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marblegloveWhen I wrote A Square Peg in a Round Hole, I had a whole set of ideas for how to get Methos in contact with the SGC crew. At request, I’m posting what ideas I had at the time that I didn’t go forward with. Of them all, this was the closest second. I almost went with it a number of times and it wound up being more random chance than any particular reason that I went with Square Peg instead. .
The second of three Methos/Stargate plot-bunnies:
The bar was closed to the public but full of Watchers. They were all trading stories and just generally debreifing each other as they did every couple of weeks. When you had a secret life it was important to find some time to speak freely.
When teh phone rang, Joe Dawson, bar owner and area supervisor, delegated the task of answering it to one of his subordinates both in watcher training and in bar tending. He didn’t even think much of it until the young watcher put his hand over the mouthpiece and called out, “Guys? It’s someone calling for Methos.”
Dead silence.
Joe gave an agonized look at Adam Pierson whom he alone, of all the watchers, knew to be both immortal and that most elusive of the immortals, Methos. But everyone was looking around, confused and worried. Was Methos here? Did someone know they were watchers? Were they in danger? What should they do?
Finally Adam stood up. “Unless someone here is going to admit to being immortal, being my immortal...?” He paused and looked at each person in turn, studying them for some sign. “I’m going to answer and see what I can learn.”
There were nods of comprehension and approval and a few mouthed “good idea”s but everyone sat silent as he took the phone. “Yes?”
The Watchers watched and listened, straining to hear every word.
----------------
The Watchers milled around the bar quietly unhappy. The fact that Adam Pierson was fluent in multiple otherwise-dead languages had never before been so frustrating. Only two watchers, who had had previous assignments in Egypt, stayed still and focused near the bar, trying to understand a language that was like and yet unlike that which they knew.
But everyone perked up again when ADam spoek loudly in English. “If you harm him in any way before I get there I will personally skin you alive with a red hot spoon!”
The Watchers were pretty evenly split between looking appalled at the normally mild and gentle researcher’s threat and looking greatly impressed by it.
The phone back in its cradle, Adam slumped on a stool with his head in his hands. One of the more impatient of the Watchers finally said, “Well?”
Adam’s eyes were tired and his smile weak. “False alarm as far as Methos goes. A contact of mine wanted to get through to me without giving away my name. He doesn’t know who or what Methos is, just that its a word I keep track of, that I would respond to. He’s been arrested by the US military and is slated for execution.”
“I’m sorry, Adam.”
“Harsh.”
“But due process!”
“Who was your contact?”
“Why does a researcher have a contact?”
The responses came more or less at the same time, but the last one had a few of them puzzled. Active watchers might have “contacts” to get them past security checkpoints or into places they couldn’t get on their own but researchers stayed in libraries, right? Occasionally traveled to see the sights but not following dangerous individuals.
“Black market antique rings and tomb raiders. Smuggling weapons on the side. Occasional forgery.”
Adam rubbed his eyes again and they all remembered that it was late at night (or early in the morning, as the case may be) and they'd all been drinking. “The military was almost certainly monitoring that line so the security of this bar has been compromised. I’m sorry, Joe.”
“Don’t worry. It’s not the first time I’ve been investigated and I doubt it’ll be the last.”
“Be careful. That goes for all of you. Something screwy is going on. He had some of the best security I’ve seen but they caught him anyway. And they were just waiting to shoot.”
“Uh-huh,” Joe agreed warily. “And what about you?”
“The name Methos is used in a mysterious situation... I’ll investigate it, of course,” Adam spoke in mock surprise.
“You said it had nothing to do with Methos.”
“Yeah. But it does have to do with my friends and its still a mysterious situation.”
----------------
The SGC agents looked up from Daniels translation of what their most recent prisoner had said on the phone before they had managed to subdue him.
“Seriously?”
“That’s the translation.” Daniel shrugged with some bemusement of his own. “That’s what was said.”
“He is a goa’uld, isn’t he?” Jack asked.
It was a serious question. Sure, their prisoner had the goa’uld voice and the flashing eyes, but still… “the host called his dad?”
-------------------
The plot is that Methos had a son some two or three thousand years ago. He did not want him to die. And he was friends with a goa’uld. So for the last couple of thousand of years Methos has had a friend and a son who are immortal but not part of The Game. He loves having an immortal family and now someone is threatening that.
The second of three Methos/Stargate plot-bunnies:
The bar was closed to the public but full of Watchers. They were all trading stories and just generally debreifing each other as they did every couple of weeks. When you had a secret life it was important to find some time to speak freely.
