Fic: One Morning in the Pegasus Galaxy
Category: Fic
Title: One Morning in the Pegasus Galaxy
Summary: conversation between a USAF lieutenant, who just arrived to Atlantis a day before, with one of the older crew during breakfast. Future fic-ish ^^;
Characters: OCs
Pairings: none
Author: sakurablue13
Word Count: 874
Disclaimer: Noup, still not mine
A/N: Another first try, this time on the 'all conversation' style. Hope it turn out well. Unbetaed, all faults are mine.
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ONE MORNING IN THE PEGASUS GALAXY
“G’morning, Airman. This seat taken?”
“Nah, go ahead, doc.”
“Thank Lord. I really hate having breakfast alone. Seems like the other are late, but I’m bloody starving.”
“S’cool.”
“So, you new around here?”
“Yeah…”
“Not feeling well?”
“It’s nothing, really, doc… It’s just… These lingering headaches… I’ve reported myself to the Infirmary upon arrival yesterday and received a healthy dose of Ibuprofen, but it didn’t even make a dent.”
“Ah. Relax, that’s just the City trying to tune herself into you.”
“Excuse me?”
“You do know Atlantis is sentient, do you, lad?”
“Huh?”
“Well, you should find out more during the Briefing scheduled this afternoon.”
“Okay.”
“…”
“Whoa… We got kids around here?”
“Kids? Oh. Huh, they’re the Princes and Princesses of Atlantis. Don’t mind them.”
“What? Seriously, doc…”
“They’re the children of the people from the original expedition team.”
“I never heard there’s gonna be children around here.”
“Oh, aren’t you in for some good surprises. They may look like the average teenager brats to you, Lieutenant, but some of them have even higher ranks than you do.”
“Oh, nonononono. No way in hell that is happening. You better not be shitting me, doc.”
“I kid you not, son. Cross my heart.”
“Hey, you’re way younger than me to be calling me ‘son’. Ah, crap… Isn’t that… General O’Neill and… General Sheppard!? Hey, aren’t they supposed to be…?”
“Ah… I see the Kings and Queens of Atlantis have finally arrived.”
“Okay, this is starting to creep me out. You better start do some real explanation for me, doc. Right know.”
“Guess you haven’t heard, then. So, they brought Atlantis from Earth back here to Pegasus, like what, 40 years ago? The then-Colonel Sheppard’s team found an Ancient outpost containing the blue print of a ZPM and how to build one. Took them some time to figure it out, but they managed to brought Atlantis close into her blazing glory 10.000.000 years ago with two fully functional ZPMs.”
“No offense here, doc, but could you just cut through the historical part and get into the explanation already?”
“Right. So, as I’ve said, with two ZPMs, Atlantis then started emitting this unrecognized radiation throughout the whole city, causing people to get sick. Turns out, the radiation is altering the city residents’ DNA, albeit slowly, especially to those the natural ATA gene carriers such as yourself. It still is. Hence the elongated life span you’re witnessing now.”
“Are you saying that… THE Generals O’Neill and Sheppard sitting RIGHT there… are the exact persons I read in the mission reports dating 40 years ago…?”
“Yes.”
“…”
“Now you’re bloody gaping, Lieutenant.”
“But… That’s impossible… They… That means…”
“This is the Pegasus Galaxy we’re talking about. Anything could bloody happen out here. If you want to know, General O’Neill-retired, mind you-just celebrated his 105th birthday last week. Some of us are still feeling the hangover from the party; it was such a chaos. While General Sheppard, despite of looking in his late 30s, will be turning 89 in the next three months.”
“Which means, those kids…”
“Despite appearance, they are much older than you are, son. Some even have multiple PhDs already and others reached the rank of Major.”
“Wait. You said, the city’s still emitting this funky radiation you mentioned before. Does it mean I’m gonna be affected, too?”
“Of course. Duh. You could consider yourself lucky, lad. You’ll never need any anti-aging cream, ever.”
“Duncan Trevor Beckett! I’ve been looking all over for you, you git!”
“Morning to you too, Dad. Where’s Mum?”
“Right there with the others. Tamia has been badgering me about you joining in her off world mission today. You better get there and answer the lass yourself. She’s giving me a headache with all the whining.”
“Oh, lovely. Lord, I hate off world missions. You go ahead, Dad. I’ll just finish my tea here and be there in a jiffy.”
“…”
“As much as I’m enjoying it, Airman, I must say, you doing the gaping expression more than twice in one morning was a bit too much.”
“Er… That’s… Dr. Carson Beckett, right? THE Dr. Carson Beckett? The cloned one?”
“Which happens to be my dad, yeah. So, you’ve heard the man. I should go there and save him already. Tamia could be a handful when she wants to.”
“DUNCAN!”
“Yes, Tamia love. Coming.”
“And that is Tamia? As in Tamia Sheppard? MAJOR Tamia Sheppard?”
“Youngest of the Sheppard clan, yes. Second strongest natural ATA gene carrier after her father. Pretty wee lass, isn’t she? We’ve sort of spoiled her rotten.”
“I’m scheduled to have a Jumper and F310 training next week.”
“Och, don't look so miserable yet. She’s also happens to be one of the best pilots we have around besides those two generals and Jace O’Neill. You’ll be in good hands.”
“Okay.”
“And don’t be so dazed either. This is nothing compared to what you’re up to in the future, laddie.”
“Last one. If you’re Dr. Carson Beckett’s son…”
“I’m a doctor specializing in ATA gene research under my dad. Which also means, I’m just one decade older than you are, Lieutenant Benson. Now, if you may excuse me, I have an extended family to say hello to.”