They were clustered round the console, but the kino footage was clear. Young watched over Eli's shoulder as they tried one gate after the other. The gate on the arid planet opened out on to a desert, but the kino footage showed them a wide flat salt-pan of desiccated minerals.
"Air and solar radiation is good." Brody said. "It's safe to be there."
"Mineral resources." Rush said staring at the video screen as the kino floated out across the pan. "Evidently what Destiny finds interesting about the planet."
"How do we know that those minerals are what Destiny thinks is important." Young said, a little exasperated with Rush's assumptions.
"Well, I doubt that the seedships place stargates randomly on these planets, do they?" Rush said derisively, shooting a glance at Young.
Young shook his head and gave up. "Fine, I'll send a team to see what there is there. Bring the kino back"
The ice planet was definitely another Hoth, though not quite as cold, more arctic than the deadly cold of Hoth. More ice. Lots more ice and therefore more water. Young scheduled ice mining and the puddle hissed out.
The kino footage of the two temperate planets was more encouraging. Young nudged Rush aside a little to get a better look as the kino floated through the first gate into a temperate woodland, dense with plants, sun beams cutting down through gaps in the canopy.
"That's more like it." Eli said. "Plants and stuff."
"Yes Eli," Rush muttered. "Stuff."
"Oxygen level is higher than what we're used to." Brody said. "Temperature is good. UV radiation is low, lower than what we're used to."
They watched the kino float around the planet for another ten minutes, seeing no creature larger than a domestic cat, and that was a large crawling insect. A very large crawling insect. Young felt Eli shudder.
"Foraging party." Young said. "Next one."
Brody shut down the wormhole and they waited again while he dialled the next. Eli sent the kino through the event horizon.
The final planet was a sea of waist height plants over rolling hills. A river ran through a wide shallow valley with what looked like trees crowding around the edges. There were some sort of creatures flying through the air, but they were too far off to see. Somewhere in the distance, a group of somethings were moving towards the river.
"Much more promising." Rush said.
"Yeah." Young agreed. "Foraging party."
The radio crackled. "Colonel, Doctor Rush, this is Volker. You might want to come back to the Bridge, we are approaching the seedship."
Young looked up from the kino screen, Rush was already turning away, moving towards the doorway. Young turned to Scott. "Set up three recon parties, one to the desert, and two to the two warm planets. Pick two crew with suit experience and get them to prep for a recon of the ice planet once we're done with the seedship. Then get a party ready for the seedship, take Greer and Brody for starters, they were on the last ship, they'll know their way round." Young turned and as fast as his knee and cane would let him strode after Rush.
By the time he got to the bridge Rush was in the chair, and James not in sight. Rush looked up a little belligerently as Young walked in, but Young shook his head and left Rush the chair. Whilst he preferred to be in command, with this sort of affair Rush probably knew more what to do than Young himself. He contented himself though by walking up onto the dais to lean on the edge of the chair and look over Rush's shoulder. Rush looked up at him, glowering, but said nothing. In the window ahead the seedship was getting larger and larger, and finally slipping below Destiny's nose.
"What's happening?" He asked Rush.
"Destiny is running an automated docking manoeuvre." Rush pulled up a holographic display showing Destiny and the seedship in real time. "Once we're firmly docked, water and atmosphere transfer will start and then after that Destiny will unlock the hatches between us."
"How long?"
"Docking will be complete in about a minute. Atmosphere and water transfer should take less than ten minutes."
Young lifted his radio. "Young to all crew. We're gonna dock with the seedship in about a minute, please hold on or sit down. Young out."
There was a long pause, Rush, Calvos and Volker watching screens, Young waiting as patiently as he could.
"Here we go." Volker called over his shoulder.
Young gripped the rail as there was a thud, more a shudder through the floor than a sound, and a brief but violent shake.
"We're docked." Calvos said. "The atmosphere and water transfer has started."
"How much water?" Young asked.
Calvos said something in ancient then looked up. "Sorry, I struggle with your measuring systems still."
"One million, three hundred and nineteen thousand litres." Rush said. "Almost the entirety of the water stored on the seedship."
"No more water rationing." Young said.
"We have almost one quarter capacity of our water reserves, based on the available undamaged storage. But no, with our current crew complement, we have more than enough water to meet any reasonable day to day needs." He flicked through screens. "I could request the seedship to retrieve more water while we are orbiting here. We could reasonably go up to half capacity."
"Possibly." Young said. "Is it likely we'll need the seedship? How long will it take us to transfer the components and materials?"
"That remains to be seen." Rush said.
xxxoooxxx
Leaning on the back of the command chair, Young watched as in the kino image the hatch to the seedship opened. The boarding party walked forward, Scott and Eli clear in the centre of the screen.
