Fic: Furlings

[libra_traveller]

Title: Furlings
Author: libra_traveller
Note: This was written in sequence with other stories by different writers.



John turns to look at the frazzled McKay. "Is there a message?
Maybe those ghastly Furlings actually live in a galaxy nearby and
have come to help?"

Rodney turns a surprised/scathing look at the Major. "Isn't it a
little early to be drinking?" He quickly turns back to his laptop
and scans the code coming through.

John pats him on the back. "Anything?"

"No, well, not a message per se. It isn't radio waves, but
definitely some sort of energy is hitting the shield. I can't get a
grip on the pattern if there is one." Rodney was beginning to get
frustrated. Whatever this *thing* was, it doesn't appear to be
wraith related. Of course it still could be a warning of sorts. But
what if the Major was right? Not about the extinct Furlings, but it
could be some potential allies, just hope they won't die attempting
to come through our gate. Then again, any intelligent species worth
working with wouldn't knock and come in without an waiting for an
answer. "Doorbell."

"What?" Sheppard stares in confusion at McKay.

"What if this is someone or something's version of ringing the
doorbell? For all we know they've tried knocking before and we
didn't hear it." McKay was almost jumping around in excitement.

John trying hard to resist the urge to hold him still, blinks hard
in thought. "Wait, isn't the gate coming from a specific location?
Wouldn't we have noticed if the same people kept calling and we
didn't pick up the phone? I mean, we practically have a frickin
answering machine hooked up."

Doctor Weir who'd been hurrying up to the two men, "Could we please
not get carried away with the analogies?"

McKay, only slightly irked at the Major's attempt to derail his
theory, continued, "There have been gates held in orbit around
planets before. Grodin! I don't care if your shift is over, get
back and work on this!!" Rodney turns a little flustered by Weir's
raised eyebrow. "If they're on a ship in space and they travel
between different solar systems, maybe even galaxies, as long as
they wait until they're in a specific location that the Gates can
recognize as a point of origin, they can continue trying to reach
us."

Major Sheppard who's beginning to catch on, "So like postcards?"

Peter Grodin could only slightly be heard to mutter, "Better not be
from some stupid monkeys."

One other technician, smirking at the Bare-Naked Ladies reference,
started searching the system for any match between this gate's
signal and previously logged signals. "Hope they're not from
travelling gnomes."

Meanwhile Rodney had sat down at one of the nearby terminals. John
anxiously awaited for him to finish whatever twisted train of
thought Rodney might be having. Of course he's thrilled that his
suggestion has made such on impact, but Rodney's brilliance can be a
little daunting at times.

McKay suddenly jumps up, surprising everyone around him.
"Desalwiche, hook up to the DHD's memory. Look for any attempted
contact over the last ten thousand years. Try checking it in
increments of centuries, make that five centuries."

Dewesberry, not even minding that McKay messed up his name, started
enthusiastically following Rodney's advice.

Teyla and Ford had entered, heading towards all the excitement.
Ford only hearing that last bit, was quite clueless. This didn't
prevent him from putting in his own opinion. "Searching for someone
that's been trying to contact the Ancients since they left to head
back to Earth?"

John and Elizabeth could only open and close their mouths. They
hadn't yet figured out what Rodney's last orders were supposed to
mean before Ford spoke up.

Rodney stares at Aiden, a look of awe clear in his face. Finally, a
connection with this man. Guess his genius is starting to rub off
on people. "Yeah, exactly. For all we know, the Ancients could
have sent out a distress beacon to some old allies once they
realized they couldn't handle the Wraith. What if by the time the
message was received and their friends could manage back a reply,
the Ancients had already left?"

"I was right??!" John shouted out. "What? If I hadn't made that
comment about the Furlings you would never had thought of that."

McKay could only frown in bewilderment, but eventually he conceded
defeat. "You're right Major. Even dunces can sometimes hold the
key to unlocking the universe."

"Hey."

"Well I thought it was better than my original choice of snapping at
you and asking if you were psychic."

