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jedibuttercupPG-13, B:tVS/SGA; 1000 words. (For August 14; follows Hello, My Name Is).
At least Rodney could be sure one of the new wave wasn't worthless; he looked forward to seeing what else the computer genius would contribute in the future.
Title: A Hire Well Made
Author: Jedi Buttercup
Disclaimer: The words are mine; the worlds belong to SyFy and Whedon.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: At least Rodney could be sure one of the new wave wasn't worthless; he looked forward to seeing what else the computer genius would contribute in the future. 1000 words.
Spoilers: B:tVS post-"Chosen", no comics; SGA 2.02 "The Intruder"
Challenge:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
twistedshorts - August, Day 14
Notes: Follows Hello, My Name Is. Downpayment on a request for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
butterflyflame.
Despite the rocky start to the interview, and the strange reluctance of the N.I.D. to provide any information regarding the project they'd helped sponsor in Sunnydale other than the fact that it had existed, Rodney had a hard time finding any reason not to hire Daniel 'Oz' Osbourne other than his young age and lack of impressive qualifications. Elizabeth heard him out on the subject, then agreed, and when the Daedalus left Earth the kid was aboard it.
He'd dyed his hair green since Rodney had last seen him, a shade amazingly close to the ubiquitous military olive, and carried his official personal item in a case bigger than the duffel bag all of his other possessions fit into: apparently, he was something of a musician. He brought the guitar out several times during the weeks-long journey from Earth to the Ancient city, much to the delight of the bored scientists and soldiers also making the trip. Most of them had no official duties to keep them busy yet, and the only other entertainment items anyone had thought to bring (that were suitable for public consumption, anyway) were a few decks of cards and portable game consoles.
Sheppard had taken well to him; that went without saying. Literally. The first time Rodney introduced Oz to the commander of Atlantis' military forces, the short, quiet computer technician and the tall, wiry Colonel stared at each other for several tense seconds without saying a word. The hair stood up on the back of Rodney's neck as he watched them tilt their heads in near-symmetry and silently assess each other, and he would have sworn he saw something alien flash in Oz's eyes. A second later, however, they were nodding cordially to each other and trading sarcastic quips as if nothing had ever happened.
It was possible nothing had, of course. Rodney had never claimed to be the best judge of people. Still, he had a feeling something had been a little off about their reaction to each other.
The other members of Atlantis' leadership team had also struck up friendly acquaintances with Oz, despite his relative youth and lack of qualifications. After dealing with all of the other unique and often forceful personalities that made up the Atlantis Expedition, something about the unnaturally even-tempered young man whose wardrobe and hair often spoke louder than he did seemed to catch their attention, much as it had Rodney's in their interview. Elizabeth was amused by his taciturn, dry wit, and found him an interesting conversational partner regarding the many foreign countries they'd both visited; Teyla seemed fascinated by his colorful off-duty wear and his musical hobby; and Zelenka had pronounced him less of an idiot than most of the other "experts" on the expedition's computer team.
The only one Oz didn't seem to get along with was Carson, probably because of the classified lock on Oz's medical records. Given how often the expedition members were in danger of their lives, Carson took a dim view of anything that might prevent him from effectively treating any patient, but Oz refused to open his mouth on the subject. He wouldn't even let Carson take a blood sample from him, not even to run a test for the recessive Ancient gene that would qualify him for the ATA gene therapy, and had the legal language in his personnel file to back him up. Whoever the ISWC were-- other than the employer for several of Oz's personal references-- they had enough clout with the member nations participating in the IOA that not even Carson's diatribe about the potential for carrying unknown diseases into a closed environment earned him any leeway on the subject.
Rodney had to admit that Carson had a point there. Who knew what horrific pathogens Oz might have picked up in the bars he used to play guitar at or in his overseas travels that might escape into the pressure cooker of Atlantis and sneak under the city's quarantine sensors to infect Rodney unaware? The events that transpired near the end of their return flight to Atlantis, however, wiped any thought of potential Oz-borne biological contaminants out of his mind. They had quite enough to deal with foiling the artificial virus sown in their ship's computer systems by the Wraith, and if it hadn't been for Oz's expertise things might have gone a lot worse. Rodney himself hadn't been able to stop the virus from overtaking the Daedalus' systems, nor had their resident Asgard, Hermiod; until Oz had managed to gain access to the virus' code and shut it down, they had been in very real danger of cooking alive in the coronasphere of a star-- or being forced to take potentially drastic measures.
Some welcome to the program. Even Kavanaugh had stopped insulting the kid about his lack of doctorates after that incident.
The thing that later stuck out the most in Rodney's mind about Oz's introduction to Atlantis, however, wasn't his appearance, or any of those early meetings, or his unassuming heroics. It was the look on his face in that first moment after they set foot in the city itself; the sudden quiet joy tugging at the corners of Oz's mouth and lighting up his eyes. Whatever it was that made Atlantis truly home to some people and not just another foreign posting, Oz felt it.
Rodney patted himself on the back for a hire well made. At least he could be sure one of the new wave wasn't worthless; he looked forward to seeing what else the computer genius would contribute in the future.
Now, if only he could wring that level of usefulness out of certain other wastes of food and oxygen continually dragging him away from his own projects to demonstrate just how wrong they were…
Rodney shook his head at the error-filled mess of equations sprawled all over the nearest white board and picked up a marker. It was a tough job, but someone had to do it.
