Stargate: 1939 (Updated 8/31/09)

[JME2]

Excellent, Chewie.

[Ilya Muromets]

Well, nothing much to say other than this chapter was great. I look forward to the epilogue and potential future installments!

[CaptainChewbacca]

Epilogue

Hawthorne NAD,
July 4, 1939

Even walking with an escort of four US Marines, Secretary Woodring was nervous, and disliked the fact that the desert heat meant he couldn’t stop sweating and therefore appeared MORE nervous. He had only been briefed eight days ago on what had happened out here in a distant corner of General Groves’ little empire that was the Manhattan Project, and he didn’t like it one bit. A secret door to another world? Battles with alien gods, and flying pyramids? When Woodring had read the report the first time, he almost fired his aide for taking part in such an outlandish joke. It had taken the word of both Roosevelt AND Hull before he would believe it. In fact, Secretary of State Cordell Hull was already on Abydos, putting the final touches on the treaty.

His escort led him into a building which looked quite haphazard, having been dramatically increased in size in the past three weeks. At the far end of the building, carpenters and masons from the Corps of Engineers worked busily away to extend another wing of laboratories and workshops.

Inside the building was no less chaotic. Large carts of materials went whizzing by while men and women scurried to and fro with stacks of papers. The marines guiding Woodring turned left, then right, and then left again before arriving at an open door. “General Groves.”

“Mister Secretary.” General Leslie Groves saluted. “Good of you to come, sir. Have you met Doctor Tesla?” He motioned to the elderly Slav bent over the worktable.

“Yes, I believe we met at a state function a few years ago.” Woodring grimaced. “Trying to sell the government on your death ray-“

“PEACE BEAMS, Mister Woodring.” Tesla snapped, annoyed. “Death ray is a term the papers made up, but they are all about peace.” He turned, and smiled at the men. “And thanks to this new mineral your marines found, perhaps I shall see them before I die.”

Secretary Woodridge gulped and realized the device Tesla was working on was shaped very much like a gatling gun with bits of wire and tubes sticking out of the barrel. “Wait, is that-“ Tesla threw a massive switch on the wall and the lights flickered in the room. A low hum sounded, and a dull red beam shot out of the barrel and lit up the far wall. A small red circle the size of a pencil shone steadily, but nothing else.

“Looks like your peace beam still needs work, Doctor.” Woodring sighed, relieved.

“Peace beam? Hardly.” Tesla smiled. “This is a recreation of an experiment I conducted almost half a century ago. It is the amplification of light by the stimulated emission of radiation. The mineral from the planet can be used in such a way to provide an inexhaustible source of illumination. No more lightbulbs! No more rural electrification. And, if two grams of the material can do this…” He smiled and turned back to his notes and researchers as they began to gauge the properties of the beam.

“Well, at least it’s never dull around here.” General Groves smiled. “Please, Sir, let me show you the stargate.” They headed toward the gate room. “I read the President’s dispatches, sir. Is he quite serious about all of this?”

“The man is rarely anything but, General. I think we may be overreaching a bit here, but if Tesla can re-invent the light bulb after just three weeks, then we’ll need Abydos more than ever.” He stopped, and looked General Groves in the eye. “War is coming, and soon.”

Groves nodded. “Germany. They seem to be cozying up to Russia.”

Woodring gave a brief sigh. “Yes, it’s keeping Hull up burning the midnight oil.” They arrived at a set of heavy doors, currently open as track was laid down through this part of the facility. Two armed marines saluted.

“Well sir, this is it.” Groves ushered him in.

“Son of a bitch…” Woodring hadn’t FULLY believed, not until this minute. He’d seen pictures, read the reports, and even spoken with Professor Langford. It still didn’t come close to the huge ring in front of him.

