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gilascaveTitle: Moonlight of Your Soul
Author: James
Pairing: Carson Beckett/Radek Zelenka
Rating: NC-17 (overall)
Disclaimer: not mine, no profit made
Archive: wraithbait, gilascave
Website: gila.fakingsanity.com
Spoilers: none; set in a vague 'sometime during the events of the show' timeline.
Summary: An alternate dimension where some legends are true. How do they deal with learning that one of their own is a werewolf?
*moonlight and your soul ;-)
Chapter One
There was, Radek thought, something quite irritating about living on a planet with two moons. The least of which was listening to the astronomers arguing about what the lunar cycles actually were. There was nothing they'd found so prosaic as a telescope, and so they were forced to make their observations with a combination of stealing time in the Puddle Jumpers when they could, and the old-fashioned way of observing the moons whenever they were overhead.
The times he'd joined in their conversations, Radek had learned that several of the astronomers thought it exhilarating. Some thought it frustrating to the point of rambling about being stuck in the stone age. Most thought it was both, depending on how much sleep they'd had recently.
"At it again, are they?"
Radek looked up and smiled as Carson sat down at the table opposite him. "Ano, they are." He gave the scientists the next table over a short nod. "For half hour they're arguing over the second moon." He waved one hand, not wanting to try to replicate the details of the discussion.
"Well, it keeps them out of trouble." Carson grinned, then he looked down at his plate and his smile vanished. "Do I want to know what they've served us today?"
Radek shook his head. "Vegetables. Good for you -- do not ask anything more."
"I won't," Carson agreed. They sat silently as Carson got up his nerve to try a bite. Radek continued eating his own meal; the taste was not all that bad, and he had learned a long time ago to eat what he was given.
Not without complaint, of course. But he kept his complaints inside his head where they belonged. He watched with some amusement as Carson took a bite of a bright green root vegetable. He couldn't remember what it was called, though it hardly mattered since he didn't intend to request it again. From the face Carson made, he knew he wasn't alone in that assessment.
Carson set the piece down on the edge of his plate and began sorting all the bright green things out, creating a small pile. There was an identical pile under the edge of Radek's plate, out of sight.
"What do you recommend?" Carson made no move to pick up anything else with his fork; Radek knew that if he said 'the coffee' then Carson would probably leave his dinner uneaten.
"The yellow ones." Radek pointed. The astronomers were now arguing about whether the first moon had a wobble. He said nothing -- who cared if a moon wobbled? It didn't affect its revolution around the planet they were on.
"What about...is this blue?" Carson held up a piece. It was difficult to tell its original color through the sauce.
"Eat it and be quiet," Radek said, smiling.
Carson returned the smile, eyes shining with the humour Radek so much enjoyed. He waited as Carson obediently took a bite of the possibly-blue vegetable. Carson's eyes opened with mild surprise.
"This one isn't bad."
"I believe I implied as much."
"Aye, you did." Carson nodded and they went back to eating in relative silence. The argument at the next table had shifted into a discussion about satellites in general -- nothing more about this planet's moons.
"So, are you busy this evening?" Carson asked suddenly, in a quiet voice. He kept his attention on his food, as though he weren't asking what they both knew he was.
Radek shook his head, slowly. Then he stopped and said, "I forget. I do have plans." He waited as Carson's expression froze into one of politeness before he said, just as quietly, "You are coming over."
Carson rolled his eyes. But there was a delighted smile creeping into the corner of his mouth which made Radek glad to see.
He told himself he should not. The arrangement they had between them was something between friends, casual. The American term for it was 'fuck-buddies.' It worked very well for them, and there was no discussion of making it into something else.
Radek never tried to tell Carson he might have been happy to have more. He never pursued the hints he saw that perhaps Carson would, as well. It was good enough, he told himself, that some nights he was not alone in this faraway, alien place. To ask for more was dangerous.
They continued eating, not sharing any more conversation. Radek's attention drifted back to the astronomers as he heard one of them mention one of the planet's moons again. There was something about its cycle, but he had already missed the first part of the statement.
Well, it didn't matter at the moment. Later he could look at the notices posted on the astronomy department's forums. Dr. Weir had had them created on the shared server so that everyone who wanted could keep up with the research others were doing. Radek was a regular visitor on the astronomy forums, just as he knew Carson frequented the anthropology and linguistic forums. As much work went on in those discussions, and in those like the one in the mess hall, as went on in laboratories and offices.
It was much like being at university again, but without the trouble of teaching students. Not that fighting the Wraith was such a fair trade off. Not having to mark exams, on the other hand....
