Interface, by kageygirl, for the ESP challenge

[kageygirl.livejournal.com]

vs. the "extrasensory perception" version...

Title: Interface
Author: kageygirl
Rating: PG
Pairing: McKay/Sheppard
Summary: Nonverbal communication.

Many thanks to mmmchelle for beta work.


Interface


If anyone asked him, and he was feeling particularly honest, John would probably admit that he'd had to have Beckett explain the whole ATA gene expression thing to him more than once.

Well, he'd admit that if anyone other than Rodney asked, anyway. He'd make Rodney work a little harder to get a straight answer, just because.

The first time around, he'd been a little overwhelmed by the whole "aliens are real, they built Atlantis, flew away with it to another galaxy, and we're gonna go find it" deal. John hadn't quite processed the technical explanation of why he was able to make things like the control chair light up like a Christmas tree.

Which had made the science teams light up, too, as a neat little bonus, so even though he hadn't understood it right away, he didn't think it could be a bad thing.

But something they hadn't figured out back on Earth, because they'd never had a ton of power and because the really cool toys had gone to Pegasus with the city, was that some of the more sophisticated equipment--particularly the systems that accepted mental input--didn't just react to the presence of the ATA protein.

Some things, like the Puddle Jumpers, appeared to adapt to specific users. When he had a choice, John preferred to take Jumper One out, because it seemed to respond to him just a little more quickly and cleanly than the others did, because it just seemed to have a better sense of what he wanted the more time he spent at the controls. Sometimes, it felt less like mind-reading and more like intuition, instinct, like the Jumper knew what he wanted before John did.

He'd thought about mentioning that idea to Rodney, but he guessed that Rodney might think he was a little nuts. More than he already did, anyway. Rodney often seemed a little uncomfortable about trusting intuition. Besides, John only got to thinking about it when he was taking a solo flight, or when--

He gasped as Rodney bit his shoulder, and blinked up at Rodney, getting an arch look in return. "Am I boring you?"

"No," he panted, as Rodney ran his hands up John's thighs and over his abdomen, making John roll his hips into the motion. John shook his head. "Not bored--really, really not bored."

"Good. Let's keep it that way, shall we?" Rodney smiled with that look in his eye, the one that always seemed to end with John shaking and breathless and covered in sweat, and scraped his teeth along John's neck, as if he knew exactly how to drive John crazy as fast as possible.

Maybe he did, John thought. Because Rodney clearly understood more about intuition than he let on--maybe even more than he realized.

John grinned as he dragged Rodney up for a kiss. He rolled them both over to return the favor, to show Rodney what he'd intuited with his hands and his mouth and his body.

As for the adaptive Jumper interface, John decided that he wasn't going to say anything.

He really wanted to watch Rodney find out about that for himself.

Comments

[jenlev.livejournal.com]

what a delightful idea, as if the puddle jumpers and the other techonological wonders are more than machines.

just as the ways the genes express themselves in these characters are more than a biological reaction. and the relationship between john and rodney is more than just chemistry. *veg*

[kageygirl.livejournal.com]

Hee, thanks! Yeah, everything's just more interesting below the surface, sometimes. *g*

[jenlev.livejournal.com]

indeed. ;)

[theseashore.livejournal.com]

I loved this. Thank you.

[kageygirl.livejournal.com]

Thank you--I'm so glad you liked it!

[sp23.livejournal.com]

Adaptive Jumper interface. As John would say, "this is cool". The Rodney/John interface, on the otherhand, was hot. ;)

[kageygirl.livejournal.com]

Hee, thanks! I'm glad you liked it. *g*

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

I enjoyed to see John drift off in Atlantis-tech-thoughts for a change *g* but more the fact they do put those thoughts away for more interesting, i.e. interpersonal intuiting.

[kageygirl.livejournal.com]

Thanks! With all those brains between them, they should be able to prioritize a little, I'm thinking. *g*

[zoerayne]

I love the sentient!tech idea, and this was a great spin on that.

Also? Much with the hot. *g*

[kageygirl.livejournal.com]

Hee, thanks! I'm so glad you liked. *g*

[ship-recs.livejournal.com]

Nice!

[kageygirl.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[kyrdwyn.livejournal.com]

I adore you.

And this.