"It's nice and warm in here." That was Barnes voice from somewhere off screen.
"Yeah, but like, really creepy." Eli's voice was clear and he turned his head to look up at the kino. "And you know, last time you were on one of these there were like, little alien guys who tried to steal our power and kidnapped Colonel Telford."
Rush leaned forward to thumb the communication channel. "Stop getting distracted Eli." he snapped. "We have access to the sensors on this ship and there are no aliens, little or otherwise. Anyway, we should have let them keep Telford. They liked him better than we did."
Young snorted.
"Okay, okay!" Eli turned back to the corridor ahead.
Rush craned his neck to look back up at Young through his hair, fingers still on the console.
"Do you have to stare over my shoulder?" he demanded.
Young tried not to look amused. "You've got the chair, and I'm no use with a console." He let Rush draw his own conclusions as to where that conversation would get him. Rush evidently gave up as he turned back and pulled the kino footage up on the larger holographic display.
"Okay, we split up." Scott was saying on the seedship. "Greer, you and Brody find the manufacturing facility and where these hull pieces are. Barnes and Dr Russell, the location of the second supply storage with the squingies and whatever. Eli, you're with me."
The parties split, Eli pulling further kinos from his backpack to accompany them. Young fidgeted as he watched them, waiting for something to go wrong. Once again this seemed far too familiar, the disaster with the cold had really made an impression on him. He shuddered and Rush looked up enquiringly. Young met his eyes, but just shook his head and Rush went back to the data he was scanning.
"Colonel?" Greer's voice came over the kino feed.
Without looking at it, Rush reached out and flicked the kino feed to Greer and Brody, toggling the communications.
"Sergeant?"
Greer was staring at the kino. Behind him Brody was at a railing, looking down at the manufactory below. Young could see enormous sheets of grey hull plating suspended where stargates had hung on the previous seedship. Young moved around the chair a little to get a better look at the holo-display.
"Brody says these sheets of hull plating will need to go out in zero gravity sir, they are mighty big." He gestured towards the far end, but the kino video wasn't clear enough for Young to see into the dimly lit distance. "There's a big hatch at the far end. Brody thinks it goes out into space. He reckons we can move the panels with the shuttle."
Rush looked up at the kino footage momentarily. "That would make sense Colonel." He agreed with Greer. "Although it will mean more work for you and Lieutenant Scott unless you plan to be giving driving lessons?" Young raised an eyebrow at the sarcasm. Rush just smirked at him.
Young turned the idea over in his head. "Actually not such a bad idea," he said quietly. "We'd have to pick one crew member to train, no time for more…"
Rush ignored his musing, and went back to the communications channel. "Sergeant Greer, Mr Brody."
"Doctor Rush?"
"If you could make a count of the available hull plating we can start to plan the work we can undertake." It was worded as a question but the tone was an order.
Greer sighed. "Will do Doctor."
Young looked at the holographic display as Rush toggled it back to Eli and Scott, before examining what appeared to be a representation of the layout of the seedship and comparing two sets of data, flicking quickly from one to the other, faster than Young could even read, let alone read in Ancient. Rush toggled the communications.
"Eli, there is a small room ten metres ahead on your left. Would you and Lieutenant Scott please go and look at it for me."
Eli looked up at the kino. "Why?"
"Eli." Rush's tone held a warning note.
"Okay. We'll take a look." Eli moved away from the console he had been examining.
"Then get a move on, stop dawdling."
"Fine, fine, we're going." Eli responded, comically weary resignation in his voice.
Young watched as they walked up the corridor looking in alcoves and entryways as they went.
"Mr Wallace?" Rush's voice was sarcastic. "When you have a moment?"
Young looked away from the kino feed and at Rush, frowning. Rush's voice and expression did not match. His voice was sour and typically Rush. The look on his face however was focussed and Young thought a little concerned. He seemed to be pulling up more readings and comparing further data.
"Rush?" Young asked.
"Not now Colonel." Rush said shortly, voice unconcerned and completely not matching his intent expression.
"Okay we're in...it's actually got a hatch." They waited while Eli looked over the equipment in the room. "It looks like it's a sensor hub. Looks a lot like the one that we fixed on Destiny. I think it's probably the forward sensor hub. Cool!" Young watched as Eli examined the single console.
"Hey!" Eli and Scott both exclaimed at the same time.
Young picked up his radio. "What is it Scott?"
"The hatch just shut behind us...we didn't touch it." Scott said. On the kino feed Young could see Eli and Scott trying the hatch. "We're shut in, Colonel." Scott said. "Eli is trying to get it open again."
"Doctor Rush?" Volker asked. "Did you just...?"
"What, Mister Volker?" Rush didn't look up.
Young looked down at Rush. He was scanning down some data on the console intently.
""Rush?" he snapped.
