Notes: the incidences talked about in 2-2's epilogue start here.

The Incidences of The Blippy Dohickey 3: Location Errors.
 
 
 
 
 

Rodney was on Atlantis when the alert started to flash on everyone's screen.  "Is it an attack?" he called, heading for the labs.

"No, something's wrong with the main gate area," Atlantis reported.  "All communication was abruptly cut off."

Rodney sat down to hack into the satellites so he could check.  "Where's the mountain?" he demanded.  "Xander!"  Xander appeared a minute later looking concerned.  "Did Nila tell you that the Mountain got cut off?"

"Yup.  What's going on?"  Rodney pointed so he looked at the screen.  "Where's the mountain?"

"I don't know.  Go figure it out and take readings for me."  He handed him a scanner.

"Sure."  He headed that way, landing in front of the gate.  The guards were staring where the mountain should be too.  "Guys, move.  That way I can take readings."  They flinched and looked at him.  He smiled.  "Let's figure it out."  He walked forward, getting let in the fence.  "Rodney," he said, tapping his earpiece.  "Rodney?"

//Yes?//

"I'm linking to you.  They're out of phase."  He linked the scanner back to Atlantis, letting Rodney link into the feed from his end.  He moved closer.  "Yeah, she's definitely out of phase."

//Xander, it's Cam, can you 'port in?//

"No.  Not in and out again.  So I'd have to be there and cut off as well.  Now, I can port things into it I think.  I'm not totally sure how I'd do that.  I'd have to look it up.  Get into my library, the communications section, the red and blue books please?"  Jeeps started to roar up the road.  "Normals are here and I see Maybourne," he said dryly.  He walked back toward them.  "They're out of phase."

"Freeze!" one shouted, pulling his gun.

Xander stared at him.  "I'll make you fuck that," he said dryly.  "Maybourne, they're out of phase."

"Harris."  He stomped over.  "Put it down before he does make you screw it."  His people backed off and put their guns down.  "How far out of phase?"

"About fifteen seconds off normal time."  He let him see.  "We're working on it."  Two books twinkled and he bent down to pick them up, looking it over.   "I needed the other red one, Cam."

//That's the only red one you have there.  I asked Dawn since she was in there browsing.//

"Have her check Willow's stash too.  Just in case she somehow managed to steal it.  Thank you."  He got into the other book, reading over that section.  It had how to talk to someone in a different time phase than you were in.

"Explain the fifteen seconds?" Maybourne demanded.

Xander looked at him.  "They're in the right time, they didn't slip through time, but for them it's like the clock got fast forwarded fifteen seconds.  It could've went back or forward but it's went forward.  I can tell you the gate is active and I don't know why."  That got a single nod.  "Now, leave me alone so I can help solve it."

He walked off again.  One of the guards tried to get in his way so he kicked his ass then went back to reading as he walked over him.  "I need a cellphone," he called.  The other book got sent to him and he caught it before it could hit the ground.  "Thank you, dears."  Someone tossed over a cheap cellphone.

He programmed in his number and Rodney's number then charmed it like his.  That's what he had to look up.  He took a post-it from the gate guards and Maybourne's pen to write, then stuck the note to the phone and banished it at Ferretti.  "They'll be calling," he reported.  "I sent it at Ferretti.  Unless he's not in the mountain?"

//No, he's supposed to be there today,// John agreed. //What numbers does he have?//

"Mine and Rodney's."

//Agreed.  Thank you.  Return to base,// Cam ordered.

"NID is here," he said more quietly.

//That's why we want you back on base, Xander,// Cam told him.

"Okay."  He hung up and looked at Maybourne.  "They should have the cellphone so they can call me or Rodney.  Guard the area and make sure nothing's in the same spot when they show back up."

"What would happen?" he asked.

"They'd be ripped apart at the molecular level when the mountain reappeared around them.  If they were lucky."

He nodded.  "Cordon off the area," he called.  "You're staying, Harris."

"I got ordered back to Nila."

"I don't care.  You're to stay here in case we need on-site help."

Xander pulled out his comm earpiece.  "Tap it twice and talk to Cam."  He summoned his cellphone, calling that other number.  "Guys, you're out of phase.  Fifteen seconds ahead," he said in greeting.  "I am outside the mountain and you're invisible.  I think the invisible is spreading actually."  He was watching the ground and more was becoming blank.   "I don't know, General.  The other number is Rodney's.  Maybourne, tell him to plug in his damn phone, he forgot!"

"He said to tell McKay to plug in his phone, he forgot."  He went back to arguing about keeping Xander there.

Xander smirked.  "Exactly, General.  No, you're not here as far as we can tell.  Please do.  They're arguing about me staying or being on base."  He hung up.  "He wants me back on base too."  He summoned his comm, wiping it on his jeans.  "I'll be back, let me put the books up, get something to nibble and drink."  He disappeared.

***

Rodney plugged in his phone and waited two minutes then called the missed call he had.  "Good, Sam."  He read off the readings.  "That's from outside and Xander reported that you're adding more space as time goes on."  She said something.  "He said fifteen seconds ahead."  He listened.  "Exactly.  No, it's not there according to satellite.  Why is the gate still open?"  She said something and hung up, rushing that way.  He groaned.  "It's a gate problem," he announced.  "Figure out the math for me."  Radek and the others nodded, getting to work on ways to help.

Xander appeared in a flash of light, taking his own chalk to work on something with Radek.  "I have never fully figured this out yet," he said quietly.  Radek looked and took over the math since it was Ancient math, not the stuff from before.

Rodney stared.  "What does that do?"

"Something fucking dangerous.  It's a temporal stop bomb."

"Like you did in London?" he asked.

Xander nodded.  "Without the damage.  Those who can feel energy fields can still feel the shielded weak spot and the excess energy in that one spot."

"Will we have to evacuate the mountain?" Rodney asked.  Xander nodded.  "Do we have any idea to where?"

"Join it to the city?"  He shrugged.  "That way you do have the natural conductor and insulator of the water."

"That's not a bad idea."  He started to sketch out basic ideas.  "We'll go over that later."  He finished up the rough one and got to work with Radek.  The others were staring.  "We could use other ideas.  This is an idea of last resort, people."  They nodded and got back to work.  "We'd need a powerful temporal point."

"Rodney, we can create another void portal," Xander reminded him.  "It'll take us an hour."

"Good point."  He factored that in, sketching the design.  Xander fixed that on him, letting Rodney make it better on him.  Then they finished the math.  Radek nodded.  "Go make one," he said quietly.  "Just in case."  They went to do that.  It was never the first plan that worked.  He called them again.  "You have to shut down the gate."  He listened.  "It's in a feedback loop.  All right, can we disconnect the power source?"

"Don't create a void by firing into it," Xander said, holding his head.  "That's going to suck the whole mountain into it and then they're lost.  Along with that other world because it'll be one of those hourglass shaped double black holes."  Rodney shuddered and repeated it, plus that it was a vision.   Xander looked at the ideas and groaned.  He pressed his hand to his head.  "No, not that either.  Whatever she wanted to do with a ZPM, stop it."