“Don’t worry Sir, everyone says that the first time.” He nodded to the engineers. “We’re ready.” One by one, the symbols were locked as the gate spun, the new machinery attached to it hissing and clanking in an awful racket. Behind the two men, a full company of marines as well as several trucks were preparing. They could only open the gate every few days, such was the power demands, so there was no such thing as a frivolous trip. The gate would stay open as long as they could keep it, sometimes half an hour, as men and materiel went through.

Groves and Woodring climbed into a jeep; it was better to go through the gate while sitting than to collapse on the other side. Woodring steeled himself as they approached the shimmering pool, he refused to let his expression change.

Fort O’Dell, Nagada
July 4, 1939

The road was new, that much was clear. Coming out of the pyramid, their little convoy had rolled down the stone ramp and onto a meandering path of cut stone grounded firmly in the dunes. Twenty-two feet wide, it was enough for trucks to pass each-other, or for a large tank to get where it needed to go. A quarter-mile from the pyramid, the road split, with a sign in stencilled English. “Nagada, 8 miles” pointed to the southwest, while “Fort James O’Dell 12 miles” pointed to the north. They had turned and continued on, and Woodring was overwhelmed. Three moons hung over the alien sky, one of them just peeking over the too-close horizon that meant this world was smaller than Earth.

“This is incredible, General. How did your men build this road so fast?”

“Wasn’t us, Mister Secretary. It was the Nagadans. One of their many thank-you presents they’ve given us since we freed them.” Groves smiled to himself. Normally he wasn’t much for going out into the world and dealing with the lower nations, but the people of Nagada were just so enthusiastically HELPFUL to the Americans that his men hadn’t even had the inclination to come up with a derogatory nickname.

“Nagadans? I thought this planet was called ‘Abydos’.” Woodring raised an eyebrow.

“It is, sir. Nagada is their city. We’re humans from Earth and we call ourselves Americans. It’s the same thing here.” As they rounded over another sand dune a huge hulking shape loomed into view.

“Dear… God…” Again, the reports didn’t do it justice. A shining, angular metal mountain cast askew in the sand almost as if tossed by a giant. Woodring stood up in the jeep and shielded his eyes. He could make out shapes clambering all over the ship, swinging hammers and saws, like an army of ants. In the shadow of the mighty ship, on a scoured-out gash almost as wide as a football field and almost a mile long lay Fort O’Dell.

Major Puller had insisted on honouring the fallen lieutenant for his heroic stand that had allowed some of SMF-1 to escape that first ambush and get the word out, and so the War Department had authorized the name. Fort O’Dell was now home to several hundred marines, scientists, engineers, and a host of metalworkers as they carefully, thoroughly, dismantled Ra’s mothership under the careful guidance of Bra’tac and his Jaffa.

As they pulled into the parade ground, the base personnel all ran to assemble. The military men formed ranks almost instantly, while the civilians stood to one side. A delegation from Nagada was also there, Yasha in his official robes, and Kasuf standing with his new wife Lishai by his side. Indy stood with them also, to translate, still slightly relieved and saddened that Lishai had been promised to Kasuf all along, and had never been intended to be a wife for him.

Major Puller shouted out. “COMPANY! ATTEN-SHUN!” As one, they snapped into place. Bra’tac’s jaffa, almost eighty of them including some defectors from Ra’s warriors. They all saluted, and Groves and Woodring returned the salute.

“Thank you, men.” Woodridge took his place at a podium which had been set up for this occasion. “I convey to you my own admiration for your service, as well as the praise of a greatful president. I will now read a statement from President Roosevelt:

Truly, no greater soldiers have ever been born than those of the United States Stargate Marine Force. Unflinching, you walked into the unknown to retrieve a lost comrade, and yet as you went from danger to danger at all times you have conducted yourselves not only as soldiers, but as warriors and gentlemen, to the great honor of your nation. On this day, one hundred seventy-three years after America’s battle for liberty began in Independence Hall, you gallant heroes have done great service in the cause of liberty for your fellow man without regard for personal safety. It is therefore my great joy to award you men the Navy Cross. In addition, for extreme gallantry and heroism above and beyond the call of duty, I am pleased to award the Congressional Medal of Honor to Lieutenant James O’Dell and Lieutenant Anthony Evans for their actions against the forces of Ra. Truly, these men have set a precedent and legacy for which the United States Stargate Marine Force can be proud.”

