Consider the Great Wall of China by paradise-city [Documentation Challenge]

[paradise-city.livejournal.com]

Title: Consider the Great Wall of China
Pairing: McKay/Sheppard
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 5600
Summary: Rodney channels his inner Vizzini, John eschews capitalization, and Chuck's name really isn't Chuck.
Notes: I did the best I could with the timeline and technical aspects of the emails; please forgive any inaccuracies.

One stone at a time, man. But I've read you can see that motherfucker from space without a telescope.

Comments

[amalthia]

lovely story. :) thanks so much for sharing.

[paradise-city.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Glad you liked it. :)

[fairestcat]

This is fantastic. I love the format.

[paradise-city.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I was really excited about this challenge because I love the way formatting can add to a fic. Some of the stuff that's been posted has been eight different kinds of cool.

[mcalex22.livejournal.com]

Thank you - I loved this! It was so funny and I loved it that you incorporated Chucky D! That last email was cute.

Ah Rodney, he's so blind to flirting and doesn't even know when he's being courted... all the more reason why I love him so much :D

Great story - and I love your style. Actually I've always thought it was amazing that we could see the Great Wall from space. Haven't been there myself but one day...

:D

[paradise-city.livejournal.com]

I have so much love for Chuck it's really ridiculous.

And Rodney definitely strikes me as the "I never see it coming" kind of guy. No wonder the show remain slash free. ;)

Anyway, thanks. Glad you enjoyed.

[hopeowl.livejournal.com]

OMG this cracked me up! Fantastic!

[paradise-city.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I haven't written anything humorous in a while and it really was fun to do so.

[sweetestdrain]

I actually went "BWAHAHA!" out loud at the Princess Bride homage, and again at the very end. Luckily my roommate has already left town for the weekend. Lovely story! I like it very much.

[paradise-city.livejournal.com]

Thank you. The PB bit was the one I really didn't think would work, but folks really seem to have enjoyed, so I'm glad I left it in.

Also, icon love. :)

[etben.livejournal.com]

oh, marvelous. Sweet and easy and a little lonesome, but mostly just spot-on and rock-awesome. And, um, did I mention the hot? Because, yeah. That, too.

[paradise-city.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I was aiming for an edge of lonesome, so I'm glad that came across. And I'm rarely accused of writing anything hot, so thanks for that, too. :)

And finally? Icon love.

[adannu.livejournal.com]

Oooooh. I *love* this! The formatting of the various emails, the Princess Bride quotes made me smile, and Rodney's paranoia in full speed ahead.

And then The Denouement.


And then the ending. HAH.

[paradise-city.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I was afriad things were kind of petering out there at the end, so I'm glad it worked for you. :)

[sweeneybird.livejournal.com]

Clearly, AC was not American: only a great fool would reach for the wine placed in front him. Rodney was not a great fool, so he clearly could not choose the wine in front of him. However, AC must have known that Rodney was not a great fool, so Rodney clearly could not choose the wine in front of AC: AC was American.

Rodney had made his decision.

Only not remotely. Because AC was from Atlantis and Atlantis was populated by brilliants (real or otherwise). And brilliants were used to not being trusted as they do not trust others. So Rodney clearly could not choose the wine in front of AC: he was American.

Truly, he had a dizzying intellect.

But he hadn't even gotten started. AC must have suspected Rodney would be well acquainted with DSM criterion paranoia, so Rodney clearly could not choose the wine in front of AC. But AC had successfully tracked Rodney tracking him, so he could anticipate Rodney's aforementioned paranoia. Therefore, Rodney clearly could not choose the wine in front of him. But, AC had also thrown the nationality gauntlet, trusting Rodney not to take it and thereby distancing himself from the truth, so Rodney clearly could not choose the wine in front of AC.

AC was trying to trick him into revealing something. It wouldn't work: AC had already fallen victim to one of the classic blunders. The most famous, of course, was this: never get involved in a land war in Asia. But only slightly less famous was this: never go up against a scientist when reason was on the line.

Also, Rodney already knew Radek was not American.

He would have been much better off with iocane powder.

I adore you and want to have your cyberbabies. This was just terrific!

[paradise-city.livejournal.com]

Thanks! That was the bit I was most worried about--I almost cut it. Really glad I didn't.

Also, your icon is equal amounts cool and disturbing. ;)

[strivaria.livejournal.com]

First.. He would have been much better off with iocane powder.

Absolutely love the Princess Bride 'battle of wits' bit!

Second.. Chuck gave him the creeps.

::snerk:: Heheehe. Gee wonder why.

But what really got me was the last 'e-mail'. Seriously.. still giggling here.

Love it, by the way... in case you couldn't tell.

[paradise-city.livejournal.com]

Thanks. :) I'm glad people like the PB bit, as I really wasn't sure about including it. And the last email was completely unplanned and added at the last minute, so I'm glad it worked, too. Poor creepy Charles. He's so well-intentioned.

[copracat]

I enjoyed that very, very much. Well built and nicely finished.

[paradise-city.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I have a much harder time writing longer fics, so it's really nice to hear that it was well built.

