Fic: Sufficient Illumination
Title: Sufficient Illumination
Author: kalquessa
Fandom: Stargate: SG-1
Genre: Gen, Humor (sort of), character study
Word Count: 1,242
Characters: Jack, Teal'c
Season/Spoilers: Season 7
Rating: G
Warnings: This is my first attempt at Teal'c POV.
Written for the sg1friendathon. The prompt I chose was "Jack, Teal'c. 'Seriousness is not a virtue' -- G.K. Chesterton." I'm not entirely sure that's the fic I wrote, but I tried, and I fought with my muse, and this is what I got, after much sturm und drang. So hopefully it isn't a complete disappointment to the person who provided the prompt.
ETA: And I completely forgot to love on aurora_novarum, who provided a speedy and incisive beta.
After Daniel Jackson and Major Carter make clear, for the third time within the space of an hour, that O'Neill's assistance is not only unnecessary but undesired, he crosses to the other side of the laboratory where they are trapped and seats himself against the wall where Teal'c has been standing.
"Y'know, T, this has to be the only gig where the geeks can make you go away and sit with the cool kids instead of the other way around." O'Neill's tone is light, but it betrays an undercurrent of disquiet. The team's entire compliment of flashlights is being employed by the two scientists, and the rest of the large room is dark, but Teal'c has light enough to read concern and impatience in O'Neill's posture, and the shadowed lines of his face.
"Major Carter and Daniel Jackson are not meeting with success in their efforts to re-open the passage." It is not precisely a question; from his position, Teal'c is able to observe both scientists, and their expressions do not indicate any immediate hope of escape. O'Neill, however, frequently interprets such statements as requests for information, and does so, now.
"Yeah, looks like Nirrti or whoever ran this place for her left some kind of emergency lock-down measures in place and we tripped them by trying to route power to the lights and doors." O'Neill shifts restlessly against the stone of the wall. "Figures: of all the moldy, old abandoned labs out there, the one that Daniel and Carter can't not investigate themselves turns out to be the one that locks you in for walking through the door and flipping a light switch."
O'Neill's eyes are on the far wall of the laboratory, where the access panels of several locked compartments glow dimly behind Major Carter and Daniel Jackson, their contents as yet unknown. Teal'c regards him for a moment, gauging the man's state of mind by the set of his shoulders and the movement of his hands from one pocket of his tactical vest to another.
"You are uneasy, O'Neill." He does not ask why, knowing that the answer will be forthcoming if O'Neill deems it deserving of mention.
"I'm just a little worried about what kind of leftoevers may still be in the freezer, over there." O'Neill indicates the locked compartments with a nod of his head. "Carter's calling the doors all slamming shut a 'lock-down protocol,' but I'm wondering if 'quarantine fail-safe' wouldn't be closer. It is Nirrti we're talking about, who knows what she was cooking up down here."
Teal'c inclines his head in acknowledgment. The goa'uld Nirrti was, indeed, deserving of her reputation for insidiousness. Teal'c surveys the line of compartments and ascertains that the access panel of each shows an array of lights, all in one uniform configuration. "It would appear that all the compartments remain sealed," he offers.
"Yeah, if those things are still in working order." O'Neill makes a dismissive gesture toward the compartments and their light arrays, a twist of his face indicating his lack of confidence in the compartments' condition. "Who knows how long they've been abandoned here with the power almost out. It would be just our luck if one of 'em were busted and we were breathing in in airborne alien super-flu, or something, right now."
Teal'c merely regards O'Neill silently, knowing that a reply is not required in this instance.
"On the other hand," O'Neill adds, as if just struck by an encouraging thought, "Maybe the alien super-flu will turn out to be something fun having to do with Nirrti's uber-host experiments, and we'll all walk out of here with superpowers, or something."
"Perhaps so," Teal'c replies gravely.
O'Neill nods. "I'm going to hope for something like super-speed or pyrokineses."
Teal'c considers his friend silently. The seemingly innocuous discussion of superpowers constitutes what Daniel Jackson once referred to as "whistling in the dark," a term that Teal'c, after some contemplation, asked to have explained in further detail. Daniel Jackson elaborated that it was a custom, or perhaps a cliché in Tau'ri culture that when confronted with darkness--representing, as it does in so many cultures, an undefined but tangible threat--humans would whistle.
When questioned, Daniel Jackson admitted that this whistling was not intended to appreciably diminish the darkness in any way. Rather, he explained, the whistling was meant to convey, to any unseen threats as well as to the whistler himself, the fact that the whistler was unafraid. When Teal'c asked if producing light rather than sound might not be a more purposeful response to darkness, Daniel Jackson chuckled and replied merely by saying "Probably."
Since then, however, Teal'c has come to the conclusion that light takes many forms, not all of them directly related to sight and visibility.
