Ficathon Story -- Zacatky
Author's name: ankhmutes
Recipient: Settai
Prompt: Gen or slash. The first time Rodney and Radek meet. Extra points for going on to explore the growth of their relationship as it progresses. No NC-17, PWP, non-con, character death, mpreg
warnings: none
Rating:G - no really! not even a swear word
Pairing: Rodney/Radek (Slash)
Category: pre-slash/First Time, episode-related, drama
Spoilers: Season 1, with references to 'The Rising, Pt 1' and a few lines of dialog straight out of 'The Siege, Pt 1'. It should be noted, I think, that 'The Siege, Pt3' is the first time Rodney gets Zelenka's name right, and then he calls him Radek.
Disclaimers: Not mine. Obviously. Because if they were, Rodney'd be head-slapping John, we'd see more of Carson, Zelenka and Lorne, and there would be guys liplocking in nearly every scene. Seriously, the people who DO own them don't take care of them properly.
Summary: “You say you are the smartest man in two galaxies. My name has only three syllables - Three!. ZE! Len! Ka! Yet you cannot remember.” He looked at the irritating Canadian mildly. “I think perhaps your brain has been addled by too much coffee. You should drink less.”
NOTES: Okay, I realize this is about 10 days late and I apologize. I had it finished but then my betas kicked it back to me (rightly) because it wasn't done. It needed more work and they fussed at me until we were all three sick of the thing. The strange thing is, this is an aspect of the relationship between the two men that I have always wondered about and plotted half-heartedly in the back of my head. But when it came time to actually write it... *sigh*. Those intrepid betas I mentioned, who deserve heaps of thanks and praise for their patience are amararti (haiku and sonnet genius) and tdancinghands (who has wonderful touch with Radek/Rodney). Without their help, this would have been more of a series of vignettes connected more or less by a theme.
You should know going in that the title is Czech for Beginnings (or starts). For other Czech words, you should move your mouse over the words to see the definition (Thanks to inkscribe for telling me how to do this!)
*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Zacatky
by ankhmutes
“Rodney, we leave in two weeks. It’s a little late to be adding more personnel.”
“We need this guy, seriously. This…” The scientist rattled a sheaf of papers at Elizabeth. “is groundbreaking work. His theory about using barium titanate in computers to store memory and transfer data is exactly what we need!”
“Barium…”
“Titanate, yes! Crystals, Elizabeth!”
Weir had crossed her arms against her chest shortly after beginning this conversation, more as an attempt to warm herself than for anything else. All this time in the Ancient Outpost and she still wasn’t used to the pervasive chill of the Antarctic facility. There were days when she swore she’d never be warm again. She could at least hope that when they got to Atlantis, wherever it turned out to be, that it would at least be warm. Tropical would be nice. She suppressed a shiver and tried to force her thoughts back to McKay’s latest personnel demand.
“Okay, I can see that this is important to you, but -“
“-but Ancient technology uses crystals! We need this guy.”
“Rodney, even if we can find this…” She took the papers from his waving hand and scanned for the name.”… Dr. Zelenka, there is no guarantee he is going to want to come. You don’t even know if he’ll pass the clearance checks to be told about the project in the first place. And we leave in two weeks, remember?”
Rodney glared at her but she had known him long enough to be unfazed by the sharpness of his blue eyes. She glared right back at him until he rolled his eyes and threw up his hands. The important thing about handling Doctor Rodney McKay was to never back down. Once he thought he could steamroll you into submission, he would. At every turn.
“Now, I will mention this to General O’Neill and suggest to him that Dr. Zelenka be approached. What’s more, I will suggest that Daniel be involved. If he can’t convince him, no one can. And you… you will not mention this again for at least twenty-four hours. No calling me to see if we have word, no emails reminding me, nothing. Fair enough?”
“Fine. Just get us this Zenleska. We’re going to need him.” Rodney left the office, fairly gloating in his perceived victory.
*~*~*~*~*~
Dr. Radek Zelenka was just leaving his small apartment, rattling the door handle to check that it was locked, when he saw two men coming up the hallway. Their carefully bland clothing and extremely short hair marked them as military. He smothered a frisson of fear. This was Berlin, after all, not the Prague of his youth.
Still, if these men wanted to talk to him, he wanted it to be in a public place, not in his small apartment. Too many had disappeared, all those years ago, for him to take his own security lightly.
“Doctor Riddeck Zelenka?” An American accent. Of course.
“That is Radek, and yes, I am he,” It irritated him no end when people could not pronounce his name correctly. It was not so difficult, after all. He pushed past them and walked down the hall.
“We need a moment of your time, Doctor.” The other man shot a glance at his companion and gestured back toward the apartment door.
“Yes, well, I do not need yours. Since it is you who needs to speak to me, and I need to be at University in less than an hour, you will have to walk with me if you want to talk.”
The two men shared a look and fell in on either side of him, walking a half-step behind in the narrow corridor.
“We have a car, we’d be happy to…” the shorter one began.
“No. I have no wish to end up anywhere other than my office, thank you.” They were in the building’s foyer at this point, and Radek noted that he could see several other people. He felt a little better and turned to face them. “You are American, and also military. I can see this. I have little trust in either of those things, so I will ride the S-Bahn to my office and you can ride with me and discuss whatever it is you wish to discuss… or you can leave. But I will not be getting into an automobile with you.”
