Jack ambled over. "Are we there yet?"
"We're just waiting on Dr. McKay," Weir told him, her eyes drifting back to Sumner.
Jack watched her for a moment, coming to stand at her side. "Don't second-guess yourself," he advised. "There may come a time when you'll want a man like Sumner on your side."
"As long as he remembers this is a civilian expedition," she said. "Not a military mission."
So that's what was bugging her. "He knows who's in charge," Jack assured her. "So do I."
"Thank you." She nodded, and then glanced at him sideways. "You are talking about me, right?"
He smiled. Yeah, she'd be okay. She'd be just fine.
Stargate Command was awesome, in the literal sense of the word. Who'd have guessed this was buried beneath Cheyenne Mountain? Floors and floors of top secret labs and research units, the Stargate itself — this huge, incredible piece of technology that spat out subspace like water and connected the world to planets across the universe. Who'd have guessed?
He'd been here a week already, but still John Sheppard was in awe. And not just of the technology; there were some scarily smart people around here, and he'd gradually begun to get to know some of them. McKay, the guy who'd told him to think about the solar system, seemed to be the head smart-ass. He knew his stuff alright, but was as prickly as a porcupine on a bad day. Then again, McKay spoke his mind and Sheppard admired that. Charm he could live without, honesty he couldn't.
As he threaded his way through the bustling corridor, Sheppard saw the doors to the gate room up ahead. This was it; this was the day when it would all happen. Or not. Last time he'd seen McKay, the guy had been fiddling with the ZPM and just about ripping out what was left of his hair. He hadn't been too amused when Sheppard had cautioned him about that either…
Sheppard grinned at the memory, and stepped into the gate room. It was small and dominated entirely by the massive Stargate. And there were people everywhere. It was like some kind of foreign market, full of snatches of French, German and other languages he couldn't begin to recognize. A little guy in glasses dashed past cursing in something that sounded vaguely Eastern European. Sheppard found his heart beating a little faster, the expectation pumping adrenaline freely through his system. This was life, he thought, gazing around him. This was living. O'Neill had been right; anyone who didn't want to do this was whacked.
High from the buzz, he turned in a slow three-sixty and suddenly found himself trapped in the gaze of Colonel Sumner. It wasn't exactly what you'd call a friendly gaze, but Sheppard had never been easily intimidated. "Colonel," he said, keeping the greeting frosty.
Sumner didn't answer, but if looks could kill… Sheppard turned away, just as Dr. Weir entered the room. She looked tiny compared with the hulking machinery — and hulking soldiers — that pervaded the SGC. But she didn't look apprehensive. He liked that. For a civilian, she had a strong arm.
"Can I have everyone's attention?" she began, instantly quelling the bustling room. Even those in the corridors fell silent, crowding close to hear what she had to say.
Charisma, Sheppard decided. She had charisma.
"We are about to try a connection." The buzz that followed those words ricocheted around the room, raising expectation in everyone. "We've been unable to predict exactly how much power this is going to take, and we may only get one chance," she carried on. "Most of the power expenditure is in the initial connection, so if we achieve a stable wormhole we won't risk shutting the gate down. We're going to send a MALP robot probe, check for viability, and go. Everything in one shot."
Just like that.
Weir shifted where she stood, chin lifting along with the subject. "Every one of you volunteered for his mission," she said, and Sheppard didn't miss the genuine warmth and pride in her voice. "You represent over a dozen countries — the world's best and brightest. In light of the adventure we are about to embark on, you are also the bravest." She was good; this was good. Sheppard was riveted. "I hope that we will all return one day, having discovered a whole new realm for humanity to explore, and that we will learn things we previously thought unimaginable. But, as you all know, we may never be able to return home." Silence. Absolute silence filled the short pause. She wasn't saying anything they didn't know, but hearing it spoken aloud, on the cusp of the adventure… "I'd like to give you all one last chance to withdraw your participation."
No one moved, and in that frozen moment Sheppard felt Colonel Sumner's eyes drilling into him. He returned the stare, daring the man to chicken out. But no one was backing down.
Weir spoke again. "Begin the dialing sequence."
A clunk reverberated through the floor, through Sheppard's boots and into his chest, and the gate started to spin. The speed and power of it was awesome and he had to struggle not to take a step back. He knew the principle, of course, but this was the first time he'd seen the thing in action. It was overwhelming, and as he watched each chevron lock into place he realized that this was it. This was the moment that would determine the rest of his life — of all their lives.
He watched Weir leave the room and head up to the control room. Sumner was watching her too, before he turned away and pushed through the crowd to stand at Sheppard's shoulder. "Let me be clear about something," the Colonel said in a low voice, sharp enough to cut steel. "You are not here by my choice."
Too bad. "You'll warm up to me when you get to know me better, sir, I promise." Officers like Sumner always failed to impress him, and Sheppard thought it best that the Colonel know that from the outset.
Sumner just walked away, but not without a sarcastic parting shot. "Long as you remember who gives the orders."
Snide sonofabitch. Sheppard watched him go and, at the last possible moment, called, "That would be Dr. Weir, right?"
The Colonel turned back and glared. Sheppard met his challenge without flinching and didn't blink until Sumner was forced to look away and move on.
He allowed himself a grim smile and returned his attention to the spinning Stargate. So…this is gonna be fun.
The atmosphere in the control room was charged so thick Weir could almost feel her hair beginning to stand on end. Dr. Jackson, General O'Neill and Rodney McKay were with her, staring, transfixed, at the dialing Stargate. It hardly seemed possible that they were about to reach out across the universe to an entirely new galaxy, and she wondered if this was how Columbus or Magellan had felt as they stood aboard their frail ships and set sail for an undiscovered world.
"Chevron six encoded," the technician reported.
With butterflies dancing in her stomach, Weir cast a glance at McKay. He was staring straight ahead, expressionless. She wasn't entirely sure he was still breathing. "This is it," she said quietly. He didn't respond, all his attention riveted on the Stargate. "Seriously," she laughed, the tension making her giddy, "calm down. You're embarrassing me."
His eyes didn't move, his face deadpan. "I have never been so excited in my entire life."
Weir had never seen anyone become catatonic with excitement, but she had an open mind. Anything was possible. "It's going to be fine."
"Honestly, I never thought we'd get this far."
Really? Well, that was interesting… She glanced at O'Neill, who lifted his shoulders in a shrug, but any comment was forestalled.
Chevron seven was encoded. This was it. This was the moment…
The Stargate stopped spinning. The entire gate room had fallen silent, every single breath was held. No one even dared blink. The chevron clamped down on the symbol for Earth, the gate rumbled, and then…
The event horizon mushroomed out, and settled peacefully in place.