Chapter 4 First Contact Fallout

General West's POV Stargate Command

General West paced his office, nerves prickling under his skin. He was waiting for any word on the team he had sent off-world through the Stargate—a sentence he never imagined saying out loud, but this was the reality now.

It had been three days since the gate had last activated. They were overdue.

Just then, a soldier burst through the door. "Sir, the device is activating!"

West was on his feet instantly, following the man to the control room. The familiar clatter of chevrons locking echoed in the chamber. He watched, breath held, as the gate dialled.

With a whoosh, the event horizon formed.

And then—relief. Members of the team began stepping through the process. They looked tired, but alive. He allowed himself a breath.

Then he saw it.

Two soldiers emerged carrying a third, unconscious, injured. Behind them came Colonel Jack O'Neill, blood-smeared and stone-faced.

As O'Neill descended the ramp, he met the general's eyes.

"Sir. We need to talk. In private."

West nodded grimly. "My office."

Minutes later, in the privacy of the general's office, West leaned forward.

"What the hell happened out there, Colonel?"

O'Neill exhaled. "Long story, sir." He provided a summary, omitting the nuclear aspect and excluding Daniel. But he relayed what he could about the alien called Ra, the destroyed Abydos gate, and the injured being they brought back.

West frowned. "So Ra—an alien masquerading as the Egyptian sun god—is dead. The gate's destroyed. And you've brought back a... Goa'uld?"

Jack shrugged. "Or something like it. He looks human. But sir—he took fifteen bullets and was still alive."

West blinked. "Right. Well, Jack, sounds like you've had a hell of a trip. Go shower, get some rest. You've earned it."

"Thanks, sir." Jack stood and left without another word.

Infirmary – Observation

West made his way to the infirmary. The "alien" was already on the operating table, surrounded by medics. They worked with methodical focus, but the tension was palpable.

He stared at the man—because that's what he looked like. A young man, possibly in his early twenties. Pale, bloodied, eerily calm despite his condition.

West caught himself wondering if the being was male. Then chided himself. What did it matter? Leave that to the biologists. He focused on the operation.

An X-ray machine was being wheeled into place—odd, he thought. The base didn't usually have one on hand.

Government efficiency at work. Typically, this type of equipment would require requisition forms and bureaucratic processes. However, when national security was at stake, agencies responded with lightning speed. Someone had likely disassembled a hospital machine and reassembled it here in under an hour.

As the doctors stepped back and the scans were taken, West approached.

"Doctor, what can you tell me?"

The base surgeon, Dr. James Weber, looked up in surprise. "Sir—I didn't see you come in. Sorry. It's been… intense."

West nodded. "Understandable. Just give me what you've got."

Weber gathered his thoughts. "Preliminarily, we've identified fifteen entry wounds—bullets, sir. He's lost a massive amount of blood. But here's the thing: his vitals are... stable. Even improving."

"He looks human. Are you saying he is?"

"He appears human," Weber replied. "Genetically, we won't know until testing is complete. But he's remarkably similar, at least physiologically. His blood is near-human in composition."

West folded his arms. "Anything else I can pass up the chain? I've got a call with the President in thirty minutes."

Weber hesitated, then nodded. "You can say he's semi-conscious, exhibiting autonomic response. He's healing faster than expected. And there's... something embedded in his neck."

West narrowed his eyes. "Parasite?"

"Possibly. We'll know more once we operate."

Thirty Minutes Later – Situation Room

West appeared on a secure video line with the President, Joint Chiefs, and Chief of Staff.

"Sir, the off-world team has returned," West began. "They've brought back an alien, currently under medical care. Early reports indicate the being is humanoid in appearance and physiology. It was found near the remains of a hostile called 'Ra', now confirmed deceased. The Stargate on that end is destroyed."

"What's its condition?" the Chief of Staff asked.

"Fifteen gunshot wounds. Still alive. Semi-conscious. The medical team is prepping for surgery as we speak."

The President leaned forward. "General, this is now a top-level national security matter. Whatever resources you need, you have them. I want daily reports. This situation is need-to-know and classified above top secret."

"Yes, sir," West replied.

12 Hours Later – Infirmary

Dr. James Weber slumped in his chair, exhaustion evident.

West stepped inside. "Doctor. Just the basics for now."

Weber nodded, rubbing his eyes. "Surgery was successful. Remarkably so. His body was actively repairing itself before we even opened him up."

West raised an eyebrow. "Anything unusual?"

Weber hesitated. "Yes. We discovered a snake-like organism partially fused to the base of his neck. A parasitic attachment. Most of it was removed, but a small gland remains—we couldn't risk spinal damage."

West grimaced. "You think he'll recover?"

"If I had to bet, I'd say yes. He's stabilising faster than any human patient I've seen."

"Good enough. Get some rest, Doctor. We brief the President at 1100."

The Next Morning – Briefing with the President

Dr. Weber sat beside General West as the conference call initiated.

"Good morning, gentlemen," West began. "This is Dr. James Weber, lead surgeon on the alien specimen."

Weber cleared his throat. "Sir, the being's body is structurally human. In fact, aside from one embedded organism, it's identical. We've removed most of the parasite. The rest is fused too closely to the spine to risk extraction.

"What's extraordinary is his resilience. He suffered fifteen gunshot wounds and was still semi-conscious upon arrival. His tissues began healing rapidly, possibly aided by unknown biological enhancements. Barring complications, I expect a full recovery—timeline unknown."

The room was silent for a beat.

"Excellent work, Doctor," the President said. "We'll be sending specialists to examine the parasite. You're dismissed for now."

Weber nodded and left.

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