[TWW/SGA] Ad Astra :: PG :: Gen :: 1/1
Title: Ad Astra
Author: chaletian
Fandom: The West Wing/Stargate Atlantis
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Well, for the two shows.
Summary: Remember how the President always knows about the Stargate Programme?
There are a lot of secrets in governments. And mostly, no-one ever finds out about them. Declassify as much as the freedom of information people want, there’s always some stuff that never comes out. So that information is shared by the very few. One of those few is the President of the United States of America.
“There’s a what?” demanded Jed Bartlet, startled, glancing quickly at Leo, who looked equally stunned. He came back to the NSA agents doing the briefing. They looked at him, faces blank of expression.
“A Stargate, Mr President. It creates stable wormholes to other planets in our galaxy. The operation is based…”
Bartlet waved a hand. “Oh, come on, now. Don’t rag on the new guy!” He smiled. Leo smiled.
The NSA agents didn’t smile. The one with darker hair continued, as if uninterrupted, “…at NORAD, in Colorado, under the leadership of General Hammond. It’s overseen by…”
The briefing continued, and again for days later, and President Bartlet never failed to get excited at the prospect of wormholes to other planets.
And never quite got over the urge to go through one of them.
oOo
“President Bartlet wants to what?” demanded Matt Santos, startled.
“Go through the Stargate,” said Josh Lyman, hands nonchalantly in his pockets.
“He is kidding, right?”
Josh shrugged. “Don’t look at me. I’m still getting over the fact that this Stargate thing even exists. Are we absolutely sure this isn’t some hilarious prank? Cuz I’ll admit those NSA guys never look like their greatest gift to humanity is a killer sense of humour, but I guess even they can have hidden depths.”
“And President Bartlet wants to go through it?”
Josh shot him a look of disbelief. “Are you serious? Have you any idea how he excited he got over a shuttle mission? This is science nerd heaven for him.”
Santos sat back behind the famous Resolute desk at one end of the Oval Office, and looked consideringly at his Chief of Staff. “Have to admit,” he said, “this whole Stargate thing sounds pretty damn cool.”
“True,” said Josh, “though I’m less excited about - what are they called - the Goa’uld? And the Ori. And these new guys - what? The Wraith? Bad enough when it was just the Republicans and the North Koreans we had to worry about.”
“They’re pretty secure, though, right? On Atlantis?”
Josh nodded. “Sounds like. For the time being.”
“Well then,” said Santos, grinning, “I don’t see why we shouldn’t let President Bartlet have his wish. And, Josh?”
“Yes, sir?”
“I think it’s only fitting that the current president should get a look-see as well, don’t you?”
oOo
“There’s a rumour,” said Donna, converging on her former boss. She was in a suit, hair up, a pile of files under one arm, every inch the First Lady’s Chief of Staff.
“There’s always a rumour,” replied Josh, not looking up from the desk he had inherited from Leo and CJ.
“This is a particular rumour.”
Josh sighed, and looked up. “What rumour, Donna?”
“That there’s some kind of secret military operation being carried out off the books, and the President is going to visit it.”
Josh stared at her for a moment. “That’s quite a rumour.”
“Uh-huh,” agreed Donna. “It gets better. See, the rumour is-”
“Where do these rumours even come from?” demanded Josh petulantly. “Is there some kind of Secret White House Rumour Machine?”
“The rumour is, that this is a secret alien military operation. You know. Area 51.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” lied Josh.
“You’re lying,” said Donna. “You’ve got that tic.”
“I do not have a tic.”
“You totally have a tic. Josh, where are the aliens?”
“There are no aliens, Donna!”
oOo
Josh slunk into the Oval Office and sat down. “The First Lady wants in on the Stargate trip,” he announced.
Santos stared at him, open-mouthed. “How the hell did she find out about it?” he demanded.
“Well, I’m not sure,” said Josh with a shrug, “but I’m pretty sure it’s the Secret White House Rumour Machine.”
“The what?”
Josh nodded sagely. “It’s a thing.”
oOo
“Isn’t anyone going to ask me why I think this is a bad plan?” said Lt Col John Sheppard.
“No,” said Rodney McKay, “because it’s perfectly obvious to everyone why this is a bad plan. Further intervention in an already American-dominated project will only lead to increased militarisation and the sidelining of the scientific endeavours that should be at the very forefront of the Stargate Programme! It’s a terrible idea! I don’t know why Elizabeth agreed!”
“Guess it’s kinda awkward saying no to the President,” said Sheppard wryly. Rodney just made a pooh-poohing gesture.
“Yeah, well, he’s not everyone’s president, Sheppard.”
“I do not understand, John,” interrupted Teyla, before Rodney could get even more carried away by the strength of his own rhetoric. “I understand that this man is the leader of your people on Earth.”
“Not everyone’s people,” interjected Rodney.
“Why would you not wish him to visit Atlantis?”
Sheppard quirked an eyebrow. “Well, it’s a pretty long list, but the Wraith are at the top of it.”
“I hate the Wraith,” said Rodney glumly.
oOo
The sun lanced down through the stained glass windows of Atlantis’ gate room, throwing shards of coloured shadows against the floor and walls. And against the bright blue of the incoming wormhole. And against some of the most powerful people on Earth.
“So, that’s a Stargate, huh?” said Jed Bartlet. “Well, I always wondered what it would be like.”