-~-
(x-posted totwistedshorts)
At least Rodney could be sure one of the new wave wasn't worthless; he looked forward to seeing what else the computer genius would contribute in the future.
Title: A Hire Well Made
Author: Jedi Buttercup
Disclaimer: The words are mine; the worlds belong to SyFy and Whedon.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: At least Rodney could be sure one of the new wave wasn't worthless; he looked forward to seeing what else the computer genius would contribute in the future. 1000 words.
Spoilers: B:tVS post-"Chosen", no comics; SGA 2.02 "The Intruder"
Challenge:
twistedshorts - August, Day 14Notes: Follows Hello, My Name Is. Downpayment on a request for
butterflyflame.Despite the rocky start to the interview, and the strange reluctance of the N.I.D. to provide any information regarding the project they'd helped sponsor in Sunnydale other than the fact that it had existed, Rodney had a hard time finding any reason not to hire Daniel 'Oz' Osbourne other than his young age and lack of impressive qualifications. Elizabeth heard him out on the subject, then agreed, and when the Daedalus left Earth the kid was aboard it.
He'd dyed his hair green since Rodney had last seen him, a shade amazingly close to the ubiquitous military olive, and carried his official personal item in a case bigger than the duffel bag all of his other possessions fit into: apparently, he was something of a musician. He brought the guitar out several times during the weeks-long journey from Earth to the Ancient city, much to the delight of the bored scientists and soldiers also making the trip. Most of them had no official duties to keep them busy yet, and the only other entertainment items anyone had thought to bring (that were suitable for public consumption, anyway) were a few decks of cards and portable game consoles.
Sheppard had taken well to him; that went without saying. Literally. The first time Rodney introduced Oz to the commander of Atlantis' military forces, the short, quiet computer technician and the tall, wiry Colonel stared at each other for several tense seconds without saying a word. The hair stood up on the back of Rodney's neck as he watched them tilt their heads in near-symmetry and silently assess each other, and he would have sworn he saw something alien flash in Oz's eyes. A second later, however, they were nodding cordially to each other and trading sarcastic quips as if nothing had ever happened.
It was possible nothing had, of course. Rodney had never claimed to be the best judge of people. Still, he had a feeling something had been a little off about their reaction to each other.
The other members of Atlantis' leadership team had also struck up friendly acquaintances with Oz, despite his relative youth and lack of qualifications. After dealing with all of the other unique and often forceful personalities that made up the Atlantis Expedition, something about the unnaturally even-tempered young man whose wardrobe and hair often spoke louder than he did seemed to catch their attention, much as it had Rodney's in their interview. Elizabeth was amused by his taciturn, dry wit, and found him an interesting conversational partner regarding the many foreign countries they'd both visited; Teyla seemed fascinated by his colorful off-duty wear and his musical hobby; and Zelenka had pronounced him less of an idiot than most of the other "experts" on the expedition's computer team.
The only one Oz didn't seem to get along with was Carson, probably because of the classified lock on Oz's medical records. Given how often the expedition members were in danger of their lives, Carson took a dim view of anything that might prevent him from effectively treating any patient, but Oz refused to open his mouth on the subject. He wouldn't even let Carson take a blood sample from him, not even to run a test for the recessive Ancient gene that would qualify him for the ATA gene therapy, and had the legal language in his personnel file to back him up. Whoever the ISWC were-- other than the employer for several of Oz's personal references-- they had enough clout with the member nations participating in the IOA that not even Carson's diatribe about the potential for carrying unknown diseases into a closed environment earned him any leeway on the subject.
Rodney had to admit that Carson had a point there. Who knew what horrific pathogens Oz might have picked up in the bars he used to play guitar at or in his overseas travels that might escape into the pressure cooker of Atlantis and sneak under the city's quarantine sensors to infect Rodney unaware? The events that transpired near the end of their return flight to Atlantis, however, wiped any thought of potential Oz-borne biological contaminants out of his mind. They had quite enough to deal with foiling the artificial virus sown in their ship's computer systems by the Wraith, and if it hadn't been for Oz's expertise things might have gone a lot worse. Rodney himself hadn't been able to stop the virus from overtaking the Daedalus' systems, nor had their resident Asgard, Hermiod; until Oz had managed to gain access to the virus' code and shut it down, they had been in very real danger of cooking alive in the coronasphere of a star-- or being forced to take potentially drastic measures.
Some welcome to the program. Even Kavanaugh had stopped insulting the kid about his lack of doctorates after that incident.
The thing that later stuck out the most in Rodney's mind about Oz's introduction to Atlantis, however, wasn't his appearance, or any of those early meetings, or his unassuming heroics. It was the look on his face in that first moment after they set foot in the city itself; the sudden quiet joy tugging at the corners of Oz's mouth and lighting up his eyes. Whatever it was that made Atlantis truly home to some people and not just another foreign posting, Oz felt it.
Rodney patted himself on the back for a hire well made. At least he could be sure one of the new wave wasn't worthless; he looked forward to seeing what else the computer genius would contribute in the future.
Now, if only he could wring that level of usefulness out of certain other wastes of food and oxygen continually dragging him away from his own projects to demonstrate just how wrong they were…
Rodney shook his head at the error-filled mess of equations sprawled all over the nearest white board and picked up a marker. It was a tough job, but someone had to do it.
-~-
(x-posted to
twistedshorts)
