Boldly Going

Sometimes it hits me out of nowhere, and I have to stop and think about what we're doing. Not too long ago, it would have seemed totally inconceivable that we could instantly travel to other stars, to meet long-dead cultures and fight aliens, for God's sake. Our history is full of lies, and very few people know the truth.

Earth was once ruled by an alien race that posed as gods. It just blows my mind to think that no one ever knew, that they were forgotten. I know better than most people that civilizations can disappear without a trace, but dozens of alien races have visited us in the past, and most people don't know that.

And we're out there, exploring different planets. All we do is hit a few buttons, step through the shimmery blue puddle, and suddenly we're on the other side of the galaxy. I can't even begin to imagine how a species could possibly imagine and invent such a device, and that a race as "primitive" as we are could operate it as reliably as we do.

I was never much of a science fiction fan, but I'd idly wondered about the existence of aliens long before I found out they really existed. I thought it would be cool to meet an extraterrestrial, but when faced with meeting an actual alien, the reality of the situation was like a slap to the face. Yet, somehow, we've all gotten used to it. It's just bizarre how...normal...Gatetravel seems now.

Occasionally I've wondered if we shouldn't have opened the Gate. So many people have died, and many more have been traumatized for life by things they've seen and done on the other side. Earth has come under threat of annihilation more than once over the years.

Despite the cost, I think we made the right choice. If we hadn't opened the Gate when we did, we might not have been prepared for facing the Goa'uld. Every alternate reality we've visited that opened their Gate later ended up with Earth being destroyed.

Hopefully, one day we won't have to worry about the Goa'uld. Earth will be safe, and we can practice peaceful exploration rather than tactical recon. Until that day, though, I intend to continue boldly going forward where no one has gone before, with my team at my side. We may not be perfect, but we're doing the best we can in an unbelievable situation. How can we not?