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Stargate: New Frontier

Chapter Two

TFS Charles DarwinPlanetary Orbit, Ten Minutes Later



"What's the progress of the landing party," Commander Timothy Drake asked as he returned to the bridge with a steaming mug of coffee in his hand.



"The landing party are making good progress towards the pyramid, sir," Colonel Richard Swain replied from the first officer's station. "Professor Jackson estimates that they should reach it within the next fifteen minutes."



"Good maybe then we will start getting some answers to what is going on here," Tim said moving back to his command chair and sitting down before taking a sip of his coffee.



"Hopefully, sir," Richard agreed.



A moment later the sensors bleeped for attention. "Commander," sensors called out. "Long range sensors are picking up a ship in hyperspace closing on our position."



"Can you identify it," Tim asked turning slightly to look at the officer in question.



"Negative, sir configuration does not match anything in our records, and its approaching surprisingly quickly for a ship its size."



"Interesting, it seems we might have a genuine first contact situation on our hands," Tim said feeling a thrill of excitement run through him. Being the one to make first contact with another spacefaring civilisation had long been a dream of his. It was what had led him to join the Federal Guard's survey wing in the first place as opposed to tactical fleet like his younger brother. Now it appeared that that childhood dream was about to come true.



"Indeed, sir," Richard agreed sounding as excited as he felt. "Sensors what is that ships ETA?"



"The alien ship will emerge from hyperspace in five minutes, thirty eight seconds. They should intercept us twenty seconds later, sir."



"Plenty of time," Tim said with a smile. "Communications break out the first contact comm. package and get it ready for broadcast on as many subspace bands as possible. Then transmit a message back to command informing them of our situation."



"Aye sir," communications replied.



"Colonel Swain, please contact Professor Jackson and advise her of what is going to be going on up here."



"Aye sir," Richard acknowledged. "Commander I would advise caution when the alien ship approaches us. Might I suggest we bring the ship back to yellow alert status and have our shields ready to be activated."



Tim frowned slightly, thoughtfully as he considered his first officers council. Though it could possibly send the wrong message to the alien ship - if it was an alien ship - when it arrived he could understand where his first officer was coming from. In away it was a logical expansion on the defensive posture they adopted when they first came out of hyperspace at acompletely new world.



"Very well," he agreed. "Tactical bring us to yellow alert, have our shields and weapons brought onto stand-by mode but do not fully energise them until I give the order."



"Aye sir," tactical replied and once more the familiar two-toned alarm for yellow alert sounded throughout the ship, summoning all crew-members to there duty stations. Richard Swain smiled, satisfied that the ship would be safe and her crew on their guard when the alien vessel arrived. Without speaking further he turned back to his console to advise Professor Jackson and the landing party what was going on up here.



***



Landing PartyA Few Moments Later



Professor Melinda Jackson listened in astonishment as Colonel Swain explained via subspace radio what was happening up in orbit. An alien starship was on approach to this planet, on a clear interception course with the /Charles Darwin/, and would emerge from hyperspace soon. Agenuine first contact situation, after all these centuries they were about to meet real aliens for the first time. There was no doubt in her mind that all of their names would go down in history after today.



"How long until they arrive," she asked.



"Four minutes and fifty seconds," Robert answered. "We'll have the first contact package ready to be transmitted to them the moment they emerge from hyperspace. I just hope you scientists are correct about it being easily understandable by all species."



"Mathematics is universal, colonel," Melinda replied with asmile. "As long as the aliens can do basic mathematics they should be able to understand the package."



"It's that should be that I've always wondered about professor."



"I understand, colonel. I'm sure the package will be able to be understood."



"Well we will soon know," Robert said at last. "How are you doing down there?"



"We should be at the pyramid in just over an hour," Melinda replied. "I tell you what, I'll keep you updated with what's going on down here if you keep me updated with what's going on up there."



"Deal," Robert answered and Melinda clearly heard the smile in his voice. "We'll check in with you again after the alien ship has arrived, Darwin out." The communications line closed with a soft bleep that sounded quite loud to Melinda as the helmet speakers were right next to her ears.



"Well that's an interesting development," Fred commented, the whole of the landing party had been listening into the conversation between their team leader and the orbiting starship.



"Indeed it is," Melinda agreed a moment before she heard afaint metallic clacking sound coming from somewhere up ahead. "What's that?"she asked as the sound seemed to be getting closer, though it was hard to be sure. It seemed to be reverberating off the densely packed trees of the subtropical forest that seemed to dominate the planet.