Radek glanced up and caught Carson's eyes. They exchanged another brief smile, and Radek decided he might feel brave enough to try the strange, red-coloured vegetable he'd been avoiding so far.
Two bites later, the spicy aftertaste hit him and he decided there was a such a thing as being too brave.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Five days later Radek was in the main astrophysics lab working on the zero point module diagrams. The entire astrophysics department was trying to figure out exactly how the modules worked -- the naquadah generators provided enough power for basic operations and a certain level of defense. But a working ZPM would be infinitely better, so whenever they were not in the middle of a crises they studied the ZPMs in hopes of making them work again, or even of creating new ones.
Radek had been at his workstation all afternoon and through dinner, not bothering to even get up to refill his cup of tea. It wasn't that he was onto something, but he needed to work through his current calculations in order to rule out everything he could of this particular line of enquiry. Besides which -- one never knew when something would end up being the right answer after all.
He'd been staring at the computer screen for several hours when he finally reached a point where he could stop. He leaned back to stretch, feeling his spine pop and his muscles protest the movement. As he thought about going for a short walk to loosen up, he realised he'd been feeling something he shouldn't have been feeling.
He froze, but there was no mistaking that sensation. He quickly minimised the window he was working in and connected to the server. The astronomers had a real-time display of the local system; he called it up and waited as the various parts of the map came up. He stared in disbelief as the visual of a small moon came into view -- very clearly full, and rising over Atlantis.
In nineteen minutes.
He took a few seconds to go to the forum to verify what he'd just seen. What he could *feel*. It was impossible, because the first moon wasn't rising at all for another week, and the second had been full only two weeks before and had never had a cycle of less than forty days. He found the most current and most active thread in the forum -- and saw the title. "Third moon."
He didn't waste time reading further. Radek quickly saved the document with his calculations, trying not to curse under his breath as the computer took its own sweet time switching active windows and accepting the 'save' command. Then he closed the laptop and turned, stuttering to a stop as he saw Carson and Rodney walking up behind him.
"Excuse me, prosÃm," he said, trying to get around them and out. His quarters were far away, but the transporter was just at the end of the hallway. It would be very close, but he could make it.
Carson frowned at him, stepping slightly aside. Rodney was still standing in his way."Radek, did you hear what they found?"
"Please, I need to--" He couldn't very well tell them he had to run back to his room. And the lab had a toilet -- behind him, so he couldn't very well pretend to be in urgent need of it. "Excuse me," he tried again, and Rodney stood there staring at him like he was speaking Czech.
"I know how much you keep up with the local astronomy," Rodney began again. "So you might find this interesting."
Radek nodded, impatient. "They've found a third moon, ano, and it's rising soon and it's full and would you please let me by?"
Rodney blinked at him -- obviously disappointed that Radek had already heard. "Well, yes. We were heading up to the observatory; I think they're having a party to celebrate and pick a name. Personally, I've already suggested they name it 'Rodney.'"
"As though you had anything to do with its discovery?" Carson asked. "Logan will be the one to name it, and I doubt he'll want to name it after you."
"Why not?" Rodney asked, still completely blocking Radek's path. He'd have to go around the table, and he didn't know that he still had time to make it back to his quarters. He would have to run very fast -- ironic that he'd chosen a room far away for the very reason he needed it badly, now.
"Come with us," Carson was saying to him, though he was looking at Radek with a worried expression.
"I cannot. I have to go." Finally he just stepped forward and pushed Rodney out of his way. Hated doing so, especially as Rodney fell back against the desk.
"Ow! Hey, watch it."
Radek told himself he would apologise later. Tomorrow, but for now-- His arm was grabbed and he was spun around to face Rodney.
"Do you mind explaining just what you're doing? What's the hurry?"
Time was going. He could feel it. He'd been standing here too long, and he would never make it to his room. The way there was all inhabited, there was no guarantee he would not be seen before he reached his door. He tried to think of alternatives. There was nowhere he could go that was guaranteed to be empty -- not unless he left the inhabited parts of the city completely.
If he ran as fast as he could, he would make it. He nodded as though he were going to explain and Rodney let go of his arm.
"I am sorry," he said, barely glancing over at Carson. He wanted to say more -- say something to let him know that this rudeness was not what he wanted.
Instead he spun around and ran for the door, feet slipping as he sprinted out of the laboratory. He cursed, afraid of falling, losing precious seconds -- but he kept his feet and continued running. He passed several people and heard their shouts of surprise as he sped by.