"Sam, you just set off another one.  Don't touch the ZPM's."  She complained.  "We know he has correct visions.  I doubt you want that explosion or the black hole it could create with the gateway!"  He looked around.  "Arnett, help Stark!"  He moved to help him.  Radek came in with the little sealed portal.  He could feel it sucking.  "We have three working ideas."  He hung up and came over to help Stark's problem solving.

Xander looked.  "That's if it's stuck," he noted.  "To restart it.  We might have to do that this time."  Stark nodded, giving Rodney a look.

"He has traveled time.  A lot."

"He's a Doctor?" he asked dryly.

"Junior member," Rodney quipped back.  "He did travel with him though.  Very nice man."  Stark's mouth fell open.  "Exactly."

Xander looked at the other two, shaking his head.  "No, that's going to speed up, sending them ahead.  It could destroy time there.  If they were closer to a full minute out of phase maybe.  They're fifteen seconds ahead."

Rodney looked.  "That's what caused the problem but it's a gate feedback loop."  They adjusted that problem.  He came over to look.  "This sucks," he muttered.  They glared at him.  "Not your math, the situation."  He helped and got swatted at by one.  He snorted but let them have it.

"We're not the halfwits you get now and then, McKay.   Some of us earned our doctorates on our feet instead of our backs," she complained.

"Good!"  He watched the problems come together.

Stark shook his head.  "I can't.  If I do it this way it could cause another void and then more problems."

Rodney looked and nodded, looking at the other ones.  To him, this truly sucked.

"Rodney, is Miko there?" Radek asked.

"Yes.  Sam's already coopted her to help."  He watched the problem take shape, sending it to Sam via text message.  It could only help from that side.  He didn't want to use a temporal bomb in the mountain.

***

Sam got the text and looked, writing it down.  The spelled out things were nicely compacted and she understood all but one.  She texted that back to him and he gave her the full word so she understood.  She knew he was rolling his eyes. "Miko?"

She looked at her formula then that one.  "It was not a power blast that did it but similar."  She added that formula to hers and went on, taking the phone to text Rodney the beginning formula.  "We must stop the gate, then we can fix it."

"I'm trying," Sam said shortly.

Miko looked at her.  "We can break gate?"

"We have a team on that side."

"They are probably in trouble as well."

"Good point."  She sighed and went to break the gate.  Disassembling it wasn't fun and the energy was giving her a sunburn after a few minutes.  She got it fixed and it finally shut down.  She got out of the way.  "Dial them, get our people home, Walter," she said.  "We'll need a steady connection to fix this."  He nodded, dialing and calling.

They had the planet's leaders there to see what was going on.  She explained it and they decided to keep it for now.  It was a great defense against them being invaded.  The team was released and let through.  The gate shut down and they were still stuck out of time.  She took a deep breath, looking around.  "Walter, I need all the readings from the gate, the full cycle of what happened, sent to my lab."  She walked off.

Ferretti looked at Walter.  "Make sure the caf has blue jello for her?" he asked quietly.

"Yes, sir, they always do after an emergency."  He did text down there to let them know then sent the full information file to her.  He hoped they could solve it without resorting to Xander.

***

Ten hours later, Miko stomped a foot and huffed.  "We will need a large release of energy to send us back, to pause the time stream."

"Nothing can do that," Sam told her.

"No, Xander did in London," she corrected.  "One of his bracelets was sacrificed."

"That was half a sun in supernova in each."

Miko nodded.  "We must find out how his spell did that and kept them in the right time."  She texted him.  He sent back the book.  She smiled and sat down to read over the spell.  It wasn't a lot of theory but it had enough that she could figure things out.  She started on that problem on another board.  "For something the size of the mountain and surrounding areas we would need two bracelets," she said finally.

"That would destroy us all," Sam said.  Miko nodded.  Sam huffed and got to work on her own idea.

***

Xander was pacing around.  Then he sighed and went to do something on Ever.  He came back with a temporary Tardis meant to go out of phase a few minutes later.  He had went back six months to give himself time to lay all the necessary spellwork.  He landed it in the lab.  "Bomb."

Rodney looked then at him.  "That won't work."

"I can evacuate all the people then set it off.  I'll be sick for a week but I am immortal," he said quietly.  "I need someone to knock out Dawn.  She'll instinctively fight it."

"She's there today," Radek said.  "Switching out scientists on Ever."

"Shit."

"We will both go," Radek ordered, staring at him.

"You don't have the same protections."

"I can keep track of Dawn and help you dismantle everything so it all fits.  If we leave gateway there, is still possibility of having a black hole ripped."

"We might not have enough room to bring everything in the mountain with us," he said.

"Just the gateway and the ancient tech?" Rodney asked.

"If I add some more space."  He sighed and walked back inside to build a storage area as well.  It had to stay solid enough to travel for a few minutes.  He came out and nodded.  They got in together and headed off.  "Did you tell Evan?"

"Yes.  He sends a 'be careful' and a lot of prayers that this works."  He checked the bomb, it wasn't active yet.  They landed in the command center.  "Sir," he said.

Ferretti sighed in pleasure.  "Xander.  They can't figure out how to do it."

"I can.  We have a temporal bomb to fix that but we have to evacuate all the people and anything technical that might break."

Ferretti stared at him.  "Carter!  We have a solution!" he bellowed.  She and Miko came jogging in.  He pointed.

"We have a temporal bomb," Radek said.

"It'll destroy everything!" Sam complained.  Xander pointed behind him.  "Is that what I think it is?"

"Dismantle everything you can and move it," Ferretti ordered.  "We have very little time."

"Bomb is not activated yet," Radek assured him.  "It will fit everyone and the gateway, plus important things."  That got a nod.  Ferretti made the basewide, including NORAD, announcement.

"We haven't done an evacuation drill since Jack was in charge," Walter said.   He was working on downloading the gate program and all the information they had.

"This is going to take hours," Sam agreed.

"Has been eleven," Radek said.  She nodded and they got to work.  He looked at Xander.  "What are you thinking?"

"I think I assigned Atlantis and Nila to help Eterna create a new docking center," he said quietly.  Radek beamed at him.  "Six months ago.  I think they'll be stealing Rodney and possibly some others soon for the finishing touches."

Ferretti came out of his office, staring at him.  "Seriously, Harris?"  Xander nodded.  "That might work.  Thank you."

"NP, General.  The gateroom maybe underwater to insulate the energy surges better."  Walter grinned.  "We'll need to do the finishing work probably but I told her when it had to get to us by.  She should be within range soon."  That got another set of nods.  Ferretti carried in his office's worth of stuff and Radek directed the way to the storage areas.  He helped get Walter's things in there then the computers.  Carter had sent Miko to take apart the gate and clear the gate room.  Scientists would be helping her in a few minutes, once their areas were cleared out.  Then they'd go pack personal things if they had room.  If not, they could wait a day until it was less radiated.

***

Rodney, John, and Evan beamed to the gateway when they got a text saying it was nearly time.  Cam was back on Nila talking the new city into landing and how.  They heard the muted explosion as the mountain reappeared, gasping at the land that reappeared brown and withered.  "I guess sunlight didn't get to them," John said.

