Chapter 1: Just the Beginning
The site was like a beehive. With a new station set up, people were coming and going with boxes and boxes of equipment. One of the leading scientists watched from the safety of the viewing deck, a cup of coffee in hand. Most of those running around were military personnel but there were a few citizens in the mix. The leading scientist still could not believe this was all really happening.
“Care if I join you?”
The leading scientist looked up at the military personnel that asked for his attention. With a shrug and a Scottish accent, he stated, “Sure.”
The military man leaned against the same rail the scientist was, watching the organized chaos below. It was still like a dream to both men and neither complained when the silence was broken by an eager voice.
“Colonel Young! Dr. Rush!” Both named men turned around to see none other than Dr. Daniel Jackson coming their way, tailed by a young man in his early 20s. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”
“Not at all,” Colonel Young stated, shaking his head. “What can we help you with?”
“I want to introduce you two to,” Daniel started, only to turn and see the young man missing. With a sigh, he corrected himself. “OK, I was going to introduce you two to my charge but he’s apparently decided to disappear.”
“Charge?” Colonel Young asked, raising an eyebrow. “I wasn’t aware you were being forced to watch kids.”
Dr. Rush took a drink of his coffee as Daniel explained, “I was his legal guardian by request. He and his sister.”
“Is she here with him?”
Daniel shook his head. “No. She passed away 13 years ago. Demetri, the one I was going to introduce to you, took her death hard. I wouldn’t ask about her if I were you.”
This sparked a bit of interest in Dr. Rush as Colonel Young asked, “Why?”
“He’ll become completely closed to you,” Daniel explained after hesitating.
“Closed?” Dr. Rush interjected.
“Demetri will shut you out of his life and there won’t be any way of getting back in,” Daniel stated, shifting. “I’ve personally been shut out and it’s made things rather difficult between us.”
Dr. Rush took a sip of his coffee as if he didn’t care, asking with the same air, “And how old is Demetri?”
“21 in March.”
Dr. Rush nearly choked on his coffee but he wasn’t the only one startled by that. Colonel Young gaped at Daniel, asking what was on both his and Dr. Rush’s mind. “Why is he here then? He can’t be fully trained.”
“Not military based but he is fully trained,” Daniel stated, putting his hands up in a mild surrender. “When his sister died when they were 10, he went from being depressed to immersing himself in his studies within two weeks. He graduated high school at the age of 16 and had a degree in mechanical engineering and mathematics by the time he was 18. When he started getting interested in what I knew and did just before his 16th birthday, I started to set up chances for him to come work in the SG program. He ended up getting a degree that rivals my own just two years ago and O’Neill and the higher ups thought it would be a great idea to involve him in the Icarus program just to have “a young, brilliant mind on the team.”. Their words.”
Dr. Rush raised an eyebrow as Colonel Everett asked, “Does he have any military training?”
“He’s qualified to carry a firearm and work any machinery required. He outshot a lot of the military personnel training on his first go.”
Dr. Rush chuckled. “Impressive for a kid. How far into his mathematics degree did he go?”
Daniel made a face. “I’d rather you ask him. It’ll get him to open up a bit. You’ll need him to, Dr. Rush.”
“Why?”
“He’s going to be working with you,” Daniel informed him.
Dr. Rush stared at Daniel. “Seriously?”
Now, Dr. Rush, please don’t jump to conclusions,” Daniel rushed, trying to calm the coming storm. “He’ll be working as your assistant by his request. You won’t even know he’s there.”
Dr. Rush sighed, muttering, “I doubt I have much of a choice in the matter.”
Daniel breathed and started talking to Colonel Young as Dr. Rush turned away. He leaned on the rail before him and watched the hubbub. Dr. Rush picked Demetri right out of the crowd as he entered carrying one end of a large box. Probably the youngest face there, Dr. Rush watched as Demetri put down his end after he was sure the other end was down all the way. With a nod from Demetri, his help wandered off. Dr. Rush’s gaze never wavered as Demetri looked directly at him, a sharp, haunted amber gaze locking with his. Dr. Rush’s heart skipped a beat as he forgot to breathe for a split second.
Demetri looked away first, becoming occupied by someone’s request. Dr. Rush tightened his grip on his coffee mug as Demetri’s brown hair was tousled, the length a couple inches shorter than Dr. Rush’s, as Dr. Rush tried to figure out why the amber gaze the boy possessed scared him so much. Just Demetri’s gaze would haunt his dreams for days to come.
...last for a while
