Stargate: 2014 Alphabet Soup: N is for Normal
Written for sg_fignewton's 2014 Stargate Alphabet Soup On-World theme; view the entire anthology on Fig's LJ or at DreamWidth.
Approximately 775 words in 30 minutes.
N is for Normal
"I could use a research assistant," Dr. Jackson had mentioned. It had been a line of hope for Nyan as he sat in the hospital bed. No doubt Commander Rigar would quickly taint his name, painting him as a traitor to Bedrosia to become an Optrican spy. While the SG-1 team falsified everything he had grown up believing, their existence proved that there was a wide world out there that needed exploring. As an archeologist, exploration and new discoveries fascinated Nyan. Assisting SG-1 with whatever they brought back to Stargate Command became Nyan's new focus.
First he had to become accustomed to the base. It was huge compared to the small building allotted to him and his team back home. One level for the Stargate, one level for plants, one level for this chemical, guest quarters, personnel quarters, the prison, one level for this, one level for that; at least twenty-eight levels. (The grand total number is never made clear to him, though he never bothered to particularly care.) Nyan is given a permanent room and a tour. It takes him weeks to remember how to get around the place and back and forth from his room to the conference room or the cafeteria or Dr. Jackson's work room. He even assists Sam every so often with whatever project of the week she has going.
Secondly Nyan immerses himself in Daniel's research. (The kind man insists he be called by his first name.) Egyptology becomes the primary subject, that being what the Goa'uld assimilated into Earth's past. He also studies various other languages in the event they become necessary with whatever else SG teams bring back to the base. SG-1 particularly returns with the most interesting projects.
The hardest part is becoming adjusted to the way the Tau'ri live their lives. Nyan quickly discovers that they usually don't speak directly or say what is on their mind. He learns that they do not mean to be duplicitous, but that this is simply how they speak. Most of their speech is informal and it takes him a while to adapt. After a month he is allowed on the surface for glorious fresh air and after another three weeks he is accompanied in to town. Some of what he sees and hears assault his senses, but there are too many wonders to be discovered for him to dwell on the negative.
Each SGC personnel is given a mundane task around the base to assist in the every day functioning of a community. Clean the floor here, organize these files, label those objects. Wash the laundry, cook food, clean the dishes. Take out the trash. Nyan chuckles that life is basically the same no matter where one is. Many of the SGC personnel barter and exchange their current, disliked duties for leave time or more enjoyable tasks. He finds himself working in the cafeteria more often than not. While most people don't enjoy washing dishes or helping the cooks, Nyan comes to enjoy the simplicity of it after spending hours and days on end looking at old languages or complex algorithms.
Besides, he meets Nancy in the dish room.
Teal'c is the obvious choice to assist him in becoming acquainted with the Tau'ri ways; the two of them even had a connection established. Nyan had become quite settled in his new role by the time of Daniel's death. He mourned with the rest of the SGC and then accepted Jonas Quinn as the newest member of SG-1. As Jonas adopted Daniel's position in the SGC and projects, so Nyan adopted the role of introducing the new alien to the Tau'ri way of life. With the help of Teal'c, of course; only the Jaffa could properly teach Star Wars to aliens to the Tau'ri.
Nyan does not know when this new life became normal for him... But as he lays on a bed in the infirmary, Nancy holding his hand and their three children watching on, he realizes that somewhere along the line this life with the Tau'ri had become his new normal. Somewhere along the line he had accepted this new life on his terms, come to enjoy learning all the new things the SGC and Earth had to offer. Nyan had spent almost fifteen years assisting with projects within the SGC.
Who would have known he'd die of a random Goa'uld attack instead of living a full, boring life back at his old home? At least he'd been given a chance to expand his knowledge and to learn more. Nyan may have been thrust blindly into this new life, but he'd come to accept and even love this normal.
Approximately 775 words in 30 minutes.
N is for Normal
"I could use a research assistant," Dr. Jackson had mentioned. It had been a line of hope for Nyan as he sat in the hospital bed. No doubt Commander Rigar would quickly taint his name, painting him as a traitor to Bedrosia to become an Optrican spy. While the SG-1 team falsified everything he had grown up believing, their existence proved that there was a wide world out there that needed exploring. As an archeologist, exploration and new discoveries fascinated Nyan. Assisting SG-1 with whatever they brought back to Stargate Command became Nyan's new focus.
First he had to become accustomed to the base. It was huge compared to the small building allotted to him and his team back home. One level for the Stargate, one level for plants, one level for this chemical, guest quarters, personnel quarters, the prison, one level for this, one level for that; at least twenty-eight levels. (The grand total number is never made clear to him, though he never bothered to particularly care.) Nyan is given a permanent room and a tour. It takes him weeks to remember how to get around the place and back and forth from his room to the conference room or the cafeteria or Dr. Jackson's work room. He even assists Sam every so often with whatever project of the week she has going.
Secondly Nyan immerses himself in Daniel's research. (The kind man insists he be called by his first name.) Egyptology becomes the primary subject, that being what the Goa'uld assimilated into Earth's past. He also studies various other languages in the event they become necessary with whatever else SG teams bring back to the base. SG-1 particularly returns with the most interesting projects.
The hardest part is becoming adjusted to the way the Tau'ri live their lives. Nyan quickly discovers that they usually don't speak directly or say what is on their mind. He learns that they do not mean to be duplicitous, but that this is simply how they speak. Most of their speech is informal and it takes him a while to adapt. After a month he is allowed on the surface for glorious fresh air and after another three weeks he is accompanied in to town. Some of what he sees and hears assault his senses, but there are too many wonders to be discovered for him to dwell on the negative.
Each SGC personnel is given a mundane task around the base to assist in the every day functioning of a community. Clean the floor here, organize these files, label those objects. Wash the laundry, cook food, clean the dishes. Take out the trash. Nyan chuckles that life is basically the same no matter where one is. Many of the SGC personnel barter and exchange their current, disliked duties for leave time or more enjoyable tasks. He finds himself working in the cafeteria more often than not. While most people don't enjoy washing dishes or helping the cooks, Nyan comes to enjoy the simplicity of it after spending hours and days on end looking at old languages or complex algorithms.
Besides, he meets Nancy in the dish room.
Teal'c is the obvious choice to assist him in becoming acquainted with the Tau'ri ways; the two of them even had a connection established. Nyan had become quite settled in his new role by the time of Daniel's death. He mourned with the rest of the SGC and then accepted Jonas Quinn as the newest member of SG-1. As Jonas adopted Daniel's position in the SGC and projects, so Nyan adopted the role of introducing the new alien to the Tau'ri way of life. With the help of Teal'c, of course; only the Jaffa could properly teach Star Wars to aliens to the Tau'ri.
Nyan does not know when this new life became normal for him... But as he lays on a bed in the infirmary, Nancy holding his hand and their three children watching on, he realizes that somewhere along the line this life with the Tau'ri had become his new normal. Somewhere along the line he had accepted this new life on his terms, come to enjoy learning all the new things the SGC and Earth had to offer. Nyan had spent almost fifteen years assisting with projects within the SGC.
Who would have known he'd die of a random Goa'uld attack instead of living a full, boring life back at his old home? At least he'd been given a chance to expand his knowledge and to learn more. Nyan may have been thrust blindly into this new life, but he'd come to accept and even love this normal.