"I guess not," Rodney agreed.  He walked forward but the guards stopped him.  "We have to take readings."

"Sir, the general said no entrance."

Rodney took readings from there.  "No life signs so they must still be with Xander and Radek."  He calmed himself.  "It's not reading the gate."  He got around the soldier, letting John knock him out.  He stomped up to Maybourne.  "I need a hazmat suit so we can check.  I'm sure we evacuated before that but we have to check the radiation readings inside."

"One's coming, McKay.  My people....."  Evan zatted him.

"You're an evil fuck," Evan told him.  "No you won't go near Xander or Radek."  He took the suit from the staring people.  He put it on and took the scanner from Rodney, heading down there.  He tapped his comm piece.  "Rodney, we do have temporal radiation readings from just inside.  It's still pretty strong."  He sent him the readings and Rodney sent back how to change the field it was reading.

"I have microbial life signs and bacterial."  Rodney sighed in relief.  "I have a rat or a mouse too."  He walked on.  The mouse ran at him so he shot it.  "No more rat."  He went down the elevator to the first check in spot.  The readings were stronger so he went back up and came out, taking off the hood.  "The rooms were emptied.  The infirmary was totally cleared."

Rodney sighed, smiling some.  "Cam, did they appear on the new docking area?" he called.

//Affirmative and this one isn't nearly as pretty as the antique wardrobe he created the last time.  The new city is basic but can be upgraded.  They're all here and safe.  Report back to Nila, people.  Ferretti's orders.  We're beaming him there to argue with Maybourne himself.// He hung up.

Evan grinned as they got beamed back.   They stared.  The new 'mountain' was a single level.  It was black steel so Ever had made it.  It was close but needed a bridge over.   It was shifting area some so it was getting into a final good position he guessed.  He got beamed over, looking around.  "Radek?"

Radek smiled.  "It went fine.  Everything is here.  He had good ideas.  We need Rodney to help hook things up."

Evan called that in.  Rodney nodded and hung up, calling his people.  "Stark, I need six of you to come help us."  He rattled off names.  "You all have high enough clearance and have actually helped put Ancient things together."  They got beamed to the new area and went to work on everything.  "Where's the gate area?" he demanded.

"Downstairs," Xander said.  "Along with the armory and staging areas."  Rodney smirked at him.  "Water is a good insulation device and a good conductor of energy if we have another feedback loop.  We can drain it that way or flood the damn room if we have to."  That got a nod and they carried the gate out, taking it down there.

Xander looked at the waiting NORAD people.  "Let them move all their stuff and I'll take you directly to the Pentagon," he noted.  They nodded and protected the semi-Tardis.  Xander yawned.  Radek gave him a kiss and a power bar, getting a grimace.  But he ate it at Evan's worried look.  They smiled and let him help once he had eaten it.

Ferretti watched, looking at the other city commanders.  "Okay," he decided.  They smiled.  "We need a new base-free area."

"We'll need connections," John said.  "Plus Atlantis will probably want to move too, sir."

"Good point."   He watched the sections of the gate being carried out, shaking his head.  "They're efficient."

"The people who aren't SGC are getting a lot of touching of things they had only heard rumors about," Cam said quietly.  "They're all higher level geeks too."

"Even better."  He looked at them.  "We could probably use some grunts."

"Ours are coming," Cam promised.  "I'm leaving two teams to guard but otherwise they're coming, sir.  They're boating over."  He pointed at the inflatable rafts they had for emergency offloading that were running over.   "We still probably need personnel quarters."

"That can go in the base-free area," Ferretti decided.  "McKay."  He looked up.  "We need a base-free area to connect to and housing areas."  He nodded at that.  "Give me a design by tomorrow.  Tonight we can bunk down wherever."

"Atlantis has spare rooms," John told him.  They got back to work.  The soldiers got sent to help heft, carry, and hold things in place so it could be connected again.  It went a little bit faster than the crating up had.

Evan walked over to Ferretti.  "Sir, the base is full of temporal radiation for probably the next few days," he said quietly.

"We'll have someone send down a remote monitor or something."  Carter looked at him.  "To measure the radiation."

"I hooked one up in the gate room and the secondary elevator stop, sir."

"Thank you, Carter.  Harris, once we're done...."

"They're going to the Pentagon with their stuff," he noted.

"Good man."  He smiled.  "Good thinking ahead, both of you."  He got in to help.  He liked his office.  It had a large set of floor-to-ceiling windows that rode just above the water line.  He had a fantastic view of the garden edge of the atoll and Nila's docks.  The city finished moving and it was nice that she announced she was dropping anchor.  He went to check his gate room.  The command center was halfway up the wall again and it had stairs down to the actual deployment area.  Good, strong ones with tread that no one should be able to fall down but they could hold if they had to.  The gate room had some glass windows to show the water and fish around it.  He supposed that meant if they had to flood it for some reason they could.  He noticed a strip around the doorway.  "Field generator?" he asked Walter.

"Yup," he said with a smile.  "To create a forcefield to hold out any water in case we have to blow the gate, sir."

"Excellent.  Whoever designed this has a fantastic view of what was strategic yet pretty."

"Xander designed her according to the AI Eterna, sir."

"Is Eterna on Ever?" he guessed.  Walter nodded.  "Cool."  He went to look at the rest of the areas.   Science had a few larger work rooms with tables and whiteboards already installed.  They also had an amphitheater area with a stage and blackboards waiting, plus screens to probably show what was on them to the nosebleed seats.  He could hold briefings in there he guessed.  He checked the 'soft sciences' section and found them giddy over all the rooms with built-in bookcases.  "Hey, Daniel can actually store all the stuff in his office," he joked, earning a few grins.

"We're three offices too short," one of them said.

"I'm sure we can add on or something."  They nodded and arranged things for now.  He went on.  The offices were nice enough.  No sleeping rooms at all but a few larger empty rooms that they could use for gear storage.  He went back to the gate area, finding the MALP storage garage and the doorway that led to the gateroom.  That worked well for him.

He went back to watch the offloading.  Xander took the guys from NORAD with him to DC and Ferretti looked around.  "By tomorrow I want any additional needs listed fo me to plan into the addition.  CC that list to McKay so he can design it with whoever."  The section leaders nodded.  He looked at the grunts.  "Those of you on Nila, we might be joining you for a bit but we might be on Atlantis instead."

"That's fine, sir," Evan's second said.  "We have thirty five tiny rooms and the lanar or you can bunk on Nila herself if you need to.  We have."  That got a nod and a smile.  "Black steel?"

"It came from Ever, Lieutenant.  It's native there.  The new ships are in the same steel mix."  He grinned at that.  "They're beautiful compact things."  He went to check on the others.  "Are we almost ready to test-dial somewhere?" he asked.

"Four more hours," Rodney said.  "I need to run a maintenance cycle on the gateway first."

"I can," Miko ordered, giving him a nudge.  "Go eat before you pass out."  He nodded and went to grab a snack then came back to do his share of the work.  That let her go eat with Radek and Xander.

***

Xander landed the Tardis and opened the door, looking at the staring guards.  "I need the Secretary of Defense please, guys.  I have the people from NORAD."  One called for him and he came jogging.  "Sir."

