Chapter Text
The story goes, that the Giza Stargate was discovered in 1928. It was shipped to the US in the 30s, experimented upon in the 40s, shelved through the 50s, 60s and 70s, and brought out sometime in the 80s before its actual purpose was discovered enough that they formed the last science team prior to Jackson's addition in the 90s.
The Abydos mission being in 1996...
And Apophis attacking Earth through the Stargate to 'collect potential hosts' in 1997. Then, in that same year, from the formation of the Stargate you have the notable events from the rescue mission to Chulak, SG Team insanity on Avnil (not a typo, that. AV-NIL and AN-VIL), Discovery of Thor's Hammer (and hints of the asgard) on Cimmeria, Rescue of Ernest Littlefield... and on... and on... The last notable bit of that year actually being the loss of SG-teams on Hanka due to Nirrti, and how a little girl was implanted with a self-growing naquadah bomb... who then gets adopted by the base CMO.
The following year, then, having Teal'c on Trial/proving he wasn't an evil man by saving the people et cetera onward, through to contacting the Asgard by way of O'Neill having this 'software' thing in his head...
So, anyone worth their salt for history knows most of what goes on from there.
But... As given the Quantum Mirror... some places have a slight to major difference at the start, that grows into a massive difference later on.
This... this is one of those... in that SG-1 weren't the only ones with 'big stories'. Strange, was always a given for most teams, but "of high import"? in the main, seemingly only when with SG-1.
Here... It's BOTH lead SG teams that became important.
Why, what is the biggest difference from early to late as a RESULT of that?
This version of SG-2, a first-contact team, ending up on GOOD terms with the Tok'ra, in general and specificically with particular individuals. THIS SG-2 becoming the Go-To for Tau'ri/Tok'ra joint missions, even with Jacob Carter hosting Selmak in this universe too.
And then, a few years later, this results in this SGC getting a base commander that never has anything to do with the program in the other "prime" universes' SGC. And given what that universes' Base Commander followed their Command up with, also happening to this base commander, even further diversions.
SGC Timeline in the "2verse"
1997 SG-2 is formed with all the other teams in the SGC's Charter. SG-2 struggles in this year, however, its entire roster changing throughout the year. Basically, at this point, as in 1Verse.
1998 Starts the differences. After Apophis attempted attack on earth, new teams are commissioned, but the differences begins with two people of the 1Verse not being available at the same time as in the 2verse... (in 2Verse... Area 51 got there two hours sooner!) Who they are is basically, they were never on-screen. Anyway. This disrupts who went to what team or non-team role enough, that one of the pair who got recruited to the SGC in this timeline happens to be part of the base security personnel when Carter has this little 'host to a tok'ra' thing.... and actually engages in conversation starting with a mention that 'either you're lying, which is bad, or you're not... and whilst I'll take anything you say with a grain of salt - you'll see what I mean in her head I assume - if you're not lying that wont both of you appreciate not being left alone in the silence except for each others' voices until this is resolved? Hope for the best, expect the worst and all that.' ... And is there when an Ashrak (goa'uld-sent assassin) goes to try to kill Jolinar... It doesn't take. But Jolinar is injured such that when she is removed from Carters' body, there are lingering mental traces, as well as leaving behind the same thing that would have been left if she had died within Carter. (So Carter ends up learning later she can use some goa'uld technology). Only a handful of weeks later a member of SG-2, a scientist, volunteers to become host to Jolinar, whom is noted to be dying. The scientist notes that they don't exactly know much classified information as it is... But as a result, not long later, the SGC are able to make official contact with the Tok'ra... whom then see that despite SG-1's disgust at the concept of being hosts (understandably, from Carter being forced into being one initially for Jolinar), that SG-2 willingly converse most casually with Jolinar, but also that her new host is a volunteer from that team... Not long after First contact, they realise it may be more of SG-2 being the unusual ones, than SG-1, but since a member of SG-1 has an ailing father... yeah yeah 2Verse gets Jacob/Selmak too, though a tiny bit earlier. (this version of events occurs BEFORE Heru'ur's attack on Abydos.) This year, this version of SG-2 actually has more successful diplomatic missions and fewer successful military missions (compared between and also to failed thereof) than SG-1, even though they have a similar mission count over the same period. As such, later a mission to PXY-887 it is SG-2 sent, not SG-1. An Arrow is never fired through the stargate...
