OTA - Arrival

[has_2ls]

Of all the fool damn things he’s done over the years, Jack is pretty sure that diving into icy cold water is way, way up on the list. McKay needs him to drain the jumper bay and apparently the only way to do that is to dive down there, look around for some switch, and flip it. McKay seems to think it’s pretty obvious but apparently Jack’s having an obtuse day - none of these controls seem obvious in any sense of the word.

The cold seeps in almost down to his bones and his lungs are burning from lack of air. He can hold his breath for a decent amount of time but he’s got no idea which of these switches he’s supposed to be pushing or pulling. Nothing to do but go back up and bark at McKay until he can give him a better description of what is and isn’t obvious on Atlantis. Damn Ancients. Why couldn’t it have been one of those ATA activated things where he could just think “open” from up on the ground, dry, and skirt around this whole mess?

When he breaks the surface again, Woolsey is there looking all expectant-like and Jack wishes like hell he had something to tell him. Thing is, he doesn’t and Woolsey isn’t the one he needs to talk to anyway.

“Did you do it?” Jack shakes his head and holds out his palm. “Radio.” Woolsey hands it over with a minimum of fuss but he’s still hovering and Jack knows that he’ll have to feed him something just to keep him from panicking and revealing their position. First things first, he’s got to talk to McKay.

“McKay. You and I have very different definitions of the word obvious.” McKay squawks a little, out of his element, and Jack interrupts him. “There are dozens of controls down there and I wouldn’t even know how to describe.” Still, he and McKay come to some kind of consensus that the emergency switch should be toward the middle of the console and extremely prominent. Jack hopes, for everyone’s sake, that he’s right.

He’s not really fond of going back in the water but a little cold water’s hardly the worst thing he’s faced in twenty plus years of a decorated military career. If Sheppard and his team can pull off this rescue, it will have been more than worth it for Jack to get hypothermia and frostbite. More than worth it. He takes in a deep breath and goes back under, swimming to the center of the room and pushing at a likely switch.

It seems to be draining the room, so Jack releases it, only to see the water rush back in. Great. One more trip topside to inform McKay that he’s a complete idiot and he’s back in the water again, hopefully for the last time. He pushes at the switch and ignores the burn in his lungs, ignores the way his vision goes black around the edges. When everything starts feeling fuzzy and he feels light-headed, he keeps holding on, knowing that everyone’s fate pretty much depends on Sheppard and the rest of them getting into Atlantis to take it back from these damn replicators.

He focuses on that, the rescue, and it feels like time slows down and he’s suspended for a little while. The big difference is that he feels like he’s sprawled out on a flat surface and while he’s wet and cold, it doesn’t feel like he’s underwater anymore. He gasps in a deep breath, chokes on it, and spends the next few seconds coughing and sputtering and wondering where in the galaxy he’s wound up. Replicators. Of course. Like as not, he’s in a room somewhere with some alien’s hand in his head and none of this is even real. When he hears footsteps, he decides to go on the offensive.

“Look. You’re not getting anything from me. Hell, I don’t even know anything. You captured the wrong guy if you wanna know how to get from Pegasus to Milky Way because I don’t even know how the damn gate works, much less that bridge Carter and McKay dreamed up. Completely out of luck.”

There. That should satisfy them, right?

[[Jack is sprawled out in a hallway after having been winked aboard by Q. He is also soaking wet :)]]

Comments

[student_lighter]

After running around, well orbing around, all over the ship after a little power mishap (seriously, how does that even happen on a ship this big? Don't they have backups or something?), Chris was just happy to see someone who wasn't his charge. All those people in his head were giving him a headache.

What he needed was alcohol. Real alcohol. Which wouldn't normally be a problem except he was pretty sure all of the guests on the ship had the same idea. And of course there was the whole 'if it came from the replicators, it was fake booze' thing.

Chris was walking down the hallway for some hopefully real beer and something to eat after all that orbing, when he came across a very wet older man lying in the hallway.

"You know, of all the things on my mind right now, trying to get from one galaxy to another really wasn't on my list. You know what was? Cheeseburger. Why do these things always happen to me?" Chris muttered, crossing his arms and debating leaning over to help the man up.

The Whitelighter-Witch finally leaned over to help the soaking wet man up. "You probably need some new clothes." Cause Chris really didn't want to walk down the hallway with guy's shoes squishing all the way. That and he really didn't know who was responsible for cleanup on this ship.