He could hear Rodney and Carson behind him, could hear questions and concern that some emergency had occurred.
More things to apologise for. If he had the chance. If-- he stopped himself from thinking those things. He had to get away, and tomorrow would take care if itself. He pushed himself to run faster, already feeling the tug of the moonrise. The transporter was ahead of him; he felt a burst of relief, perhaps premature, but he tumbled inside it and selected a destination as far away as it would take him.
As soon as it rematerialised, he took off running again. It would be too easy for them to follow him this far. He had to get away where they could not track him. The transporter had brought him to the edge of the section where the internal sensors were still not working. He did not doubt they would follow him anyway, or try to. He changed direction at random, down a hallway that he only knew would lead him farther from where they had ever been. Dangerous, to go into the city they'd not explored. But he would be safe there. For a time.
He gasped for air, running as fast as he could, and tried to hold back the fear. He had to make it.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The hallways were dark. No lights coming on automatically as he passed, no sound of ancient machinery humming, not even the feel of moving air from the vents. He was almost out of time so he slowed down just enough to pull off his shirt, dropping it behind him. His lungs were aching as he stopped to kick off his boots and socks, then paused long enough to listen for any sign that someone had found him.
The city was utterly silent. Dark and empty, and his boots rang with a hollow echo as he dropped them. The sound made him cringe, and he recalled the ghosts which they had uncovered last time they'd gone into the city to explore. He thought about the ghosts his grandfather had told him stories of as a boy.
Radek pulled off the last of his clothing and stepped away to head deeper into the abandoned city. Just in time, as he felt his body make the change. The moon howled in his ears with the rushing of blood and everything around him changed.
On all fours, the sights and sounds and scents of the alien city grew sharp and distinct. Things he had only hints at before grew focused, and he wondered at the origins of the myriad of things he could still smell in this eons-abandoned area of the city.
He headed away, not knowing where he should go but unable to remain in one place. The others might be searching even if they could not track him with Atlantis' sensors. Or perhaps the sensors could somehow detect him and display his location as an alien intruder.
Radek shivered and kept moving. He stopped every few steps to listen and take a cautious whiff of the uncirculated air, but he never heard any noise but that of his own breathing. He kept walking, going deeper into the unknown and trying desperately not to think about what would happen in the morning.
end chapter one
Author: James
Pairing: Carson Beckett/Radek Zelenka
Rating: NC-17 (overall)
Disclaimer: not mine, no profit made
Archive: wraithbait, gilascave
Website: gila.fakingsanity.com
Spoilers: none; set in a vague 'sometime during the events of the show' timeline.
Summary: An alternate dimension where some legends are true. How do they deal with learning that one of their own is a werewolf?
*moonlight and your soul ;-)
Chapter One
There was, Radek thought, something quite irritating about living on a planet with two moons. The least of which was listening to the astronomers arguing about what the lunar cycles actually were. There was nothing they'd found so prosaic as a telescope, and so they were forced to make their observations with a combination of stealing time in the Puddle Jumpers when they could, and the old-fashioned way of observing the moons whenever they were overhead.
The times he'd joined in their conversations, Radek had learned that several of the astronomers thought it exhilarating. Some thought it frustrating to the point of rambling about being stuck in the stone age. Most thought it was both, depending on how much sleep they'd had recently.
"At it again, are they?"
Radek looked up and smiled as Carson sat down at the table opposite him. "Ano, they are." He gave the scientists the next table over a short nod. "For half hour they're arguing over the second moon." He waved one hand, not wanting to try to replicate the details of the discussion.
"Well, it keeps them out of trouble." Carson grinned, then he looked down at his plate and his smile vanished. "Do I want to know what they've served us today?"
Radek shook his head. "Vegetables. Good for you -- do not ask anything more."
"I won't," Carson agreed. They sat silently as Carson got up his nerve to try a bite. Radek continued eating his own meal; the taste was not all that bad, and he had learned a long time ago to eat what he was given.
Not without complaint, of course. But he kept his complaints inside his head where they belonged. He watched with some amusement as Carson took a bite of a bright green root vegetable. He couldn't remember what it was called, though it hardly mattered since he didn't intend to request it again. From the face Carson made, he knew he wasn't alone in that assessment.
Carson set the piece down on the edge of his plate and began sorting all the bright green things out, creating a small pile. There was an identical pile under the edge of Radek's plate, out of sight.
"What do you recommend?" Carson made no move to pick up anything else with his fork; Radek knew that if he said 'the coffee' then Carson would probably leave his dinner uneaten.