"Not now Colonel!" Rush's voice was sharp and he didn't look away from the data.
"What the hell are you playing at?" He demanded.
Rush ignored him in favour of rapidly tapping at the console.
Young tried again. "Rush!"
Rush toggled the radio on again. "Leave the door alone Eli." Rush's voice brooked no argument.
"What's going on?" Eli asked, looking up at the kino.
"There's a hull breach in the corridor ahead of you." Volker said suddenly from the forward console. "The seed ship's shields fluctuated. I don't think the door will open till the shields stabilise."
Young waited, annoyed.
"I've increased the shield strength in that area." Volker said finally.
"Hey," Eli's voice floated up from the kino feed, "the door just opened."
"Must be some sort of security measure." Scott said, staring at the door control.
Young wouldn't have spotted the look on Rush's face unless he had been standing next to him and looking directly at him. Rush glanced up and caught Young's eye. There was a hint of challenge there.
"Yeah," Young said into the radio, "a security feature."
xxxoooxxx
Young sat at his desk considering the information that had been made available in the seven hours since they had dropped out of FTL. Destiny was warming up quickly, even his unreliably heated quarters. He had put the blanket from round his shoulders back on the bed when he'd returned three hours ago. Morale was definitely high and the news of a long lay over with shore leave was fuelling the general good mood. There had been a festive atmosphere in the mess hall when he had stopped in for dinner.
Twenty six days was too good an opportunity to miss. Rush's assertion that Destiny's core programming must have allowed for intermittent longer foraging expeditions made sense. It was clear that the hydroponics in the dome couldn't have completely fed a crew the size that Destiny was built for, just provided fresh fruit and vegetables on a daily basis.
Additionally there was no way that the Ancients would have planned a journey of this distance and magnitude without the ability to repair, replace and create. The Ancients must have had some prearranged plan to renew and resupply the ship, the crew, and everything that they needed.
The crafts and engineering groups had already got an "If you see it we want it" list taped up in the canteen and Young was going to encourage people on their designated periods planetside to feel free to acquire materials and craft things. The socks had been a massive success, Rush's chess set was one of the few games sets they had, and he was pretty certain crew members could come up with some more luxuries and entertainments, even if it was just quoits or something.
He was contemplating the possibilities of more new clothes when Camile walked through his open door.
"How are you?" Camile sat down on the spare chair in his quarters.
"Fine." He said. "Much better now I'm warmer. You?"
"Likewise."
He closed the laptop on his desk. "You made the interim briefing to Homeworld Command?"
She nodded. "They're pleased we're back out of FTL and all powered up and there's a lot of curiosity in the science team about the implications of Destiny's repair schedule."
Young gave a wry grin. "Figures."
"General O'Neill is asking for you to go back and brief him properly on the current situation including the crew status and Destiny herself."
"Also figures." He leaned back in his chair. "I need you to draft a rota for the foraging parties on the planets. There's already a mining rota for Hoth two and Tatouine." He told her. Once again Eli had named the planets and it had stuck. "Rush has it, although he's not on it. I need a working party and R&R rota for Down Below, Thick Woods and Big River." Greer had got in there and quickly named the three temperate planets before Eli could think up any more names. "Three days and three nights planetside. Last half day and night are R&R."
Camile nodded making a note in chalk on a piece of metal sheet, paper now too precious to waste on rough notes. "How many crew do you want held back?"
"Keep a third of the crew on ship at any time. Keep enough military on each trip in case of emergencies, circulate TJ and Inman and the other experts between Down Below, Thick Woods and Big River to direct harvesting. Keep partners together where practical, we're including R and R here, you've got a better handle on those dynamics than I have. I want it productive but we all need this break, it's been a tough few weeks. Only other criteria is I want to be on the same schedule as Rush."
Camile looked up from her notes abruptly and frowned. "You still don't trust him?" She asked a little sharply, shifting in the chair in his quarters.
Young shrugged. "Something like that."
Camile looked at him thoughtfully. "Everett, I can't let you and Rush escalate to the point you did before."
"Trust me Camile." He said. "This is about Rush and I not having to worry about what the other is doing when the other is away."
She was still giving him a slightly distrustful look. Young took a deep breath. "Camile. I can't tell you anything we haven't already talked about. Rush and I are good. We are tolerating each other quite well these days. We've actually managed to be in the same room together without wanting to kill each other on quite a regular basis. We'll be in a group of other crew, what other chaperones do you think we need?"
Camile shifted her weight again then nodded. "You're right." She stood. "Fine. I'll get on with it."
She stood and walked out. Young sat back in the chair, wondering why he had impulsively scheduled himself with Rush. He almost called out to Camile, to change his mind, but having defended his decision to her he could not really back down now. Not without Camile starting to doubt his motives. Damn, he would have to live with the decision. He went back to the water supplies report that the supplies team had provided earlier and applied himself to the decision on whether he could completely lift the water rationing based on the projections and estimates they had provided.
