POI fic: Faraway places
TITLE: POI fic: Faraway places
AUTHOR: whomii2
RATING: PG
WARNINGS: possible spoilers for Stargate Atlantis
DISCLAIMER: do not own
WORD COUNT: 3455
SUMMARY: What if another John possessed the Ancient gene, and other people served on the Atlantis Expedition
NOTE: POI characters placed in Stargate Atlantis universe. Some familiarity with SGA helpful but not strictly necessary. Series of related drabbles (in this universe instead of having everyone take a one-way trip through the stargate the expedition went to Atlantis on a ship)
John Reese was used to kicking ass. He just never thought it would be alien ass.
He lay down covering fire and indicated Carter and Fusco should fall back in preparation for when Finch finished fixing the DHD . He had saved some grenades and C4 to hold off the attackin wraith when they could finally dial out.
It had been a long, strange road that brought him here. It had started as he sat in a New York City interrogation room, waiting for the inevitable fallout that running his fingerprints would bring. He idly wondered if it would be better to go out with a “bang” rather than the slow fade into oblivion his drinking had brought him.
He was rather surprised when a guy in a suit entered the room. Reese had just enough time to think that the suit seemed much too classy for a public defender’s salary when the bespectacled gentlemen took something from his pocket, said “catch” and tossed it at John. Taken off guard, John reflexively caught the small metallic object and was doubly surprised when the object began to hum and emit a faint glow. The intruder nodded in satisfaction and touched an ear-bud stating “Subject confirmed. Proceed as planned.” He then turned to John and said “Hello Mr. Reese. How would you like to save the planet?”
“That’s rather a tall order, don’t you think?”
“Unlike your previous employers, you’ll find I wont lie to you. That includes embellishment and hyperbole. The job I am offering, while both more dangerous and more terrifying than anything you may have encountered previously, at the end of the day if successful could in fact ensure the continued safety of the Earth and its peoples. For a man like you who has only ever wanted to protect people, I think the end result would justify those risks”
While John sat there unsure of what to say, the man went on “but before we can go into detail, you will need to sign a number of secrecy forms as this is well above your current clearance, and we will need to move to a more secure location. You may as well get started on the former while we finish arrangements for the latter” With that he removed a rather intimidating pile of documents from his briefcase and handed them to John. John had made it through about 10 pages when the door opened again and a tall blond man entered, followed by 2 men who were obviously soldiers even if they were in civilian clothes. “Hello” the blond man introduced himself, “my name is Nathan Ingram and you have already met my colleague Harold Finch. .If all goes well we hope that you will soon be working with us.”
***
When he finally got his briefing John couldn’t help but accept a position with Stargate Command. Having heard of the threat the vampiric wraith in the Pegasus galaxy might pose to Earth he felt compelled to do all he could to protect her. He hadn’t been filled with such an urgent need to serve since the day he watched the towers fall and changed the course of his life forever. And if John had a special genetic quirk that allowed him to operate ancient alien technology, then he was more than willing to put it to good use to prevent the wraith from ever coming to Earth and using her population as food. After taking a position on the Atlantis expedition John did a little digging into his new bosses. Ingram was a wealthy businessman, who’s position as head of a multi-national company gave him both business and political connections. A deeper look showed that his company supplied the majority of the advanced tech used by the Stargate program. And reading between the lines indicated that most of those technical breakthroughs were probably spearheaded by Finch. So it wasn’t surprising that they were able to use their influence to obtain positions as Mission Head and Chief Science Officer if they so desired.
John wasn’t surprised that Finch hadn’t revealed his true position on the expedition during the early stages of recruitment. He figured Finch could give John‘s former CIA colleagues a run for their money in terms of paranoia and secrecy. Observing from a place of anonymity certainly would give him a greater read on the true character of the potential recruits than revealing that he was the Chief Science Officer. Most people saw him trailing quietly after Ingram and took him to be a mere assistant or glorified secretary, rather than the power behind the throne. John was amused to think that the situation was more accurate as the reverse, with Ingram taking on the onerous jobs of personnel management and bureaucratic paperwork so that Finch wouldn’t have to bother. And yet Ingram was more than just a figurehead. John had almost a grudging respect for the man. He had seen him expertly maneuver effortlessly and rather ruthlessly through the politics necessary to get the expedition equipped and ready. And yet he wasn’t just a glib politico - he was actually a man of vision with a strong sense of duty, who truly believed in the necessity of what they were attempting and its implications for the future of the human race.
