Season 1, Episode 7 – In Ruins 

Timeframe 

This “episode” starts on February 14, 2003, about a week before the events in Season 6 Episode 18 of Stargate SG1, “Forsaken.” 

Act 1: Sometimes It Takes a Good Fall 

Ever since Phoenix-6 had joined the program there have been earthquakes below the Phoenix site. In the last few weeks, they had continued to worsen, and Stargate Command is considering evacuating the base. The general has ordered additional structural supports be wielded into key points around the base. All gate travel has been suspended until these improvements are finished, all hands-on deck kind of situation. They have been told to assist a team who is installing supports in the lower level of the base. 

Reaching the lowest levels of the base they find a team led by Doctor Edwards. As they approach the team is using a rivet gun to secure a support beam to the bases super structure when another quake shakes them, unlike the other quakes this one only continues to grow in intensity. As they try and stabilize themselves the group opens under them. 

They fall 10 meters into a a cave like opening, most roll on impact and come to their feet with only scraps, others are less lucky. The work crew were buried under some light rubble. Not having any gear on them they are stuck in this hole. Thinking that they could radio for help they are beaten to the punch when Major Bell makes contact, explaining the situation Bell tells them that it will be hours before anyone can reach their location. The entire base has suffered similar problems and there is other trapped who are worse off. 

After clearing the rubble from the work party Ada checked them over, while they would need to remain where they were they were at least out of danger. They had fallen into a tunnel which runs north/south. The south was ended in solid stone only a few meters away, while the north was blocked with loose rubble. Unwilling to just sit there and wait the group started pulling the rubble out until they could pass. 

They had been spelunking for around 20 minutes, through dark, damp and winding natural tunnel before they came across their first obstacle, a cliff face raising 10 meters, while not sheer it is steep. They send their best climber up with a rope, its attached at the top and thrown down so that the rest of the team has an easier time climbing up. 

Another 20 minutes pass, it’s not terribly difficult going but it is starting to take its toll. For ten minutes they have been following a light breeze and odd sounds echoing and bouncing around. The tunnel is once again interrupted by another cavern, this time a still, frigid pool stands in their way. If one did not know better, they might assume these were tests. ‘Only’ 15 meters across the other side, the tunnel resumes. The only way to get across is to swim. They all plunge into the bone chilling water and start for the other side, they are unable to see the bottom nor feel it without diving down. They hurry across hoping there isn’t anything that might be hungry in the bottom. 

Surprisingly the teams still feel the breeze and hear the odd sounds, now that they were closer, they could tell it was more of a purring sound. Becoming surer this path was indeed a set of tests; they now stand on the edge of a 20-meter-deep chasm with only a half meter wide ‘bridge’ to cross. Slowly they make them away across, a miss-step sends one over the edge but the fast actions of another stops them falling. 

Stepping through a crack in the far wall they suddenly find themselves in a brightly lit hallway, an Ancient hallway. On the right is a pile of massive granite boulders, to the left was an octagonal bronze door set into the granite wall. Their flashlights reflecting from the titanium intel. Unpowered the door sits slightly ajar, just enough space to slip through into the room beyond, the source of the breeze and the odd noises. 

Beyond the door is a large room with high arches and alive with light. Dozens of holograthic computer screens fill every open space. Each screen flashing intermittently with solid blue and reds, text scrolling down them in an unknown language. Under the screens is a stone table with bricks of varying heights. It looks as though the bricks act as buttons. 

The team concludes that this computer is indeed of Ancient design and that judging by the readings controls a machine which regulates the planets seismic activity; and based on those readings the machine is failing for some reason. With nothing else that can do they see a second crack in the wall, this is the source of the breeze, a fissure in the rock that reaches up to the surface. Climbing up they come to the surface near the Jaffa camp. 

Once all up they explain to a Marine officer about the work crew and instructs them how to find them. She gathers a team from other Marines and Jaffa to recover them. Phoenix-6 heads straight for the base to fill the General in on what they have found. 