Another shared look and the shorter one, obviously in charge, shrugged his shoulders and said, “I’ve always liked riding the subway.”
Radek nodded once and turned to walk toward the S-Bahn stop a few blocks away. “Actually, it is not a subway. It is above ground, yes? Not under it.”
“Yes, well. Dr. Zelenka, we shouldn’t really talk about this on the S-Bahn. The subject is, well, sensitive.”
“By sensitive, you mean classified.”
“Yes.”
“I grew up in Prague, gentlemen, before the Communists fell out of power, when nothing good could come of a visit by the military, however they chose to dress. You have not even introduced yourselves, yet you want me to trust you enough to put myself in your hands. I do not think so.”
The two men had the grace to look embarrassed. “I’m sorry. I’m Major Paul Davis and this is Captain William Phillips. We are with the US Air Force and we were hoping you’d be interested in one of our projects.” Phillips was taller, with dark hair and a hesitant smile. Davis was also dark, with intense eyes and the air of a diplomat.
“I am currently under contract with the Technical University. I have ample research to do here. And if I wished to leave, there is a university back home that has given me a standing offer to teach.” They walked quickly, avoiding a group waiting at an imbiss kiosk and skirting a mother pushing a baby carriage. The smell of the doner kebap and pommes frites reminded him that he hadn’t eaten yet, but he’d wait until he was rid of his unwanted companions.
They reached the Hausvogteiplatz Station and began to climb the stairs. Radek had a seven-day ticket and moved immediately toward the tracks. The two soldiers needed to purchase fares and the captain stopped at the machine to get the tickets.
“You do not need to worry, Major. The train is noisy enough, no one will hear us if we speak quietly. Best place, since it is unlikely the car has been bugged. My office, my home?” Radek shrugged. “Who knows?”
“Your work on crystal memory has attracted attention. We need your help.”
“I have no wish to work for the United States, Major.”
“Technically, while the US is involved, the project is an international effort. In fact, the person who requested your help is Canadian, a Doctor Rodney McKay.”
The humming of the S-Bahn train arriving and the return of Phillips bearing the tickets interrupted them at that point. They entered the car and Radek moved past the lean young man with the purple mohawk and the elderly woman clutching a bulging net shopping bag to the end of the car where he liked to sit. The S-Bahn seats tended to be clean, at least, even by German standards.
“What stop are we getting off?”
“Zoological Garden. What is the point of this project you want me to join? Is it purely research or are there military applications?” He tried not to show his scorn on the last two words, but he suspected he had not succeeded when the two men shared dismayed looks.
“Dr. Zelenka, we can assure you that we are not asking you to help develop weapons. This is about computers, remember?”
“Computers, yes. And using crystals would allow smaller, more powerful computers. Computers which could guide missiles, hmm? Or smart bombs? I am not so naïve. Besides, my government, while not as… problematical… as it once was, would surely disapprove of any help I would give you.”
“Actually, your government has already been approached. They will not protest your involvement.”
Radek narrowed his eyes and frowned. “Which is not the same as saying they approve.” He was extremely annoyed by the information.
“No.”
“I do not think I wish to leave Berlin at this time, gentlemen.”
The major looked dismayed and reached into his jacket. Radek tensed. Surely they would not threaten him with a weapon on a public train? They were only a few stops away from the Zoologisch Garten, but he was more than willing to flee at the next stop. He should have known better than to show this much trust.
When the only thing that came out of the jacket was a cell-phone, however, he couldn’t stop the sigh of relief.
“You thought… “ Davis looked surprised and disappointed at the same time. “I’m not armed, Doctor Zelenka. Let me assure you, we don’t want to force you into anything. This project is purely voluntary, it has to be. I just hoped that you would talk to someone. He may be able to reassure you.”
Radek felt like a fool. His imagination was running away from him. He nodded and Davis pressed a few buttons on the phone.
“Doctor Jackson? This is Paul Davis. I’m speaking with Doctor Zelenka now and he has some reservations.”
Radek accepted the cell phone, keeping an eye out the window at the upcoming station. One more. “Hello, this is Radek Zelenka.”
To his surprise, he was answered in Czech. “Dr. Zelenka, this is Dr. Daniel Jackson. I’m a civilian consultant with the program sponsoring the project. I understand you have some questions?”
“Some concerns, actually. I am expected to leave the projects I am involved in now, to go off and do something else, only I have no idea what I will be expected to do, or where. I am assured it is not weapons research but that is a very thin thread to hang on. Tell me, Doctor Jackson, why I should do this?”
“Because it is the most important project on the planet.” The other man’s voice was earnest and warm. His belief in his statement shone through. By the time they reached the University -- Radek walking with his case in one hand, the cell phone in the other, and the two Americans trailing him like puppies -- he was half-convinced that he should at least see what was on offer, if only to satisfy his curiosity.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“What now? Can’t you see I’m busy here?” Rodney looked up from his work, irritated at yet another interruption. How did they expect him to plan for an expedition -- to another galaxy, for pity’s sake! -- if they didn’t let him concentrate for more than two minutes at a time? At least they had relocated to the SGC, so he wasn’t freezing his ass off anymore.