[kageygirl.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Of course you know the feeling, she is mutual. *g*

[randommagic.livejournal.com]

This is why it's worth stayin gup til 2.45 in the morning. *contented sighs*

I like the idea that the jumpers are a little bit sentient, and John knowing this without being able to really explain why. I also like Rodney's way of making sure that John was paying full attention *eg*

[kageygirl.livejournal.com]

Aww, thanks! I'm glad you liked it, and that it justified staying up late. *g*

[eisakay.livejournal.com]

oh, this was niice. So lovely.

He gasped as Rodney bit his shoulder

guh, I loved that line and how we are suddenly there.

[kageygirl.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I'm glad you liked it!

Lucky for both of them, Rodney's just not shy about getting attention when he wants it. *g*

[wickedwords.livejournal.com]

The puddle jumpers remind me of horses or dogs, and John is like the jumper whisperer or something. *g* I loved that his mind went off on that, and how Rodney brought him back. V. cool.

[kageygirl.livejournal.com]

The jumper whisperer! Oh, I like that a lot. *g*

Thanks so much!

[kalikahuntress.livejournal.com]

Aahh, I like your take on the ESP challenge. I had no idea that while John was musing about how the city and its technolgies are sentient, he and Rodney were busy. I wasn't expecting it and I liked how it led to some insight on John's aprt about Rodney that I fully agree with.

Of course John couldn't stay thinky for long with Rodney so focused on him, I knew I couldn't if I were in his place * sigh*
Thanks for the fic!!

[kageygirl.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I'm so glad you liked it!

John's just got so many cool things to distract him from one another. Lucky man. *eg*

[miera-c.livejournal.com]

oh gods. Jumper interface + sex.
You! get out of my brain!
it's already too crowded in there. :)

[kageygirl.livejournal.com]

But I like your brain! It's all comfy and cozy, and besides, mine's all broke right now. *g*

[20thcenturyvole.livejournal.com]

Insert lecherous heavy breathing here. *is goo* Oooooh, that was lovely -- the smut, and the ideas, and the puddle-jumper, and the smut...

[kageygirl.livejournal.com]

Hee, thanks! I'm really glad you liked it. *g*

[nel-ani.livejournal.com]

Hee! First geek-out, then sex! Whooo hoo!

[kageygirl.livejournal.com]

Some days, everything works out well like that. *g* Thanks!

[out-there.livejournal.com]

Lovely! I love the idea that the jumper learns to react to each pilot and even more precious is the idea that *that's* what distracts John during sex.

[kageygirl.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm really glad you liked it. *g*

[http://users.livejournal.com/_bettina_/]

Oh, nice, I like that :-).

[kageygirl.livejournal.com]

Thanks! And, omg, your icon is really, really hot.

[catheights.livejournal.com]

He gasped as Rodney bit his shoulder, and blinked up at Rodney, getting an arch look in return. "Am I boring you?"

LOL, so that's what John has been doing while thinking these thoughts. I like Rodney's "intuition" on bringing John back to the moment. *g*

I'm also grinning imagine Rodney's reaction to that adaptive Jumper interface :)

Great fic.

[kageygirl.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! I'm really glad you liked it. *g*

[mamoru22.livejournal.com]

Maybe he did, John thought. Because Rodney clearly understood more about intuition than he let on--maybe even more than he realized.

That was really cool. I like it when we get a look like this into John's head.

[kageygirl.livejournal.com]

Thank you--I'm so glad you liked it. *g*

[mousewitchy.livejournal.com]

Ohhhh, wonderful.

Which had made the science teams light up, too, as a neat little bonus, so even though he hadn't understood it right away, he didn't think it could be a bad thing.

::points:: That line just tickled me senseless, John thinking of making all the scientists happy and talky as "neat". The way he actually *says* things like "neat" and "cool" even though he's supposed to be this big, bad, cool-as-a-cucumber fighter pilot is actually one of the things I absolutely adore about John, and you've captured that here.

::beams happily, and applauds::

[kageygirl.livejournal.com]

Aw, thanks! Me too--I love that the cool, commanding military leader is also kind of sweet and dorky. *g*

[cathexys.livejournal.com]

as much as we focus on sex all the time as the be all and end all...it's really neat to take sex as the backdrop for these thoughts of john's..and the instinctual puddle jumper is just too cool!!! they're more like pets than objects, aren't they? :-)

which is not to say that it wasn't sexy...just much more than that :-)

thank you!!!

[ceares.livejournal.com]

Nice-intriguing concept, and a nice twist of hotness. thanks.

[poisonshock.livejournal.com]

[grins] "Am I boring you?" He says, I bet no^one could get *bored* with him