The civilians and the Nagadans clapped, the latter a few moments later as Indy finished translating. He and Doctor Einstein had already received their own honors privately, but this was military and political ceremony with very political ends.

Secretary Hull then took the podium. “I want to again express my admiration and respect for all of you, for prevailing against such serious odds. Truly, the United States is lucky to have envoys as courageous as our marines, or allies as formidable as the Jaffa. I have received word from our government that the Treaty of Abydos has been ratified. The Commonwealth of Nagada is now declared to be a sovereign military protectorate of the United States of America. Furthermore, the United States has recognized Master Bra’tac and his ‘Free Jaffa Alliance’ to be a formal ally of the United States. As such, I have given Secretary Woodring word to commission you, Master Bra’tac, and your men, as the First Heavy Infantry Platoon (Jaffa) of the Stargate Marine Force. It is an honor for you to have joined us in our mission of freedom.” He saluted Bra’tac and his men, who returned the salute.

“Furthermore, it is my pleasure to name Colonel Lewis Burwell Puller to be the Military Governor of Nagada, and the director of off-world operations for the Stargate Marine Force.” Secretary Woodring walked over to Puller and handed him a new set of bars. Puller grinned.

“Now gentlemen, it’s the Fourth of July. I hereby order you to stand down and relax, we’ve brought plenty of steaks and beer.” With that, the parade ground degenerated into a cacophony of whoops and howls as the marines congratulated their new CO.

Nagadan women and children took care of most of the day-to-day life at Fort O’Dell, and they had already dug fire pits and filled them with dried dung for fuel. There was music and laughing as the celebration began. Bra’tac shook hands with Secretary Woodring. “Woodring of Kansas, I am honoured to meet you. As one First Prime to another, you have done me and my men a great service to treat us so.”

Woodring winced at the term, but wasn’t about to tell Bra’tac he hadn’t commanded troops in the field since the Great War. “It is you that does us a great service, Master Bra’tac. You left everything behind, and you managed to keep this wreck for America to study.”

“Yes, my pupil Teal’c has done much.” Bra’tac smiled, proudly. “He delivered Ra’s body to our lord, along with the remaining Jaffa who I would not let remain here with me. We have told Apophis that Ra released a plague upon this world which has made it dangerous for all life. There will be no visitors here for some time.”

“And he believed that?” Woodring raised an eyebrow.

Bra’tac shrugged. “It is not an unknown practice. I have myself rendered four worlds uninhabitable at the word of my false god.”

“Well great, I just hope Telk doesn’t run into any trouble.”

“Woodring of Kansas, hear me.” Bra’tac put a firm hand on the man’s shoulder. “To not trust Teal’c,” he emphasized the name “is to not trust my right hand will not strike you down against my will.” He turned to a serving girl. “Ah, this meat is delicious. Secretary, you must have some.” Woodring sighed, and downed the rest of his beer.

Across the grounds, Puller sat at a table with Indy and Doctor Einstein.

“Well, Doctors, I guess your adventuring is over.” He took a bite of steak.

“What do you mean, Colonel?” Indy smiled and tapped on the new rank insignia.

Puller looked at them and shrugged “Well, we’re here, and we can get home, and that spaceship isn’t flying anywhere anytime soon. And the Nagadans said themselves this is the only settlement on the planet.”

“Oh, he doesn’t know!” Einstein fairly beamed.

“What’s that?” Puller grew wary. “What don’t I know?”

Indy smiled. “Kasuf and his friends showed me this morning, apparently when the ship came down, a piece of debris came off and punched a hole through a cavern near the city. I looked, and it’s got hundreds of sets of tablets, just like the one with earth’s symbols on it. All of them lead to different worlds, I’d bet anything.”

