Fic - 2014 (2/25)
Chapter: Peace is War
Rating: PG
Genre: friendship, angst
Pairings: none
Summary: Smarter and stronger doesn't always mean better.
Word count: 980
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.
AN: This fic was written before 'Sunday' and doesn't include any of the information/events described there. Take it as an AU, or like things got fixed until this begins :)
Title inspired by George Orwell's 1984
~*~
Rodney entered like a storm into his office, but stopped abruptly after a couple of meters. “This is new. Redecorated? Broke into the adjacent rooms?”
“No, Rodney, moved a couple of floors up,” Carson answered, exasperated.
“Not that it makes any difference,” Rodney remarked dryly, gesturing towards one of the pseudo-windows. “But I haven’t come all this way to comment on your decorating skills. I need something from you.”
“Ever the charmer. Take a seat.” Carson gestured towards one of the chairs at the table, and Rodney quickly sat down.
“So, I need PX-671,” Rodney stated, looking at him.
“PX… ”
“A small planet, nothing big, I assure you,” Rodney said, smiling and trying to hide his nervousness.
Carson looked at him, hoping to see past the mask of anxiousness. It was always obvious when Rodney was lying, whether it was about a bar of chocolate or a bomb ready to explode. The problem was Carson couldn’t ever tell the difference between them.
Activating the comm., he said, “Rebecca, will you please give me the file on PX…”
“671,” Rodney supplied, voice lower than moments before and definitely less cheerful.
“So, Rodney, what do you need it for?” Carson asked, looking at his friend.
“Um… a lab we should set up there and -”
Rebecca entered the office and Rodney stopped, staring at her. Slightly embarrassed by his reaction, Carson thanked his assistant and she left.
“I thought you had a thing for blondes,” Carson said amused, as he opened the file that Rebecca had handed him.
“I do, but she’s… I bet she’s a great lover. She is, isn’t she?”
Carson looked up from the file, annoyed by Rodney’s comment. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’re not… you and her…” Rodney looked at him with an incredulous look on his face. “You’re not!” The look turned into Rodney’s patented ‘you’re stupid’ look.
Carson looked back at the file, deciding Rodney's remark wasn't worth commenting on and realised that Rodney’s lie was closer to the exploding bomb than the chocolate bar. The planet Rodney wanted was unique, as in it was the only place where one of the plants they needed for drug-making could be grown. He wasn’t sure he would like the reason why Rodney needed that particular planet, but he had to ask.
“Why do you want this planet?” Carson asked dryly.
“We need it for our research,” Rodney answered, just as dryly. “There are certain chemical reactions that are sped up considerably by a compound in its atmosphere and we need this to be done fast. And before you ask, we need the entire planet.”
“Can’t you reproduce the conditions in the lab?” Carson asked, softening a bit.
“You could make one of those green houses, grow your plants there,” Rodney said, avoiding the question.
“No, Rodney, I can’t! You have labs that can duplicate these atmospheric conditions, but I can’t recreate a whole bio system.”
“I can’t make something that big!”
“How big should it be?" Carson asked, narrowing his eyes and studying Rodney. "You’ve got the largest rooms in that ministry of yours,” Carson said, upset.
“Not that big,” Rodney answered, stressing each word. He was looking straight into Carson’s eyes, as if trying to explain everything by looking at him.
“What do you need it for? No experiment requires something that big.” Carson stood and moved closer to Rodney. The man moved back in the chair a bit and lowered his gaze. “You already experimented with it, didn’t you? You know that it works, and you need a place to set it up.” Carson bowed, bringing himself at eye level with Rodney. “The only thing you could be making that you wouldn’t tell me about is a weapon. You’re making another weapon, aren’t you?”
“It’s not… well… it’s not a weapon per se…” Rodney stuttered, getting up from his chair and moving a few steps away. “We’re doing… preparing for… you know… defense.”
“Oh, I know. Of course. Defense. Tell me now, Rodney, who are we defending ourselves from?”
Rodney opened his mouth and closed it without saying anything. This wasn’t the first time they discussed this and it wasn’t the first time Rodney didn’t have an answer for this question.
“The Wraith can’t attack us, because of the energy fields that protect our planets. I think you remember that one, since you invented them.”
Rodney nodded, fidgeting nervously.
“There is no other civilization as evolved as we are. If I remember well, you said it would take the others at least three generations to catch up, if we stopped where we are now.”
Rodney nodded again.
“Who do we need to protect ourselves against?”
Rodney looked around for a bit, as if the answer was written on the white walls, then said, “If you won’t accept… Sheppard would get it.”
“What’s the point in doing bombs if we don’t have who to protect with them? If people are sick, they die.”
Rodney looked like he wanted to get out as soon as possible and didn’t hear one word he was saying.
“Tell me, do people make wars if they don’t have them? Are we going to discover a new enemy when your bombs are finished and there’s no one to test them on?”
Rodney sat up and headed for the door, not looking at him. When he was halfway out, he said, “I’ll get your answer at the meeting Sunday.”
Carson sighed, going back to his desk. Ever since leaving Atlantis, his arguments with Rodney had gotten worse. Rodney got quieter, he got angrier and nothing got fixed. He wouldn’t change his mind and Sheppard would give orders, pull strings and get the planet for Rodney’s needs - for Rodney’s newest bomb.
Opening his laptop, Carson brought up the database interface and started looking for a planet where he could move his medicinal crop.