***
Reese was exhausted after all the traveling he had done to get from the Colorado base to the outpost in Antarctica. But Finch had been insistent that he test his gene in “The Chair.” Reese figured the distances involved were the only thing preventing Finch from seeing to the test himself. So he was surprised when he was ushered into the room and found Finch already standing by the aforementioned Chair, typing away on his laptop. “Where did you come from?” “I breached the space time continuum……Not really, I used the Asgard transporter on the Prometheus. After all, I am extremely busy and my time is too valuable to waste. Now kindly be seated so we can get started. The testing has already been delayed by your late arrival.” John sat down with a thump. Damn, he should have known his hacking into the personnel files wouldn’t go undetected.
***
As their departure date grew closer John applied himself to the task of selecting his off world team. The “science” position was easy. Finch was their best expert on the alien tech they would be trying to uncover.
The next person he selected was Carter. She had field experience, both in the army and on the force. More important, her skill as an interrogator John hoped could be just as easily turned to skill as a negotiator. The only “negotiating” John did tended to come at the end of a weapon, and it was unlikely Finch would opt for the role considering he had manipulated Ingram into doing it for him in the past. The team could definitely use someone willing to sit down and talk things out.
The last person he selected might have surprised some people. Detective Fusco had become a member of the SGC by happy accident, meaning he encountered and survived exposure to an alien menace. People who met the enemy and lived were often absorbed into the SGC if possible. Fusco seemed to be on good terms with most everyone. People liked him and rarely saw him as a threat, though in the latter case Reese thought they were rather underestimating Lionel. Reese was mildly impressed with what he had seen of Fusco’s record. He had shown both dogged determination and quite a bit of luck in some hairy situations. Both would be assets to the team. Once John broke him of some bad habits and trained him right, Fusco would make an excellent subordinate.
****
Finch had looked disgruntled but oddly pleased when John had asked him to join his team when needed on off world missions. Finch had looked somewhat less pleased when John indicated that the flight out to the Pegasus galaxy on the Daedalus would be a great opportunity for Finch to gain some familiarity with the weapons all members of away teams would be required to carry. John should have expected retaliation, but was still caught off guard when Finch stated that the rest of the team should also take the opportunity of the long flight to increase their skill set. He handed over a number of documents on wormhole theory, ancient linguistics, and DHD schematics for them to study. Seeing the looks Carter and Fusco were sending his way, John was glad he didn’t have any live fire training scheduled with them in the near future.
****
John had trailed Finch to the engineering section of the ship during their mutual downtime en route to Pegasus, intent on getting some clarification on the wormhole theory Finch had assigned him to read. He stopped dead on entering the room when he found Finch sharing tea and conversation with…an alien. A Roswell alien at that. As John found himself pinned by two mildly disgruntled fixed stares, he could only stammer “I…I…” There were two delicate “hmmfs” and then Harold and the alien each returned to sipping their tea while waiting for John to collect himself “he has a twin - and its an alien”
***
John didn’t worry too much about the room assignments when they reached Atlantis. Finch would no doubt ensure his team had the most comfortable, convenient, and defensible rooms in the entire city.
****
Nathan Ingram showed his worth immediately on their arrival. Settling in such a large contingent of people and equipment in so short a time would have been a truly daunting task without his amazing organizational skills. With step-by-step plans in place and key staff charged with their implementation, Ingram took to passing through the city checking up on status and meeting with people. Morale was definitely improved by his smiling presence, especially among the more skittish scientists (Finch wasn’t much in the way of a hand holder - more of a throw them in the deep end and see if they can swim kind of guy). Most of the military staff were assigned either drills or patrols, and John found that they tended to be more settled. Still, they weren’t immune to a bump in good will from a “keep up the good work” from their civilian commander.
