Author: Jadelyn Tate
Story: Falling In the Black
Rating: M (just to be safe--it won't get up to NC-17 but I honestly don't know how mature it will get)
Disclaimer: I own no one but Nicole Scott.
A/N: This focuses mostly on an OC dealing with life in the Pegasus galaxy from Season one through…whenever I end it. :D Also, this is for my own personal prompt challenge of 50 prompts. If I get enough interest, I may LJ community the prompts.
Thanks: To wild_force71 (aka Wild Force Ranger on ) for all her help as a sounding board. :D
Prompt: #41 - Trust
"Hi, I'm Dr. Nicole Scott," Nicole introduced herself. Sora, the Genii survivor, didn't so much as twitch in her direction. Nicole frowned. "You're Sora, right?"
"What do you want?"
"I—I just wanted to come and say hi," she replied, frowning. "I'm an anthropologist and linguist."
"That means nothing to me," Sora shrugged and Nicole frowned again.
"Right," she agreed. "It means I study cultures and languages."
"You're here to interrogate me about the Gennii?" she asked and Nicole's eyes widened.
"NO!" she exclaimed. "I mean, it might appear like that but no. I came to ask questions about your society but not interrogate you. I was curious about your language and your customs. Your society fascinates me."
"You live in the City of the Ancestors," Sora said. "Why would my people fascinate you?"
"Well, you have two different sides of your society," Nicole explained, sitting down on the floor in front of the cell the woman had been put in. "Simple farmers and advanced military side by side. It's not often you have both on the same world."
"You've been to many worlds then?" Sora asked, something like interest sparking in her eyes. Nicole shrugged.
"I traveled often back on Earth," she said. "Most of the worlds we traveled to had ties back to earth cultures so it was interesting to see how they had changed or even stayed the same."
"I don't understand," Sora admitted after a minute. Nicole smiled slightly.
"Earth was, is, made up of several regions and areas known as countries," she explained, not realizing she had fallen into teaching mode. "Each country has different leaders, cultures, even religions. Over twenty of those countries are represented here on Atlantis."
"And you all work together in peace?" Sora asked, somewhat skeptically. Nicole gave a wry grin.
"Not all the time," she admitted. "Nearly every country was at war with another at some point and occasionally we do have very vocal disagreements but the thing we all have in common is our thirst for knowledge and the protection of Earth which makes working here easier."
"Can you return to Earth?" Sora asked curiously. Nicole shook her head.
"No," she said. "As of right now, the Pegasus Galaxy is home. Hopefully we can return one day but we all came knowing it could very well be a one way trip."
"And yet you still came," Sora said, looking surprised. Nicole smiled.
"The thing is, Earth isn't safe either," she told her. "We're dealing with beings very similar to the Ancients but with radically different ideas about the placement of humans. Not to mention the, admittedly, dwindling threat of the Goa'uld."
"The Goa'uld?"
"Alien snakes that survive by taking humans as hosts and pose as Gods," she explained. "The snakes take complete control of the human as a parasite. The human is essentially trapped in its own body as the Goa'uld does unspeakable horrors."
"That's horrible," Sora said, eyes wide. "And these Goa'uld are on your planet?"
"Not on Earth, no," Nicole replied. "But at one point…well, let's just say that at one point they were nearly as bad as the Wraith are here."
Sora was quiet, digesting that information. Nicole sighed. "Listen, Sora, all I'm interested in is your culture, your religion, language, and traditions. Anything you want to tell me, I'll be happy to listen to. But ultimately it's your choice. I can't force you to tell me anything but most importantly I won't even try. That's simply not how I am."
Sora didn't say anything so Nicole stood up. "I'll be back tomorrow if you want to talk some more," she told her. "And if you want to talk with me, just tell one of the guards to call the Culture Center."
For a week, Nicole dropped by the cell Sora was being kept in, talking with her. More often than not, Sora didn't talk about her planet but Nicole found that she didn't particularly mind. Sora was a good listener and since it would be a cold day in hell before Nicole ever went to speak with Heightmeyer, the head of the culture center found herself unburdening some of her issues on the young Genii woman. Peter and Radek thought she was mildly insane for spending so much time with her, but Carson understood Nicole's need for some female companionship. He even brought them dinner on a few occasions when they'd lost track of time.
Nicole and Sora were oddly enough, in the middle of a discussion about Earths advancements in medicine when Elizabeth made the announcement about quarantine. Nicole made a face.
"Well, looks like you're stuck with me for a while," she joked with the young woman. Sora ducked her head but not before Nicole saw her expression. "Wow. That was a smile."
"The Genii are actually rather simple," Sora said, not looking at Nicole. "The military side can get rather…full of themselves, I guess you'd say."
"Sora, I adore you, but I kinda got that from all the stories floating around about that Kolya guy," Nicole told her wryly. Sora's lips twitched.
"Kolya has always been rather severe," she agreed and then looked up. The expression on her face could only be described as earnest. "I did not agree with his plan to take Atlantis or his decision to kill people. I don't…I don't like killing people."
"I know," Nicole said, smiling at her. "Teyla already told Elizabeth that you're not a killer. I have to agree."
Something in Sora relaxed and she gave a rather shy smile to the anthropologist and linguist. "Do you have something to write with?"
"Yeah," Nicole said, pulling out her pencil and a pad of paper. She handed it over. "What are you going to do?"
"You wanted to know about my language, right?" Sora asked, a smile playing on her lips. Nicole's eyes lit up and she beamed at the young woman.
~~*A*~~
The day after the Quarantine found Nicole standing in the doorway of Elizabeth's office. "I'm not interrupting, am I?" she asked, fidgeting with her hands. Major Sheppard, Elizabeth, and Teyla looked up.
"Naw, we were just going," the major said, smiling at her. Nicole gave a small smile back as they left. Once the two women were alone, Nicole turned to the civilian leader.
"What did you need?" Elizabeth asked curiously. Nicole bit her lip.
"It's about Sora," she answered. Elizabeth frowned.
"You've been spending time with her, haven't you?" she said and Nicole nodded.
"I've been talking with her about cultures and such," she agreed. "She started teaching me the Genii language during the quarantine."
"Really?" Elizabeth looked impressed. "Easy or hard?"
"Well, it's definitely a challenge," she replied wryly. "The Genii had no connection to Earth so their language evolved with almost no outside influence beside the Ancients."
"That sounds fascinating," Elizabeth smiled. "So what do you need?"
"Would it be possible to allow her to leave the cell?" Nicole asked hesitantly. "Maybe assign her quarters and an SF. Obviously she can't go to the sensitive areas of Atlantis but is she really a prisoner?"
"You think she can be trusted?" Elizabeth asked, leaning back. Nicole frowned.
"Yes, I do," she agreed. "She has a knack for understanding cultures and she said she likes to learn. Maybe she could work as my assistant until we can figure out what's going to happen to her."
"You trust her that much?" Elizabeth said, looking at her. Nicole lifted her chin and nodded.
"She only came with Kolya because she was ordered to," Nicole explained. "She did have issues with Teyla but, honestly, I can understand her position. She was still grieving and the stress of the Genii mission…"
She trailed off as Elizabeth nodded. "I'll think about it," she promised.
"Thank you Elizabeth," Nicole smiled and quickly left.