"Hey, Teal'c," O'Neill continues, after a moment of silence, "Since you've already kind of got super-strength covered, and if I could fly around and throw fireballs at stuff...would that make Daniel the guy that can stretch himself into any shape he wants?"
Teal'c gives the question the consideration it is due, then replies, "I believe Major Carter would object to being compared to the Invisible Woman, O'Neill."
"Yeah," O'Neill acknowledges, "You're probably right. Maybe she'd be the stretchy guy. But that leaves Daniel as the one with powers of invisibility, and I have a hard enough time keeping track of him as it is."
"Indeed." Another long pause fills the space between them for a time. O'Neill begins to shift restlessly again, and Teal'c reflects that perhaps sound, rather than light, is the key to dispelling darkness after all, at least in O'Neill's case.
"What's taking them so long?" O'Neill mutters, looking as though he wishes to return to the other side of the laboratory, where Major Carter and Daniel Jackson still labor over a laptop and a reading stone. Teal'c determines that this would only result in delaying their escape further, and attempts to forestall him.
"I have every faith that Major Carter and Daniel Jackson will be successful, O'Neill. We need only wait."
"I know," O'Neill sighs. "It's just that this whole 'entombed alive beneath the earth' thing is really not working out for me."
Teal'c studies his friend's expression for a moment and concludes that the situation occasions further whistling, and that O'Neill is not equal, at the moment, to provide it himself. "We are, in fact, beneath the surface of P4J-905 rather than that of Earth, O'Neill."
O'Neill rolls his eyes. "'Entombed alive beneath the surface of P4J-905' doesn't quite have the same ring to it."
"You would prefer to be entombed dead?"
O'Neill favors him with a long glance and an appraising expression. Teal'c returns his gaze calmly. When O'Neill speaks, it is with one eyebrow arched at a wry angle. "No, Teal'c, that's just my half-assed attempt at making light of the situation."
Teal'c decides to interpret this as an invitation to continue in the same vein. "You find the current illumination insufficient, O'Neill?"
Another long glance, this one culminating in a distinct curve of O'Neill's lips. "Y'know, T, I sometimes worry that you've forgotten which one of us is supposed to be the straight-man in this relationship."
Across the laboratory, Daniel Jackson and Major Carter give a small cry of triumph in unison, and the heavy door to the corridor leading to the Stargate opens ponderously.
Teal'c permits himself a small smile as his friend rises to his feet. "Never, O'Neill."
Author: kalquessa
Fandom: Stargate: SG-1
Genre: Gen, Humor (sort of), character study
Word Count: 1,242
Characters: Jack, Teal'c
Season/Spoilers: Season 7
Rating: G
Warnings: This is my first attempt at Teal'c POV.
Written for the sg1friendathon. The prompt I chose was "Jack, Teal'c. 'Seriousness is not a virtue' -- G.K. Chesterton." I'm not entirely sure that's the fic I wrote, but I tried, and I fought with my muse, and this is what I got, after much sturm und drang. So hopefully it isn't a complete disappointment to the person who provided the prompt.
ETA: And I completely forgot to love on aurora_novarum, who provided a speedy and incisive beta.
After Daniel Jackson and Major Carter make clear, for the third time within the space of an hour, that O'Neill's assistance is not only unnecessary but undesired, he crosses to the other side of the laboratory where they are trapped and seats himself against the wall where Teal'c has been standing.
"Y'know, T, this has to be the only gig where the geeks can make you go away and sit with the cool kids instead of the other way around." O'Neill's tone is light, but it betrays an undercurrent of disquiet. The team's entire compliment of flashlights is being employed by the two scientists, and the rest of the large room is dark, but Teal'c has light enough to read concern and impatience in O'Neill's posture, and the shadowed lines of his face.
"Major Carter and Daniel Jackson are not meeting with success in their efforts to re-open the passage." It is not precisely a question; from his position, Teal'c is able to observe both scientists, and their expressions do not indicate any immediate hope of escape. O'Neill, however, frequently interprets such statements as requests for information, and does so, now.
"Yeah, looks like Nirrti or whoever ran this place for her left some kind of emergency lock-down measures in place and we tripped them by trying to route power to the lights and doors." O'Neill shifts restlessly against the stone of the wall. "Figures: of all the moldy, old abandoned labs out there, the one that Daniel and Carter can't not investigate themselves turns out to be the one that locks you in for walking through the door and flipping a light switch."
O'Neill's eyes are on the far wall of the laboratory, where the access panels of several locked compartments glow dimly behind Major Carter and Daniel Jackson, their contents as yet unknown. Teal'c regards him for a moment, gauging the man's state of mind by the set of his shoulders and the movement of his hands from one pocket of his tactical vest to another.
"You are uneasy, O'Neill." He does not ask why, knowing that the answer will be forthcoming if O'Neill deems it deserving of mention.