Camile took all of two hours to come up with a plan. Of the four planets Camile's plan scheduled Young, and Rush, on the most temperate of the three. They had three of the three day shifts, actually less than most of the crew, to allow for Rush to coordinate a significant amount of the repairs and for Young to pilot the shuttle to move hull plates into place. He checked it again and signed it off.
Plan in place it was time to go back and make his briefing.
"The geeks are all over this one." General O'Neill said, closing a folder on the desk in front of him and looking up. "Apparently the idea of Destiny being able to react to you being there and schedule interaction with you and the seedship is getting them all hot under the collar."
Young nodded. "Are we likely to be getting visitations?"
"I'm pretty certain that will be part of the plan, though the discussions haven't got that far yet." O'Neill leaned back in his chair. "I'll be surprised if you don't have them there in the next day or so. I've scheduled you a full briefing for ten days time. That should give you and all the geeks at both ends enough time to establish a full picture of what's going on and still two weeks for any follow up."
Young nodded again. "I'll make sure I'm fully briefed by the science team." He shifted to the other foot. "I've got three days on a planet to fit in before that."
O'Neill grinned. "Have fun Everett, not often you get to take it easy."
"From what I hear it'll be hard work," he admitted, "but it's nice to get off the ship."
O'Neill stood, walked round the desk and clapped him on the shoulder. "Enjoy yourself." He advised Young.
The meeting was evidently over.
"I will sir." Young assured him and left.
xxxoooxxx
Rush sat in the Observation Lounge, chess set in front of him, playing out a solitary game. The Lounge was silent, it was four in the morning and most of the crew were in their beds. In their own beds. Safe and warm. Alone.
Or maybe not. He suspected that there were several who had taken advantage of the previous week's adversity to cement alliances and relationships. There was no reason for Rush himself to be anywhere tonight. There was no expectation on him, no pain driving him, no one requesting him.
Young had called a briefing as soon as he had returned from Earth. The briefing had gone over the mining plans, repair schedule and foraging schedule in tortuous detail, planning man hours, facilities and storage space down to the smallest factor to force the maximum results from the available time and resources.
Young had left the briefing with only a single admonition to Rush that he was expected to take his quota of shore leave. Rush had resisted the urge to ask whether Young was going to make good on his former threat of dragging Rush through the stargate by his collar if he chose not to comply with the order. He had replaced the question with a scowl. Young hadn't said anything, just smiled and him and ruffled his hair with a laugh, making Rush deepen his scowl and duck away, looking to see if there was anyone else in the room. But there was no one there except them and Young had walked away.
Rush stared at the board, wondering what move his opponent would make next and realising that even though his opponent was himself, he had no idea what move to make next. He sighed, and moved a pawn at random.
Insomnia was a bitch. Young had managed about two hours of restless sleep before his brain had rebelled and he had lain sleepless for an hour before giving up and wandering off to find a cup of tea. The messhall was deserted as was to be expected at this time of night, but Becker had, as always, left hot water and the current dried plant matter for tea available. Young wandered in and made a cup of tea in one of the strangely unbreakable Ancient cups from the giant kitchen. This tea smelled new, slightly spicy and had a yellowish hue to the resulting brew. He was too restless to sit, so cup in hand he wandered out to see if anyone was awake.
He exchanged a couple of words with an equally insomniac Chloe who was sat in the core room, darning socks and running some sort of programme on the console in front of her. He was not surprised she was awake, Scott was on a bridge shift. He bid her good night and moved on.
Young stood silently in the doorway of the observation lounge, just out of sight. Rush sat alone at the table, playing a solitary game of chess. Move after slow move, the moves became slower, and slower, and slower until Rush was sat there staring vaguely at the board. Young could hear the deep sigh Rush gave all the way from his position in the doorway. He had the urge to go in and offer him a game, or tell him to get some sleep. God knows they were both always short on sleep. Rush would not want his company though and he did not feel like he could face a conflict with Rush. Not at this time of the morning anyway.
Rush's head lifted and he stared across the room, his face clear in profile and for a moment his face was the picture of sadness. Solitary chess suddenly seemed so wretched. Young's stomach gave a lurch and his feet almost took an involuntary step forward, before he tensed and stopped himself. That was ridiculous, the last thing Rush would want was him intruding on his misery. Rush was nothing if not a private person.
He watched as Rush sighed again, looked down at the board and made a desultory move, before staring at the board and going to pack away the pieces. Maybe he should offer. Maybe…Young shook his head. This was foolish, standing here watching Rush. His tea was cold and he should be in bed. He walked quietly away.