Chapter 1 Stranded

It was another 'normal' recon mission, well maybe not so normal seeing as how the address for this world was taken from the Ancient outpost in Antarctica. For months now tech's had been pouring over the command chairs database and pulled some very valuable information from it. Among this was a list of address where other Ancient outposts existed. P3X509 was the seventh address tested and the first to achieve a positive lock. The first MALP telemetry revealed a habitable planet, a UAV scout of the area indicated no human settlements within a twenty mile radius of the gate. It did, however, reveal the presence of an energy signature akin to that of a ZPM. And at this exact moment Jack was leading Sg1 towards the source of the signature.

After several miles of hiking through dark forests SG1 came to a clearing. At the center of the clearing stood a tall pillar made entirely of black marble.

'The energy signatures are coming from this' Sam stated as she swept the portable scanner across the pillar.

Daniel stepped up close to the pillar, running his hands over its dark black surface. The surface was smooth, completely smooth with no writing or etching of any kind. 'I don't understand' he stated 'Every Ancient city, every Ancient device has always had some form of writing or inscription'

'The ZPM must be inside the pillar, there has to be some kind of access port to retrieve it' Sam suggested 'Sir, you should give it a try, maybe the pillar responds to the gene?'

'All right Carter, I guess this is the reason you dragged me off world… not that I'm not grateful for the break'

Jack placed his hand upon the smooth dark surface and almost instantly white symbols appeared to burn into the dark surface.

Daniel immediately whipped out his notebook and began decoding the symbols and glyphs while Sam, Teal'c and Jack stood around. It was several hours later when Daniel had completed his translations. He ran up to the others

'You are not going to believe this Sam!'

'What?'

'This device, it's a kind of containment field'

'Exactly what is it containing?' Jack piped in.

'That's what you are not going to believe. According to those runes the device creates some kind of envelope of space and hides it from the rest of universe'

'Again, I ask, what is it containing?' Jack stated, irritation clearly evident in his voice.

'A ship Jack, actually a lot of ships Jack!'

'Ships with big honking space guns?' Jack asked.

'You could say that!'

'Okay, so this thing holds ships, but why would the ancients build a device to hide space ships?'

'According to the inscriptions, the Ancients wanted to ascend however they had vast fleets of ships which they did not wish to fall into the hands of younger races. They did not wish to destroy their ships in case the others returned from distant galaxies and needed their fleets. So they built this device, it's a sort of locker. These symbols here are similar to those on the DHD. You type in seven symbols and you unlock whatever is stored at that address.'

Daniel grabbed a hold of Jack's hand and forced him to tap a sequence of symbols. Almost immediately the pillar reacted to the last symbol, the entire surface flared bright white and shot energy into the space above it. Space seemed to tear apart as a huge vessel pushed its way out of storage and into the sky above the pillar. Its engines activated automatically suspending the vessel directly above SG1.

'That's amazing!' shouted Sam over the roar of the vessels engines 'But how on Earth do we get up there?'

'That's the easy part. Jack tap this symbol' Daniel replied, pointing to a symbol with a faint green ting to it.

Jack complied and instantly the team vanished only to reappear on the bridge of the recently liberated vessel.

'Wowzers that was cool' Jack shouted a little too loudly. Now that they were on the bridge he did not have to contend with the sound of the engines roaring.

'Welcome aboard the Achilles' a voice filled the bridge. Shortly after a man appeared standing on the bridge before them.

'Woe who are you?' Daniel gasped as the rest of the team aimed their weapons at the newcomer.

'I am the Achilles'

'Wait a minute, you are the ship?' Carter asked.

'Yes, I was uploaded into the vessel to ensure the safety of both this ship and those who unlocked me from storage'

'Okay, so how do you know how to speak English?' Jack questioned.

'I am equipped with a translation matrix'

'So, can you control this thing?' Jack pressed.

'I can take complete control of this vessel if needed'

'Good, well then why don't you set a course for Earth'

'As you wish'

Achilles avatar disappeared from the bridge and a moment later a hyperspace window engulfed the ship launching it to hyper speed.

'Wow, the ship entered hyperspace while still on a planet!' Carter exclaimed.

Just as suddenly as the vessel entered hyperspace it exited directly atop the SGC complex.

'Oh my God, Carter are we where I think we are?' Jack began, shaking his head. 'Achilles!'

'What can I do for you Jack?' Achilles responded, appearing a moment after his words.

