Episode Seven - "Cause & Effect"

[Jason Conway]

Stargate Meropis: Episode Seven - Cause & Effect

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SUMMARY
With an unexpected tragedy rocking the base to it's core and dividing the lines between Human and Alien, SM-1 are sent on a mission back through time in an attempt to put things right. Meanwhile, SM-2 accompanies the science team as they discover what could well be the holy grail when it comes to ancient technology. SM-3 takes a trip aboard the Sun Tzu for an exploration mission with interesting results. Elsewhere, Andrew McManus learns something about the Etruscans.

Posting Group One - SM-1
The mystery of the alleged spy on Meropis is finally solved as the insider plays their hand with devastating results. Meanwhile, can an experimental ancient device discovered by SM-1 set things straight? With the help of their alien guests, the team is sent on an ever spiraling journey back through their own past to try and save the life of one of their friends.
Posting Group Members: Jason Conway  Chicago "Roo" Eastlyn  Dominic Evans  James Mulholland  Ahrima  Whitney Soto-'Aukai  Liam Hart  SA Val Olwin
THREAD STARTS HERE

Posting Group Two - Base Personnel

In the wake of an unexpected death, the fallout begins and fingers are pointed as mistrust spreads throughout the ranks. The alien ambassadors stationed on Meropis find themselves sticking together without a human leader to put things straight for them. Deciding to prove the humans wrong, they set out to uncover the truth about their friend's untimely demise. Can they solve the riddle before tensions reach breaking point?
Posting Group Members: Maggie Lefebvre  Almeda  Dr. Caiden West  @achillesjones  Michael Hurley  Capt. Kelly Miller  Dr. Roger Harrison  Paisley Gregorvich  Hanyuu  Aear Charter
THREAD STARTS HERE

Posting Group Three - SM-3 & The Sun Tzu

One of their first official missions, SM-3 embark to explore a planet from the ancient database which was seeded with life. Realizing the planet's Stargate is buried, the team use the Sun Tzu to travel there. On their arrival, SM-3 is given a frosty welcome and the mission becomes a game of diplomacy and strategy.
Posting Group Members: Paul Riley  Ethan Collins  Ryan Decker  Dylan Hawkins  (Tom/Erick as Sironans) @adaloveheart  Ryan Sweeney  Izzy Stevens  Jaya Bakshi  Blueberry Yagami  Shawn Booth  @adaofhearts
THREAD STARTS HERE

Posting Group Four - Scientists & SM-2

Following up on Dr. Elly Clark's research, Dr. Black, Dr. Glavish, Dr. Kells and Fiona Maccafferty are escorted by SM-2 to track down the mysterious ancient vessel known as 'The Ark'. With it being left at the edge of the galaxy by a seemingly all to convenient space gate, will they find they aren't the only ones there? What mysteries does this enormous vessel hold?
Posting Group Members: Michael Black  Fiona Maccafferty  John Callaghan  Tom Chambers  Ryan Alexander  Quinn Monaghan  Amelius  Mikaere Glavish  Shauna Alice Keys
THREAD STARTS HERE

Posting Group Five - The Story of Andrew McManus

After the events of Episode Six, we discovered an Etruscan stronghold set in on the planet known as Eros. Having made off from SM-2, Andrew McManus finds himself captured (by choice?) by the Etruscans and meets the most unlikely cell-mate. A familiar face also returns as we find out more about the Etruscan's plans.
Posting Group Members: Andrew McManus Thomas Hopper
THREAD STARTS HERE

[Jason Conway]

The Story So Far...


SM-1 and Base Personnel on Meropis

The spy on Meropis was revealed to be Special Agent Val Olwin. Nobody knew why but seemingly out of nowhere she blew up both herself and Brigadier General Jason Conway, sending the base into disarray and panic. A second device was located and neutralized, positioned under a stairwell that would have taken half of the main spire down with it. Just as things couldn't get any worse, an unexpected wormhole arrived flinging through a future version of Dr. Elly Clark! She explained to the team that this explosion set off a chain of events leading to an Etruscan invasion and domination of Earth. She revealed that almost everyone on base now would die in unfortunate circumstances unless they could jump back in time one more time and stop Jason Conway's death from occurring. To do so they needed Paisley, and more importantly the strange device she had found elsewhere on Meropis moments before the bomb went off.
THREAD CONTINUES HERE


SM-3 on K3X-247 'Sirona'

