Sylke:
I never was a friend of military clothing. Well, at least not on my body. It really felt odd on my skin. And I thought I was looking rather funny. Andrea was looking rather funny in her army fatigues. She shot me an annoyed look as if she had sensed my thoughts. I could barely hold back a chuckle.
Here we were. A young lieutenant was showing us the way through the SGC complex to the briefing room where we should meet with General Hammond. Our first day at the SGC. I never thought we could make it.
Andrea and I had applied for jobs at SGC at the same time. She for the Logistics Department, me as an archaeologist. I had just finished my studies back in Germany when I applied for the job. We had left friends and family behind for what could be the greatest chance of our lives.
Walking through the corridor I watched the people passing by. Soldiers, civilians, medical staff. A very goodlooking man caught my attention. His insignia showed that he held the rank of a colonel. I studied him closer while we waited for the lift. He was tall and slender. His hair already tinged with gray, but it only made him look better. Beautiful brown eyes met mine. Our gazes locked for a few seconds. God what a man! I was spellbound. Then he walked away. I followed him with my eyes. Nice butt!!!
I felt a soft nudge. Andrea was grinning at me. She knew my soft spots and that I have always preferred older men.
"Could you at least wait till our second day before you stake your claim?" she whispered softly.
"Of course ... Who knows what else this place has to offer," I whispered back, laughing. "But that was a very, very good beginning."
*****
Andrea :
Well, with half of my family in the military, I practically grew up around army fatigues. But I never thought that I would wear them myself some day. But here we were. From the look Sylke gave me, she obviously thought that I looked as funny as I felt. I shot back an annoyed glance to let her know that she certainly did not look much better. Suddenly it was all I could do not to start giggling at the incongruous picture we presented. As nervous as I had been all morning, I would not have been able to stop and that certainly wouldn't have made a very good first impression.
While I followed the young lieutenant who was showing us to the briefing room and tried to memorize the way so that I wouldn't get lost, a part of my mind thought back on how we had gotten here. When Sylke had first come up with the idea that we should apply for jobs at SGC together, my first reaction had been "Yeah right. As if they're just waiting for us..." But then, I always was the more pessimistic one. And now we really were here.
I had given up trying to memorize they way after the fifth or sixth turn, and as we were waiting for the lift, I concentrated on the people passing us instead.Just in time to see Sylke notice a tall very attractive Air Force colonel. Her thoughts were so obvious - at least to me - that I nudged her to remind her we were here to work, not admire the scenery.
"Could you at least wait until our second day before you stake your claim?" I whispered, grinning at her.
"Of course.. Who knows what else this place has to offer," she answered in the same muted tone. "But that was a very, very good beginning."
What else this place had to offer we were to find out a few minutes later, when someone tried to stop the lift at the last possible moment. At first glance I noticed only longish hair and spectacles - and a sheaf of rolled up maps and papers that were clattering to the floor of the lift as the man couldn't hold on to them with one hand while the other tried to keep the lift doors from closing. He stepped in to let the doors close behind him and moved to pick up the fallen papers. Almost automatically I crouched down to help him. When I looked up, it was straight into the most incredible blue eyes I had ever seen. Up to now I had always laughed when I read expressions like "My heart stopped for an instant" or "The world seemed to stop spinning", but that was exactly how I felt at the moment.
By the time I had gathered my thoughts enough to straighten up again, the lift had stopped and the doors opened. "Thanks for the help," the man said and smiled at me before he disappeared down a corridor, while Sylke and I were led down another one. I almost turned my head to look back when I saw Sylke grinning at me.
"What was that you said about staking your claim on the first day?" she asked with a feigned innocent smile.
"I know, I know..... I'm no better... but then, at least now we know what else this place has to offer, " I whispered back.
Thankfully by that time we had finally reached the briefing room and were greeted by General Hammond, so that I had to concentrate on his words instead of on my thoughts.
*****
Sylke:
I could easily see that Andrea's mind was occupied with a lot of things but not with listening to the welcome speech from General Hammond. This predatory gleam in her eyes when she looked at that handsome young man at the lift was new to me. I had never seen it before. Okay, the guy was really goodlooking, but a little too young for my taste. And a little too clumsy. But he was very cute in his clumsiness.
"Lieutenant Simmons will show you to your quarters on the base. But first I would like you to meet your teams. Dr Wallbrecht, you will join SG-1 as Dr Jackson, the archaeologist originally assigned to this team, will work on other projects for a time. Miss Lehr, you will join our logistic department. Dr Jackson and his team are in need of some things that are difficult to get. Your expertise in this field is surely needed."
Before either of us could reply the door opened. My pulse quickened when I saw a certain Air Force colonel enter the room, along with several other people. A woman, a strange looking man with a strange looking tattoo on his forehead, and the handsome young man we met in the lift. I heard Andrea taking in a deep breath.
"Oh dear ...," she mumbled.
"I will most certainly love this job," I whispered back.
"May I introduce you to Colonel Jack O'Neill, Major Samantha Carter, Dr Daniel Jackson and Teal'c," General Hammond said. "Welcome Dr Wallbrecht and Miss Lehr to the SGC."
