Crosspost to sf_friday48
Title: Right This Way
Author: treefalls
Rating: PG
Pairing: BSG/Firefly
Spoilers: None
Word count: 1,045
Off of one of trajictale's cravings. It's a snippet, really. A pretty light snippet. Completely ignoring practicalities like the old, "And why are they speaking the same language?" question, for example.
The Chief almost managed not to roll his eyes at the CAG's order.
"Sir, I really, really don't have time to play tour guide today. Any day."
"I know that, Chief, but it's... look, she's a mechanic, a good one, from what I hear. They're going to be on Galactica for a while. Maybe she can help out. Her captain says she's the best there is. Also, that was an order," said Lee.
"The best... have you seen that bucket of bolts they call a ship? I am not letting some hack mechanic-"
"Chief, you should-"
"-touch a single-"
"Chief!"
"-one of my Vipers. There's no frakking way."
"Chief Tyrol," Lee glared and pointed behind Tyrol, "this is the Serenity's chief mechanic. Kaylee… Kaylee-?"
"Frye. And I’m Serenity’s only mechanic," came the cold, cold response.
"Kaylee Frye. Welcome aboard the Galactica. I’m Captain Lee Adama, and this is Chief Petty Officer Tyrol. He's in charge of... everything you see here,” he said, waving his hand around the flight deck before reaching past the Chief to shake Kaylee’s hand.
Tyrol didn't really want to turn around, but he didn't have a choice. He was greeted by a sweet looking girl with a truly unpleasant expression on her face. Understandable. She was also muttering something in a language he didn't understand, which he decided was probably a good thing. Cally, who must have escorted her from the landing bay, just stood there smirking.
"Um. Hello. I should... I'm sorry, I... my name's Galen. Call me Galen,” he stammered. “It's nice to meet you," he held out his hand, but he didn't really expect her to unfold her arms and take it. She didn't.
"Right, well, the Chief will show you around. I have to go... leave," said Lee, not even trying for a graceful exit. "Carry on."
***
Tyrol spent the next few minutes trying to climb his way out of the hole he’d dug, which was irritating, considering that he really didn’t have time for any of it. He finally figured out that the insult to the ship (“Just Serenity. There’s no ‘the.’”) had been his worst offense. By the time he’d worked that out, he’d actually warmed up to her a bit. So far, it seemed unreciprocated.
It made sense to him, actually. Call him anything you want, but don’t insult his ships. Especially not these ships; they wouldn’t be alive except for these ships.
“So, Serenity, she’s, uh, she’s a… what kind of ship is she?”
“Cargo.”
“Cargo. So, you’re a cargo transport crew, then?” he asked.
“No. Serenity is a cargo ship. We, well, mostly we’re just fugitives, these days,” she admitted. “But Serenity’s kept us safe so far, which is more than some old “bucket” could have done…” her voice trailed off as she approached a Viper that Cally had been working on.
“Yeah. Sorry about that. I was just, I didn’t’ really, hey, what are you… don’t, don’t touch that, please,” but Kaylee was already halfway up the rolling ladder examining the engine’s innards.
“What’s the problem with this one?” she asked, fiddling with wires and parts, sort of fondling them, actually. That’s kind of hot, he thought, and then shook it off, because that was weird.
“It’s... the engines aren't firing. I haven’t looked at it my-“
“Uh-huh. It’s the fuel line. This is the fuel line, right? Yeah, that’s it. It’s just… there you go. D’ya see?” she asked as she showed him the problem and fixed it a couple of quick moves. “I mean, that may not be the only problem, because, really? It’s a little bit of a mess in there. Do they all look like that? But you ought to at least be able to start her up now. Not sure she’ll actually fly, though," she mumbled as she straightened up and headed back down the ladder.
“Oh, she’ll fly. She’ll fly like nothing you’ve ever seen before,” which was a ridiculous thing to say, because he had no idea the kinds of ships she’d seen in action. It was just, her tone of voice - he was pretty sure he heard disdain there.
“Sure, whatever you say,” she said. And smiled.
“Oh, I see. So that was for the “bucket” comment. Are we even now?”
“No. That was for calling me a hack. Show me what makes the Galactica run, and we’ll see about even.”
He resisted the you show me yours, and I’ll show you mine joke--though that’s exactly what was going on--but he suddenly decided he had all the time in the world to play tour guide to Kaylee Frye today. Any day.
***
“Oh, my,” she said, “this is… well, this is the most amazing… is that… what is that?” she asked, as she stood in the middle of Galactica’s main engine room.
“That’s the, well, part of the FTL drive.”
“FTL?”
“Faster than light.”
She laughed.
“Yeah, well, it gets the point across.”
“Mmmm hmmm,” she murmured as she walked around, acquainting herself with different parts of the room. The way she moved, it reminded him of something he couldn’t quite… Sharon. She was acting the way he’d seen Sharon respond to the Cylon raider. Stroking the machinery, murmuring like it was alive. Shake it off, Galen, she’s not Sharon. It was creepy, though. And still kind of hot.
“This engine is just…”
And suddenly, she was moving in on him, “So, tell me about this FTL drive. How does it work, exactly?” she asked, brushing his arm, moving up to his shoulder. He backed up a step or two and bumped into a pipe. Kaylee pressed in.
He vaguely wondered whether it was him, the engine room, or just desperation that was driving the moment for her, but after a couple of seconds, he realized that he didn't care.
“Do you really want to hear about the FTL drive?”
“I really do,” she said, pulling him closer. “In a couple of minutes.”
