Title: A History of the Stargate Program
Author: Ami Ven
Fandom: Stargate SG-1
Pairing: Sam Carter/Jack O'Neill
Genre: het.
Prompt:
100_tales #099 ‘writer’s choice’ (‘history’)
Rating: G
Word Count: 1,450
Summary: Hello, and welcome to Through the Gate, an exhibit of the early Stargate Program.
A History of the Stargate Program
Hello, and welcome to Through the Gate, an exhibit of the early Stargate Program.
To hear more information about each display, as well as original recordings and archive interviews with SGC personnel, input the corresponding number from the information card onto the keypad of your audio tour device. You may stop, pause or restart the audio at any time by using the command keys, or adjust to volume with the controls on the side of the device.
Please enjoy your tour
Number One- The Embarkation Room
The Embarkation Room of Stargate Command is located inside the Cheyenne Mountain Complex. More commonly called the Gate Room, this secure chamber housed Earth’s primary stargate until the program was declassified.
The stargate dialing procedure was controlled by a bank of computers located in the Control Room above you. At the time, these computers were state-of-the-art, but they had less computing power than most cell phones do today. They system was upgraded many times over the years, but it is reproduced here in its original configuration.
When an SG team was geared up and prepared to depart, the address of their destination was dialed by the computer to open a wormhole to that world.
This is an archive recording of Major General George Hammond, addressing an out-going team: SG-1, you have a go. Good luck and godspeed.
Number Two- Personnel of the Early Stargate Program
After the first almost-disastrous mission, the Stargate Program was reorganized, under the command of Major General George Hammond. Unknown to the public of the time, General Hammond had the burden of responsibility to make dicisions that affected not only the men and women serving at Stargate Command, but the entire planet Earth. His ability to make these decisions and make them well would certainly have earned General Hammond great respect on its own, but it was his deep connection to the airmen and Marines under his command that engendered their undying loyalty.
From an interview with Major General Jack O’Neill, retired: I wouldn’t be alive today if it wasn’t for George Hammond. In fact, nobody on this entire planet would be alive, because he made the calls that saved all our lives, almost on a daily basis.
But he wasn’t just a good commander, he was a good man. Had his granddaughters on speed dial number one and the Preisdent of the United States as number two. That should tell you something about him.
From an interview with Master Bra’tac of the Free Jaffa: Hammond of Texas was indeed a great warrior. It was my honor to fight beside him, and he entered battle with the valor of a man half his age.
Today, many public buildings, roads and monuments are dedicated to the memory of General Hammond.
But, of course, the most famous faces of the SGC are those of its flagship team, SG-1. This image shows SG-1 with its original roster: Colonel Jack O’Neill, Captain Samantha Carter, Dr. Daniel Jackson and Teal’c of Chulak.
From an interview with Dr. Daniel Jackson: Oh, god, how young we were! And my hair! Sometimes, it doesn’t seem that long ago that we were exploring the galaxy for the first time. I don’t think people today understand just how little we knew back then. The Earth ‘gate had been buried for thousands of years, cutting us off from the rest of the galaxy, and a lot had changed in that time.
Jack and I bumped heads almost constantly in those early years. The military mandate was to find technology that would help defeat Earth against the Goa’uld. But as an archaeologist, I wanted to study the cultures we came across, how they differed from their ancestors on Earth.
Usually, the military won out, and it took me a long time not to resent that.
From an interview with General Samantha Carter-O’Neill, retired Air Force Chief of Staff: Yes, it was certainly difficult to balance the military and scientific aspects of our missions. There were many times we took tactical actions that destroyed or cut off access to potential scientific advancements. But I don’t regret any of those decisions. And because of the actions taken to safe-guard Earth, we are able to pursue scientific endeavors more fully now.
Number Three- Gate Travel
Each off-world mission for an SG team actually began with a MALP like this one. It stands for Mobile Alanytical Laboratory Probe and it would have been used to determine iff the atmosphere of an alien planet was-
Number Four- The Alpha Site
As the SGC increased the number of ‘gate teams, it became clear that they would need an off-world site when Earth was-
Number Six- Stargate: A Love Story
While much of the SGC’s history focuses on the military and scientific advancements, we should not forget the personal results of venturing beyond our world.
From an interview with Dr. Daniel Jackson: I married my first wife by accident. Well, Sha’re knew it was a wedding, but I didn’t. I was a little angry after I found out- what kind of culture would so willingly marry a young woman off to a stranger who could barely understand her? But I came to understand that they thought we were sent from Ra, their god. Besides, by that point, I was so completely in love with my wife that I wasn’t too worried about how we’d met.
From an interview with Major General Jack O’Neill, retired: Great girl, Sha’re. Gutsy, and smart enough to keep up with Daniel, even without any kind of education. Of all the mistakes we made in the early days, I think that one still stings the most. The things we know now, we coulda rescued her easy, taken the snake out and let those kids get on with their lives. But I promise you that anyone who knew Sha’re, anyone who knew Daniel, will never forget the sacrifice she made to stop the Goa’uld.
But of course, the most famous romance was the one between Jack O’Neill and Samantha Carter, the kind of love story that hadn’t been seen since the writings of Shakespeare. Forced to hide their feelings, due to the Air Force’s regulations against fraternization within the chain of command, O’Neill and Carter bravely put the fate of the world above their personal lives, remaining with SG-1 for many years.
From an interview with Master Teal’c of the Free Jaffa: I was priviledged to be witness to the romance between O’Neill and Samantha-Carter from its earliest inception. As I grew to understand the Tau’ri, I could see how well suited they were to one another, though it took me some time to understand why they could not reveal their obvious affection for one another.
From an interview with General Samantha Carter-O’Neill, retired Air Force Chief of Staff: We tried to deny how we felt, for a long time. In a way, it was a relief to get things out into the open, even when we still couldn’t act on our feelings. It was… it was something to hold onto, when things were at their darkest, that if I could just hold on, just pull off one more miracle, maybe we could have our happily ever after.
This image shows the promotion of Samantha Carter to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Shortly afterward, General O’Neill accepted a transfer to the Department of Homeworld Security, taking them out of the same line of command and allowing them to- finally- begin a romantic relationship.
From an interview with Dr. Vala Mal Doran-Jackson: Oh, I had no idea! When I joined SG-1, Sam and I were instantly friends, of course, but it was something they’d kept to themselves for so long, I think they’d never learned how to be open about. But the moment Jack first visited the SGC, I knew there was something there. The kind of something that lasts, you know?
From an interview with Dr. M. Rodney McKay: I was happy for them, of course. Really. Eventually. I mean- me and Sam, there was just too much there, never would have worked. But O’Neill… he’s not a bad guy. Saved the world a few times, from what I understand. And Sam, well, I knew she missed him during her year on Atlantis. She was nothing but professional, of course, but we could tell.
If course, history records that these two heroes did get their happy ending. This image shows four generations of the Carter-O’Neill family, celebrating at their fishing cabin in Minnesota. Their descendants remain active participants in the Stargate Program to this day.
Number Seven- A Typical Day at Stargate Command
Dealing with time zones on alien worlds meant that ‘morning’ was only…
THE END
Current Mood:
angry