Book 4 - New Horizons 2
06/05/2024 – 12.22
Second tethered RV launched through under Foz control, all watch screens whilst analysis of shrapnel & debris blown back through gate undertaken in SG laboratory (blast wave also recorded in SG chamber)
Review of footage recorded by SG1 RV reveals a flash/possible light beam from above striking RV immediately before contact broken
Screens reveal cleared area around gate surrounded by a wheat field, RV obliterated, 3 figures on ground plus 1 leg sticking out of wheat, injuries apparent. Heat source suggests two alive, 2 dead, 1 missing, no movement. Audio is completely silent. Audio broadcast via 2nd RV reveals noise absent rather than not transmitting. RV analysis shows pleasantly warm, breathable (higher levels of Oxygen than earth) gravity marginally higher than earth (9.834 m/s²)
Wait approx. 1hr for analysis – RV fragments show no sign of external explosive, slight charring from self-combustion. Fabric/flesh particles identify as only from SG1.
06/05/2024 – 13.34
Rick, team leader, orders SG2 through the gate.
Arthur steps through the gate, he’s done this before but still feel the nausea of the jump, closely followed by the other six members of SG2, nobody throws up, still an alien event to step through time & space.
Perimeter established, bodies checked:
Gomez A1 – Multiple injuries/fractures, dead
Dr Salem Kapek – Cerebral fluid in evidence, fractured skull suspected, unconscious
JJ O’Harran  - Multiple injuries/fractures, unconscious
Bo Didley - Multiple injuries/fractures, dead
Dr Helen Schulz – Missing
06/05/2024 – 13.42
Allan climbs to top of gate, 30’, no sign of Helen, no disturbance to wheat beyond immediate area, wheat as far as the eye can see in all directions, beautiful blue sky, sun directly overhead – realises not breeze/no smell
Rick collecting samples, soil, wheat etc realises no sound/no insects
Arthur eating raw wheat, on guard
Allan becomes aware that sun remains in exact same position, uses weapon rangefinder, max’s out at 6 miles, wheat/sky still going
Steve/Rick look for any sign of Helen leaving the circle, no evidence what so ever
Suddenly Allan (?) notices a small ‘hole’ appear in sky, opens like an iris valve, flash emitted, screams incoming. All hit deck, RV detonates, focussed light beam, large concussion, minor bang but this is clearly RV rather than incoming munitions.
Everybody hits deck but not follow up attack
Foz, Steve, Lawrence dealing with injured & moving them to the gate for return to SG followed by recovery of bodies (bodies will go through reclaim process, i.e. cyberware & body parts for future reuse, offal beyond this to Abydos for cremation)
All back to SGC with dead & wounded along with salvageable SG1 kit (everything gets reused where it can due to enforced limited SGC facilities) Iris closed just in case
06/05/2024 – 13.44
Bodies & injured to medical bay/cryogenics, Lawrence overseeing immediate care plan of patients (Deacon Frost still in regen tanks from lift shaft demolition)
Immediate analysis of recovered off-world samples reveals wheat perfect, complete genetic modification, no disease/parasites or external life, insects etc, of any kind. Soil similar, perfect, extremely/artificially nutrient enhancement, no sign of bacteria/animal life, soil itself is organic but sterile apart from added nutrients
Gate times out (max 40 min duration then auto shutdown for minimum 90min out going)
06/05/2024 – 15.52
RV back through the gate, no sign of any change.
INTSEC with heavy weapons on SG chamber just in case . . . .
SG2 back through the gate to Wheat World accompanied by 4 armed INTSEC
INTSEC on perimeter, eyes on the sky/horizon
Lawrence fires single rifle shot skyward, several seconds later unmarked bullet drops at his feet
Allan starts digging a hole, soil all as per previous sample, no rocks/stones, no ground water, consistent composition, hits ‘rock’ bottom at around 42”, extends whole to form trench, no change. Base of hole is off white substance, very hard/shiny/unmarked, not metal, plastic maybe ?
Rick/Arthur start to harvest small quantity of wheat.
