Quality Programming (Gen, PG, Teal'c, Daniel)
A Drabble Request Answered. Sort Of....
Okay, I officially fail at drabbles... I decided to do the drabble meme and here's my first attempt, a request by Lokei for 'Daniel, Teal'c, and Public Broadcasting.' It comes in at 607 words. *sigh* That's so not a drabble.
Just a note, I'm doing these in the order that they come into my brain, not the order received. Unbeta'd because it was supposed to be commentfic.
“You had something you wanted to ask about, Teal’c?”
Teal’c stepped aside to allow Daniel Jackson to enter the room and closed the door. “I do.” He turned to face the television that O’Neill had given him two weeks before. “Remuneration has been demanded and I wish to know the extent of my obligation. They are insistent.”
Daniel Jackson crouched down to get a better look at the small screen then smiled. “Oh, PBS…” He turned his head to look up at Teal’c. “You don’t actually owe them anything, that’s just how this station gets money to make programs, government grants and donations-so they don’t have to depend on income from commercials like the other stations. They want people who enjoy their programming to support them.” He stood and waved a hand at the screen. “Do you watch any of the programs on this station?”
“I enjoy ‘Nova’ and the ‘Hour of News.’”
“That’s ‘News Hour.' So…do you want to make a donation? You don’t have to, but if you want to….”
“If I do not, they will no longer have the ability to bring me quality programming.”
Daniel Jackson smiled again, reaching into his pocket for a pen and a small notebook. He looked at the television and wrote down the number on the screen. “Okay. I can make the donation for you, would that be all right? Do you want the T-shirt?”
Teal’c gave a nod. “The T-shirt would indicate generous support. I thank you for aiding me in paying this debt, Daniel Jackson. I also believe it is time to discuss the ‘banking’ you mentioned, so I may return these funds to you.”
“Sure, Teal’c. We can talk about that tomorrow. And…I think we’d better talk about sales pitches, commercials and advertising, too.”
“I enjoy commercials. They provide insight into those things which your world considers important.”
The expression on Daniel Jackson’s face seemed to indicate pain, although he was entirely uninjured. “They don’t, actually. Commercials are more about what the people selling those items want you to think is important.”
“Your people do not believe that minimal body odor and the beverage called beer are important?”
“Well…yeah, we kind of do, some more than others, but not-”
“O’Neill believes beer is important.”
“He does, a little too much, maybe…. Teal’c, this is part of a much longer discussion and I...need to think about it a bit. Right now, I’ll go make this call for you, okay?”
“That would be most appreciated. My thanks, once again.”
Daniel Jackson went to the door, but as his hand reached the knob, he turned back, frowning. “Uh, Teal’c, until we have that conversation…. Take the commercials with a grain of salt.”
Teal’c looked at Daniel Jackson and pondered the connection between sodium and commercials.
“Sorry, Teal’c. That’s an expression meaning ‘don’t believe everything you see', or in this case, hear, I guess.”
“The Goa’uld are far more adept at manipulation than your commercials, Daniel Jackson. Salt will be unnecessary.”
Nodding, Daniel Jackson started to leave, but stopped yet again. “Oh, uh… Extra Extra Large? The T-shirt?”
“Indeed.”
“Night, Teal’c. See you tomorrow.”
“Good night, Daniel Jackson.”
As the door closed behind Daniel Jackson, Teal’c went to his bed and sat down. He turned up the volume on the television. “…this is the type of fine programming your donation will allow to continue. Our operators are standing by….”
Taking a deep breath, Teal’c closed his eyes. While he was pleased to have contributed to the free dissemination of information, so very different from what was allowed by the Goa’uld, he hoped the program would start soon.
Okay, I officially fail at drabbles... I decided to do the drabble meme and here's my first attempt, a request by Lokei for 'Daniel, Teal'c, and Public Broadcasting.' It comes in at 607 words. *sigh* That's so not a drabble.
Just a note, I'm doing these in the order that they come into my brain, not the order received. Unbeta'd because it was supposed to be commentfic.
“You had something you wanted to ask about, Teal’c?”
Teal’c stepped aside to allow Daniel Jackson to enter the room and closed the door. “I do.” He turned to face the television that O’Neill had given him two weeks before. “Remuneration has been demanded and I wish to know the extent of my obligation. They are insistent.”
Daniel Jackson crouched down to get a better look at the small screen then smiled. “Oh, PBS…” He turned his head to look up at Teal’c. “You don’t actually owe them anything, that’s just how this station gets money to make programs, government grants and donations-so they don’t have to depend on income from commercials like the other stations. They want people who enjoy their programming to support them.” He stood and waved a hand at the screen. “Do you watch any of the programs on this station?”
“I enjoy ‘Nova’ and the ‘Hour of News.’”
“That’s ‘News Hour.' So…do you want to make a donation? You don’t have to, but if you want to….”
“If I do not, they will no longer have the ability to bring me quality programming.”
Daniel Jackson smiled again, reaching into his pocket for a pen and a small notebook. He looked at the television and wrote down the number on the screen. “Okay. I can make the donation for you, would that be all right? Do you want the T-shirt?”
Teal’c gave a nod. “The T-shirt would indicate generous support. I thank you for aiding me in paying this debt, Daniel Jackson. I also believe it is time to discuss the ‘banking’ you mentioned, so I may return these funds to you.”
“Sure, Teal’c. We can talk about that tomorrow. And…I think we’d better talk about sales pitches, commercials and advertising, too.”
“I enjoy commercials. They provide insight into those things which your world considers important.”
The expression on Daniel Jackson’s face seemed to indicate pain, although he was entirely uninjured. “They don’t, actually. Commercials are more about what the people selling those items want you to think is important.”
“Your people do not believe that minimal body odor and the beverage called beer are important?”
“Well…yeah, we kind of do, some more than others, but not-”
“O’Neill believes beer is important.”
“He does, a little too much, maybe…. Teal’c, this is part of a much longer discussion and I...need to think about it a bit. Right now, I’ll go make this call for you, okay?”
“That would be most appreciated. My thanks, once again.”
Daniel Jackson went to the door, but as his hand reached the knob, he turned back, frowning. “Uh, Teal’c, until we have that conversation…. Take the commercials with a grain of salt.”
Teal’c looked at Daniel Jackson and pondered the connection between sodium and commercials.
“Sorry, Teal’c. That’s an expression meaning ‘don’t believe everything you see', or in this case, hear, I guess.”
“The Goa’uld are far more adept at manipulation than your commercials, Daniel Jackson. Salt will be unnecessary.”
Nodding, Daniel Jackson started to leave, but stopped yet again. “Oh, uh… Extra Extra Large? The T-shirt?”
“Indeed.”
“Night, Teal’c. See you tomorrow.”
“Good night, Daniel Jackson.”
As the door closed behind Daniel Jackson, Teal’c went to his bed and sat down. He turned up the volume on the television. “…this is the type of fine programming your donation will allow to continue. Our operators are standing by….”
Taking a deep breath, Teal’c closed his eyes. While he was pleased to have contributed to the free dissemination of information, so very different from what was allowed by the Goa’uld, he hoped the program would start soon.