lavvyan's fiction index :: The Formula Of Perfection/title>  <script type="text/javascript"></script> <style type="text/css" media="all"> @import "../main.css"; .style2 {color: #000033} </style> </head> <body> <div id="container"> <div id="intro"> <div id="pageHeader"> <a href="../index.php"> <h1><span>lavvyan</span></h1> <h2><span>fiction index</span></h2></a> </div> </div> <div id="supportingText"> <div id="explanation"> <h4><span>The Formula Of Perfection by lavvyan </span></h4> <p class="p2"><strong>Rating:</strong> PG <strong><br /> Summary:</strong> At first, he had thought the SG-1 formula was simple: two soldiers + two scientists = one hell of a team. Only that one of the soldiers had been an alien, and one of the scientists had been a soldier, so it might take a slightly more complicated equation than that. </p> <p class="p2"><strong>AN: </strong>When I watched 38 Minutes, I was wondering how John had put his team together. This is the outcome. :)</p> </div> <div id="participation"> <p class="p1"><span></p> <p class="p1"><strong>The Formula Of Perfection</strong></p> <p>His team. His <i>Team</i>. It sounded a lot easier than suddenly being in charge of a whole military operation, in another galaxy no less. He had been doing a little not so light reading back in Colorado, and knew that the SGC's offworld-teams usually consisted of four people, CO included. Four had to be easier than a hundred, right? Right.<br /> <br /> So, with his being the ranking military officer and all, he would probably be leading the flagship team. SGA-1 or something like that. Kinda nice, actually, but from what he had learned, quite some footsteps to stumble into. SG-1 had not only been the first because of their number. They had been the best. <br /> <br /> John wanted nothing less.<br /> <br /> So. His own team. Meaning he needed three other people. And he had no idea at all whom to choose. <br /> <br /> The Major sighed. So, back from the start. Being like SG-1 probably took people like SG-1, which more or less automatically made him Jack O'Neill. He grinned at that thought; the general had been pretty cool, surprisingly roguish for someone his rank. And the man had been right: deciding not to come here would have been rather daft. Even if it meant him being in way over his head, John Sheppard had never felt more alive than here, than now. But, introspection aside, he still needed a Sam Carter, a Daniel Jackson, and a Teal'c - however that last name was supposed to be pronounced. <br /> <br /> At first, he had thought the SG-1 formula was simple: two soldiers + two scientists = one hell of a team. Only one of the soldiers had been an alien, and one of the scientists had been a soldier, so it might take a slightly more complicated formula than that. Add to it that Dr./Lt. Col. Carter also was a woman and had been briefly possessed by an alien parasite, and Dr. Jackson had been a higher being for almost a year, and Teal'c had been right hand of a (false) god which gave him some intimate knowledge of who was who in the milky way, and you got one hell of a <i>headache,</i> but no clue how to solve that puzzle. Was it two soldiers + two scientists? Or one woman + three men? Or three soldiers + one scientist? Or two soldiers + one scientist + one alien? <br /> <br /> Or one soldier + one scientist/enlightened being + one soldier/scientist/woman/ex-half-alien + one alien/galaxy guide?<br /> <br /> Argh? <br /> <br /> Alright, so he'd already decided on Ford as his second. He liked the guy, and they had made a good duo so far. Which only left two to go, and one of them should probably be one of the Athosians, them being technically aliens and all. So maybe he'd go ask Halling if he'd like to come along. John had taken an instant liking to the man, and he seemed decent enough. Probably also a good fighter, given his stature. <br /> <br /> He was halfway down the hall to the quarters that had been assigned to the Athosian and his son, when it struck him. Teyla. Woman <i>and</i> alien. A two-in-one deal, perfect! About-turn, and head for the opposite direction - SGA-1, here we go.<br /> <br /> ~~~<br /> <br /> "I thank you for your invitation, and for your trust, Major Sheppard. I believe that all of us would benefit from such... teams, as you described them. It is for that reason, and to deepen the friendship between our people, that I will gladly accept."<br /> <br /> John grinned, Teyla's words and her sunny smile accompanying him on his way back from the Athosian's quarters. That had gone better than he had expected. She had also told him that she was experienced in the use of the "sticks", some martial arts form he gathered, which probably meant that he had not only gotten an alien and a woman, but also his third soldier. <br /> <br /> So, now he only had to find a scientist. Which led him to a question he had managed to avoid so far: what <i>kind</i> of scientist was he supposed to choose? A linguist? Anthropologist? Archaeologist? Astrophysicist? What had been the most important scientific component of SG-1, the first contact/understand your fellow life-forms part, or the figuring out alien technologies bit? Maybe that head scientist could help him, Dr. McKay. He had known the team, after all, and should at the very least be able to tell John which scientists to choose from and which <i>not</i> to take. <br /> <br /> Despite the rather late hour, the physicist was right in the middle of frantic activity, firing out orders left and right at high speed. John stopped a moment to take in the scene before him. McKay surely was taking neither breath nor any prisoners, commanding scientists and soldiers alike, loudly berating those who moved too slowly or didn't understand him right away, all the while furiously tapping away on his laptop with one hand while balancing it on his other. It was like watching a very focused mini-tornado. <br /> <br /> Shaking his head, he sauntered over to the man who didn't even raise his head to acknowledge him.