'You got us parked on top of the SGC, if a civilian walks by and sees us we are screwed!'

'I have engaged a cloaking field, is that satisfactory?'

'Yes, thank you'

'Can you transport us down to the gate room?' Carter asked.

'I am sorry but I am only designed to accommodate the wishes of those of ancient descent'

'Fine, transport us down to the gate room will you!' Jack ordered.

Instantly the team was transported to the gate room along with the Achilles Avatar.

No sooner had they materialized, when the warning klaxons sounded indicating an incoming wormhole.

'Oh great!' Jack sighed 'I bet it's the Tok'ra wanting us to go on a suicide mission that will get our shiny new ship blown to pieces!'

As if to prove him right Jacob Carter exited the event horizon escorted by two other Tok'ra.

'Jack its good to see you again!' Jacob smiled while extending his hand.

'I would say the same, but I'm pretty sure you've come to get our brand spanking new ship blown to pieces?' Jack replied and smirked as he saw a confused look come across Jacobs face. The look didn't last long as Sam threw herself at her father and gave him a huge hug. Teal'c simply greeted Jacob with a slight nod, and Daniel with a firm hand shake.

Jacob then turned to Achilles with a quizzical look. 'I'm sorry I don't think I've met you before?'

'He's our new ship!' Jack stated triumphantly.

'He's the Daduelus?'

'No I am Achilles' the avatar responded.

'Okay this is a little too confusing, can we take it to briefing room? We have a mission for the Daduelus, it is of extreme importance Jack.'

The group made their way to the briefing room and took their respective seats while Achilles stood silently to the right of Jack.

'Okay, so what exactly do you need our brand spanking new state-of-the-art battle cruiser for?' Jack stated sarcastically.

'It's the System lords Jack' Jacob replied.

'The System Lords aren't much of a threat anymore, not with the Jaffa turning their backs on them' Daniel stated.

'Yes, but we have received word from our operatives that the Last of the Goaúld system lords have gathered the full force of their fleets for a counter assault against the newly formed Free Jaffa nation.'

'So shouldn't you be telling this to the Jaffa?' Daniel countered.

'We already did, but they are mistrustful of us and are over confident. The Goaúld are going to wipe them out before they can become organized.'

'Well what do you think one vessel can do against an entire Goaúld armada?' Carter asked.

'The Goaúld are concentrating their entire fleet in a single system'

'So?' Jack stated.

'We understand you are in possession of a ZPM capable of obliterating an entire star system!'

'So you want us to drop by and blow them all to kingdom come huh?'

'Yes'

'Unfortunately both the Prometheus and the Daduelus are unavailable at the moment, don't you have any cargo ships available?' retorted Jack.

'I am afraid not, at least none that can reach the system within 12 hours!'

'12 hours!' Jack almost shouted.

'Exactly where is this system?' asked Daniel.

'Approximately 23 thousand light years from Earth'

'The Daduelus would take 10 hours to reach it at maximum hyperspace velocities' replied Carter.

'We figured as much, considering it has Asgard based hyperdrives'

'The Daduelus is in the Pegasus galaxy at the moment and the Prometheus is equipped with an Alkesh hyperdrive, there is no way it would make it in time!' explained Carter.

'Then the Jaffa will fall!'

'Then we have no choice, we got to use the Achilles!' Daniel stated.

'No way, you aren't going anywhere near my new ship!'

'Achilles is a ship? I thought he was Achilles' Jacob said while pointing at Achilles.

'He's the Avatar for a ship we just acquired' explained Sam

'Well great, is it fast enough?'

'Well based on the amount of time it took to get back to Earth, I would say its several hundred times faster than the Daduelus' Carter surmised.

'That's perfect, when do we get underway?'

'That depends… Achilles, how long would it take you to travel 23 thousand light years?' Jack enquired.

'Using hyper launch, I could travel that distance in 48 minutes, however, using my quantum induction drive I could make the journey in two point seven seconds'

'Quantum induction drive?' Jacob questioned.

'Yes, my secondary drive system'

'Fine then, Carter get the ZPM rigged and ready for detonation… Jacob are you coming with us?' Jack ordered.

'Yes I believe I should'

'Fine, but your friends here will have to stay. Teal'c in the mean time I want you on your way to Takara to light a fire under their asses!'

'Very well' Teal'c replied.

Everyone left the room while Jack sat in silence with Achilles by his side.