Also, your icon's fifteen kinds of wrong and awesome. :)

[reginabellatrix.livejournal.com]

This was wonderful! I especially enjoyed the Princess Bride bit. I may have to make a related icon now.

Anyway, thanks for sharing. It was highly entertaining.

[paradise-city.livejournal.com]

(Did Frank just eat my reply? Bastard.)

Anyway, thanks. There's little in life to which The Princess Bride cannot be applied. Glad you enjoyed it!

[justhuman.livejournal.com]

That was great, I really loved Rodney using PrincessBride!Logic and John's assessement of where his life is going. He'd definitely one of the ones that's just found home.

[paradise-city.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I didn't think TPB bit was particularly Rodney, so I'm glad it worked. And John...oh, John. There's something both beautiful and heartwrenching about the fact that he had to leave his entire galaxy behind to find his home.

[cincodemaygirl.livejournal.com]

*delighted by this*

[paradise-city.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed. :)

Also, icon love. It makes me think of one of my favorite Chicago Hope moments, though I'm sure the quote comes from somewhere else.

[mos-self.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you finished the fic! It turned out very well (and ended the way I had hoped), and I love the way you have Rodney puzzle out the identity of his correspondent.

[paradise-city.livejournal.com]

Thanks. :)

Also, good god, do I love that icon. His expression is the perfect match for that exasperated jacking off gesture that amuses me so much. Hee.

[birdsflying]

Ahahahahahahahahaha! Prime/Not Prime! Princess Bride references! (it's almost 4am, I so should not put my copy on, damn you!) and the final email, *charles*, my name is *charles*. Ahaha!

*Fantastic!*

[paradise-city.livejournal.com]

Oh, man. Charles, my name is Charles! has been running through my head all day and making me giggle.

Thanks so much. :)

[mirabile-dictu.livejournal.com]

Loved this! The format was brilliant, the dialog and e-dialog great, and the ending perfect. Thank you so much!

[paradise-city.livejournal.com]

Thanks! The dialogue and the ending were the bits I was particularly worried about, so I'm glad they worked. :)

[kickthebeat.livejournal.com]

this is definitely my favourite fic to come out of this challenge thus far; it is absolutely brill. i didn't spoil myself by highlighting and oh, how i'm glad i didn't! i will adore forever.

[paradise-city.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm really glad people enjoyed it; it's really nice to know I'm able to make strangers laugh.

[kelliem.livejournal.com]

Oh man! Princess Bride references! And Chuck mysteriously knowing what Rodney's going to say! And Molson! And worrried Zelenka!

Delightful. Truly delightful. Thank you.

[paradise-city.livejournal.com]

Chuck, oh, Chuck! So much love. And I can just imagine Zelenka all freaked out, wondering what the hell is going on. Really, life on Atlantis on any given day must be ridiculously amusing.

[firestorm172001.livejournal.com]

LOL for the Princess Bride references. I always thought Rodney was more of a Miracle Max than a Vizzini (after having the difference between mostly dead and all dead demonstrated to him so often), though. Seems to work your way.

[paradise-city.livejournal.com]

Ooh. He's definitely a Miracle Max. Which, of course, has me wondering who the hell would be Inigo. Awesome.

And thanks--glad you enjoyed.

[zee.livejournal.com]

Deliciously geekified. All the references aside, 'Did I do that eyes and Hell yeah, I did that hair' made me choke on coffee.

[paradise-city.livejournal.com]

Oh man, his hair. Swear to god, John's hair was the single reason I resisted watching the show for so long.

And really, credit for that line goes to my kid brother. We have a running joke that John's mouth says one thing and his hair says something entirely different and usually X-rated. His hair needs thought bubbles.

Anyway, thanks--glad you enjoeyd!

[loligo.livejournal.com]

So. Much. FUN!!!

[paradise-city.livejournal.com]

Aww, thank you! I'm so enjoying the fact that I was able to make strangers laugh. God love fandom.

[druidspell.livejournal.com]

Creepy McWeirderson?
That was it. I cracked up.

Also, the Vizzini bit? Hilarious.

[paradise-city.livejournal.com]

Poor Chuck. He always gets the short end of the stick.

And thanks--glad you enjoyed!

[bluebrocade.livejournal.com]

Fabulous!!

[paradise-city.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed. :)

[pollitt.livejournal.com]

This was delightful!

And, oh Chuck. I <3 You.

[paradise-city.livejournal.com]

So much love for Chuck. So. Much. Love.

And thanks--glad you enjoyed it. :)

[riverlight.livejournal.com]

Clearly, AC was not American: only a great fool would reach for the wine placed in front him. Rodney was not a great fool, so he clearly could not choose the wine in front of him. However, AC must have known that Rodney was not a great fool, so Rodney clearly could not choose the wine in front of AC: AC was American.

Oh god oh god oh god. I LOVE you right now--this made me cackle madly, and in public no less. The whole thing was just wonderful. And the bit about Mersenne primes—hot!

Bravo, bravo!

[paradise-city.livejournal.com]

Hee! I'm so glad you enjoyed it--one of the awesome things about fandom is the ability to make strangers you'll never know laugh. I love it.