1999 is a middling year in terms of positive vs negative differences from the 1verse. Whilst the timelines of the two at first glance seem the same, there are some negative differences, like how basically the human members of SG-1 actually end up needing to be revived, several times from death when held captive by Hathor, positive in that SG-2 accompany Teal'c when he goes off and forms the Free Jaffa movement with Bra'tac and stick around with them afterwards when SG-1 are healing after their captivity and Teal'c returns to their company... having the long term consequence of course of somewhat more positive relationships with the Free Jaffa. However, several promotions at the SGC occur that switch things up. Just as Carter is promoted to Major, So too is SG-2's up until then leader, and re-assigned to Area 51. The 2IC is promoted and given command of, and then his former position filled with a member of the base security personnel... one who had been willing to converse with Jolinar a year ago. The protected Planets Treaty negotiations are different too, with a curious absence of the openly-hostile Cronus, in exchange for a System Lord that the new SG-2 CO thinks is mysteriously familiar. (Read: He knows but isn't saying it's a goddamn TOKRA AGENT!)
In the background, 2000 sees a US president inaugurated for their second term. Because unlike in the 1verse, SG-2 practically take the lead in Tau'ri-Tok'ra Diplomacy and start running Joint-Missions this year, both performing staged attacks to benefit undercover tok'ra or outright rescue those in danger, the Tok'ra's open dislike of the Tau'ri shifts mostly to dislike of specific individuals of the SGC, specifically not including SG-2... As such, they are asked to be on-hand when SG-1 bring Teal'cs old flame to the Tok'ra... and are among the first to show distrust and believe it to be a trap. This, as a result, and as part of a promise to Teal'c after Shan'auc is killed, SG-2 commit to a long-term mission away from the SGC, taking the then-official role regarding the earth-Tok'ra relations. This has a big consequence as a result, in that during a three-month period where a portion of the galaxy is locked into a time-loop that resets time within the region, none but three beings the wiser within and all basically not aging those three months, SG-2 do experience the passage of time in the wider galaxy, cut off from home and aging. To them, either the earth calender is wrong by three months or that year was three months longer... and they do a lot for earth-Tok'ra relations during those three months. During that time, SG-2 learn much about how Death Gliders work, including their software and discover a potential problem should its primitive automated analysis systems deem its pilot a rogue Jaffa... (So... the stupid 301 thing doesn't happen in the 2Verse)... Infact, SG-2, because of the benefits their experience and position brought, are listened to better when they point out the stupidity that is happening in the already-running X-302 program as well as the 301, of having an 'allied fighter' that has the same silhouette as the 'enemy fighter' they're designed to fight. That and how when it starts to fly would cause an increase in people calling about UFO's, because that sort of geometry really is very much 'not human typical'. The new fighter should at least resemble other earth fighters enough that it can have a cover story as a Mach 10 prototype or something like that... Oh and some scientists from the Tok'ra would like to assist a tiny bit, maybe a "one or two decade advancement" for NASA... That and Jacob shared the story of a school teacher who once won a competition to go to space in a shuttle that exploded during launch... why, they note that the fragile heat shield skin being that fragile could result in a similar disaster on re-entry...