****
John finished reviewing the daily reports, went over the orders for tomorrow, and figured it was time to start “light switch duty” down in the labs. It had been clear from the start that the success or failure of this mission was going to rest heavily on the science staff. And the head of the sciences was one prickly, stubborn Harold Finch. The man seemed to have his eyes on everything going on in the city, and John wondered when Finch had time to sleep or eat. When John found Finch asleep at his computer one morning John was forced to conclude Finch didn’t. And considering that during a crisis Finch might be their most valuable resource having him in a perpetually exhausted condition was unacceptable. So John scheduled his “light switch” duties around dinnertime, and stopped by the commissary to pick up tea and coffee and order dinners for them before heading to the lab. John knew Nathan had people delivering light meals and snacks throughout the day, but no one on the science staff (or even in the military) would willingly tell the CSO to pack up and go home at the end of the day. And since Nathan was currently mothering almost the entire expedition, it appeared he didn’t have as much time to spend managing his friend as he had in the past. An exhausted but grateful smile as they passed in the halls showed he was glad John was both willing and able to take up the slack in this case. John entered the lab and began the long process of winding Finch down in preparation for sending him home to bed. While Finch began the explanation of the items he wanted John to test, John sent Fusco off to retrieve their dinners. John had started having Fusco trail Finch when they didn’t have an immediate assignment. It kept Lionel out of trouble, and John felt better having an eye on such an important asset. While Fusco would be unlikely to manage Finch on his own, he could call John in as reinforcement if the situation so demanded. John sipped his coffee and mused that Finch might not be the only one relaxed by their evening ritual and teasing banter.
****
Although Finch swore that the object in question was in fact a space vehicle, John was skeptical that anything so unwieldy could actually fly. It looked like -- a box. A somewhat lopsided box. That sparked a memory from his childhood, of time spent in an old washing machine box, holes cut into the sides as fake windows and hours spent fantasizing about space exploration. His childish memories gave John enough belief to power up the ship and make an old forgotten dream come true.
****
John was rather impressed with the leader of the Athosian people. Zoe Emmorgan was intelligent, courageous, and not afraid to speak her mind. And her knowledge of the varying peoples in the Pegasus galaxy was priceless and just what they needed from an embedded asset
****
Fusco came bounding up to John, trailed by Finch and Carter at a more sedate pace. Lionel was rather excited that Dr. Tillman’s gene therapy had worked and that Finch had him testing the glowing object attached to his chest. On hearing that said ancient object was most likely a personal defense shield, John found himself getting more interested. Finch ran down the expected tolerances and capabilities of the shield but said that further testing was needed to confirm. John nodded sagely and promptly pushed Fusco off the balcony. Fortunately, Fusco survived unhurt and seemed torn between offense at the unannounced shove and elation at the success of the test. Finch scowled at Reese, muttered something about unscientific method, and began entering data in his laptop. Carter laughed and told Fusco to just be glad John hadn’t shot him. John smiled and said “I would have aimed for the knee, just in case”
****
John wasn’t sure which was more amusing: Finch’s reaction to ancient tech used as a common household item (“A doorstop! Did you see what they were using as a doorstop! That’s like…like…words fail me in trying to find an example equally as vile!) or when Finch found ancient tech being worshipped as holy relics (“It would be different if they comprehended even one fraction of its function or capability!” “I don’t know Finch, I’d say you get the same way about some of the tech we’ve found.” “That is completely different! The science and design used in some of these devices is truly awe inspiring and fully merits my wonder and appreciation. These people in their ignorance heap adulation on what is to them merely a very pretty rock.” “I don’t know Finch, you have to admit they are some pretty fine rocks.” “Don’t start with me Mr. Reese, and before you dig yourself in deeper, may I remind you about your own religious experience when we found that cache of drones? And before you start to deny how you reacted….I have pictures.”