THE END
Author: chaletian
Fandom: The West Wing/Stargate Atlantis
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Well, for the two shows.
Summary: Remember how the President always knows about the Stargate Programme?
There are a lot of secrets in governments. And mostly, no-one ever finds out about them. Declassify as much as the freedom of information people want, there’s always some stuff that never comes out. So that information is shared by the very few. One of those few is the President of the United States of America.
“There’s a what?” demanded Jed Bartlet, startled, glancing quickly at Leo, who looked equally stunned. He came back to the NSA agents doing the briefing. They looked at him, faces blank of expression.
“A Stargate, Mr President. It creates stable wormholes to other planets in our galaxy. The operation is based…”
Bartlet waved a hand. “Oh, come on, now. Don’t rag on the new guy!” He smiled. Leo smiled.
The NSA agents didn’t smile. The one with darker hair continued, as if uninterrupted, “…at NORAD, in Colorado, under the leadership of General Hammond. It’s overseen by…”
The briefing continued, and again for days later, and President Bartlet never failed to get excited at the prospect of wormholes to other planets.
And never quite got over the urge to go through one of them.
oOo
“President Bartlet wants to what?” demanded Matt Santos, startled.
“Go through the Stargate,” said Josh Lyman, hands nonchalantly in his pockets.
“He is kidding, right?”
Josh shrugged. “Don’t look at me. I’m still getting over the fact that this Stargate thing even exists. Are we absolutely sure this isn’t some hilarious prank? Cuz I’ll admit those NSA guys never look like their greatest gift to humanity is a killer sense of humour, but I guess even they can have hidden depths.”
“And President Bartlet wants to go through it?”
Josh shot him a look of disbelief. “Are you serious? Have you any idea how he excited he got over a shuttle mission? This is science nerd heaven for him.”
Santos sat back behind the famous Resolute desk at one end of the Oval Office, and looked consideringly at his Chief of Staff. “Have to admit,” he said, “this whole Stargate thing sounds pretty damn cool.”
“True,” said Josh, “though I’m less excited about - what are they called - the Goa’uld? And the Ori. And these new guys - what? The Wraith? Bad enough when it was just the Republicans and the North Koreans we had to worry about.”
“They’re pretty secure, though, right? On Atlantis?”
Josh nodded. “Sounds like. For the time being.”
“Well then,” said Santos, grinning, “I don’t see why we shouldn’t let President Bartlet have his wish. And, Josh?”
“Yes, sir?”
“I think it’s only fitting that the current president should get a look-see as well, don’t you?”
oOo
“There’s a rumour,” said Donna, converging on her former boss. She was in a suit, hair up, a pile of files under one arm, every inch the First Lady’s Chief of Staff.
“There’s always a rumour,” replied Josh, not looking up from the desk he had inherited from Leo and CJ.
“This is a particular rumour.”
Josh sighed, and looked up. “What rumour, Donna?”
“That there’s some kind of secret military operation being carried out off the books, and the President is going to visit it.”
Josh stared at her for a moment. “That’s quite a rumour.”
“Uh-huh,” agreed Donna. “It gets better. See, the rumour is-”
“Where do these rumours even come from?” demanded Josh petulantly. “Is there some kind of Secret White House Rumour Machine?”
“The rumour is, that this is a secret alien military operation. You know. Area 51.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” lied Josh.
“You’re lying,” said Donna. “You’ve got that tic.”
“I do not have a tic.”
“You totally have a tic. Josh, where are the aliens?”
“There are no aliens, Donna!”
oOo
Josh slunk into the Oval Office and sat down. “The First Lady wants in on the Stargate trip,” he announced.
Santos stared at him, open-mouthed. “How the hell did she find out about it?” he demanded.
“Well, I’m not sure,” said Josh with a shrug, “but I’m pretty sure it’s the Secret White House Rumour Machine.”
“The what?”
Josh nodded sagely. “It’s a thing.”
oOo
“Isn’t anyone going to ask me why I think this is a bad plan?” said Lt Col John Sheppard.
“No,” said Rodney McKay, “because it’s perfectly obvious to everyone why this is a bad plan. Further intervention in an already American-dominated project will only lead to increased militarisation and the sidelining of the scientific endeavours that should be at the very forefront of the Stargate Programme! It’s a terrible idea! I don’t know why Elizabeth agreed!”
“Guess it’s kinda awkward saying no to the President,” said Sheppard wryly. Rodney just made a pooh-poohing gesture.
“Yeah, well, he’s not everyone’s president, Sheppard.”
“I do not understand, John,” interrupted Teyla, before Rodney could get even more carried away by the strength of his own rhetoric. “I understand that this man is the leader of your people on Earth.”
“Not everyone’s people,” interjected Rodney.
“Why would you not wish him to visit Atlantis?”
Sheppard quirked an eyebrow. “Well, it’s a pretty long list, but the Wraith are at the top of it.”
“I hate the Wraith,” said Rodney glumly.
oOo
The sun lanced down through the stained glass windows of Atlantis’ gate room, throwing shards of coloured shadows against the floor and walls. And against the bright blue of the incoming wormhole. And against some of the most powerful people on Earth.
“So, that’s a Stargate, huh?” said Jed Bartlet. “Well, I always wondered what it would be like.”
THE END