Carter made her way to the storage room on level 16 where the ZPM was being studied. It took her several minutes to rig a timed detonator for the device and in the end she made her way back to conference room.

Daniel had made his way to his locker to pack for the trip, he knew they wouldn't be gone long but it was always good sense to pack extra clothing and supplies. On his way back to conference room he saw Teal'c on his way to the Stargate dressed in his Jaffa armor. Jacob was with him apparently briefing the Jaffa on the exact details of the Goaúld invasion.

Back in the conference room everyone had gathered, and with a word from Jack they all disappeared only to reappear moments later on the bridge of the Achilles.

'Jack, this is an Ancient vessel!' Jacob stated sternly with all the authority of a father who had caught his son playing with fire.

'Jacob, don't get me started okay, we found this ship fair and square!' Jack retorted.

'This technology is beyond you, hell it's beyond us and we've been studying it for thousands of years!'

Jack ignored Jacob's reply and turned towards the Avatar. 'Set a course for the coordinates!'

'Of course Jack, activating hyper drive!' the Avatar replied. His words were followed by a powerful hum and the sudden explosion of a hyperspace window before them. The ship whizzed through hyperspace towards its destination.

'You opened a hyperspace window inside an atmosphere? Do you have any idea how dangerous that is!' Jacob nearly screamed.

'No but I bet you're about to tell me!' Jack replied

'You could have destabilized the Earth's magnetic field, enough to instigate another ice age!'

'The hyperspace window was calibrated to stabilize the magnetic field, there would have been no adverse side effects!' Achilles replied.

'That's impossible, that's a level of hyperspace physics that even the Asgard cannot compensate for!' Jacob replied.

'The Asgard are a young race, this vessel is equipped with technology much more advanced' Achilles stated.

Jacob fell silent for the remainder of the flight, instead he turned his attention towards the ad-hoc detonator Sam had fashioned.

'Arrival at coordinates in two minutes' Achilles reported.

'Okay, so where do we plant the bomb?' Daniel asked.

'On the other side of the star system, where else would we plant it?' Jack replied.

'Actually sir, we have to plant the bomb as close to the Goaúld fleet as possible.' Carter responded.

'And how do you suppose we do that?' Jack stated with a whine.

'We cloak the ship, and drop it!'

'Won't they pick us up? Or the device even?'

'The ZPM and detonator are much too small to be considered a threat and I doubt their sensors are calibrated to pick up its emissions' rationalized Jacob.

'We can transport the ZPM from the far side of the star system, and jump to hyperspace before the enemy vessels have time to power up their drives' offered Achilles.

'You can transport that far?' Carter was startled.

'Yes'

'Okay lets do it then'

Sam adjusted the timer to detonate two seconds after transport, she figured it would be enough time for them to jump to hyperspace. Meanwhile the Achilles exited hyperspace on the far side of the star system.

'It's ready' Sam stated as she placed the device on the floor of the bridge.

'Okay Achilles, power up the hyper drive and get ready to run!' Jack ordered.

The box dematerialized as the hyper drive engines powered up to full. They were several light minutes away from where the ZPM detonated but they saw its destructive path on the view screen. It had detonated at the heart of a cluster of Hataks, vaporizing them instantly and spreading outward at the speed of light. Everyone turned to the second display screen expecting the hyperspace window to engulf the ship. It never came.

'Okay shouldn't we be in hyperspace right now?' Daniel asked.

'I am unable to enter hyperspace' Achilles replied.

'Why not?' Sam asked.

'The detonation has destabilized hyperspace, It will be several hours before the region repairs itself. However the blast wave of the ZPM is heading our way, it will engulf the sun in 3minutes and 22 seconds and then engulf the Achilles in 12 minutes and 13 seconds. If the sun were not in its path we would have survived the blast, however with the added energy from the suns detonation, shields will fail.'

'What about your quantum induction drive?'

'The drive is fully functional, however, the detonation of the ZPM has caused minor fractures in the space time continuum. I am unable to account for all those variables while calculating a route to Earth."

'We don't have any other choice sir' Carter stated urgently.

'Fine, just do it!' Jack ordered.

Something deep within the vessel powered up sending waves of energy emanating from the core and radiating outwards. A sudden flash of blue light spread out then collapsed back in towards the core. The ship appeared to implode.

It felt like an eternity to those aboard the Achilles but in reality little more than two seconds had passed. The ship reappeared in orbit of Earth but something was wrong, very wrong.

