Finite Resources - August 3rd
Twisted Shorts August Fic-a-Day Challenge - Day 3
Title: Finite Resources
Author:
Rating: PG/FR13/K+
Crossover: BtVS/SG:A
Disclaimer: I do not own any of BtVS/Angel or Stargate people, places, or ideas. This fiction is done simply for pleasure and I receive no profit.
Summary: Rodney is bullied into producing a miracle.
Notes: Part 34 of Faith Sheppard - Links Page
Seasons: Post-series/Season 2
Word Count: 1150
“How did you know all that about volcanos?” Norina asked. She had been nervous since a thermal vent had opened along the caldera. Beckett had arrived to help with the wounded. Elizabeth and Lycus had gone through to Atlantis with dozens of refugees just for the lava to surface at the Stargate and swallow it whole.
Faith shrugged. “Part of it was the place I lived for a while. It had earthquakes, so I got into geology. But my job required an understanding of extinction level events.”
“You used that term before.”
“It’s a scale used to rate how dangerous things are to all life on the planet. My job involved knowing things like that.”
“Then you are not as uneducated as you like to pretend.”
“I do that to annoy McKay,” she admitted as she kept an eye on the readings. “He spends a few minutes feeling superior and then I get to smack him down with the fact that as a G.E.D. I can understand what he’s trying to say or explain it better. Sometimes even when I only get the bare minimum…”
“And your brother?”
Faith smiled. “He does the same thing. We don’t handle being considered stupid very well.” She touched the console. “Got it. We should head down to the hanger and help McKay.”
“What were you looking for?”
“The original reason the ship was grounded. Gives us an idea why it limped back here. Plus I wanted a complete schematic of the base.”
“You got all of that while we spoke?” Norina asked following her out of the control room.
“The base has a lot of power, it was more than willing to talk.”
“Talk?”
“Best description for it,” Faith replied. “We don’t know why I’m able to do it. John’s gene is just as dominant as mine but I am the only person able to communicate with the Ancient tech in this way.”
They reached the bridge of the Aurora-class ship just as Rodney got the lights on. They were arguing about the name when Faith walked in behind Teyla and Ronon.
“Whatever its name,” Teyla cut off John and Rodney, “this ship is large enough to fit many people.”
“Could fit all the settlement if we had to,” Ronon agreed.
“Let’s hope we don’t have to,” John said.
Their radios crackled. “Colonel Sheppard, this is the Daedalus.”
“Go ahead,” John said, slowly circling the room, looking for a better reception spot. “Signal’s having trouble breaking through. We’re gonna have to boost it. Can you get communications online?” he asked Rodney.
Faith raised her hand and then lowered it. “You’re patched through the communication tower,” she told him. “Bypasses the ship for now.”
John looked at Rodney. “Why didn’t you think of that?”
Rodney opened his mouth, irritated and defensive.
“Colonel Caldwell,” John said, “we’re here. Where are you?”
“We’ve just arrived in orbit above Taranis. Where are you? We’ve scanned the base and found no life signs.”
“This part of the base must be shielded,” Rodney said.
“I hear you could use some assistance.”
“Well, the Stargate on this planet has been swallowed by lava and we’re in a volcano that could erupt any second,” John summarized, “so yeah, yeah, we could use a little help.”
“Get yourselves out into the open where we can get a lock on you.”
“Well, sir, we promised to help these people. We’re gonna need the Daedalus to evac ‘em back to Atlantis.”
“From the number of people that we’re detecting, that at least four trips.”
“But the Daedalus is quite large. Surely you could fit more…” Teyla started.
Faith shook her head. “Finite resources, specifically life support. She’s rated for a passenger list of about three hundred. Her current crew is a little under two hundred.”
“Miss Sheppard’s right. Four trips will still stretch those resources to their limits.”
“Do we have enough time for that?” John asked Rodney.
“There’s no way to know for sure. I mean, it’ll be close.”
“All the tremors have stopped,” Ronon said.
“For the moment,” Teyla reminded him.
“Alright,” John said, “Beckett’s on his way back to the settlement to treat the wounded. Teyla and Ronon can join him - organize people into groups that can be beamed aboard. In the meantime, McKay, Faith, and I are gonna stay here and continue to work on Plan B.”
“No,” Rodney said. “No-no-no-no, we need to get out of here.”
