Daedalus Arrival
Who: Open
What: Daedalus arrival
When: October 1, 1400 hours
It was just after lunch when the familiar blip of the Daedalus entered onto Atlantis’ radar screens, and by the time the ship had docked, a number of personnel had already gathered to receive it. With the Daedalus came mail, fresh supplies, and of course the all-important gossip from home.
Oh, and new people. There were probably a few of them around, too. So… look for them.
Ooh, is that chocolate over there?
Ed had decided to arrive on the Daedalus for this trip since it was half bounty hunt and half hunt for her friends. The friendly Welsh Corgi on the leash next to her yipped happily,any excuse to see a new place. “We’re just going to look for Jet,Spike and Faye boy” as Ed let the dog lick her. With a computer system and a backpack in hand Ed joined the thong of people coming off the ship.
At the freight section Adam was going over the medical supplies being delivered. Dr. Carson would no doubt double check everything. Command had balked at the request for neonatal care items, including two bassinets and neonatal treach tubing, as well as pediatric supplies. They’d had refugees come through in need of care.
If he checked out the beer and wine listing while he was there, well, he WAS in the vicinity.
Dr. Carson was supposed to be collecting and greeting the new doctor on staff.
“Got everything, doc?”
Right down to birth control injections and condoms, so those neonatal care supplies wouldn’t be for personnel.
“Yes, it all seems in order. I’ll have to go through the narcotics before you take off again, but I don’t foresee a problem.”
There hadn’t been so far. But checking to make certain each and every pill and ounce of all narcotics were accounted for was regulation.
“You can take all this to medical, thanks.” Adam then moved to the personal shipments.
Mail could wait. He’d ordered some clothing. He was a civilian and planned on dressing it when off duty.
“GodDAMN IT!!” said a voice behind a stack of pallets. All she had wanted was her bag but in trying to pull it down from a higher shelf, Faith had managed to cause an avalanche of parcels, packages and various other sundries. When she turned at the sound of approaching footstep, her feet tangled in the minefield of personal effects on the floor that sent Faith sprawling flat on her back. “Prefect” she muttered, “absa-fricking-lutely prefect”.
“I see you skipped the balance and agility line when they were handin’ out Slayer extras.” Spike grabbed the nearest and started stacking them back on shelves.
“You know, these usually get passed around by the supply officers.”
In fact, he was pretty sure people weren’t supposed to get their own stuff because it messed up their neat little lists of what got loaded and offloaded.
He was here because he was good at heavy lifting. Helped with moving things out faster. Seemed most folks with the extra bit of strength got drafted for hauling and such. Earn their keep and that rot.
“So, what you’re so keen on getting your hands on, does it kill or vibrate?” He grinned as he tried to sort some of the mess.
Izzie, the almost-always-happy surgeon that she was, was totally enjoying herself. In every way imaginable. Practically bouncing with glee, she came out of the ship, a duffel bag over her shoulder. A stethoscope was slung lazily over her neck, and despite the totally alien nature of the planet, she’d managed to convince someone to let her keep her Seattle Grace scrubs.
In her absolute glee, she noticed the Welsh Corgi yapping happily by the girl, and she came over instantly. “Hi! My name’s Isobel Stevens, but everyone calls me Izzie. I just thought I’d introduce myself and say how totally adorable your dog is.”
And this is why you should never let Izzie travel.
“All right, people, listen up,” McKay said to the crowd through his hand-dandy ancient megaphone, snapping his fingers impatiently. “Anyone that’s here in a science capacity, report to me. Everyone else … Yeah, somebody will take care of you. Eventually.”
He crossed his arms impatiently, as the first few scientists made their timid way towards him. Rodney really hated greeting the noobs, but Elizabeth insisted upon it. Besides, he hated taking inventory even more, a task he left to Zelenka, Miko, and Simpson. And LeBeau, who, eager to get back to his own dimension, seemed to spend a fair amount of time hovering around the primary teammembers like McKay.
Gateway, ‘e sen’ me here fo’ a reason, hommes, the man isnsited. An’ I reckon whateva I su’ppose to do, y’all be in de t’ick o’ it. De sooner I do it, de sooner I get home.
