Children in the Galaxy
G / K
Short, pre-series bit on when Elizabeth first meets McKay.
I don't own Stargate Atlantis or either of these characters. Besides, as long as I have them back in time for supper, no one will notice.
A/N: This is (hopefully) just a prequel-prologue thing. I wanted anyone who reads the real story (ha, good one...) to be introduced to something in this one before hand. -Looks smart- Now that's logic. I think.
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Elizabeth steeled herself. She had to do this. She straightened her plum coloured jacket and fiddled with her necklace. Elizabeth fingered it fondly. Simon had given her the gemstone pendant to her on the one year anniversary of when they first met. She was surprised he remembered.
But she was getting off track.
The man on the other side of the door was important now. To the expedition, that is. She supposed that, as its leader, it was both her duty and punishment to be the one who had to deal with Doctor Rodney McKay. The Dr Rodney McKay. Elizabeth had never met him before, although she was quite sure she had heard him yelling his heart out at some poor soul on one of her many trips to the Pentagon. She had no need to meet him in person before, seeing as his reputation proceeded him. His notoriety consisted of three elements. One was being both self-acclaimed and publicly approved as one of the smartest known men on the planet. Another was being the second foremost expert on the Stargate on Earth. The last reason, she had been warned, was probably the most fitting. He was said to be the most annoying man in the galaxy. However, no one would every say this to his face. He might get angry and start talking and confuse you to death.
Elizabeth snorted softly. That made them sound like children. But maybe they were children. Maybe they never really grew up, instead they just got bigger guns and fancier titles and pretended to grow up.
Elizabeth scolded herself for losing her focus. She was supposed to be a diplomat at the moment, not a philosopher.
But again, off topic.
Uneasy, Elizabeth thought about what she would say to the scientist. 'Would you like to leave your home and move to Antarctica to study something created by a race of people from another galaxy?' At least he wouldn't be as hard as some of the other civilians she had recruited. He did already know about the Stargate after all.
Dr. Weir shook her ramblings off. She knocked on the door marked "Doctor R. McKay, PhD, Astrophysics". Her knocks were sharp, authoritative, down-to-business. A less than identical call of "come in," answered her.
Elizabeth opened the door in a way she hoped seemed neither shy nor cautious. The room held most of what you'd expect, a large desk, chairs and a few computers, as well as two large filling cabinets to the right of the door.
What surprised Dr. Weir was the presence of a mini fridge, and an old 70's sofa pushed up into the corner on her left.
Elizabeth's eyes gave the room a once over. She didn't see McKay in any of the usual places you'd expect to see a scientist. She had imagined walking into the room and finding him hunched over a computer typing away furiously.
So she was, of course, surprised, to see the astrophysicist sprawled out on the couch, one arm bent backwards, propping up his head, the other flopped lazily to his side, holding a half-eaten chocolate bar. His feet, crossed at the ankles, rested on the other arm of the tiny sofa.
He didn't look up as she entered. His eyes were closed and he looked like he could've been asleep.
"Dr. McKay?" she asked, closing the door behind her. She held her hands clasped loosely behind her back.
His eyes flew open, and he titled his head to look in her direction. Other than that, the only movement he made was to raise his eyebrows questionably.
"Dr. Elizabeth Weir. With the Air Force. I called last week, made an appointment I believe. Unless you're too busy at the moment?" she said lightly, hoping to avoid the whole sergeant major routine.
"A civilian?" he frowned. Elizabeth wasn't quite sure what he meant by that, but kept her small smile anyway.
McKay appeared to be thinking. "Right!" he said after a moment. He rolled slightly, pushing himself off the couch. He still held the chocolate bar in one hand. Elizabeth noticed he was slightly pudgy around the middle, but had a look to him as if he had once been rather lean.
He was up now, walking behind her to his desk, gesturing Dr. Weir to a chair with the chocolate bar.
"Something about the SGC. Although, if this has anything to do with Russia, I'm going to have to kick you out," he said mildly, sitting down in his chair as Elizabeth did the same.
"Russia? No, not Russia. Although, the climate may be similar," she said cryptically. He stared at her for a moment.
"Antarctica." he said suddenly.
"You've heard of it?" she asked.