"I don't know," Lieutenant Franklin replied frowning slightly a moment before the sound of some kind of horn blowing from up ahead caught his attention, and the clacking sound picked up pace as if whatever was making it was running.



"Everyone seek cover," he said growing more concerned by the second as something told him that they were being hunted by whatever was approaching them. Without argument everyone followed his instructions and ducked behind what convenient cover they could find, be that a large rock, one of the broad tree-trunks or behind a bush.



For a few moments all they heard was the echoing metallic clacking noise getting closer and closer. Then emerging from the forest ahead came figures, humanoid figures. Each was the size of a man, dressed in armour of some kind, on each figures head was a helmet shaped like the head of some-sort of animal. Each figure carried a long staff which flattened out like a cobra on one end and ended with a bulge on the other. The figures seemed to be searching for them, glowing blue helmet eyes making them look like demons from myth.



"What are they," Melinda asked softly over the helmet radios.



"I don't know," Franklin replied. "But my best guess is they're the people behind that pyramid being here, and presumably the presence of Humans on this world."



"What should we do," Melinda said.



"We should..." Franklin started to say when one of the other scientists stepped out from behind the tree he had been hiding behind, holding his hands out in a non-aggressive posture.



"We mean you no harm," Fred said slowly approaching the figures, which seemed to be studying him intently. "Can you understand me?"



"Careful, Fred," Melinda warned on the radio.



"I'll be fine, Melinda," Fred replied the same way, before he addressed the unknown figures again. "Can you understand me?" he asked.



Amazingly this time there was a response. "Jaffa," one of the figures shouted before pointing his staff bulbous end out at Fred. Before anyone could react the tip of the staff opened with a crackling sound and a bolt of golden energy flew from the staff. It crossed the distance between the being firing it and Fred in the blink of an eye. Fred took the blow straight in the chest, and flew backwards to lay unmoving on the ground, ahole burned right through his survival suit to blow a fist sized hole in his torso right over his heart.



"Fred," Melinda cried out in shock and horror, unable to believe that she had just seen one of her friends and colleagues murdered right before her eyes. A moment later the other figures levelled their staffs and started firing randomly, golden energy bolts impacted trees, rocks and foliage as the attackers attempted to flush them out of their hiding places.



Inching round the tree Lieutenant Franklin aimed his pulse rifle at the closest figure and opened fire. A dense red pulse of plasma burst from the muzzle of his rifle and impacted his target. The armoured figure flew backwards and crumpled to the ground dead, a thin line of smoke rising from its chest where the bolt of ionised helium had disintegrated the armour. Return fire flew towards him from other armoured figures and Franklin ducked behind his tree again, and felt the trunk vibrate under him as it took repeated blows.



Sergeant Walkman popped up a little from behind a rock and threw a small plasma grenade taken from his belt at their attackers. The grenade glowed brilliantly as it sailed through the air before impacting the ground and exploding with a wash of plasma flame, throwing three of their assailants to the ground and vaporising a forth.



"Fall back," Franklin ordered as he came around the tree enough to fire two more bolts at their attackers. This time his pulse fire was joined by fire from Walkman's own rifle and two of the aggressors crumpled to the ground dead or badly injured. Heavy salvos of return fire flew back at them and the area immediately around them. A scientist crouching behind a rock cried out as a bolt of energy grazed his arm, his survival suit took the worst of it but some of the energy got through to burn his skin.



"Fall back," Franklin repeated as he continuously swept his rifle left and right, hosing the attackers down with pulse fire, forcing them to duck for cover themselves, while continuing to shoot back. Two scientists jumped up and raced backwards, only to both be shot in the back and crumple to the ground dead.



"No," Melinda screamed. In moments over half her team had been killed or injured, boiling with rage at the unprovoked and merciless slaughter she took her small standard issue pulse pistol from her side holster and joined in the battle, hosing their attackers with fire. The last two scientists left alive, even the injured one, joined in with their own personal weapons.



For what seemed like an eternity the red bolts of their pulse weapons crisscrossed with the larger golden bolts of the attackers staffs. But after only a few moments it stopped as the attackers pulled back.



"Come on lets get out of here before they regroup," Franklin said while using his implant to check on the charge left in his rifle's power cell. He had enough power for another dozen shots before he would have to slot in the spare cell from the belt of his battle uniform. They couldn't really go through a fire fight like that again, this time surprise had been on their side, their attackers obviously hadn't been prepared to deal with them properly and had spread out to thin to really concentrate firepower. A mistake that he knew they were not likely to repeat.



