Parallel Motion of Like Bodies

Summary: The SGC has rescued many people in several galaxies. Here are two of their stories.

Rating: T

Characters: Original with occasional appearances by familiar faces from both series.

Timeline: Set throughout both SG1 & SGA (so assume spoilers for both series).

Notes: This is just something I wrote long ago and finally decided to publish. The story is un-beta'd so if you notice anything, please let me know. A standard spell-checker isn't really cut out to handle SGC terms. This is bit of a concept piece, each paragraph involves a change of viewpoint. Hopefully, I managed to get across who is talking when.

He would recall for the rest of his life, the fear in the village leaders' eyes when the warning announced. The whine of the darts already noticeable in the distance. His mother spoke to him quietly before locking him in. "Eril, stay. Watch after them." The wide eyes of his younger sister and the baker's even younger daughter stared at her, but they did not cry as she shut them in. There was a faint sound of rocks falling and then nothing. It was days before the Lanteans came digging them out. But they came.

Koren did not remember her parents. The favor of Apophis fell upon her early for she possessed an ear for languages. By twelve, she and other children were rigorously trained in Goa'uld dialects to assist in overseeing to her master's worlds. Until the day rumors spread about a group of Tau'ri captured and held for questioning. She literally ran into them as they escaped, spilling her scrolls on the engraved gilt floor. With four guns pointed at her, she haltingly spoke in their rough language, "Rings down left corridor. Take me with you for guide to Chapp'ai." Later, she learned they were called SG-8.

Neither his sister nor Gala were injured or in distress. The healer with the strange voice had complimented him on his care of the younger ones. Eril nodded in thanks, overwhelmed by the loss of his parents and arrival in the City of the Ancestors. His eyes fell to others rescued from his village. "Aye, we got several out." The healer smiled at him, then nodded to the woman at his side. "Greetings young one, my name is Teyla Emmagan. Welcome to Atlantis."

She spoke more in the three days after her escape than in her entire life before. Tau'ri healers, SG-8, the leader Hammond and men in suits all wanted to know every detail about Apophis' holdings. The elevator rose higher and higher, she did not understand how they could be so far down. Finally, Koren walked in the sunshine of Earth on a clear day when the distant mountains glittered with snow. Col. Gillay of SG-8 placed a hand on her shoulder. "Welcome to Colorado kid."

The Athosians were nice people. All the orphaned children from his village were placed with them, given homes again. Eril liked them because they made sure he stayed with his sister (she still cried at night). Sometimes, he would go meet visiting Atlanteans by walking to the gate with Jinto who knew all manner of interesting things about them. "One day, I will join them." Jinto always said things like that. On this day, Eril replied. "You cannot fight." Jinto shook his head. "But I can think. Mckay has told me many times that I'm not stupid, so I must be smart. They need smart people." Back on Eril's homeworld, an old man had taught young ones for many years. But his eyesight was poor and he tired easily. He had chosen Eril from among the others to replace him. He turned to Jinto. "How many smart people do you think they need?" Jinto grinned. "Many."

Lynda, Col. Gillay's wife, did not question when her husband brought a strange child home, only did her best to make Koren (Karen now) welcome. Her Tau'ri improved daily and soon she would enter school here. When they told her everyone went to school on Earth, she found herself disappointed. It had been such an honor back home. But, this was small compared to the luxuries granted by her escape. Like libraries. Dr. Jackson invited her into his office to record her knowledge. She had never seen so many books. Karen (now) opened one with writing she recognized. And frowned. "Dr. Jackson, this is not right." With a small smile, he replied. "I know." She looked up at him. "May I borrow a writing instrument?" He gave her a strange look and a pen. That first session Karen marked up the book. Later, she found out there were many thousands of copies.

