NOTES: Another challenge prompt from my friends on LiveJournal. Ronon displays a talent for something that surprises the other character(s)

Disbelief Never Changes An Outcome

"I don't believe it," Rodney muttered, as he stared at the board a few tables away, as though staring could change the outcome of the game. "He's winning again."

Radek didn't look up from the notes he'd brought to the table, focused on working through the power conversions of the latest Ancient device on which he was working. After many months of working with Rodney, Radek was well aware that ignoring the astrophysicist would not end the conversation.

And yet, he hoped.

"It's crazy." Rodney bit down on his sandwich, then talked through the crumbs. "You know, I can't believe he's outplayed Elizabeth in every game so far. Caldwell has more losses than wins - and Hayman is furious that he didn't see that last endgame play. If he had any hair spare to tear out, he'd have been tearing it."

Radek sighed. There was no hope of getting through these calculations while Rodney was in full flow. "If he has won so often, Rodney, you should not be surprised that he is winning yet again."

"But there's no planning, no thought to it," grumbled the other man as he took a long drink of coffee. "He just reacts - he shouldn't win!"

Radek turned his gaze over to the table where Ronon Dex was sitting down to a game against Dr. Andreas Seliksos, and shrugged. "Perhaps it is his unpredictability that serves him so well. His reactions are unique." A thought entered his mind, "Someone should teach Teyla chess and set her against Ronon. It could very well be that it is not Ronon that is unique but the Pegasus mindset."

Rodney gave him a disgusted look. "Don't even think of mentioning that to Hayman. It's bad enough having to sit through these matches at lunch without him deciding to bring the Athosians back to the city to teach them chess."

Privately, Radek thought it was the concept that the 'primitive' Ronon had the capacity for a game as 'intellectual' as chess that revealed such depths to Rodney's ire.

Of course, he did not mention this to Rodney.

And believe it or not, Ronon did win again.

- fin -

NOTES: I know a little of chess; enough to know that human strategy and tactics can be overturned by an unpredictable opponent. I imagine that Ronon, for all his unpredictability, could easily be beaten by an AI, or someone extremely skilled at the game. However, given the focus with which the expedition members were chosen, I sincerely doubt that Atlantis is full of Candidate Masters, let alone Grand Masters. Allow Rodney his ire. :)