Please ... sit"