"Harris?" he demanded.  Xander smirked and nodded.  "You know what happened at Cheyenne."

"Yes, sir, and I have the report from Colonel Carter along with your guys from the rest of the Mountain."  He let him inside.  "We had them evacuate before we moved the mountain back into phase."

"Shit," he said, staring at him.  "How?"

"Feedback loop from the gateway.  That's now stopped.  The gate's been moved to a new docking area Ever built."  He grinned.  "They're by Nila."

"I'll look at that later.  People, let's get you set up in storage B-2.  I'll assign guards to help you and make sure no one touches anything."  They nodded.  He made that order out the doorway then came back.  "The report?"  Xander handed it over from the maintenance panel.  "Is this a full Tardis?"

"Just went to the single out of phase location, sir.  It can blip around the planet a bit but I'm storing her on Atlantis after this," he said quietly.  The Secretary of Defense smirked and nodded at that.  He read it over, grimacing at the technically heavy report.  Xander handed one over.  "From General Ferretti, sir, since that one's in science geek."

He read it, nodding at the more simplified explanation.  "Okay.  When you go back, you're bringing me and the president.  They gave him an ulcer so they can explain it to him."

"Yes, sir."  They let the NORAD guys move all their things to the storage area and report for a headcount.  "They'll need to stay out of the mountain for a few days.  There's some temporal radiation."

"That's fine.  Is it monitored?"

"Yes, though I'm not sure why Maybourne is still there."

"Neither am I.  I'll have the president banish him back to his dark, dank cave."  The President got let in and he saluted.  Xander waved.  "I forgot you switched countries."

Xander grinned.  "Yup, sure did."  He smirked.  "Let the NORAD guys get all their stuff, sir, and we can go to the new SGC floating area and then I'm going to store this on Atlantis."

"That's fine, Harris.  I heard some pretty nice things about the cities."  He watched the rest go, smiling at the disgruntled looks.  "We can let you have city leave a few at a time, people."  That made a few more happy.  When they were done, Xander checked and took them back to the new city then sent the ship to Atlantis.  She locked it in a lab so she could examine it and absorb it into her city's structures.  Which he knew she'd need for when she was sent temporally traveling herself.  He blipped back to the new city.  "I didn't plan for any living quarters because I thought it might be necessary to build them anyway for Nila's people, General.  Since ours are the size of a high school locker."

"I saw and I agree.  We can do that and a base-free area at the same time, Harris."  He clapped him on the back.  "It's beautiful.  You did a good job."  Xander beamed at him for that.  "Go eat."  He nodded and left.  Ferretti smirked at the president.  "He designed it on Ever, sir."

"I wondered about the black steel."  He patted a nearby post and nodded.  "Strong."

"The new ships are built of the same stuff."  The general showed him around.  "We might have to build a second level for more labs and more geek space, sir, but otherwise we're good so far."

They stared down into the gate area.  "That's very defensible," the Secretary of Defense said with a nod.  "Specialized gear storage?"

"Off to the right is a protected garage.  You need a pass to get in and to open the door between the two."

"So he made it safer too.  Good!"  He smirked.  "They'll have a hell of a swim if they do make it off the city to reach humanity too."

"Yes, sir," Ferretti agreed.  Carter walked up to them.  "How are the radiation readings?"

She got into that feed from her laptop.  "About thirty percent higher than I'd like to see."  She let them see it.  "We theorize it'll be about a week before they can get back."  She looked at the general.  "Are we moving back?"

"No.  We're here.  We'll need another floor built for extra space but otherwise we're here."

She nodded.  "Okay."  She looked down there.  "It's pretty."

"It's very pretty," the president agreed.  "Practical too.  The kid did a good job.  Ferretti, give Harris a bonus."

"Yes, sir, and Zelenka for helping with the temporal bomb.  Plus whoever helped design the thing."  He smiled.  "Sir, should we plan on moving Atlantis here?"

"Possibly.  Get me a design quickly for the bridges you'll need and all that."

"Yes, sir."  They went to his office, where the president sighed in pleasure at the views.

The Secretary of Defense looked.  "What's that on the atoll?"

"That's the garden area," Ferretti said with a smile.  "Xander insisted they plant one in case something happened and they had to delay a food shipment."

"Not a bad idea."

"We'd have to build up the atoll to gain more space.  Right now it's a lot of free space for off-time."

"Still not a bad idea.  See if it's feasible.  That would make you more self sufficient and give your botanists more things to do than play with the tentacle plants that I hear all too much about."

"Yes, sir."

The president smiled.  "Not bad at all."

"Harris can plan."

"He can."  He walked back topside, looking around.  "You can probably put on a half-floor easily enough.  Leave this open area for helicopter landings?"

"Yes, sir," Ferretti agreed.

"What's that building?" Sam Carter asked with a point.

"Medical," Ferretti said.  "That's where the infirmary is going.  They're about a quarter done with it.  I think all of the docs went to Atlantis for now."

"That'll work," he decided.  "Her docking area is very nicely laid out.  Aesthetically pleasing as well."

"Another Harris creation," Sam said with a smile.  They smirked back.  "He submitted plans and they changed a few but it fits her style very well.  She claims Xander spoils her."

"Yes, he does," a nearby speaker said.  "Colonel, your power drain is preventing me from manifesting in an image projector and draining your ZPM terribly."

"I'll get on that tonight," she promised, calling up that data so she could look it over.  She sent an instant message to Rodney, who could be heard barking orders.  They went to fix that and it was easier.

Nila appeared a minute later with a smile.  "Much better.  We'll need to build a few more to support this city's needs and a sunlight one like on Ever to help."  She bowed to the two officials, getting nods back.  "I am Nila."

"I've heard about you," the Secretary of Defense said with a grin.  "You're a very handy AI to have on the docking area and the city, ma'am."  She made to pinch his cheek but he could only feel the brush of energy.

"You're so sweet."  She smiled at the president.  She put up a rough picture.  "What if we did something like this?  Rodney was working on it earlier."

"We need another floor here," Ferretti said.  "And a housing area with more free-time space."  She squealed and pounced him to hug before going to tell Rodney that.  "I like the AI's."

"They are nice," the president agreed, looking at his Secretary.  "Let us get back to DC.  See me day after tomorrow with a list of needs, General.  This solves a lot of dangers and problems for all of us."  He nodded and saluted, getting them beamed back.

Ferretti relaxed, looking around.   He dove in to help move stuff down to where it needed to be.  The kid and Rodney had spoiled them horribly with this new platform city.

***

Ferretti met with the heads of the cities, Xander, Radek, and Evan.  "All right," he said, smiling at his new office.  "Xander, I love this.  Thank you."  Xander beamed at him.  "Secondly, we need a few more labs and personal work areas here."

"We can convert some of Nila's for the soft sciences," Xander pointed out.  "That's what I was thinking.  If we move all the others here then we have the offices there that need to be enlarged."

"That's not a bad idea.  We still need more classified areas though."  Xander nodded at that.  "Here's what the cities were thinking, based on Rodney's rough sketch and what's already been done."  He put up the diagram.

"Atlantis," John said with a grin.

