Fic: Newcomers: Dawn (SGA, OCs, PG)
Title: Newcomers: Dawn
Rating: PG (language, again, lowering the tone...)
Character: OCs
Disclaimer: The context isn't mine (the characters are), no harm meant.
Summary: Dawn comes too early, sleep too late.
A/N: Just a small moment for my newcomers as they find their feet in Pegasus. Edited 7/11/9 to add: It's now the start of a four-part mini-series...
Dawn
Anna wakes with a start, her heart racing. Light is filtering into her tent.
Her watch should have started hours ago.
She grabs her sidearm, scrambles out of her tent, cursing inwardly. At the edge of the camp, she can see Collins standing guard. As she stands up, he hears her, turns and raises a hand in greeting.
"What the hell, Collins?" she hisses as she approaches.
He frowns, and glances at his watch. "It's early yet, Captain. You had another half-hour."
She looks at her own watch. 0800 hours by Atlantis time, making it little more than three hours past midnight here. She sighs. She's never going to get used to the long days and slow dawns of the summers on Pegasus' gated planets.
Collins smirks.
"Dammit," she says. "Well, go on, you might as well go and sleep now I'm here."
Collins shrugs. "Not much chance of sleeping now. Sun'll be up soon." His tone is casual, but she can see tension in the line of his shoulder. Anna suddenly wonders if he really would have woken her for her watch.
"Sit down, then."
He hesitates, then sits, throwing her a ghost of a smile. "Mind if I smoke?"
"Go ahead." She doesn't think he needs the lecture.
He digs out a pouch and papers, and starts to roll a cigarette with practised ease, his hands moving in quick, deft movements, like the actions of handling a weapon writ small. She remembers herself, and turns her attention to their perimeter.
"There's bugger all out there."
She looks back to see him smiling up at her, the completed cigarette lit and cupped carefully in one hand. She sniffs. "What are you smoking?"
He chuckles. "It's an Athosian leaf." She raises an eyebrow. "Don't worry, it's not narcotic. I think it's the same thing they use in their tea."
She's tasted the tea. It's vile. She can't imagine smoking it. "You mean all that time Nate was complaining about losing his emergency Earl Grey, you had that stuff with you?"
Collins grins wickedly. "It's every man for himself, out here."
"Think of the team, Collins."
"It wouldn't have helped. I don't think it's got any caffeine in it."
"I thought it was all about the ritual."
"He's a scientist. They run on caffiene. I'm pretty sure he only drinks tea to piss off McKay."
Anna laughes, breaking off guiltily, hoping the sound didn't disturb Nate and Tom. "I'm gonna -" she gestures around the camp, and Collins nods.
Walking their perimeter, she realises he's right. There really is bugger all out here. Looking up, she can see the sky turning blue, clear after yesterday's endless downpour. As she nears her starting point, she reaches a gap in the trees, and can see the first sliver of the sun rising.
"Hey, Collins," she calls, softly.
He doesn't reply, and Anna hurries the few yards until she can see him.
He's still sitting, one arm slung out in front of him holding the cigarette, but his head has dropped. Anna steps up to him softly, and reaches down to pinch out the cigarette, careful not to wake him.
She leaves him to sleep, and goes to watch the sun rise.
Continued in - at? - Midday
It's quiet. Too damn quiet.
Damn. Now I have to write 'Midday', 'Dusk' and 'Midnight', don't I?
Why long summer days and slow dawns? I left work in the dark today. Stupid GMT. Stupid high latitude winter days. *sulks*
Rating: PG (language, again, lowering the tone...)
Character: OCs
Disclaimer: The context isn't mine (the characters are), no harm meant.
Summary: Dawn comes too early, sleep too late.
A/N: Just a small moment for my newcomers as they find their feet in Pegasus. Edited 7/11/9 to add: It's now the start of a four-part mini-series...
Dawn
Anna wakes with a start, her heart racing. Light is filtering into her tent.
Her watch should have started hours ago.
She grabs her sidearm, scrambles out of her tent, cursing inwardly. At the edge of the camp, she can see Collins standing guard. As she stands up, he hears her, turns and raises a hand in greeting.
"What the hell, Collins?" she hisses as she approaches.
He frowns, and glances at his watch. "It's early yet, Captain. You had another half-hour."
She looks at her own watch. 0800 hours by Atlantis time, making it little more than three hours past midnight here. She sighs. She's never going to get used to the long days and slow dawns of the summers on Pegasus' gated planets.
Collins smirks.
"Dammit," she says. "Well, go on, you might as well go and sleep now I'm here."
Collins shrugs. "Not much chance of sleeping now. Sun'll be up soon." His tone is casual, but she can see tension in the line of his shoulder. Anna suddenly wonders if he really would have woken her for her watch.
"Sit down, then."
He hesitates, then sits, throwing her a ghost of a smile. "Mind if I smoke?"
"Go ahead." She doesn't think he needs the lecture.
He digs out a pouch and papers, and starts to roll a cigarette with practised ease, his hands moving in quick, deft movements, like the actions of handling a weapon writ small. She remembers herself, and turns her attention to their perimeter.
"There's bugger all out there."
She looks back to see him smiling up at her, the completed cigarette lit and cupped carefully in one hand. She sniffs. "What are you smoking?"
He chuckles. "It's an Athosian leaf." She raises an eyebrow. "Don't worry, it's not narcotic. I think it's the same thing they use in their tea."
She's tasted the tea. It's vile. She can't imagine smoking it. "You mean all that time Nate was complaining about losing his emergency Earl Grey, you had that stuff with you?"
Collins grins wickedly. "It's every man for himself, out here."
"Think of the team, Collins."
"It wouldn't have helped. I don't think it's got any caffeine in it."
"I thought it was all about the ritual."
"He's a scientist. They run on caffiene. I'm pretty sure he only drinks tea to piss off McKay."
Anna laughes, breaking off guiltily, hoping the sound didn't disturb Nate and Tom. "I'm gonna -" she gestures around the camp, and Collins nods.
Walking their perimeter, she realises he's right. There really is bugger all out here. Looking up, she can see the sky turning blue, clear after yesterday's endless downpour. As she nears her starting point, she reaches a gap in the trees, and can see the first sliver of the sun rising.
"Hey, Collins," she calls, softly.
He doesn't reply, and Anna hurries the few yards until she can see him.
He's still sitting, one arm slung out in front of him holding the cigarette, but his head has dropped. Anna steps up to him softly, and reaches down to pinch out the cigarette, careful not to wake him.
She leaves him to sleep, and goes to watch the sun rise.
Continued in - at? - Midday
It's quiet. Too damn quiet.
Damn. Now I have to write 'Midday', 'Dusk' and 'Midnight', don't I?
Why long summer days and slow dawns? I left work in the dark today. Stupid GMT. Stupid high latitude winter days. *sulks*