When teh phone rang, Joe Dawson, bar owner and area supervisor, delegated the task of answering it to one of his subordinates both in watcher training and in bar tending. He didn’t even think much of it until the young watcher put his hand over the mouthpiece and called out, “Guys? It’s someone calling for Methos.”
Dead silence.
Joe gave an agonized look at Adam Pierson whom he alone, of all the watchers, knew to be both immortal and that most elusive of the immortals, Methos. But everyone was looking around, confused and worried. Was Methos here? Did someone know they were watchers? Were they in danger? What should they do?
Finally Adam stood up. “Unless someone here is going to admit to being immortal, being my immortal...?” He paused and looked at each person in turn, studying them for some sign. “I’m going to answer and see what I can learn.”
There were nods of comprehension and approval and a few mouthed “good idea”s but everyone sat silent as he took the phone. “Yes?”
The Watchers watched and listened, straining to hear every word.
----------------
The Watchers milled around the bar quietly unhappy. The fact that Adam Pierson was fluent in multiple otherwise-dead languages had never before been so frustrating. Only two watchers, who had had previous assignments in Egypt, stayed still and focused near the bar, trying to understand a language that was like and yet unlike that which they knew.
But everyone perked up again when ADam spoek loudly in English. “If you harm him in any way before I get there I will personally skin you alive with a red hot spoon!”
The Watchers were pretty evenly split between looking appalled at the normally mild and gentle researcher’s threat and looking greatly impressed by it.
The phone back in its cradle, Adam slumped on a stool with his head in his hands. One of the more impatient of the Watchers finally said, “Well?”
Adam’s eyes were tired and his smile weak. “False alarm as far as Methos goes. A contact of mine wanted to get through to me without giving away my name. He doesn’t know who or what Methos is, just that its a word I keep track of, that I would respond to. He’s been arrested by the US military and is slated for execution.”
“I’m sorry, Adam.”
“Harsh.”
“But due process!”
“Who was your contact?”
“Why does a researcher have a contact?”
The responses came more or less at the same time, but the last one had a few of them puzzled. Active watchers might have “contacts” to get them past security checkpoints or into places they couldn’t get on their own but researchers stayed in libraries, right? Occasionally traveled to see the sights but not following dangerous individuals.
“Black market antique rings and tomb raiders. Smuggling weapons on the side. Occasional forgery.”
Adam rubbed his eyes again and they all remembered that it was late at night (or early in the morning, as the case may be) and they'd all been drinking. “The military was almost certainly monitoring that line so the security of this bar has been compromised. I’m sorry, Joe.”
“Don’t worry. It’s not the first time I’ve been investigated and I doubt it’ll be the last.”
“Be careful. That goes for all of you. Something screwy is going on. He had some of the best security I’ve seen but they caught him anyway. And they were just waiting to shoot.”
“Uh-huh,” Joe agreed warily. “And what about you?”
“The name Methos is used in a mysterious situation... I’ll investigate it, of course,” Adam spoke in mock surprise.
“You said it had nothing to do with Methos.”
“Yeah. But it does have to do with my friends and its still a mysterious situation.”
----------------
The SGC agents looked up from Daniels translation of what their most recent prisoner had said on the phone before they had managed to subdue him.
“Seriously?”
“That’s the translation.” Daniel shrugged with some bemusement of his own. “That’s what was said.”
“He is a goa’uld, isn’t he?” Jack asked.
It was a serious question. Sure, their prisoner had the goa’uld voice and the flashing eyes, but still… “the host called his dad?”
-------------------
The plot is that Methos had a son some two or three thousand years ago. He did not want him to die. And he was friends with a goa’uld. So for the last couple of thousand of years Methos has had a friend and a son who are immortal but not part of The Game. He loves having an immortal family and now someone is threatening that.
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Re: Oh I do wish you would write this one
Date: 2010-03-02 04:07 pm (UTC)What if Methos decides that the SGC is just endangering Earth. Maybe the Russians are doing better. And since he has the minions anyway...
Suddenly Methos has a Stargate.
Hah!
Maybe this forces the US and Russia to work together, possibly with the mafia as well. Having released the goa'uld, they then need to track him down again in the hopes that he can talk his host's father into returning the Stargate. Talk about uneasy alliances.
