SGA FIC: THE WORLD YOU KNOW 6/10 [PG]

[x_erikah_x]

I'm posting two chapters at a time.

Title: The World You Know 6/10
Author: x_erikah_x
Word Count: 39,637
Rating: PG
Genre: Gen, Team, Adventure, Crossover
Characters: John Sheppard, Rodney McKay, Ronon Dex, Teyla Emmagan, Samantha Carter, Cameron Mitchell, Daniel Jackson, Vala Mal Doran, Teal'c and other cameos by SG1 secondary characters
Disclaimer: Stargate and related characters are a property of Metro-Goldwin-Mayer Studios Inc., no infringements of rights intended.
Spoilers: Season 5 of SGA and as far as The Ark of Truth in SG1
Summary: The team finds an Ancient lab and ends up in trouble in some strange place. Or isn't it? Crossover with SG1. Set shortly after season 5 of SGA after they somehow return to Pegasus.

Author Notes: Thanks drewandian for cheerleading and first reading for me, even though I made you wait one year for the finished version. Thanks so much sherry57 for the beta. This fis is SO much better with your help. *hugs* Thanks so much girls!

I’ll post one chapter every couple of days, maybe one a day depending on my availability. The fic is finished, complete and edited already.

Chapter 1

Chapter 5



Chapter 6

After they had eaten, they were told that the members of the team would be having separate interviews to share the information they had. John was escorted back to his assigned quarters after an only brief encounter with Ronon, Rodney and Teyla. It had been established minimum contact with each other so as to not taint each individual’s interview. It was a very nice move from the general because that’s what John would do in their position. The time the team had together was just enough for them to see that they were all right and since none of the code words were used, it meant everything was in good order.

This left John a little worried because he didn’t want to tell everything in the interviews. This might be the SGC, but it was another SGC and John was very uncomfortable sharing so much intel without knowing what they would do with it. John didn’t even know if they would help his team.

There was a lot of vital information that would have to be kept out of the interview. John figured Ronon and Teyla were sensitive enough stay in the basics, Ronon wasn’t the talking type anyway, but John worried that Rodney usually got a little too happy when he started talking. Of course, Rodney wasn’t stupid. John trusted Rodney’s genius would tell him that alternate realities could have very distinct individuals even though they looked the same. They didn’t know anyone there. They couldn’t just trust everyone all out front.

There was also the fact that saying the wrong things would make them reconsider helping the team out of distrust or fear. There had been a time in which the IOA had been very wary of the expedition having ended up in a war zone. If they had an IOA here and if they were the same bureaucrats then they’d probably react the same when they figure out Atlantis city could be under siege from a whole other legion of bad guys. It seemed they already had their hands full with the Ori.

The fact that the only way to finish this war was in Atlantis was a very good advantage the team had on their side. So, if all went bad, he would just need to reinforce that and say the addresses they were looking for were there. And in order to do so, he would need to not tell about the Ancient interference. If he told them that the glowy guys had simply shown up and told them the answer, they could just want to stay on this side of the gate, screaming at the sky, hoping that the Ancients would have the sensitivity to do the same from this end. They could shout their throats raw for all John knew. The Ancients would never expose themselves that much.

John couldn’t forget that IOA being IOA and military being military they also wanted to exploit the advancements and the Ancient’s technological superiority. That was another good focus. John had no doubt that Rodney would be glad to tell them all about that part.

The Wraith was an unavoidable subject. He would need to tell them enough information to get them prepared because there could be Wraith in Atlantis or in M4G-789. Who knew how screwed this universe was?

They'd want to know how the expedition came to be and John didn't see any problems in telling them. However, he couldn't touch any subject regarding experimentation or genetic manipulation. It was none of their business. It would also be better to not mention the Replicators. Although John figured he should write down a more detailed report after he had definitive proof that his team would get back home. If this universe wanted to explore Pegasus, it'd be better if they knew some things even if they might turn out differently.

These thoughts flooded through John's brain for a long time while he lay awake in darkness. After a couple of hours of not getting any sleep, his head was killing him. Looking at the time, he decided to take the pain reliever Doctor Frasier had given him in case of migraines caused by the concussion. It didn't take much longer after that for him to finally fall asleep.

*****

The first day of interview (and John worried about the part that said first day) started early. John sat down at the chair at end of the small room, facing Colonel Carter and a camera.

