fan fiction: finding home chapter 3
In case you missed it, Chapter 2 is here.
Chapter Three-Lost and Found
2012
Although she'd lived among the Tau'ri for years, Vala knew she'd never blend in perfectly with "normal" Earth residents. But New York had a reputation for diversity and acceptance. She figured she'd fit there better than anywhere else.
She slept on park benches for a couple of days then found a shelter.
She remained at the shelter about a week, until they started pushing her to find a job.
That led to about a month of moving from place to place while she tried to figure out how to forge the papers needed for employment. Darned Americans and their insane obsession with a paper trail for every blessed thing.
The odds of running into someone like Sal again should've been pretty slim, but Vala actually found two. The first was a kindly old lady at the third shelter. "What scares you about finding work, honey?" She leaned forward and lowered her voice. "Are you undocumented?"
Undocumented. Was that the term? "Why, yes. Yes, I am."
The woman-Margaret? Mildred?-patted Vala's arm. "Don't you worry about a thing, honey. I'll take you down to Roy's place tomorrow. He doesn't care one bit about that sort of thing. He'll get you back on your feet."
So once again Vala found herself working as a waitress for a big teddy bear of a man. Once again she called herself Val.
Charming customers was easy, and she generally got good tips. She also managed to swipe a few credit card numbers along the way but did nothing with them. Just knowing she had them was enough-a little extra security if she ever needed it.
One day a customer left her $200. Vala stared at it in shock, but fellow waitress Cindy just grinned. "That's Bryce. He does that from time to time. Enjoy!"
Vala promptly bought herself a used smart phone off eBay. She figured having her own internet access would be wise when she started hunting fake ID papers-it might be tricky to pull that off at a public library terminal.
She was bored, and Cindy had told her that Bryce was some sort of investment broker. Curious, she looked up his website.
Less than an hour later she was accessing his clients' account information.
Vala pondered what to do with this information-the possibilities were endless. But in the end, she took the high road and emailed him about his weak security.
His response was immediate. "Can you fix it?"
She did.
###
Present day
"You want me to what? Bryce, I can't do that! No way in hell can I do that!"
Bryce stared at her in disbelief. "Are you kidding me? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Val! Most people would be thrilled that the President wanted to meet them."
"I'm not most people," Vala said.
"Of course you're not. That's why you can do what most people can't. And now the President wants to honor you for that. Why don't you want to do it?"
"Have you forgotten the little detail that I'm an illegal alien? I could get deported!"
"How many times have I told you it's undocumented immigrant? And you're not anymore, remember? I took care of it. All your paperwork is completely on the up and up." He rolled his eyes. "Besides, after the security breach you just patched, no one would dare deport you. You're a hero! They love you!"
Vala bit her lip. Bryce was her closest friend and ally these days, he had been for a long time, but she'd never told him the whole story-the real story. And she still wouldn't-far better for everyone if she kept her secrets. He'd never believe her anyhow.
But she absolutely could not meet the President. Or go anywhere near Washington, D.C.
How could she get out of this? "Can't you accept the award for me? You can meet the President. You'll love it."
"No, no, I'm not the one who did this! It's your party, Val."
"But no one knows who I am! Not really. I've always used the code name Prometheus for any hacking. Nothing else, just that. You could go to Washington for me. Attend the ceremony. Pretend you're Prometheus."
"Val!"
"Please, Bryce." Vala was not above begging. "Please just do this for me. I'll owe you one. A big one."
Bryce was back to staring agape. "I don't get it. You did something amazing, and you've earned this. I didn't do jack. Why should I get credit?"
"You gave me a chance when you had no reason to. I couldn't have fixed the breach if it hadn't been for the opportunity you gave me years ago."
Bryce sighed, but Vala could see that he was going to cave. "I don't like it. It isn't right."
"It keeps me safe," Vala said quietly. "Please, you've always kept me safe. Just do it one more time."
He'd never be able to say no to that. "All right, all right, fine. I'll do it. I don't like it, but I'll do it."
She kissed his cheek. "Thanks, love. I appreciate it more than you know."
"Yeah, yeah. Get outta here before I change my mind."
###
"Daniel?"
He looked up. Sam stood in the doorway of his office, her expression a strange mixture of apprehension and something that might actually be...hope. "What's going on?"
Entering the office she sat down on the bench in front of him. "You know that white hat hacker who was being honored in D.C. over the weekend?"
"Yeah. Plugged some hole in the government's top secret systems, right? What about them?"
"Jack and I attended the ceremony honoring the supposed hacker. And...well, it's weird." Sam stared off into space for a moment. "Any part of this taken by itself wouldn't mean a thing, but all of it together...it's either her, or it's one hell of a coincidence."
Daniel stiffened. "Her? Her who? What are you talking about?"
They'd never really stopped looking for Vala over the past five years. But it was a big galaxy. Odds of tracking down Matthias were slim to none, and they all knew it.
"You know her who, Daniel. I never would've have imagined she'd have been on Earth all this time. And maybe it isn't really her, but...okay, here's what we've got. Over the last couple of years, the government has been using more and more the services of a white hacker who went by the avatar Prometheus. No other identifier. But the last leak plug was so major that the President wanted to personally thank Prometheus and honor them in person. So Jack and I are at this black tie ceremony. A guy named Bryce King accepts the award and claims to be Prometheus."
