Kino Vision

Greer punched on the Kino's remote. A light turned on and Ancient symbols lit the screen. Greer couldn't read them, so he started testing them out by pressing one at a time. The first button sent the Kino into the air, hovering in front of Greer. Greer stepped back and tried directing the Kino's movement. He moved it down the hallways of Destiny and through empty rooms before coming up on the control room. Through the Kino, Greer heard Eli and Rush arguing over something.

"No, I still think that it has to be that 9-digit code we found in the AB database." Greer recognized Eli's voice, followed by Rush's sterner one.

"But the 13-digit code seems much more likely. It was found in direct correlation with this lock. The order of the symbols on that one suggests that it has to fit a lock that looks a lot like this one."

Greer manipulated the Kino so that it was hovering close to the ceiling, hidden from Eli and Rush's views by the metal architecture of the ship. Greer saw Rush and Eli at two separate consoles, each typing away quickly.

Eli spoke again. "But see, when you extract the lock, you can see that it has to be a smaller code. Look." He pointed to the screen and Rush came over to stand behind Eli, staring at the screen. Greer could see some of what was on the screen, but could read none of it.

After a minute, Rush leaned back. "Ah, you're right, Eli. I see." Rush playfully ruffled Eli's hair and sent him a congratulatory smile before moving back to the other console.

Greer rewound the tape a bit. He had seen it correctly; Rush had smiled. Greer had never seen Rush anywhere near smiling. And before that, Rush had been almost playful with Eli. Greer had never seen anything that gentle in Rush. Maybe since Eli and Rush were so alike, they had developed some sort of relationship between them. After all, Eli was the only person onboard the Destiny that Rush ever put up with. Greer made a mental note that if Rush ever tried to kill him, to use Eli as a human shield.

Turning the Kino back to real-time, Greer watched the two geniuses for another hour with nothing more eventful happening. Deciding that Eli and Rush weren't going to be doing anything exciting, Greer quietly flew the Kino back to his position. He turned it off and instead of putting it back in the Kino storage area, carried it back to his room. Greer had a new hobby; spying on Eli and Rush with a Kino. How exciting.

Greer woke earlier than usual the next morning, the Kino sitting faithfully on a stack of boxes next to his makeshift bed. Greer yawned and picked up his pet Kino. He pressed the same buttons as he had yesterday and up it went. Greer lay in bed and took the Kino to Eli's room. He managed to get the door open and fly the Kino down the hall, so Eli wouldn't see it, but Eli wasn't in his room anyways. Greer's Kino explored the room and found the bed unmade, and Eli's jacket on a chair across the room.

Eli had once used the Kinos to spy on people, at least before Colonel Young found out and banned any such use of the flying cameras. If Greer could get away with it, he could be spying on anyone he wanted, so why Eli and Rush? Greer shrugged. There was just something interesting about those two. Needing his morning dose of spying, Greer wondered where he could find Eli. He didn't know, but he knew where he might find Rush.

Greer moved the Kino further down the hall and towards Rush's room. He opened the door and hid. Eli came to the open door and peered down both sides of the hallway. "There's no one here." He shrugged and retreated back into the room. Greer quickly maneuvered the Kino into Rush's room. So this is where Eli had hidden himself.

Rush was sitting on his 'bed' and Eli went to join him. Greer hid the Kino on the top of a pile of boxes and watched the two. Eli sat next to Rush, cross-legged on the sleeping bag. Rush leaned his back and head against the wall. Eli asked, "What do you think is going to happen to us?"

Rush rotated his head to look at his young assistant. He reached an arm around Eli's waist and pulled Eli close to him. Eli cuddled his side. Rush replied, "I don't know, Eli. I don't know." Eli rested his head on Rush's shoulder and closed his eyes.

Greer was surprised at Rush's outright affections towards Eli. To some it might have seemed like Rush had developed a fatherly attitude to Eli, and it was true that Eli looked up to Rush as mentor, but Greer could also see something else.

Rush held Eli close and gently ran his thumb against Eli's side. It looked to Greer like Eli had fallen asleep. Rush continued to cradle Eli as he picked up a book. A long time later, Greer and Rush heard a knock on Rush's door. Rush gently laid Eli on his sleeping bag, taking care not to disturb him. Rush went to the door and Greer moved the Kino so he could see the visitor.

It was Lieutenant Scott. "Young would like to see you."

"Why?"

"I think he said something about going over some data. I don't know." Lt. Scott shrugged. Scott tried to peer around Rush and into his room, but Rush stepped slightly to the side so that Scott's view was blocked. "Oh, and if you can find Eli, bring him along."

Rush nodded and closed the door.

Grabbing his famous, mysterious notebook, Rush went to wake Eli. Secretly, Greer, along with the rest of the crew, was dying to know what was in that sketchbook of his. No one may ever know. Rush crouched to touch Eli's shoulder lightly. "Eli. Eli, wake up. Colonel Young wants to talk to us."

Eli stirred and reluctantly pried his eyelids open. "Ugh, I was having a nice dream, too."

"About what?"

Eli smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Eli followed Rush back to his room, where he grabbed his jacket, and continued on to the Stargate room. Young was waiting for them. "Ah, there you are. I'd like to go over some of the data you two have uncovered recently. See what our options are for traveling to planets."

Rush and Eli walked over to the console. Young followed behind them and watched over their shoulders. "Well, what do you want to know?" Rush asked.