"I hope you don’t mind if we record this. This information could be very valuable to us."

"Sure."

"Let’s start with a simple Q&A about your personal information so we can compare it with your counterpart in this universe." When John nodded his understanding, she continued. "What’s your name and branch of service?"

"I’m Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard, United States Air Force, service number 532147."

"When and where were you born?"

"I was born in Maryland on January 22nd, 1970.

She looked down at the file before her. "Who were your parents?"

"Patrick and Mary Sheppard."

"Do you have any siblings?" she asked as she looked back up.

John nodded. "One brother, David Sheppard.

"Are you married?"

"I’m divorced."

"What’s your ex-wife’s name?"

"She's currently known as Nancy Campbell."

"Are you active in the military?"

"Yes."

"Where are you currently stationed?"

"Atlantis Base in Pegasus."

"And what’s your assignment?"

"I’m Base Commander and team leader."

"And what’s your team’s designation?"

"SGA-1."

"Okay." She leaned in closer. "Tell me about the members of your team."

It was an open question which meant she was searching for details. John took a deep breath before starting.

"Uh, McKay is the science officer in my team. He’s also the Lead Scientist of the base and a genius that saves our asses more often than it would be healthy for his ego and our ears." She smiled at that and John continued giving Rodney’s credentials. "He’s been part of the program for a long time, worked in Area 51 and before joining the expedition has worked a couple of times in the SGC as a consultant for the Air Force alongside our Colonel Carter." Which would explain the reason he was so at ease with her. John figured she was probably a little puzzled about the way Rodney treated her. "There is Ronon Dex. He’s from a planet called Sateda in Pegasus, one of its very last survivors, former military in his homeworld with the rank of Specialist. After the destruction of Sateda he was implanted with a tracking device and made a runner, which is kind of a training exercise the Wraith use to hunt down humans."

"And these Wraith are hostile?"

"Yes, very. They implanted a subspace tracking device on his back and he had to run ahead of them for seven years before my team found him and removed it. He’s an excellent tracker, fighter and survivor. He can adapt to any environment without any trouble and had to live out in the wilds for a big part of his life without being able to stay in the same planet for more than a few hours before Wraith showed up. He’s an expert in arms, hand-to-hand combat and Wraith tactics." Basically, Ronon was the guy no one should piss off. John held a smirk. "Teyla Emmagan is from Athos, also in Pegasus. The Athosians were the first allies we found there, still in our first day of expedition. She was their leader. She’s an expert in trading, interplanetary diplomacy and knows a great number of different Pegasus cultures and planets, all skills she acquired while being the leader of her people. She’s also a prime fighter and just as good in hand-to-hand combat as Ronon is, able to tackle a bigger opponent without any trouble at all." Saying that made John realize just how proud of his team he was.

"So you’re the only member of your team that is from Earth’s military."

John nodded. "Yes, but the chain of command is very clear among the members of my team. They’re used to it in their own worlds."

"How long have you been together?"

"Five years. Ronon’s been in the team for four." Sometimes it felt they had been a team for their entire lives.

"Where was your team before you ended up in this universe?"

"We were in M4G-789, an uninhabited planet on the edge of Pegasus Galaxy that was apparently used by the Ancients to conduct experiments related to harvesting energy. You’ll have to ask McKay for details. We were there for several hours while Doctor McKay investigated the main laboratory. It looked like the whole place had been left in fairly good conditions. No controls were missing or broken and the preliminary tests showed that the Ancient interface was working. McKay turned it on to gather more intel from its databanks. It worked fine for a few hours until it suddenly overloaded. There was a bright light and when we woke up, we were in the middle of a street."

"Where?"

"Somewhere in LA. The street was dark, all the lamps were broken and the whole front of a store near our position was in shards. We entered to investigate and try to find out to which planet we had been moved since it couldn’t be M4G-789. We found a pile of shelves and products and noticed there was a man under it. We moved to uncover him but it was too late, he was already dead. That was when we noticed that we were on Earth. When we heard the police, we retreated from the scene because we had no identification and were heavily armed. Being caught would pose a threat to the security of the program."

"But you were caught."

John nodded. "I was arrested while I attempted to find a phone to contact the SGC. By that time we still didn’t know we were in an alternate reality. There was a big bar fight and everyone was taken to the precinct where I was identified. I requested to talk with my superior officers here on Earth, but they didn’t find any of the names I gave them. When the detective showed me my own file I connected the dots and realized we had been shifted to another reality. You came soon after I was charged with deserting the Air Force since this reality’s John Sheppard was KIA."

