Happy New Year!

For disclaimer see Chapter 1.

Chapter 6

o-O-o

Rai woke when the alarm clock went off at 0600, and waved away KC's apology for waking her. She'd slept okay but suspected her brain had kept working on her new project. She definitely felt groggier than usual.

She stayed in bed until KC left for the showers, thinking and letting herself wake up a little more. It wasn't long before she got restless so she gathered her toiletries and a fresh uniform, stepped into her flats and headed for the bathrooms. There were several women already there but the bathroom was large; plenty of facilities to handle them all at once with room left over.

There was a tall rolling shelf next to the door into the shower area stacked with towels and washcloths. Rai grabbed one of each, juggling her things, and headed for an open cubicle. There were hooks on the door and walls and a small bench seat, then a curtain between the dry area and the shower. Rai winced at the cold tile beneath her bare feet as she stepped into the shower and mentally added shower shoes to the list of things she needed to buy, along with a shower caddy or a hanging bag or something. She didn't want to continue juggling her toiletries.

The shower woke her up, and she wrapped her wet hair in the towel while she dressed. There were wall-mounted hair dryers next to each sink and mirror set, so she was able to dry her hair and leave the damp towel in a big hamper before brushing her teeth and going back to her room.

She used the back of her schedule from the day before to start a list, writing down the shower shoes, caddy, and a few toiletries she would need soon before she forgot, then tucked the list into the drawer with her purse. She put her wallet back in her purse, too, so it wouldn't get misplaced. Her ID card and room key were tucked into pockets of her uniform.

While she was tying her boots she thought of a few ideas and scrambled for the pen and the papers Eric had left with her, using the backs and any blank spaces to jot down her notes for now.

KC came back in, gave Rai a startled look because she was already showered and dressed, and set about getting herself ready for the day. Rai made up her bed, put her hair up in a pony-tail, and scribbled more notes. An escort came to collect KC and Rai decided to go eat breakfast before she got sidetracked.

In the commissary she noticed a familiar face, one of the other pilots that had been in her group of interviewees. He was being escorted by another young Marine. She waved; he looked at her blankly for a minute until he placed her and then looked surprised. She indicated they could join her.

"Hi," she greeted with a smile as they seated themselves across from her. "I'm not sure I was ever introduced to you but I recognize your face. I'm Rai Taylor – we were in the same group when we came here during the interviews."

"I remember you. I'm Jeff Andrews. How did you get set loose in uniform already?"

"I didn't have much to arrange before I reported so I was back the next night. And I think they're processing people as fast as they can right now. Did you just get here?"

"I got in late last night. I've got a history documentary thing this morning and then a meeting with..." he turned to his escort for the name.

"Lt. Colonel O'Neill."

"Yes – who's supposed to talk to me about my options and what I want to do. I've been told about a gene therapy thing. Did you go for that?"

Rai almost felt guilty, and hoped the therapy procedure wasn't painful. "No. I tested positive for the gene so I got to skip that part."

"Have they showed you the weird little ship it's supposed to let you fly? It looks like a tin can."

"It does," she agreed with a grin. "But it doesn't fly like a tin can. I got lucky; I was here at the right time and got a ride in one. I hope the gene thing works for you because those little ships are a blast! Unless of course you don't want to do that. From what I've been told they're going to need people everywhere and the gene isn't necessary for most of the jobs."

Jeff looked a little torn. "I guess you can't tell me about the therapy, then."

"No. My escort said he'd taken it but he didn't say what it involved, only that he didn't make a good pilot."

The quiet Marine snorted slightly. "Was that O'Malley? I don't think it was the therapy, he just can't fly."

Jeff turned to his escort. "Have you had it?"

"I took it. It didn't work on me, but I'd suck as a pilot anyway. I can tell you the therapy's not horrible but it does involve a long skinny needle. It works about seventy-five percent of the time now; it used to be successful less than half the time."

Jeff stirred his coffee, looking thoughtful.

"Don't worry, I doubt they'll be pushy about it. Ask Lt. Colonel O'Neill any questions you have. He's nice, I'm pretty sure he'll make sure you get all the information you want before you decide."

They talked a little more before the Marine escort prompted Jeff that they needed to head out. Rai wished him good luck and wondered if she'd run across him again.

She had two hours to kill before she needed to meet whoever back at her room, so she decided to head back down to the range and see if she could practice some more. With everything that had gone on yesterday she was a little surprised she remembered what level it was on...but then she couldn't remember which direction to turn from the elevator.

Luckily there was a Marine waiting for the elevator, and when asked he smiled and pointed her in the right direction.

Gunny seemed pleased that she'd come back so soon, and gave her the same handgun she'd used before. She practiced taking it apart and putting it back together several times, managing much faster now that her fingers knew what to do. Gunny had several groups of Marines and other uniforms Rai didn't recognize yet coming through but he still came back to check on her. When she was ready to continue she went looking for him and asked if she could go on to the range.