Author: treefalls
Rating: PG
Pairing: BSG/Firefly
Spoilers: None
Word count: 1,045
Off of one of trajictale's cravings. It's a snippet, really. A pretty light snippet. Completely ignoring practicalities like the old, "And why are they speaking the same language?" question, for example.
The Chief almost managed not to roll his eyes at the CAG's order.
"Sir, I really, really don't have time to play tour guide today. Any day."
"I know that, Chief, but it's... look, she's a mechanic, a good one, from what I hear. They're going to be on Galactica for a while. Maybe she can help out. Her captain says she's the best there is. Also, that was an order," said Lee.
"The best... have you seen that bucket of bolts they call a ship? I am not letting some hack mechanic-"
"Chief, you should-"
"-touch a single-"
"Chief!"
"-one of my Vipers. There's no frakking way."
"Chief Tyrol," Lee glared and pointed behind Tyrol, "this is the Serenity's chief mechanic. Kaylee… Kaylee-?"
"Frye. And I’m Serenity’s only mechanic," came the cold, cold response.
"Kaylee Frye. Welcome aboard the Galactica. I’m Captain Lee Adama, and this is Chief Petty Officer Tyrol. He's in charge of... everything you see here,” he said, waving his hand around the flight deck before reaching past the Chief to shake Kaylee’s hand.
Tyrol didn't really want to turn around, but he didn't have a choice. He was greeted by a sweet looking girl with a truly unpleasant expression on her face. Understandable. She was also muttering something in a language he didn't understand, which he decided was probably a good thing. Cally, who must have escorted her from the landing bay, just stood there smirking.
"Um. Hello. I should... I'm sorry, I... my name's Galen. Call me Galen,” he stammered. “It's nice to meet you," he held out his hand, but he didn't really expect her to unfold her arms and take it. She didn't.
"Right, well, the Chief will show you around. I have to go... leave," said Lee, not even trying for a graceful exit. "Carry on."
***
Tyrol spent the next few minutes trying to climb his way out of the hole he’d dug, which was irritating, considering that he really didn’t have time for any of it. He finally figured out that the insult to the ship (“Just Serenity. There’s no ‘the.’”) had been his worst offense. By the time he’d worked that out, he’d actually warmed up to her a bit. So far, it seemed unreciprocated.
It made sense to him, actually. Call him anything you want, but don’t insult his ships. Especially not these ships; they wouldn’t be alive except for these ships.
“So, Serenity, she’s, uh, she’s a… what kind of ship is she?”
“Cargo.”
“Cargo. So, you’re a cargo transport crew, then?” he asked.
“No. Serenity is a cargo ship. We, well, mostly we’re just fugitives, these days,” she admitted. “But Serenity’s kept us safe so far, which is more than some old “bucket” could have done…” her voice trailed off as she approached a Viper that Cally had been working on.
“Yeah. Sorry about that. I was just, I didn’t’ really, hey, what are you… don’t, don’t touch that, please,” but Kaylee was already halfway up the rolling ladder examining the engine’s innards.
“What’s the problem with this one?” she asked, fiddling with wires and parts, sort of fondling them, actually. That’s kind of hot, he thought, and then shook it off, because that was weird.
“It’s... the engines aren't firing. I haven’t looked at it my-“
“Uh-huh. It’s the fuel line. This is the fuel line, right? Yeah, that’s it. It’s just… there you go. D’ya see?” she asked as she showed him the problem and fixed it a couple of quick moves. “I mean, that may not be the only problem, because, really? It’s a little bit of a mess in there. Do they all look like that? But you ought to at least be able to start her up now. Not sure she’ll actually fly, though," she mumbled as she straightened up and headed back down the ladder.
“Oh, she’ll fly. She’ll fly like nothing you’ve ever seen before,” which was a ridiculous thing to say, because he had no idea the kinds of ships she’d seen in action. It was just, her tone of voice - he was pretty sure he heard disdain there.
“Sure, whatever you say,” she said. And smiled.
“Oh, I see. So that was for the “bucket” comment. Are we even now?”
“No. That was for calling me a hack. Show me what makes the Galactica run, and we’ll see about even.”
He resisted the you show me yours, and I’ll show you mine joke--though that’s exactly what was going on--but he suddenly decided he had all the time in the world to play tour guide to Kaylee Frye today. Any day.
***
“Oh, my,” she said, “this is… well, this is the most amazing… is that… what is that?” she asked, as she stood in the middle of Galactica’s main engine room.
“That’s the, well, part of the FTL drive.”
“FTL?”
“Faster than light.”
She laughed.
“Yeah, well, it gets the point across.”
“Mmmm hmmm,” she murmured as she walked around, acquainting herself with different parts of the room. The way she moved, it reminded him of something he couldn’t quite… Sharon. She was acting the way he’d seen Sharon respond to the Cylon raider. Stroking the machinery, murmuring like it was alive. Shake it off, Galen, she’s not Sharon. It was creepy, though. And still kind of hot.
“This engine is just…”
And suddenly, she was moving in on him, “So, tell me about this FTL drive. How does it work, exactly?” she asked, brushing his arm, moving up to his shoulder. He backed up a step or two and bumped into a pipe. Kaylee pressed in.
He vaguely wondered whether it was him, the engine room, or just desperation that was driving the moment for her, but after a couple of seconds, he realized that he didn't care.
“Do you really want to hear about the FTL drive?”
“I really do,” she said, pulling him closer. “In a couple of minutes.”