Well, it made a certain amount of sense, Rodney supposed — SGA-1, or whatever Sheppard was calling them, had an uncanny knack for attracting trouble. Although that trouble usualy occurred off-world, and LeBeau hadn’t been cleared for missions yet.
“Hey! Cajun! Quit flirting and get back to work!”
Remy gave him a charming grin and a wave, kissed the hand of the girl he was talking to, and went to fetch another box. Rodney shook his head, smiling ruefully — it was hard not to like the guy. And not liking people was a talent Rodney usually excelled at!
“I’m Edward but everyone calls me Ed and this is Ein” Ed’s cheery smile was in full bloom. She added,”He’s super friendly, had this little guy since he was a puppy” as Ein yipped happily. The computer gear alongside Ed was another no brainer, she’s also the hacker known as Radical Edward.
Faith had almost regained her footing when an errant package of teriyaki flavored jerky nearly made her slip again. “I’m fine.” she grumbled, trying to get back her composure. “It was just the… um…turbl. Wait, what?” Faith brushed the hair out of her face and gave the vampire a good once over. “Spike? Whoa, I thought you were dead.” she paused. “Well, you know, dead-er.”
“What can I say? I’m a hard vamp to kill.” No need to tell her the embarrassment, and sometimes fun, time in incorporeal land. Or the rest of it. He didn’t feel like sharing heartbreak without lots of booze involved.
“Got myself a government style job. Good digs, full supply of food, and the honor of bein’ the first vampire in space. I still get to kill the nasties and demons, but on other planets. Not a bad deal all in all.” He held out a hand to help her up.
Job also put him litterally light years away from Buffy and the Immortal. Better that way.
She took his hand up. “Same here. ‘cept replace ‘vampire’ with ‘Slayer’ and you’re golden.” she looked around at the chaos she had caused. “Yeah. You seen a bag? Green, about yay big? They said I could finally smoke once I got planetside”
Izzie bent to pet the Corgi, beaming the whole time. “Ein, hey boy,” she said, cooing.
She turned her head back up to look at Edward. “Edward but call you Ed. Right. So you’re going to be one of the technicians or IT specialists here?”
The bouncy blonde couldn’t keep her attention on one thing for too long right now, but she was trying. Her eyes flitted from the computer gear to the dog to Ed, but she found herself straying to look at..wait, was that guy over there calling for everyone to pay attention?
“Looks like that guy over there with the megaphone wants someone’s attention…”
“IT specialist/hacker” Ed had to smile. “Ein and I are a package deal, you want me deal with my dog” she was cheery after all. “How about you? Guessing doctor from the scrubs”
she grinned. Not many knew of her other mission: locating her family from her days on the Bebop a few years before.
“He’s adorable,” Izzie mentioned again. “If I had a dog, I’d bring him along. But the only dog we’ve had was the one that Meredith kept for a while in the house, and then he got put down. And he was sort of a demon dog…”
Continuing to ramble about the dog, Izzie scratched Ein’s ears. “Anyway,” she said, coming to a conclusion as she looked up at Ed. “I’m a surgeon, actually. But I guess it’s the same thing. I used to work at a really big hospital but I think maybe you could fit a lot of them in this place…”
And the rambling continues. Again, can we reiterate that you really don’t want to let Izzie Stevens travel?
“Good afternoon Rodney.” Carson said with a smile as he walked up. Stopping to stand next to the Canadian he asked “Do yeh mind if Ah use that?” Without waiting for a response, Carson took the megaphone from his hands and proceeded to make his announcement. Directing his soon to be medical staff where he wanted them, Carson handed the device back to his original owner. “Thank yeh for that.” he said before moving to wait near where his future staff would soon be congregating.
If Lisa was anything, it was glad to finally be on the ground again. She truly hated flying in all forms. Flying through space at speeds she didn’t want to think about had made that fear a good deal worse. Shifting the bags she held from one on shoulder to another, she took hold of her sons hand. He’d developed a bad case of cabin fever about two days into the trip, and she didn’t want him running off now that he had some new scenery to explore.”Let’s go see what our new home looks like ok?” Smiling at the excited chatter of the six year old next to her, Lisa glanced around the dock for a moment before heading for the large group of what appeared to be medical personnel. While she wasn’t a medical doctor, Lisa guessed that it was the group that would be most likely to help her figure out where she is supposed to go. And hopefully point her in the direction of her husband. She had purposefully not told Jackie she was coming to Atlantis, wanting the chance to surprise him for once. And this was going to be one heck of a surprise.