'According to astronavigation, we are in orbit of Earth' Achilles reported.

'Great we made it home in one piece!' Jack replied. 'Transport us back to the SGC'

'Yes Jack' Achilles replied right before transporting everyone down to the surface.

They were greeted by a sight that astounded them. They were not in the SGC, in fact they didn't know where they were. They were in a huge cavern, a cavern with high walls and towering pillars with intricately carved sculptures, runes and text etched into them. The novelty of the place wore thin as the smell began to permeate their senses. It was foul, the stench of rotting flesh.

'What the hell is that smell?' Jack coughed.

'I don't know but it smells like something died in here' Daniel commented.

'Where the hell are we?' Jack yelled toward the avatar.

'We are at the physical location of the SGC, however, the SGC would appear to be gone' Achilles replied.

'Well get us back to the ship!' Jack ordered. No sooner did the words leave his mouth, were they whisked away to the bridge.

'I have initiated a complete diagnostic of all ship systems' Achilles informed them. 'I have also initiated a complete scan of the planet and surrounding star systems'

'Jack! Sam! look at that, I don't think this is Earth!' Daniel hollered to the others. He was looking at the globe before them where on the horizon a dank dark clouds began to appear.

'What the hell is that?' asked Sam

'It appears to be volcanic activity' Achilles replied before his head dropped, his eyes closed and he stood silently.

'Achilles are you okay?' Jack questioned.

There was no answer. Sam walked over to the Avatar and searched for a pulse.

'He's not human' Jacob stated.

'Well whatever he is, it looks like he's been taken offl…' Before she could finish that sentence the Avatar head jutted up startling Sam who jumped a full meter back. His eyes opened and flared bright blue.

'Warning, I am detecting a power surge from the induction core, it is overloading' Achilles shouted.

'What does that mean?' Jack asked.

'The power surge is knocking out relays on the lower decks, life support has failed, primary and secondary core functions are offline. Long range transporters are offline. Recommend immediate evacuation while emergency repair systems engage' The Avatar informed as the ship shook violently from what was obviously explosions on the lower decks.

'Just great!' Jack shouted 'How do we get off this thing without long range transporters?'

Just as the last words left his mouth the group was transported from the bridge to the bridge of a much smaller vessel.

'I have routed all available power to this launch bay. Activating auto navigational systems to guide the vessel to a clearing'

'Are you coming with us?' Daniel asked.

'I am the Achilles, without the communications link I will not have access to the vessels core functions and will be of no use to you'

'And if you stay?' Carter asked.

'The Avatar containment alcove is offline, without life support this body will die'

'Then you're coming with us!' Jack ordered.

'As you wish'

'Now get us out of here!'

Achilles initiated a link to the shuttles computer core and powered up the craft.

'The space doors will not open!' Achilles shouted.

'Can you blast them open?' Jack asked.

'Not at this range, the weapons systems would damage this vessel'

'Does this ship have a hyper drive?' Sam asked.

'Yes, activating hyper drive core!'

The shuttle was engulfed by a powerful hyperspace window and disappeared, only to reappear outside the Achilles. The crew looked back to see the damage the overload had caused. There were explosions blowing out bulkheads on all decks, explosive decompressions with equipment, consoles and unknown technology flying out the openings.

'My god!' Jacob shouted as a large explosion appeared to consume the Achilles, its shockwave radiating out towards the shuttle.

'Shields!' Carter yelled.

The shuttle took the brunt of the shockwave shaking it violently. The shields appeared to hold but power surges ravaged the ship causing consoles to explode and throwing the group around the bridge like rag dolls. The Avatar alone seemed immune to the rocking of the vessel, no matter how violently it shook the Avatar held his ground.

Carter was thrown against a console, her head smacking into the bulkhead directly behind the console knocking her out cold. Jacob grabbed on to a chair and held on for dear life only to be thrown across the bridge by a sudden lurch and slammed into Daniel knocking the two out. Jack was seated in the command chair, the chair radiated an inertial dampening field that kept him from being flung across the bridge.

The ship careened towards the planet at breakneck speeds, without the shields the vessel would've been utterly destroyed by the atmosphere. The vessel launched several jellyfish weapons to cleave a path. In moments it plowed into a forest leaving a trail of destruction and a smoldering crater in its wake. At the very last moment of impact the command chair faltered flinging Jack and the Avatar into the forward bulkhead.