Author's Note: The 365 Project is an experimental multi-fandom project to write and post at least one short every day for the next year, not including my semi-regular bi-weekly updates. For more details, see the relevent section in my profile. This is The 365 Project, 13 December.
In the immortal words of Samuel L. Clemens... "Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot. BY ORDER OF THE AUTHOR."
Disclaimer: Don't own Ranma 1/2 or Stargate Atlantis, don't make money off of them, don't sue me please...
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"Genetics At Work"
'Fourth Fragment'
By J.T. Magnus, 'Turbo'
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Saotome Ranma rolled his eyes as he sat perched on the railing of one of the many balconies found on Atlantis... in Atlantis? He still wasn't sure about the right way of saying it, it was on a ship - or spaceship - and in a city, but Atlantis was a city that - if they could ever find enough of those ZPM things to get it powered up all the way - was also supposed to be a spaceship. It was ironic, really, back in Nerima Ward, he'd never been able to avoid water; here on a floating city surrounded by the stuff he'd yet to have an unplanned encounter with it. The doctor he had talked to - a habit from going to Doctor Tofu for advice so often - had suggested that since he seemed to have high ATA-Gene levels, it could be a case of the city itself looking out for him since it was known to be protective of those with especially strong ATA-Genes, appearantly the city seemed to consider them no different from the actual Ancients.
Ranma snorted to himself, he still was having a hard time buying the whole 'descended from aliens' thing, but he also knew that some people would feel the same way about 'Pools of Sorrow' that can curse a person to change form whenever they get wet.
"I'd love to know how you're able to do that," a voice remarked as its owner came up behind Ranma.
"Practice, lots of it," the martial artist answered, "Whatcha want, Sheppard?"
Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard, United States Air Force and Military Commander of the Atlantis Expedition, leaned against the railing next to Ranma, looking out over the city and the water, "Even with space vampires, being able to step through gateways and instantly arriving on another world, everything I've seen the past few years, I had a hard time believing it when I was told about what you can do, you know."
"I'm pissed that years of training and it turns out that 'what I can do' is because somewhere back in my family line there's an alien," Ranma replied, "It's like spitting in the eye of everything I've gone through."
"You're looking at it the wrong way," John answered, "If you had known about the ATA-gene beforehand, would you still have done all the training and everything you've been through?"
"Well..." Ranma frowned in thought, "Yeah, I guess."
"Then what does it matter?" John shrugged, "I understand better than you'd think that who you're related to doesn't change who you are yourself... probably helps that I have... problems with my family in the first place."
Ranma snorted again, "Yeah, know what that's like..."
"Rodney and the other scientists are going crazy over your abilities," John remarked.
"So I've heard."
"Since I've also got the ATA-gene... you think I can learn anything?" John asked.
Ranma turned his head to look at the American in disbelief, "Didn't you just get finished saying that the ATA-gene doesn't really matter?"
"Well, yeah, it's good to have, but there's plenty of people who get along fine without it," John admitted, "I guess you've been doing it so long you don't realise how cool the 'balance on a rail' or the 'jump two stories' things you do really are. Besides, never know when being able to do something like that might come in handy... especially considering some of the situations we get into here in Pegasus."
Ranma looked back out over the water as he thought about it, he had always thought he'd become a teaching master of the Art one day, especially after arriving at the Tendo Dojo, and even if this wasn't how he had expected it to happen, it was still a chance to see if he was good enough in the Art to successfully pass on what he knew without resorting to some of the things his Pops had done to him.
"Somebody said you're a pilot..." the Japanese CivCon commented.
"Yeah..." John answered, not sure where the other man was going with that line of questioning.
"You know that even if I do teach you how to use your ki like I can, you won't be able to fly or anything like that, right? Jump really high, sure, but not fly," Ranma informed him.
"I think I can deal with that," John replied.
Ranma gave a sharp nod, "Then we start tomorrow."