She nodded. "Okay. Anything you want to add to your current report?"

John shook his head. "That’s pretty much it."

"All right then. Since Doctor Frasier recommended your interview to be short, I’ll leave it at this for today and we’ll resume tomorrow at eight hundred."

*****

John was escorted back to the interview room early the next day. The layout hadn't been changed except for the fact that Colonel Carter appeared to have more papers and files.

"Okay, Colonel. We'll continue from where we left." She crossed her legs. "You finished yesterday's interview giving us details of your latest mission. Today I want you to start from the very beginning." John nodded. "How did you first join the expedition?"

That seemed like such a long time ago. It was hard to forget that day. He had gone from flying choppers in a remote outpost to finding out there were real aliens out there and that he should follow an international team of scientists and military to explore a whole new galaxy. And all because of a few special As, Cs, Gs and Ts in his DNA.

What would have happened if he hadn't sat in that chair? It had been such a random act to perform.

John went on talking about how they got to Atlantis and the condition the city had been found. He made a mental note to remember later about a possible city shield failure when they get to this reality's Atlantis. Without Elizabeth to go back in time and warn Janus to install the failsafe, the city could be flooded fairly quickly.

Another point he only considered during the interview was that maybe the Wraith in this reality were still hibernating so may not pose so much of a threat. When he got to that point he made his participation in the Wraith's awakening clear and that without these events Pegasus Galaxy could still have several decades with low Wraith activity.

He proceeded towards their search for power and their period cut off from Earth, culminating with the siege of Atlantis, finding a new ZPM and reestablishing contact with the Milky Way. By the end of it, his throat was beginning to bother him. Carter, sensing the change in John's voice, decided to leave it for the day and resume on the next.

*****

Breakfast the following day followed smoothly after a good night of sleep. He hadn't had any headaches the day before and, while his throat had hurt a little by the end of the interview, it was better already. Doctor Frasier was happy with how everything was healing and cleared him to eat any kind of food.

Colonel Carter started the third, and hopefully last, day of interview questioning about the affairs in John's version of the SGC. He told her about the leadership, SG1 and she took that bait to start on the Ori.

John knew enough about the war thanks mostly to the brief time he had been assigned to the SGC, back when the Ancients had retaken control of Atlantis. Before and after that period, he had always read most SG1 reports because he liked to keep updated on the problems of his own home galaxy and because he needed to know which ships were occupied in case Pegasus had a bigger emergency. John squeezed his brain and let the memories pour down in words.

"A big victory on our side was when Daniel Jackson downloaded Merlin's knowledge into his brain and built his weapon." John went on." It was sent to the Ori galaxy through the supergate. It did work and destroyed the Ori, but it didn't, however, destroy the Priors. They continued to obey their masters' last orders."

She leaned closer in obvious interest. "You mean the Sangraal?"

The name sure rang some bells. "That's right."

"We've been to most planets King Arthur went, but couldn't find the weapon. There are a few addresses missing."

"Yes. Daniel Jackson found the missing addresses in Atlantis."

She tried to hide a smile. "Do you know the symbols?"

John barely even knew the symbols of planets from Pegasus that he had visited.

"Well, we only work in Pegasus, so..." He smiled apologetically.

She nodded. "Do you remember how the addresses were retrieved?"

"Yes, they were given to him by the woman in the hologram room." Carter tilted her head and John went on to explain. "It's a room in Atlantis where you can interact with a representation of the city's databank. It's aimed to teach children about the basics of Ancient history."

She raised her eyebrows. "So he just had to go and ask?"

"Basically, yes."

*****

After all interviews were conducted with each member of the team, they were finally authorized to spend time together again. Apparently all their versions matched in the way should and the General left promising he would deliberate with the president and the joint chiefs. John wondered if that was a good thing.

They visited their new shared bedroom because it looked like the SGC wanted to free some of those extra they had been using when they were kept apart. After that, they went to the mess hall and spent hours there talking nonsense. John was pretty satisfied. He couldn't remember the last time he had simply hung out with his team without interruptions. Their hours together had started running thin during the last few months, with Teyla having a family and Ronon and Rodney being in a relationship. John often ended up spending most time alone or working.