He had no chance to speak to Dr. McKay. The Atlanteans had gone or returned; it depended on who you asked. Teyla had returned to the village with Ronon. They both worked hard but kept to themselves, always looking to the stars when a moment's pause occurred. He approached their tent cautiously, as if it could be startled by his approach. Before he could lose his nerve, the flap opened. "What do you want?" Ronon towered in front of him. Eril swallowed. "To learn." The big man spent several seconds gazing at him before stepping aside to allow him entry. Inside, Teyla sat next to the fire. On the table behind her were two bowls of half-eaten soup; they did not look fresh. She smiled as Ronon sat across from her. Eril sat next to Teyla. "Hello, Eril. How are you?" "Well." He stared at the fire a moment before continuing. "I would like to learn about the Atlanteans and their machines."

She found Earth children foolish. Libraries everywhere, books, microfilm, recordings. No one had to get permission. Yet, they did not study! Karen did not make friends easily. Only Cassandra Frasier spoke to her but they shared no classes. The Gillay family treated her well. After two years of straight A's, the school honored her work by skipping Karen two grades. For a year she attended the same school as Cassandra. At 16 she enrolled in college, her adopted family all traveling to Chicago to see her settled in the dormitory. It reminded her of the tutorial barracks on her homeworld. She would become an archaeologist and linguist. Dr. Jackson had already promised her a position at the SGC. Now she must become worthy of the honor.

For three weeks after his chores, he returned to their tent. Teyla and Ronon would recount tales of their adventures with a focus on the machines and "science". One night, they disappeared suddenly but returned with great news. Atlantis was an ally once more; the Earthers returned. Two months after, SGA-1 came through the gate. Teyla announced that Atlantis was offering to train some Athosians in the skills of the Ancients as a reward for their friendship. Dr. McKay interviewed ten children; two left the tent crying. Five, including Eril and Jinto, were chosen. He left his sister behind but she no longer feared the dark as before. The Alanteans welcomed them, telling them it would take many years to learn what was necessary. As the training progressed, the students could choose their "field" to study. Two months in, he cautiously inquired via Dr. Zelenka why the Atlanteans were doing this. Zelenka shrugged before responding in that quiet way of his. "If we have to leave again, we want to be sure the work continues. You are who we trust to do this."

In between semesters, Karen interned at the SGC. They taught her what colleges did not yet know. Gou'ald History and Dialects, Searching for Ancient Technology (otherwise known as "Scavenger Hunting") and Off-world Safety (an interesting requirement for an alien). She did not go off-world herself but sometimes, Karen would go to the Control Room to see her adopted father off. Sgt. Harriman always made sure there was an extra chair. She survived lock-downs and crises both. Her mother worried about losing her daughter to the same job that had caused her husband to break bones, disappear for weeks and sometimes wake up screaming. For the three years at college, she wondered, would her classmates be ready for a worst-case scenario? Teal'c comforted her, saying it was a question all members of the SGC asked not just the ones from other worlds. She began planning escape routes out of Chicago and asked her father to help her make a disaster kit.

He worked as never before in his life; all five Athosians did. They had of course always known labor and strife. But this learning made their minds buzz and hum with effort. Eril did not expect that thinking could be so exhausting. Every few months, they returned to "New Athos" to share some of what they had learned in presentations to the whole village. There would be a small feast. Family, adopted or blood, would stand proud next to their children. Until one day shortly after Dr. Weir was lost, Teyla returned saying the Athosians were all gone. "I must believe they live. If it is at all possible, I will return your sister to you Eril." Jinto had lost his father; all of them had nowhere else to go. They worked harder. Dr. McKay had started forbidding them to spend too much time in the lab except when the city was in danger. They began learning city and self-defense. Soon, it would be time to choose their specialties.

She pursued a doctorate in Ancient Languages. In her year and a half of study, Karen went to digs in Greece, Egypt and Turkey, all sponsored by the SGC. Earth's variety unfolded for her as never before. If she could, she would go back in time and reassure her younger self. That escaping with SG-8 was the right decision. That she would learn more on this world, the first world, than she could on any hundred Gou'ald planets. Dr. Jackson had come, gone and occasionally died but he remained a kindred soul and her primary advisor. Her father retired from the program but remained in Colorado Springs working with a Veterans' group. "It's your turn now honey. You'll do fine, I know it." Eight years after setting foot on Earth, she officially joined the Stargate Program. Her team assignment placed her with a SG-17 consisting of Lt. Col. Trevor Davenport, Sgt. Kevin Michealson and Dr. Wendell Purdue. They were good men.

