Aberrant: Stargate Universe - Settling In

[Noah Weston]

"Mam, Sir," Noah Said as the others joined the table, a twinge of unease starting to bubble up in his stomach. He never felt comfortable in crowds but he couldn't easily or politely tell these people to go away and leave him alone. Hopefully an excuse for him to leave would present itself.

He held out his hand to both in turn "Lt Noah Weston," He said politely. "I was talking about a training session Sir; at the Alpha site. It'll be my first time going through the gate too."

[Rorx]

Gwyn smiles and holds a chair out for Olivia when she comes over, "I wondered how long it would take before you cracked and came over as well." Then quickly grabs another mug of coffee for himself and returns to his seat. He gets back to his seat not long before the hulking shadow of Omar falls across it, but with the recent seminar's on Taint he had getten used to the big man.

Gwyn nods in greeting, "Afternoon Captain, the Major and I were just commenting that neither of us seems to sleep much anymore, so I was suggesting that we moved our sparring session that is normally daily from about 8 'til 10 to the middle of the night so that we could carry out other duties that need interaction with others at a time when they are more likely to be about."

[z-Olivia Jenings-Izumi]

"Mam?" Olivia repeated, glancing down to make sure she was in her BDUs and hadn't accidentally worn her librarian garb today. She didn't get 'mamed' much in uniform - come to think of it, she hadn't gotten it at all since her tangle with the Artifact. Her glasses must had made her look really old.

"Please, it's Olivia," she told him with a laugh, shaking his hand. "Technically Specialist or Doctor Olivia Jenings-Izumi, but I'm really okay with everyone just using my given name."

[Adrian Moss]

"Mam? Thank you Weston, I'll have to start using that," Caine says, grinning widely to Olivia.

"Olivia, I think we have your call sign. Tell me you don't like it at least a little bit."

"Jones, you may want to check with the Captian here for the powered sessions. You're getting too tough for me to keep sparing with. My bones don't knit all that fast and I'm getting tired of all the bruises. People are going to start thinking I'm a masochist."

[Noah Weston]

"Sorry Mam..err Doctor. It's a habit of my upbringing. Like I said to the Major, I find proper protocol is the best way to go in new situations. So, uh, What are you a Doctor of?"

[z-Olivia Jenings-Izumi]

Olivia glared at Damien, though there was a sparkle of merriment in her eyes. "No offense, Sir, but I'm way smarter than you. You start using that on me, and we'll just have to see what I can come up with to use on you. I'm sure that Vinny will have some suggestions."

She'd forgotten, for just a moment, that she was mad at him and why. Using Vinny to tease Caine was just second nature, given their relationship. Using Caine to tease Vinny tended to require a more delicate touch. But that slip had brought about a new thought: what if what was in the past was in the past, and they were new people now? She was someone else, she knew - maybe there was hope for something after all.

A millisecond later, she crushed that thought. She couldn't allow it; couldn't expose her heart for long enough to test that idea. She was nearly to the end of her rope; there might not be enough of her left to rebuild if she had to suffer one more loss.

All of these thoughts passed with the speed of light, and she was paying attention to the dreamy Lieutenant when he spoke to her. "I'm a doctor of history," she said, nodding. "Not unlike Dr. Jackson, actually. I started at Area 51 before coming here, so I'm Caine's in-team encyclopedia and cultural egg-head. If you have a question about how the Ancient Egyptians worshiped the sky, or about why the Tok'ra are able to live in cooperation rather than in competition with their hosts, I'm the one to ask on SG-21." She didn't speak as if she were boasting, but as if she were just stating facts.

[Noah Weston]

Emotions ran riot through Noah. Anger, Passion, Hope, Fear, and Love all crashed though him like a tidal wave. The feelings that flashed through Olivia were of an intenisy he'd never felt in the short time since touching the Ancient device and they all seem to swirl around this Vinny person, whoever that is. The insight passed as quickly as it had come over him and as he mentally recovered, the Doctor was talking.

He covered his his momentary lapse of attention with a drink from his water glass. "I bet you're really handy on mission. The worst thing to deal with in field is the fog of war," he said.