"I'm just a little worried about what kind of leftoevers may still be in the freezer, over there." O'Neill indicates the locked compartments with a nod of his head. "Carter's calling the doors all slamming shut a 'lock-down protocol,' but I'm wondering if 'quarantine fail-safe' wouldn't be closer. It is Nirrti we're talking about, who knows what she was cooking up down here."
Teal'c inclines his head in acknowledgment. The goa'uld Nirrti was, indeed, deserving of her reputation for insidiousness. Teal'c surveys the line of compartments and ascertains that the access panel of each shows an array of lights, all in one uniform configuration. "It would appear that all the compartments remain sealed," he offers.
"Yeah, if those things are still in working order." O'Neill makes a dismissive gesture toward the compartments and their light arrays, a twist of his face indicating his lack of confidence in the compartments' condition. "Who knows how long they've been abandoned here with the power almost out. It would be just our luck if one of 'em were busted and we were breathing in in airborne alien super-flu, or something, right now."
Teal'c merely regards O'Neill silently, knowing that a reply is not required in this instance.
"On the other hand," O'Neill adds, as if just struck by an encouraging thought, "Maybe the alien super-flu will turn out to be something fun having to do with Nirrti's uber-host experiments, and we'll all walk out of here with superpowers, or something."
"Perhaps so," Teal'c replies gravely.
O'Neill nods. "I'm going to hope for something like super-speed or pyrokineses."
Teal'c considers his friend silently. The seemingly innocuous discussion of superpowers constitutes what Daniel Jackson once referred to as "whistling in the dark," a term that Teal'c, after some contemplation, asked to have explained in further detail. Daniel Jackson elaborated that it was a custom, or perhaps a cliché in Tau'ri culture that when confronted with darkness--representing, as it does in so many cultures, an undefined but tangible threat--humans would whistle.
When questioned, Daniel Jackson admitted that this whistling was not intended to appreciably diminish the darkness in any way. Rather, he explained, the whistling was meant to convey, to any unseen threats as well as to the whistler himself, the fact that the whistler was unafraid. When Teal'c asked if producing light rather than sound might not be a more purposeful response to darkness, Daniel Jackson chuckled and replied merely by saying "Probably."
Since then, however, Teal'c has come to the conclusion that light takes many forms, not all of them directly related to sight and visibility.
"Hey, Teal'c," O'Neill continues, after a moment of silence, "Since you've already kind of got super-strength covered, and if I could fly around and throw fireballs at stuff...would that make Daniel the guy that can stretch himself into any shape he wants?"
Teal'c gives the question the consideration it is due, then replies, "I believe Major Carter would object to being compared to the Invisible Woman, O'Neill."
"Yeah," O'Neill acknowledges, "You're probably right. Maybe she'd be the stretchy guy. But that leaves Daniel as the one with powers of invisibility, and I have a hard enough time keeping track of him as it is."
"Indeed." Another long pause fills the space between them for a time. O'Neill begins to shift restlessly again, and Teal'c reflects that perhaps sound, rather than light, is the key to dispelling darkness after all, at least in O'Neill's case.
"What's taking them so long?" O'Neill mutters, looking as though he wishes to return to the other side of the laboratory, where Major Carter and Daniel Jackson still labor over a laptop and a reading stone. Teal'c determines that this would only result in delaying their escape further, and attempts to forestall him.
"I have every faith that Major Carter and Daniel Jackson will be successful, O'Neill. We need only wait."
"I know," O'Neill sighs. "It's just that this whole 'entombed alive beneath the earth' thing is really not working out for me."
Teal'c studies his friend's expression for a moment and concludes that the situation occasions further whistling, and that O'Neill is not equal, at the moment, to provide it himself. "We are, in fact, beneath the surface of P4J-905 rather than that of Earth, O'Neill."
O'Neill rolls his eyes. "'Entombed alive beneath the surface of P4J-905' doesn't quite have the same ring to it."
"You would prefer to be entombed dead?"
O'Neill favors him with a long glance and an appraising expression. Teal'c returns his gaze calmly. When O'Neill speaks, it is with one eyebrow arched at a wry angle. "No, Teal'c, that's just my half-assed attempt at making light of the situation."
Teal'c decides to interpret this as an invitation to continue in the same vein. "You find the current illumination insufficient, O'Neill?"
Another long glance, this one culminating in a distinct curve of O'Neill's lips. "Y'know, T, I sometimes worry that you've forgotten which one of us is supposed to be the straight-man in this relationship."
Across the laboratory, Daniel Jackson and Major Carter give a small cry of triumph in unison, and the heavy door to the corridor leading to the Stargate opens ponderously.
Teal'c permits himself a small smile as his friend rises to his feet. "Never, O'Neill."