Elizabeth stood in the doorway to his office, eyebrows raised in reproof. Behind her stood an unfamiliar man, slightly shorter than she, with glasses and hair that seemed to stick up in every direction and the rumpled, tired look of someone who had traveled far.
“Rodney, this is Doctor Radek Zelenka.” She waited expectantly.
“Yes? And?”
“You asked for him specifically, remember?”
“Elizabeth, I’ve asked for a lot of things in the last week, most of which I’m getting stonewalled on. He’s here, right?” Rodney switched his gaze to look directly at the man. “Glad to meet you. Welcome aboard. Yadda, yadda.” He waved a hand in irritation, dismissing them both, then a thought occurred to him. “Wait a second, you speak English, don’t you? He does, doesn’t he? This is going to be hard enough without working through interpreters and I simply don’t have…” He was stunned to be cut off by the mousy little guy.
“I speak English, yes. Do you not speak Czech?” The sharp edge to the guy’s voice implied that, of course, everyone spoke some barbaric Eastern European language.
“Noooo. I picked up some Russian a couple years ago, but surprisingly, the average Canadian school system does not teach Czech.” Zelipski didn’t even flinch at his tone, which gave Rodney pause. He’d have to keep an eye on this one.
“Rodney.” Weir’s tone was firm. It was her ‘play nice’ tone of voice.
“Yes, well. I’m very busy here, was there anything else?”
“No, we are just trying to convince Radek that he should join the expedition.”
“You mean he hasn’t signed on?” Rodney stared in amazement at the man. “Have you seen what we are doing here? Are you insane?” He looked at Weir again. “He’s insane isn’t he? We have proof of his theories right here, in physical form, we have the chance for him to actually work with the technology and he hasn’t signed on?” Zebenski’s eyes widened behind the wire-rimmed glasses and his jaw dropped. “Oh, for - you haven’t shown him yet? What were planning to use to convince him, publishing rights? Follow me!” He threw the last command over his shoulder as he moved purposefully down the hallway. “By the way, I was joking about the publishing rights, you know that, right? We can write whatever we want, of course, we encourage it actually, but everything is so classified it won’t be published for a century after we die, if then.”
They had moved their base of operations back to Colorado Springs once they knew the expedition had been approved, and had brought the ZPM with them. The whole assembly was being modified by Siler and his team, so that it would integrate with the Gate setup. Rodney looked around hopefully to see if Major Carter was there, as she often was, supervising the retrofitting. No luck.
“This is a ZedPM - Zero-Point Module. It is a power source for the technology we will be working with and yes, it has some sort of crystalline structure. Has he seen the Gate, yet? Have you seen the Gate, yet?” He tossed the questions first at Weir, then at Zeppink who shook his head in confusion. “How is he supposed to understand if he hasn’t even seen the Gate? Hell, how is supposed to know it’s all real and we aren’t screwing with him, if he hasn’t seen the Gate?”
Rodney stalked off toward the Gate Room, pulling the little man behind him by the sleeve. Zerski stumbled as he entered the room and saw the huge device. Seriously, he couldn’t have been pulling him that hard, so it must have been his surprise at seeing it.
Yeah, that did it. The guy was hooked now.
~*~*~*~*~*~
“… and get Zellinda to check your work before you do anything else, understand!”
Radek gritted his teeth and suppressed a scream of frustration. “The name is Zelenka!” To his great annoyance, the man just waved a hand negligently at him.
“Yeah, yeah, Zelempka. Got it. Don’t take it so personally. Anyway, make sure Grodin doesn’t blow us all up. Check the programming before he implements it. I’ll only be gone a day or so. This mission is supposed to be easy.”
McKay was trying to look confident and relaxed but Radek could see small signs of nervousness in the way he fiddled with the buckles on his vest and in the way he kept repeating instructions to any member of his staff who happened to be in the area.
Still, anxiety or nervousness was no excuse not to remember his name. They had met six weeks ago, and had come to Atlantis only a few days after that. Six weeks and the petty tyrant still could not remember his name!
“Of course, Doctor Macek.” He was three steps away before Rodney caught it.
“That’s McKay!”
“So it is. You should not take it personally.” He managed a minute nod and left, hiding his smirk until his back was to McKay. A badly smothered chuckle floated from Grodin’s general direction. It was a little childish to call the man a tomcat, but strangely satisfying, especially since there was no way he knew what the term meant.
After that, Radek took great joy in deliberately mistaking Rodney’s name each time his own was. Who knew the human face could turn such interesting colors? He called the irritating scientist Mackac, Magot, Mechyr, Mochal, Machat… and once when he had been particularly offensive, Mocit. They weren’t all insults, it was enough that they started with the proper vocable. It was perhaps a good thing that no one else here spoke Czech, though.
This lasted about 4 days before McKay finally blew up completely.
“What the hell is wrong with you? My name has two syllables - two!! Mc! Kay! How hard is that?”
“You say you are the smartest man in two galaxies. My name has only three syllables - Three!. ZE! Len! Ka! Yet you cannot remember.” He looked at the irritating Canadian mildly. “I think perhaps your brain has been addled by too much coffee. You should drink less.”