We exchanged handshakes. It felt like kind of an electric shock when Colonel O'Neill touched my hand. His brown eyes were taxing me from head to toe. Not that I did not like that. I was taxing him, too. Yes, definitely a man of my taste.
"Nice to meet you," Daniel Jackson greeted us. "Meet you again ..."
I watched Andrea out of the corner of my eyes, when Daniel Jackson turned her direction. There it was again. This predatory gleam in her eyes. The poor man was absolutely innocent about that and did not notice it. I grinned.
"So, tell me ... ," O'Neill asked me, "I am curious. From your files I know that you have worked as a secretary for years before you began your archaeology studies. Why are you interested in old, dusty things? "
"You don't like archaeologists?" I asked back.
"He doesn't like female scientists," Carter laughed.
O'Neill made a grimace at that comment. So this guy did not like female scientist.
"To answer your question, sir. I was fascinated by the Egyptian culture and archaeology in general since high school, but I never had the intention to study it when I finally left college. That was only years afterwards ... and I made my dream come true."
O'Neill frowned. Great! He was the leader of SG-1 and did not like female scientists.
*****
Andrea :
Much as I tried to concentrate on what Gemeral Hammond told us, his words just washed over me as my thoughts returned to the encounter in the lift. Now that I had had a few moments for my raging hormones to settle down to a more normal level, I remembered a few details that my conscious mind had not been able to register before. For example that the man had worn no rank insignia on his fatigues - and damned had he looked sexy in them - so he must be one of the civilians working here. Briefly I wondered who he might be when the mention of our names brought me back to the present situation.
"Dr Wallbrecht-" - with a slight smile I noticed that the General had a little trouble pronouncing the unfamiliar name - "-you will join SG-1 as Dr Jackson, the archaeologist originally assigned to this team will work on other projects for a time. Miss Lehr, you will join our logistics department. Dr Jackson and his team are in need of some things that are difficult to get. Your expertise in this field is surely needed."
I had just opened my mouth to reply when the door opened. The Air Force colonel Sylke had noticed earlier entered, followed by a young blond woman, a mountain of a man with dark skin and some kind of raised golden tattoo on his forehead and - Oh god, this can't really be happening - the gorgeous guy we had met in the lift. I took a deep breath to calm my suddenly racing heart.
"Oh dear....." I whispered. Apparently Sylke had heard me, because she whispered back "I will most certainly love this job."
Not more than I will, I thought as General Hammond introduced his people. So Sylke's colonel was Jack O'Neill and the guy from the lift was Dr Daniel Jackson, the archaeologist Sylke was to replace for the time being. He was a little smaller than Colonel O'Neill, but just as slender and definitely just as good looking. But there was also something about him that seemed to bring all my mothering instincts out.
We exchanged handshakes and when his hand wrapped around my fingers, I had to lock my knees or they would have turned to jelly and I would have landed quite unceremoniously on the floor.
"Nice to meet you," Dr Jackson greeted us. "Meet you again."
He smiled at me and my answering smile surely could have lighted the entire complex. I only hoped that it did not look as silly as I felt. From the corner of my eye I saw Sylke grinning at me. Well, she certainly wasn't doing any better. In fact she looked just about ready to throw Colonel O'Neill onto the table and...
"So, you're going to help us get the stuff we need for our missions," Dr Jackson said.
"I will certainly do my best," I answered.
"Well, I'm sorry that we'll be throwing you right in the water, but things are a little chaotic around here at the moment," he continued with an apologetic smile.
"Don't worry, Dr Jackson, I'm used to more than a little chaos. And I'm sure that SGC cannot be any more chaotic than my last job," I replied.
It was all I could do not to reach out and put my hand on his arm to reassure him. Desperately seeking something to take my mind off that kind of thought I heard that Colonel O'Neill had a problem with female scientists. Well, in that case he'll have his hands full dealing with Sylke, I thought with a grin.
"To answer your question, sir. I was fascinated by the Egyptian culture and archaeology in general since high school, but I never had the intention to study it when I finally left college. That was only years afterwards... and I made my dream come true," Sylke explained.
"Well, actually she just watched too many Indiana Jones movies," I threw in, grinning mischievously at Sylke. I knew that sooner or later I would pay for that remark, but right now I took it as a good sign that I had been able to come up with the teasing comment at all.
Obviously meeting a gorgeous man on my first day at a new job and being told that I would work with him - at least some of the time - hadn't quite reduced me to a blithering idiot.
"I hate to interrupt you people, but SG-1 needs to depart as soon as you can be ready, Dr Wallbrecht, and I'm sure Miss Lehr would like to start familiarizing herself with our logistics procedures. So, if you don't mind....." General Hammond spoke up.
A chorus of "Yes, sir", "Of course, sir," answered him.
*****
Sylke:
After we had settled in and brought our stuff to our new quarters I was due for briefing with the General and the SG-1 team. Andrea was being awaited at Dr Jackson's office. I was sure she was going to have a great time with that guy. I still could not believe our luck.
"Dr Wallbrecht, right on time," General Hammond said. "Okay, start the vid."