“Ya, indeed.” Einstein broke in. “And I have been discussing the gate’s processes with Doctor Tesla, and I believe I have determined how to make the transitions more safe. No more stomach upsets.”

“Hundreds…” Puller’s mind swam.

“Yep.” Indy took a swallow of beer. “You’ll have a report soon Governor, but if these other worlds are all settled with people from ancient earth and lousy with martian gadgets, you’re gonna be needing both of us for quite some time.”

Puller sat back and thought about that as he let his eyes drift skyward. There were three flagpoles at the end of the parade ground. Six rows of eight stars flapped in the breeze, but below that were two new flags. One was a red pyramid on a gold field with three white stars over it for Abydos, and the other was more of an old-style military pennant, with a clenched fist surrounded by a ring of stars. All new, and yet somehow familiar and somehow, quite right. He pondered what would have happened if Jones and Einstein had declined the invitations to assist on the project. The Nagadans certainly would have been worse-off, and Bra’tac would still be working for a monster.

No, thought Puller. Things were just bully.


*Ahernabe Research Facility, Hamburg, Germany*

Seth was furious. “I told you under no circumstances to connect the dialling device to the gate!” He slapped one of the engineers.

“We were only trying to get a baseline for-” all of a sudden the gate began to spin, and hum.

“TO ARMS!” Klaxons began to blare as men of the Waffen SS Germania poured into the room, levelling their guns at the stargate. A shimmering sheet of light flashed into being, and a swirling vortex spun through the room. “Mein gott…” one of the technicians crossed himself.

For a handful of seconds there was nothing. Then, a tall, fit figure clad in grey stepped through the light onto the platform. Forty rifles worked their actions at once, but he held up his hands. “Peace! Peace!” The stargate behind him turned off. “I am glad to have arrived here. Truly, it does me honor to bring word to the ancestral home of my people.” He looked at Seth. “I am Tolvar, of Euronda. I have come for your help.”


*TO BE CONTINUED OCTOBER 1ST*

[Ilya Muromets]

Ooh, it's here. And, as hinted in the earlier pages, Tesla is working with Einstein, and both seem to be getting along. If you'll excuse me, I shall now commence fanboy squee.

This is both a great end and a promising start. October 1 can't come fast enough.

[EarthScorpion]

Ooh, wonderful. I've just read the entire thing from start to finish, and Indiana Jones et al fit into Stargate (which is really rather pulpy anyway) rather too well. If there is such a thing.

I echo the complaints about the existence of September.

[Kartr_Kana]

Great ending, poor Chesty still can't get a MoH even in outer space

One note it's Atten-HUT! Not Atten-SHUN! HUT is shorter and crisper hence it's use. Just thought you should know.

[Vehrec]

The Eurondans? Of the chemical weapons, fusion reactors and cloned racial superiority?

Shit, the Nazis just found their best friends. We need to take out those dams in Norway ASAP.

[Kodiak]

The Eurondans? Of the chemical weapons, fusion reactors and cloned racial superiority?

Shit, the Nazis just found their best friends. We need to take out those dams in Norway ASAP.

Don't forget the Aerofighters. I was wondering what might happen if Nazis and Space Nazis in Space teamed up. Set seems to have a leg-up now in the technology dept.

[The Romulan Republic]

I look forward to October first and WW2 Stargate style, which I suspect will become a Galactic war rather quickly.

[Stuart Mackey]

I would just like to add a reminder that the British Empire and its Commonwealth does in fact exist...

[CypherLH]

The Eurondans? Of the chemical weapons, fusion reactors and cloned racial superiority?

Shit, the Nazis just found their best friends. We need to take out those dams in Norway ASAP.

Can you say EPIC. This is far better than the actual Stargate movie and series, seriously. Would love to see how this all plays out in an alternate WW2. Awesome-ness.

[Samuel]

Except are the evil space nazi's aryans? I remember they cloned one guy- I'm not sure they'd get alone with the Germans.

