SGA fic: Failsafe (McKay/Sheppard; PG-13)

[ana_grrl]

Title: Failsafe
Characters: McKay/Sheppard
Rating: PG-13
Words: About 3100
Summary: It starts with a power spike, late at night.
Notes: The idea for this came from a chat with mklutz, who subsequently was awesome and encouraged me to write more. Many, many shiny thanks to lyrstzha for pushing me on the storyline, and for the beta (and the title suggestions)!

Comments

[rogue_planet]

This is really creepy, in that wow, I need to read this again thing. I had to go back and unwind the threads in my mind and then everything made scary sense. I just want to know: Why was Atlantis having sex with Rodney?

Bravo, btw.

[ana_grrl]

Hi! Thanks for the great comments :D

Why was Atlantis having sex with Rodney?

'Cause it's pervy? LOL. No, but seriously, what I was thinking is that the construct/failsafe is self-aware - it's not just something that looks like Sheppard - to make it convincing (and capable of tactical decisions in a time of war) it would have to be Sheppard on some level - with his memories, behaviours, wants etc. And yet it would know that it's not alive in a human sense. So it's an Atlantis construct, but it's not actually the embodiment of the city. Anyway, and I was going with the idea that Sheppard (human!Sheppard) had this attraction to McKay, but didn't act on it because of regs/rules; automaton!Sheppard wouldn't have to obey those same regs, because ultimately, it would never be able to leave Atlantis permanently - it retained the loyalty to Earth/the hate of the Wraith, but was shedding other things that were no longer relevent. It could go with the sex if it wanted to, basically

[seikaitsukimizu]

Oh, I really like how you loop the end with the beginning. Excellent job, just the right amount of tenseness and angst. Well done!

[ana_grrl]

Thank you! I'm glad the structure worked (and that it was tense!). :D

[ana_grrl]

YAY! I'm so glad you liked it! Thank you 1) for the chat that led to it and 2) for encouraging me to write it!

[ozsaur]

I'm so heartbroken for Rodney. There really isn't anything he can do, is there?

This is probably the coolest tag for Common Ground that I've read. And this is a wonderfully creepy story for October.

[ana_grrl]

I'm so heartbroken for Rodney. There really isn't anything he can do, is there?

Sadly, no. You know what's funny? I know you're not a huge fan of deathfic, and while I was writing this, a few times I thought, "Oh man, ozsaur is not going to like this!" But then I think, OK, so he's an automaton. He's still Sheppard! Just fake!Sheppard! But still with Sheppard's memories, personality, traits...

This is probably the coolest tag for Common Ground that I've read. And this is a wonderfully creepy story for October.

Yay! Awesome! I'm so glad it's creepy and Octoberish. Especially because I have yet to find any fic idea for the spook_me ficathon (woe).

Anyway, thank you for letting me know you enjoyed it!

[ozsaur]

Well, you did warn that this was going to be "grim", so I went in knowing this wasn't going to have a happy ending. I figured terrible things were going to happen because I trust that when you say something bad is going to happen, you mean it. I was prepared, so it didn't come as a smack in the face.

And don't feel too pressured about spook_me, it's very low key. Do it for the fun of it, not because you feel like you have to.

He's still Sheppard! Just fake!Sheppard! But still with Sheppard's memories, personality, traits...

And that is what makes this story so creepy. It/he really isn't Sheppard any more. And yet...

[ana_grrl]

I did hope you'd trust me! And YAY that you did!

I really do want to do spook_me! I don't feel pressured at all! I'm just patiently waiting for a story idea to come along and scream 'write me now!'. I love the comm idea. It is so shiny and awesome.

It/he really isn't Sheppard any more. And yet...

I have to say, it's interesting to think about what Rodney will do. Will he blow the whistle? Will he not saying anything, but not let Sheppard touch him? Will Sheppard get pushy? I can't write this, because I'm afraid it will get sappy and pointless, but it's fun to think about it!

[amothea]

I liked this. :)

[ana_grrl]

Thank you :D I'm so glad!