Paul walked across the parking lot and reached the entrance to Cheyenne. He studied the woman waiting by the security desk in silence for a minute. He had a bad feeling about this one. He'd gotten a call from Hammond asking him to go meet a new member of staff at the base, and to bring her down to Level 28 for debriefing. Dr Aiva Thomas was to help Daniel in his research on the parchment. Paul had frowned at this. Although civilian hire was Hammond's department, Paul usually knew when the SGC was expecting new staff. Their files passed over his desk at the Pentagon. He'd heard nothing about this woman and when he'd done a background search on her, nothing had turned up. It was like she didn't exist.
Upon voicing his concerns to Hammond, he'd been told that all the appropriate checks had been done. The paperwork was all in order and that he'd obviously been mistaken, as Hammond had himself done a search on Dr Thomas' history and she had been security cleared. Paul had bitten back what he'd wanted to say and accepted his superior officer's judgement, silently vowing he'd get to the bottom of this.
As he neared the desk, she turned and met his gaze. "You must be Major Paul Davis." She extended a hand towards him.
"That's right." He shook her hand quickly out of politeness. "And you are Dr Aiva Thomas." He nodded curtly at the security guard and pulled out his own pass. Swiping his card he entered the elevator and waited for her to follow. Pressing the button he leant back against the wall as they started their journey.
Kalima looked at him out of the corner of her eye. She was studying his emotions carefully and it was clear that this man held nothing but distrust for her, although she was unsure why. She sighed softly and averted her gaze. "Are you always this rude?"
"I beg your pardon?" Paul turned to look at her. She was studying the door intently.
"I said are you always this rude? We've been travelling in this car for three minutes and you haven't said a word to me. It's usually polite to ask how one's journey was or something along those lines."
"Ma'am. I am an Air Force officer. I don't engage in small talk. It's not my job."
"Just as well. Because you really suck at it." Kalima walked out of the elevator as the doors opened and looked around.
"I advice you, that in future, you may wish to think about what you're saying *before* you actually say it."
Kalima looked at him. "You assume of course that I don't mean what I say."
Paul gritted his teeth. "This way please Dr." He indicated with his arm the direction they needed to go. His bad feeling about her was growing. He wasn't always this aloof with people and he certainly didn't make a habit of alienating the people he was to work with. But something about her got under his skin and he didn't want to allow the situation to get any worse.
Kalima nodded and began to walk in the direction he'd indicated. She heard him fall into step beside her. This one was going to be a problem. He already mistrusted her and he'd made his feelings known in his silence, as well as the emotions he was projecting. She stopped as he came to a stop outside the door and turned in surprise as he spoke.
"Look Dr Thomas. I don't know who you are, or why you are here? But I do know this. Your appointment here has not gone through the proper channels. I tried to do a background check on you and came up with nothing. So I just want you to know that I'll be keeping a close eye on you. Because I know you're hiding something."
Kalima raised her eyebrow and looked at him. "Really? Then it seems perhaps that is the only thing we both have in common." She pushed the door open and walked into the room, leaving a stunned Paul outside in the hall.
Upon voicing his concerns to Hammond, he'd been told that all the appropriate checks had been done. The paperwork was all in order and that he'd obviously been mistaken, as Hammond had himself done a search on Dr Thomas' history and she had been security cleared. Paul had bitten back what he'd wanted to say and accepted his superior officer's judgement, silently vowing he'd get to the bottom of this.
As he neared the desk, she turned and met his gaze. "You must be Major Paul Davis." She extended a hand towards him.
"That's right." He shook her hand quickly out of politeness. "And you are Dr Aiva Thomas." He nodded curtly at the security guard and pulled out his own pass. Swiping his card he entered the elevator and waited for her to follow. Pressing the button he leant back against the wall as they started their journey.
Kalima looked at him out of the corner of her eye. She was studying his emotions carefully and it was clear that this man held nothing but distrust for her, although she was unsure why. She sighed softly and averted her gaze. "Are you always this rude?"
"I beg your pardon?" Paul turned to look at her. She was studying the door intently.
"I said are you always this rude? We've been travelling in this car for three minutes and you haven't said a word to me. It's usually polite to ask how one's journey was or something along those lines."
"Ma'am. I am an Air Force officer. I don't engage in small talk. It's not my job."
"Just as well. Because you really suck at it." Kalima walked out of the elevator as the doors opened and looked around.
"I advice you, that in future, you may wish to think about what you're saying *before* you actually say it."
Kalima looked at him. "You assume of course that I don't mean what I say."
Paul gritted his teeth. "This way please Dr." He indicated with his arm the direction they needed to go. His bad feeling about her was growing. He wasn't always this aloof with people and he certainly didn't make a habit of alienating the people he was to work with. But something about her got under his skin and he didn't want to allow the situation to get any worse.
Kalima nodded and began to walk in the direction he'd indicated. She heard him fall into step beside her. This one was going to be a problem. He already mistrusted her and he'd made his feelings known in his silence, as well as the emotions he was projecting. She stopped as he came to a stop outside the door and turned in surprise as he spoke.
"Look Dr Thomas. I don't know who you are, or why you are here? But I do know this. Your appointment here has not gone through the proper channels. I tried to do a background check on you and came up with nothing. So I just want you to know that I'll be keeping a close eye on you. Because I know you're hiding something."
Kalima raised her eyebrow and looked at him. "Really? Then it seems perhaps that is the only thing we both have in common." She pushed the door open and walked into the room, leaving a stunned Paul outside in the hall.
