Trigger Warnings: None
Upon takeoff, the Marshal immediately made himself busy. His slim briefcase held more files than Jack would have guessed possible, and when the Marshal's attention was consumed by the paperwork, Jack surreptitiously pulled out his notes from the few PPDC history lectures he'd sat through. With the short notebook hidden behind the sea bag propped on his knees and his chin tucked to read the tight scribbles of his own handwriting, anyone observing would think him asleep. The flight in all took almost eight hours, and by the time Jack could just glimpse the first glint of the San Diego Shatterdome on the horizon, he knew that the original base had been donated by the US Navy back in 2015, just two years after Trespasser hit San Francisco, and 1 year after the Jaeger Program's inception. He'd memorized the first Jaegers stationed there (Shima Tornado & Nightwraith Toro), and the Shatterdome's kill count at the time he sat the lecture over a year ago (21 kaiju). It was the second highest Shatterdome kill rate, right after Hong Kong.
The knowledge of its history eased some of the apprehension that had coiled around the base of this spine, keeping him rigid with nerves. As they neared, the base came into clearer view. The buildings originally donated by the Navy sat clustered at the heart of the Shatterdome. Only a few of them remained, hosting guest quarters and command offices. The real action was in the structures built later on what was once field training grounds, which now held K-Sciences and the kwoon, and the six turrets jutting out over the edge of the rocky coastline.
Each turret was the home of a Jaeger. Auxiliary bays were deeper inside the 'dome as well, but these were the frontline machines, the ones most likely to be called into service. The bays could open out directly into the surf, and the roof of each could be opened for carriers to throw down lines for a vertical lift. The hatches were open now as they circled, waiting for clearance to set down. Light spilled into the bays, giving Jack glittering flashes of shine reflecting off the metal Jaegers housed within.
More than two dozen bodies moved swiftly across the landing platforms, pulling Jack's attention in as many different directions. Pallet loaders buzzed across the tarmac, stacking crates of gear with practiced ease, following painting lanes of traffic sprayed on the tarmac. Technicians in neon vests moved with deliberate purpose, some with the lighted batons of the landing crew, and still more refueling and inspecting another chopper already set down.
But perhaps the most breathtaking was the ocean glinting beyond the outer edge of the Shatterdome. In the mid-afternoon sun, the water glowed azure, twinkling like glass. In Anchorage, the ocean was a force of nature, icy cold with the threat of monsters in the deep. Looking at the Pacific now, it was hard to believe anything so monstrous could be lurking beneath the surface. Jack couldn't help but stare, captivating by the stunning vista. On their next pass, he realized he wasn't the only one enraptured.
At the far corner of the roof, a tall figure stood with their back to the organized chaos, staring out across the calm ocean. From the helicopter, Jack couldn't see much beyond the cut of their silhouette in the sun. Still, his eyes bounced between the ocean and the lone figure until the chopper banked suddenly, coming in for the final approach. The indistinct silhouette sharpened into blonde hair ruffling in the breeze, and casual BDUs that didn't match the ground crews utilitarian coveralls. Their head turned to track their descent, eyes hidden behind mirrored shades. Jack watched them in turn until the chopper set down, and the person disappeared behind the invading crush of the ground crew moving in.
When they finally touched down, the Marshal wasted no time in exiting the helo. As soon as the door hinged open, Pentecost was out the hatch and striding purposefully across the tarmac, leaving Jack to scramble for his gear and trot to catch up. A quick glance to where he'd last seen the figure revealed nothing but open space. Half a second later, he realized that the figure had resolved itself into the shape of the woman waiting for the Marshal near the freight elevator with a clipboard tucked under her arm.
Though her eyes were hidden by a pair of mirrored aviators, Jack sensed the sharp gaze behind them and fought the urge to squirm when she looked at him. A stiff gust of air buffeted them when the helicopter lifted off, sustained by the otherwise gentle breeze blowing off the waves. Jack watched the woman straighten as the Marshal approached ahead of him, but noticed with a curious eye that she didn't salute.