2001 Seems to be Mostly the same, with Most of the differences on the Tau'ri/Tokra alliance side due to SG-2 still performing great and comfortably with the Tok'ra, this year even including interactions with Anise! One difference here also goes to the Tanith Issue - SG-2 are ready to intercept Tanith during the BlowUpAStar plan, so the A-Hole never gets away. A consequence of this is that Tanith isn't involved to cause Anubis to target the Tollan. Anubis WANTS to do it, but unlike with having Tanith as a non-ascended method of having 'learned' about them, its ONLY because of that ascended knowledge that he does, and if he were to attack purely on that, he still fears they'd do something about it. So the Tollan don't get smacked-down. They don't learn, at that point, that their defence guns don't work... though they DO learn from a DIFFERENT goa'uld scouting them out, as a result of one of SG-2's (not-Tok'ra joint) missions.... still they don't get... wiped out as they adapt before the second attack thanks to SG-2 at that point bringing the Tok'ra in to help. A weird one though is that they never encounter the Aschen... not from the farm planet at this time never mind that other one. *waves hand mysteriously* woooh problems for the FuTuRe!!! This year, is the debut of the all-new X-302 design that is... not the same as 1Verse'. Also ahead of schedule, though both missing FTL capability, is the design and development of the X-303, for Earth's first own homegrown starship (the shuttles don't count, as merely orbiters)
There's a big timeline difference that only seems small near the start of 2002, in that because Tanith is already dead, Teal'c isn't in front of a stargate that the dead guy isn't about to ram with a ship that isn't there because they're not on that planet at a time such that even when teal'c would have otherwise stepped through, you know, as he did in 1verse, which he doesn't because blablaallthatstuff, well.... forty. eight. hours. Doesn't happen. Don't know, look it up. You now have the episode name anyway. But the big detail isn't that. It's what making sure teal'c stepped through the SGC required... The DHD... which in 1verse was basically 'damaged beyond repair' as a result? not here folks. This keeps diplomatic ties with Russia still positive. so even though we have downer-stuff like Daniel being... yup. And Anubis doing a particle beam attack on the (antarctica-) gate like what sokar tried but, you know, without disconnecting at 38 minutes and so on, theres a bigger difference here too, since the SG-program lead efforts for a space fighter and starship combo has its differences. Prometheus takes the gate away, instead of the prototype fighter, which isn't prototype version here. Consequently, later on they don't end up getting hijacked later in the year, though the Asgard come to earth first, instead of going on the way too but thinking 'wait their prototype starship isn't on earth... lets pick them up there first incase they're in trouble!') Also mysteriously missing is a discovery in Antarctica. Perhaps because one of the people who were on the team in 1Verse got pulled to Area51 a few years ago and never left? ... and so SG-1 isn't without its CO for a period of time again. SG-2 participate in the defence of a Tok'ra base in the Risa System, where one member of SG-2 gives their life to save several Tok'ra. Not long after, one of those saved petitions both the High Council and the SGC to be the permanent in-place liaison to the SGC... by joining SG-2. It is noted that it would make Teal'c not the only "alien" on an SG Team, and symbolic of the ties between the three factions. SG-1, who have done close work with the Free Jaffa (because Teal'c), and SG-2, who have done close work with the Tok'ra, even though it does flip which is the cause/effect. It is agreed.
2003 sees ties between Earth and the Tok'ra Strengthening even more. Combine with positive relations with the Free Jaffa Movement, and the previous years' discovery of a colony of Free Jaffa and an additional way for Jaffa to potentially stop relying on a Goa'uld larva, even without the SGC to 'Mediate' their interactions the two allied forces work together, with joint missions for all three, throughout the year. One such mission involving SG-2 performing deeply undercover for months alongside a pair of Tok'ra and an entire squad of Free Jaffa posing as the groups' "Personal Guards"... that culminates on a mission to an unnamed planet the SGC designation system labels P3X-666, and rescuing SG forces that are under fire with no loss of life. None. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Didn't. Happen. You hear me MGM? IT DOESNT HAPPEN IN THIS TIMELINE!... Sure there's other things that happen as in the 1verse, Daniel having his little physicality back but temporary amnesia... abydos... (... damnit)... and stuff. Also, the 2Verse has a difference from the real world regarding February 1st... look up a few years to the Tok'ra want to help thing. Anyway, one last really notable thing of this year, is that a member of SG-2 gets married, and its seen as a furthering of diplomatic ties because of who and what he's marrying. (Tokra. He marries a Tokra.)
Unlike in some universes that had it in a different year (by one or three, depending on how you view it, though definitely with a different man), the US in the 2Verse (and 1Verse), inaugurates Henry Hayes as its president for the 2004-2007 presidential term. This, and his subsequent read-in on the Stargate Program, results in a massive shift for the SG Program. And whilst events seemingly play out the same in the 2Verse as the 1Verse, there are, within the events during the new Base Commanders' time in-command, a lot of differences, since in the 2Verse, the Base Commander Hayes selected Already Knew about the Program, the SGC, and some of its personnel, by way of having had quiet involvement previously. The 2Verses' SGC Base Commander also leaves the SGC the same way as the 1Verse' did - for Antarctica to oversee international efforts to investigate (read:exploit) the Ancient outpost under the ice, that then follows to another galaxy, alongside other individuals, including some of SG-2.
