Okay. I do apologise profusely for this update being SO very late! I've been insanely busy with things in the real world (curses) and as a result have been finding it difficult to devote enough time to focusing on updating this; I blame the length of the chapters.

Anyway, I do hope you enjoy and to my two, continuous reviewers, I LOVE YOU for you patience...

Anyway, to anyone else, enjoy and review.

KaseyKC


Eight


"The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word 'crisis.' One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be aware of the danger - but recognize the opportunity." - John F. Kennedy (1917 - 1963), Speech in Indianapolis, April 12, 1959


There is a common saying that life is full of missed opportunities, if that is true then it is logical to assume that every moment of the day you are missing an opportunity. But what sort of opportunity? How many do you miss in a single day?

Didn't Einstein and all those other clever yet misunderstood fellows of science theorise the idea that life was full of 'forks in the road'? Could those 'forks in the road' actually be those missed opportunities?

Is it not possible to consider the idea that to choose the red pill is better than choosing the blue pill for some, not for all? Is it not possible to consider the concept of moral dilemmas as being the choice between which path to take when one comes to a fork in the road of life?

Rush didn't know if missed opportunities were the 'forks in the roads', he didn't know if they were merely coincidence, he didn't know if the choice he might make in the next few minutes could save them or damn them to death... and maybe worse.

Eli sat next to Rush, both as silent and pensive as Scott had ever seen them. He looked at Greer who was sat near to the thin strip of cloth that separated them from the rest of the underground complex these creatures called home. Giving him a short nod Scott went and perched next to Eli and said, "What are you guys thinking?"

"A lot of things lieutenant, none of which I can be bothered simplifying for you," Rush responded automatically, but his insult lacked its usual biting sarcasm.

Scott smirked and said, "you guys seemed pretty worried about something earlier, I was just wondering when you were going to share," he raised an eyebrow when Eli looked at Rush and he swore he could see some sort of secret communication between the pair.

Eli gave a small nod of his head, barely perceptible, before saying softly, "we think that these creatures have the ability to gain information from us when they come into contact with us."

Rush looked at Scott with a pointed look and Scott risked a glance towards Greer and the door before responding, "So I guess we'd best finish the tour and get back to base right?"

"Right," Rush responded, his hand felt like it was about to drop off and his shoulder had gone numb about twenty-minutes ago, "Eli, how long have we got until Destiny jumps again?"

Eli thought for a moment before responding, "A little over 5 hours, but that depends on how long we were all out. If we were out for more than two hours then I'd say less that 5, a lot less," He grimaced at the thought of being stranded on this planet, away from the only other humans in this galaxy, heck in this part of the universe.

"Okay. Maybe we could check our radios and see if we can get a message out, I'm betting that Colonel Young ordered a re-dial when we didn't dial back in," Scott pressed the button on his radio and cursed in his head when it didn't pick anything up.

"We're too deep underground for our radio frequencies to be picked up Scott. We either need to boost the signal or get closer to the surface," Eli muttered rubbing a hand over his face; he wasn't even thirty and he felt like he was... damn, he missed playing computer games sometimes, he missed his mom...

"Can you and Rush boost it?" Scott immediately asked looking between the pair, he hoped that they could boost it because he seriously doubted they'd be leaving anytime soon.

"If my hand was still intact then yes, as it is, Eli will have to manage on his own..." Rush sighed which turned into a yawn, "I'm so tired.." he yawned again and Scott smirked.

"Get some sleep Rush, I'm sure Eli can boost the signal," he looked at Eli who nodded mutely; they both decided that Rush needed sleep. 'Must be the adrenalin wearing off' he thought as he watched Rush's eyelids slide shut.

The last thing Rush said before he drifted away to the land of dreams was, "give Eli your radio lieutenant..."

Scott smirked and was about to move away when Eli said, "he wasn't joking you know; I will need your radio and Greer's too."

Scott looked at him with a raised eyebrow before unclipping his radio and handing it to Eli, "use mine, Rush's and your own; I want Greer's in one piece encase anyone tries to contact us."

Eli, already lost in the task of disassembling the radio, just nodded and continued to pry open the black radio case.

-SGU-FB-SGU-FB-

18th March 2005

"Oh thank god he's leaving! Now we can get this party started!"

A loud cheer went up from the small group of scientists that were in the middle of the mess hall; he didn't care that they hated him, he didn't care that they thought he couldn't have fun, their minds were so primitive compared to his that it was no wonder that he did not communicate with them much; beyond the usual insults and berating for complete and utter incapableness. Oh, and coffee.

He ignored the sounds of laughter that was the by-product of a pathetic joke at his expense; let them think what they wished of him, it wasn't as if their thoughts were worth anything. No, they were all fools and imbeciles who thought that coming from a background of money meant you were automatically brilliant. Sometimes he wished that he could work with someone who wasn't from a rich family, who knew what hardship was and understood responsibility. But that wouldn't be, afterall, science was just another form of politics and society with all their rules and regulations and little 'clubs' and who was and who was not.

It sickened him, it truly did, because his intelligence far surpassed any of those idiots there and yet he was not given the respect, the acclaim he so obviously deserved! It was ironic... it was unfair... it was life in a nutshell really.

