If anybody had told me upon waking that I would be halfway across the galaxy and in the middle of a war by supper I would not have believed them, and I would have probably rolled over and not have gotten out of bed… I’m glad I did.

The day started out, as had almost all other days have, I awoke to the sound of birds outside my window, dressed and had breakfast. Nobody else in the dwelling was awake so I decided to go to the library early and catch up on some work; it was this decision that changed my life.

In a grassy area just outside of the village is a round metal standing circle, it stands on its rim on a small rise, it has stood there for many years. No one seems to know what it is, or at least able to tell me what it is. It has been used for many reasons, the latest being a ‘natural’ frame for pictures taken of important events. My sister had a picture of her wedding taken with the wedding party framed standing inside the semicircle. As a child I took rubbings from the surface, and played beneath its archway. I passed this grassy area with the strange sculpture that captured the view every day on the way to work. I could have lived closer to the library in a dorm room but decided that living in the family dwelling was better.

As I crossed the meadow I would always detour slightly to view the standing circle, I loved the view of the valley sloping away and would come by often to sit beneath the standing circle and watch birds flying over the hills near my village.

This day something would be different. As I entered the meadow I noticed a strange sound, like rocks sliding against themselves, I looked for where the sound was coming from. Just then a waterfall of light broke through the circle of metal at the other side of the clearing. The light spilled out and then retreated back to reveal a flat surface of shimmering light, as if a liquid luminescence was trapped in a container for me to look at. Just then the minor ripples expanded and the light threw out a strange looking machine. I had been travelling closer and closer to the standing circle - I walked over and was about to touch it to see if it was hot when the circle of light gave another shimmy and out stepped four strange looking people. One of them walked over to the only other structure in the clearing and started to examine it, much the same way that I was examining the new machine. The new people were talking to themselves, but I had been taken in with the machine and had not paid much attention to them, however after a while their voices had become raised and I looked over at them. The one near the metal tree stump was gesturing towards my direction, while another taller man was pointing towards the machine and the standing circle. A woman appeared to be trying to calm them, the fourth member of the party was standing to the side, it was then I noticed that the captured light in the circle had disappeared.

It was this disappearance that made me think that something was wrong, I stepped away from the machine and started towards the woman, and as I approached I noticed that all four people were wearing similar clothing. Were they members of a church? At that moment the shorter man said something to me, noticing my confusion he tried several other words. Realising that he was trying to communicate I pointed to my self and stated my name; “Kiesha.”

I received a reply; “Daniel.”

Daniel then pointed at the other people; “Sam, Teal’c and Jack”.

It was my introduction to SG1 and my first taste of Daniel’s brilliance as an anthropologist and linguist. Within half an hour we were conversing fairly well, if there was something missed in one language we would swap and try it in another. Their main concern was the loss of an object called a ‘DHD’, it was expected near the ‘Stargate’ however what they had found was a replicated version… a fake copy. And without the ‘DHD’ the ‘Stargate’ would not work and they would be stranded here. Jack was determined to ‘manually dial’ out, however Daniel was in favour of looking for the real ‘DHD’. It looked like the only thing stopping them from yelling at each other was the presence of Sam.

I put my hand on Jack’s arm to still their argument. “If it is the real artefact from the meadow… the thing you call a ‘DHD’, I know where it is.” At this even Teal’c turned and looked at me. “It is being held at the main museum in the City, however you might have trouble trying to take it, it is locked up and only a few even know of its existence yet alone have access to it. I’ll take you there if you wish.”

At my statement Daniel looked relieved but Jack resigned.

”Just for curiosity… why was it removed?” I turned to answer Sam. “I’m afraid that you can… blame me for that… you will find that my people have no… curiosity, I am… different, as I am very curious. When I was six I decided to find out what the… ‘DHD’ and standing circle… ‘Stargate’ did I was ‘caught’ here ‘fooling’ around with them. The… ‘DHD’ was removed ‘for my own good.’ I can take you to it… if you wish. Your appearance will receive no surprise at all, at the most… you will be reported to the central command… nothing more. We are a… people of habit, the idea of something new… scares them. They prefer to ignore it and hope that it goes away then find out the ‘why’ of it.”

”How far away is this… Museum?”

“Distance is… irrelevant, space is a concept that exists only within our minds.” With that I motioned them closer together, I could tell that they had questions about my statement… that curiosity gave me a warm feeling. “If you want to… travel take each others hands.” With that I took Daniel and Sam’s hands and we… travelled.

Arriving outside the main museum complex I let go of their hands I could tell there were questions in everybody’s minds. I pointed to the building on the left. “That is the building we want… the… ‘DHD’ is stored in there, I will show you where.”

I started walking towards the building when I realised that no one else was following me. I turned, and looked towards the visitors. I could not tell what Teal’c was thinking, and for some reason both Jack and Sam were concerned, however Daniel was excited and fascinated by something.

“What’s wrong? You did want the ‘DHD’ did you not?” I was worried about their response… but needed to know if I had done something wrong.

Daniel replied “No… No… it just that…”

”Oh for goodness sakes Daniel… Look miss what was that and where are we now?”

For some reason Jack made me nervous… so I replied to Daniel instead; “We are in the city… that is the main museum… we got here by… travelling.” I could tell that my comment was not what they were after. “If you want the ‘DHD’… I recommend getting it… NOW.” With that statement I grabbed Daniel’s hand and started walking towards the building.

”You said that the ‘DHD’ was removed when you were six… yet it looked like the… replacement had not been touched in… hundreds of years.”