That color was a new one, one his face had not yet turned. Fascinating, really, but alarming. Perhaps he should call Dr. Beckett.
“You - you obnoxious little Czech!” The words were strangled with disbelief.
Radek shrugged at him and raised his brows. The Canadian threw his hands up and let out a growl of frustration.
“Fine! Zelenka! Happy?”
“Actually, the stress is on the first syllable.”
McKay’s mouth clicked shut and his jaw tensed. He looked as if he was about to say something else, then turned to stalk out the door.
*~*~*~*~*~*~
It was late, and Radek was tired, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep so he went to the commissary. He wasn’t hungry, but something to drink would be fine and perhaps there would be someone else there who couldn’t sleep.
There were sandwiches stacked on a tray, wrapped to keep them fresh, and hot water for tea. Coffee was only served during the morning shift, as they would run out soon. Radek poured a cup of water and selected an Athosian tea that was supposed to be soothing.
McKay was sitting at a table by the window, looking out into the night. He hadn’t moved since Radek had come in, not even glancing over when the transporter doors had opened, to see who it was. His shoulders were slumped, hands limp in his lap.
Radek watched him for a moment, debating. Perhaps he did not want company. Or maybe he needed it. Why sit in a public place if you wish to be alone? He made another cup of tea, took it over to the table and placed it at McKay’s side as he sat opposite.
The Canadian’s face was unguarded before he became aware of Radek’s presence; his expression was desolate and bleak. The click of the cup on table seemed to be the first clue he had that anyone else was in the room and Radek could see him trying to compose himself. He had no idea what was on the man’s mind, but there was a host of things it could be, so much had happened to them here.
He had to admire Rodney’s courage though. He had time and time again put himself in danger, to save others, to save the city. Oh, he would complain about it, loudly and at great length, but still he did it. Radek did not know if he would be able to do the same and hoped he would not ever have to find out.
He reached out and patted McKay’s forearm. “Drink your tea.” Then he turned to look out the window himself and watched the moonlight on the waves. The two of them sat in companionable silence, sipping the tea and not talking, until the morning kitchen crew came in to start breakfast.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“... you can't take it back because you've just admitted that I am smarter than you are!”
Boze! The man was so annoying. Radek was trying to be practical and all McKay seemed worried about was his ego. “I admitted no such thing!”
”It was hard for you to say but the truth shone through and you were compelled to speak!”
“You are a miserable little man!”
”Hey-hey-hey-hey-hey! Let's not ruin the moment here, huh?” McKay closed the case and turned to face Radek. There was a tense moment before they shook hands. “Now... keep an eye on my city for me while I'm gone, huh?”
Lately, Radek had felt closer to the irascible man, recognizing his prickly ego as a tactic to keep others away. The person he glimpsed more and more behind the mask appealed to him, a combination of arrogance and insecurity, condescension and compassion. Today, Rodney was risking himself, because he refused to ask any of his people to do it instead. If he could have accomplished the entire mission by himself, he would have. As it was, while he had to take Grodin and Miller with him, he wasn’t going to send anyone else and certainly not in his own place. There was nothing one could say, except “Good luck.”
“Right. Right.” Rodney turned and pushed the cart out the door. Radek watched, his chest feeling unaccountably tight.
The door closed silently and Radek was lost in thought for a few moments. This could be good-bye. Rodney could die on the satellite. Radek could die here in the city. The Wraith were coming and there was a distinct possibility that none of them would survive.
Radek moved to the door, through it to the corridor. If he thought about it any more, he would convince himself not to act. Rodney hadn’t gotten far and turned to look back at him. “Forget something?”
“Yes.” Radek caught up to him, and waited for him to turn and face him. He pushed at the broad chest, moving the man back against the wall. Rodney’s hands landed on his shoulders but didn’t push him away, just rested there, as Radek firmly pushed their lips together. When there was no protest, no words of refusal, Radek kissed him again, lifting his heels just a little and pulling down on the jacket to get a better angle.
The kiss was hard, passionate and possessive. When Radek let him go, Rodney’s eyes were wide. The Czech took the opportunity to poke him firmly in the chest. “You! You will be careful! Return, yes? I refuse to do your work as well as my own.”
The expression on Rodney’s face softened and a look of wonder crossed it. Then it was Radek’s turn to be kissed and he opened his mouth to the other willingly. When Rodney lifted his head, placing one last quick kiss on the corner of Radek’s mouth, they both were panting for breath.
“You too, Radek Zelenka,” Rodney firmly squeezed Radek’s shoulders with his broad hands, “I don’t have time to train any of those idiots to do your job.” The look of outright affection on the Canadian’s face told Radek what Rodney actually meant by the statement, but probably couldn’t bring himself to say. The fact that the man had finally gotten his name right told him everything he needed to know.
Additional Notes:
*I used http://www.slovnik.cz/ for the English/Czech translation.
*There really is a theory out there about using barium titanate crystals for computer memory.
*You really can ride the S-Bahn from Hausvogteiplatz to Zoologisch Garten to get to the
Technische Universität Berlin, which has an international research branch. Berlin is a lovely city, BTW.
