Major John Sheppard did not deal well with authority. It wasn't that he wouldn't follow any orders, but more that he wouldn't follow those orders that he thought were wrong. He would always determine what to do based on what his gut told him rather than what his commander told him. This had led him to some trouble over his military career. One such occurrence was when he was stationed in Afghanistan.
His commander at the time had ordered the team to draw back to safer ground, but while he was pulling back, he noted that two of his teammates were not following. Major Sheppard was a man who put loyalty above everything else; he would not leave his teammates behind. The thought of reprimand passed quickly over his thoughts, and just as quickly, John pushed those thoughts away to go help his friends. His teammates were saved, but his military record was not. A disobeying a direct order reprimand was placed in his record; tarnishing his not so pristine military record. But to John, his record mattered less than the lives of his fellow officers. That was just the type of man, and officer, that he was.
After this incident, Major Sheppard decided to try something new, and with less authority. That was how he ended up stationed at McMurdo Air Force Base, in the snow covered quiet of Antarctica. This decision to fly in Antarctica led him to being the pilot assigned to fly General Jack O'Neill. That flight was exhilarating to say the least, as he was able to show off his piloting skills as he dodged a rouge missile. Once inside the base, Major Sheppard learned more about was the weapon was, and who had fired at him.
That conversation with Dr. Beckett led him to hearing about the drone weapon, the stargate, a race known as the Ancients, and a specific gene of the Ancients that some people had. The Major's mind was spinning, trying to catalogue all he was hearing about. He decided to sit down in order to put his thoughts in order, and also because he had no idea how long the General was going to be.
As John went to sit in the odd looking dentist chair in the middle of the room, Dr. Beckett exclaimed, "Major, please don't."
"Come on what are the odds of me having the same gene as these guys," John replied as he sat down. However, while the probability of having the gene was low, he did have it, as was determined when the chair responded to his presence.
"Quite slim actually," Dr. Beckett stated and he quickly walked away calling for Dr. Weir. "Don't move," he said as he rushed off.
A group of people came rushing over to the chair where Major Sheppard was sitting. John wasn't paying much attention to the group until General O'Neill reprimanded him, "I thought I told you not to touch anything." John didn't know how to reply to this as he didn't touch anything, he just sat down. Okay so my butt touched something, but that shouldn't count. And he stuttered a reply to that effect.
"Major think about where we are in the solar system," said an arrogant looking man in his late thirties. John thought that was a stupid request, however his mind automatically thought about the question. Almost like when a person asks you to say the first thing that comes to mind when a word is mentioned. However, everybody gets that wrong, as the first word that is always thought of is the one that is spoken. John though to himself while remembering the time he had to see the base shrink in one of his fun-filled annual psyc. exams, and annoyed him to all get out when he would repeat the words verbatim. That thought was wiped from his thoughts as he noticed a holographic map appear above his head. Whoa, was his last thought before he pulled his attention out to the group around him. "Did I do that," he asked no one in particular.
As he was the only person who seemed to be able to use this technology and the ancient gene naturally, he was approached about joining the expedition to another galaxy. He finally decided to go after pondering the fact that General O'Neill told him that those who didn't want to go through the stargate were as 'whacked' as those who didn't want to fly. That argument sealed in his decision to go.
The embarkation day had arrived, and John made his way to the gate room of the secret military facility in Colorado. The gate room was packed with personnel finalizing the packing. John stood out of the way thinking about the movie Star Wars. In a galaxy far, far away, John chuckled to himself at the thought, wondering if they might meet anyone like Princess Leia, or Chewbacca.
As he was standing there the lead military officer for the expedition walked up to him. Colonel Marshall Sumner had read Major Sheppard's report, and already did not like him based on the DDO in his file. "Let me make myself clean Major. You are not here by my choice," he stated to the Major as an informed way of saying 'I'll be watching you.'
"Sure you'll warm up to me once you get to know me sir," Sheppard responded with a smirk. He could already tell that they were going to the best of friends he thought sarcastically.
Colonel Sumner went along with the sarcastic response, "As long as you remember who will be giving the orders."
John couldn't help himself from replying, "That would be Dr. Weir right?" He said with a big grin, even though he knew this was not going to help his rapport with his commanding officer.
Once it was determined that it was safe to travel through the wormhole to the Pegasus Galaxy, Colonel Sumner started to lead two security teams up the ramp to the gate. "Hold on Colonel, we go through together," the leader of the expedition stated.
Major Sheppard saw Dr. Weir in a new light. He thought before that she would be like all of the non-military leaders he had ever met in the past, who thought they were better than those who were below them. But she did not place herself above any of those in the expedition team that were to follow her command. She would not ask anything from those who she led that she would not ask of herself. That included putting herself in danger if the need arose. John smiled and thought, I'm going to like her. He watched as Colonel Sumner and Dr. Weir led the security teams through the gate, Colonel Sumner on the other hand... he shuddered at the thought.
Featured Stories
Fortune\'s Favor by Offworlder FAM
Winner of the Atlantis challenge for the December 2007 fic challenge contest.
Winner of the Atlantis challenge for the December 2007 fic challenge contest.
Most Recent
Alisa - The College Years by LE McMurray 13+
Having left Atlantis to go to college in no way meant Alisa McKay's life would...
Having left Atlantis to go to college in no way meant Alisa McKay's life would...
Random Story
A Celebration of Life by Sg1psychopath FAM
Entry for the Atlantis challenge for the December 2007 fic challenge contest.
Entry for the Atlantis challenge for the December 2007 fic challenge contest.