[Omar]

Omar looked directly at Jones and smiled innocently. "I'm sure we can work out some sort of sparring regement. The Major here, is probably very busy and his old bones aren't what they used to be." It was a friendly and ironic jab at the major. "Just try not to hurt me too bad."

Omar turns his attention to Noah and hold out a meaty hand. "I'm Captain Omar Kudikias, resident meatshield and the closest thing to a Nova expert this place has"

[Rorx]

Gwyn grins at the two senior officers, "I've told you before Major, it's my skills and general agility I need to work on, and that is just as easily done without the powers as with. Captain, after the demonstration with Captain Wright at Alpha Site I doubt I would be able to even raise a faint bruise, the same could not be said for myself."

Smiling ruefully in memory he continues, "Back before the last mission I had a sparring session with Major Hawke and he just hit me all over the place. He's enhanced agility and skill was enough that he could connect practically every time, while I could never connect with him, and his enhanced strength was enough to get through the little additional resilience I get from the increased density. If I had been able to connect I reckon it would have hurt him from our discussions before and after the session, but it never happend."

[Omar]

Omar understood his trepidation: From Gwyn's perspetive, the display at the Alpha site must have been impressive. Nevertheless, sparring was important in team building.

"The point of sparring is not to beat your opponent black-and-blue, but to push your capabilities and body. Only by testing your mettle against an opponenet who may, or may not be a better fighter, you will learn where your strenghts and weaknesses lie."

Omar nods to Olivia with a teasing grin. "Someone like Olivia would benefit from sparring sessions too...even if she is an egghead." Omar smiled, then winked.

[z-Olivia Jenings-Izumi]

"I spar daily with Declan, thank you very much," Olivia said, smirking at Omar. "And once a month, I have Major Hawke give me a special session just to shake things up. Believe it or not, I have improved, I'd just be a sitting duck sparring against someone like you, Captain."

She took the wink in stride, not thinking too much about it, and not considering that others had probably seen it and would think something of it. "But when I spar, I like the person to hold themselves back a little. With any of you guys going even partially out, I wouldn't end up just black and blue - I'd be in the infirmary for weeks, healing. Or pushing up some daisies. That means dead, Captain, if they don't have that saying where you come from."

[Rorx]

Gwyn smiles and shakes his head at the Big Iraqi saying to him in Arabic #Don't try to teach your Grandmother to suck eggs Captain# He continues in English, "I do know the purpose and reason for sparring Captain, hence my comment to the Major about sparring without powers. I actually hold a black belt in Kyokushinkai Karate and am a registered instructor for it back in the UK, I've also spent some time with other martial arts over the years."

[Adrian Moss]

"We would take the whole hospitalized, or dead bit very personally. Everyone pulls their weight in -21. That means some of us make sure that the Doc can do her job ... undisturbed. We like her undisturbed. Otherwise she gets grumpy and that's just not something a sane man wants."

He was only half joking and knew it. Personal emotional attachments aside, Caine knew everyone on his team would take a hit to Livy hard and their edge would be diminished if she was off center. There was no joking about that.

[Omar]

Omar did not appreciate the comment, but understood that his previous statement might have come across a bit high-minded.

"Would you like to put those skills to the test then?" Omar said, smirking at Jones. "Afterall, I am only a 134 years old wrestler. Surely, someone with mastery in Karate like you should have no problems with me." Omar fluttered his eyelashes at Gwyn. If he took it any further, it would be considered a taunt.

[Rorx]

Gwyn replies seriously, "I'll spar with anyone Captain Omar, but to be precise I never claimed anything like Mastery of any Art, for that you would have to fight Major Hawke or Sgt Perault. I have merely reached my first Dan and the Instructor requirement."

[z-Olivia Jenings-Izumi]

And this is the part where they measure penii, Olivia sighed to herself. She glanced at Noah as she popped the last grape into her mouth. She quickly chewed and swallowed, then leaned closer to him and asked, "Have you gotten the full tour yet? I'd love to give it to you, since these gents seem to have found another subject to talk about for a while." The sardonic look in her eyes said what she didn't - Men.

[Adrian Moss]

Caine smiles over at Livy.

"Great idea, you being the tour guide. I can tag along for a performace review. I have about two hours freed up and you never know what details I might be able to elaborate on, if needed."