But Even though those differences will be outlined in the SGA Timeline section, even the SGC side of the 2Verse which then holds a mostly-the-same personnel disposition as the 1verse's SGC follows a different path because of the strengthened ties with the Tok'ra.
One significant element of this, is that when the Replicators arrive into the Milkyway Galaxy under the lead of a human-form Replicator in the guise of Samantha Carter, it's both worse - more destruction upon, well, everyone they come into contact with - yet better - Replicarter doesn't make contact with Earth.... and so never "works with" to "figure out" how "Fifth" had supposedly "adapted himself" to the Ancient-derived Anti-replicator weapon, which over the next decade will have a vast impact on galactic affairs...
But whilst the downfall of the Goa'uld Empire is the same, the greater ties between all three factions - Tau'ri, Free Jaffa, Tok'ra - what follows is actually smoother. Less politicking. More respect (SG-1 grudgingly to one of those)...
Basically, the two roster makeups of SG-2 in this '2verse' (hence the 2 of 2verse), even just the first's one year run, had more joint-missions with the Tok'ra during that single year, and the other SG-2 roster, during any year-long span of random date to +1year, than SG-1 had during the entire run under Colonel O'Neill.
Here, It's important though to distinguish how they're not a team of Mary Sue: These versions of SG-2 whilst having (a lot) more success with diplomatic missions / purposes / etc, actually had, compared both SG-1 and their own success rate re: diplomacy, a lot less success militarily speaking when operating on their own.
aka SG-2Solo Military Mission Success Rate vs SG-1Solo Military-Mission Success Rate. for Military/Combat missions, SG-1 are better. If there's kids (like Abydos, Orban, a few more times during the show)? SG-1. If there's diplomacy (that involves, you know, politics?) SG-2. Tok'ra? ALWAYS SG-2. On the other hand, SG-2's Joint-Mission success rate is also much higher than SG-1's record in that regard.
From the show, SG-1's canon attitude was always depicted as a very sore spot for the Tau'ri-Tok'ra relations. If anything, it was only because of Martouf in the early time, and Jacob for all of the time, that it was ever kept positive. They'd ask for help, sometimes got it, but complained when they didn't, and complained whenever the Tok'ra asked in turn. Yes. Even the Vorash one, because that plan needed their newly-captured Hatak.
This is a big thing that would be looked at when it came to Hayes' looking into making the SGC more diplomatic. They already have a team - a military team that has a high success regarding diplomacy. Weir, in canon, was brought in to make the SGC more successful in the diplomacy area not long after the SGC had basically, in canon, parted ways with both the Free Jaffa Movement and the Tok'ra (After the supersoldier attack on the Alpha Site in season 7). Here, with 2verses' SG-2 having a history of joint missions that strengthened their ties, neither went their 'separate ways', indeed the 2verse doesn't even have that episode occur - nor the prequel episode that show how/why the FJM and Tok'ra were there.
And since some of the actual needs-a-diplomat part of diplomacy they got to do brought in some... trained professionals... well one of those that Kinsey didn't read up on and didn't already know was connected to the SGC... so. yeah. No Weir-as-SGC-CO in the 2Verse. Nor Weir-as-Atlantis-leader either.
SGA Timeline Part.
Where the first twomonths of the year (excluding prior to and the first handful of days after Hayes' inauguration) had the SGC under the command of a Civilian Diplomat, that diplomat then goes to Antarctica, passing command to newly-promoted General Jack O'Neill, taking with her three of four members of SG-2, and at different times, members of SG-1 for short term assistance. After five months, after one visit by Daniel Jackson, they have both information and the address that will allow them to go to Atlantis, the Lost City of the Ancients.
There's... mostly... the same personnel as 1Verse, but the military leadership has a curious difference. Whilst the same Full-bird Colonel has military command, in the 2Verse he has a second that is bringing (almost) his entire team to the Pegasus Galaxy. The one staying behind is a civilian, to join another SG-team to continue joint-missions with the Tok'ra, whilst the other two joining their leader in the expedition are the married pair of a recently-promoted-to-Major and his Tok'ra Wife. (A Tok'ra in Atlantis. How Quaint.)
In the latter half of 2004, on arrival in the Pegasus Galaxy, finding the city slumbering underwater...
SGA continued in next chapter...