“We can start the process but it things get worse and the Daedalus can’t get everyone off-world, we’re gonna need another lifeboat.”
“And Plan B is what?” Caldwell asked.
“We’ve found a sister ship to the Aurora…called the…Orion,” he said with a grin at Rodney. “McKay’s trying to get the sublight engines online.”
“Really? Well, a ship that large, you should be able to get everyone else out in one trip.”
“Yeah, well, whether or not we live or die is all up to Rodney.”
“That’s so unfair,” Rodney told him as he left the room.
“Sounds like a plan, Colonel. Let’s get to it.”
John nodded, tapping his radio. He looked at Faith. “How damaged is this ship?”
“Damaged, plus ten thousand years of abandonment,” she replied. “But if we get creative, there’s maybe a ten percent chance of getting her ready before Daedalus returns.”
“So impossible?” John said. “Just keep reminding Rodney of that.”
“Gladly.” Faith and Norina exited the room. They were discussing anything her people had done to the ship.
88888888
Ronon stared down from his position next to Teyla. They had beamed off the surface by Daedalus’s second appearance above the planet. The air had turned toxic with one of the recent eruptions that had also collapsed the tunnels leading to the Ancient complex from the village. The others were shielded in the Orion’s hanger.
If they were even still alive.
“Do not think that way,” Teyla said softly.
“Like what?”
“Like they are already dead.”
“What are the chances they’re alive?” he demanded.
“Between Doctor McKay and Faith, I believe they will find a solution.” Teyla glanced at him. “I know this has become more personal for you-”
He grunted.
“But I would not give up on her so readily.”
He looked down at her in surprise.
“I am very happy for both of you,” she said.
The caldera erupted upwards. Then a flash and a ship emerged from a hyperspace window.
“This is the Daedalus,” Caldwell said into his radio. “Are there any survivors aboard?”
“Yes, sir,” John’s voice came through. “In fact, we have a pretty big passenger list.”
Teyla smiled and the tension in Ronon’s shoulders disappeared.
“We’re short a few members of the expedition though, Teyla and Ronon were in the village-”
“Teyla and Ronon are aboard,” Caldwell said. “We beamed them up as soon as we detected them on the surface.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Any time, Colonel.” Caldwell’s gaze went to the two Pegasus natives and he grinned a bit.
Title: Finite Resources
Author:
Rating: PG/FR13/K+
Crossover: BtVS/SG:A
Disclaimer: I do not own any of BtVS/Angel or Stargate people, places, or ideas. This fiction is done simply for pleasure and I receive no profit.
Summary: Rodney is bullied into producing a miracle.
Notes: Part 34 of Faith Sheppard - Links Page
Seasons: Post-series/Season 2
Word Count: 1150
“How did you know all that about volcanos?” Norina asked. She had been nervous since a thermal vent had opened along the caldera. Beckett had arrived to help with the wounded. Elizabeth and Lycus had gone through to Atlantis with dozens of refugees just for the lava to surface at the Stargate and swallow it whole.
Faith shrugged. “Part of it was the place I lived for a while. It had earthquakes, so I got into geology. But my job required an understanding of extinction level events.”
“You used that term before.”
“It’s a scale used to rate how dangerous things are to all life on the planet. My job involved knowing things like that.”
“Then you are not as uneducated as you like to pretend.”
“I do that to annoy McKay,” she admitted as she kept an eye on the readings. “He spends a few minutes feeling superior and then I get to smack him down with the fact that as a G.E.D. I can understand what he’s trying to say or explain it better. Sometimes even when I only get the bare minimum…”
“And your brother?”
Faith smiled. “He does the same thing. We don’t handle being considered stupid very well.” She touched the console. “Got it. We should head down to the hanger and help McKay.”
“What were you looking for?”
“The original reason the ship was grounded. Gives us an idea why it limped back here. Plus I wanted a complete schematic of the base.”
“You got all of that while we spoke?” Norina asked following her out of the control room.
“The base has a lot of power, it was more than willing to talk.”
“Talk?”
“Best description for it,” Faith replied. “We don’t know why I’m able to do it. John’s gene is just as dominant as mine but I am the only person able to communicate with the Ancient tech in this way.”
They reached the bridge of the Aurora-class ship just as Rodney got the lights on. They were arguing about the name when Faith walked in behind Teyla and Ronon.
“Whatever its name,” Teyla cut off John and Rodney, “this ship is large enough to fit many people.”