"Back to the shuttle," Melinda agreed.



Slowly, the remaining scientists guarded by both marines started pulling back, leaving the bodies of their dead behind. Seeing her friends and colleagues lying their motionless in the dirt, pained Melinda to know end, her heart wanted her to try and pick them up so they could take them back to the Charles Darwin so their bodies could be returned to their families. But her mind told her that they didn't have the time, especially with one of the five of them injured.



They hadn't gotten far when they heard the metallic clacking sound again, their mystery assailants were returning, and from the sound of things in greater force than before. Within seconds bolts of golden fire were starting to chase them down the path. Continuing to retreat Lieutenant Franklin and Sergeant Walkman spun around and fired back but not directly at the attackers. Instead they fired at an already tottering tree, bringing it crashing to the ground between them and the enemy.



"That should delay them for a little bit," Franklin said.



"We can but hope," Melinda replied, then winced slightly as a bolt of energy flew overhead from behind the fallen tree, impacting somewhere over their heads, raining small fragments of hot wood and boiling tree sap down around them.



"That was close, lets move people," Melinda said before resolutely resuming walking back in the direction of the waiting shuttle. Without speaking everyone followed her.



***



TFS Charles DarwinPlanetary Orbit, Four Minutes Later



Tension hung like a thick, oppressive mist in the air of the/Charles Darwin's/ bridge, the previous universal excitement at going to meat a spacefaring alien race for the first time having vanished, swept away by the reports from the surface about the unprovoked attack on the initial landing party. Replacing it was an air of tension, concern and a hint of fear.



Commander Tim Drake sat grim faced and determined in his command chair as he we waited for the alien vessel to emerge from hyperspace. The moment the landing party had radioed up that they had been attacked by unknown forces and were retreating to their shuttle having lost half the team, he'd ordered the crew to battle stations. Now the bridge was bathed in the blood-red glow of a full blown combat alert, shields were up at full strength and their limited weapons array was fully powered.



Tim just hoped that he didn't have to use his weapons that the attack on the landing party would prove to be nothing more than a grave misunderstanding, as if the incoming ship was a warship he knew he had little chance of defeating it. Though if the aliens did fire at him he would make sure they knew about it as while the Charles Darwin had few weapons for a ship its size they were nothing to sneer at.



The sensors bleeped for attention, raising the tension level on the bridge by another notch. "Hyperspace window opening bearing one, one, three mark zero, zero, two," sensors reported. "Distance ten thousand kilometres. Confirm one ship, configuration unknown, moving to intercept us."



"Show me," Tim ordered. Instantly a holographic screen sprung into existence in front of him showing the incoming ship.



It was truly alien. A large central structure was shaped like an Egyptian pyramid and made of a golden metal which sat on a hexagonal base that supported a large ring structure that surrounded the ship to two thirds up the pyramid. It was big to. Tactical information scrolling along the bottom of the screen indicated that the alien vessel was eight hundred metres across and two hundred and fifty metres tall. It dwarfed the Charles Darwin with its sheer vastness.



For a few moments nothing happened, the alien vessel came to a halt facing the Charles Darwin and did nothing else, as if it was trying to intimidate the smaller vessel into reacting to its presence. Then two small bat-winged objects emerged from the base of the pyramid, before vectoring down into the planets atmosphere.



"Commander we're being hailed on broad spectrum subspace by the alien vessel, audio only," communications reported.



"Let's hear it," Tim replied.



The overhead speakers crackled for a moment. Then a strong voice came through. "Onak kree sha," it said. "Dolak jal'kek Goa'uld, Poseidon, na'kel nem da sha onak ju."



"What the hell are they saying," Colonel Swain wondered. "Can the translators make any sense of their language?"



"Negative, sir," communications replied. "It has some similarities to Ancient Egyptian, but there are a number of differences."



"Sir, the alien ship has just raised its shields," tactical reported. "There weapons systems are powering up."



"Can you tell what weapons systems they have," Tim asked.



"Negative," tactical answered. "Alien vessel is targeting us."



"Communications broadcast first contact protocols to the alien warship," Tim ordered. "Then open a channel."



"Aye sir, transmitting first contact pro..." communications broke off as a dull boom reverberated through the ship and the deck shuddered slightly beneath them.



"Alien vessel has opened fire sir," tactical reported as asecond hit slammed into their forward shield, producing only a mild shudder in the deck as the shield absorbed the blow with relative ease.