Rating: PG
Genre: friendship, angst
Pairings: none
Summary: Smarter and stronger doesn't always mean better.
Word count: 980
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.
AN: This fic was written before 'Sunday' and doesn't include any of the information/events described there. Take it as an AU, or like things got fixed until this begins :)
Title inspired by George Orwell's 1984
~*~
Rodney entered like a storm into his office, but stopped abruptly after a couple of meters. “This is new. Redecorated? Broke into the adjacent rooms?”
“No, Rodney, moved a couple of floors up,” Carson answered, exasperated.
“Not that it makes any difference,” Rodney remarked dryly, gesturing towards one of the pseudo-windows. “But I haven’t come all this way to comment on your decorating skills. I need something from you.”
“Ever the charmer. Take a seat.” Carson gestured towards one of the chairs at the table, and Rodney quickly sat down.
“So, I need PX-671,” Rodney stated, looking at him.
“PX… ”
“A small planet, nothing big, I assure you,” Rodney said, smiling and trying to hide his nervousness.
Carson looked at him, hoping to see past the mask of anxiousness. It was always obvious when Rodney was lying, whether it was about a bar of chocolate or a bomb ready to explode. The problem was Carson couldn’t ever tell the difference between them.
Activating the comm., he said, “Rebecca, will you please give me the file on PX…”
“671,” Rodney supplied, voice lower than moments before and definitely less cheerful.
“So, Rodney, what do you need it for?” Carson asked, looking at his friend.
“Um… a lab we should set up there and -”
Rebecca entered the office and Rodney stopped, staring at her. Slightly embarrassed by his reaction, Carson thanked his assistant and she left.
“I thought you had a thing for blondes,” Carson said amused, as he opened the file that Rebecca had handed him.
“I do, but she’s… I bet she’s a great lover. She is, isn’t she?”
Carson looked up from the file, annoyed by Rodney’s comment. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’re not… you and her…” Rodney looked at him with an incredulous look on his face. “You’re not!” The look turned into Rodney’s patented ‘you’re stupid’ look.
Carson looked back at the file, deciding Rodney's remark wasn't worth commenting on and realised that Rodney’s lie was closer to the exploding bomb than the chocolate bar. The planet Rodney wanted was unique, as in it was the only place where one of the plants they needed for drug-making could be grown. He wasn’t sure he would like the reason why Rodney needed that particular planet, but he had to ask.
“Why do you want this planet?” Carson asked dryly.
“We need it for our research,” Rodney answered, just as dryly. “There are certain chemical reactions that are sped up considerably by a compound in its atmosphere and we need this to be done fast. And before you ask, we need the entire planet.”
“Can’t you reproduce the conditions in the lab?” Carson asked, softening a bit.
“You could make one of those green houses, grow your plants there,” Rodney said, avoiding the question.
“No, Rodney, I can’t! You have labs that can duplicate these atmospheric conditions, but I can’t recreate a whole bio system.”
“I can’t make something that big!”
“How big should it be?" Carson asked, narrowing his eyes and studying Rodney. "You’ve got the largest rooms in that ministry of yours,” Carson said, upset.
“Not that big,” Rodney answered, stressing each word. He was looking straight into Carson’s eyes, as if trying to explain everything by looking at him.
“What do you need it for? No experiment requires something that big.” Carson stood and moved closer to Rodney. The man moved back in the chair a bit and lowered his gaze. “You already experimented with it, didn’t you? You know that it works, and you need a place to set it up.” Carson bowed, bringing himself at eye level with Rodney. “The only thing you could be making that you wouldn’t tell me about is a weapon. You’re making another weapon, aren’t you?”
“It’s not… well… it’s not a weapon per se…” Rodney stuttered, getting up from his chair and moving a few steps away. “We’re doing… preparing for… you know… defense.”
“Oh, I know. Of course. Defense. Tell me now, Rodney, who are we defending ourselves from?”
Rodney opened his mouth and closed it without saying anything. This wasn’t the first time they discussed this and it wasn’t the first time Rodney didn’t have an answer for this question.
“The Wraith can’t attack us, because of the energy fields that protect our planets. I think you remember that one, since you invented them.”
Rodney nodded, fidgeting nervously.
“There is no other civilization as evolved as we are. If I remember well, you said it would take the others at least three generations to catch up, if we stopped where we are now.”
Rodney nodded again.
“Who do we need to protect ourselves against?”
Rodney looked around for a bit, as if the answer was written on the white walls, then said, “If you won’t accept… Sheppard would get it.”
“What’s the point in doing bombs if we don’t have who to protect with them? If people are sick, they die.”
Rodney looked like he wanted to get out as soon as possible and didn’t hear one word he was saying.
“Tell me, do people make wars if they don’t have them? Are we going to discover a new enemy when your bombs are finished and there’s no one to test them on?”
Rodney sat up and headed for the door, not looking at him. When he was halfway out, he said, “I’ll get your answer at the meeting Sunday.”
Carson sighed, going back to his desk. Ever since leaving Atlantis, his arguments with Rodney had gotten worse. Rodney got quieter, he got angrier and nothing got fixed. He wouldn’t change his mind and Sheppard would give orders, pull strings and get the planet for Rodney’s needs - for Rodney’s newest bomb.
Opening his laptop, Carson brought up the database interface and started looking for a planet where he could move his medicinal crop.