"But he...isn't?"
"No way. I talked to the guy. He knows about as much about hacking as I do about knitting."
"Okaaay...so why'd he take the award?"
"Getting to that. He eventually realized he'd blown it, but he kept trying to cover for the real Prometheus, who apparently is determined to remain anonymous. But finally he let the name 'Val' slip and that prompted Jack to do some digging. About three years ago Bryce called in some favors to get an 'illegal alien' official documentation. One Valerie Samantha Daniels, from a town in Queensland, Australia." Sam paused for effect. "The town's name is Mitchell."
Daniel stared at her. "You've got to be kidding me."
"You'd think so, wouldn't you? It's almost too wild to believe. And I have no idea why Matthias would have her here on Earth. So maybe it's just the world's most bizarre coincidence, or maybe this is her way of signaling us. But it's definitely the best lead we've had in years. It's worth at least checking out."
"I want to come."
"We've gotta move quick. This Bryce knows he botched it. And Matthias would know we'll come looking. The address for Valerie Daniels is in New York City. We're beaming in."
###
Vala muttered to herself as she threw items into a bag. Damn Bryce anyway. Okay, so she understood his not being able to keep up the ruse-the man knew nothing whatsoever about hacking-but why in the name of Ba'al had he felt the need to tell her name? The whole point in sending him was so that no one would know about her!
But if anyone remotely connected to the SGC put together her name with the avatar Prometheus, they'd come looking. Damn, damn, damn.
She'd known all along that choosing the names she did was foolish. She should've picked something with no connection whatsoever to her former life. Something boring and nondescript and completely untraceable. Like Mary or Jane or Sarah.
But she'd missed everyone so much. It had seemed like a small way to hold on to the best years she'd ever had.
Sentiment was dangerous. Now it could very well bite her in the ass. Vala packed faster.
Not fast enough. She heard the voice behind her as she zipped up the last bag. "So, Val, huh? So pleased to meet you."
It didn't matter that it had been five years. Vala knew that voice as well as her own.
Daniel.
She wasn't ready for this. She'd never, ever be ready for this.
So she kept her gaze resolutely on her bag, unwilling to turn around and see the hatred and disgust she was certain would be in his eyes.
A/N: Ah, the band is back together again!
In case you were wondering, there really is a town called Mitchell in Queensland, Australia. Learning of its existence was part of the inspiration for this fic.
Carry on to Chapter 4!
Chapter Three-Lost and Found
2012
Although she'd lived among the Tau'ri for years, Vala knew she'd never blend in perfectly with "normal" Earth residents. But New York had a reputation for diversity and acceptance. She figured she'd fit there better than anywhere else.
She slept on park benches for a couple of days then found a shelter.
She remained at the shelter about a week, until they started pushing her to find a job.
That led to about a month of moving from place to place while she tried to figure out how to forge the papers needed for employment. Darned Americans and their insane obsession with a paper trail for every blessed thing.
The odds of running into someone like Sal again should've been pretty slim, but Vala actually found two. The first was a kindly old lady at the third shelter. "What scares you about finding work, honey?" She leaned forward and lowered her voice. "Are you undocumented?"
Undocumented. Was that the term? "Why, yes. Yes, I am."
The woman-Margaret? Mildred?-patted Vala's arm. "Don't you worry about a thing, honey. I'll take you down to Roy's place tomorrow. He doesn't care one bit about that sort of thing. He'll get you back on your feet."
So once again Vala found herself working as a waitress for a big teddy bear of a man. Once again she called herself Val.
Charming customers was easy, and she generally got good tips. She also managed to swipe a few credit card numbers along the way but did nothing with them. Just knowing she had them was enough-a little extra security if she ever needed it.
One day a customer left her $200. Vala stared at it in shock, but fellow waitress Cindy just grinned. "That's Bryce. He does that from time to time. Enjoy!"
Vala promptly bought herself a used smart phone off eBay. She figured having her own internet access would be wise when she started hunting fake ID papers-it might be tricky to pull that off at a public library terminal.
She was bored, and Cindy had told her that Bryce was some sort of investment broker. Curious, she looked up his website.
Less than an hour later she was accessing his clients' account information.
Vala pondered what to do with this information-the possibilities were endless. But in the end, she took the high road and emailed him about his weak security.
His response was immediate. "Can you fix it?"
She did.
###
Present day
"You want me to what? Bryce, I can't do that! No way in hell can I do that!"
Bryce stared at her in disbelief. "Are you kidding me? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Val! Most people would be thrilled that the President wanted to meet them."
"I'm not most people," Vala said.
"Of course you're not. That's why you can do what most people can't. And now the President wants to honor you for that. Why don't you want to do it?"
"Have you forgotten the little detail that I'm an illegal alien? I could get deported!"
"How many times have I told you it's undocumented immigrant? And you're not anymore, remember? I took care of it. All your paperwork is completely on the up and up." He rolled his eyes. "Besides, after the security breach you just patched, no one would dare deport you. You're a hero! They love you!"