<br /> <br /> "What can I do for you, Major?"<br /> <br /> "I want you to be part of my team," John answered, surprising them both. McKay looked up sharply, before snapping at a passing female scientist.<br /> <br /> "Would you be <i>careful</i> with that! Your meagre education didn't cost half as much as the equipment you're trying to drop there!"<br /> <br /> She blushed, and scurried away, clutching a box to her chest. McKay rolled his eyes, and turned back to his laptop.<br /> <br /> "Very droll, Major. A riot, in fact. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do, provided these amateurs manage not to blow us all into oblivion within the next hour."<br /> <br /> "I wasn't kidding, McKay. I need a scientist, and I want you to be it."<br /> <br /> With an exaggerated sigh, the physicist slammed his laptop shut and pointed a finger at him.<br /> <br /> "You, why did you come here?"<br /> <br /> "I- because I have the Ancient gene?"<br /> <br /> "Yes, yes, of course," impatient wave of a hand, "but what did you expect for yourself when you decided to partake in this mission?"<br /> <br /> "I don't know." He didn't. General O'Neill had said it would be stupid not to come, and nice as Antarctica had been, the place was the very definition of the word 'boring'. "I guess I was just being adventurous."<br /> <br /> "Hah. Right. Let me tell you, Major, that I'm here solely for one purpose: to figure out how things work. Seeing how I was also put in charge of the science department, naturally, I might add, I don't have time for your little mind games."<br /> <br /> McKay turned to walk away, and John found his whole formula in danger. It might be his subconscious that had driven him to ask the physicist in the first place, but it made perfect sense, and suddenly it <i>had</i> to be McKay. Only the best, only the brightest had found their way on the SGC's flagship team, and while he had his suspicions about himself lacking in certain areas of expertise, the scientist might more than balance it out. His brief encounters with the man had shown the Major that beneath arrogance and attitude lay a quick mind and a vast knowledge. He could imagine that McKay saw his work as pretty much cut out for him, but John <i>needed</i> him, damn it! Staring at the retreating back of the physicist, he tried once more to get his point across.<br /> <br /> "This isn't a game, McKay. SG-1 had two of Earth's greatest scientists. I have only room for one on my team, and I want the best there is. That's you." <br /> <br /> That stopped the man short and made him turn to blink at the soldier.<br /> <br /> "You're really not kidding." The statement was made with something akin to wonder. John held his breath as the scientist seemed to think about his proposal.<br /> <br /> "Well, while I appreciate the sentiment, and as much as I'd like to get out into the fresh air to run from all the strange and exciting new things dead set to kill us all, I'm afraid I'll have to decline."<br /> <br /> "Decline?" John's face fell.<br /> <br /> "Decline, Major. That means no."<br /> <br /> McKay turned, and walked away.<br /> <br /> Damn him. <br /> <br /> ~~~<br /> <br /> If John had learned anything in his life, it was that persistence often got you exactly what you wanted. But if what you wanted was a stubborn, rude, opinionated, unnecessarily difficult physicist that had taken to avoid you, it was time to cut the persistence and move over to sneakiness.<br /> <br /> Which lead him right to the infirmary, and one Dr. Carson Beckett.<br /> <br /> "Hey Doc," he greeted as he strolled in, "you settling in okay?"<br /> <br /> "As a matter of fact, I am," came the absent-minded answer. "These examination tables are really fascinating. They seem to be able to interface directly with the patient, but I don't exactly want to try them out on anybody before I am certain."<br /> <br /> "Sounds pretty nifty. But they look a little uncomfortable, don't they?"<br /> <br /> "Aye, we'll put some mattresses on them for now. At least until we know how they work."<br /> <br /> "Ah."<br /> <br /> Silence ensued. <br /> <br /> "So, uh, that chair back in Antarctica, that was something, right?"<br /> <br /> Beckett cast him a wary look.<br /> <br /> "Was there anything ye wanted, Major?"<br /> <br /> "Actually, yes." John gave up on his attempts at small-talk and got to the point. "I noticed you and McKay seem to get along just fine."<br /> <br /> "Rodney's a good man once ye get to know him," Beckett stated rather defensively.<br /> <br /> "No doubt about that. You two known each other long?"<br /> <br /> "We both studied at the same university. My accent was even worse than it is now, and he isn't exactly a people person, which made us both outsiders. Surprisingly enough, we got along well, and became friends, that's all there is to it. Why do ye ask?"