Re: Oh I do wish you would write this one
Date: 2010-03-02 05:38 pm (UTC)he might stal the gate as a distraction... in order to get a ship with beaming capability and some staff weapons... which would be a great help in disposing of challenger's bodies... just disintegrate them!
besides it would be nice to be able to hide his journals somewhere the watchers wouldnt accidentally discover... not to mention it is always a good idea to give the family a goal to word towards, left to their own devices things like the illuminatu tended to spring up, and there is no need for a mess like that to begin again
Who had the bright idea of arranging yearly family reunions of all the many and powerful branches of the family should have been stopped, now even the crest was conspiracy fodder because of the idiots.
and to think it had been all about food, drinks and whose child was cuter, or smarter...
Re: Oh I do wish you would write this one
Date: 2010-03-02 06:49 pm (UTC)Methos, meanwhile, has hidden all of his journals on a distant planet and thinks that they're perfectly safe. Of course, the planet isn't quite deserted enough, because SGC stumble upon the cache, Daniel is ecstatic about this amazing historical find, and the entire sociology department of the SGC reads them, which leaks to the Watchers, and Methos does a complete headplant when some Watcher very excitedly tells Adam Pierson all about this new discover!
Re: Oh I do wish you would write this one
Date: 2010-03-02 07:42 pm (UTC)I can just imagine what the reporter would do when he got home... practicing his speech in the mirror
"hey boss, you know how we managed to track the alias and flightplans of these really powerful figures, famus and otherwise and we figured out they were all going to be in the same city... and remember how I was able to get an invitation to the event trough a contact of mine? Turns out it was all big mess up and that the Hapsburgs aren't the only dinasty who was in highplaces everywhere..."
"man... he really won't believe, you if you say that"
Turning around, he sees a guy in an expensive suit on his couch, drinking his beer and his dog by the side.
"Who are you?"
"That's not important, I know you really don't need the speech as to what would happen if broke my little cousin's heart, you are smart and met some of the family. I am sure the dots have connected in your mind already. But I do have make sure you keep quiet about names, and learn to like proper beer"
"what?"
"Write what you want, just don't mention names. Part one done. phase two is harder, beer matters a lot in the family, if you are going to be joining our side of it you need to learn much about the drink the G's favour..."
"Gees?
"All in good time, first to the bar!"
Re: Oh I do wish you would write this one
Date: 2010-03-02 10:04 pm (UTC)I think that finding the Goauld's father-in-law's historical journals will probably do a lot to make up for stealing the StarGate in Daniel's mind. :) I hope that they don't put Methos in danger of being tracked down though. Of course, he now has a ship with beaming capabilities so that he can escape danger. The SGC isn't quite sure what to do with the ship hiding behind the moon, as all access to it is blocked, but they don't want to destroy any possible future resources.
Poor reporter guy! Of course, I have to wonder how all the conspiracy theorists would take the truth about the Illuminati. And of course, Jack is still left wondering about his beer. Is it considered aiding the enemy if he buys beer that funds a Goauld and the Mafia?
Re: Oh I do wish you would write this one
Date: 2010-03-02 11:21 pm (UTC)The funny thing about the other conspiracy theorists is that they're not completely wrong. These are high-powered people having behind the scenes discussions and making huge decisions. It's just not done with any intentional mysticism or ritual.
Of course, now they're trying to track down the Stargate by getting into the mind of a guy through his journals. This is difficult enough when the person is a regular human of finite experience and resources. It is quite a bit more difficult when the guy is constantly making cryptic notes about people and events which may or may not be documented in any other history AND switching from language to language. Jack finally decides to go ahead and drink the beer with the rational that it's helping him get in the mindset of the other people who like it.
And Methos has probably programmed his ship on the moon to reply sarcastically to anyone trying to board it. Possibly using movie quotes. So the SGC still isn't entirely sure that it's not an artificial intelligence that's addicted to Earth TV. But it certainly doesn't appear to be doing any harm and you can't just kill off a potential new species!
Re: Oh I do wish you would write this one
Date: 2010-03-03 12:51 pm (UTC)When things are slow at the SGC, they might try to do in-depth studies of the ship. Maybe the sources of the quotes have significance. For example, what does it mean when 3 quotes in a row are from movies/tv shows where a natural disaster destroys life as we know it? How about if the same actor is in all 3 sources?
Meanwhile, the Mafia family is now trying to get someone into the SGC/Russian program/NID to keep an eye on the situation for the future. They'd like to know about any future threats to Earth and any other attempts to grab the Gs.