Looking to Noah,

"Or would you prefer having the Doctor's expertise all to yourself?"

[Noah Weston]

After shaking the mammoth hand of the man called Omar and listening to the testosterone charged banter of then men around the table, Noah was feeling more and more uncomfortable. He never got it, the machoistic posturing. Not in Military Acadamy, or Bootcamp, or Annapolis, or even in Afghanastan. Frankly it pissed him off a litle.

The Doctor's offer was like a cool drink of water after a hot day in the desert and he wasn't about let an opportunity to escape this slip away. He smiled with genuine warmth at Dr. Jennings-Izumi. "You guys seem to be busy," He said to the Major before turning to the Doctor. "I'd love a tour."

[Omar]

Omar gives a big laugh and slaps the young man on the back. "Your a good sport. I like that!" Omar sat back down laughing. After a few minutes, he stopped, his face more serious, but still with a smile on it.

"My apologies Gwyn. I was merely trying to goad you into a sparring match. You are free to decline of course." Omar knew that he would have to take out his battle frustration on the enemy; at least there, he didn't have to pull his punches.

[z-Olivia Jenings-Izumi]

"Sure, come on!" Olivia seemed happy to take the young Lieutenant around the base. She stood up and nodded to everyone around the table. "Nice to sit with you boys." She looked to Noah. "Shall we Lieutenant?"

[Rorx]

Gwyn looks up as they stand, "See you later Doc, Lt." Then turns back to Omar, "I'll spar with you Captain, you can learn something from every opponent you face. The only thing to work out is how much we'd need to pull our blows. Crudely speaking if you can lift more than a ton or two you'll need to pull you're blows to me. I'll start off pulling mine and ramp it up to a level you are happy with"

[Omar]

Before the new soldier, Noah, leaves with Olivia, Omar stands and addresses him: "Leutenant!" Omar's voice was stern and authoritative. "Is that the sort of introduction they teach you in the Marine Corps when a superior officer introduces himself?" Omar was not pleased that the new leutenant dismissed him so quickly and that he didn't even bother giving his name back. He hoped this soldier was not going to be another Vinny.

Quote:

"I'll spar with you Captain, you can learn something from every opponent you face. The only thing to work out is how much we'd need to pull our blows. Crudely speaking if you can lift more than a ton or two you'll need to pull you're blows to me. I'll start off pulling mine and ramp it up to a level you are happy with"

"I'll pull my blows, as I can lift at least a ton." Omar was pleased that he finally found someone willing to spar with him. "If you feel the need to start pulling your blows, then do so."

Omar continued to eat in silence.

[Rorx]

Gwyn had another mouthful of coffee before replying to the Captain, "Oh, if you can bench a ton or so then I should be able to handle a couple of hits, as I did sparring with Major Hawke. I tend to be more cautious since when I go Dense I can lift getting on for 15 tons, so as I said I'll start at about the ton range and if your fine with that I'll go up to full power. Would 2030 hours suit you Captain?"

[z-Olivia Jenings-Izumi]

Olivia blinked in surprise as Omar's voice stopped her in her tracks. After dealing with Vinny and the fairly relaxed mood in her team, she was startled to find someone throwing his rank around like this. She glanced at Noah to see his reaction, glad like never before that she wasn't part of the military and didn't have to put up with this crap. There was no need to be like this, none at all.

[Noah Weston]

Suprise flashed across Noah's face, lasting the span of 3 heartbeats Before hardening into his on-mission 'game face'. He hadn't realized He hadn't given the Captain his name, and certainly had not intended to slight anyone. "I'm sorry Sir," He said with no emotion, snapping a proper and respectful salute. "Lt. Noah Weston...Sir."

Noah was silent for a moment as a seething anger built up inside. His body language remained relaxed and his face remained neutral but his eyes showed a barely constrained rage and everyone at the small table and for several tables around the group stopped in mid-conversation as Noah's anger washed over them, a near physical force. "Will that be all...Sir?" He asked, his tone remaining polite. Motherfucking bastard, your just like him! his thoughts a jumbled turmoil of past memories. If this this man was like his father then their would most likely be violence before the day was out. "May I be dismissed...Sir?" His voice was professional with no hint of insubordination but it was clear to everyone in earshot that the Captain has made an enemy this day.

