Odyssey, Asgard, Core Room, twenty minutes to Earth Orbit.
While Colonel Carter and the other humans were talking with the ESD personnel, Thor and some of the Asgard were examining their alternate history stored in the Core. Thor examined the files, after asking permission from Colonel Carter and General Landry, on the progress that his alternate self had made with the Asgard Science Council on a possible cure to their genetic despise.
And the results were disheartening for the grey alien.
Mumbling in his own language at the sheer hopelessness of it all, he turned to Adun who had called out to him from a console. Leaving behind the console as the Asgard written script faded from the screen in front of him, Thor walked towards Adun and asked him if he had found something useful.
"Not as such as it concerns our situation, Thor," Adun said motioning towards a console where a screen showed them the current readings on the Asgard power source within the core, "do you see?"
"The Core is emanating a subspace signal," said Thor tilting his head, "it is possible for this ship to be tracked via subspace by any race that has the technology required to detect this faint power emanation."
"The Humans from the alternate reality have already professed to fighting against the Ori," said Adun, "they possess a similar level of technology, from what I have read from the ship's logs, as the Ancients. It is very possible that they would have the sensors to track this vessel, even though hyperspace."
"Our people trusted them enough to hand their entire history, knowledge, and technology to the humans," said Thor while looking at the screen, and then at Adun, "we must find a way to block these subspace emanations."
"I may have a way, Thor… but we require the repair facilities on Orilla."
"In other words we may be able to help only once the Replicator threat has been adequately been taken care of," added Thor.
"Indeed," said Adun before Thor added that he agreed. It was then that the both of them were called up by another Asgard looking up at a screen. Thor and Adun walked up to the alien, and then looked up at the data collected by the ship's sensors in regards to what happened to make the Odyssey appear in this reality. The both of them looked at the screen where the data was flowing from one side to another while the Asgard who called them was expanding what he believed happened to the Odyssey based on the readings on the screen.
"I will notify, General Landry," said Thor nodding his head once the Asgard scientist had finished talking, "there is a way to get them to their reality, but it can only be done once the replicators have been taken care of."
"Thor, Adun," said another Asgard manning another console, "I have found something."
The two aliens walked towards the Asgard who had just called for them, as a holographic version of an Asgard DNA sequence popped up from a console. Thor and the others looked up, and their eyes widened at the various lines that were pointing to the DNA strands, with words in the Asgard language at the end of the lines; all of them were in red signifying an unsuccessful attempt at repairing the genetic code.
"They believed that the Ancient gene was the key," said Adun.
"As do we," added Thor before looking at Adun, and then at the hologram, "but they have gone several steps further. They have performed simulations on the reaction between the Ancient gene and the gene sequences of several other races. We have only just begun these simulations… at least only a third of them."
"From what this data shows," said Adun, "the alternate versions of our kind have failed."
"They have not simulated the interaction between the Ancient and Furling genetic code," said Thor pointing at a white coloured script that translated as 'Ancient/Furling: Unknown', "however, the Furlings have left this galaxy for parts unknown. We are unable to acquire their genetic code, and…"
"General Landry has indicated that there is an entity on Earth that emanated a Furling power source," said Adun, "if this being Is capable of bringing us to any living Furling, we could ask for their help in providing us with a DNA sample."
"Perhaps, I will speak to General Landry, but all of this has to wait until we have defeated the replicators," said Thor nodding his head just as Colonel Carter rushed into the Core room, and told Thor and the others that they were ten minutes away from Earth. Thor then stepped forward and asked Colonel Carter that he would like to talk to General Landry; that he had important information her needed to share with her and the General.
"Sure," said the Colonel motioning towards the hallway beyond the Core room, "he's at the Bridge."
Thor then nodded his head, and the two of them headed out through into the hallway.
Cheyenne Mountain Complex, two hours after rescue of the Asgard, Earth.