****
John was glad he had included Fusco on his team when he discovered the man was both willing and able to eat nearly anything. On their off world missions, Fusco was never phased by the latest “delicacy” and would start eating with gusto whatever was placed before him. His table manners might need some improvement, but he more than made up for it in his enthusiasm. Although they thought it unlikely their potential allies might deliberately poison them, having Fusco serve as a de facto taste tester reassured the rest of the group. And Reese suspected in some cases he was serving as a little more than that. Finch was a finicky eater under the best circumstances (and granted, the cuisine on Atlantis could use some improvement at times) and John was sure that with some of the things they had been presented with as “food” Finch’s palate would definitely overrule his inherent politeness. But while Finch was also a more dainty eater, even in the field, at the end of each meal his plate would be just as cleared as those of the other team members. Reese was sure Fusco played a role in that somehow. Finch was too smart and too sneaky not to use Fusco’s natural appetites to his own advantage. John just could never catch how he did it - regardless of their relative seating arrangements the result at the end of each meal was always the same. John had too much pride to ask Fusco (and Finch would never tell), but he was still determined to discover the covert method and turn it to his own advantage.
****
As the headman’s daughter sidled up to John, placed her hand on his arm and murmured “I’m sure there is much you could teach us” John thought despondently that he never seemed to see this coming.
Not so his team, who apparently could see this coming well enough to place odds and take bets. Fortunately for John it seemed they had also worked out countermeasures. Carter stepped up, wrapped her hand around John’s other arm and with a rather shark-like smile asked him “Darling, who is your little friend?” Fusco, meanwhile, began fawning rather shamelessly over the flustered girl. Finch simultaneously had gone over to the headman and muttered something softly in his ear. From the frown the headman sent his way, John really didn’t think he wanted to know what Finch was saying about him.
****
Finch didn’t like the world Fusco had playfully dubbed “Amish world,” but then Finch seemed to be offended by most of the low-tech cultures they encountered in the Pegasus galaxy. Finch was scanning through his instruments and muttering to himself so intently that Reese had to twice keep him from tripping over roots and stones in his path. Definitely more agitation than usual for such bucolic settings. As Finch was both the smartest and most paranoid person John knew, he thought a little extra caution wouldn’t go amiss despite Zoe’s report on their potential new allies. John looked over Finch’s shoulder and gave Carter and Fusco a quite nod, which they acknowledged by going silently on alert.
***
John hadn’t like the Genii when they first met, when he realized they sacrificed their own people in their atomic research and their “allies” in the name of keeping their own closely guarded secrets. It was a shame one of the most technologically advanced groups they had encountered in the Pegasus galaxy were so untrustworthy and despicable…
John liked them even less when he realized they were taking advantage of the evacuation of the city due to the oncoming storm as an opportunity to seize Atlantis for themselves. John formed an intense and special dislike for this “Kolya” when he threatened the lives of Nathan and Harold if Reese refused to surrender himself. If he killed them, he would be killing the brains and the heart of the mission, which would then assuredly fail in its attempt to prevent the wraith from ever traveling from the Pegasus galaxy to earth. That was something John simply couldn’t allow…
***
The personal defense lessens were going over about as well as the initial firearms lessons. But Finch made all too tempting a target - either due to his big brain or his small stature - for John to want him in the field without a means of defending himself (especially if he was so hesitant to use his weapon to defend himself from their more human enemies). Finch had curled up his nose in distaste at John’s initial instructions, but the lesson had been cut short by a suspiciously fortunate scientific emergency calling Finch away. John was surprised when Carter had approached him afterward and suggested maybe she should try giving Finch some basic instruction.
John was even more surprised (along with everyone else) when during a subsequent mission Finch kneed Kolya in the groin during a hostage situation. It provided the distraction his team needed to take on their captors and turn the tables. On the way back Carter was beaming like a proud momma and Finch was smugly self-satisfied. Fusco couldn’t stop chuckling and saying “did you see his face!” and even John found himself smiling.
