Smoke and Mirrors by dannylurks
May. 22nd, 2005 10:50 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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sga_flashficTitle: Smoke and Mirrors
Author: dannylurks
Rating: PG
Pairing: none
Summary: Elizabeth goes walking and finds someone unexpected.
Smoke and Mirrors
Elizabeth Weir walked down the deserted corridor reflecting that her life had become a cliché. The loneliness of command. It’s tough at the top. Alone in a crowded room. They were all her, and then some. It was one reason she’d started taking these walks, exploring parts of the city she hadn’t seen. She knew they watched her on the sensors, but she accepted that as a necessary safety precaution. It was still a chance to take a few moments and think… and remember how things were before she came on this crazy adventure.
She was pretty certain others felt the same. The expedition had been on Atlantis about a month and as they’d settled down into some kind of routine, the homesickness and loneliness had begun to bite. She’d noticed some of the staff beginning to pair off, seeking solace in another warm body. Some had expressed their feelings in bursts of irrational anger. Others had become quiet to the point of silence. No-one mentioned it, but the reality of their situation had finally hit home. They weren’t going back to Earth in the foreseeable future, if ever.
All they had was each other.
Elizabeth turned a corner and came face to face with a closed door. She touched the control and it swished open, revealing a balcony high over the sea. Taking a deep breath of the refreshing sea air, she stepped through and walked over to the railing, letting the door close behind her. Resting her hands on the top rail, she closed her eyes and felt the gentle breeze ruffle her hair. Simon would have loved this, she thought idly. He always liked the sea.
“Elizabeth?”
She swung round and her heart lurched in surprise at the familiar figure standing by the door. “Simon? How?”
He smiled and walked towards her, arms outstretched. “The Ancients' technology is amazing, Elizabeth.”
Reaching out, she tentatively stroked his arm. It felt warm, the fabric of his shirt soft under her fingers. “You’re real?” she said, not quite believing it.
“What do you think?” he said, pulling her into a hug.
“You feel real,” she said, almost to herself. “And smell real… and sound real.”
They embraced for a long time, with Elizabeth resting her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. She found the sound comforting, soothing. Her eyes drifted shut, lulled by the steady rhythm pulsing under her ear.
He pulled back a little and looked down at her. “I’ve missed you so much,” he whispered, as he leant down and brushed her lips with his.
Suddenly, the door slid open revealing Major Sheppard with his weapon raised, Doctor McKay close behind him. They were both breathing hard, as if they’d been running. “Get away from her,” Sheppard ordered. “Now!”
“What are you doing here?” she asked, stunned at their arrival.
“We were keeping an eye on you, then suddenly there was an extra life sign,” explained McKay, staring at Simon.
“I said, get away from her,” repeated Sheppard. He released the safety catch on his weapon.
“John, don’t,” she pleaded, placing herself between the Major and Simon.
“Who are you?” asked McKay, pointing his life signs detector at Simon and studying the readings.
“His name is Simon,” Elizabeth replied. “He’s my fiancé.”
“How the hell did he get here?” Sheppard’s finger tightened on the trigger.
“Judging by these readings, I doubt if he’s come as far as you might think.” McKay looked up, his expression hard. “What I should have asked is - what are you?”
Simon stepped away from Elizabeth and raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I am here to serve, to be whoever you want me to be… whoever you want the most…” He stared carefully at McKay, then shimmered and shrank, his shape swimming before their eyes until he came to rest in the shape of a cat.
“Binky?” McKay’s mouth dropped open in surprise. The cat slunk over to McKay and rubbed round his legs, purring like a steam train. He bent down and stroked it. “No!” he said, suddenly coming to his senses and straightening up, “you aren’t real.” He shook his head, as if trying to convince himself. “No.”
As if sensing McKay’s rejection, the cat walked over to Sheppard, then shimmered through a kaleidoscope of colours, twisting and weaving before his eyes, all the time growing, growing… until… “Mom?” Sheppard stared in disbelief at the white-haired lady in the flowered dress that stood before him.
“Don’t point that thing at me, young man,” she said sternly, reaching across and pushing Sheppard’s P90 downwards.
“Major, she’s not real,” said McKay quietly.
“I know she’s not,” agreed Sheppard. “My Mom’s dead.” He raised his weapon again. “Who are you and what do you want?”
Sheppard’s Mom smiled. “I try to help. I have a gift… I can see into the minds of others… I can take other forms. I give them what – who – they most desire. The ancestors did not always welcome this. I could not understand why. I took to hiding. No-one has found me in a long time.”
“What do you want?” asked McKay.
“I want to help.”
“I don’t know if we want your kind of help,” said Sheppard.
“But I can make your dreams come true.”
“It’s smoke and mirrors,” said Elizabeth quietly, “an illusion.”
“We value truth,” added McKay. “You weave a web of lies.”
“Very well.” The woman inclined her head and nodded. “I mean no harm. I will not bother you again. Perhaps one day someone in this city will want me.”
She shimmered and span, the colours coalescing into a blur of light that rose up and off the balcony, shooting up into the sky.
They watched her go. Elizabeth let out a deep sigh. “Are you all right?” Sheppard asked her.
She nodded. “I guess.”
“It would have been living a lie,” said McKay thoughtfully, as he patted her on the shoulder.
“Yes, of course you’re right, Rodney.” They turned to leave and she glanced up at the sky, searching for a sign of their visitor. No, ultimately she couldn’t live a lie… but it might have been nice to try it for a while.