"They're going to be leaking her existence pretty soon.  The bridges will have pass monitors.  You have to have a pass to cross the bridges outside of an emergency."  He changed it.  "This is with the new base housing."  They all smirked at that.  It was a slight high-rise in the center of the buildings.  "It'll have all the free time spaces and things."

"We have the lanar, rec room, and all that on Nila's docks," Xander reminded him.  "That means it's open to everyone."

"Good point.  We can leave them there or take the rec room and things over so we can add them to useful office space.  Then turn those tiny little bedrooms into offices as well."  That got a few grins.  "Xander, I've heard fantastic things about your offices?"

"I can't do that surrounded by cold iron."

"All right.  So a boat?"

"If the people want to bring a boat, it's going to be good for the cities," Xander pointed out, crossing his feet.  "That way they can get away from the city and fish."

"Good point.  What about the atoll?"

"It's good."

"Can we expand it?"

Xander nodded slowly.  "Do like the Captain Morgan's rum commercials?  Just build up rocks to create an island?"

"Maybe.  Give the garden more room and the free time play area more room too?" John asked.

"I don't know but I guess so."

"We can look into that," Radek said.  "There are people in Middle East who have built full islands with houses."

"Please do," the general agreed.  "That would make it a bit easier for us."  They all nodded.  "I'm told the Marshall Islands have ceded that one to us for the project through the UN.  Who did we use to build the docking station?"

"The same guys who're building the medical center," Xander said.

"I'll talk to their boss about putting in a bid for this new one.  Can you guys form a team tonight to get me a clear drawing of the ideas?  That way he has plans he can put around and all that?"  They all nodded.  "Thank you."  He smiled.  "Colonel Sheppard, how is Atlantis?"

"Fine, sir.   She thinks her sister city did a beautiful job here."

"She did.  Ever's done a fantastic job making this for us."  He grinned at the family grouping.  "For now, let's concentrate on the second floor here so the geeks get a bit more space.  That way there's no more hair pulling fights."

Xander snorted.  "I am the geek to military liaison for the cities, sir.  I can add here."

"Please do.  They annoyed me to no end today."  That got a few smirks from Rodney and Radek.  "They woke me up at five arguing over Star Trek versus Dr. Who."

"Jack had that show made so we'd be ready when things started to show up," Xander said happily.

"Good to know.  Any in the next few weeks?"

"No.  Not that I'm aware of.  No visions."

"Good!"  He smiled.  "Get me those plans tomorrow.  We'll be going to see the president at ten.  Please straighten out the geeks, Xander."

"Sure.  Any of them mine?"

"Yours were arguing Dr. Who."

"Ah."  He sighed, nodding.  "I can do that."  He got up.  "Any other details we need to go over?"

"Not yet."  They left, letting Xander go geek wrangle.

"People!" Xander yelled once he was on the lab floor.  "I am the geek to military liaison.  Any problems and I get to spank!"  They all groaned, he could hear them.  "Dinner.  Let's go eat!"  They trailed out.  "Go to Nila."  They nodded, going to get beamed over.  He looked at the linguists pouting at him.  "Thanks, guys, but you woke the general up," he said quietly.  They all nodded.

"Daniel's on Nila, on the city, and you guys can check in with him later if you haven't.  For now, go eat."  They got beamed over to do that.  He checked.  "Carter, food time," he called as he walked past her lab.  The others he ran out and made go eat with the help of Nila and Atlantis shutting down systems if she had to.

Then he went to Nila's labs to shoo them out.  "People, the other scientists are eating right now," he called as he walked toward them.  People came out to go eat with their fellow geeks and pump them for information.  Xander checked, shutting down non-necessary things.  He went to eat himself.  He was hungry.  Radek took him to eat with the group.  They settled around the table at Xander's house with their laptops.  They had plans long before they were needed.

Xander frowned, looking around.  He got up to check the garden then leaned out the doorway to Nila.  "Armand!  Mira!  It's dessert," he bellowed.  They came running and meeping happily.   He let them in and helped them by putting out plates of dessert for them.

Rodney petted Mira.  "You were cuddling Daniel again?" he teased.  She purred and cuddled up to him to have his dessert too.  "No wonder I'm craving sugary things," he teased.

Someone knocked.  John got up to see who it was.  "Hey, Carter."  He let her in and walked her back to the table.  "We're going over the plans for the docking bridges and things."

"I heard."  She sat down in the free chair.  "Some of those regular scientists are rabid."

Xander nodded.  "They can be.  We've been hoarding things like their life's work for years."

"True."  She looked at the plans.  "Do we need that extra room on the new docking platform?"

"The general said so," Rodney told her.

"All right.  What's this?"   She pointed.

"The new housing area," John said.  "Because you saw how tiny Nila's are."

"I did.  They are tiny.  We do have the ones on Atlantis."

"That won't house all the people on the SGC base," John told her.  "We'd have to renovate and update some of them."

"Oh."  She nodded.

"Not to mention we'd have to work on the classified issues with them around," John added.

"Yes we would.  All right so that's all personnel?"

"All personnel not on Atlantis," Rodney corrected.  "We'll be putting the pass sensors on the bridges."

"We'll be connecting all three cities and the new housing center eventually," John said.

She nodded.  "That's a good idea.  We can use what we have from Nila's docking bay construction to make sure the city can come free if we need her to."  She looked over the plans.  "Anything electronic settled yet?"

"It should be able to use the ones for the present docking area," Xander said.

"Good point.  Does the amphitheater work?"  He nodded.  "Then we can hold meetings and lead lectures to prepare for speaking."  She nibbled on a celery stalk from Rodney's plate.  Mira growled so she stared at her.  "He didn't mind."  Mira huffed and cuddled her daddy.  "She's very protective of you."

"She kept me from dating an absolute skank recently," Rodney said, petting her with a smile.  "She's a very good dragon."  Mira cuddled in.  "Good girl."

Sam stole something from John's plate and Mira hissed at her, and swatted at her.  "Okay, sorry!"  She plucked off Radek's plate.  Armand only growled.  "Apparently they're anti-woman tonight?"

"You're taking their food," John said. "They get all the extras."

"I think it's just me.  They got it from Nila," she said dryly.  She appeared.  "Good evening, Nila."

She nodded politely, looking at the boys. "Are the bridges coming along?"

Rodney let her see them.

She pouted.  "They're not as pretty as mine."

"What we'll do is we'll merge the metals so they're a design themselves," Xander said, showing her the colored version.  She squealed and hugged them.  "We'll make them pretty in their own way, not exactly mimicking yours."

"We could incorporate the arches," Rodney said, taking the laptop to amend them.   She hugged him too.  "That fits more with yours but merges the others' styles."

She nodded.  "I do adore that.  Can I show the general?"

"He'll see it tomorrow morning."  She nodded, disappearing.  Rodney looked at them.  "We have to make more ZPM soon."

Xander nodded.  "I have that doorway to Ever."

"When do I get to see her?" Sam Cater asked.

"Eterna?" he called.  She appeared, smiling at them.  She petted the dragons when they roared at her.  "This is Sam Carter.  She works on the base, which you just helped build."