"Sir we're getting a message from the shuttle down on the planet," communications reported as a third blast struck the ship. "The landing party isn't aboard yet and the pilots reporting that the two small craft launched from the warship are fighters, their strafing his position. The shuttle's shield is failing."



"Tell him to get out of their now," Tim ordered as his ship shuddered with slightly more force as another blast slammed into the shields. "Tactical lock weapons on the alien ship."



"Aye sir, weapons locked."



"Fire."



***



Instantly two thick ruby-red laser beams blasted forth from the Charles Darwin's two forward weapons arrays. The beams slammed into the shields of the alien vessel almost faster than the eye could see, instantly the alien shields lit up immediately around the impact points of the beam. Arippling shimmer spread out across the shield illuminating a pseudo-crystalline structure as the shields absorbed and dispersed the lasers energy even as the beams evaporated.



Intense whitish-gold bolts of superheated plasma flew from the alien ship in retaliation slamming into the /Charles Darwin's /form hugging shields and vanished in a flash of radiation and energy that illuminated the entire forward hull of the ship. Despite the pounding the valiant little survey ship continued firing back, her hybrid forward weapons arrays changing to dual fire model, emitting a short burst of laser fire followed by three fierce orange bolts of fusion plasma from secondary emitters.



The alien shields flashed and rippled under the assault, and seemingly angered by the continuing resistance the alien vessel redoubled its assault, firing repeated streams of its own plasma bolts at the defiant Terran vessel.



***



Commander Timothy Drake held onto the arm rests of his chair as the Charles Darwin rocked violently under the assault.



"Damage report," he ordered.



"Shields are down to sixty percent capacity and falling,"Colonel Swain reported. "Reading minor thermal damage to the outer hull."



"Sir we're receiving a distress signal from the shuttle,"communications added. "Pilot reports his engines have been hit and he's going down."



"Damn it," Tim cursed as the ship rocked with increased force and damage warnings screamed.



"Shields at forty percent," Swain reported. "Fires reported in all forward compartments, fire control systems responding. Sickbay reports casualties are coming in from all over the ship. Engineering reports that the number three containment field generator is damaged. Sir we can't stay here much longer, we're no match for that ship."



"I know, colonel. Send a message to the surface tell Professor Jackson that we have no choice but to withdraw, they are to seek shelter and avoid any contact with the aliens until we can get some help."



"Aye, sir."



"Helm break orbit, set course for the nearest fleet base and engage hyperdrive. Tactical launch missiles to cover our retreat."



"Aye, sir."



***



With as much haste as she could muster with her damaged systems the Charles Darwin veered out of orbit, simultaneously ten mark-II Starwolf missiles birthed from their tubes in her belly and streaked towards the alien vessel at 95 PSL.



Immediately the aliens shifted their focus from the Charles Darwin to the incoming projectiles, rapid fire gold bolts of energy shot out from secondary arrays on trajectories to intercept the missiles. But with the missiles closing at such a high speed and fired from such close range the aliens had little chance of downing them all, only one missile took a hit and vanished in a plume of vaporised metal. The other nine broke through the storm of plasma flak to slam into the alien shields and detonate with the white hot fury of high-yield fusion warheads. The alien shields glowed nova bright as the blast waves spread across their surface, clawing at the protective energy barrier with star-core hot plasma and neutron radiation.



With the alien sensors momentarily blinded by the fusion blasts the Charles Darwin lowered her shields and opened a hyperspace window. As the wall of plasma around the alien cooled and dispersed the little survey and exploration vessel disappeared into the swirling maelstrom of the vortex, which folded closed behind her as if it had never been present at all.



***



A Few Moments Later

Commander Timothy Drake relaxed slightly in his command chair, feeling his limps shaking slightly as the adrenaline left his system leaving him feeling tired and weak. Navigation had reported that there was no sign of the alien vessel pursuing them, which in his opinion meant one of three things. One that their missiles had destroyed the alien warship - which was unlikely given the observed strength of its shields, two that they'd damaged the aliens hyperdrive so it was unable to pursue, or three that the aliens just weren't interested in pursuing them. Whatever the reason he was not really about to question it.



"Colonel Swain," he said after a moment.



"Yes, sir?"



"What's our status?"



"The fires in the forward sections of the ship have been extinguished," Colonel Richard Swain reported. "We've lost one of the computers main processor cores and two of our sensor arrays. Several shield emitters are fused and are inoperable.



"Engineering reports that they've been able to stabilise the containment field on the antimatter core, but they've had to shut down the number three generator, the other two are taking the strain and holding for now."