[Darth Nostril]

Just read this ...

Awesome.

[LadyTevar]

Cue the end-theme, and now we wait for the next serial reel to get to the movie theater.

Because something like this fits the pulp-serial thrillers that ran in theaters throughout the 1930s-40s.

[CaptainChewbacca]

Cue the end-theme, and now we wait for the next serial reel to get to the movie theater.

Because something like this fits the pulp-serial thrillers that ran in theaters throughout the 1930s-40s.

Maybe I'll do 'world news' narrations for filler.

[LadyTevar]

Cue the end-theme, and now we wait for the next serial reel to get to the movie theater.

Because something like this fits the pulp-serial thrillers that ran in theaters throughout the 1930s-40s.

Maybe I'll do 'world news' narrations for filler.

Oh that would be AWESOME!!!

[Coop]

Fantastic story, Captain. I eagerly await the next episode! I'm just a sucker for WWII era tales (Indy included) and Stargate alike, so clicking on this thread (and reading through it) was a great experience.

[JME2]

Cue the end-theme, and now we wait for the next serial reel to get to the movie theater.

Because something like this fits the pulp-serial thrillers that ran in theaters throughout the 1930s-40s.

Maybe I'll do 'world news' narrations for filler.

Oh that would be AWESOME!!!

Seconded.

Great job, Chewie; truly one of the best SG fanfics I've ever read.

[Kodiak]

Except are the evil space nazi's aryans? I remember they cloned one guy- I'm not sure they'd get alone with the Germans.

They were definitely white, and the head guy, Arla, didn't want Teal'c around because he looked like a "breeder".

[Scottish Ninja]

Cue the end-theme, and now we wait for the next serial reel to get to the movie theater.

Because something like this fits the pulp-serial thrillers that ran in theaters throughout the 1930s-40s.

Maybe I'll do 'world news' narrations for filler.

Don't forget the cartoon!

Except are the evil space nazi's aryans? I remember they cloned one guy- I'm not sure they'd get alone with the Germans.

I'm pretty sure the Germans got along just fine with non-aryans - take the Japanese, for example. If there was a word for it, I'd call it "empirical racism".

[[R_H]]

The Eurondans? Of the chemical weapons, fusion reactors and cloned racial superiority?

The who? Could you refresh my memory, I don't remember those guys?

[phongn]

Can you say EPIC. This is far better than the actual Stargate movie and series, seriously. Would love to see how this all plays out in an alternate WW2. Awesome-ness.

Curtis LeMay and Arthur Harris with Naquadah bombs.

[Glennfiddich12]

The Eurondans were a human culture that contacted Earth requesting help against their enemies. SG-1 was sent to investigate and it was eventually discovered that the Eurondans were conducting a genocidal war on another human population on their planet. They held similar views of 'genetic purity' as the Nazis. They also possesed a lot of advanced technology to include fusion reactors and unmanned, remotely piloted aircraft controlled by neural interface. SG-1 eventually sabotaged their efforts and escaped the planet.

[[R_H]]

They also possesed a lot of advanced technology to include fusion reactors and unmanned, remotely piloted aircraft controlled by neural interface. SG-1 eventually sabotaged their efforts and escaped the planet.

Ah, now I remember. And Jack and Teal'c piloted the drones, but the interface had a negative side-effect on them, right?

[Kodiak]

They also possesed a lot of advanced technology to include fusion reactors and unmanned, remotely piloted aircraft controlled by neural interface. SG-1 eventually sabotaged their efforts and escaped the planet.

Ah, now I remember. And Jack and Teal'c piloted the drones, but the interface had a negative side-effect on them, right?

Over the course of years the aero-fighters would make a person lose a significant amount of brain function. From Jack's 2 times in the chair there would be no ill-effect.

I wonder what sort of tactics the Nazis will pick up, and vice-versa. The Eurondan Nazis' first attack was to render their atmosphere unbreathable