Author: dannylurks
Rating: PG
Pairing: none
Summary: Elizabeth goes walking and finds someone unexpected.
Smoke and Mirrors
Elizabeth Weir walked down the deserted corridor reflecting that her life had become a cliché. The loneliness of command. It’s tough at the top. Alone in a crowded room. They were all her, and then some. It was one reason she’d started taking these walks, exploring parts of the city she hadn’t seen. She knew they watched her on the sensors, but she accepted that as a necessary safety precaution. It was still a chance to take a few moments and think… and remember how things were before she came on this crazy adventure.
She was pretty certain others felt the same. The expedition had been on Atlantis about a month and as they’d settled down into some kind of routine, the homesickness and loneliness had begun to bite. She’d noticed some of the staff beginning to pair off, seeking solace in another warm body. Some had expressed their feelings in bursts of irrational anger. Others had become quiet to the point of silence. No-one mentioned it, but the reality of their situation had finally hit home. They weren’t going back to Earth in the foreseeable future, if ever.
All they had was each other.
Elizabeth turned a corner and came face to face with a closed door. She touched the control and it swished open, revealing a balcony high over the sea. Taking a deep breath of the refreshing sea air, she stepped through and walked over to the railing, letting the door close behind her. Resting her hands on the top rail, she closed her eyes and felt the gentle breeze ruffle her hair. Simon would have loved this, she thought idly. He always liked the sea.
“Elizabeth?”
She swung round and her heart lurched in surprise at the familiar figure standing by the door. “Simon? How?”
He smiled and walked towards her, arms outstretched. “The Ancients' technology is amazing, Elizabeth.”
Reaching out, she tentatively stroked his arm. It felt warm, the fabric of his shirt soft under her fingers. “You’re real?” she said, not quite believing it.
“What do you think?” he said, pulling her into a hug.
“You feel real,” she said, almost to herself. “And smell real… and sound real.”
They embraced for a long time, with Elizabeth resting her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. She found the sound comforting, soothing. Her eyes drifted shut, lulled by the steady rhythm pulsing under her ear.
He pulled back a little and looked down at her. “I’ve missed you so much,” he whispered, as he leant down and brushed her lips with his.
Suddenly, the door slid open revealing Major Sheppard with his weapon raised, Doctor McKay close behind him. They were both breathing hard, as if they’d been running. “Get away from her,” Sheppard ordered. “Now!”
“What are you doing here?” she asked, stunned at their arrival.
“We were keeping an eye on you, then suddenly there was an extra life sign,” explained McKay, staring at Simon.
“I said, get away from her,” repeated Sheppard. He released the safety catch on his weapon.
“John, don’t,” she pleaded, placing herself between the Major and Simon.
“Who are you?” asked McKay, pointing his life signs detector at Simon and studying the readings.
“His name is Simon,” Elizabeth replied. “He’s my fiancé.”
“How the hell did he get here?” Sheppard’s finger tightened on the trigger.
“Judging by these readings, I doubt if he’s come as far as you might think.” McKay looked up, his expression hard. “What I should have asked is - what are you?”
Simon stepped away from Elizabeth and raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I am here to serve, to be whoever you want me to be… whoever you want the most…” He stared carefully at McKay, then shimmered and shrank, his shape swimming before their eyes until he came to rest in the shape of a cat.
“Binky?” McKay’s mouth dropped open in surprise. The cat slunk over to McKay and rubbed round his legs, purring like a steam train. He bent down and stroked it. “No!” he said, suddenly coming to his senses and straightening up, “you aren’t real.” He shook his head, as if trying to convince himself. “No.”
As if sensing McKay’s rejection, the cat walked over to Sheppard, then shimmered through a kaleidoscope of colours, twisting and weaving before his eyes, all the time growing, growing… until… “Mom?” Sheppard stared in disbelief at the white-haired lady in the flowered dress that stood before him.
“Don’t point that thing at me, young man,” she said sternly, reaching across and pushing Sheppard’s P90 downwards.
“Major, she’s not real,” said McKay quietly.
“I know she’s not,” agreed Sheppard. “My Mom’s dead.” He raised his weapon again. “Who are you and what do you want?”
Sheppard’s Mom smiled. “I try to help. I have a gift… I can see into the minds of others… I can take other forms. I give them what – who – they most desire. The ancestors did not always welcome this. I could not understand why. I took to hiding. No-one has found me in a long time.”
“What do you want?” asked McKay.
“I want to help.”
“I don’t know if we want your kind of help,” said Sheppard.
“But I can make your dreams come true.”
“It’s smoke and mirrors,” said Elizabeth quietly, “an illusion.”
“We value truth,” added McKay. “You weave a web of lies.”
“Very well.” The woman inclined her head and nodded. “I mean no harm. I will not bother you again. Perhaps one day someone in this city will want me.”
She shimmered and span, the colours coalescing into a blur of light that rose up and off the balcony, shooting up into the sky.
They watched her go. Elizabeth let out a deep sigh. “Are you all right?” Sheppard asked her.
She nodded. “I guess.”
“It would have been living a lie,” said McKay thoughtfully, as he patted her on the shoulder.
“Yes, of course you’re right, Rodney.” They turned to leave and she glanced up at the sky, searching for a sign of their visitor. No, ultimately she couldn’t live a lie… but it might have been nice to try it for a while.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-05-22 10:55 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-05-23 07:25 am (UTC)