Vala bit her lip. Bryce was her closest friend and ally these days, he had been for a long time, but she'd never told him the whole story-the real story. And she still wouldn't-far better for everyone if she kept her secrets. He'd never believe her anyhow.
But she absolutely could not meet the President. Or go anywhere near Washington, D.C.
How could she get out of this? "Can't you accept the award for me? You can meet the President. You'll love it."
"No, no, I'm not the one who did this! It's your party, Val."
"But no one knows who I am! Not really. I've always used the code name Prometheus for any hacking. Nothing else, just that. You could go to Washington for me. Attend the ceremony. Pretend you're Prometheus."
"Val!"
"Please, Bryce." Vala was not above begging. "Please just do this for me. I'll owe you one. A big one."
Bryce was back to staring agape. "I don't get it. You did something amazing, and you've earned this. I didn't do jack. Why should I get credit?"
"You gave me a chance when you had no reason to. I couldn't have fixed the breach if it hadn't been for the opportunity you gave me years ago."
Bryce sighed, but Vala could see that he was going to cave. "I don't like it. It isn't right."
"It keeps me safe," Vala said quietly. "Please, you've always kept me safe. Just do it one more time."
He'd never be able to say no to that. "All right, all right, fine. I'll do it. I don't like it, but I'll do it."
She kissed his cheek. "Thanks, love. I appreciate it more than you know."
"Yeah, yeah. Get outta here before I change my mind."
###
"Daniel?"
He looked up. Sam stood in the doorway of his office, her expression a strange mixture of apprehension and something that might actually be...hope. "What's going on?"
Entering the office she sat down on the bench in front of him. "You know that white hat hacker who was being honored in D.C. over the weekend?"
"Yeah. Plugged some hole in the government's top secret systems, right? What about them?"
"Jack and I attended the ceremony honoring the supposed hacker. And...well, it's weird." Sam stared off into space for a moment. "Any part of this taken by itself wouldn't mean a thing, but all of it together...it's either her, or it's one hell of a coincidence."
Daniel stiffened. "Her? Her who? What are you talking about?"
They'd never really stopped looking for Vala over the past five years. But it was a big galaxy. Odds of tracking down Matthias were slim to none, and they all knew it.
"You know her who, Daniel. I never would've have imagined she'd have been on Earth all this time. And maybe it isn't really her, but...okay, here's what we've got. Over the last couple of years, the government has been using more and more the services of a white hacker who went by the avatar Prometheus. No other identifier. But the last leak plug was so major that the President wanted to personally thank Prometheus and honor them in person. So Jack and I are at this black tie ceremony. A guy named Bryce King accepts the award and claims to be Prometheus."
"But he...isn't?"
"No way. I talked to the guy. He knows about as much about hacking as I do about knitting."
"Okaaay...so why'd he take the award?"
"Getting to that. He eventually realized he'd blown it, but he kept trying to cover for the real Prometheus, who apparently is determined to remain anonymous. But finally he let the name 'Val' slip and that prompted Jack to do some digging. About three years ago Bryce called in some favors to get an 'illegal alien' official documentation. One Valerie Samantha Daniels, from a town in Queensland, Australia." Sam paused for effect. "The town's name is Mitchell."
Daniel stared at her. "You've got to be kidding me."
"You'd think so, wouldn't you? It's almost too wild to believe. And I have no idea why Matthias would have her here on Earth. So maybe it's just the world's most bizarre coincidence, or maybe this is her way of signaling us. But it's definitely the best lead we've had in years. It's worth at least checking out."
"I want to come."
"We've gotta move quick. This Bryce knows he botched it. And Matthias would know we'll come looking. The address for Valerie Daniels is in New York City. We're beaming in."
###
Vala muttered to herself as she threw items into a bag. Damn Bryce anyway. Okay, so she understood his not being able to keep up the ruse-the man knew nothing whatsoever about hacking-but why in the name of Ba'al had he felt the need to tell her name? The whole point in sending him was so that no one would know about her!
But if anyone remotely connected to the SGC put together her name with the avatar Prometheus, they'd come looking. Damn, damn, damn.
She'd known all along that choosing the names she did was foolish. She should've picked something with no connection whatsoever to her former life. Something boring and nondescript and completely untraceable. Like Mary or Jane or Sarah.
But she'd missed everyone so much. It had seemed like a small way to hold on to the best years she'd ever had.
Sentiment was dangerous. Now it could very well bite her in the ass. Vala packed faster.
Not fast enough. She heard the voice behind her as she zipped up the last bag. "So, Val, huh? So pleased to meet you."
It didn't matter that it had been five years. Vala knew that voice as well as her own.
Daniel.
She wasn't ready for this. She'd never, ever be ready for this.
So she kept her gaze resolutely on her bag, unwilling to turn around and see the hatred and disgust she was certain would be in his eyes.
A/N: Ah, the band is back together again!
In case you were wondering, there really is a town called Mitchell in Queensland, Australia. Learning of its existence was part of the inspiration for this fic.
Carry on to Chapter 4!