AUTHOR: whomii2
RATING: PG
WARNINGS: possible spoilers for Stargate Atlantis
DISCLAIMER: do not own
WORD COUNT: 3455
SUMMARY: What if another John possessed the Ancient gene, and other people served on the Atlantis Expedition
NOTE: POI characters placed in Stargate Atlantis universe. Some familiarity with SGA helpful but not strictly necessary. Series of related drabbles (in this universe instead of having everyone take a one-way trip through the stargate the expedition went to Atlantis on a ship)
John Reese was used to kicking ass. He just never thought it would be alien ass.
He lay down covering fire and indicated Carter and Fusco should fall back in preparation for when Finch finished fixing the DHD . He had saved some grenades and C4 to hold off the attackin wraith when they could finally dial out.
It had been a long, strange road that brought him here. It had started as he sat in a New York City interrogation room, waiting for the inevitable fallout that running his fingerprints would bring. He idly wondered if it would be better to go out with a “bang” rather than the slow fade into oblivion his drinking had brought him.
He was rather surprised when a guy in a suit entered the room. Reese had just enough time to think that the suit seemed much too classy for a public defender’s salary when the bespectacled gentlemen took something from his pocket, said “catch” and tossed it at John. Taken off guard, John reflexively caught the small metallic object and was doubly surprised when the object began to hum and emit a faint glow. The intruder nodded in satisfaction and touched an ear-bud stating “Subject confirmed. Proceed as planned.” He then turned to John and said “Hello Mr. Reese. How would you like to save the planet?”
“That’s rather a tall order, don’t you think?”
“Unlike your previous employers, you’ll find I wont lie to you. That includes embellishment and hyperbole. The job I am offering, while both more dangerous and more terrifying than anything you may have encountered previously, at the end of the day if successful could in fact ensure the continued safety of the Earth and its peoples. For a man like you who has only ever wanted to protect people, I think the end result would justify those risks”
While John sat there unsure of what to say, the man went on “but before we can go into detail, you will need to sign a number of secrecy forms as this is well above your current clearance, and we will need to move to a more secure location. You may as well get started on the former while we finish arrangements for the latter” With that he removed a rather intimidating pile of documents from his briefcase and handed them to John. John had made it through about 10 pages when the door opened again and a tall blond man entered, followed by 2 men who were obviously soldiers even if they were in civilian clothes. “Hello” the blond man introduced himself, “my name is Nathan Ingram and you have already met my colleague Harold Finch. .If all goes well we hope that you will soon be working with us.”
***
When he finally got his briefing John couldn’t help but accept a position with Stargate Command. Having heard of the threat the vampiric wraith in the Pegasus galaxy might pose to Earth he felt compelled to do all he could to protect her. He hadn’t been filled with such an urgent need to serve since the day he watched the towers fall and changed the course of his life forever. And if John had a special genetic quirk that allowed him to operate ancient alien technology, then he was more than willing to put it to good use to prevent the wraith from ever coming to Earth and using her population as food. After taking a position on the Atlantis expedition John did a little digging into his new bosses. Ingram was a wealthy businessman, who’s position as head of a multi-national company gave him both business and political connections. A deeper look showed that his company supplied the majority of the advanced tech used by the Stargate program. And reading between the lines indicated that most of those technical breakthroughs were probably spearheaded by Finch. So it wasn’t surprising that they were able to use their influence to obtain positions as Mission Head and Chief Science Officer if they so desired.
John wasn’t surprised that Finch hadn’t revealed his true position on the expedition during the early stages of recruitment. He figured Finch could give John‘s former CIA colleagues a run for their money in terms of paranoia and secrecy. Observing from a place of anonymity certainly would give him a greater read on the true character of the potential recruits than revealing that he was the Chief Science Officer. Most people saw him trailing quietly after Ingram and took him to be a mere assistant or glorified secretary, rather than the power behind the throne. John was amused to think that the situation was more accurate as the reverse, with Ingram taking on the onerous jobs of personnel management and bureaucratic paperwork so that Finch wouldn’t have to bother. And yet Ingram was more than just a figurehead. John had almost a grudging respect for the man. He had seen him expertly maneuver effortlessly and rather ruthlessly through the politics necessary to get the expedition equipped and ready. And yet he wasn’t just a glib politico - he was actually a man of vision with a strong sense of duty, who truly believed in the necessity of what they were attempting and its implications for the future of the human race.