Sorry, I forgot the cut earlier... not enough coffee!
Recipient: Settai
Prompt: Gen or slash. The first time Rodney and Radek meet. Extra points for going on to explore the growth of their relationship as it progresses. No NC-17, PWP, non-con, character death, mpreg
warnings: none
Rating:G - no really! not even a swear word
Pairing: Rodney/Radek (Slash)
Category: pre-slash/First Time, episode-related, drama
Spoilers: Season 1, with references to 'The Rising, Pt 1' and a few lines of dialog straight out of 'The Siege, Pt 1'. It should be noted, I think, that 'The Siege, Pt3' is the first time Rodney gets Zelenka's name right, and then he calls him Radek.
Disclaimers: Not mine. Obviously. Because if they were, Rodney'd be head-slapping John, we'd see more of Carson, Zelenka and Lorne, and there would be guys liplocking in nearly every scene. Seriously, the people who DO own them don't take care of them properly.
Summary: “You say you are the smartest man in two galaxies. My name has only three syllables - Three!. ZE! Len! Ka! Yet you cannot remember.” He looked at the irritating Canadian mildly. “I think perhaps your brain has been addled by too much coffee. You should drink less.”
NOTES: Okay, I realize this is about 10 days late and I apologize. I had it finished but then my betas kicked it back to me (rightly) because it wasn't done. It needed more work and they fussed at me until we were all three sick of the thing. The strange thing is, this is an aspect of the relationship between the two men that I have always wondered about and plotted half-heartedly in the back of my head. But when it came time to actually write it... *sigh*. Those intrepid betas I mentioned, who deserve heaps of thanks and praise for their patience are amararti (haiku and sonnet genius) and tdancinghands (who has wonderful touch with Radek/Rodney). Without their help, this would have been more of a series of vignettes connected more or less by a theme.
You should know going in that the title is Czech for Beginnings (or starts). For other Czech words, you should move your mouse over the words to see the definition (Thanks to inkscribe for telling me how to do this!)
*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Zacatky
by ankhmutes
“Rodney, we leave in two weeks. It’s a little late to be adding more personnel.”
“We need this guy, seriously. This…” The scientist rattled a sheaf of papers at Elizabeth. “is groundbreaking work. His theory about using barium titanate in computers to store memory and transfer data is exactly what we need!”
“Barium…”
“Titanate, yes! Crystals, Elizabeth!”
Weir had crossed her arms against her chest shortly after beginning this conversation, more as an attempt to warm herself than for anything else. All this time in the Ancient Outpost and she still wasn’t used to the pervasive chill of the Antarctic facility. There were days when she swore she’d never be warm again. She could at least hope that when they got to Atlantis, wherever it turned out to be, that it would at least be warm. Tropical would be nice. She suppressed a shiver and tried to force her thoughts back to McKay’s latest personnel demand.
“Okay, I can see that this is important to you, but -“
“-but Ancient technology uses crystals! We need this guy.”
“Rodney, even if we can find this…” She took the papers from his waving hand and scanned for the name.”… Dr. Zelenka, there is no guarantee he is going to want to come. You don’t even know if he’ll pass the clearance checks to be told about the project in the first place. And we leave in two weeks, remember?”
Rodney glared at her but she had known him long enough to be unfazed by the sharpness of his blue eyes. She glared right back at him until he rolled his eyes and threw up his hands. The important thing about handling Doctor Rodney McKay was to never back down. Once he thought he could steamroll you into submission, he would. At every turn.
“Now, I will mention this to General O’Neill and suggest to him that Dr. Zelenka be approached. What’s more, I will suggest that Daniel be involved. If he can’t convince him, no one can. And you… you will not mention this again for at least twenty-four hours. No calling me to see if we have word, no emails reminding me, nothing. Fair enough?”
“Fine. Just get us this Zenleska. We’re going to need him.” Rodney left the office, fairly gloating in his perceived victory.
*~*~*~*~*~
Dr. Radek Zelenka was just leaving his small apartment, rattling the door handle to check that it was locked, when he saw two men coming up the hallway. Their carefully bland clothing and extremely short hair marked them as military. He smothered a frisson of fear. This was Berlin, after all, not the Prague of his youth.
Still, if these men wanted to talk to him, he wanted it to be in a public place, not in his small apartment. Too many had disappeared, all those years ago, for him to take his own security lightly.
“Doctor Riddeck Zelenka?” An American accent. Of course.
“That is Radek, and yes, I am he,” It irritated him no end when people could not pronounce his name correctly. It was not so difficult, after all. He pushed past them and walked down the hall.
“We need a moment of your time, Doctor.” The other man shot a glance at his companion and gestured back toward the apartment door.
“Yes, well, I do not need yours. Since it is you who needs to speak to me, and I need to be at University in less than an hour, you will have to walk with me if you want to talk.”
The two men shared a look and fell in on either side of him, walking a half-step behind in the narrow corridor.
“We have a car, we’d be happy to…” the shorter one began.
“No. I have no wish to end up anywhere other than my office, thank you.” They were in the building’s foyer at this point, and Radek noted that he could see several other people. He felt a little better and turned to face them. “You are American, and also military. I can see this. I have little trust in either of those things, so I will ride the S-Bahn to my office and you can ride with me and discuss whatever it is you wish to discuss… or you can leave. But I will not be getting into an automobile with you.”