"Welcome back, sir," she greeted solemnly. Pentecost traded his briefcase for the clipboard she held, and nodded in response. "General Hammond arrived 45 minutes ago."
"Of course he did," Pentecost responded, lifting the first few pages of the clipped packet to scan its contents. Jack saw only numbers in strings before the Marshal decided he was done with it, and returned it to his assistant. Secretary? Jack's thoughts spooled out behind him, trying to decipher exactly who this woman was. "I'm surprised you aren't with the General now."
The woman didn't skip a beat. "The General accepted Tendo's offer of an insider's tour of the Shatterdome, sir. Manhattan's team are prepared to engage the General when they meet at Bay 7."
Whatever irritation the Marshal had felt at the idea of an unattended General running around his base, it was gone in an instant. Pentecost smirked. "He'll love that. Manhattan is one of his favorites."
"Yes, sir." The woman grinned, smug. "They intend to offer a tour of Manhattan's connpod."
"That will take him straight to cloud nine," the Marshal confirmed. "Well done."
"Yes, sir," she agreed, clearly pleased with herself. Jack gaped. She spoke with the familiarity Jack couldn't dream of affecting with a superior officer. An attitude like that wouldn't have been suffered long at the Academy- or any basic training he could think of. His suspicion that she was civilian gained traction.
The woman felt his stare and turned her head to regard him in turn. Even from behind her mirrored lenses Jack's skin frizzled under her gaze, which only amplified when she didn't say a word. He adjusted the weight of his pack across his shoulders.
"Ah, yes, this is Jack O'Neill, our newest Ranger," Pentecost said. "O'Neill, this is Dr. Samantha Carter, our top engineer."
Jack froze to keep the shock from showing. Not a secretary. Jack felt a guilty flush of embarrassment creep up the back of his neck. It explained the casual uniform, and lack of salute. No rank, not military. Civilian scientist. Okay. That explained her behavior, but not the Marshal's. Why was a civilian engineer in charge of his itinerary, and why the hell would she be expected to entertain Generals? Jack filed his questions away in the back of his mind as he accepted the handshake she extended.
Dr. Carter gripped his palm firmly, gave it the customary one-two pump, then released it. She must be a brat, Jack thought, noting her posture. She holds herself like a soldier. He grinned, feeling the urge to make a good impression on this woman, no matter her creed. Strangely, it wasn't because the Marshal seemed to trust her. His stomach fluttered like he'd just dropped onto a Jaeger, and he felt himself grinning in spite of himself.
"I look forward to working with you," he chirped. Sunlight glinted off her mirrored shades, dazzling him. Her eyebrow rose a fraction.
"Pleasure," she said. The Marshal quickly took charge of the conversation.
"Doctor Carter is here to answer any questions you may have about your Jaeger or the Shatterdome," he said. He reclaimed his briefcase from her and looked at her expectantly. "Take him to 3. He can get a look at the Jaeger he'll be working with while you give him the rundown. Then show him to his quarters."
"Yes, sir," Carter replied. Pentecost turned to Jack.
"Get some rest, Ranger," he instructed, raising a hand to summon the vehicle standing by. "You've got a long week ahead of you, starting tomorrow." The Marshal's gaze slid wryly towards Carter. "Now I have a general to intercept before he starts looking under the hood."
Dr. Carter features brightened at that. "That could be arranged, sir," she offered enthusiastically.
"Not the kind of hood I was referring to, Carter." Carter's chin lowered slightly in disappointment, but didn't lose the hint of a grin threatening to show. Jack saluted- the idea of the Marshal making a joke gave him a headache. Pentecost returned the salute. "Welcome to the Shatterdome."
A moment later, Pentecost had climbed into the vehicle and was gone, leaving O'Neill alone with Carter. He turned to greet her properly, only to be faced with her back as she headed towards the lift. "Follow me," she called over her shoulder, pitching her voice to carry across the widening gap between them. Jack obeyed without a word of protest.