DISCLAIMER: "Stargate SG-1" and its characters are the property of MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, Gekko Film Corp., Showtime/Viacom and USA Networks, Inc. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended.

"Siler, you down there?"

Walter Harriman's voice drifted down the lift shaft to Siler, who was poised above the carriage, oil can in one hand, wrench in the other. Pausing for a moment, he dropped his head and sighed to his radio. Why did everyone insist on shouting for him instead of using the little nifty thing to get his attention. Siler frowned to himself, and where else would he be but the elevator shaft, he had told Walter he would be working here for the next few hours. Rolling his eyes he looked up the long shaft to where Walter's head peered out at an awkward angle.

"Yeah Walter?"

"The General is asking how long you'll be?"

"Won't be too much longer" Siler replied, setting back to work on the carriage. "Gimme a minute"

He jimmied a few cables and sprayed the oil can into a few nooks and crannies, before standing up and surveying his work.

"Whoa"

Siler shot his head back upwards to the cry, and saw a body flailing to regain balance where Walter's head had just been protruding. A few papers and a clipboard drifted down to him and landed at his feet.

"You ok Doctor Jackson?" he shouted up, trying not to laugh as the leg and arm which had wrapped themselves around one edge of the open doorway retracted to safe ground.

"Fine" came back the answer from a miffed Daniel.

Siler, setting down his wrench, sorted the papers into a pile at his feet, before standing once more and clicking his radio into gear.

"Ok guys" he said, banging his foot onto the roof of the elevator "Lets take her for a ride. Take her up two floors"

"Yes Sir" came back the crackled reply.

Siler poised himself for the initial ascent, and the carriage rumbled into gear, shuddering for a moment before moving upwards, with himself perched atop. Satisfied with his work, Siler grabbed the wrench and slipped it into his workbelt, before picking up the papers Daniel had dropped a few moments earlier. Settling them under his arm for a moment he clicked back onto his radio.

"Ok guys, keep her parked here until I get everything cleared up."

With that, holding the papers and clipboard in one hand, he managed to manouvere himself up the short distance of ladder in the shaft to the open elevator door above him. Once there, he handed Daniel his papers before hauling himself fully from the shaft.

"Thanks Seargant" mumbled Daniel, a little self conscious about his near fall to join him on the carriages roof.

"No problem Doctor Jackon. They may be a little oiled up there" replied Siler pointing to the papers now back in safe possesion of Daniels hands.

"That's ok" replied Daniel, glancing at the still open elevator doors.

"Don't worry Sir, they'll be back up and running pretty soon. Right now everyones being directed to the maintenance shafts until these are sorted."

"Yeah I remember the memo" mumbled Daniel, nodding his goodbye before turning and waltzing off down the corridor.

Siler grinned and watched the retreating form before fiddling with the elevator door controls from the small network of wires behind a panel. The doors slid safely and securely shut. Keying in an acess code to make sure no-one would open them as he made the small walk back to the security office, he made his own wayin the opposite direction.

"Siler"

He paused and looked around, eyeing Walter once more. He waited until the Seargant caught up.

"Walter"

"You all done?"

"Yeah just finishing up now" replied Siler, smiling at the way Walter always asked the most obvious of questions

"Great, the General's starting to get complaints from the maintenance staff about all the traffic going on on in their lifts."

"Yeah and when it comes to fixing up those elevators, everyone will be complaining that the regular elevators are being used continuously to bring in the food orders and the weapon shipments, and the stationary supplies"

Walter nodded in agreement as they entered the office buzzing with activity from the numerous machines. This was Silers haven, few entered it apart from work crews wondering what needed fixing next. With controls to most things technical and his responsibility, each computer, switchboard had it's own job to do. And Siler was the only one to know what did what without having to glance at guides. When Siler had to stay longer than a day or two at the infirmary, there were groans around the mainteance staff as to who would oversee this control room for the day, and he had regular visits from members asking what was to be done.

Walter and he were on that same level of understanding, they were certainly part of a team of well trained staff and experts, but in those control rooms, whether it be running elevator shafts and lights of corridor 2c, or sending off SG teams to worlds unknown there were none more trusted than Walter Harriman and Sylvester Siler.

Siler hit a few buttons and signalled onto his radio a third time to the work staff in the elevator.

"OK guys, take her for a ride, ascend her first. Stop at each level on the way. Once topside bring her right down"

"Shouldn't be much longer" he said turning his attention back to Walter, who was finding interest in a lone motherboard lying atop a bench.

"Hows it coming along" asked Walter, waving his hand over the motherboard.

"I don't know how you manage to keep screwing it up Walter" he replied dryly

Walter shrugged, and glanced back down at the bench, where the remnants of his computer lay disassembled once more.