<br /> <br /> "Because I want him on my team, and he said no." And damn if it didn't irk John.<br /> <br /> "Why?"<br /> <br /> "Beats me."<br /> <br /> "No, I mean why did ye ask him, of all people?" the doctor clarified. "Rodney's a very difficult man, Major. Maybe ye'd be better off with another scientist."<br /> <br /> "I know, but I want McKay. He helped me. When we sent that M.A.L.P into space and everybody had given up any hope for a rescue mission? McKay made the connections to the puddle jumpers. He realized they were what I needed, and he just took me there, without explanation, me following him without asking even once where we were going. He knew he was doing the right thing, and I trusted him, just like that. Believe me, that's <i>not</i> what I usually do."<br /> <br /> Beckett just nodded.<br /> <br /> "And besides," John went on, "he's brilliant. They say he knows the answers to questions others wouldn't even think of asking. We've been here only for a few days, but I already know that despite his personal shortcomings, he's got the quickest mind I've ever seen. I need that. I need <i>him</i>."<br /> <br /> "Those personal shortcomings, they're not pretty," Beckett said cautiously.<br /> <br /> "I know. I still want him."<br /> <br /> John's calm statement earned him a smile, and a nod.<br /> <br /> "Aye. I'll talk to Rodney."<br /> <br /> "Thank you."<br /> <br /> "Just don't come running to me if ye can't handle him."<br /> <br /> ~~~<br /> <br /> John was having dinner in the mess hall when McKay dropped into the seat across from him.<br /> <br /> "I'm hypoglycaemic."<br /> <br /> "I know. We'll make sure to pack some extra power bars for you."<br /> <br /> "I also suffer from various allergies, the worst being my citrus intolerance."<br /> <br /> "I'll carry an epi-pen. Dr. Beckett showed me how to use them."<br /> <br /> "I've also been told I can be a little... trying." That admission obviously cost McKay a lot. <br /> <br /> "I'm sure I can take whatever you dish out."<br /> <br /> "You still want me?" The scientist seemed to have real trouble to get his head around the concept.<br /> <br /> "I need you, McKay. You're the missing part to the formula."<br /> <br /> "Formula? What formula?"<br /> <br /> "Two soldiers plus one alien plus one genius. I finally figured it out," John stated proudly.<br /> <br /> "You are making no sense whatsoever," was the dry comment to that.<br /> <br /> "SG-1, McKay. I'll admit that Carter is brilliant, but I think it was Jackson's genius that made a real impact. Besides, our alien is a woman, so we don't lose that tactical advantage."<br /> <br /> McKay seemed to think about that for a while.<br /> <br /> "So what you're saying is that Teyla's our Teal'c <i>and</i> Sam Carter without the scientist bit?"<br /> <br /> "See, I knew you'd get it," his CO - <i>yes!</i> - grinned, and the scientist grinned back. <br /> <br /> They sat in silence for a while, both listening to the hustle and bustle that was the mess hall at meal time.<br /> <br /> "Nobody ever wanted me to be part of his team before," McKay admitted quietly, not looking at John. "It might take me some time to get used to this."<br /> <br /> "That's okay," the soldier returned, "I've never been in charge of more than ten people before. I guess we can learn to fit into our roles together." His grin widened. "Who knows, we might even become friends."<br /> <br /> To his delight, that earned him a crooked half-smile.<br /> <br /> "Friends with a grunt? Not in this lifetime, Major."<br /> <br /> McKay stood up and made his way out of the mess hall before John could think of a witty comeback. Damn. <br /> <br /> Well, the physicist was right, it did seem unlikely; but then again, the way they had hit off right away wasn't exactly usual, either.<br /> <br /> "We'll see," John whispered, his voice drowned in the noise surrounding him. "Just you wait."<br /> <br /> He'd figure out exactly what it was that had made him want to become friends with a scientist. Why the moment blue eyes had fixed on him with sudden interest, he had felt something click. And in the meantime, he'd take four individuals and make a true team out of them, just like SG-1 had been.<br /> <br /> Couldn't be too hard, right? After all, he had figured it out. John Sheppard knew the formula, and he was good at mathematics. <br /> <br /> They'd all add up, and they'd be perfect.<br /> <br /> ~~~<br /> <br /> End.</p> <p class="p1 style2"><span class="style2"><a href="http://www.wraithbait.com/reviews.php?action=addreview&sid=4389" target="_blank">leave feedback</a> <a href="../index.html">return to index</a> <a href="javascript:history.go(-1)">back a page</a></span></p> </div> </div> <div id="linkList">  <div id="linkList2">   <div id="lselect"> <ul> <li><a href="../fic_index.php">fiction index</a></li> <li><a href="../au_fic.php">au's</a></li> <li><a href="../greenhouse.php">greenhouse verse</a></li> <li><a href="../14valentines.php">14 valentines</a></li> <li><a href="http://lavvyan.livejournal.com" target="_blank">livejournal</a></li> </ul> </div> <div id="larchives"> </div> <div id="lresources"></div> </div> </div> </div>   <div id="extraDiv1"><span></span></div> <div id="extraDiv2"><span></span></div><div id="extraDiv3"><span></span></div> <div id="extraDiv4"><span></span></div><div id="extraDiv5"><span></span></div><div id="extraDiv6"><span></span></div> </body> </html>