Worldgate SG-N: Small steps at the beginning. [Episode 155013]

Dr. Weir looked at the other faces at the conference table. Her eyes identified all the people she had called, except one. Then Rodney walked in, taking a moment to put his laptop on the table and open it back up.

"Less than half an hour ago, Earth made contact with us via the Stargate." Dr. Weir explained.

Tayla looked at Dr. Weir. "I thought your world was unable to establish such a connection?"

John leaned forward, "Not unless they found another ZPM?" he asked.

"That's what we thought," Rodney responded, his eyes glued to the laptop screen. Sitting back he looked around the table. "But it turns out we thought wrong. Apparently, the gate can link to gates in disparate realities for the same power cost as local jaunts, so by gating to one such reality they could then gate to us without difficulty."

Lieutenant Ford looked at Rodney. "What, so they stepped into some alternate universe and dialed us up?"

Rodney raised a hand. "Not alternate, disparate." He opened his mouth, then paused. "Essentially . . . It means instead of a universe where your grandfather was never born, it's a universe where the moon's really made of green cheese."

"The details of it are not as important as the fact that Stargate Command can now make contact with us, and hopefully we can likewise make contact with them." Dr. Weir looked at Dr. Mckay.

"I didn't have time to try dialing, but the signature is there and the alternate setting trick works."

"Which means we can send someone to deliver that message you were working on in person," Major Shephard called to Rodney.

Rodney sat back and nodded. "Well, all my work making the direct connection trick safe isn't important anymore, but I have everything compressed for transport. All the mission reports, everything about Atlantis, the parts of the ancient database we've managed to translate . . ."

"And the three Wraith Hive Ships en route," Major Shephard added.

"Of course." Rodney directed an annoyed look at John.

"Then all that's left, is deciding who'll deliver the message," Dr. Weir said.

"Well, there's one detail." Rodney raised a finger, paused then looked toward Tayla. "Tayla, are you familiar with any planets inhabited by any creatures with trilateral symmetry?"

Tayla looked back toward Rodney, a confused expression on her face. "I do not know that term."

"Is that a reference to anatomical symmetry," Dr. Beckett asked.

Rodney nodded. "It's a trait of a species the Ancients got involved with through universe traveling."

Dr. Beckett nodded. "You see, most large organisms, including all known vertebrates show bilateral symmetry, which means if you divide the organism in half," He raised a hand to trace a line down the middle of his face with a finger. "The two halves would resemble mirror images of each other. Now trilateral symmetry means that to get the same effect, you'd need to section the organism into thirds rather then halves. In gross anatomical terms, the body form would likely have three arms and three legs equidistantly distributed around the body."

---

Jack O'Neill glanced from the three elderly Ninja's at his right to the white-eyed man standing in front of him. The veins around the man's eyes bulged briefly, then receded once again.

"Yes," the head of the Hyuuga clan said with a nod of his head. "I can see that . . . oddness Neiji noted. The otherworldliness."

Jack pointed a finger at Hiashi. "Good thing to know. Carter will probably want to study it if she can."

Hiashi scowled. "The Byakugan is a secret of the Hyuuga clan. Not something we'd lightly share with outsiders."

Jack raised his hands defensively. "I'm not asking you too. Just pointing out that someone will want to study the effect."

"If I might have a word?" One of the elders stepped forward. With a scowl Hiashi joined the elder in walking off to one side.

"This isn't really necessary you know," Jack commented to the remaining two elders. "I mean, thanks for the tour, and the introductions, but I'm not a diplomat."

One elder grinned and said conspiratorially, "Don't worry, we know."

"The fact remains," the other said in a more serious tone. "That the death of the Hokage has prevented Hidden Leaf from properly contributing to the initial explorations of these alternate dimensions. And even though the next Hokage has not been appointed yet, we need to start some form of contribution now."

---

"Offworld exploration is no place for kids." Jack quietly told the elders, glancing back toward the girl who was following behind them. Seeing her white on white eyes looking nervously at him, he gave a little smile and wave before turning back to the trio.

"You have made that clear." One of the elders commented very matter of factly. "We're simply trying to provide a contribution until the next Hokage can make a more long term decision. And you did say your associate would be interested in Hinata's ability to see 'otherworldliness'. You'll be able to set the mission ranks for the others as you see fit."

"Mission ranks?" Jack asked.

"From A to D based on the expected level of difficulty."

Jack directed a questioning look at the Elder, " What, like All's good, Bit Risky, Caution Will Robinson, and Da-yam!?"

The Elder looked back at him for a long moment. He started gesturing with a finger. "Close. Opposite progression, but the idea is right. D is for finding lost pets, helping to weed a garden, and delivering messages that no one cares about."

"Oh."

---

"Incoming wormhole," The tech declared as he looked from the computer screen through the window toward the Stargate. As the wall behind the gate was illuminated in the shimmering rings of light, he looked at the signal being sent. "It is Atlantis!"

"Will you open the Iris then?" Yukihiko asked impatiently.

"Ah, sorry." The tech pressed a switch on the console before him and with a few pauses the Iris opened.

Yukihiko shook his head. "We'll want to look over the mechanism and see if we can make it smoother, not to mention faster." Stepping forward he picked up a speaker on the console and clicked it on. "Atlantis base, this is The Fire Country. We have received your . . . I.D.C. signal and are prepared to welcome visitors."

"Thank you, Fire Country," crackled back over the radio.

The tech looked into the vortex, and saw the shimmering silhouette's growing from the point of light within the wormhole. A moment later, the travelers from Atlantis stepped out of the event horizon.