"Well met," she said, bowing slightly with a smile.

Sam smiled and nodded.  "Well met, Eterna.  As a matter of future reference, do you have a way to make new ZPM?"

"No, I don't believe I do.  I know Rodney was going to build a mirror system like my solar one though."

"I am.  Is it integrated on the new docking city?" he asked her.

"No, I did not have time.  The basics are wired in but not the panels or anything like that.  Xander said it was an emergency."

"It was.  The stargate moved the whole base out of phase," he told her.

"Oh, dear."  She nodded.  "No wonder the gate was going to be underwater."  She looked at Rodney.  She knew he could fix most anything.

"It's fixed," he assured her with a smile.  "We detonated a temporal bomb to fix it."

"Oh."  Her eyes went wide and she looked at Xander.  "Did the Doctor help?"

"Radek and I figured it out," he said with a small smile.  "It's fine."

"Good!  Excellent work.  You deserve ice cream."  He pointed at the bowls so she smiled. "Good boys.  Let me know if I'm building more things.  It's fun to watch the new things come together."  She petted them.  She disappeared.

Xander grinned at Rodney, who smirked back.  "I think it'll be fine."

"How strong is this solar system?" Sam asked.

"It pretty wells runs Eterna," Xander told her.  "With us being in such a sunny place we can switch a lot of things to it and save the ZPM's we do have."

"Can it really power a fully active city?"

Rodney got into the projections he had done.  "This is what we see running."

She took it to look over, nodding slowly.  "So we can probably run everything but the gate on it."

"True," he agreed.  "We've been running Nila on a hybrid system since we're still building one."

"We can keep the ZPM power sources for backup and bigger needs," John agreed.

Radek cleared his throat but nodded.  "Other power source is annoyingly humming but works even better.  Has more energy output."

She looked at him.  "I haven't gotten to look at the specs on that."

"It's a different vacuum power system," Rodney said.  "With a spot of true void."  She gaped.  "It's a tri-powered system.  We still have to find a way to hide the humming better."

"We can't soundproof it?" she asked.  They all shook their heads.  "Why does it hum?"

"One of the stages," Rodney said, getting into the specs for her.  She glared at them.  "It works very well.  Atlantis runs on it almost exclusively."

"Are we looking at them to replace ZPM power?" she asked.  They all shrugged.  "Okay.  Can we work out the projections on this?"

"I have been," Rodney said.  "At the moment I'm backlogged with a lot other important things.  For right now it's a trial system to see how it works."

"Fine."  She handed the laptop back.  "Let me know when you have time."

"Of course."  He sipped his coffee.  Mira looked up at him.  He petted her with a grin.  "You're being good tonight."  She purred.  "I know, you want to rob the rhubarb bush and then go play in the tub."  She meeped happily.  So did Armand.  "Xander?"

"I was going to do some soaking myself."  They stared at him.  "You have rhubarb in the cabinet."  He got up to get them some.  They inhaled it and the bowl.  Then they ran for the bathroom.  Xander listened.  "Turn off the water," he called.  It kept going.  "Armand, that's enough."  The water got turned off.  "Thank you."  He looked at her, seeing the odd look.  "He knows not to flood the bathroom."

"He's a pet."

"Yes, he is, but he's a smart pet."  He smiled.  "That's why they adopted us."

"Sure," she said, nodding.  She wasn't sure of that but if he was....  He glared and she looked away.  "Let me get back to the gateway and finish running the maintenance cycles.  Then we'll dial a safe world sometime tomorrow."  She got up.  "Have a good night, guys."

"We'll probably go swim too," John assured her.  She blushed and left.

Xander looked at Radek.  "Did she just have a dirty thought about us?"

"I believe so," Rodney said, looking smug.  "The pond?"

"There's no scientists right now," Xander said.  "Guys, going to Ever," he called.  They locked the doors against anyone but family and ran to the pond to skinnydip in the cool night air.  They loved to skinnydip.  It turned into a splashing war but they all had fun.  They finally got done and trudged back to the house and curled up to watch tv together.   John and Rodney curled up on the foot of the bed.

***

Jon O'Neill looked around in the morning.  "Anyone seen the team?" he called.  No one said anything.  He sighed and took his breakfast and coffee to go.  He waked into the house and looked at the two dragons staring in the fridge.  "You're making it less cold."  He shut the door.  "Go wake up your fathers."  Mira growled at him.  He shook his head, heading for the bedroom.  "Oh, Geez, people!" he complained.  Radek woke up and blinked at him.  "Morning, sunshine!" he said sarcastically, smirking at him before taking a drink of coffee.  "It was bad enough when you guys had team movie night."

"Whine," Evan muttered.  He yawned and shifted.  "Morning, Jon."

"Yes it is," Jon said dryly.

Radek stared at him.  "Go make coffee."

"Am I the maid?"  Xander waved a hand, putting him in a frilly apron and the hat then making his clothes disappear.  "Fer'cryin'outloud!" he complained.  "Xander!"  Radek glared at him.  "I'm not moving until you change it back."  Xander snored so he went into the closet.  He found he could put things on under the apron but it wouldn't come off.  He huffed out to the kitchen, finding Sam Carter and the general there.  "Xander did it.  It won't come off," he complained.

"Uh-huh," she said, nodding slowly.  "I didn't know either of you knew what a french maid looked like, Jon."

He glared at her.  "I saw plenty in pornos, Carter, the same way he did."  She blushed and left again.  He looked at the general.  "Brass is here!" he shouted.  He started coffee. "Team movie night, sir."

"I don't care," he said bluntly.  "If they're really a quint instead of a trio, that's up to them."  He shrugged.  "I was wondering if they had the plans done."

"Guys, the general is here!" Jon yelled.  "Xander, get this frilly shit off me or I'm going to torture you on the next away mission!"

"Dude, loud!" Dawn complained from her doorway.

"He put me in frilly shit!"Jon complained.

She looked over then waved a hand and went back to bed swearing in Welsh.

"Thank you, Dawn.  You're my favorite brat."  Jon took off the apron and hat, putting it aside.  He stomped into the bedroom.  Mira grew to growl at him.  He stared at her.  "The general wants your human.  Now."  She leaned down to lick John.  "The other human you claim."  He walked off shaking his head.  "Sorry, sir."

"I've had those mornings myself."  Xander wobbled out half-dressed.  "Morning, Harris," Ferretti said, pouring himself some coffee.  "Long movie night?"

"We went skinny dipping."  He blinked a few times.  "What happened?  Do we need to fight another bad thing?" he asked quietly.

"No, kid, no bad things.  I came to look over the plans before the meeting."  Xander grinned at him and hugged him.  "You hug really nice.  Go wake up?"

He nodded, going to crawl back in bed.  "General wants plans," he said in Rodney's ear.

Rodney swatted at him.  "Send Radek," he mumbled.  "Comfortable."  He snuggled in around Mira, making her a happy dragon.  Armand was getting away from the sucking daddy's mouth and hiding behind the growly daddy.

Radek woke up to swatting by Mira.  "What?" he growled.  She nosed out toward the kitchen then looked at him.  He found his glasses and got up, wandering out there.  "General!" he said, blinking at him.