***
Reese was exhausted after all the traveling he had done to get from the Colorado base to the outpost in Antarctica. But Finch had been insistent that he test his gene in “The Chair.” Reese figured the distances involved were the only thing preventing Finch from seeing to the test himself. So he was surprised when he was ushered into the room and found Finch already standing by the aforementioned Chair, typing away on his laptop. “Where did you come from?” “I breached the space time continuum……Not really, I used the Asgard transporter on the Prometheus. After all, I am extremely busy and my time is too valuable to waste. Now kindly be seated so we can get started. The testing has already been delayed by your late arrival.” John sat down with a thump. Damn, he should have known his hacking into the personnel files wouldn’t go undetected.
***
As their departure date grew closer John applied himself to the task of selecting his off world team. The “science” position was easy. Finch was their best expert on the alien tech they would be trying to uncover.
The next person he selected was Carter. She had field experience, both in the army and on the force. More important, her skill as an interrogator John hoped could be just as easily turned to skill as a negotiator. The only “negotiating” John did tended to come at the end of a weapon, and it was unlikely Finch would opt for the role considering he had manipulated Ingram into doing it for him in the past. The team could definitely use someone willing to sit down and talk things out.
The last person he selected might have surprised some people. Detective Fusco had become a member of the SGC by happy accident, meaning he encountered and survived exposure to an alien menace. People who met the enemy and lived were often absorbed into the SGC if possible. Fusco seemed to be on good terms with most everyone. People liked him and rarely saw him as a threat, though in the latter case Reese thought they were rather underestimating Lionel. Reese was mildly impressed with what he had seen of Fusco’s record. He had shown both dogged determination and quite a bit of luck in some hairy situations. Both would be assets to the team. Once John broke him of some bad habits and trained him right, Fusco would make an excellent subordinate.
****
Finch had looked disgruntled but oddly pleased when John had asked him to join his team when needed on off world missions. Finch had looked somewhat less pleased when John indicated that the flight out to the Pegasus galaxy on the Daedalus would be a great opportunity for Finch to gain some familiarity with the weapons all members of away teams would be required to carry. John should have expected retaliation, but was still caught off guard when Finch stated that the rest of the team should also take the opportunity of the long flight to increase their skill set. He handed over a number of documents on wormhole theory, ancient linguistics, and DHD schematics for them to study. Seeing the looks Carter and Fusco were sending his way, John was glad he didn’t have any live fire training scheduled with them in the near future.
****
John had trailed Finch to the engineering section of the ship during their mutual downtime en route to Pegasus, intent on getting some clarification on the wormhole theory Finch had assigned him to read. He stopped dead on entering the room when he found Finch sharing tea and conversation with…an alien. A Roswell alien at that. As John found himself pinned by two mildly disgruntled fixed stares, he could only stammer “I…I…” There were two delicate “hmmfs” and then Harold and the alien each returned to sipping their tea while waiting for John to collect himself “he has a twin - and its an alien”
***
John didn’t worry too much about the room assignments when they reached Atlantis. Finch would no doubt ensure his team had the most comfortable, convenient, and defensible rooms in the entire city.
****
Nathan Ingram showed his worth immediately on their arrival. Settling in such a large contingent of people and equipment in so short a time would have been a truly daunting task without his amazing organizational skills. With step-by-step plans in place and key staff charged with their implementation, Ingram took to passing through the city checking up on status and meeting with people. Morale was definitely improved by his smiling presence, especially among the more skittish scientists (Finch wasn’t much in the way of a hand holder - more of a throw them in the deep end and see if they can swim kind of guy). Most of the military staff were assigned either drills or patrols, and John found that they tended to be more settled. Still, they weren’t immune to a bump in good will from a “keep up the good work” from their civilian commander.
