Title: A Failure to Communicate
Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis
Characters: John Sheppard
Word Count: 1050-ish
Rating: PG
Summary: "It was two days after the new meat was shipped in that we figured out that the one to watch was the one a body didn't notice."
Author's Note: Damned plot bunnies. This is post Return, probably AU, but right now, not. It's not spoiler filled, but still, I wouldn't read it unless you watched 3x10.
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It was always interesting to watch the introduction of the new inmates. There wasn't a ton of heckling, but there was always that taint of fear that each one gave off despite the usually cool exteriors. There was always the whispering; the inquires into the pasts of each fresh face. In this new batch they had a killer, a guy who killed another by accident in a bar fight, a few thieves who couldn't keep their pants zipped then battered the poor girl, another who tortured a POW, and that other guy.
No one really knew who the other guy was. Well, there was that Marine, Makepeace, who talked to the guy, who turned out to be Air Force. No one really knew why Makepeace was in here either, but he seemed to sort of just stop brooding and looking at the sky or at physics books and started watching the Other Guy.
It turned out the new guy was at the very least different from the norm. Makepeace at least fit in and somewhat engaged with the rest of life. Sheppard, which they didn't find out, was his name until role call the next morning, was completely off his rocker. He spent all his free time going through the same books Makepeace once read, correcting them, adding to them, out and out destroying a few. But the MP's never remarked it upon and the powers that be just gave him more and took the ruined books away. Over the first few months a few of the more bookish or learned folks started noting patterns in which authors he didn't dare even read, but did hoard. It was weird and more than once someone tried to ask Makepeace what he thought was going on with Sheppard, but the man didn't have a clue.
There were a few times the MP's who seemed to be assigned to watch Sheppard more than they should, grabbed him, said a few words, then escorted him away to the main building. The first time the MP's took him Sheppard looked not so much stunned as he was nervous. The MP's were stoic until the brought him back as lights out was being called. Sheppard had a few bandages and was favoring his right leg a bit, but the looks on the guard's faces spoke volumes while Sheppard gave nothing away. The Next day Makepeace sat next to Sheppard, spoke quietly for about an hour with the man then backed off with a rather haunted look added to his usually remorseful eyes. There were several other Marines and AF NCOs who also came in with Makepeace or knew him enough to align with him, it seemed that over the course of the day Makepeace debriefed them on whatever Sheppard had said and that clique both surrounded Sheppard, but stayed apart.
"I don't get him," said one of the older inmates. He was pure sociopath, but the man was also more than sane in everyway that mattered in this little world, "He's not stuck up, he's not innocent, he sure as hell don't belong here though."
"You ever here of Operation: Bluebook?" asked another.
"Nope, not unless you mean from that bunch." the man waved his hand in the general direction of Makepeace and his flock.
"They all belonged to it. It's some black ops think tank kind of place. I heard it has the highest death rate of any project being run. It also has a habit of turning the best and brightest officers and soldiers insane," said the man who now looked rather pleased with himself for knowing something like that.
"Huh, Sheppard too?" said the old sociopath.
"I think he's still in it. Or maybe some kind of experiment."
"Crazy." said someone listening in.
"Not so much. I've heard of something that fits that profile, but I never heard the name of it. Just that the AF Academy Hospital sees some weird shit from NORAD, and that there are some damned smart folks from all branches vanishing to Colorado." said another eavesdropper.
"Has merit. There are some damned weird skill sets in that clique and Sheppard's some kind of genius, what kind I donno, but he's smart. Too smart to of get caught doing something stupid." said the sociopath.
"What'd ya mean 'weird skill sets'?"
"An engineer, a linguist, a couple in demolition, a pilot, and marksmen? Working together enough to get comfortable with each other? It's weird."
It was at that moment Sheppard walked just behind them and added to the conversation, "You know I heard that we're all in here because we tried to save people against our orders, only difference is we pissed off more than just our COs." Sheppard gave them a lazy look, "Now shut up about me. I'm not deaf, just trying not to get too angry with you guys."
"You know if you just told us more about you, we wouldn't have to speculate." Said another guy who was close by.
"Fine, I'm Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard, I like Farris wheels, college football, and anything that goes faster than two-hundred miles a hour. I didn't lose my rank again, but I am stuck here indefinitely, my last post was technically a black op, overseas, civilian run, and a wartime scenario. I can't talk about it. Any questions?" Sheppard said arms crossed and looking sort of serious, but still very laid back.
"Yeah, why you read and correct all that physics stuff?" asked one of the eavesdroppers.
"I read it because it's like mom's apple pie for most of you folks. It's a little bit of home. Besides, I play along with the guys who put me in here by fixing the math, they don't do as much to me as they would like to." Sheppard said, "Now, I'm going to go run, so please shut up about me for once. You guys should talk about Sanchez and his needlework. The man can't draw for shit." Sheppard gave a weird half smile that lasted for a second before he dipped his head and walked over to the treadmills.
No one spoke for a little bit, but the first ones who did, followed Sheppard's advice and talked about the state of prison tattoos and who was thinking about them.