I took a seat next to Dr Carter and opposite to Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c. O'Neill was watching me. I tried to ignore his stare, but it was not easy. This guy was really good looking. I concentrated on the monitor. Well, that was interesting. I knew about earlier findings from ancient cultures made by SG teams. But in all the stuff I had read this culture never occurred.
"Is it Chinese?" Hammond asked.
"No, sir ... it's Japanese. Eleventh century I would say."
"And?" He was waiting for more information, some kind of a translation of course.
"I need some books and other literature to translate it, but it seems to be kind of an invitation."
"Invitation?" O'Neill echoed.
"Yes, sir. This symbol means 'You are invited'. The Japanese do not write in words exactly. The symbols stand for phrases, even whole sentences. A small variation in writing can give a symbol a different meaning," I replied. "It's fascinating."
"Another geek on the team," O'Neill murmured under his breath.
"Sir, to explore this place would be a great chance. I would like to take a closer look at the rest of this place. If it's safe, of course," I asked Hammond.
"We are looking for technology, not porcelain, Doctor," O'Neill snapped.
"With all due respect, sir," I countered, "it's a great opportunity to learn about these people. See how different their evolution was to that of Japan on earth. We could regain old knowledge that is lost here."
"I just don't like to crawl around dusty places just to find a single tea cup or somenthing like this," O'Neill said.
I was about to reply, but General Hammond held his hand up and gave me a small nod. O'Neill was definitely not an easy-going person. That was for sure.
"Okay, you have four hours to come up with a translation, Doctor. SG-1 will be shipping out at fourteenhundred hours. Main priority is to seek new technology. But to learn more about the cultures we find on other planets is important as well. Dr Wallbrecht, see what you can find out about these people."
"Yes, sir," four people answered in unison.
Hammond stood and left the room. Major Carter gave me an encouraging smile. What a start. My first day at a new job and I already had a major disagreement with my team leader. I looked in O'Neill's direction. There was a faint smile on his face. Then he leaned forward over the table.
"You are no relative of Dr Jackson?" he grinned.
"No, sir," I answered and laughed. Perhaps it was not such a bad start ...
*****
Andrea:
Lieutenant Simmons had shown us to our quarters so that we could drop off our stuff and Sylke had left for her briefing with General Hammond and SG-1. I had a little time left before I was supposed to meet with Dr Jackson so I decided to take a look at what was to be my office first. Thank God we had both been given a map of the complex or I would never have found my way around. Unlike Sylke I had never been very good in finding my way even with a map, much less without one.
Luckily the logistics office turned out to be not very far from that of Dr Jackson, so I wouldn't have to spend more time searching for it. I only had time for a quick look around but at least I found out that I was to share the office with someone and that that someone obviously liked plants, even though they were false ones.
At the appointed time I knocked at the door to Dr Jackson's office. The closer the time had come, the more my heart had taken to beating like a jackhammer. I certainly hadn't been that nervous when I had started my first job, and I had been pretty nervous then. "Come in."
The office I entered was almost crammed with artefacts from dozens of different cultures and almost every available surface was strewn with books, maps and papers. Amidst all this chaos Dr. Jackson had apparently been working on the translation of a small stone tablet. Now he looked up an smiled at me.
"Ah, Miss ..... Lehr, wasn't it? I see you managed to find your way around here," he greeted me.
"Yes, I did. Don't ask me how, but I did. And I even managed to find my own office as well," I said, smiling back at him.
Good, I was getting better at this. That smile certainly did not feel as silly as before. "So, do you have a list of the equipment you need that we can go over?"
"Oh, yeah, sure. At least - " he answered, rummaging around the papers littering his desk, "- I had one. Ah, here it is. Please take a seat."
I pulled over a chair and almost thankfully sank into it before my knees could give way, although that brought me far too close to him to do anything for the butterflies that were fluttering frantically in my stomach. Dammit, Andrea, get a grip on yourself. Stop thinking with your hormones and use your head instead, I silently berated myself.
I took the sheet of paper he held out to me and pushed my glasses back up my nose to read it. As my eyes went down the long column of equipment I found nothing that should be too hard to put together. Probably most of the stuff was already available on the base. I made a mental note to check up on the available supplies as soon as possible to get a clear picture of what had to be procured elsewhere.
"Well, that shouldn't be too difficult to put together," I said. "I have to check up on what's available on the base, but there's nothing on this list that's particularly out of the ordinary. When are you leaving?" "1300 tomorrow." Dr Jackson answered. "Oh, and don't forget to put a box of tissues on the list," he added.
"Tissues?"
"Ehm.... well, you see, I'm allergic to almost anything, up to and including gate travel," he answered with an apologetic smile.
"I see. In that case, I'll be sure to include some."
I took a pen out of my pocket and notet a box of tissues on the equipment list, unconsciously pushing my glasses back up again. From the corner of my eye I noticed that at the same time, Dr. Jackson did exactly the same. We both burst out laughing at the synchronicity of our movements. Suddenly, the ice was broken, the butterflies in my stomach settled down and my nervousness disappeared as if it had never been. Yes, I certainly would love working here.......
The End
