Strong Language


Rodney stared around the table and rubbed the back of his neck.  His shoulders had tightened up the moment the meeting had started and weren't getting any looser.  When he had first been asked to lead the science team on the Atlantis expedition, Rodney had been delighted.  Finally, he was getting the true recognition he deserved.  It wasn't until he'd gotten to Atlantis that he realized that they were giving him the job because they hated him.  Forty scientists from various countries and numerous fields of study meant every team meeting was a riot just waiting to break out.

"I'm telling you that we need to focus on the Godverdomme1 air filtration, if you all like living!" Dr. Van Dijk, the Dutch wonder, yelled above the noise.

"Of course you'd say that, you're an engineer.  I doubt we're all going to die what with all the windows and balconies everywhere," Kavanagh, and God how Rodney detested that man, sneered back at the scientist.   "We really need to focus on—"

"Aw shut up, Kavanagh.  No one here gives a dirty dime what you think," Dr. Stevenson, a Texan who was doing nothing to break any stereotypes about his state, bellowed.

In the silence after that statement, Dr. Soemadi, a quiet Indonesian lady with balls of steel, spoke.  "We should get back to the subject of the medicinal plants found on P35-264.  It is important that testing should go further in this area.  Dr. Beckett and his team will need to start rationing soon, if alternatives are not found."

The Argentine biochemist, Dr. Nadalez, jumped in at this. "I have many other projects.  I cannot be your dog, Doctor.  If you wish to play with your plants like a good botanist, then do so, but you will be seen in my lab at my convenience, not yours."

"You do not think this is of importance to us all?" Soemadi snapped back.

"I do not take orders from a puta2 like you!"

"Jancuk3! Your macho antics are doing nothing but wasting our time."

"HEY!" Rodney yelled above the arguing.  It was too bad he was allergic to lemons and disliked honey, because his throat would definitely need some soothing after all the yelling.  And the meeting was just barely getting started.  "Can we get back to the matter at hand?"  He paused and looked over at Zelenka.

"The agenda," Radek provided with a frown.

"We're still on the agenda?"  Rodney sighed and rubbed his eyes.  "Okay, how's this?  Anyone with something that will kill us within the hour is now allowed to speak."  When he saw Van Dijk start to open his mouth, he quickly amended.  "Something with proven facts, not something you've made up to make yourself seem important."

Van Dijk snapped his mouth shut and shot Rodney a deadly look.

"Anyone?  No?  Okay how about something that will kill us in the next few days or so?  And don't even think about opening your mouth, Jan.  Really, just don't test me today," Rodney said shooting a death look of his own at Van Dijk.

"Well," Zelenka said quietly.  The whole room silenced.  It was creepy.  Why did they never shut up for him?  Why did they always shut up when Radek had something to say?  The Czech continued oblivious to Rodney's internal ranting, "While the storm did minimal structural damage, I've been looking over the readings for the desalinization tanks.  I think we may have problem very soon.  Already our water supply is growing short.  Without fresh water..."

"Yes, yes, any recommendations?"

"First, we should cut back on usage until the problem can be identified.  I'm thinking it could either be error in the system from too much water during the storm, or it could be mechanical failure.  If it's the system then it won't take much to fix.  If it's mechanical...."

"We're all screwed," Grodin said sitting back in his chair.

Rodney frowned.  "We're not there yet.  We can bring fresh water in from the mainland if we have to.  It's not a great solution, but it'll tide us over.  Zelenka I want you and Grodin to go over the system and see if it's trouble on that end.  Cooper I want you and..." Rodney looked around the room.  He was suddenly like a school teacher picking someone for a formal presentation.  No one was meeting his eyes.  "...Doctor Zeelie to come up with some way for us to check the mechanical side without growing gills.  Now, any other deadly pressing matters?  No?  Great."  Rodney jumped to his feet and started speaking rapidly while edging for the door.  "Everyone else can email me with their concerns and I promise I will delete them with great dispatch.  Meeting adjourned."

Rodney grabbed Zelenka's arm and hustled them out of the conference room before anyone could try and corner him.  The noise level of the room skyrocketed at his escape.  Rodney cut left then right and practically ran across the gangway into Elizabeth's office while puffing for breath.  Radek jerked his arm out of Rodney's grasp and straightened his glasses.  Weir looked up at them both with an amused expression.

"Is there something you needed, Rodney?" she asked.

"Yes, five minutes of peace.  I don’t think they'll follow me in here."  When she quirked an eyebrow at him, he pushed Zelenka forward.  "Plus, Radek wants to tell you all about the problem with the desalinization tanks."

The Czech's head whipped around to stare at him and Rodney held back a wince.

"Zkurvysyne4," Zelenka muttered before turning back to Elizabeth and restating what he had said in the meeting.

"That is worrying," Elizabeth said after he had finished.  "Do you know yet what's causing the problem?"

"No," Radek replied, shooting Rodney a withering glance, "we've only just begun investigating it.  Rodney just thought that you should be kept informed."

Rodney was looking over his shoulder out the glass doors of Elizabeth's office, and counting the number of scientists still milling around.  "Yes, yes, exactly..." he said absently, as he heard his name mentioned.  He turned back and found the pair staring at him.  "Well, this has been fun.  Don't mind us.  We'll just go out this other door, if that's all right with you."

Rodney grabbed Zelenka for the second time and went through the doors that would take him to the stairs and possibly a transporter away from the mob.  He only got a few steps beyond Elizabeth's office before Radek dug in his heels.

"Rodney!  Enough!"

"What? Come on, before they figure out which way we went!"

"Look at you!  You are running away like little boy!  And I don't appreciate you putting me on the spot with Dr. Weir, either."

Rodney rolled his eyes.  "Oh please, you're like me, you work well under pressure."

"That is not the case from where I'm standing," Radek said and crossed his arms.

"Pressure I'm fine with.  It's people I suck at."

"Then why are you in charge?"

Rodney frowned. "It's because they hate me.  They want me to suffer.  A galaxy away and they still want me to suffer."

Radek pulled his 'infinite patience' expression.  It made Rodney want to smack him worse than Major Sheppard's 'yeah but I can still shoot you if I want' expression.  Zelenka said, "No one is out to get you, Rodney."

"I'm sorry, were you in that meeting just now?  They all want me!  To... to pat them on the head and tell them well done.  They actually expect me to care about plant striations and pottery shards!"

"Then maybe you should."

"Who gives a damn about pottery shards?"

"Not the shards, Rodney.  I'm talking about the appreciation.  If that makes them do good work, then give it to them."

"Do you honestly think I could pull of being sincere?  I mean, you have met me."

"Rodney," Radek said tiredly, "this is scary place.  You heard what you said in the meeting about something that will kill us today or this very hour.  Perhaps they just need a little reassuring now and again."

"But I'm no good at that.  Besides they don't listen to me anyway.  They do listen to you, though."  Rodney held up a finger with a calculating expression.

"No!  No! I will not do your job for you," Radek snapped and started moving toward the stairs with Rodney hot on his heels.

"Oh come on!  You're a natural.  You have that whole earnest thing pouring out of you."

"No," Zelenka said quickening his pace.

"Radek!  Please!  You do not want to see me beg.   It's not pretty.  Radek!  Wait up.  No seriously!  Radek!"


1 Goddamn (Dutch)
2 Female whore (Spanish)
3 Fuck you (Indonesian)
4 Son of a bitch (Czech)


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