The mission had started off well. Beam down to a planet with a buried Stargate, avoid the locals who seemingly know nothing about the ancients or life on other planets, sneak in and out of the ancient lab undetected with their findings. Easy, right? Things hadn't gone to plan as before setting foot in the ancient lab, SM-3 were in fact outright detected by the local alien race. It seems the team have another Genii situation on their hands...
THREAD CONTINUES HERE

The Sun Tzu in Star System M1B near Sirona

The situation aboard the Sun Tzu had gone from good to critical in mere moments. After beaming down SM-3 the ship received a garbled distress call from Meropis, moments later the hyper-drive engines failed, leaving the ship stranded in sub-space. Sabotage perhaps? It all came to ahead when the ship's commander, Colonel Paul Riley, was set upon in the hallways by a low ranking crew members, being zatted in the process. With the crew members taken out of the equation and Colonel Riley now in sick bay. It fell to Commander Hawkins and Lt. Decker to piece together the puzzle and work out exactly what was going on and who was conspiring against them.
THREAD CONTINUES HERE

SM-2 and the scientists on The Ark

Having located The Ark, things were all downhill from there. The team's Jumpers were held by some sort of traction beam and pulled into the ship whether they wanted to be or not. From there, the team noticed an array of abandoned alien vessels in the landing bay, some of them with fresh bodies inside. It seemed this had all the makings of a trap. Before anyone could say "let's get out of here" they were set upon by an alien creature that had to be seen to be believed. Eventually, the creature was defeated. The next piece of bad news was that to leave The Ark they needed to get to the ship's bridge and disable the traction beam. And to do that? They'd have to run the gauntlet of heck knows what across the ship as it was revealed their alien friend was only the first of many bio-warfare defense measures.
THREAD CONTINUES HERE

Andrew McManus and Thomas Hopper on K3X-779 Eros
Having reunited in the Etruscan's cells after hours upon hours of torture, McManus and Hopper decided on an escape plan. It seemed McManus already had something in mind as a battle erupted elsewhere. McManus revealed that he had been slowly growing a 'militia' and that his men were loyal to him and would aid in his escape. Using the battle as a distraction, the two were able to spring themselves out and equip themselves with alien weapons. Taking the biggest gamble of their life, they decided to head deeper into the base and steal a ZPM. The plan worked, but not without the loss of the entirety of McManus' men. During their desperate sprint to the Stargate, the two men noticed the Etruscans were building an army, an enormous army at that. After gating to a neutral planet, the two parted ways with McManus stating he had further business to take care of and Hopper returning home to Meropis with the ZPM and the intel. Now, about that shore leave?
THREAD CONCLUDED HERE

[Jason Conway]

The Conclusion

SM-1 and Base Personnel on Meropis 

With thanks to Dr. Elly Clark and the strange, experimental ancient device, the bomb was prevented from ever going off in the first place. SM-1 and Clark used the device to time-travel back to a week before the explosion. Val Olwin was arrested and taken back to Earth where she was placed in a cell in Area 51 to try and remove the brainwashing effect placed on her by the Lucian Alliance. General Conway is thankful to SM-1 for saving his life and protecting the city once again. SM-1 and Clark manage to use the device to get back to their own timeline but even the ancients cannot account for accuracy and the team arrive two weeks after they'd left, meaning they'd been out of existence for a fortnight.

SM-3 on K3X-247 'Sirona' and The Sun Tzu in Orbit

With the team captured by the enemy, it is up to The Sun Tzu to rescue them. Having dealt with their apparent sabotage issue at the hands of a minor Etruscan warlord inhabiting a member of the crew, the Sun Tzu is back on track to Sirona. SM-3 are eventually rescued but first undergo agonisingtorture by the indigenous industrial era race. The ancient outpost is a write off and the team barely escape with their lives.

SM-2 and the scientists on The Ark 

The bio-warfare measures had been activated by the A.I and several horrific creations were released around The Ark in an attempt to destroy the members of the expedition in bloody fashion. With their ships completely trapped within, they had no choice but to try and survive and locate the ship's bridge. Easier said than done when the ship itself wanted to kill you, right? The team manage to survive for several days, even finding a machine capable of producing food and drink, until Dr. Black is split from the rest of the group. Our episode ends in a cliffhanger as Dr. Black finds himself attacked by an ancient device, one that would change not only his but everyone's lives forever...