Elizabeth Lanford was in the primary control room at the underground bunker at Cheyenne Mountain looking at all the screens in front of her with her arms crossed over her chest. She was staring at the level of destruction that was levelled against the planet by the Harvester ship, and wondered how they were going to rebuild their lives again. Shaking her head, she pushed that thought aside and told herself that it wasn't a matter of how they were going to recover… it was a matter of needing to recover. The Earth had to rebuild again because she was very certain that the Harvesters were going to return and finish the job.
At least that is what her Secretary of Defence, who she chastised following the return from the Odyssey, said together with her Chief of Staff, and the Joint Chiefs. She had already asked for an update on the spherical alien being, who, she was told, was providing them with information on the state of the war against the Harvesters; as well as the offer of powerful, advanced technologies that would give Earth an advantage over the alien beings. She had heard from Dr. Okun in Area 51 that the Harvesters had destroyed many worlds, and that the alien Spherical ship intercepted a message from one of the downed Harvester ships on Earth that had reached the massive Harvester vessel that had just attacked them. After the message was intercepted, the spherical being then left the planet where an army of refugees from various destroyed worlds were being kept safe, to come to Earth and warn the population about the danger.
The President closed her eyes and shook her head upon recalling her order - that the white coloured, spherical ship be shot down once it made its way above the moon base. Dr. Okun had already told her that the artificial intelligence in the sphere understood why it was shot down and that it seemed to express surprise when told that the Harvester Queen's ship was destroyed by another party.
'I haven't told it anything, like you asked, Miss President," said Dr. Okun when Lanford talk to him thirty minutes ago, "it's still asking about what happened though, and if we could get the help of this new party to help the people on the refugee planet fight back against the Harvesters."
"We will need to hold off on an answer to that question," said Lanford before Dr. Okun nodded his head, and told her that he was getting back to talking with the Sphere.
Back in the present time, Lanford looked up at another screen which stated that the preliminary death toll so far approximately 1.5 billion people, with millions of others injured. She looked at another screen which showed various emergency crews getting to a nuclear power plant that was about to go critical in a few minutes… she had heard that the crews were doing everything they could to prevent a meltdown. There were more meltdowns taking place in various parts of the Easter part of the nation, all in areas were the 'legs' of the ship had landed, and in Europe. Rubbing her forehead as personnel ran around her, the President knew she was looking at an even worse global catastrophe. She was aware that that they had been using reverse engineered power generators on a trial basis as back-up generators for civilian use, while the majority of the Harvester technology was being co-opted into the military – it was all for facing another attack such as this.
But they had failed.
With a fear that the power grid on the East Coast was in the verse of collapsing, the President had already ordered that generators be activated at hospitals and airports. She had sent in the National Guard in various areas to help local police departments prevent incidents of looting that were being reported.
All in all, Lanford was having one lousy day as one problem after another presented themselves.
Suddenly, there was a buzzing sound behind her, followed by a flash of light as she turned around to find President Whitmore and General Adams standing in the middle of the room… with all of the military personnel aiming their weapons at the two nearly immediately.
"Easy, Easy," said the President waving her arms at the military personnel around them. Nearly immediately, everyone put their weapons down while the former President and General Adams nodded their heads and took a few steps forward.
"President Lanford," said General Adams, "the Odyssey's in orbit and… well… one of the Asgard would like to talk to you."
"To me?" asked the President.
"He would like to know if I.. well.. we speak for the entire planet, Elizabeth," said the former President, "that's why we're here. I don't know if you want the Council to put a word in on this, or…"
"The others are occupied with their own problems," said Lanford, "but they know what's going on. But we have a bigger problem now… some of our nuclear plants are…."
"Ma'am?" said another officer who was monitoring a screen. The President turned around to find flashes of light next to various reporters as the clean-up crew from the nuclear power plants in danger of melting down, appeared out of thin air, their faces etched with surprise before the buildings behind them vanished in one flash of light after another.
"That's the other thing, Elizabeth," said Whitmore as the surprised Lanford turn towards him, before she could even ask another question, as he put his hands into his pockets, "the Odyssey sensors showed the badly damaged power plants- the ones in danger of melting down, and they were preparing to beam them out into space."
"They can do that?" asked the Secretary of Defence.
