Some Assembly Required (Gen, K+, Zelenka, Weir)
My entry for challenge #2 of atlantis_lvw. The prompt was: Repairs (<400words)
So, I'm still in the running. Lets see what Challenge #3 brings.
Some Assembly Required by Starrylizard
(Beta-read by rinkle)
Elizabeth chuckled as she entered the lab and spotted Zelenka. The scruffy Czech scientist was mumbling in his native tongue while on the laboratory floor amidst an array of disassembled parts.
“Good morning, Dr Zelenka,” she greeted with a smile.
Radek jumped slightly, pushing his glasses onto his nose as he looked up. “Good morning, Dr Weir. Can I help you with something?”
“I was looking for Rodney, actually. He insisted I help him with a translation of some artefacts and I have a spare moment now.”
“Ah, McKay is in a meeting and the discussion sounded heated. They may be a while.” Radek waved his hand airily, indicating an unspecified time.
“Okay, well if you’d please let him know I dropped by?” Elizabeth turned to leave, but Radek’s quiet voice stopped her. “Dr Weir, would you mind helping me for a while, if you have a moment?”
Elizabeth turned back to face Radek and raised an eyebrow in interest. “Of course; how can I help?”
“Well, you see, Rodney translated the instructions for this.” He pointed at the machinery he was tinkering with. “It’s supposed to be a self-assembling kit, but we are unsure what for. His translation of the instructions appears to be flawed, though. It is like trying to assemble IKEA furniture with instructions in Japanese.”
Elizabeth chuckled at that, holding out her hand for the instructions that Radek happily passed over to her. She grinned mightily at the mistakes that were evident in the hasty translation.
“Yes, this I can help with,” she stated, kneeling down next to Radek. “It looks like this cylindrical part goes into that black bit and you twist to the right…”
Radek set to work.
*
A few hours later, both Radek and Elizabeth stood back to survey their handy-work.
Elizabeth tilted her head curiously, looking at the miniature Puddle Jumper. “Do you think it flies?”
Radek pressed a button on the remote control, watching as tiny craft lifted into the air. “It works!” He bright blue eyes shone with glee. “It’s like an Atlantian MALP.”
Elizabeth’s face also lit up with a smile, though she found herself watching Radek and his almost child-like sense of wonder, as much as she watched the Puddle Jumper. “Just wait until Colonel Sheppard sees this,” she said. “And McKay too,” he agreed, though neither of them felt like sharing just yet.
___________
Response to feedback/Author's notes:
-- To the person who said it's not really "self-assembling", you got me there. Though I thought those kits that you put together yourself and come with all the tools and bits were referred to as 'self-assembling'. Perhaps I was wrong.
-- The abbreviation of Doctor to Dr, doesn't require a period after it in English/Australian spelling. Why this would be a reason for two people to rank my fic in the bottom three still baffles me anyway. *shrugs*
-- "No need to introduce the characters" Um, that would be this bit 'The scruffy Czech scientist' I assume. I don't think I described Elizabeth and I really didn't think three words was overly descriptive of a character. *is confused* though each to their own.
Thanks for the feedback, even if I am a little confused by it this week.
So, I'm still in the running. Lets see what Challenge #3 brings.
Some Assembly Required by Starrylizard
(Beta-read by rinkle)
Elizabeth chuckled as she entered the lab and spotted Zelenka. The scruffy Czech scientist was mumbling in his native tongue while on the laboratory floor amidst an array of disassembled parts.
“Good morning, Dr Zelenka,” she greeted with a smile.
Radek jumped slightly, pushing his glasses onto his nose as he looked up. “Good morning, Dr Weir. Can I help you with something?”
“I was looking for Rodney, actually. He insisted I help him with a translation of some artefacts and I have a spare moment now.”
“Ah, McKay is in a meeting and the discussion sounded heated. They may be a while.” Radek waved his hand airily, indicating an unspecified time.
“Okay, well if you’d please let him know I dropped by?” Elizabeth turned to leave, but Radek’s quiet voice stopped her. “Dr Weir, would you mind helping me for a while, if you have a moment?”
Elizabeth turned back to face Radek and raised an eyebrow in interest. “Of course; how can I help?”
“Well, you see, Rodney translated the instructions for this.” He pointed at the machinery he was tinkering with. “It’s supposed to be a self-assembling kit, but we are unsure what for. His translation of the instructions appears to be flawed, though. It is like trying to assemble IKEA furniture with instructions in Japanese.”
Elizabeth chuckled at that, holding out her hand for the instructions that Radek happily passed over to her. She grinned mightily at the mistakes that were evident in the hasty translation.
“Yes, this I can help with,” she stated, kneeling down next to Radek. “It looks like this cylindrical part goes into that black bit and you twist to the right…”
Radek set to work.
*
A few hours later, both Radek and Elizabeth stood back to survey their handy-work.
Elizabeth tilted her head curiously, looking at the miniature Puddle Jumper. “Do you think it flies?”
Radek pressed a button on the remote control, watching as tiny craft lifted into the air. “It works!” He bright blue eyes shone with glee. “It’s like an Atlantian MALP.”
Elizabeth’s face also lit up with a smile, though she found herself watching Radek and his almost child-like sense of wonder, as much as she watched the Puddle Jumper. “Just wait until Colonel Sheppard sees this,” she said. “And McKay too,” he agreed, though neither of them felt like sharing just yet.
___________
Response to feedback/Author's notes:
-- To the person who said it's not really "self-assembling", you got me there. Though I thought those kits that you put together yourself and come with all the tools and bits were referred to as 'self-assembling'. Perhaps I was wrong.
-- The abbreviation of Doctor to Dr, doesn't require a period after it in English/Australian spelling. Why this would be a reason for two people to rank my fic in the bottom three still baffles me anyway. *shrugs*
-- "No need to introduce the characters" Um, that would be this bit 'The scruffy Czech scientist' I assume. I don't think I described Elizabeth and I really didn't think three words was overly descriptive of a character. *is confused* though each to their own.
Thanks for the feedback, even if I am a little confused by it this week.