Chapter 139

Cheyenne Mountain, SGC

Seated in General Landry's office was the General, and Doctor Nicholas Rush. Recently arrived from Arkos and his beloved Destiny, Rush had been quickly escorted to Landry's office. Knowing little about the man other than what he read in the file on his desk, Landry found himself wishing for a nice peaceful retirement.

"Thank you for coming Doctor" said Landry warmly.

"May I ask what this is about General" asked Rush shortly.

"Destiny's redeployment through the super gate, but you already know that I'm sure" replied Landry.

"And just when is that going to happen" demanded Rush.

"All good things come in time Doctor. In case you've not noticed, we do have other priorities at the moment" countered Landry.

"Such as" asked Rush.

"We're in the middle of a war in the Pegasus galaxy Doctor. Once that situation is contained to everyone's liking, Destiny along with several of those vessels will proceed through the super gate. We have no intention of letting you face the drones alone" replied Landry.

"With the upgrades made recently to Destiny's systems, I'm confident we can handle the drone threat adequately" responded Rush.

"Because it's worked out so well in the past, right? We have other matters to attend to before Destiny deploys" suggested Landry.

"Which are what exactly" again demanded Rush.

"Young was right about you" said Landry with a smile.

"Colonel Young's opinion of me is beside the point" protested Rush.

"When you depart, you will be carrying a team of ten human form replicators with you" informed Landry.

"Why would anyone think that is a good idea" demanded Rush.

"They will be onboard to affect any repairs as needed should damage arise" answered Landry.

"Myself and the science team are more than capable of handling that on our own" protested Rush.

"Right. You did so well at that the first time, didn't you? If I remember correctly, we had to send the Athena halfway into the unknown to handle what you are so clearly capable of handling. Spare me the attitude Doctor" said Landry dryly.

"Point taken" replied Rush quickly.

"Doctor, let me be clear. You are not my first choice for this assignment. Were it not for the recommendation of Colonel Young stating that you were the single most qualified person for this mission, you would not be going. Now, moving on, please tell me where we stand with the upgrades to Destiny's systems" asked Landry.

"We're showing a thirtyfold increase in FTL drive speed and efficiency. Shield strength has been increased by a factor of eight. Sensor capabilities are now on par with the best the ancients or Asgard ever produced. The rest is merely window dressing" answered Rush.

"Disclosure of the program has opened up a wider field of candidates for the expedition. Yourself and Colonel Davidson will be going over the dossiers of potential candidates we send. The sky is the limit as far as who you decide on. My suggestion is pick the ones you can get along with" said Landry with a grin.

Teotihuacan, Mexico

The city of Teotihuacan had long been a mystery to archeologists. Containing immense pyramids and temples, the city showed signs of organization and engineering rarely found in Mesoamerica. After several thousand years of abandonment by its builders, Teotihuacan was once again bustling with activity. From a distance, groups of individuals could be seen ascending the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of Moon. Along the Avenue of the Dead, crates appeared, and were quickly moved to other locations. After eons of neglect, the Temple of Quetzalcoatl was slowly being restored to its previous glory.

This site, like Puma Punku in modern day Bolivia, and Gobekli Tepe in Turkey, had been built by the Furlings. Long ago, in a time before the Goa'uld dominance of the Milky Way came to be, the Furling had resided here and nurtured man. After Ra came to rule the Earth, the Furling had provided safe harbor to those within their grasp. Intimidated by the powerful Furling, Ra did little to stand in their way for fear of starting a war that might be unwinnable.

To further prepare mankind for their role as the Fifth Race, and to nurture a vulnerable public newly learned of the reality that faced them, the Furlings had returned. Restoring their cities and site of learning to their former pristine glory, the Furling were intent on educating and enlightening man. Long ago the Furlings had embarked on this path with the Toltec and Mayan people. This time they intended to walk the path with mankind as a whole.

Any who sought answers or knowledge were welcome. To the Furling, knowledge brought harmony, and harmony brought prosperity and happiness. These values would be passed on to the young Fifth Race they had watched over in its infancy. During this fragile transition to imminence on the universal stage, mankind would have a guide to watch over them.

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