Lt. Col Long sat at a table.  The cold steel pressed against her.  She didn't mind the food in the mess hall, it was better than most of the MREs that she had eaten.  Stone was sitting across from her, and Ford was sitting to her right.  She watched as they ate, making sure that there was enough conversation.  She had to admit she was a bit nervous about going to another world, but she figured that she had been around this world long enough to not be afraid of anything.  She watched as Major Carter grabbed her lunch and started to walk to a distant table.<br/><br/>"Major Carter!" Long stood up and barked.  Major Carter stopped in her tracks and turned around. "I insist that you join us!"  Long motioned over to her table.  As a general rule a member of lower rank was required to sit with a member of a higher rank when invited.  Carter walked over to where Long was sitting and waited for her to sit back down before sitting herself.<br/><br/>"So, tell me Carter, why did you come here? I mean how does a Doctor of Astrophysics end up in the military?"  Long asked.  She was partially curious because she wanted to know, but she was really more hoping that she would be a friend.  Long had gotten a Bachelor's degree in Applied Physics.  She was a hell of a lot smarter than she let people know.  Before she was given her answer the loud speaker cried out. "Unauthorized Off World Activation."<br/>