-SGU-FB-SGU-FB-

21st July 2005

"It's about time I left this place! I mean, there's only so much idiocy and stupidity I can put up with!" Rush exclaimed to himself as he strode into his lab, 'I wonder how my new lab will look?' he thought as he began packing his personal items into the plastic box he'd taken from the storage room one floor below.

He had just finished putting all his private notes into the box when the comm. he'd been given by some major, or colonel or whatever, beeped and the sound of talking could be heard. He grabbed it and shoved it into his ear before listening to what was being said, 'oh no... not again!'

"I'll be there in a moment and please for the love of god do not let them touch it!" he barked out, anger and irritation seeping into his voice.

He glared at the half-filled box and stormed out into the corridor and off towards Lab B-6 where the idiots had caused another disaster that he had to go and prevent, 'I'm not going to miss this!'

As he walked into the lab and opened his mouth to speak he stopped suddenly; there was no-one there. The lab was empty of scientists except for himself, "what the?"

He looked around and noticed on the lab bench work-top a small, wrapped box with an envelope next to it. Supposing that it was someone's and that they'd forgot it earlier, he went and looked at the name on the envelope and was shocked to see his own.

Carefully, and with great hesitation, he reached out a hand and picked the envelope up, pausing for a long moment before turning it over and breaking the seal on it. Carefully and with baited breath he slid out the letter inside and unfolded it.

The words upon it made Rush think of his fellow scientists in a new light;

Doctor Rush,

We apologise profusely for not being here to give you your gift but we were worried for our own safety and so decided that delivering it in this manner was the safest. We also apologise for telling you that we had 'messed up' again; it was one of the few ways we have realised you will drop everything for so as to fix our mistakes.

I'm afraid that none of us know you too well but we do know how much of a great man you are; we often envy you for your mathematical abilities alone, never mind you scientific skills.

We also know that you will be leaving within a few hours of reading this letter, which means we will live longer, and so we all wished to tell you this from the people who you may not consider friends but who consider you a valuable colleague who we will miss having around to fix our bouts of stupidity.

Beneath the letter there were over a dozen signatures from most of the scientific staff of the base and Rush couldn't help but smile at it; he'd terrorised these people for almost five years and here they were, giving him a gift and wishing him well. Absurd!

He placed the letter down on the bench and moved his attention to the gift which he deftly unwrapped and left him to gasp in surprise and appreciation. They'd bought him a silver photograph-frame that was the perfect size for the one he kept hidden away next to his bed.

He noticed another small letter in that was in the wrapping and so fished it out; this one was short and to the point but it made Rush tear-up a little;

Nicholas,

I noticed you looking at my photo-frame a few months ago; the one that had my mother in and I realised that you probably didn't have anything to put a photo in so I suggested it to the others and they thought it would be a good idea to get you one. We didn't know what size to get you so we stuck with the standard size frame. I hope you can put it to good use.

Kate

Kate was the only scientist who worked in the same lab as him on occasion; she was also the only one to give back as good as she got when he was in a particularly bad mood. 'I think I'm going to miss her....' he realised suddenly as he slowly sat on the stool that was by the bench, 'I think I'm going to miss them all even...'

-SGU-FB-SGU-FB-

Rush awoke with a startled gasp as someone shook he injured shoulder. He snapped his eyes open and glared at who had woken him; Greer.

"Wakey-wakey Doctor," Greer sneered as he gave Rush one final shake before rising and moving over to where Scott and Eli were speaking with someone over the radio, 'he did it then' he thought as he slowly rose to his feet.

Eli, upon hearing Rush's movements, looked up at him and grinned that grin he did when he'd figured something out and was proud of it. Rush, who normally would have glared or snapped at him to get back to work, instead found himself smiling at Eli.

"We're all awake now Colonel. I can't give a definitive number on the amount of enemies there are, but I'm guessing at least two dozen," Scott said into the radio, and after waiting a moment the sound of a crackly response met their ears.

"Alright Lieutenant, do you have anything to defend yourself with?"

"Yes sir, we've still got our weapons," Scott responded immediately looking at Rush and giving him a nod which Rush returned in response to Scott's unasked question; 'are you alright?' 'not really but I'll survive.'

"Okay. We're at the entrance to the tunnels now, we'll make our way in silently, five minutes from now I want you to head in the direction that you think will lead you out, use whatever force is necessary Lieutenant."

"Yes sir," Scott responded as Greer moved away to the weapons they'd had with them.

"Over and out."

The radio went dead and Scott sighed, "Guess we're getting out of here."

"Let's just hope we get out alive Lieutenant," Rush muttered as Greer handed Scott his M-16 and Eli the 9 mil. he'd been carrying. Greer chucked him his 9 mil. and it would have hit him in the face had it not been for Eli, in a sudden bout of excellent hand-to-eye coordination, grabbed it before it could break his nose and threw Greer a malicious glare that Rush felt proud of.


TBC...

Okay, the next update may be sometime in the Easter holidays so please have some more patience and REVIEW! PLEASE!!

The lack of reviews is getting to me; especially since I have another fic that has like 7 chapters and only 5 reviews...

Anyway, please review...

KaseyKC