When their training was complete and in between disasters, Dr. Zelenka and Major Lorne held a graduation ceremony in the cafeteria. All of Atlantis came. The sign above the stage read in proud letters: "Athosian Institute of Technology". For their final projects, Jinto figured out how to build Athosian fire-starters using an Ancient manufacturing lab; they became one of the city's best trade items. Kita developed new farming techniques for Pegasus crops which doubled food production on several dozen worlds. Eril wrote a program that differentiated between Wraith vessels by their hyper-engine signature allowing for improvements in tracking Hive ships. Tibor traveled with SGA-4 to market worlds with a presentation on easily reproducible technologies likely to help protect worlds from cullings (Col. Sheppard called it "How to Jump-Start Your Economy in 10 Easy Steps"). Lopa oversaw an excavation of what the Earthers called "The Library of Alexandria" on MDX-289; the documents were from over 30 worlds, some previously unknown. They were 'Lanteans now.

Hallowed are the Ori. Her mother died of a plague brought from the SGC by her father. SG-17 lost two members on PDX-183 when the natives burned them alive as an offering to the local Prior. For the first time, she learned things she did not wish to know: How to mourn. How to face relatives and tell them their loved ones were lost and they could not know why (may never know why). Her classmates from college shook their heads at the wasted potential. She published carefully worded papers but not enough of them. Karen discovered that to the outside, SGC scientists and linguists worked at the hazy, outcast edges of their fields. As much observers of their professions on Earth as they were of cultures on other worlds. She learned the cost of error when a mistranslation of writing inside ruins used for cover in a firefight resulted in SG-22 and SG-19 being killed instantly by an exploding Ancient relic. Her father accompanied her to every funeral, holding her hand the entire time. After the investigation, she transferred to Antarctica allowing herself to disappear into the cold emptiness and work at the outpost. Until one day, General O'Neill visited.

Mr. Woolsey always requested one of them to help welcome new arrivals from Earth. He felt the Athosian scientists would offer a good perspective on the Pegasus Galaxy. The former Athosians talked sometimes about how innocent the Earthers seemed, even the warriors. While the Milky Way had villains and enemies, it appeared to possess few predators. Ronon gave the introductory self-defense class to military and civilians. This was always the very first class. He would shrug when asked. "If they can't work while hurt and sore, they can't survive here." Dr. McKay would rail and complain about the bruised scientists showing up for his briefing. Still, as far as Eril knew, McKay never asked Ronon to switch. Today, the arrivals were special. Among the typical scientists, warriors and experts, two came who were not Earthers by birth but by choice. Before Dr. McKay started the meeting, he went over and extended his hand as per Earth custom. "Hello, my name is Eril of Athos. Welcome to Atlantis."

Dr. Jackson arrived with the General but without a pitying look or disappointed shake of his head. When General O'Neill inquired, she said she would be happy to remain in Antarctica. "You got the gene?" She nodded. "What about Atlantis?" It was a thought. Her sisters had long resigned to lose her to work. Her father's feelings were a delicate balance between pride and sorrow. They worried as all families do. Only when she boarded the Apollo was she convinced of the rightness of her decision. Cassandra Frasier had also joined up. She'd pursued a study of plants. They spent the two weeks talking, comparing notes of their adventures as adopted Tau'ri. When they arrived, Col. Ellis invited them to the bridge telling Cassandra, "Your mother saved my leg once. She'd want you to see this." The next couple hours were a haze of awe, wonder and hastily yelled directions. The self-defense course made her thankful she's been on a SG-team once upon a time. Sore but happy, she and Cassandra waited for the scientists' briefing to start. A solemn looking young man (almost too young really) approached them, his expression oddly familiar. "Hello, my name is Eril of Athos. Welcome to Atlantis."

They shook hands.