The general smiled.  "Your boy is a good hugger, Dr. Zelenka.  Though it's sad that he wanted to make sure I didn't have a bad thing for him to fight."

Radek nodded.  "We are working on that," he said quietly.  "Is there problems?"

"I came to look at the plans before the meeting?"

"Oh!"  He nodded.  Jon handed over a cup of coffee.  "Thank you, Jon."

"Welcome, Radek.  Skinnydipping?"

"In Ever's pond."  He sipped, finding the laptop and opening the plan to show him.

Ferretti sat at the table, looking them over.  "It's a beautiful design, Dr. Zelenka."

"Have seen me in my boxers, can call me by name," he complained.

The general grinned.  "Sure, Radek.  Thank you."   He pointed.  "What's this area?"

"New shielded area for power supply box that hums."  He sat down to go over it with him.  "Mira, wake Rodney up," he called.  Mira meeped and Rodney came stumbling out, getting handed coffee as well.

Rodney sipped and grimaced, glaring at Jon.  "You don't look like a cafeteria lady."

"Feel lucky I made any coffee."

"I am."  He shrugged and sat down, going over the idea.  "That is not the plans we made."  He found the right file but it was still that one.  "Nila, who hacked the plans?" he called.

"The wench of evilness and stupidity," she called.  She appeared and put them up.  "I saved down a backup copy, General."

"Thank you, Nila.  That's very helpful.  Which wench of evilness?"

"Sam Carter."  Radek sipped his coffee.  "She does not like her."

"I'll talk to her.  Can we print that, Nila?"  She nodded and printed it for them.  Then the other sets came out.  "Thank you.  I'll submit each of them.  Though I like this group's better."  He grinned at them.  "Radek, what would help?"

Radek shook his head.  "Time and realizing that others do it and he's not all the army."

"Huh?" Rodney asked.

"Xander saw me and made sure there wasn't a bad thing to fight," Ferretti said quietly.

"Yes, we've helped with that some."  He sipped more of his coffee.  "Thank you.  Breakfast?"

"Even if Xander put me in the frilly stuff, I'm not the cook too," Jon cracked.

"I'll cook in a minute then," Rodney decided.  "Make more weak dishwater coffee or better."

"Fine."  He added an extra scoop to the basket then added water from the fridge.  He brought it over.

Radek stared at him.  "Thought you said you would not need frilly things?"

Jon glared.  "Keep it up.  I'm taking Xander on a mission."

"He misses doing things."

"We'll see."  He put the pot down and let them refill their own.  "I came to see why Xander wasn't making the geeks eat."

"He's exhausted," Radek said.

"Don't be smug," the general teased with a smile.

"Am not.  We skinnydipped on Ever last night until exhausted."

"He could use more fun," Jon agreed.  They all nodded.  "Fine, let me go geek wrangle for a bit.  I learned well enough on Danny boy."  He went to make sure the geeks were all right.  A few gave him odd looks when he walked into the caf.  "Xander wore himself out skinnydipping."  That got a few snickers.  "He'll be up in an hour or so.  Any problems?"

"Not yet," Cam said.  "Where were they skinnydipping?"

"Pond."

"Ah."  He nodded and sipped more of the coffee.  "The general?"

"Getting the plans."  He looked at Carter.  "You overwrote the original file."

"So?" she asked.

"We had to find a backup copy so he had the original," he said.

"Again, so?"

Jon stared at her.  "Did Buffy's special girl shit infect you?"

She glared.  "I can paddle you."

"I doubt it but we have sparring later so you can try."  He looked at Cam, who rolled his eyes.  "What do we need to do today?"

"Get the things all ready of the next set of missions and making sure the new base is set."  The scientists in there agreed by nod, getting extra coffee to bring with them.

"You guys have a break area," Jon reminded them.  "Plug in the coffee makers."

"The new city needs better water filters," one reported.

"I'll tell Radek," Sam said.

"Gee, are you doing something?" Jon quipped.  He walked off.  He had to talk to his older self.  Carter had PMS or some other girl problem that was rotting her brain.

Sam growled.  "It's not my field."

Cam looked at her.  "If you don't get it fixed, you won't have coffee later without being beamed over or swimming."  She stomped off.  He texted Rodney's phone to warn him that she was in a bad mood.  He didn't need this already.  He looked at his people.  "Ignore her.  She's got some sort of problem again."  He sipped his coffee.  He smirked.  "Go play in the labs, people."  They went to do that.  His soldiers looked at him for orders.  "Just guard today, people.  We'll have VIP visitors probably."

They arranged it among themselves.  Evan walked in looking sleepy.  "Team 3 is down today I think.  Shift rotation schedule is on Nila's command center console."  One went to get it.  "Team leaders, we have a lot to make sure of today.  Watch the new city because they're going to be doing a gate check.  Let us know immediately if something happens."  They all nodded.  He took the schedule.  "Three is on downtime.  Five and seven are on for education days.  The others are on guard.  Slot two to the new city, the rest guard our borders.  Tell us what we have coming in case of visitors."  They nodded and left.  Evan got more coffee.  "We skinnydipped on Ever last night," he said with a grin.

"Congrats," Cam praised.  "You needed a night off."  He smirked.  "Sam overwrote the plans?"

"Yup."

"Her answer was 'so'."

"Ah.  Well, it's sparring today."  He smirked, adding sugar before taking a sip.

"Jon reminded her of that fact."

"Sheppard?"

"O'Neill.  Is Sheppard there?"

"Yeah, we flopped down to watch tv.  Mira is snuggled between her alternate human's chest and the bed."

"Wonderful."  He sipped his own coffee.  "The general good?"

"Yup."

"Even better.  Eat and then report for duty."  He got up and went to check on things.  That was most of his job.  Evan got food and took it to his desk to eat and arrange the paperwork.

Xander walked in a few hours later, giving him a kiss.  "Sparring?"

"Sparring later."

"Sparring now.  Teal'c said so."

"Sparring," he said, following him to the new base.  Xander blipped them over.  Teal'c was waiting.  "Hey," Evan said.

"You do not usually join us, but welcome," Teal'c said.

"Thanks.  I've been practicing with Xander and the group."  He took off his overshirt and his dogtags.  "Are the others coming?"

"Yes," Teal'c said.  "Colonel Sheppard said he would join us in a few minutes.   Are we expecting others?"

"Jon O'Neill said that Sam Carter needed a brush up."

"She could use them before our next mission," he agreed.  He called her and she huffed but oh well.  The general broke in to order her to sparring, that she was out of shape and had missions coming up.  She came up taking off her uniform shirt to leave her in the tank top she wore underneath.  Teal'c smiled.  "It is nice to see you again."

"I have things I have to do today."

"You need chocolate?" Xander asked.  "I can lend you some."

She glared.  "No, thank you."

"Okay.  Are we going hand-to-hand or Bantos rods?  I know she's not up to snuff on them."

"Hand-to-hand will be fine," Teal'c decided.  He attacked Evan, who smirked but defended himself.  "You show much of the Colonel's teaching," he praised.  "But your footing is still weak."

"I know.  I'm still working on it, Teal'c."