Re: Oh I do wish you would write this one
Date: 2010-03-03 03:26 pm (UTC)I think you're quite right about Daniel. The journals aren't quick translations or of immediate military value (other than occasionally being graduate work in military strategy) so he doesn't work on them as his primary task. But during breaks or when he wants to relax after dinner, he'll settle back with a beer and a journal.
Re: Oh I do wish you would write this one
Date: 2010-03-04 01:27 am (UTC)and I just have the image of the ship being programed for dna recognition of Methos and of his Son's line everyone else gets to be insulted a la Marauder's Map... but very creatively!
Daniel would love to work on the journal's... until they get a message saying they can get the stargate back... if they delive all of Methos journals in their possesion and those with the Watcher's
otherwise no more stargate for the SGC
Re: Oh I do wish you would write this one
Date: 2010-03-04 01:39 am (UTC)That would be a tough call, especially since the Watchers might think that Methos's journals are more important to history. The SGC would probably just decide to scan all of the journals into their computers first. Which is a big problem when they turn over the journals, and then the virus Methos left in their computers or one of the insider Mafia people erases all of their scans and translations of the journals.
Re: Oh I do wish you would write this one
Date: 2010-03-04 03:15 am (UTC)Re: Oh I do wish you would write this one
Date: 2010-03-04 03:17 pm (UTC)By the NID so the sgc thinks they are the one who took them
Re: Oh I do wish you would write this one
Date: 2010-03-04 03:25 pm (UTC)Re: Oh I do wish you would write this one
Date: 2010-03-04 04:05 pm (UTC)and making small conspiracy aditions to the emails the guy eschanges with the other agencies...
the illuminati likely have a blast feeding the theories online
Re: Oh I do wish you would write this one
Date: 2010-03-04 05:29 pm (UTC)Re: Oh I do wish you would write this one
Date: 2010-03-04 06:57 pm (UTC)and many other gems of urban legends, when he asks his girlfriend about it she just srugs and says that the sense of humour runs in the family as much as anything else... and what use is it to be powerful and influential if you can use it for fun?
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Date: 2010-03-04 03:21 pm (UTC)And Methos is getting progressively more annoyed with this whole technology thing. Because being the height of technology was pretty sweet when it meant having a steel sword rather than an iron one, but it gets more and more difficult to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to computer tech. So he tried really hard to write a virus to wipe out all the information, but the SGC has all of these safeguards on their computer so the wipe doesn't work, just makes them more paranoid. And somehow the journals get out and saved to the public internet. Now they're everywhere, including yahoo/google news. Everyone thinks it's a hoax, of course, but such a brilliantly done hoax that must have taken dozens of researchers years to put together. So now there's this whole search to figure out who the hoaxers are.
Methos finally throws up his hands, admits defeat, figures at least he doesn't have to worry about losing his journals anymore, and sits back to watch the fall out, which is hilarious: various people proving and disproving the information in the journals, various people trying to claim credit for writing the journals, the Watchers and the SGC trying to suppress the whole thing, and the situation becoming so convoluted that there's no way to trace any of it back to Adam Pierson.
Re: Oh I do wish you would write this one
Date: 2010-03-04 06:03 pm (UTC)and leaves random notes in watchers journals about how or why would
Methos write down anything about Aristotle's fashion mistakes
Re: Oh I do wish you would write this one
Date: 2010-03-04 06:12 pm (UTC)Re: Oh I do wish you would write this one
Date: 2010-03-04 07:09 pm (UTC)The people in the know laugh their ass off about that. Methos wonders if he'll ever be able to live this down. (The answer is: no.)
Re: Oh I do wish you would write this one
Date: 2010-03-04 07:53 pm (UTC)Methos, just goes fuck it... I am going back to italy where they treat me awesomely (which of course makes everyone think that something is going to happen to the vatican library...
Re: Oh I do wish you would write this one
Date: 2010-03-05 02:29 am (UTC)Re: Oh I do wish you would write this one
From:Re: Oh I do wish you would write this one
Date: 2010-03-04 10:03 pm (UTC)Re: Oh I do wish you would write this one
Date: 2010-03-05 02:32 am (UTC)Methos suddenly has a lot more people who are after him, not for power, but for libel.
Re: Oh I do wish you would write this one
Date: 2010-03-05 03:27 am (UTC)others from more recent times are wondering if they had ever met Methos, and who was he... more importantly had he written down anything really embarassing
loads of fake journals start to show up online and quite a few blogs/ mocking posts such as
The Very Secret Diary of Methos: Today was not a good day, still not King of Beer, am working to declare water unsafe to drink so can have beer all day long with no snide looks.
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