It was then that Colonel Young noticed Greer's Kino. "Eli, if someone's not controlling a Kino, can it move?"

Eli followed the colonel's gaze to the Kino. "Oh yeah, sure. I mean, I don't know what they do, they just fly around and do their thing."

Greer knew he'd be caught if he stuck around, so he guided the Kino away from the room, hoping it looked as if the Kino was just 'doin' its thing'.

Greer eventually climbed out of his sleeping bag and ate breakfast. Colonel Young assigned him a few duties, which he completed in record time. It was much later into the afternoon when he finally got time off. Walking as quickly as he could without looking suspicious, Greer made it back to his quarters. He scooped up his new playmate and sent it down the halls. He searched the Gate room and the mess hall, but ultimately found the pair on the Observation Deck.

Rush and Eli were standing side by side in front of the huge window. They were both leaning against the railing, their backs to the Kino. Eli slid his hand over and on top of Rush's. Greer slid the Kino closer, finding that he could see their faces in the reflection of the window. Rush was staring into the vast universe beyond the glass, and Eli had his eyes averted from Rush.

"Thank you", Rush said suddenly, still looking out at all of the stars.

Eli looked up and over at him, surprised. "For what?"

"For being a genius." Rush smiled at Eli. "And for trusting me."

Eli blushed. "Well, it's probably not going to matter in the long run; we're all going to die out here."

"If we do, it won't be all that bad."

"Why not?"

"Because we'll be the first to die out here, the first to exist out here. Everyone dies on Earth, and there's nothing left back there. But here… this is different. No one else will be able to say they did what we've done. There's a universe of knowledge and unexplored terrain here. We can do anything." Rush made a good speech.

Eli nodded. "But don't you think it will be hard; dying alone. At least sad."

Rush shook his head. "We're not alone, Eli." He looked down at their hands, still touching, then back at Eli. "As long as you're still here, I'll be okay. I mean, you're definitely a big help in the control room."

Eli looked brighter at that. "Really?"

"Yes, Eli. You are the only other person who can read Ancient. Not to mention your math and science skills. You're a genius, remember."

Eli blushed heavily. "No, you're the genius. I'm just Mathboy." He sighed.

Rush took his free hand and lifted Eli's chin up so they were eye level. "You are much more than just Mathboy." His fingers lingered on Eli's cheek before he dropped his hand. The pair went back to staring out the window at the vast unknown. Eli was blushing, and Rush with that same vacant expression.

It got dark quickly. Greer was surprised at how rapidly time could go unnoticed out here. He was about to maneuver the Kino back towards him when he saw Rush move. Greer hid the Kino.

"C'mon, Eli." Eli followed Rush out of the deck's door. Rush grabbed Eli's hand and wound his fingers through the younger boy's. Eli smiled to himself, and Greer thought he saw Rush do the same. The Kino stuck behind them as they reached Eli's room. Greer watched as Eli reluctantly let go of Rush's hand. Rush touched Eli's hair and kissed him lightly on the forehead. "Good night, Eli."

"'Night, Rush." Eli closed his door.

Greer retired the Kino to his own room and promptly fell asleep.

Greer was heading off to breakfast with the Kino concealed in his pack, but before he got to the mess hall, he saw Rush disappear into Eli's room. Greer slipped away down the halls and pushed the Kino through the rapidly closing door.

Rush leaned back against the wall, waiting for Eli to finish dressing. Greer was surprised to see that Eli was much more fit than he gave him credit for. Eli slipped his shirt on and strolled over to Rush. Wrapping his arms around Rush's neck, Eli kissed him passionately on the lips. Rush pulled his arms around Eli's waist and returned the kiss, smiling. Greer was choking at the other end of the Kino. He couldn't believe what he'd just seen. Eli and Rush had just kissed. Rush pulled away and grinned, running his hands through Eli's hair. "How about something to eat, love?"

Eli nodded, and then something caught his eye. Eli turned to look at the Kino that was sitting innocently on his bedside 'table'. He picked it up and turned it around. He searched the back of the Kino.

"What?" Rush asked.

Eli felt the back of the flying camera. "It's not KELI. It doesn't say KELI on the back." KELI was Eli's customized Kino that Rush had given him for Christmas. The name KELI was scratched into the back. "I only use KELI. That means this Kino isn't mine."

Rush and Eli exchanged glances. "Then who's using it?"

Eli smiled. "Colonel Young?"

Rush smiled back. "No, he'd have had a long talk with us already. Chloe?"

Eli shook his head. "Nah, she'd have been mad that I didn't tell her, and then congratulate me."

Rush laughed. "Well, we can always track it."

Greer gulped.

Eli started to fumble around with the Kino, and then turned it around so he was staring into it. "Well, I have to say, that's very interesting." Greer watched as Eli showed something about the Kino to Rush. Rush's eyebrows went up.

"Yes, that's quite interesting, Eli."

They traded smiles and put the Kino back down on the table. Greer watched, frozen in horror, as Eli and Rush departed the room. Greer stuffed the Kino's control into the depths of his pack, running back towards the mess hall. Greer grabbed a bowl of powdered protein and sat at one of the tables nonchalantly. He lifted his spoon up to his mouth just as Eli and Rush entered the cafeteria. Eli and Rush both smirked knowingly at him. Greer gagged.