“Yeah, you can smoke. They like ya to keep it to balconies and outside areas. But you’re just as bad at following rules as I am.” Spike tossed the bag to Faith.
“Make sure you let the quatermaster know you got that. The last person you want to piss off is the guy who gets the fags and extras. Although,” He looks around. “I think you might be a bit behind on that one.”
Adam heard Rodney’s oh so inept announcement. For the hundreth time he wondered if the man had Aspergers. He had so many of the symptoms.
Adam signed off on the medical shipment, adding a note that an incubator had been requested and they had at least one pregnant resident.
Not like it would do for her, as she didn’t have the five and a half weeks to wait.
“Alright medical supplies are good. Make sure they get that note.”
Just then he heard Carson take over McKay’s bullhorn, calling medical personnel. He hoped the new group was competant and open minded.
*HE* had trouble accepting a REAL vampire… or two, a merman, and a few werewolves. Mutants he was used to. Aliens he expected. But those legends that came from Earth, ones he’d discounted all his considerable life… they were the hardest.
“I’m a computer tech/hacker combo. Been hunting bounties and a tip brought me this way” Ed explained. “As for Ein I’ve had him since he was a puppy so we’re a package deal, you want me accept my dog”
Spike helped shove things back into the shelves. Most were in locker boxees, really. In case of artificial gravity failure. Stuff floating all over the place. So the small mess was really mostly around the Slayer, herself. Where the unit had about come down on her. She’d hit enough of them to spill the contents.
When they were done he was fairly certain absolutely none of the things they shoved back in the locker things actually BELONGED in the boxes they rammed them into. He figured they’d let the paper pushers and other loaders handle that one.
Wasn’t there. Didn’t see anything.
He hitched his thumb over his shoulder. “I’m here to pull a bit of personal cargo and mail for a friend. If you feel like followin’ I’ll take ya inside. You’ll have to show up for the ‘welcome, here’s the rules class’, as if You didn’t get it ten times in the last eighteen days.” He tsked and moved past Faith to find a rather large wooden crate.
He picked it up and heald it over his head as he carried it past the lockers, then set it down, gently, to get a better grip.
With that he hoisted it before him with all the care and consideration this precious cargo deserved.
Stepping off the ramp into the bright, noon sunlight, he set the crate down and yanked the clipboard from the nearest kid overseeing loading and unloading. The kid let out a yell and tried to grab the clipboard back, apparently intending to make trouble.
A flash of game face and a growel settled that quick enough. The Air Force sure didn’t train them like they used to. Made it fun.
He pulled a pair of sunglasses from the inside of his duster and put them on against the glare. Leafing through ther pages he found the crate listed as antique swords and weaponry, with a whole list of what was inside.
He grabbed the clipboard kid by the scruff of his uniform and shoved the board, at the appropriate page, at him. “Look there, and look at this.”
He pried the lid off the crate with one hand, reavealing two maces, a flail, a shield and a lot of packing penuts. Spike took hold of one of a dozen sword hilts peeking up through the filler and pulled out a rather nice example of a bastard sword. He shoved it back in and closed the top.
“S’that what it says there?” He tipped the shades down his nose to glare at the kid, who nodded rapidly.
“So check it off and sign the bugger. I got a delivery to make.”
He picked the crate back up and walked it down the long, long landing pad, occasionally looking out in appriciation at the sun sparkling off the water.
Faith looked around at the chaos and shrugged. “What are the chances that wasn’t going to happen.” She then grab her bag, dug out her smokes and popped one in her mouth. “Lead on Blondie”
She had not bothered picking anything up. If she had wanted to work on a dock, she could have stayed in Boston. Trailing behind Spike, she listened to him talk but was really more interested in the new scenery. ‘…’ Faith thought as bright light warmed her face ‘…just Wow’. As she took in Atlantis, her hand rose up as if by magic (though more likely it was instinct) to light her cigarette. If ever she deserved one, it was now but instead of the gentle hiss of butane, there was a hollow click. “Damn” she muttered, shaking the lighter and trying again. After the third failure she looked up and was about to ask Spike for a light when she saw the vampire standing in the sun. More specifically standing in the bright beautiful sun arguing with some guy about the contents of a box. Faith’s smoke fell out of her mouth.