Another shared look and the shorter one, obviously in charge, shrugged his shoulders and said, “I’ve always liked riding the subway.”
Radek nodded once and turned to walk toward the S-Bahn stop a few blocks away. “Actually, it is not a subway. It is above ground, yes? Not under it.”
“Yes, well. Dr. Zelenka, we shouldn’t really talk about this on the S-Bahn. The subject is, well, sensitive.”
“By sensitive, you mean classified.”
“Yes.”
“I grew up in Prague, gentlemen, before the Communists fell out of power, when nothing good could come of a visit by the military, however they chose to dress. You have not even introduced yourselves, yet you want me to trust you enough to put myself in your hands. I do not think so.”
The two men had the grace to look embarrassed. “I’m sorry. I’m Major Paul Davis and this is Captain William Phillips. We are with the US Air Force and we were hoping you’d be interested in one of our projects.” Phillips was taller, with dark hair and a hesitant smile. Davis was also dark, with intense eyes and the air of a diplomat.
“I am currently under contract with the Technical University. I have ample research to do here. And if I wished to leave, there is a university back home that has given me a standing offer to teach.” They walked quickly, avoiding a group waiting at an imbiss kiosk and skirting a mother pushing a baby carriage. The smell of the doner kebap and pommes frites reminded him that he hadn’t eaten yet, but he’d wait until he was rid of his unwanted companions.
They reached the Hausvogteiplatz Station and began to climb the stairs. Radek had a seven-day ticket and moved immediately toward the tracks. The two soldiers needed to purchase fares and the captain stopped at the machine to get the tickets.
“You do not need to worry, Major. The train is noisy enough, no one will hear us if we speak quietly. Best place, since it is unlikely the car has been bugged. My office, my home?” Radek shrugged. “Who knows?”
“Your work on crystal memory has attracted attention. We need your help.”
“I have no wish to work for the United States, Major.”
“Technically, while the US is involved, the project is an international effort. In fact, the person who requested your help is Canadian, a Doctor Rodney McKay.”
The humming of the S-Bahn train arriving and the return of Phillips bearing the tickets interrupted them at that point. They entered the car and Radek moved past the lean young man with the purple mohawk and the elderly woman clutching a bulging net shopping bag to the end of the car where he liked to sit. The S-Bahn seats tended to be clean, at least, even by German standards.
“What stop are we getting off?”
“Zoological Garden. What is the point of this project you want me to join? Is it purely research or are there military applications?” He tried not to show his scorn on the last two words, but he suspected he had not succeeded when the two men shared dismayed looks.
“Dr. Zelenka, we can assure you that we are not asking you to help develop weapons. This is about computers, remember?”
“Computers, yes. And using crystals would allow smaller, more powerful computers. Computers which could guide missiles, hmm? Or smart bombs? I am not so naïve. Besides, my government, while not as… problematical… as it once was, would surely disapprove of any help I would give you.”
“Actually, your government has already been approached. They will not protest your involvement.”
Radek narrowed his eyes and frowned. “Which is not the same as saying they approve.” He was extremely annoyed by the information.
“No.”
“I do not think I wish to leave Berlin at this time, gentlemen.”
The major looked dismayed and reached into his jacket. Radek tensed. Surely they would not threaten him with a weapon on a public train? They were only a few stops away from the Zoologisch Garten, but he was more than willing to flee at the next stop. He should have known better than to show this much trust.
When the only thing that came out of the jacket was a cell-phone, however, he couldn’t stop the sigh of relief.
“You thought… “ Davis looked surprised and disappointed at the same time. “I’m not armed, Doctor Zelenka. Let me assure you, we don’t want to force you into anything. This project is purely voluntary, it has to be. I just hoped that you would talk to someone. He may be able to reassure you.”
Radek felt like a fool. His imagination was running away from him. He nodded and Davis pressed a few buttons on the phone.
“Doctor Jackson? This is Paul Davis. I’m speaking with Doctor Zelenka now and he has some reservations.”
Radek accepted the cell phone, keeping an eye out the window at the upcoming station. One more. “Hello, this is Radek Zelenka.”
To his surprise, he was answered in Czech. “Dr. Zelenka, this is Dr. Daniel Jackson. I’m a civilian consultant with the program sponsoring the project. I understand you have some questions?”
“Some concerns, actually. I am expected to leave the projects I am involved in now, to go off and do something else, only I have no idea what I will be expected to do, or where. I am assured it is not weapons research but that is a very thin thread to hang on. Tell me, Doctor Jackson, why I should do this?”
“Because it is the most important project on the planet.” The other man’s voice was earnest and warm. His belief in his statement shone through. By the time they reached the University -- Radek walking with his case in one hand, the cell phone in the other, and the two Americans trailing him like puppies -- he was half-convinced that he should at least see what was on offer, if only to satisfy his curiosity.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“What now? Can’t you see I’m busy here?” Rodney looked up from his work, irritated at yet another interruption. How did they expect him to plan for an expedition -- to another galaxy, for pity’s sake! -- if they didn’t let him concentrate for more than two minutes at a time? At least they had relocated to the SGC, so he wasn’t freezing his ass off anymore.