****
John finished reviewing the daily reports, went over the orders for tomorrow, and figured it was time to start “light switch duty” down in the labs. It had been clear from the start that the success or failure of this mission was going to rest heavily on the science staff. And the head of the sciences was one prickly, stubborn Harold Finch. The man seemed to have his eyes on everything going on in the city, and John wondered when Finch had time to sleep or eat. When John found Finch asleep at his computer one morning John was forced to conclude Finch didn’t. And considering that during a crisis Finch might be their most valuable resource having him in a perpetually exhausted condition was unacceptable. So John scheduled his “light switch” duties around dinnertime, and stopped by the commissary to pick up tea and coffee and order dinners for them before heading to the lab. John knew Nathan had people delivering light meals and snacks throughout the day, but no one on the science staff (or even in the military) would willingly tell the CSO to pack up and go home at the end of the day. And since Nathan was currently mothering almost the entire expedition, it appeared he didn’t have as much time to spend managing his friend as he had in the past. An exhausted but grateful smile as they passed in the halls showed he was glad John was both willing and able to take up the slack in this case. John entered the lab and began the long process of winding Finch down in preparation for sending him home to bed. While Finch began the explanation of the items he wanted John to test, John sent Fusco off to retrieve their dinners. John had started having Fusco trail Finch when they didn’t have an immediate assignment. It kept Lionel out of trouble, and John felt better having an eye on such an important asset. While Fusco would be unlikely to manage Finch on his own, he could call John in as reinforcement if the situation so demanded. John sipped his coffee and mused that Finch might not be the only one relaxed by their evening ritual and teasing banter.
****
Although Finch swore that the object in question was in fact a space vehicle, John was skeptical that anything so unwieldy could actually fly. It looked like -- a box. A somewhat lopsided box. That sparked a memory from his childhood, of time spent in an old washing machine box, holes cut into the sides as fake windows and hours spent fantasizing about space exploration. His childish memories gave John enough belief to power up the ship and make an old forgotten dream come true.
****
John was rather impressed with the leader of the Athosian people. Zoe Emmorgan was intelligent, courageous, and not afraid to speak her mind. And her knowledge of the varying peoples in the Pegasus galaxy was priceless and just what they needed from an embedded asset
****
Fusco came bounding up to John, trailed by Finch and Carter at a more sedate pace. Lionel was rather excited that Dr. Tillman’s gene therapy had worked and that Finch had him testing the glowing object attached to his chest. On hearing that said ancient object was most likely a personal defense shield, John found himself getting more interested. Finch ran down the expected tolerances and capabilities of the shield but said that further testing was needed to confirm. John nodded sagely and promptly pushed Fusco off the balcony. Fortunately, Fusco survived unhurt and seemed torn between offense at the unannounced shove and elation at the success of the test. Finch scowled at Reese, muttered something about unscientific method, and began entering data in his laptop. Carter laughed and told Fusco to just be glad John hadn’t shot him. John smiled and said “I would have aimed for the knee, just in case”
****
John wasn’t sure which was more amusing: Finch’s reaction to ancient tech used as a common household item (“A doorstop! Did you see what they were using as a doorstop! That’s like…like…words fail me in trying to find an example equally as vile!) or when Finch found ancient tech being worshipped as holy relics (“It would be different if they comprehended even one fraction of its function or capability!” “I don’t know Finch, I’d say you get the same way about some of the tech we’ve found.” “That is completely different! The science and design used in some of these devices is truly awe inspiring and fully merits my wonder and appreciation. These people in their ignorance heap adulation on what is to them merely a very pretty rock.” “I don’t know Finch, you have to admit they are some pretty fine rocks.” “Don’t start with me Mr. Reese, and before you dig yourself in deeper, may I remind you about your own religious experience when we found that cache of drones? And before you start to deny how you reacted….I have pictures.”