“Could fit all the settlement if we had to,” Ronon agreed.
“Let’s hope we don’t have to,” John said.
Their radios crackled. “Colonel Sheppard, this is the Daedalus.”
“Go ahead,” John said, slowly circling the room, looking for a better reception spot. “Signal’s having trouble breaking through. We’re gonna have to boost it. Can you get communications online?” he asked Rodney.
Faith raised her hand and then lowered it. “You’re patched through the communication tower,” she told him. “Bypasses the ship for now.”
John looked at Rodney. “Why didn’t you think of that?”
Rodney opened his mouth, irritated and defensive.
“Colonel Caldwell,” John said, “we’re here. Where are you?”
“We’ve just arrived in orbit above Taranis. Where are you? We’ve scanned the base and found no life signs.”
“This part of the base must be shielded,” Rodney said.
“I hear you could use some assistance.”
“Well, the Stargate on this planet has been swallowed by lava and we’re in a volcano that could erupt any second,” John summarized, “so yeah, yeah, we could use a little help.”
“Get yourselves out into the open where we can get a lock on you.”
“Well, sir, we promised to help these people. We’re gonna need the Daedalus to evac ‘em back to Atlantis.”
“From the number of people that we’re detecting, that at least four trips.”
“But the Daedalus is quite large. Surely you could fit more…” Teyla started.
Faith shook her head. “Finite resources, specifically life support. She’s rated for a passenger list of about three hundred. Her current crew is a little under two hundred.”
“Miss Sheppard’s right. Four trips will still stretch those resources to their limits.”
“Do we have enough time for that?” John asked Rodney.
“There’s no way to know for sure. I mean, it’ll be close.”
“All the tremors have stopped,” Ronon said.
“For the moment,” Teyla reminded him.
“Alright,” John said, “Beckett’s on his way back to the settlement to treat the wounded. Teyla and Ronon can join him - organize people into groups that can be beamed aboard. In the meantime, McKay, Faith, and I are gonna stay here and continue to work on Plan B.”
“No,” Rodney said. “No-no-no-no, we need to get out of here.”
“We can start the process but it things get worse and the Daedalus can’t get everyone off-world, we’re gonna need another lifeboat.”
“And Plan B is what?” Caldwell asked.
“We’ve found a sister ship to the Aurora…called the…Orion,” he said with a grin at Rodney. “McKay’s trying to get the sublight engines online.”
“Really? Well, a ship that large, you should be able to get everyone else out in one trip.”
“Yeah, well, whether or not we live or die is all up to Rodney.”
“That’s so unfair,” Rodney told him as he left the room.
“Sounds like a plan, Colonel. Let’s get to it.”
John nodded, tapping his radio. He looked at Faith. “How damaged is this ship?”
“Damaged, plus ten thousand years of abandonment,” she replied. “But if we get creative, there’s maybe a ten percent chance of getting her ready before Daedalus returns.”
“So impossible?” John said. “Just keep reminding Rodney of that.”
“Gladly.” Faith and Norina exited the room. They were discussing anything her people had done to the ship.
88888888
Ronon stared down from his position next to Teyla. They had beamed off the surface by Daedalus’s second appearance above the planet. The air had turned toxic with one of the recent eruptions that had also collapsed the tunnels leading to the Ancient complex from the village. The others were shielded in the Orion’s hanger.
If they were even still alive.
“Do not think that way,” Teyla said softly.
“Like what?”
“Like they are already dead.”
“What are the chances they’re alive?” he demanded.
“Between Doctor McKay and Faith, I believe they will find a solution.” Teyla glanced at him. “I know this has become more personal for you-”
He grunted.
“But I would not give up on her so readily.”
He looked down at her in surprise.
“I am very happy for both of you,” she said.
The caldera erupted upwards. Then a flash and a ship emerged from a hyperspace window.
“This is the Daedalus,” Caldwell said into his radio. “Are there any survivors aboard?”
“Yes, sir,” John’s voice came through. “In fact, we have a pretty big passenger list.”
Teyla smiled and the tension in Ronon’s shoulders disappeared.
“We’re short a few members of the expedition though, Teyla and Ronon were in the village-”
“Teyla and Ronon are aboard,” Caldwell said. “We beamed them up as soon as we detected them on the surface.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Any time, Colonel.” Caldwell’s gaze went to the two Pegasus natives and he grinned a bit.