"The yellow ones." Radek pointed. The astronomers were now arguing about whether the first moon had a wobble. He said nothing -- who cared if a moon wobbled? It didn't affect its revolution around the planet they were on.
"What about...is this blue?" Carson held up a piece. It was difficult to tell its original color through the sauce.
"Eat it and be quiet," Radek said, smiling.
Carson returned the smile, eyes shining with the humour Radek so much enjoyed. He waited as Carson obediently took a bite of the possibly-blue vegetable. Carson's eyes opened with mild surprise.
"This one isn't bad."
"I believe I implied as much."
"Aye, you did." Carson nodded and they went back to eating in relative silence. The argument at the next table had shifted into a discussion about satellites in general -- nothing more about this planet's moons.
"So, are you busy this evening?" Carson asked suddenly, in a quiet voice. He kept his attention on his food, as though he weren't asking what they both knew he was.
Radek shook his head, slowly. Then he stopped and said, "I forget. I do have plans." He waited as Carson's expression froze into one of politeness before he said, just as quietly, "You are coming over."
Carson rolled his eyes. But there was a delighted smile creeping into the corner of his mouth which made Radek glad to see.
He told himself he should not. The arrangement they had between them was something between friends, casual. The American term for it was 'fuck-buddies.' It worked very well for them, and there was no discussion of making it into something else.
Radek never tried to tell Carson he might have been happy to have more. He never pursued the hints he saw that perhaps Carson would, as well. It was good enough, he told himself, that some nights he was not alone in this faraway, alien place. To ask for more was dangerous.
They continued eating, not sharing any more conversation. Radek's attention drifted back to the astronomers as he heard one of them mention one of the planet's moons again. There was something about its cycle, but he had already missed the first part of the statement.
Well, it didn't matter at the moment. Later he could look at the notices posted on the astronomy department's forums. Dr. Weir had had them created on the shared server so that everyone who wanted could keep up with the research others were doing. Radek was a regular visitor on the astronomy forums, just as he knew Carson frequented the anthropology and linguistic forums. As much work went on in those discussions, and in those like the one in the mess hall, as went on in laboratories and offices.
It was much like being at university again, but without the trouble of teaching students. Not that fighting the Wraith was such a fair trade off. Not having to mark exams, on the other hand....
Radek glanced up and caught Carson's eyes. They exchanged another brief smile, and Radek decided he might feel brave enough to try the strange, red-coloured vegetable he'd been avoiding so far.
Two bites later, the spicy aftertaste hit him and he decided there was a such a thing as being too brave.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Five days later Radek was in the main astrophysics lab working on the zero point module diagrams. The entire astrophysics department was trying to figure out exactly how the modules worked -- the naquadah generators provided enough power for basic operations and a certain level of defense. But a working ZPM would be infinitely better, so whenever they were not in the middle of a crises they studied the ZPMs in hopes of making them work again, or even of creating new ones.
Radek had been at his workstation all afternoon and through dinner, not bothering to even get up to refill his cup of tea. It wasn't that he was onto something, but he needed to work through his current calculations in order to rule out everything he could of this particular line of enquiry. Besides which -- one never knew when something would end up being the right answer after all.
He'd been staring at the computer screen for several hours when he finally reached a point where he could stop. He leaned back to stretch, feeling his spine pop and his muscles protest the movement. As he thought about going for a short walk to loosen up, he realised he'd been feeling something he shouldn't have been feeling.
He froze, but there was no mistaking that sensation. He quickly minimised the window he was working in and connected to the server. The astronomers had a real-time display of the local system; he called it up and waited as the various parts of the map came up. He stared in disbelief as the visual of a small moon came into view -- very clearly full, and rising over Atlantis.
In nineteen minutes.
He took a few seconds to go to the forum to verify what he'd just seen. What he could *feel*. It was impossible, because the first moon wasn't rising at all for another week, and the second had been full only two weeks before and had never had a cycle of less than forty days. He found the most current and most active thread in the forum -- and saw the title. "Third moon."
He didn't waste time reading further. Radek quickly saved the document with his calculations, trying not to curse under his breath as the computer took its own sweet time switching active windows and accepting the 'save' command. Then he closed the laptop and turned, stuttering to a stop as he saw Carson and Rodney walking up behind him.
"Excuse me, prosÃm," he said, trying to get around them and out. His quarters were far away, but the transporter was just at the end of the hallway. It would be very close, but he could make it.
Carson frowned at him, stepping slightly aside. Rodney was still standing in his way."Radek, did you hear what they found?"
