Aberrant: Stargate Universe - Snapshot [Complete]

[z-Olivia Jenings-Izumi]

0530

Olivia awoke with her alarm, stretching in her bed. "Don't wanna," she grumbled to herself, relaxing back into her sheets. The whine was less satisfying when no one else could hear it and she grumbled to herself for several minutes. The alarm went off again, and she finally rose, heading toward her quick shower.

0600

Damien was already at the table, and Olivia gave him a smile, which he returned. "How are you, Doctor?" he asked politely, and she answered, politely, "I'm fine. Had trouble convincing myself to get up. You?" to which he answered, just as politely, "Fine, thank you. Had a good night's sleep, myself." The answers changed, but the tone and questions did not.

Gwyn and Declan were less predictable. Sometimes, they would be there; sometimes they wouldn't. They never interrupted the opening dialogue; it was oddly sacrosanct. But after she and Damien were done, the conversation would flow more naturally. Today, Gwyn asked her opinion on Maasai culture. Once he found out that Olivia had an interest in it, he'd actually studied up on it, so that he could talk with her about it. Today, Damien and Declan had been mostly quiet, listening. She was sure that both men were learning; Damien would pop out with the oddest statements later, and Declan sometimes had questions for her at later points.

0700

After breakfast, it was martial arts practice. She and Declan would work together, while Damien and Gwyn practiced together. Today, she got to land her first punch. Declan let her do it, for practice, but she still grinned to feel her closed fist pound into his chest. They exchanged grins, hers exultant, his proud, and they held it long enough for Olivia to remember him telling her to see in his eyes what he couldn't say aloud. She looked away first, and they started again.

1000

A bit more work at the rifle range finished their morning off. Olivia did poorly today; her thoughts were elsewhere, and while she knew she was distracted, she couldn't focus. Declan didn't say anything, but she could tell he was disappointed.

They had enough time for a quick shower before lunch.

1200

"What are we learning this afternoon?" Gwyn asked as he had some sparkling red jello.

Damien looked at Olivia, who swallowed the food she actually needed to eat and said, "The Tollan."

"Aren't they gone?" Declan asked around forkfuls of mashed potatoes.

"We don't know," Olivia said, smiling at him, trying to make it just a smile. "I'll explain that in the briefing."

1300

Olivia spread out her notes on the table and started to talk, giving the history of the Tollan. With the pattern they'd established in the past, the other men interrupted with questions as needed; Olivia didn't need the notes, but it kept her on-topic, especially given the way that the questions could cause her to veer off into other territory. She kept talking through the discovery of the Tollan by SG-1, to their presumed fall at the hands of the Gou'ald.

When she was done, Damien pattered her on the arm in the way that she hated so much. "Good job, Doctor."

Stop looking at me like that, she thought at him, but smiled and said, "Thank you, sir. I hoped you'd appreciate the information."

"As always, Doctor."

1600

She went to the library as usual, and read up on a subject for tomorrow's lesson. Tonight, she decided to talk about the Ashen. There wasn't a lot on them, but Olivia knew that the moral discussion that would stem from that would at least be interesting.

1700

This was her time to read over the mission files for all the teams. It was one of her favorite activities, especially when she got to read Daniel or Captain Carter's reports. They were the most mentally stimulating, at least for Olivia. It was helping her get a handle on the people in the StarGate program, learning little details that made them more 'real' in her head.

1900

Dinner was one of her least-structured times. It was when she had the best chance of talking with Kyria or Vinny, the two people she knew best off her team. She didn't always get to sit with them; Damien required them to eat breakfast and lunch together, but dinner was their time. Still, they often ate together for dinner anyway. Sometimes, if her teammates were there, then Vinny didn't join her, and sometimes, Kyria didn't come to dinner. Often, Declan also joined her; unlike Gwyn and Damien, he didn't have anyone else to eat with in the facility.

She was pleased to see her team already there, tonight. She made her way to the table they'd claimed. "Evening, Doctor," Damien said. "How are you?"

Olivia smiled tightly, and gave the expected reply so that they could move on to the actual conversation. I hope Damien gets rewired fast.

2000

Olivia went back to her room for an hour or two, taking some time to herself. This was her time, and she checked her email, wrote in her Taint journal and generally relaxed. Today, she had an unusual urge, and she pulled her laptop close and started to write. It was a story, or rather the beginning of one. It was also a historical fiction mixed with science fiction. She stopped, frowning. The story was there, it was strong, but she wasn't sure if she should finish. It's fiction, she sighed, even as she remembered Vinny's suggestion about writing something Dad could read.

2200

Her thoughts were interrupted by a tap at her door. A glance at the clock revealed who it would be, and Olivia was all smiles as she opened the door for Declan. "Hey," she said easily, nodding at the file folder in his hands. "Ready for help?"

"Always," he said as she shut the door, and the artifice could be done. As he settled in on floor in front of the couch, she lit the candles. In movements that were becoming habitual, Olivia sat behind him on the couch and leaned forward, murmuring the triggers as she began to massage his shoulders. This was, privately, her favorite time of day. It was good to sit with Declan, to soothe him and know that she was helping him. It was a good way to end the day.

2300

Olivia curled up in bed, her eyes dropping low already. She was oddly revved up, but she could tell she'd fall asleep soon. Her eyes closed, and her last thought was that tomorrow, she'd still be part of the StarGate Command.

It was a good thought to fall asleep on.