sga_flashfic | Three Email by Lacey McBain (G)

Title: Three Email
Author: Lacey McBain
Pairing: none
Rating: G
Word Count: ~ 900
Summary: Kavanagh sent three encrypted email from The Daedalus.
Notes: Spoilers for "Critical Mass" - dialogue between Kavanagh/Weir taken from there. Reference to Dr. Lindsay from "Coup d'Etat." I'm not sure what Kavanagh's first name actually is, but he's Calvin in a lot of fics, and I used that.

Three Email

“We’ve been going over the communication logs from The Daedalus, and it seems you sent three unauthorized encoded messages back to Atlantis shortly after the dialing was halted.”

***

Subject: (no subject)
From: Dr. C. Kavanagh <kavanagh@atlantis.net>
Date: 20/01/2006 13:55 AST
To: Dr. E. Lindsay <lindsay@atlantis.net>

Emily,

I have no idea when you’ll get this, but I hope you’re on one of your weekly expeditions to MX1-177. There’s a bomb on Atlantis—at least according to SGC intelligence, and yeah, you know what that means—but seriously, if you can get out, do it. I want you to be safe, and although I’m sure McKay will think he’s some kind of bomb expert, I wouldn’t trust my life to him. Or yours.

Maybe I didn’t say it strongly enough while I was on Atlantis, but I do care about you. I just can’t stay there any longer. Sooner or later McKay’s going to get everyone killed, and if he doesn’t, Sheppard and Weir will. Believe me, the SGC will be hearing about them when I get back.

I’m sorry it ended the way it did. I hoped coming back would give us another chance, but … well, you know what happened. I suppose there’s no point dwelling on it, but if I could change things, I would. I hope you believe me, Emily.

I’m not supposed to be sending this, but I had to say something. For what it’s worth, you made my time on Atlantis worthwhile, and I’ll never forget that. I hope someday you can forgive me. Be safe.

Yours,
Calvin
--
“The hope that new experiments will lead us back to objective events in time and space is about as well founded as the hope of discovering the end of the world in the unexplored regions of the Antarctic.” – Werner Heisenberg

***

“I have a few friends here I was concerned about. I wanted to see if they were all right.”

“I thought you said you didn’t have any friends.”

***

Subject: Professional Concern
From: Dr. C. Kavanagh <kavanagh@atlantis.net>
Date: 20/01/2006 13:30 AST
To: Dr. R. Zelenka <zelenka@atlantis.net>

Dear Dr. Zelenka,

Because I respect your work as a colleague, I feel it is my professional obligation to point out the error in allowing Dr. McKay to remain as Chief Scientist. On more than one occasion, the man has been almost entirely responsible for the near-destruction of Atlantis, not to mention the destruction of three-quarters of a solar system. The fact that people only refer to it as “that slip-up on Doranda” doesn’t make what he did any less devastating.

Dr. McKay may be a decent scientist, but he doesn’t listen to anyone. Not you. Not even Lt. Colonel Sheppard, who I blame just as much as McKay for what happened with Doranda. The two of them—well, I’ve made my concerns known to Dr. Weir, and will reiterate them to General O’Neill when I get back to Earth. Sooner or later they’re going to run into someone who won’t put up with the little arrangement they’ve got going.

I just wanted to say that I would’ve made an effort to stay if Weir would’ve considered my suggestion to place you in charge of the Science Division. I knew there was no way she would ever consider me for the position because it would look like American favoritism, but you would’ve been a good choice to replace McKay. I’m sorry she didn’t take me seriously.

I hope you survive McKay’s term as Chief Scientist.

Best wishes,
Dr. C. Kavanagh
--
“The hope that new experiments will lead us back to objective events in time and space is about as well founded as the hope of discovering the end of the world in the unexplored regions of the Antarctic.” – Werner Heisenberg

***

“Now the messages were encrypted, but don’t worry, I’ve got people deciphering them right now.”

***

Subject: Patient File C-1007
From: Dr. C. Kavanagh <kavanagh@atlantis.net>
Date: 20/01/2006 12:08 AST
To: Dr. C. Beckett <beckett@atlantis.net>

Dear Dr. Beckett,

I wanted to thank you for your recent discretion regarding my case, and for not questioning my decision to leave Atlantis. I just can’t stay here any longer, and it will be better for everyone this way. I appreciate your concern, and although I don't doubt the sincerity of your insistence that you'll continue to research the problem, I’m sure your skills will be needed for other things, especially given Dr. McKay's propensity to blow things up.

I will, however, contact Dr. Ferguson and Dr. Yoshimi as soon as I reach Earth. Thank you for forwarding my case file to them; it will aid in the treatment process, I’m sure, although I know there’s no cure. I’m still hopeful, though, that perhaps a solution can be found.

If the worst comes to pass, as I fear it might, I’ve given instructions for you to be notified. Please advise Dr. Lindsay of the true circumstances of my sudden departure. I didn't have the courage to tell her. She's the only one on Atlantis that needs to know.

Thank you for all you’ve done.