"True warriors never quit learning new things."

Xander dove in once he had taken off his shoes and socks.  He took off his shirt too.   A few gathered.  "Sparring," Xander called.

"We can watch," Miko assured them.  "They do not mind."  They settled in to watch the sparring match.  Sam huffed when she fell on her butt.  "It is all right, Colonel.  Many people can't last against them."  Xander shot her a grin then foot swiped Teal'c, making him trip a little bit but he recovered.  They focused on each other.

Evan huffed but Cam showed up.  "Good, I need more work to fight my way into Botany."

A few of the scientists laughed but Cam stripped down to spar too.  John appeared in a beam of light and jumped in between Xander and Teal'c.  "I need work," John told him.

"You have not fallen down too much on the training you have."  Teal'c worked against him and Xander panted, leaning down.  "Are you sore?"

"Small stitch," he said, straightening up.

"Is that like the stitch when your appendix got regrown and burst?" John asked as he blocked a hit.

"Less nothing.  Like the leg cramps.  I probably need more potassium."   He sighed and looked around.  "Who am I working with?" he called.  A few walked over to get him to help them with their hand-to-hand.  Xander moved them out of the way and got them into the drill.

Teal'c watched.  "That one on the end has a chronic footing problem, Xander."  He smacked John on the head, getting a grunt and a kick in the stomach back.  "You are quite good, Colonel."  He backed off and bowed.  John smirked but bowed back.  "We need to work on the general population."

"We do," John agreed.  "Soldiers, fall in!"  They came out to fall in and they all taught the group, even Sam.  She got the women.  Xander took them from her and put her against the men.  It was more of a challenge for her.  Xander got the women to work on hitting.

Ferretti and the president both appeared, looking at the sparring going on.  "It's our national pasttime," Ferretti joked with a grin.

Xander looked back at him.  "Yes it is.  They need to be better in case something happens."  The soldiers all nodded, at parade rest.  "Guys, at ease," he sighed.

"Go ahead, boys," the president said.  They got back to it.  He nodded at Teal'c.  "Nice job, Master Teal'c."

"Thank you, sir."  He smiled.  "They are good students for the most part."

"Excellent."  He looked around.  "Orient the plans for me."

Ferretti looked then turned them and moved them slightly.  Xander dove to catch one of the guys before he accidentally ran into the president.  Both of them fell into the water.  Ferretti looked down.  "Thanks, Harris."  He smirked.  "The free base are there," he said with a point.

The president nodded.  "That's a pretty spot to put it.  I think that'll work.  Leave the bridges an arch on this end in case someone wants to swim or boat?"

"Yes, sir.  We can swim in the center and if people want boats they can dock it along the edges."

"Even better."  He shook his hand.  "Colonel Carter, I liked your plans but they were a bit fussy and I don't understand why that power center needed its own area."

She looked at him.  "I'm told the new one hums, sir."

"That's interesting.  So we can't sink it in the water without causing problems with the local systems.  Good to know.   We can arrange all that, Sheppard?"

"Yes, sir.  McKay is working on it.  Plus the solar power system we've gotten off Ever's systems."

"Even better.  That's good energy to use.  Will it be enough?"

"The way she does it, mostly."

"Great."  He smiled.  "General, I'll put the bill out there to deal with that for the people that know.  We might have to break your program further open."

"Or the spore lube can go out," he offered.

"That will need FDA approval."

"It's not a medicine.  It's a sexual lubricant, sir."

"Oh.  I see."  He considered that.  "If you can, and fund it yourself, so much better."

Ferretti smiled.  "We can talk to some people about it, and the FDA as well."

"Good idea.  Let me know how much you can make from that."  He shook his hand.  "Send me back to complain at other people, please."  Ferretti had him beamed back.  He called a lot of senators in to talk to them about the program, what had happened, and why they needed to build this massive system of docking areas.  They were horrified at the stuff they were seeing from the SGC's missions.  They had no idea it was that bad.

Xander looked over.  "I can bring a sample to a party in San Fran, General."

"That would get word of mouth out but I'll try a more subtle way."  He went to look up the FDA's number.  Or maybe someone from Eureka because they had ways around it faster.  "Sir, this is General Ferretti.  Yes, Dr. Stark, me.  No, I'm on the new docking center.  I'm the head of the SGC actually.  I have something I need your people to get approved so we can sell the hell out of it.  Those spores made into a sexual lubricant."

He smirked at the complaints.  "Yes, those spores.  I'm told it was tested and worked well.  Please."  He hung up and called the scientists at Torchwood.  "This is General Ferretti.  Do you have any other samples of that spore lube?  I'm having a scientist agree with your findings and seeing if we can get it FDA approved.  Thank you, Dr. Harper.  Yes, that's where we are.  No, we got moved to a docking center.  Sure, how would you get it to Nila?"  He heard about Xander's special doorways.

"That would be amazing.  Thank you."  He hung up and went to get it.  Xander did some amazing things he wanted to see duplicated by science.  He met Stark on Nila and walked him to the living areas.  "We're getting some from Cardiff.  We're licensing it with the doctor who created it."

"Chemist?"

"Regular."

"All right."

"He's tested it in sex but..."  He grinned.  "We want to license it to make us sinful amounts of money."

"That is the ideal thing to do."  They walked into a room and he looked around.  "This is tinier than I thought.  Why are we here?"

"Xander Harris has a doorway to his home off-realm that has a connection to Cardiff."  He tapped and Owen leaned out with a jar.  "Thank you."

"You're welcome."  He smirked.  "It is quite fun to play with.  I actually managed to wear out Dawn for a whole week once."  He went back to the office with a quick stop for lunch.

The general handed it over and they walked out.  "Chemistry is down here, Stark."  He let him into it.  "Guys, he's testing the spore lube."  They left their projects and helped him set up analysis tests and physical tests.  Ferretti gave them a cleared area in case the spores overtook them.  He had Botany watch it so she could give them information about the spores.  Within an hour, Stark was calling contacts to come see this stuff.

***

Stark stopped Xander to talk to him.  "How did you create that doorway?"

"Magic."

"Magic isn't real."  Xander created a small light on his hand, making him stare at it.  "How did you do that?"

"Magic."  He grinned.  "It drives Rodney nuts."

"It's going to drive me nuts.  Can you quantify that in math?"

"Maybe really ancient math but it's not the same.  Ask Rodney, he's been working on it."

"I can do that.  Thank you, Mr. Harris."

"I'm Xander, Dr. Stark.  I get to geek wrangle all your people too."

"They say you're usually nice about it too."

I don't put up with the fighting and the bitchiness," Xander said dryly.  "Even with yours."

"I know.  They praised that."  He smirked and walked off.  "Doctor McKay," he said when he ran into him.  "How does Mr. Harris do that stuff?"

Rodney smirked.  "There's math that is not anything like ours from the more ancient societies."

"Can you teach it?"

"Yes, to a point.  I'm about at the level of calculus with it."

"That's fine.  How many are there?"

"Seven."  Stark grinned a nasty grin and sat down to look at the first things he could teach him.  They started on the version that might explain magic.  That was more interesting math really.

TBC....
 

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