[Omar]

"At ease. Leutenant." Omar said to him, as he returned the salute. "Just try to pay attention next time." Omar meant no malice towards him, but instead reminded him that this is a military base and we are all required to act accordingly. Omar also realized that the young man had probably just forgotten, which happens occasionally.

He smiled at the young Leutenant. "Welcome aboard."

"Your dismissed, leutenant" Omar finally said, as he sat back down to finish his meal.

[Noah Weston]

Noah said nothing but turned on his heel a walked out of the cafeteria, not bothering to check if the Doctor followed him. When he got to the elevators he finally let out the breath he was holding, closed his eyes and tried to get his emotions back under control while waiting for the elevator.

[Adrian Moss]

Well, that could have gone better. Different services - different protocols. At Bragg, we were an elite bunch who only saluted that hard-ass superior who deserved it ... which in my case was almost everybody. I was told not to expect my Sgt.s to salute and I was rarely disappointed until the day I left. That had been nice to have some real veterans show me the respect I had earned in their eyes.

Omar is a bit different. I can understand that, and neither one is on my team. Maybe I need to talke with Gwyn and Olivia about this. Declan and I come from the same school and I will get a salute from him when he's ready. It's how we do things. I've got to let the civvies know how things can be done differently. They've gotten use to the loose discipline that's part of my style.

Caine finishes eating and makes a mental note to meet with Gwyn and Olivia as soon as possible.

[z-Olivia Jenings-Izumi]

Olivia gave Omar a look; Vinny would have recognized that expression, and it would have had him licking his metaphorical chops eagerly had it been aimed at him. Giving a nod to everyone left at the table, she turned and followed Noah out of the room, dumping her tray just a touch louder than necessary on the way.

At the elevator, she looked at Noah and asked, "Has anyone shown you the StarGate yet? And if not... would you like to start there, or save it for last?"

[Noah Weston]

Noah looked up sharply when the Doctor spoke and let out another breath. "I'm sorry about that Doctor," He said, letting the last of the anger drain out of him.

"To be honest, Major Carter gave me the offical tour the other day when you guys were out on mission, I was just starting to feel a little overwhelmed in there. Then that a...the Captain decided to play the rank game and I lost my cool."

He leaned against the wall "Is there anywhere that you think I sould see that woudn't be on the offical tour?"

[z-Olivia Jenings-Izumi]

Olivia considered a moment. "Well, there is one place on base that probably got a mention, but wasn't on the official tour," she said after a moment. "I only recently discovered it myself, and I use it as an alternate workspace when I don't want people-" Vinny "-to find me. And I'll show you, if you can keep it secret." She gave him an impish smile. "I'll forgo the pinkie promise, but it is that grave of a secret."

Click to reveal..

If Noah's sensing emotions, he gets a flash of irritation when she talks about hiding from people.

[Noah Weston]

"Do tell?" he said, his eyebrows raised. "I'm good at secrets."

[z-Olivia Jenings-Izumi]

With that same smile, Olivia peered up and down the hallway, looking for spies. As if timed, the elevator opened, and she said, "It's better to show you." A technician walking by did a double-take at her words, clearly going somewhere dirty with them, and Olivia flushed a little. "I mean," she hastily added as they got on the elevator, "it's easier to show you where it is than tell you, Lieutenant."

As Noah tried not to laugh, she punched the button for Level 17. Noah had been told this was just storage, but Olivia clearly had a destination in mind. She seemed to recover a bit of her good mood; when the elevator stopped, she peered out carefully to check for more spies before waving him to follow her. They wound through the mostly-empty area before coming too a room, which was unlocked. Olivia opened it and gestured him in before turning on the lights.

It was a storage room, but it wasn't old boxes. Someone was storing a oddly-shaped table made of metal and glass, along with some nice office chairs in here and some nice hanging tapestries. The furniture clearly didn't belong here; the table took up most of the room with the chairs pushed where they would fit. But there was room in one corner for a chair to sit perpendicular to the table, and Olivia walked to that corner. She had to sit on the edge of the table and swing her legs over another chair to get there, but she was able to drop into the chair. She even leaned back and put her feet up on the table.