"Please, I need to--" He couldn't very well tell them he had to run back to his room. And the lab had a toilet -- behind him, so he couldn't very well pretend to be in urgent need of it. "Excuse me," he tried again, and Rodney stood there staring at him like he was speaking Czech.
"I know how much you keep up with the local astronomy," Rodney began again. "So you might find this interesting."
Radek nodded, impatient. "They've found a third moon, ano, and it's rising soon and it's full and would you please let me by?"
Rodney blinked at him -- obviously disappointed that Radek had already heard. "Well, yes. We were heading up to the observatory; I think they're having a party to celebrate and pick a name. Personally, I've already suggested they name it 'Rodney.'"
"As though you had anything to do with its discovery?" Carson asked. "Logan will be the one to name it, and I doubt he'll want to name it after you."
"Why not?" Rodney asked, still completely blocking Radek's path. He'd have to go around the table, and he didn't know that he still had time to make it back to his quarters. He would have to run very fast -- ironic that he'd chosen a room far away for the very reason he needed it badly, now.
"Come with us," Carson was saying to him, though he was looking at Radek with a worried expression.
"I cannot. I have to go." Finally he just stepped forward and pushed Rodney out of his way. Hated doing so, especially as Rodney fell back against the desk.
"Ow! Hey, watch it."
Radek told himself he would apologise later. Tomorrow, but for now-- His arm was grabbed and he was spun around to face Rodney.
"Do you mind explaining just what you're doing? What's the hurry?"
Time was going. He could feel it. He'd been standing here too long, and he would never make it to his room. The way there was all inhabited, there was no guarantee he would not be seen before he reached his door. He tried to think of alternatives. There was nowhere he could go that was guaranteed to be empty -- not unless he left the inhabited parts of the city completely.
If he ran as fast as he could, he would make it. He nodded as though he were going to explain and Rodney let go of his arm.
"I am sorry," he said, barely glancing over at Carson. He wanted to say more -- say something to let him know that this rudeness was not what he wanted.
Instead he spun around and ran for the door, feet slipping as he sprinted out of the laboratory. He cursed, afraid of falling, losing precious seconds -- but he kept his feet and continued running. He passed several people and heard their shouts of surprise as he sped by.
He could hear Rodney and Carson behind him, could hear questions and concern that some emergency had occurred.
More things to apologise for. If he had the chance. If-- he stopped himself from thinking those things. He had to get away, and tomorrow would take care if itself. He pushed himself to run faster, already feeling the tug of the moonrise. The transporter was ahead of him; he felt a burst of relief, perhaps premature, but he tumbled inside it and selected a destination as far away as it would take him.
As soon as it rematerialised, he took off running again. It would be too easy for them to follow him this far. He had to get away where they could not track him. The transporter had brought him to the edge of the section where the internal sensors were still not working. He did not doubt they would follow him anyway, or try to. He changed direction at random, down a hallway that he only knew would lead him farther from where they had ever been. Dangerous, to go into the city they'd not explored. But he would be safe there. For a time.
He gasped for air, running as fast as he could, and tried to hold back the fear. He had to make it.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The hallways were dark. No lights coming on automatically as he passed, no sound of ancient machinery humming, not even the feel of moving air from the vents. He was almost out of time so he slowed down just enough to pull off his shirt, dropping it behind him. His lungs were aching as he stopped to kick off his boots and socks, then paused long enough to listen for any sign that someone had found him.
The city was utterly silent. Dark and empty, and his boots rang with a hollow echo as he dropped them. The sound made him cringe, and he recalled the ghosts which they had uncovered last time they'd gone into the city to explore. He thought about the ghosts his grandfather had told him stories of as a boy.
Radek pulled off the last of his clothing and stepped away to head deeper into the abandoned city. Just in time, as he felt his body make the change. The moon howled in his ears with the rushing of blood and everything around him changed.
On all fours, the sights and sounds and scents of the alien city grew sharp and distinct. Things he had only hints at before grew focused, and he wondered at the origins of the myriad of things he could still smell in this eons-abandoned area of the city.
He headed away, not knowing where he should go but unable to remain in one place. The others might be searching even if they could not track him with Atlantis' sensors. Or perhaps the sensors could somehow detect him and display his location as an alien intruder.
Radek shivered and kept moving. He stopped every few steps to listen and take a cautious whiff of the uncirculated air, but he never heard any noise but that of his own breathing. He kept walking, going deeper into the unknown and trying desperately not to think about what would happen in the morning.
end chapter one