McKay snorted. " 'Course. SG-1 found something when the Colonel went Ancient a few months ago." He frowned. "Don't know much about the actual project through. Heads won't let me anywhere near it, so I'm stuck here running simulations using old data. Idiots. Want to know about sending bombs through the 'gate. What good is discovering planets if you just plan to nuke them?"
Elizabeth ignored his rambling. "You're right about Antarctica Dr. McKay. We've discovered so far that it was an outpost built by the Ancients; the builders -"
"- of the Stargate. Yes, I know." He was leaning forward in his seat. He was still holding the chocolate bar, and was eying both it and Dr. Weir. He took a bite and gestured for her to continue.
She didn't.
"And?" he prompted around another bite of chocolate.
"And, we have top scientists form all over that world working on it, but we haven't gotten too far with it yet..."
Dr. McKay sat back in his chair. He took another bite of chocolate, and began to look very pleased with himself. Elizabeth began to see where his reputation had come from. She willed herself to keep smiling.
"And the Air Force was wondering if you'd consider being relocated there for an unspecified amount of time," she finished.
Dr. McKay looked thoughtful as he finished off his snack. He crumpled up the wrapper and tossed it towards the trash bin beside his desk.
It missed.
He didn't notice.
After about two minutes of silence (which she would later learn was very rare), Elizabeth was about ready to suggest she leave and he think it over for a while, when Dr. McKay said suddenly: "Sure. What the hell? At least they asked this time."
Dr. Weir was startled.
"Well, that's good to hear, but are you one hundred percent sure? This isn't going to be the easiest thing to back out of." She told him, surprised with his agreement. She had expected him to argue with her on the conditions and such.
He laughed this time, rolled his eyes. "Of course, of course. But it's not like I actually have much of a choice. They're only asking so I can't take anything to the Ambassador. And Antarctica? Sounds exciting enough. I mean, it's not really that much of a surprise your team hasn't found much yet? I bet you have a load of engineers and linguists down there, right? No, no, I really need to be there."
Elizabeth noted that during his speech, his accusations of the Air Force, he didn't actually blame her. She supposed 'don't shoot the messenger' held a certain weight with him. The thought never crossed her mind that the particular messenger might have something to do with it.
"Then I'll put you name on the list," she said tentatively.
Dr. McKay looked past her, gaze resting on the mini fridge, and seemed thoughtful. "When are we leaving?" he asked after a few seconds, attention focused mostly on her again.
"Anytime you want Dr. McKay, within the next two months."
He stole a quick glance at the mini fridge again. "Right. I'll be ready in four - no, three days."
Elizabeth couldn't think of anything to say for a moment. "Well, uh, if that's all the time you need. Just that, uh, this is of course, classified, so the Air Force will have to approve the message you send to your family," she managed to get out.
"Not necessary," he said with a wave of his hand. "I just need to get some things and find a place for my cat. Vacate my flat too, I suppose. Won't be too hard to find a new one after."
Elizabeth stood and extended a hand. McKay stood as well, and shook her hand after a second.
"Glad to hear you're coming Doctor," she said warmly, surprised by his co-operative nature at the moment. "Someone will contact you very soon about your flight information and anything else you will need to know. I'm heading back in about two weeks, so you'll have to settle in by yourself. I'm sure you'll manage though." Elizabeth took a few steps towards the door. McKay was still standing behind his desk, apparently not knowing what to say.
When her hand was on the door he finally spoke up.
"Right then, see you in two weeks," he said hesitantly.
Elizabeth smiled and nodded. She opened the door and was about to walk out when she threw over her shoulder, "Dress warm."
Closing the door behind her she could've sworn she heard him laugh.
That, Elizabeth thought, walking down the deserted hallway, was quite extraordinary. There had been no argument, no harsh words of any kind. She had come out unscathed, no headache, ears intact, and now had one of the world's best astrophysicists on her team.
Elizabeth stopped at the reception desk, showed her identification and handed in her visitors pass.
The title, she thought, must be an exaggeration. She had, in fact, met men who were much more annoying. Her visit with Senator Kinsey a few weeks ago popped into her mind.
What surprised her the most, was how, suddenly, she couldn't wait for her flight.