Act 2: Calling in the Cavalry 

They once again descend into the Ancient facility, this time with the closest thing to an expert of the mysterious race Jonas Quinn of SG1. Working in the room with the ancient supercomputer they start to work to fix it. Even though it might have seemed a simple matter their first task was to find a way to connect Jonas’ laptop to the computer, it is after all very old and very advanced. Once connected he needed to interface and then shift through all the data and programs until he finds the one which controls the seismic activity. 

While the ‘geeks’ did their thing the rest of the team head into the Ashurbanipal Strategic History Archive (ASH Archive). They search through the records looking for clues that could help their current situation. Hours pass while both teams search for answers. A papyrus which talks about a Tok’ra mission to destroy the homeworld of the System Lord Veles but hijacking an explosive device which coursed eruptions across the entire planet. As Veles is known to be the Slavic God of volcanos, could it have been some kind of seismic device. A text about the eruption of Mount Vesuvius references the Roman emperor’s failure to timely repair certain special columns in the Amphitheater of Pompeii. What made them special is unclear, but might they have been giant control crystals? 

A final firsthand account of the eruption of Huaynaputina suggests that the Spanish colonizers brought improper gifts to sate the gods of the land. Might these have been control crystals? 

Relaying this information to Jonas and the geek squad does help them proceed. After hours of work, they learn how to operate the controller, however many of the control crystals are starting to degrade with age. The computer describes where replacements can be found and a draw in the wall opens. The problem being that the crystals in the draw do not match the ones they needed to replace. 

With some jury-rigging Jonas manages to fit the spares, while it is not perfect, they will hold for a day or so; but they must find replacements. The General immediately starts sending teams to every world that is known to have or had advanced technology in the hopes of finding replacement. 

Phoenix-6 is to be sent to a planet where the MALP suddenly stopped as though it had run into a barrier, suggesting an advanced defense system. 

Act 3: This looks rather familiar 

“As the final chevron locks, you walk up the platform and into the gate. Passing into the event horizon, you are hurled through the galaxy, popping out the other side and walking down a gentle incline. 

Red-hued sand ripples across the hilly landscape. The air carries a touch of chill as this undiscovered planet’s sun sets over a distant mountain range. A clean earthy scent fills your nostrils with the occasional gentle gust of wind. Beyond the DHD is the MALP, and about 200 meters beyond that is a cave entrance underneath a singular flat-topped butte, the only object of interest in this barren world.” 

Phoenix-6 made their way for the cave entrance. They passed what they determined was part of a crashed drone, clearly having fell victim to the same force as the MALP, only faster. The cave quickly morphs into hallways like those found in Phoenix base. The centre being much like the gateroom, only without a gate and less concrete. Three other doors presumably lead to other hallways. In the centre of the room is a large stone console, like the one they discovered beneath Phoenix base. 

Dylon and Lucas start to assess the damage to the central console. They find that some of the control crystals have been damaged, but they can bypass those. They only have enough power for one door though. Bringing it online lights up the three closed doors, Blue, Yellow and Purple. Corresponding screens lit up on the console, with test in ancient. “Prove theyself worthy. With each of the screens adding, Elements or mineral in blue, spirt or soul in yellow and detect or scan in purple. 

After some debate on what those phrases could mean they decide to open the blue door. Behind it is a corridor, a room at the end. Just before the door is an ancient phrase carved into the stone wall, missing letters. 

‘OM_ INI_UM DIF_I_ILE E_T 

On the other side of the corridor are 5 blooks. Three are cubes and two are cubic, longer that the other three. A clear apparently empty block, a silver metallic block are the largest. A block filled with pale yellow gas, a block of flaky graphite and a dust yellow block (which smelled a little like rotten egg).  

From the size of the blocks and the hole in the phrase its clear that they fit together, but in which order? 