Elizabeth stood in the doorway to his office, eyebrows raised in reproof. Behind her stood an unfamiliar man, slightly shorter than she, with glasses and hair that seemed to stick up in every direction and the rumpled, tired look of someone who had traveled far.
“Rodney, this is Doctor Radek Zelenka.” She waited expectantly.
“Yes? And?”
“You asked for him specifically, remember?”
“Elizabeth, I’ve asked for a lot of things in the last week, most of which I’m getting stonewalled on. He’s here, right?” Rodney switched his gaze to look directly at the man. “Glad to meet you. Welcome aboard. Yadda, yadda.” He waved a hand in irritation, dismissing them both, then a thought occurred to him. “Wait a second, you speak English, don’t you? He does, doesn’t he? This is going to be hard enough without working through interpreters and I simply don’t have…” He was stunned to be cut off by the mousy little guy.
“I speak English, yes. Do you not speak Czech?” The sharp edge to the guy’s voice implied that, of course, everyone spoke some barbaric Eastern European language.
“Noooo. I picked up some Russian a couple years ago, but surprisingly, the average Canadian school system does not teach Czech.” Zelipski didn’t even flinch at his tone, which gave Rodney pause. He’d have to keep an eye on this one.
“Rodney.” Weir’s tone was firm. It was her ‘play nice’ tone of voice.
“Yes, well. I’m very busy here, was there anything else?”
“No, we are just trying to convince Radek that he should join the expedition.”
“You mean he hasn’t signed on?” Rodney stared in amazement at the man. “Have you seen what we are doing here? Are you insane?” He looked at Weir again. “He’s insane isn’t he? We have proof of his theories right here, in physical form, we have the chance for him to actually work with the technology and he hasn’t signed on?” Zebenski’s eyes widened behind the wire-rimmed glasses and his jaw dropped. “Oh, for - you haven’t shown him yet? What were planning to use to convince him, publishing rights? Follow me!” He threw the last command over his shoulder as he moved purposefully down the hallway. “By the way, I was joking about the publishing rights, you know that, right? We can write whatever we want, of course, we encourage it actually, but everything is so classified it won’t be published for a century after we die, if then.”
They had moved their base of operations back to Colorado Springs once they knew the expedition had been approved, and had brought the ZPM with them. The whole assembly was being modified by Siler and his team, so that it would integrate with the Gate setup. Rodney looked around hopefully to see if Major Carter was there, as she often was, supervising the retrofitting. No luck.
“This is a ZedPM - Zero-Point Module. It is a power source for the technology we will be working with and yes, it has some sort of crystalline structure. Has he seen the Gate, yet? Have you seen the Gate, yet?” He tossed the questions first at Weir, then at Zeppink who shook his head in confusion. “How is he supposed to understand if he hasn’t even seen the Gate? Hell, how is supposed to know it’s all real and we aren’t screwing with him, if he hasn’t seen the Gate?”
Rodney stalked off toward the Gate Room, pulling the little man behind him by the sleeve. Zerski stumbled as he entered the room and saw the huge device. Seriously, he couldn’t have been pulling him that hard, so it must have been his surprise at seeing it.
Yeah, that did it. The guy was hooked now.
~*~*~*~*~*~
“… and get Zellinda to check your work before you do anything else, understand!”
Radek gritted his teeth and suppressed a scream of frustration. “The name is Zelenka!” To his great annoyance, the man just waved a hand negligently at him.
“Yeah, yeah, Zelempka. Got it. Don’t take it so personally. Anyway, make sure Grodin doesn’t blow us all up. Check the programming before he implements it. I’ll only be gone a day or so. This mission is supposed to be easy.”
McKay was trying to look confident and relaxed but Radek could see small signs of nervousness in the way he fiddled with the buckles on his vest and in the way he kept repeating instructions to any member of his staff who happened to be in the area.
Still, anxiety or nervousness was no excuse not to remember his name. They had met six weeks ago, and had come to Atlantis only a few days after that. Six weeks and the petty tyrant still could not remember his name!
“Of course, Doctor Macek.” He was three steps away before Rodney caught it.
“That’s McKay!”
“So it is. You should not take it personally.” He managed a minute nod and left, hiding his smirk until his back was to McKay. A badly smothered chuckle floated from Grodin’s general direction. It was a little childish to call the man a tomcat, but strangely satisfying, especially since there was no way he knew what the term meant.
After that, Radek took great joy in deliberately mistaking Rodney’s name each time his own was. Who knew the human face could turn such interesting colors? He called the irritating scientist Mackac, Magot, Mechyr, Mochal, Machat… and once when he had been particularly offensive, Mocit. They weren’t all insults, it was enough that they started with the proper vocable. It was perhaps a good thing that no one else here spoke Czech, though.
This lasted about 4 days before McKay finally blew up completely.
“What the hell is wrong with you? My name has two syllables - two!! Mc! Kay! How hard is that?”
“You say you are the smartest man in two galaxies. My name has only three syllables - Three!. ZE! Len! Ka! Yet you cannot remember.” He looked at the irritating Canadian mildly. “I think perhaps your brain has been addled by too much coffee. You should drink less.”