"Casualties?"



"Sickbay reports two dead, a dozen more injured. Three seriously."



"I see," Tim replied with a sigh. Why, he thought, why did those aliens whoever they are have to attack us on sight. We only want peaceful coexistence.



"Sir if I may be so bold, what are we going to do about the landing party," Swain asked. "I know we can't go back, we can't risk tangling with that alien warship again. But it doesn't feel right leaving them."



"I know what you mean, but what choice did we have? If we'd have stayed we'd have been destroyed. I just hope Professor Jackson and her team are able to dodge the aliens until we can return with help."



"Amen to that," Swain agreed before returning to his duties.



"Communications activate fleet priority channel to Federal Guard High Command on Earth. I need to speak with Fleet Admiral Kermanova. I'll take it in my quarters."



"Aye, sir."



"Colonel Swain," Tim said standing up. "You have the conn."



"Aye, sir."



***



Landing PartyThat Same Time



Professor Melinda Jackson scowled softly as she finished relaying the last message from the Charles Darwin to the survivors of her team and the two marines escorting them. She was still stunned by what had happened in the last half hour, this was not how she had expected a first contact would go. First they'd been attacked her on the ground, then the Charles Darwin had come under attack and their shuttle had been taken off without them, only to be shot down. They'd seen it trailing thick smoke go down beyond the distant mountain ridge, and had faintly heard the explosion as it hit the ground and its fuel cells ruptured.



"So what do we do now," Doctor Karen Ross their field medic and Melinda's fellow xenobiologist asked even as she tended to Marco's wounded shoulder with an emergency field medical kit.



"The only thing we can do," Lieutenant Franklin said. "We find somewhere to hide; we all know that when command hears about what's happened here they'll send someone to rescue us. And you can bet with the aggression the aliens have shown that whoever comes will come in force. We just need to hide out from the aliens till they get here."



"If I remember right the /Charles Darwin's /sensors picked up a system of caves sixty kilometres due north of here," Sergeant Walkman said thoughtfully even as he used a transceiver built into his armour to establish a link between his implant and the satellites still in orbit. With a single mental command to his implant he wirelessly relayed the data from the satellite data to everyone else's implants.



"It's a long way on foot and its very rough terrain,"Melinda pointed out studying the translucent map that seemed to float in front of her eyes. The caves Sergeant Walkman was on about were in the foothills of a volcanic mountain range that crossed from east to west on the northern half of this continent. To get there they would have to track through the densest part of the forest, cross several high, steep ridges and cross a glacier fed river.



"But they might be our only chance," Franklin pointed out. "Its along way from the alien camp, I would be very surprised if they followed us all the way there. Plus it's a good location sheltered with a ready supply of water. For food we still have our ration packs."



"True," Melinda said. "Okay we'll go there. Karen do you think Marco will be able to do manage the trip."



"Don't worry about me, Melinda," Doctor Marco Collingwood replied. "I'll manage."



"Just let me finish treating this wound first," Karen added as she waved a tissue regenerator repeatedly over the minor burn. "Another few minutes and I'll be done. Then we can set off. One thing I am concerned about though is our helmets; the oxygen filters will only continue to work for a day or two."



Melinda blinked away the map and checked the portable sensor she wore on her wrist. "The air is breathable," she said. "No measurable toxins, viruses or other harmful substances present. We can take off our helmets till we need them."



To make her point she used her implant to relay the deactivation command to her metallic collar around her neck. Immediately the helmet deactivated, everything retracting into the collar as if it had never been present at all. One by one the rest of the surviving team did the same -even the two marines - and were all greeted by a cacophony of smells that their helmets had previously screened out.



For a few moments they remained silent listening to the sounds of a living, breathing forest, the calling of animals and the rustling of leaves in the breeze, while Karen completed work on repairing Marco's injury.



"I'm done," Karen said at last putting her equipment back in the medical kit and putting it back over her shoulders. As she did so Marco got back to his feet and stretched as much as he could as even though the injury had been repaired he would be a little sore for awhile yet.



"Good," Melinda replied. "Okay then people lets get going, we've got a long way to go."



"Walkman take point," Lieutenant Franklin ordered.



"Yes, sir," Walkman replied as everyone got up and made themselves as ready as they could for the long difficult trek ahead of them.



Sergeant Walkman gave everyone a quick glance and once he was satisfied that they were all okay he started walking heading due north. One by one everyone followed until they had all melted into the shaded humidity of the forest, on their way towards where they hoped they would be safe until someone from home came to save them.