I smiled at Daniel… nobody here asks questions. It was something that always got me into trouble, I was always asking questions, always wanting to know the ‘why’. Just then we walked through the doorway of the museum… a bright blue light shone out of the ceiling and explored the visitors, stopping briefly on Teal’c and changing colour. I was disappointed… the first off world visitors for a… long time and they were not what I needed. “OH… you’re… Goa'uld… I should have known… the DHD is this way… we’ll have to hurry… I don’t know what they will do. You have broken the treaty and there will be… a reaction.”

I was upset at this development, I was hoping that the visitors were my salvation… instead they were… Goa’uld. Although at this moment I was thinking about asking them for help. After all I was willing to go aboard their spaceship in order to help keep their personal museums in order.

”Treaty?” The question from Daniel was one I was not expecting; I answered it as best I could.

“In accordance with the new worlds treaty no Goa’uld may step onto the planet as per section 226 daga. I hope you know what you are doing… this treaty has stood for hundreds of years… the only Goa’uld I have seen… for a long time have been when I visit their space ships… Why didn’t you come that way?”

”You know of the Goa’uld? How?” That was the fist time that I had heard Teal’c say anything.

”Yes… all know the Goa’uld, you tried to invade our planet a few thousand years ago, you were unsuccessful…“

”We are not Goa’uld we are in fact Tau'ri… we are fighting the Goa’uld… we are looking for allies against the Goa’uld…“

I shake my head at Jack. “No… you will not find help here, my people were once explorers and scientists… now we are a people fallen asleep… we do not think new thoughts, we do not ask questions. Nothing is done that would cause change… if you are found you will be turned over to the Goa’uld.” As I had been saying that we had entered the room where the ‘DHD’ was stored. It had taken me a while, as I had ensured that no one knew what I was looking for but I did find it. However standing before it was the one person I did not expect… want to see.

”Hello, Mother… Can I help you?”

”I am ashamed of you… didn’t you learn last time you did something like this?”

I hung my head… punishment for myself was something that I could handle, but for the Tau'ri? I knew that I had to do something. Stepping closer to mother I quickly raised my hands and pushed at the air with my hands, sending a shock pulse towards her knocking her off her feet and unconscious. “Quickly… before the others arrive… step over to the ‘DHD’ and put your hand on it, when the other arrive they will destroy it.” They looked at me in surprise. “There is no time… they will be here at any moment, I can help you get home… please trust me… quickly, before they can stop us.” With that I placed my hand on the ‘DHD’ and we… left, to arrive back in the clearing. I step back from the ‘DHD’, when the first of the reactions starts to take effect. I felt dizzy and fell heavily to my knees; Daniel reached over in order to help me up. I pushed him away.

“Hurry… do what you have to… they are coming. I cannot stop them for much longer; they are taking me off-line. I have taken steps in case this was ever to happen… however I can not hold out for long.”

At this Jack indicated to Daniel to go over to the ‘DHD’, and came over to take his place. “Hey kid… what’s happening? You in trouble over this?”

I just shook my head. “This planet is… controlled via a massive computer called… mother… she was the person in the room with the ‘DHD’, she is also taking me… off-line in more ways than one.” With that last statement I put my hand over my forehead and gasped. “You must leave… soon. I will not be able to help you much longer…” With that I ripped off the interface band I wear around my forehead. “I have just lost touch with mother… you have less than five minutes.”

Jack turned around and yelled “Daniel… hurry up.” Turning back to me he said, “Will you be all right after we leave?”

”Well… yes in a way. I won’t have to worry about much… I’m afraid that taking me off-line is… permanent… the punishm…” At that I head to stop and take a deep breath, coughs, racking my body. When I stopped coughing I noticed blood pouring out of my nose.

Jack yelled at Daniel; “Hurry up… we don’t have much time.”

I look at Jack. “It was nice meeting you… I would have loved to have heard about where you come from, I guess it’s too late now.”

Behind us I heard the sound of rocks scraping against each other… I felt relieved as well as light headed. I was about to let myself pass out when I felt Jack pick me up. “What…?”

”Well you did said that you were curious about the standing circle… here’s your chance to try it out,” and with that we moved towards the Stargate. I noticed that Sam and Daniel had already disappeared. We got to the edge of the circle of light when a voice from the other side of the clearing broke out “Halt…”

Jack did not stop, instead he took another step towards the Stargate… and I passed out.

*****

I awoke to find myself lying on a bed in a strange room, a woman in a white coat standing over me. Noticing my eyes opening she turned to look over her shoulder. “Jack, Sam, your visitor is awake, you can have a few moments… not many - she is still a bit groggy.” Turning back to me she said looking me over; “Are you in any discomfort?”

I shook my head. “No… I am fine… where am I? I can not feel mother at all… who are you?” With my statement she looked worriedly over her shoulder, I looked over at who she was looking at. “Jack… what’s happening… where are we? Who is this?”

”This is Earth, you are in a hospital bed… we almost lost you for a moment there, and this is Dr. Fraiser. She is looking after you… do you remember what happened before you passed out?”

”Yes… mother had taken me off line… I was… dying and you were going home.”

”Well… we decided that as you helped us we would help you… and talking about helping out you wouldn’t mind telling us all you know about the Goa’uld?”

”I give you all I know… however that is little, as I’ve said before my people are discouraged from… asking questions.” I was about to go into further details when Dr Fraiser hustled them out of the room.

“You have had a traumatic day, I suggest you get some sleep. Do you want something for the pain?”

I nodded in amazement - I thought that I had been hiding how much pain I was in successfully - and it was not a matter of something causing pain but an absence of something - an empty raw feeling. Dr Fraiser picked up a needle filled with a clear liquid, inserting it into a bag of liquid attached to my arm by a plastic tube… My last thought being that today had been an interesting day and tomorrow would be as well. I could not wait to start asking all the questions I wanted.

The End

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