"Well, the general didn't mention the IOA," Ronon said.

"Good point. But knowing those guys, they'll pop in very soon," John reminded him.

Rodney groaned loudly beside him. "I wish they'd just leave us alone for once."

That feeling was shared by the whole team.

"Couldn't they deliberate over the phone?" Rodney complained while he chewed his food.

Teyla swallowed her egg. "Some things are better shared in person, Rodney."

"Yeah, c'mon, Rodney," John said as he waved his fork. "It's a pretty big decision for them. You remember how it was."

"Exactly!" Rodney raised both hands. "I remember how it was. We took months to prepare everything. Weeks and weeks of decision making, paper pushing and putting together all the resources necessary! Who knows how long they will take! One would figure that all the advance information would accelerate the process!"

Ronon attacked his steak with a fork. "It's been one day, McKay."

"I'm just saying--" He sighed. "I just wish they could simply dial the gate and take us to Atlantis without all this waiting around. What if... what if we never get back?" His shoulders sagged.

"We will," John assured. "I'm sure we made a very convincing speech. Just stay positive."

Rodney puffed. "I wish I could." He threw his fork and knife down.

They ended up spending the day waiting around without any news. And then the next one.

Rodney's nervousness was beginning to pass on to John.

*****

John woke up with an alarm blaring. He snapped up and looked for his team, seeing Ronon and Teyla already on their feet. Rodney was still on his bed, groaning with a pillow over his head.

"What's going on?" John asked.

Teyla shook her head. "We do not know."

John waited in bed for the alarm to die down but then got to his feet, worried about the fact that the alarm was still going on full force after several moments. His concerns were materialized when the walls shook and dirt rained on them.

"Crap. That can't be good."

John ran to the door and tried to hear what was going on outside. Several moments passed until he heard distant gun shots and a loud bang that sent more dust descending from the ceiling.

"We're under attack?" came Rodney's squeak from the bed.

"Apparently so."

John hurried to put on his boots and glanced at his team, seeing all of them do the same. Ronon was the first one done and was by the door, listening intently to the noises outside. John approached him.

"Sounds like the corridor is clear," Ronon said. He opened a slit of the door and peeked outside. "Clear," he said softly before slipping outside.

The soldiers that were supposed to be standing guard were gone and the corridor was empty. John looked at both sides and wished he had a gun. By the look the rest of his team had, they also shared the sentiment. The shooting was starting to get louder and now John was also starting to hear undistinguished shouts and yells. They started going towards the direction they were coming from, John in the lead with Ronon.

"Great, why are we always going towards the gunfire?" Rodney complained softly from behind.

As they walked, John could hear the sounds of the battle getting heavier, walls shaking with explosions and gun fire. They slowed down and stopped by an open lab door. Ronon crouched and risked a glance inside, nodding afterwards. He entered the room, followed by John and the rest of the team, and started looking at the shelves and tables.

"Lee?" Rodney's near yell had John's heart jumping and he snapped around going for his absent thigh holster instinctively.

John groaned in frustration and knelt down to look at the scientist under the table. "You okay, doc?"

Lee nodded nervously.

"Do you have a gun?"

The man shook his head. "N-no. T-this is a lab for God's sake! W-why would I-I have a gun?"

A crashing noise came from somewhere ahead in the corridor and a yell followed. Lee flinched.

"Okay, doc. Do you know what's going on?"

Lee shook his head again. "N-no. Oh my God! W-we were ordered to-to evacuate. How am I supposed--"

"Doc!" John called softly. Lee stopped babbling and looked at him. "Just stay calm, all right? Where are our weapons?"

"Uh... probably in the secondary armory."

"Right." John stepped closer. "Do you know the way out?"

"Y-yes, it's on the way t-to the armory, b-but... I-I was..." He looked up at John.

John nodded. "We'll take you there." He extended a hand.

Doctor Lee took it and stood up. "I-it's... I was... uh...." He breathed deep. "It's, uh, that way." He waved a hand towards the way they had come from.

"Okay, stay behind me. After you get out, activate the mountain lock down. We can't risk anything dangerous getting out."

"W-what about all the people? T-they'll be stuck here."

"Doctor, the longer those exits stay open, the more likely whoever is attacking us will get out and attack people outside, do you understand?"

Lee visibly swallowed.

"Stay behind me," John said as he started making his way back to the corridor.

*****


Chapter 7