The team quickly work out that the dusty yellow block is Sulfur, which is S on the periodic table. The Engineers work out that the silver-grey block is likely titanium, which is Ti. Understanding the rest of the blocks are also going to be elements they deduce that the pale-yellow gas is likely Fluorine, which is F and then the flaky graphite could be Carbon, which is C. They were stumped on the last one though, but throw process of elimination they slot it in thinking it was Sodium, which is Na. 

“Omne initium difficile est” 

As the last block slots in they read the phrase, and realize that the last eliment was Neon, Ne. Emily utters the phrase as translated into English. 

“Every beginning is difficult” 

Once said the door opens into a small dimly lit room. Tables and shelves line the walls, all are overflowing with small containers each with different gasses, liquids and solids. In the centre of the room a single beam of light shine down upon a rod the shape of a wishbone, laying on a table. While there are no signs that it is anything more than an inanimate object, they decide that the folks back home would like to have a look see. So, they pocket it. Blue lights start to stream in the direction they had come, clearly leading them back to the center chamber. 

Returning to the console they see all the other phrases have been replaced with a single word, “Complete” written in ancient. Before they can react further a blinding light envelops them. When it lifts they find themselves in another hallway with a door at the end. Between you and the door is a checkerboard pattern of fifteen squares that glow in alternating blues, reds and greens on the floor. Crumpled on a square near you is a destroyed machine. The square underneath it is a solid red color, with an occasional arc of electricity. 

They quickly understand that some squares will shock them while others are safe to walk on. But which ones! Each of the blocks has a combination of symbols. There is some resemblance to ancient Greek numbers. After a few failed attempts they are convinced that they are indeed numbers, and what’s more it seems that the safe numbers are prime. After several minutes and a few intense electrical shocks, they make their way across the puzzle and to the door. 

Reaching the door, it opens almost as though beckoning you inside. Beyond is a supercomputer identical to the back at Phoenix base. Their hearts sink though, as they see that a landslide has cut off from the computer. The size of the rocks and their sheer bulk means there is no digging their way through. 

Standing in front of the rubble wall is a crystal skull. They have all read the reports, they know what this is and what it does. They stay away from it knowing that anything that it ‘sees’ when active will phase, that object, or person will be phased slightly out of alignment with the rest of the universe, unable to interact with anything around them. 

Emily has a bright idea, and she points the skull towards the rubble, turning the plinth, it sits on before gingerly placing a hand on the top. The eyes glow and from their point of view the rubble disappears and the eyes dim and darken. Just to be sure she once again turns the skull, so it is facing a wall, allowing them to access the supercomputer. 

Before they snag the control crystals, they find that the ancients had been experimenting the crystals skull, they were able to significantly increase its phasing capabilities to encompass the whole planet. The supercomputer uses the planet’s energy, though there is no further information on what that means. And finally, they find the locations for three other bases with supercomputers, phoenix base is not one of them. They make note of all this information and then take the crystals shutting the console down. 

As soon as the computer goes offline the tremors begin, shaking the base. They decide to make haste and leave, Emily and Dlyon snag the skull on their way out, carefully putting into a backpack and then rushing out of the base. 

Act 4: Get to the Gate 

Rushing out into the desert, the suns have set and rise behind the Stargate two bright moons illuminate the sand mounds and gate. It is quiet, eerily quiet. They hear rather than see several purring sounds, they catch a glimpse of a squat drone, hovering a few feet above the sand with a dangle of manipulators hanging below. Clearly on a patrol, there were three of them between them and the gate. 

Not knowing the capabilities of these drones, they decide to sneak their way through as far as possible. They get to the gate and start to dial when they are noticed, while clearly advanced it seems they were not designed for combat. A fire fight ensues, a well-placed sniper shot, a distracting bird attack and a shotgun blast destroys two of the drones. They last is taken down with a combination of machinegun fire and pistol fire. Not wanting to wait and see if any more were coming, they step through the gate the moment it is active! 

All artifacts are turned over to the research teams and the control crystals are handed to a team who make a beeline for the supercomputer.