"Apparently they've done it before," said the General, "beamed out an entire building containing a bomb.. or I think they said the building was a bomb. Anyway, ma'am, I suggest securing the plants that haven't gone critical yet."
"Do it," said the President as she turned to one of her cabinet members who shuffled away before she turned back to the General and President Whitmore, "we can use some of the alien generators for hospitals and airports, at least for now."
"The Asgard representative is waiting for your approval to beam down, Elizabeth," said the General. The President nodded her head, leading General Adams to head to a console and radio the Odyssey that they were ready to receive the Asgard representative. Whitmore then told all of the personnel in the room to keep their weapons away, that they had an ally beaming in, and that they needed the help of this race of aliens.
"Holster your weapons," said Lanford as she looked around the room.
"Madam President, I…" said the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.
"That is an order," said President Lanford, "all of you holster your weapons."
Once every one had holstered their weapons, President Lanford nodded her head at General Adams, who then pressed a butting and asked the Odyssey to beam down Thor.
"Thor?" asked Lanford as a bright white light deposited the grey alien, together with Colonel Carter and Teal'c on either side for his protection.
Everyone in the room held their breath as they stared at the grey alien who looked so similar to rumours, depictions on movies, and in pictures on the covers of tabloids; he looked just like what many human referred to as the Roswell Greys.
Everyone watched as the Grey alien tilted his head at the President, who was introduced by Whitmore and General Adams. The nervous woman then coughed, and straightened up before, making sure that her voice wasn't cracking, before welcoming the alien to Cheyenne Mountain.
"Greetings, and thank you, President Lanford," said Thor, "my name is Thor, Supreme Commander of the Asgard fleet."
"Thor… as in, the Thor?" asked Lanford as she took a step forward, "I…"
"Indeed," said the alien, "you have my condolences for what has happened to your world. By the time the Harvesters attacked Earth Twenty years ago, we left this galaxy to stop the Replicators in ours; if we had known then that they had returned, then we could have helped. However, as of now, the Asgard are losing the war against the Replicators, a situation we hope to reverse with the help of the Odyssey. Once the Replicators have been pushed back, I will ask that the High Council convene to hear the case for Earth."
"Didn't you just say that your people would help us?" asked the Secretary of Defence.
"We have used vast amounts of resources in our war," said Thor as he looked at the man, and then back to the President, "and to prevent the loss of more resources, we need to return to Ida and fight back against the Replicators."
"Ida?"
"Another galaxy, Elizabeth," said Whitmore as the current President look back at him with shock, "five days there, and five days back."
"The Council will want to hear from the highest authority on your planet," said Thor, "one who can speak for all; and President Whitmore has told us that he has your authority to speak. Are you speaking for the entire planet?"
"It's not that easy, Thor," said the President, "the Security Council is busy with the vast amounts of damage in their own countries, and ordinarily I would consult with them on this… but our situation is desperate. And.. and I hate to say this, but compared to a majority of the other nations that are a part of the security council, we've not been hit as hard as them. I have to speak up for the world, Thor… the others have to deal with their losses and… and we have no other choice. President Whitmore is our voice, please… just listen to him."
Thor recognized the desperation in Lanford's voice, and he knew that she was telling him the truth in regards to Whitmore being able to speak for Earth. He just hoped that the other Asgard would accept the reasoning as he nodded his head before telling Lanford that he would do all he could to convince the High Council to hear Whitmore's request for aid on her behalf.
"I would do all I can to convince them as well," Thor added before turning to Colonel Carter, and telling her that he was ready. The Colonel then contacted the Odyssey, before five flashes of white light teleported General Adams, Whitmore, Thor, and the two members of SG-1 back to the Odyssey, which came about and then opened a window into hyperspace. With the destroyed debris of the nuclear power stations floating away from the moon, and into space, the Odyssey accelerated into the window and began her five day journey to Orilla.
"Good luck," was all the President could say before she turned and looked at the screens which were now showing the disaster in Beijing, and various other parts of China, Dubai, London, and other cities that were hit hard… with some wiped off the map.
All she and the world could do was wait.
TBC.