Chapter 1: Transference

58 1 0
                                    


ha·zel

/ˈhāzəl/

noun

A temperate shrub or small tree with broad leaves, bearing prominent male catkins in spring and round hard-shelled edible nuts in autumn. The Celts believed hazelnuts gave one wisdom and inspiration. "The Hazel Branch" from Grimms' Fairy Tales claims that hazel branches offer the greatest protection from snakes and other things that creep on the earth.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Combat boots pounded across dark ground. Something unknowable roared, it's whip like tendrils sending another tree crashing near the team.

"GET TO THE RIFT!" Barked an order.

Another alien roar ripped through the forest. Another tree fell. The group scattered to dodge it. Just on the horizon their way home was visible. A flickering veil with a view home.

"WE'RE ALMOST THERE! JUST KEEP RUNNING!"

The first couple members made it, rushing into the rift, now out of the woods quite literally. Something whizzed over the heads of the others still running. It hit the ground with a crash. The veil flickered, like a glitching projection.

Another roar echoed. Much closer than the last.

To give her lagging team members sometime she Skitter to a stop, swiveling to raise her P90 at the creature. Firing off a couple rounds. The thing screeched in response.

One of her team paused at the rift, shouting, "Captain!"

"I'm right behind you! Just head on through!" She replied back taking another burst of shots, the things screeching again. The other hesitated but quickly ducked through.

She started to move back, still firing trying to head for the rift. Unfortunately, she had just missed the tendril swiping for her. It lashed into her side and sent her flying backwards into the nearest tree. She dropped to the ground like a sack of rocks after, wind knocked from her. Her weapon lay several feet away.

The creature coiled letting off a roar, rearing to attack. She scrambled to her feet and made a desperate attempt at a mad dash the last few feet. The beast sending more of whatever it could get it's tentacles in her direction. Her view home flickered with every crash. For a moment the view through seemed off.

She didn't have time to think on it though with the thing quickly bearing down on her.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hazel launched from the gate, tumbling head over heels down the grated ramp, her glasses sailing off. Everything was a haze, the ringing in her ears and the flashing red lights not helping.
Head spinning, she dragged herself upright into a sitting position, scanning her surroundings. Even between the blur and the slight wavering from her disorientation, it was clear several people in uniform had their weapons trained on her. She swore to herself and slowly raised her hands, palms out and empty, in surrender, squinting to try and see better.

She quickly found herself restrained , stripped of her field gear, and being led out of the room. Squinting back over her shoulder, she could see a great ring, just before it slipped out of sight as she was dragged into the hall. This wasn't home was it?
She staggered as she was shoved into a holding cell. From what she could make out of the blur she could see that there was a relatively okay bed, a small table, and a couple other amenities she couldn't quite discern. It wasn't the worst place she had ever been held in. She flopped onto the bed as she waited for someone to come and interrogate her, atleast she figured that's what they would do. Easy to tell this was a military facility after all.

Stargate: TransferenceWhere stories live. Discover now