Foz (?) shouts warning, hole in sky reappears, repeat blast, this time apparently focused on where Arthur/Rick harvesting wheat. Blast causes concussive damage to Rick/Arthur but skin weave/Kevlar armour deflects most from Rick however on hands & knees, extremely nauseous, sensory deprivation, blurred eyesight, ears ringing/deaf, no taste, tingling skin, dazed & confused but conscious. Arthur more affected as less well protected, unconscious, loss of bodily control, vomiting & diarrhoea
All others including INTSEC hit the deck, Allan still cowering in his hole, all except Allan suffering as per Rick but to a lesser degree, minor/reduced damage
Dust clears, no immediate follow up from above, take stock of injuries caused, Foz, assisted by INTSEC, drag Arthur to shelter of gate plinth, still unconscious
All watch the skies apprehensively, seconds elapse, second ‘window’ appears from similar direction, all wince but no flash. Window slightly larger but very hard to judge height as no context.
Disc emerges, WTF, whiteish in appearance, maybe same as ‘rock’ layer. Begins to drop rapidly towards gate location, best guess as it comes lower is maybe around 50’ very smooth transit, no sound.
General order is to hold fire & prep for evac
Consensus based on observed speed of descent/time is window maybe 12 miles above, time taken to descend around 5 minutes. Disc drops & stops just above wheat, no transmission of movement, high speed to instant stop in blink of an eye.
When viewed from edge disc has no thickness, near invisible.
On disc, nothing except two figures, unmoving/unconscious (?) is Dr Helen Schulz. Second figure is tall/slim, same colour as disc, no clothes, no reproductive organs, no fascial features, smooth as a baby’s bum, towers over Helen’s still form, maybe 8’ tall.
From the safety of his hole Allan respectfully asks for their comrade to be returned. Stunningly Helen’s recumbent form disappears from the disc & appears instantly as if by magic at the foot of the gate.
As SG2 try to engage in discussion with the strange figure a voice appears in all their heads
“You are not welcome here”
At the same time as they ‘hear’ these words those members of the team who have Times Square Marquee see the words in their native tongue on their heads-up display.
Again, SG2 try to engage in conversation & again the same words are repeated. As SG2 pursue matters the figure, who has not yet moved in anyway, points at the gate & repeats it for a third time. As it points Steve (?) sees the original sky window opening, following his warning yell all run for the gate taking Helen’s prone body with them.
06/05/2024 – 16.19
Back in the main chamber the iris over the gate is immediately closed & the gate powered down.
Lawrence checks over Helen (who is by far the most knowledgeable person in SGC about the SG system) she is breathing & appears to have no injuries although her fatigues are scuffed & scorched. As he checks her functions her eyes open wide & she smiles.
Satisfied Helen is in no immediate peril she is transferred under guard to the medical bay for a full check-up (Lawrence confirms with the Ms Pui Shek, one of the medical technicians, that JJ is in an induced coma the bases second cryogenic tank & Kapek is recovering from surgery but in a coma because of the head injury, both are critical but stable)
Keen to know what Helen knows SG2 remain in medical bay whilst Lawrence & the medical team check her over.
Helen is fluent in conversation & appears to be suffering no ill effects of her encounter although she has no recall other than a ‘flash’ of light & then waking up feeling ‘alive’ in the main SG chamber a few minutes earlier.
Sadly, the team advise her of the demise of Gomez A1 & Bo Didley as well as the JJ & Kapek’s condition.
What quickly becomes apparent is her perfect health, all traces of any injury, illness, blemish or disease have completely disappeared, she is in perfect condition for a woman of her age (SG hold meticulous medical records for all persons on base) Helen’s bioware, neuralware & bodily enhancements are all in place
Lawrence does however discover a tiny pale vertical blemish on the back of her neck around a ¼” long no more than the width of a thermal scalpel cut. Running one of the hand held OMLI (Optical Molecular Light Imager) units over her neck he discovers a hard-smooth sphere around an ⅛” in diameter buried in the subcutaneous fat layer just below the dermis layer of her skin. Quizzed, Helen as said has no memory of what happened between eyes shut, eyes open.
Unsure of the consequences a decision is made to remove the sphere.
Quickly Lawrence himself applies a local anaesthetic & uses a crystal blade to open the skin. Deftly the sphere is removed & dropped on a tray, while the others poke it with a stick Lawrence seals the wound & applies a quick spray of medi-putty.
The sphere appears to be made of the same material as uncovered layer below the soil on Wheat World.
06/05/2024 – 16.38
Unsure what should be done Helen is escorted to one of the four isolation cells.