That color was a new one, one his face had not yet turned. Fascinating, really, but alarming. Perhaps he should call Dr. Beckett.
“You - you obnoxious little Czech!” The words were strangled with disbelief.
Radek shrugged at him and raised his brows. The Canadian threw his hands up and let out a growl of frustration.
“Fine! Zelenka! Happy?”
“Actually, the stress is on the first syllable.”
McKay’s mouth clicked shut and his jaw tensed. He looked as if he was about to say something else, then turned to stalk out the door.
*~*~*~*~*~*~
It was late, and Radek was tired, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep so he went to the commissary. He wasn’t hungry, but something to drink would be fine and perhaps there would be someone else there who couldn’t sleep.
There were sandwiches stacked on a tray, wrapped to keep them fresh, and hot water for tea. Coffee was only served during the morning shift, as they would run out soon. Radek poured a cup of water and selected an Athosian tea that was supposed to be soothing.
McKay was sitting at a table by the window, looking out into the night. He hadn’t moved since Radek had come in, not even glancing over when the transporter doors had opened, to see who it was. His shoulders were slumped, hands limp in his lap.
Radek watched him for a moment, debating. Perhaps he did not want company. Or maybe he needed it. Why sit in a public place if you wish to be alone? He made another cup of tea, took it over to the table and placed it at McKay’s side as he sat opposite.
The Canadian’s face was unguarded before he became aware of Radek’s presence; his expression was desolate and bleak. The click of the cup on table seemed to be the first clue he had that anyone else was in the room and Radek could see him trying to compose himself. He had no idea what was on the man’s mind, but there was a host of things it could be, so much had happened to them here.
He had to admire Rodney’s courage though. He had time and time again put himself in danger, to save others, to save the city. Oh, he would complain about it, loudly and at great length, but still he did it. Radek did not know if he would be able to do the same and hoped he would not ever have to find out.
He reached out and patted McKay’s forearm. “Drink your tea.” Then he turned to look out the window himself and watched the moonlight on the waves. The two of them sat in companionable silence, sipping the tea and not talking, until the morning kitchen crew came in to start breakfast.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“... you can't take it back because you've just admitted that I am smarter than you are!”
Boze! The man was so annoying. Radek was trying to be practical and all McKay seemed worried about was his ego. “I admitted no such thing!”
”It was hard for you to say but the truth shone through and you were compelled to speak!”
“You are a miserable little man!”
”Hey-hey-hey-hey-hey! Let's not ruin the moment here, huh?” McKay closed the case and turned to face Radek. There was a tense moment before they shook hands. “Now... keep an eye on my city for me while I'm gone, huh?”
Lately, Radek had felt closer to the irascible man, recognizing his prickly ego as a tactic to keep others away. The person he glimpsed more and more behind the mask appealed to him, a combination of arrogance and insecurity, condescension and compassion. Today, Rodney was risking himself, because he refused to ask any of his people to do it instead. If he could have accomplished the entire mission by himself, he would have. As it was, while he had to take Grodin and Miller with him, he wasn’t going to send anyone else and certainly not in his own place. There was nothing one could say, except “Good luck.”
“Right. Right.” Rodney turned and pushed the cart out the door. Radek watched, his chest feeling unaccountably tight.
The door closed silently and Radek was lost in thought for a few moments. This could be good-bye. Rodney could die on the satellite. Radek could die here in the city. The Wraith were coming and there was a distinct possibility that none of them would survive.
Radek moved to the door, through it to the corridor. If he thought about it any more, he would convince himself not to act. Rodney hadn’t gotten far and turned to look back at him. “Forget something?”
“Yes.” Radek caught up to him, and waited for him to turn and face him. He pushed at the broad chest, moving the man back against the wall. Rodney’s hands landed on his shoulders but didn’t push him away, just rested there, as Radek firmly pushed their lips together. When there was no protest, no words of refusal, Radek kissed him again, lifting his heels just a little and pulling down on the jacket to get a better angle.
The kiss was hard, passionate and possessive. When Radek let him go, Rodney’s eyes were wide. The Czech took the opportunity to poke him firmly in the chest. “You! You will be careful! Return, yes? I refuse to do your work as well as my own.”
The expression on Rodney’s face softened and a look of wonder crossed it. Then it was Radek’s turn to be kissed and he opened his mouth to the other willingly. When Rodney lifted his head, placing one last quick kiss on the corner of Radek’s mouth, they both were panting for breath.
“You too, Radek Zelenka,” Rodney firmly squeezed Radek’s shoulders with his broad hands, “I don’t have time to train any of those idiots to do your job.” The look of outright affection on the Canadian’s face told Radek what Rodney actually meant by the statement, but probably couldn’t bring himself to say. The fact that the man had finally gotten his name right told him everything he needed to know.
Additional Notes:
*I used http://www.slovnik.cz/ for the English/Czech translation.
*There really is a theory out there about using barium titanate crystals for computer memory.
*You really can ride the S-Bahn from Hausvogteiplatz to Zoologisch Garten to get to the
Technische Universität Berlin, which has an international research branch. Berlin is a lovely city, BTW.
Sorry, I forgot the cut earlier... not enough coffee!