"I think I've got it sussed, I'll bring it over tonight" said Siler

"Great, thanks" replied Walter

"Everything ok?" asked Siler, concerned at his friends unusual quietness

"Nothing...just...someone...you know that new kid we had assigned to us?"

Siler knew of the new technician, who had been assigned to Walters unit and wondered if this was the 'kid' Walter was refferring too.

"Lieutenant Stark?"

Walter nodded and pursed his lips together.

"What about him?" pressed Siler

"He adjusted my chair"

Siler had to hold back a slight grin at Walters indignant fface at this comment.

"And...I was running some routine tests, nothing too important, and he goes and cancels them saying they were too time consuming and he needed to get some other things done he would do them later"

Siler wondered how the kid had managed to stay around the two weeks he had. Walter had a routine he liked to follow, when it came to his work, like himself, Walter ruled with strict guidelines. Siler could relate to that, Walter had an even more demanding job than his own, and his was to keep the SGC running 24/7 with the best of efieceny, (not the easiest thing to do when it was under sctrutiny from the pentagon as well as attack from numerous sources out there in the galaxy). Walter took his job with all seriousness off what his was, it wasn't about the dialling sequence, or the iris, of how many chevrons locked, it was teams lives. Walter was there at the frontline of home along with the rest of men and women of the SGC. A minor infringment of routine diagnostics may not seem much to a new snot nosed kid coming in fresh from the academy, but Walters system worked in way that if routine went without a break, it was one less thing to worry about in the whole scheme of things.

And with General O'Neill taking over Hammond, Walter had went out of his way to make sure the bases were covered when it came to the need to know information the General needed. Not only was he the head gate technician, he was also acting PA to the General out of his own goodwill as much as he had with Hammond. He took that part of responsibilty, mainly because his own curiosities got the better of him most of the time.

Walter had once confided to Siler, with much mirth and agreement from Siler, that he took on the responsibility because it meant he knew what was happening when others didn't. It wasn't his job to know, but it felt good to understand what teams were going through each time they went through or came back through the stargate. It also meant he got to enjoy the rush and excitement even if it was from the sidelines, and he knew that this was also something Hammond had found also.

Siler was quite happy to listen to brief small details of missions told from Walters prospective, and often told with added details of hilarity that made them into a whole new adventure all together. If Walter Harriman had a hidden talent it was story telling. On poker nights, or barbeques or general get togethers the staff of the SGC frequently held, Walter was always called upon to give a rendition of the latest attack on earth or the latest death defying miracle SG-1 had gotten themselves into and out of and his retelling always brought the house down. Had Walter been let loos in some open comedy club with his stories, he would have been headlining within weeks.

Siler glanced over the screen in-front of him, satisfied with the details it was giving him. His radio crackled.

"Done with the descent Sir"

"No problems?"

"Purring like a kitten Sir" came the reply

"Great, that's it then boys. While your down there go tell mainteanance their elevators won't be need anymore"

"Yes Sir"

"Going down Walt?"

"Yeah I best go let the General know what's what"

"I'll head down with you, have to unlock the doors on this level anyways. You on break soon?"

"Yeah, why you headed for the comm"

Siler nodded as he led the way back out of his control room.

"Think I'll join you, not sure I can face Stark yet. Everytime he's in the control room with me, I have an incourageable urge to push him through an incoming wormhole."

"Does he realise your carrying such mirth towards him?"

"The kids a nuiscance"

"Why not ask the General to have him transferred elsewhere on base"

"Because he's also a genius"

Once back at the elevator, Siler popped open the control panel and reset the doors, before slipping his keycard through the security and waiting for the carriage to come.

"So what's next on the agenda"

"Apart from putting your computer back to rights?"

Walter ignored the jobe aimed at him and watched as the doors slid open. Siler paused and stuck his head forward, for an uncertain moment remebering the near fatal crash Doctor Jackson had nearly chad with him.

"Something wrong?" asked Walter, as Siler stepped tentatively into the compartment.

"Nothing...Doctor Jackson nearly feel down the lift shaft when I was fixing it that's all"

"There are things called signs you can hang up you know" replied Walter hitting the button for his level.

"Well I figured open elevator door, no carriage equals open elevator shaft, do not enter"

"Do you take into account people like Docotor Jackson and Felger when you figure these things out?"

Siler thought for a moment as the carriage moved gently downwards.

"Next on the agenda...Signs, and perhaps alarms too. Something that shouts 'back away now' upon approach"

"Perhaps I should get something put in the control room whenever I leave Stark in there."

"This kids really getting to you ain't he" grinned Siler

"He adjusted my chair" whined Walter as the elevator came to a stop and the doors slid open.

The two technicians stepped out and walked along the corridor in search of the General, swapping ideas of safer ways for Siler to go about his buisness and how Walter could protect his.