[has_2ls]

"Since when does a Replicator care about clothes?" Jack isn't particularly in the mood to go back and forth with another Replicator but he is willing to give it a shot that maybe, just maybe, this guy is a human.

"You guys aren't particularly known for the hospitality business." More like the sticking-their-hand-in-your-head-stealing-info business.

[student_lighter]

"Um, do I look like a replicator?" Chris gave the wet hallway guy a 'what the fuck' look. "And I'm pretty sure replicators can do clothes. Just not weapons. If I'm remembering the speech the security guy gave."

Chris shook his head. Why was he even still here? This was like the one guy on the ship he so far didn't have to care about. But knowing him and his luck, that would probably change and he'd end up with yet another charge. He had like 20. Paige had 2. That was totally fair.

[has_2ls]

"Replicators are human form robots so...yeah? You could totally be a Replicator."

Jack isn't sure where the breakdown in communication is but he's beginning to think this guy, at least, is human. Replicators tend to like to evil laugh and share their plans. They're not that bright.

[student_lighter]

"Uh, no. Replicators are those things in the wall that produce food and clothing and things. Don't ask me how, I don't know. Nor do I care, actually. And for your information? Totally not a robot. But hey, keep thinking that way if it makes you feel better. I still think you might want to get some dry clothes. Unless you think it might magically make you into a robot or something."

Chris gave him a look.

[notdrfrasier]

"Um..." Okay so maybe that wasn't the most eloquent or professional greeting to be giving a General but General O'Neill was really the last - okay maybe not last but close to it person she expected to see on the ship. Especially when said General was sprawled out in the middle of the hallway.

Carolyn quickly looked around just to make sure that no one else from the SGC had decided to show up because of Q but she didn't see anyone else. Probably a good thing. Colonel Mitchell would probably end up hurting himself trying to get them all back home and she didn't even want to think about what Vala or Teal'c would do.

"Uh, General O'Neill?" she finally managed to get out, even as she was leaning over him to make sure that he was okay. "No one captured you because of... Well whatever bridge you're talking about." She extended her hand to him, clearly wanting to help him get on his feet. "Are you okay?"

[has_2ls]

"Hey, Dr. Lam," Jack says, trying to decide if he could actually get up or not. He didn't recall getting from Atlantis back to the SGC but if Lam was here, he must have.

"You about to poke the hell out of me so I can get through the quarantine and go back to DC? Because if it's all the same to you, I'd rather just lay here and be dead for a little while longer."

Still, he needs to get up so he gets up the gumption and grasps her hand, pulling himself to his feet.

[notdrfrasier]

"No. Why would I--" She cut herself off though and her eyebrows drew together in a bit of confusion. HE obviously had no idea where he was but it seemed like he thought he was back in the SGC.

She doesn't say anything else for a few moments as she helped him to his feet and then gave him a quick look over. He seemed to have everything intact, which was good because she really didn't feel comfortable doing much medical stuff on the ship yet. She still had a lot of technology to catch up on.

"Where exactly do you think you are? Because we're not there. In fact we're no where near any place you might be thinking about."

[has_2ls]

"Well, I was on Atlantis which was in the middle of a pretty nasty bug infestation and now I'm...where, exactly?"

Because Jack isn't really liking this lack of information but he isn't going to hold that against Lam. She's just doing her job, especially when that part of the job consists of dealing with a cranky old bastard like him.

[notdrfrasier]

"Really?" She quickly shook her head and held her hand up because she really wasn't doubting him. "Okay, I know this is going to sound really bizarre-- well maybe not so much considering where we work - but we're on a space ship called The Enterprise and we're not even anywhere near our timeline."

She sucked in a breath before continuing on. "So this alien called Q, which is also his race name, decided to snatch us and bring us here. I don't know why and no one else seems to either which just makes things all that much weirder, but there's a lot of people on board who were snatched just like us. Jonas Quinn is here. Colonel Sheppard was and so was some Wraith but they were sent back some how. And! There are people here who look like people we know but aren't them. It's really strange."

So she rambled all of that information out for him. Hopefully he caught it all.

[disneydescendant]

Henry was on his way back from the holodeck and his regular training routine. So he was dressed in loose fitting trousers and t-shirt but most important of all, he had bare feet. He liked the fact he didn't need shoes on here but only usually ignored them for his training sessions.