Ford, the only one present who had actually spent a significant
amount of time at Stargate Command, was more familiar than even
McKay, with the bizarre coincidences the universe is filled
with. "Maybe it is the Furlings." He receives some odd looks.
Teyla decides not to even ask who the Furlings are, since everyone
else is being disbelieving enough. "Thor said that the Ancients had
been a part of a Corporation of Friendly Aliens. Four races that
were trying to keep intergalactic peace."

Rodney, already believing himself ahead of what Ford was proposing,
growled, "We know this already. The Furlings were one of the four,
but they're extinct! SG-1 found evidence on a planet they lived on,
and-"

"They were gone. They split." Ford glares daggers at McKay. "If
the Ancients can launch an entire city into space and move to
another galaxy, why wouldn't their allies be capable of the same?"
Glancing around to make sure everybody understood him, "What if they
travelled farther than even the Ancients managed to? Or, a better
possibility, what if the Furlings managed to hide better from
whatever made the Ancients and the Furlings leave the Milky Way in
the first place?"

Rodney, thinking these possibilities through, glanced down to the
extra laptop he had been occasionally glancing at. "Grodin? Have
you guys found anything yet? We only have... fifteen more minutes
to figure out who they are and how to send a message back."

Weir, sitting down in a chair one of the late-commers of techies
handed her, began sorting through all the theories that had been
suggested. She wanted to make sure they were all on the right
track. Of course they couldn't be sure until the gate signal was
recognized. The signal each gate gives off is so minute that it's
often difficult for their software to recognize the
differences. "Is it possible that the Furlings could have hidden
themselves away in an alternate universe? One that is different
from ours by such a high degree that their presence has left no
impact on our reality." She directed her question to McKay.

Rodney, muttering to himself, opens up another program on the
computer. "AUs, AUs... what did Daniel say in his report? Kawalsky
told him to move the dial in only small increments, the farther you
move it... the farther away the universe is that you're contacting.
Eureka!"

John laughed, "I didn't know people actually said that."

Rodney grinning, shrugged. "Always wanted to. The energy readings
coming through the gate would have to be this strong, not to mention
foreign, if it's not only travelling from a great distance, but also
passing through thousands upon millions of different universes. Not
to mention time, the universe the message is being sent from could
have a remarkably alternative constitution."

"What?" Ford's eyes were boggling.

Sheppard had to refute that last statement. "I knew it! You're
making up most of what you say!!"

"Huh? Sorry, I think outloud too much." Rodney continued to look
to the far wall.

John shakes his head. "I thought he was talking to us. When did he
start ignoring us?"

Grodin replied, "As soon as he said 'energy readings'. It's easy to
miss, but his pupils got a little bigger once he stopped noticing he
had company."

Dr. Weir decided now was the time to take control of the
situation. "Okay people. Briefing in three minutes. Major, make
sure to steer McKay to it. Grodin as soon as you guys find
anything, and I mean anything, get the information to us. We'll
decide whether or not it's worthy of note. Ford, round up a
security team. There's still a chance that this is a trick and some
enemy of ours will reconnect to our gate with a more powerful blast
force. We don't want some energy that's strong enough to disable
our shield, leaving us defenceless and unaware."

"Yes, ma'am."

"How may I be of assistance?" Teyla Emmagan asked Weir as they
walked up to the briefing room.

"See if you can remember any legends that mentions a race of beings,
one other than the Wraith, that may have been either allies or
enemies of the Ancients."

"I will try. I may need a ride to the mainland to consult with
Hallings and the other elders."

"I'll have Markham take you." Weir looked up to see Major Sheppard
with a snarky McKay in tow. "Okay people, sit down. I want to hear
ideas, any and all constructive imput. Our priorities are to first
determine whether or not this is a threat. Secondly, whether they
are friendly and willing to help us. It's important that we keep in
mind that if it is an old ally of the Ancients, they may not take
too kindly to our residing here. Next and probably the only way we
can answer one and two, how did the transmission get sent, what does
it mean, and how can we send a transmission back to whomever sent
it. Especially that last bit, since Grodin just signalled to say
that the gate's shutdown." She looked around at all the present
personnel, various experts in their field. The room was full, many
had not been able to find a seat. It seems someone, Grodin
probably, made sure to contact everyone who would be needed.
"Well, I'm all ears."