****
John was glad he had included Fusco on his team when he discovered the man was both willing and able to eat nearly anything. On their off world missions, Fusco was never phased by the latest “delicacy” and would start eating with gusto whatever was placed before him. His table manners might need some improvement, but he more than made up for it in his enthusiasm. Although they thought it unlikely their potential allies might deliberately poison them, having Fusco serve as a de facto taste tester reassured the rest of the group. And Reese suspected in some cases he was serving as a little more than that. Finch was a finicky eater under the best circumstances (and granted, the cuisine on Atlantis could use some improvement at times) and John was sure that with some of the things they had been presented with as “food” Finch’s palate would definitely overrule his inherent politeness. But while Finch was also a more dainty eater, even in the field, at the end of each meal his plate would be just as cleared as those of the other team members. Reese was sure Fusco played a role in that somehow. Finch was too smart and too sneaky not to use Fusco’s natural appetites to his own advantage. John just could never catch how he did it - regardless of their relative seating arrangements the result at the end of each meal was always the same. John had too much pride to ask Fusco (and Finch would never tell), but he was still determined to discover the covert method and turn it to his own advantage.
****
As the headman’s daughter sidled up to John, placed her hand on his arm and murmured “I’m sure there is much you could teach us” John thought despondently that he never seemed to see this coming.
Not so his team, who apparently could see this coming well enough to place odds and take bets. Fortunately for John it seemed they had also worked out countermeasures. Carter stepped up, wrapped her hand around John’s other arm and with a rather shark-like smile asked him “Darling, who is your little friend?” Fusco, meanwhile, began fawning rather shamelessly over the flustered girl. Finch simultaneously had gone over to the headman and muttered something softly in his ear. From the frown the headman sent his way, John really didn’t think he wanted to know what Finch was saying about him.
****
Finch didn’t like the world Fusco had playfully dubbed “Amish world,” but then Finch seemed to be offended by most of the low-tech cultures they encountered in the Pegasus galaxy. Finch was scanning through his instruments and muttering to himself so intently that Reese had to twice keep him from tripping over roots and stones in his path. Definitely more agitation than usual for such bucolic settings. As Finch was both the smartest and most paranoid person John knew, he thought a little extra caution wouldn’t go amiss despite Zoe’s report on their potential new allies. John looked over Finch’s shoulder and gave Carter and Fusco a quite nod, which they acknowledged by going silently on alert.
***
John hadn’t like the Genii when they first met, when he realized they sacrificed their own people in their atomic research and their “allies” in the name of keeping their own closely guarded secrets. It was a shame one of the most technologically advanced groups they had encountered in the Pegasus galaxy were so untrustworthy and despicable…
John liked them even less when he realized they were taking advantage of the evacuation of the city due to the oncoming storm as an opportunity to seize Atlantis for themselves. John formed an intense and special dislike for this “Kolya” when he threatened the lives of Nathan and Harold if Reese refused to surrender himself. If he killed them, he would be killing the brains and the heart of the mission, which would then assuredly fail in its attempt to prevent the wraith from ever traveling from the Pegasus galaxy to earth. That was something John simply couldn’t allow…
***
The personal defense lessens were going over about as well as the initial firearms lessons. But Finch made all too tempting a target - either due to his big brain or his small stature - for John to want him in the field without a means of defending himself (especially if he was so hesitant to use his weapon to defend himself from their more human enemies). Finch had curled up his nose in distaste at John’s initial instructions, but the lesson had been cut short by a suspiciously fortunate scientific emergency calling Finch away. John was surprised when Carter had approached him afterward and suggested maybe she should try giving Finch some basic instruction.
John was even more surprised (along with everyone else) when during a subsequent mission Finch kneed Kolya in the groin during a hostage situation. It provided the distraction his team needed to take on their captors and turn the tables. On the way back Carter was beaming like a proud momma and Finch was smugly self-satisfied. Fusco couldn’t stop chuckling and saying “did you see his face!” and even John found himself smiling.