To Touch the Stars -- Chapter Two

[thezombineer]

 Aaaand here's chapter two!

Slightly bigger cast, yay!

I think I'll be posting two or three of these sub-chaptery things per chapter. As for schedule... Don't ask :P

Oh, and we're getting close to the good stuff now. Maybe. I think. I'll let you read now.

Location: Cheyenne Mountain Complex, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Date: May 25, 2013

Time: 3:02 pm

 Paul ran to Guude's office. Even better, he was yelling "I've got it!" as he ran. People he passed in the hallway--all military personnel he realized for the first time--gave him weird looks as he ran. Could've been worse. Some people walked through the halls talking to themselves about physics.

 As he approached the General's office, he called once more: "General, I've got it!" He rounded the corner to find both Guude and Colonel Be'Dubs staring at him. "Oh, sorry. If you're busy I can-"

 "No. It's fine Dr. Soares." He waved his hand towards Be'Dubs. "This is Colonel Be'Dubs, the man from the gate. Colonel, this is Dr. Paul Soares. He's been working on translating that big stone slab."

 "Wait," Be'Dubs replied "All I get is 'the man from the gate?' And he gets an explanation of what he's actually doing?"

 Guude glared at him. "It was obvious what you were doing. You were guarding. Explaining that to him would be pointless, guy."

 "Anyway," Paul started. "I managed to finish the translation. Essentially, it boils down to... let's see here, where was it?" He started to rummage through a pile of notes. "Ah, here it is; 'Here lies the Stargate, Vechs's portal to the heavens. May it never see the sun again.' Then it goes on to explain what the people saw it do, how the pharaoh operated it, et cetera. But, it didn't just have description. It had a series of symbols that looked like constellations. Seven of them." He started looking through his notes again. "I had it here somewh-there." He passed the symbols over to Guude.

 "How'd you finish so fast?" Guude asked. "We've had linguists working on it since we found it!"

 "Most of the time was spent figuring out the dialect of Egyptian that was used. It was extremely obscure. The rest was easy." Paul shrugged. It was hard to explain. Languages just came naturally to him.

 Guude turned to the colonel again. "I want you to take this to Etho. See if he can find these symbols on the--what was it again?--the Stargate."

 Be'Dubs saluted. "Yes, sir." And walked off.

Location: Cheyenne Mountain Complex, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Date: May 25, 2013

Time: 3:17 pm

 Etho had been studying this stupid ring for weeks. It made him feel like his theoretical physics degree was worthless. Nothing made sense. What were all of these circuits? What powered the freaking thing? He had no clue.

 "Captain!" he heard someone call. Sounded like Be'Dubs. "Where ya at? General sent me with something you'll want."

Etho sighed. There was always something Guude thought Etho would need. Always. "I'm over here!" He called from behind the ring. The big stone ring that defied him. "Where I'm always at."

 Be'Dubs rounded the corner and saw Etho. "Ah, hi. Here." He handed the list of glyphs to Etho. "We finally got a linguist who could translate the cover stone. He noticed that these weren't words or whatever. These match anything on the thing?

 Etho looked over the paper. "Well, these first six are familiar... but this seventh, it looks nothing like anything I've seen before. In fact, it just looks like your linguist was bored. Seriously? Two little dudes standing to either side of a pyramid with the sun over it? What was he thinking?"

 "Well, the General wants you to look it over anyway." Be'Dubs said.

 "Fine." He said "Any idea what these are?"

 Paul walked in. Just in time to hear the question. "They're coordinates. Six to reference a location, one to reference the origin."

 Etho stared at him. "I'll assume you're the linguist, then. What do coordinates have to do with Wilson here?"

 Be'Dubs laughed. "You named it Wilson?"

 "I got tired of calling it 'the ring' all the time." Etho replied.

 "I think," Paul started "That 'Wilson' there, is some kind of travel device. Possibly interplanetary. If we can lock in those glyphs in that order, I think we'll get to see some neat stuff."

 "Well," replied Etho "It's worth a shot. I figured out how to spin the ring, and how to lock in a glyph--I think. Let's hook it up to a computer again and see if it works." He stopped for a moment, about halfway to the nearest computer. "I'm Captain Slab, by the way. But you can call me Etho." He reached his hand out.

 "Paul. Nice to meet you."

"What's this thing actually called?"

 "The Stargate."

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Da suspense is madding!!! I hope it lasts! (Not really)

-Eclipse

[thezombineer]

Maybe you should check into an insane asylum if you're going mad. :D

[(Anonymous)]

I can't wait for chapter three!!!!

[thezombineer]

You, sir/ma'am, have just raised my self esteem when it comes to writing :D

[r7]

Yay! Also, we have our new sooner-than-normal Carter replacement: Etho Slab! Everyone please give a round of applause to the new guy!

[thezombineer]

Twas easier than trying to introduce a character after they... Um. NO SPOILERS FOR THE NON STARGATE FANS. NOT SAYING. As for stargate fans, you know what I'm referring to. ;)

[thezombineer]

I also rewatched the movie yesterday. I realized just how much of that movie I remember: I'm almost spot on except where I'm trying to not be. Yay for memory.

[r7]

Enter the event horizon?

[thezombineer]

For the second time. When D stays with S, and J goes back to E. Code :D

[r7]

ah, yes, the end of the movie.

[thezombineer]

Yeah, it's easier to introduce the character now instead of after when the movie takes place, at the start of the series.

I think my brain might have shut off now. I may be talking gibberish.

[r7]

well, you are, but I can get the concept. :)

[thezombineer]

What i'm trying to get at is Carter didn't show up till the first episode of the series. I thought it would be easier to bring the replacement, in this case Etho, into the story now instead of waiting, and having to explain why he's there suddenly.

[r7]

Well done, much better worded, but I got it the first time :)

[thezombineer]

Mmk. Wanted to be sure. :)

[r7]

Because caution is good.

[thezombineer]

Indeed :)

[(Anonymous)]

Something tells me vechs will make an appearense

[thezombineer]

Shush! You aren't supposed to know that!

Er, not that I'm confirming it or anything...