He set her up with equipment and stood nearby as she set up the target and got the gun loaded just in case she needed help with anything. The first shot still made her jump but then she settled in. After she had gone through one magazine he touched her shoulder, set a box of ammo on the shelf in front of her and told her to sing out – or press the blue button on the wall – if she needed anything. He reminded her to make sure to secure the weapon before she left her station and left her to it.

She got a little more than halfway through the box of ammo – about six magazines' worth – before her arm, wrist, and shoulder started complaining at the unusual strain and her aim got worse. She was pretty happy with the holes in her targets, though, so she unloaded the gun, checked the chamber, and carried it all back to where Gunny was watching.

He took the unused ammo and she carried the still-warm gun into the little room to take it apart again and clean it. There were a few other people in there – two men and a woman – but there were several places to sit and plenty of supplies. She disassembled and cleaned the pistol, then carefully put it back together, ignoring the curious glances shot her way. Then she took the gun back to Gunny and headed back to the barracks level.

She stopped in the bathrooms first, and when she came back out O'Malley was in the hall outside her room, hand raised to knock on the door.

"Are you looking for me?" she asked.

"Hey, there you are. Yes I am. I'm supposed to show you to your workspace. Major Payne said he'd stop by later and make sure you had everything you need. Follow me?"

So she did. They went to level 24 and he guided her down the corridor and through an open door into a large open room circled by offices. He pointed to the first one on the left and she was startled to see her name already on a nameplate beside the door.

"This one is yours." O'Malley opened the door with a key and gestured her inside.

It was a good-sized space, with a big U-shaped work counter/desk/table that took up a chunk of the room. On the desktop in front of a rolling chair there was a new laptop computer with a wireless mouse beside it. Against the back wall was a hutch filled with assorted office supplies – printer paper, photo paper, 3-ring binders, a stapler, a large hole punch, and pull-out bins she couldn't see into. Several stacks of drawers and 2-drawer filing cabinets were spaced around the U beneath the desktop level. One wall held a large cork board. Another had a whiteboard. An empty book case stood next to the door on the opposite side of the glass window.

"Major Payne said he left some information for you to get started with, and a list of personnel here on base and their specialties. He's still looking into some answers for you."

Rai moved around to the computer and looked down at the thick stack of papers next to it. She opened the screen and found it was charged and on, and the screen had a place for a user name and log-in ID. Well, that could be a problem... It was a nice computer, though, one of the new kind with a touch screen and a removable keyboard.

She looked up to find O'Malley still standing there.

"Do you know how to log into the computer?" she asked.

"No." He checked his watch. "Someone is supposed to come at 1045 to set it up for you."

"Are you supposed to wait for that?"

"Not exactly, Ma'am. I've been assigned to fetch and carry for you," he said with a grin. "The Major said I was to help you in any way I could."

"Really?" Rai couldn't keep from asking. "Do you know how to garden?"

"No, sorry. I'm a city kid."

"Crochet? Sew?"

"Um, I can sew on a button. That's about it." He looked a little confused. "What are you going to be doing?"

"I'm supposed to get together materials to teach people on other worlds skills they don't have." She thought for a minute. "Actually, if you don't know the skills either you'd be a good test subject. If I can teach you, then hopefully the others can understand it."

He still looked confused, but he nodded gamely.

Rai looked around. "Well, for now, could you get another chair so you can sit?"

"Yes, Ma'am. I'll be back in a little bit." And he left.

Rai sat down in the one chair provided. It was a good chair and smelled pleasantly of new leather. She adjusted it, closed the computer, and picked up the papers. On top was a note from Eric.

Rai,

I'm trying to get answers to your questions. In the meantime I've left you some information to get started with, and a list of all the scientists in the SGC. I've highlighted a few names that should have any information you need, their specialties, and their phone extension numbers. To call just dial the extension number. If you should need to call outside the base dial 77 and wait for the dial tone, then call.

Someone will come set up your computer for you. They will also set up an SGC e-mail address for your official use. You can access any web-based e-mail from your computer also, but be advised there are security protocols that will flag certain words in outgoing e-mails. I'm sure you know to be careful what you write or say to friends.

Corporal O'Malley has been assigned to assist you. If he works out well you may attach him as your assistant for the tour. Your assistant will be your choice so if O'Malley doesn't suit you – or if he doesn't want to go on the tour – you can chose from others.

If you run into problems or need anything please feel free to contact me. My extension is 99371.

Major Eric Payne

Nice. She looked at the long list of SGC science personnel and noted that they were broken down by departments – Botany, Anthropology, Languages, Geology, Medical, and many more. Dr. Lam was on the Medical list and was the only name she recognized at first glance.

Dr. Daniel Jackson was listed under both Anthropology and Language. Beneath his name in each department were the names of numerous assistants for that department.