The voice caught the fourteen year old just as he felt the water on the ground. Not that it bothered him. He just smiled. He took in the information, not understanding most of it, but decided to play along. Because he was always full of good ideas!

"Well then, maybe I should get Carter and McKay to explain it to me." He laughed and held out his hand to help up the man. "Or I could just explain I have no idea what you're talking about and you're not where you think you are?"

[has_2ls]

For some reason, kids always make him think of his kid even though Charlie would be a heck of a lot older than this guy if he were still alive. Still, Jack's face is a little softer than it usually is and he takes the kid's hand.

"Yeah, too much to ask for a couple of science geeks to come and explain everything to me. Where is...here, exactly?"

[disneydescendant]

"Starship Enterprise. The year is 2368. And I have no idea where exactly in space we are but I'm not really that bothered."

He smiled at the man as he helped him up. "I'm Henry. Henry Mills. My quarters are just down the hall. I can use the replicator and get you some dry clothes if you like."

[has_2ls]

Jack tilts his head and assesses the kid carefully. "You know Replicators are nasty robots who are trying to take over the galaxy, right?" Although, maybe in 2368 they've been tamed down or something. Jack hardly knows but he's not inclined to trust anything named with the R word. Not right now.

"Because if they've got you duped, you're in trouble, kid."

[disneydescendant]

"Maybe where you come from. Come on, I'll show you." And, still holding Jack's hand, he intends to drag him down the hall. If nothing else, Henry needs to dry his feet.

He's used to being called kid by his mother so he doesn't bother answering that. But he does ask the stranger a seemingly odd question. "Do you like dogs?"

[so_vain]

This speech was wasted on the Cat because he didn't understand a word of it. "Hey, you're all wet!" Cat grinned and pointed, making sure not to stand too close.

Of course he wasn't going to help. Maybe if it had been Lister and Lister had threatened him, but he was definitely not going to get his suit wet for some guy he didn't know.

[has_2ls]

"Thanks, I wasn't aware," Jack says, finally getting enough gumption to get up and take to his feet. It's not as fast as he'd like, at this age and stage in the game, but he manages and that's good enough. That's all he can ask for. As much as he hates flying a desk, he's definitely missing his ergonomic chair right about now.

"You know where I can go do something about that?"

[so_vain]

Cat gave him a good look and decided, based on what he was wearing, this wasn't anyone important. Not that Cat's answer would have been different if he had been.

He shrugged. "Maybe."

[has_2ls]

"Well you've been delightfully unhelpful," Jack says, rolling his eyes. He doesn't have time for yet another replicator moron in his way and since this one isn't actively killing him, he can just push him aside.

[reincarnshaman]

Trever, with Veena on his shoulder, just sort of stared at the man. He didn't know where the poor guy came from but he looked military. And damp. And apparently been kidnapped on a regular basis. Possibly for working for a top secret organization, because that sounded exactly what he'd say in a similar situation. Admittedly he wasn't part of a top secret organization persay, but he did have access to Things that other people shouldn't. Also, royalty.

"Would you like a towel instead?"

[has_2ls]

"I would absolutely like a towel," Jack says, thinking that he could be offered a towel by a wraith and accept it at this point. This guy isn't a wraith, looks normal, and Jack is grateful for the help.

"You got a name to go along with the towel?"

[reincarnshaman]

Trever's no wraith, but he was friends with one. Though normal might be pushing it a little. He does look it.

"Trever McCallum," he said, pulling a towel - clean - out of a gym bag and tossed it to him. He'd been going to the gym when he ran into the guy. "The cat is Veena. You?"

[has_2ls]

Jack dries his hair a little before responding. "Jack O'Neill," he says, grinning a bit. "Good to meet you. Wish it could have been under drier circumstances, though, since I'm flooding all over the place here."

[a_quick_study]

"Colonel O'Neill?"

Carter. McKay. Milky Way. Those names he recognizes, but he doesn't know what O'Neill is talking about. It is definitely O'Neill, though. He'd recognize that voice and that tone anywhere, even after more than a year (he has, after all, got his memory back).

Jonas, PADD clutched under one arm, hurries down the corridor to where O'Neill is lying, crouching down beside SG-1's leader.

"Are you all right?"

[has_2ls]

"General now, kid," Jack says, grinning up at Jonas. "Jonas. How the hell are you? Haven't seen you in forever."

Not since Daniel came back from the dead, anyway. Still, this is someone from the SGC and someone he considers a friend so he can't be in too much of a bind.