“What.
The.
HELL?”
“Come on, Slayer. You’re holden’ up the works. Looks like you’re wastin’ a cigarette and catchen’ what passes for flies out here as well.”
Spike grinned hugely as he kept carrying his burden along the wide flat outgrowth of Atlantis.
“She is somethin’ isn’t she?” Spike called back. “Takes a bit a bit of gettin used to, the whole Star Wars Imperial Fortress thing..”
Spike nodded to the lanky, dark haired man directing a large shipment being towed on movers. Doc Pierson had one of those white lab coats on and he nodded almost imperceptibly back.
Faith gaped for a moment. “I know I’ve been out of the loop for a bit but since when can vampires walk around in the sun? Or are just you speci… wait a sec”. She paused and got a funny look on her face. In a single movement she dropped her bag, closed the distance between herself and Spike and threw a punch at his face.
He barely managed to duck the swing and keep from dropping the crate.
At the point Pierson was running over.
“Spike, stop pissing people off!”
Spike got the crate to the ground and shoved it’s considerable weight out of the way with his foot.
“Slayer want’s to play?” He mad a spinning kick at Faith’s head, gameface coming to the fore, even if he was wearing the shades.
The good Doctor looked back to the unloading passangers and supplies, noting they were already gaining attention, apparently.
“Security, some help here if you please!” But some of the Marines were already approaching.
Faith staggered back as Spike’s foot hit her squarely in the jaw “OWWW!” She spit out blood and turned a baleful eye to Spike. “Ok we’ve established that you are not the First. Somewhat painfully but established none the less but will someone tell me what the HELL is going on!? You were dust, deceased, bereft of life, resting in peace. Hell, the Scoobs even had a little ..service for you. Then I go all secret squirrel for Uncle Sam and pouf! You’re walking around all alive-ish and sun-proof.” She straighten up and spit again. “Lucy, yous gots some esplaining ta do”.
Security had arrived and were ready to intercede. Spike held out his hand.
“S’alright. case of mistaken identity. Girl thought I was my evil twin, Skippy.” Spike was back to looking as human as any of them.
“So… this is how you great old friends where you come from then?” Dr. Pierson sent Spike a whithering glare.
“If it’s a slayer… yeah. Some people shake hands, we trade punches.” Spike rolled his head, cracking his neck a bit.
“Then I recommend you keep your greetings in private, sir. This will require an incident report.” One of the Marines did not look happy.
“No worries, won’t happen again, will it luv?” Not in public, anyway.
“Don’t worry, Pierson, got your sharp and pointies. No dings or dents. Ta.” Spike picked the crate up again and jerked his head at Faith, indicating she should come with.
“Well, see, turns out when I made like a used cigarette, I got locked in that fugly piece of jewelry. Someone dug me up and sent me to Peaches. From there things got really interestin’…”
He continued to tell her about his time in LA and becoming corporeal again, as well as the battle against Wolfram and Heart.
But he made no mention about his new found ability to go sunbathing.
Riley had practically been attached at the hip to Lisa Grey because she reminded him of Abigail, and…okay, that was the only reason. He was technically suppose to go over to McKay, but he much preferred sticking with Lisa.
He held a few more bags than he was supposed to, strictly, but he had managed to talk his way into them, based on his “excellent performance under pressure” when presented with “exploration difficulties” such as “the short-term containment in an underground cell caused by evil-doers.”
He stared around like he’d done at the treasure, slightly disappointed with the fact that there was no big blue-green guy to hug. “So this is it, huh?” he said, nudging Lisa gently in the ribs as he followed her over to the medical group.
“I don’t think it quite covers….this Riley.” she replied motioning to what little of the city they could see from here. “I’m not sure I quite have the words to describe this place.” Pulling Andy back her towards her when he tried to run off, Lisa stopped on the outskirts of the medical group, content to stand there for the moment. “What do you suppose the rest of the city looks like?” Looking over at Riley. “Why don’t you tell Andy what you think, while I figure out where we need to go?” she asked him, as Andy tried to go off and explore once more.