homeless and probably going to stay that way /o\

[makedo]

It isn't any wonder you're worried about my voice, ma'am. You watched the show a few times and read Rolling Stones' book, but you're a wine-sipping, tree-loving, pacifist, civilian college girl who thinks country music isn't all that bad and who'd probably vote Democrats. And, ma'am, you're not even American.

This can only end in disaster unrivalled by anything but the clusterfuck that was OIF. You should quit while you're still ahead.


( ooc; canon is Generation Kill. )

Comments

[assuredofthis]

Trust you, Brad, to keep your opinions to yourself.

[makedo]

Sir, policing myself when she's asking me to talk is clearly uncalled for.

[colunderfire]

Good luck with that. Getting mundanes to quit is pretty hard.

[makedo]

Interrogative, sir: Who are you and how do you know?

[ He's curious, is all. ] I'm not even trying to discourage her from all of this bullshit, just my part in it.

[colunderfire]

[A smile. Good question.]

Colonel Everett Young, US Air Force. And I know because I've been around a while. Stuff like this always happens.

And that probably won't work, either. This place may seem like a place you can try to convince your mun to change their minds, but they usually end up doing it anyway.

[makedo]

So noted. [ It just figured that he wouldn't get out of this. And of course it's an officer passing down that particular piece of advice. Fitting.

He's a marine, he'll make do. Doesn't mean he has to like it. ]

Sgt. Brad Colbert, sir. 1st Recon Battalion, US Marines.

[colunderfire]

Marines, huh? I have a few marines under my command.

[And a smile. He knows Marine attitudes.]

My mun has me down as a Black Ops pilot. Not exactly frontline, but I've been there.

[makedo]

No offense, sir, but I wasn't aware they let flyboys order marines around now. [ They weren't even on the same fucking radio frequency in Iraq, and Brad remembers someone saying those guys shoot marines but he can't remember who said it.

He remembers, too, telling the reporter that a pilot doesn't see the destruction he wrecks, not the way Brad saw the shepperd boys.

But then, none of that shows on his face or in his voice. ]

[colunderfire]

No offence taken. And it's a joint operation, the Air Force and a civilian committee. Strangely, they prefer Air Force command over the IOA's. I'd tell you more, but you probably wouldn't believe it.

I will say that between the army and the Marines, the general in charge preferred the USMC.

[makedo]

[ That sounds like a worse mess than OIF and that was a goddamned clusterfuck. ]

Of course he did, sir. The Army's just a bunch of pussies.

[colunderfire]

[There's a smile which says he agrees with that statement, but can't say so.

And you have no idea about how much of a clusterfuck Icarus became.]

I feel safer about my Airmen being with Marines. We're not exactly known for our ground forces.

[makedo]

That, sir, is an understatement.

[ A considering look. He's beginning to think maybe you have some brains, despite being an officer and Air Force to boot. ]

[colunderfire]

Things are probably a bit different where I'm from, but we hold our own well enough.

Besides, you guys wanted your own team.

[makedo]

I'd have to see it to believe it. [ And he knows he's toeing a line here, essentially mouthing off to an officer.

But: ] Can you blame them?

[colunderfire]

I can probably arrange that. Lt. Scott and myself are pretty good on the front. [The amount of times they've had to be on the Front on Destiny is countless. Not counting his times as an SG Team Leader.]

And I don't. At least, not at first. They got used to us. [And he seems to be taking the mouthing off quite well.]

[makedo]

Where is this joint operation taking place?

[ He sure as hell doesn't know about any Air Force-Marines-civilian joint operation. And he's got an ear on the ground when it comes to interesting missions. ]

[colunderfire]

You sure you wanna know? You probably won't believe it.

[makedo]

Just don't tell me if it's Thailand, because you'd be overrun by Ray fucking Person before you finish the word.

[colunderfire]

Well, your friend is going to be disappointed. Its...

[How to put this...]

Another galaxy.

[Your move, Brad.]

[makedo]

You're fucking with me.

[ Fucking officers. ]

[colunderfire]

I wish I was.

[And a history lesson.]

We found a device called a Stargate. It lets us go to other planets and galaxies if there's enough power. Well, there was an accident, and we ended up stranded on a ship in a far-off galaxy.

[And a small, almost sad, smile.]

I said you wouldn't believe it.

[makedo]

Only because your sob story comes straight out of a fucking sci-fi show. Sir.

[colunderfire]

Which is why you need the clearance to even get near the Gate.

I'm not going to try and convince you, though.

[makedo]

What clearance?

[ Because if this actually exists, it makes sense that it'd be classified.

Not that Brad believes a word of it. He's just covering all angles. ]

[colunderfire]

There's several. Air Force Top Secret STRAP 3, Pentagon Top Secret, International Oversight Advisory vetting... And that's just to get onto the levels of the base where the Gate's held. There's a different vetting system for Offworld travel.

[makedo]

Offworld travel.

[ A beat. ] Ray put you up to this, hasn't he?

[colunderfire]

Sorry. Don't know him.

[This is his serious face, Brad.]

[makedo]

Count yourself lucky, Colonel.

[colunderfire]

This is the guy who knows a bit too much about Thailand, right?

[makedo]

Oh, no, sir, I wouldn't say he knows anything about it at all except what his deprived imagination has managed to come up with.

[colunderfire]

Runs his mouth too much, huh? We have a kid like that on Destiny.

Admittedly, he's better with computers.

[makedo]

Destiny being what, your space ship?

[colunderfire]

[A nod there.]

Destiny is quite a ship, if old.

And, hey, if you think my story's unbelievable, mun has a guy from my world in his head that lived on Atlantis for three years. Anything's possible here, sergeant.

[makedo]

Atlantis.

[ Fine. Fine, they're all fictional people, he can suspend his disbelief. ]

If you don't mind my asking, sir, how the fuck does one end up on a space ship?

[colunderfire]

The Stargate. Destiny had a special gate address we could dial. We needed a lot of power to get there... mostly by the planet exploding when we were trying to evac.

[makedo]

As interesting as the technology of it undoubtedly is, that wasn't what I meant.

[colunderfire]

What'd you mean, then?

[makedo]

How does one get drafted for the spaceship thing?

[colunderfire]

Oh. Right.

It depends. You have to be in the right universe, for one, and a spotless record, passing vetting...

Or impressing the brass and upper-officers of the SGC.

[makedo]

SGC, sir?

[colunderfire]

Stargate Command. I suppose Homeworld Command and the International Oversight Advisory might come into it, but the SGC normally makes the decisions for military assignment.

All it would take is for a letter of recommendation to cross General Landry's desk

[makedo]

Don't tell me, he's airforce.

[colunderfire]

Of course. He's also one of the most impartial brass officers in the military.

[makedo]

You'll have to forgive me for not taking your word for it.

( You're an officer and air force. Of course you'd think he's impartial. )

[colunderfire]

Well, maybe you'll get the chance to meet him or General O'Neill.

[makedo]

If I ever run across either, I'll say hi.

[colunderfire]

You never know, they might let you join the SGC.

[makedo]

I'm just a grunt, sir. ( Like hell he is. )

[colunderfire]

So?