Sincerely,
Calvin Kavanagh
--
“The hope that new experiments will lead us back to objective events in time and space is about as well founded as the hope of discovering the end of the world in the unexplored regions of the Antarctic.” – Werner Heisenberg

***

Elizabeth closed the file containing the decrypted email, and sat back, one hand rubbing against her aching forehead.

“Oh, God,” she murmured to herself. “What have we become?”

THE END

Feedback and con crit always welcome.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Wow. This was an interesting take on Kavanaugh's seemingly usual pigheadedness in Critical Mass. He can be pretty asinine but he's still human. Very effective storytelling with just those 3 messages.

I like this evaluation of Kavanaugh's character. So often in fandom, he's only portrayed as an idiotic bastard. Here, he's still not exactly sympathetic, but he does have some valid concerns. And you've portrayed him quite well.

Also, I like the quotation at the end of his emails. It seems like something a scientist who's worked with the SGC and SG:A would appreciate.

I knew there was no way she would ever consider me for the position because it would look like American favoritism

Yes, I'm sure that's the reason why Kavanagh will never be the head of anything. You did a good job of making him sympathetic without losing his essential asshole-ness.

Seconded. Especially the Antarctica bit.

I used to get emails from a Chem prof who's signature line was:

"Back in my day we had to make our own water by smashing oxygen and hydrogen together."

Oh really nice. I would have been so much happier if Critical Mass had ended this way - I thought Elizabeth's treatment of Kavanagh was very worrying.

Very effective storytelling with just those 3 messages.

Thank you. I really like Kavanagh as a character, so I was disappointed they sent him back to earth. I've been fixating on who he sent those three email to, so this is my answer.

Thank you. I like Kavanagh as a character, and yes, even though he's an ass, he's still human. Just less likeable than McKay when he's been an ass. *g*

Thanks! When I saw the Antarctic reference, I knew that was my physics quote. *g*

*G* That's a great sig line. I chose the one for Kavanagh because of the Antarctica reference. It seemed to fit.

Yes, I'm sure that's the reason why Kavanagh will never be the head of anything.

*snort* My thoughts exactly. I'm glad he straddled the line between sympathetic and asshole - that was the plan. Thanks.

Thanks! I like the moral ambiguity of the show's second season, and I wanted to play with that just a little here. Especially since Elizabeth's now reading private email. *g*

Oh, interesting. I have a certain sympathy for Kavanagh just because we're so obviously supposed to dislike him, and he's just used as a whipping boy by SGA and fan writers both. Sure, he's an asshole, but so's Rodney, and we know he has redeeming qualities. It's nice to see a story that treats Kavanagh as a more three-dimensional character.

I agree with

in_interval -- I would have liked to have seen something like this in "Critical Mass".

I almost forgot, re: the "arrangement" McKay and Sheppard have going -- I wonder if Kavanagh knows something, or just thinks he knows something? *eg*

*nods* He comes off as more 3 dimensional in the messages. Just the personal nature of them gave us a glimpse at what he could be like when he's not in "lone dissenting voice" mode.

I didn't mean to come off as a Kavanaugh hater. What I meant to convey is that I like how you've fleshed out this maligned character. It's good to have a countervailing voice on the same side as our heroes, even if he does get annoying. ;-)

Sure, he's an asshole, but so's Rodney, and we know he has redeeming qualities.

Exactly. I think Kavanagh's a great character and I really wish they'd kept him around longer. He's kind of like the scientist equivalent of Bates - we're not supposed to like him, and yet, some of the things he says make perfect sense.

I wonder if Kavanagh knows something, or just thinks he knows something?

Could be either way. *G*

That's a great sympathetic Kavanagh in there, with reasonable explanations for his departure from Atlantis (well, hints at explanations anyway) and reasons for him sending those 3 encrypted emails.

I liked his sig too - I've never heard it before but it sounds so appropriate for the Atlantis mission.

Oh, I don't think you came across as a Kavanagh hater - he is asinine. He's easy to hate in the show. I just like that fic can let us make people like that more than the show gives them time to be. I was saying in a comment to someone else that Bates is the same way - we're not supposed to like him (and he's easy to villify in fic), but the things he says are usually reasonable, if not entirely correct/polite.

Kavanagh/Rodney interaction (and I don't mean in a slashy way) would be an asset to the show, I think, but alas, that's not going to happen unless they let him come back again. I think they were getting bogged down with too many secondary characters.

lovely story. thanks for sharing.

That's a great sympathetic Kavanagh in there, with reasonable explanations for his departure from Atlantis (well, hints at explanations anyway) and reasons for him sending those 3 encrypted emails.

Thanks. I wanted to hint without spelling things out too clearly. I do think life's like that, and there probably were a number of reasons he chose to leave Atlantis. It's fun to ponder. And the tag line - Google is a wonderful thing. *g*

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it.

Excellent fic. Loved this. I enjoy making Kav a sympathetic character at times myself.

This is great! I'd been thinking about those emails and what they were--and the throwaway lines about Kavanagh's leaving and coming back--and this is exactly what they should be.

Ha! I loved this and I wish I could see Elizabeth's reaction to something like it in canon. Poor Kavanagh was basically right about everything, just deeply unlikeable.

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