"When the Asgard brokered the peace treaty with the Goa'uld, they did it on this level. This is some of the furniture they used," she told him. "No one ever comes here, so it's a good place to get away from everyone."

[Rorx]

At Omar's dressing down of Noah, Gwyn's face goes carefully blank.

Well that only shows that the guy can be an arsehole. It was completely uncalled for, especially since a couple of weeks ago he was just another Specialist like the rest of us. Ok, who knows what he did in his other universe or wherever he comes from, but that doesn't justify that. I guess he isn't observant enough to notice that full protocol is never used in the cafeteria.

"Very well Captain, I'll see you at the gymnasium at 2030 for that sparring match."

Standing he salutes first the Captain, then Major Caine. While saluting Major Caine his arm obscures his face to Captain Omar and he rolls his eyes at the Major before completing the salute, about facing and leaving the cafeteria.

[Noah Weston]

"Wow this is pretty cool," Noah said as he ran his hand over the table. He flopped down in one of the chairs closer to the door so he wouldn't have to climb over the tabletop or Olivia. "The Asgard, they're the little alien guys right?"

He swiveled in his chair, idly wondering if he could smuggle one down to his room without being seen and quickly rejecting to idea. "So no one comes up here? I wonder if all the storage rooms are unlocked?" He thought aloud.

[z-Olivia Jenings-Izumi]

"If they are, they probably only contain mundane things," Olivia said, leaning back a little more. "All of the interesting and/or dangerous things are sealed away somewhere."

She took another look at Noah and smiled a little. "Or were you thinking something naughty, like a party room or something?" she asked, smiling mischievously.

Inside she was a little nervous. Not about Noah, oddly, but about what he might be suggesting here. She hoped that he wouldn't be the wild party-animal type.

[Noah Weston]

"What? God no!" He smiled in mock horror. "But I don't want to steal your private 'me time' space out from under you. To be honest I'm looking for a room with some good acoustics to practice in. The Gym would be perfect but it's not really private."

He kept swiveling the chair back and forth like a little kid and then suddenly stopped, a serious expression on his face. "Doctor, I need to appologize to you," He said gravely. "Downstairs in the mess hall I invaded your privacy and I'm sorry about that."

[z-Olivia Jenings-Izumi]

"Acoustics?" Olivia inquired, her expression perking up. "I'm afraid that I didn't get much musical talent, but I love music. Live music is the best. What do you play, Noah. Can... I call you Noah, or is it Lieutenant? Can you can call me Olivia, regardless.

"My... privacy?" Olivia asked, frowning a little. "I don't follow."

[Noah Weston]

Noah stared at the floor, with a look of shame on his face. "It's one of my powers, abilities, whatever," he said quietly. "The doctors know about it and I'm sure it'll be in my CO's breifing on me, but I haven't told anyone else about this, this power."

He sighed, and took a breath before continuing. "I'm, uh...Telempathic. That's what the docs call it. Basically it means I can read and mess with other peoples emotions," He looked up at Olivia, to see her reaction, make sure she was following, perhaps both. "I'm not very good at it to be honest, but sometimes I get flashes around people, especially when they are feeling really strong emotions. Anyways, when we were in the Mess I got hit with a pretty powerful burst of emotions from you. It was when you mentioned the name Vinny."

He took another deep breath and continued. "I don't know who he is or what he's done but I got a pretty good idea of what he means to you. So, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to spy on you but I just felt you should know." He finished and looked to her to see her reaction.

[z-Olivia Jenings-Izumi]

Olivia felt another surge of emotions, and she wondered if Noah were getting these, too. "Vinny's complicated," she said softly. "I... don't want to go into much more detail than that, but our... history together is difficult at best."

She looked up at the ceiling and confessed, "I can't be angry with you, if you didn't mean to do it. And I'm going to assume that you didn't mean to do that. I have a similar problem, and it was worse before I learned control. I can hear radio transmissions, and that includes cell phones. In my early days, I heard a lot of things I wasn't supposed to know. And with my memory, I still know them. Nothing harder than looking a Sergeant in the eyes after hearing her phone sex with her boyfriend." Olivia managed a small smile.

She looked at him. "I'm really not upset. A little troubled that my emotions can be read... but you're not going to mess with mine, right?"