Stargate Defense - season one

Chapter Two

Mal checked his P90. "Stay alert, this place looks abandoned but who knows what's lurking around."

They started away from the Gate down a path that led into what had once been a bustling city. Tall buildings reached for the sky on either side of them. Smaller buildings were scattered between the larger structures. All of it now a sad testament to what someone could accomplish and what could happen when those accomplishments were left in the darkness to molder and decay.

"These buildings look very advanced." Van stopped to stroke a hand over the shining surface of one of the structures. "The metal appears quite solid but it's also lightweight."

"How do you know it's light-weight?" Mal asked.

Van pointed to a large panel that looked as if it had fallen from one of the massive skyscrapers. "I picked that up. It weighs very little."

"How could you pick that up, it's at least one and a half meters across."

Van rolled his eyes, walked to the panel and lifted it above his head with one hand. "Light-weight," he repeated.

Lee tipped her head back and looked up. "There is no way something that light could stand up to the weight of such a large structure without crumbling to the ground."

"And yet here they stand," Van said.

Mal shook his head. "Can you imagine what we could build with this stuff? Light-weight but strong. The planes would be fast and nearly indestructible."

"Fast maybe, I don't know about indestructible." Van stepped on the panel then stepped off of it. There were impressions from his boots on the surface of the metal.

"Okay, so again, how are these buildings still standing?" Lee asked.

Van shrugged. "I'm sure there's more to the structures than some fantastic metal sheeting. Maybe it's just surface deep. The internal structure could be made of something much stronger and these panels are for decoration only."

"Let's keep moving and see what else we can find," Mal said.

They continued down what appeared to be the main avenue through the city. Most of the buildings still stood tall, though here and there panels were strewn over the street, bent and twisted like so much trash discarded by a giant's hand.

Van stopped then turned right and headed down a side road that was slightly narrower and lined with smaller structures. "Homes, maybe. They look like they're made from the same material."

"Van!" Mal called as he hurried to catch up.

Lee followed more slowly, her eyes scanning over the smaller structures. She walked up the path to one home and looked in through the open door. "Not exactly the same," she said as she stepped back. "I think this stuff is much older, maybe an earlier version."

"What makes you say that?" Mal called.

"It's pitted in spots. None of the panels we found in the street had any pitting." She trotted back down the walkway to the street. "I think Van's right, these are homes. Nothing like we're used to, but they do appear as if they're houses. There's stuff in there that could be furniture. Whoever the Furlings were, they were smaller than humans and the furniture is oddly shaped."

"Interesting. Come on before we lose Van."

They hurried to catch up to Van.

He turned and called out to them, "Hey come check this out!"

They hurried to where he stood in front of a shorter, more squat building of stone and stopped beside him. "What is this place?" Lee asked.

Van shrugged. "I don't know but I think it's worth checking out. It's the only stone structure I've seen."