The prefix "Xeno" before the specialty name she wondered about... but not for long as within a few minutes a trim middle-aged man arrived and tapped on her door frame.

"Ms. Taylor? I'm Sgt. Armstrong, here to set up your computer. Are you ready for me?"

He was quick, but also explained everything he did almost absentmindedly. It gave her a good understanding of most of the computer workings without having to ask a lot of questions which was probably why he'd developed the habit. He had her choose a 'good' password, then set up her SGC e-mail and put an icon for it on the desktop. Then he had her sit down and go through the pre-loaded software programs to make sure she had what she would need, and made sure she knew he or one of the tech staff would be happy to help her if there were any programs she wasn't familiar with.

Most of the programs she'd used at school or previous jobs, and she really didn't know what she might need yet. Sgt. Armstrong was cheerfully adding his name and extension number under the main tech support number on her contact information sheets when O'Malley returned with two rolling chairs. She thanked Sgt. Armstrong and he left.

A few minutes later she made her first calls, learned 'Xeno' meant 'non-Earth', and sent O'Malley to collect reports on Chulak from the several departments.

o-O-o

Three days and several phone calls to Eric later the room was busy. Besides O'Malley, Rai acquired an assistant from xeno-botany and a xeno-biologist from Medical. The xeno-biologist could explain exactly what the differences were between human and Jaffa physiology and had information on their dietary needs; the xeno-botonist was there to determine what 'local' and what Earth fruits, vegetables, and legumes were best for their diets and what should and what wouldn't grow in the areas where each settlement was. The number of laptops and chairs in the room had multiplied, a printer was kept humming, and the bookshelf and filing cabinets were starting to fill. O'Malley found them a small fridge, a coffee pot, and supplies and set up a coffee station on the end of a counter. He was kept fairly busy e-mailing queries and fetching reports from the various departments, and between runs Rai had him going through books and internet web sites looking for open-source pictures of specific vegetables in different stages of growth, common plant diseases, and information on harvesting, preservation, and storage. The files on her laptop were growing and she called tech services to see if she could back it up somewhere or get a USB drive to back up the files in-office. She was well into research for the gardens of Chulak but had only begun to scratch the surface of the other two planets' needs.

On the morning of the fourth day Eric called her first thing.

"How is it going?" he asked.

"Okay so far, I think. I'm glad there is a lot of information on Chulak available but it's slow going to figure out what else they might need or like, and what will grow. There's still a long way to go."

"About that- Do you think you could put together a brief outline of your plan for Chulak, and anything you've come up with for Zialan and Sanetal so far and send it to me? I'm supposed to brief the bosses later and I didn't think to ask you for anything."

"I can do that," Rai said slowly, her mind skipping to high speed to lay her current plan out in outline form. "When do you need it?"

"The briefing is in two hours."

Rai rolled her eyes. "Seriously, Eric? Okay, but it'll be very rough. And I don't want to catch any grief about spelling and typos."

"I promise," he said, and she could almost hear his smile. "Just Chulak is fine, anything beyond that is gravy. Thanks, I owe you!"

Rai grumbled under her breath as she hung up the phone, then she took a deep breath and pulled her computer closer.

Right.

For the first ten minutes she sorted through the plans in her brain and got them into a rough order, then she started to type. She laid out her plan for teaching the Jaffa on Chulak the basics of gardening, and how to grow, harvest and store their own foods. Then added several pages on teaching the people of Zialan how to make their own clothes (with the note that she needed more information on their climate and what local materials they might have); and an outline for ideas for alternative building materials and methods for sub-tropical Sanetal (she needed to know what pests and dangerous animals/plants there might be and how best to avoid them.). When she was finished she ran spell-check, which was annoyingly useless on the planet's names and the names of various non-Earth native flora and fauna, not to mention people's names, then e-mailed the entire thing to Eric's office.

Other than printing the outlines for Zialan and Sanetal out for herself and getting the assistants to start digging for more information on those planets, she promptly forgot all about the report.

o-O-o

"Would you look at this! They find a pilot with the natural gene and they stick her in an office? What kind of sense does that make?"

Rai recognized the strident voice and turned to the door. "Dr. McKay, it's nice to see you again." She gave the man a smile even as she spotted Eric coming up behind him in the outer office.

"What are you doing in there anyway? And what the heck is SSD-C/O2?"

Eric grinned at Rai's obvious bewilderment, as did the man who appeared behind him.

"Ah, Dr. McKay," Eric said. "How can I help you?"

"I need Ms. Taylor and someone who's had the gene therapy for about three hours to test some things on the new ship. Unless you've found another new natural gene carrier that can fly."

"Ah...no. For the moment Rai is the only new Jumper pilot we have with the natural ATA gene. I think that can be arranged, if you'll give us a little time?"

McKay huffed and turned to leave, saying something about getting some food. The other man stepped forward with Eric. Now Rai recognized him as Dr. Jackson.

"Rai," Eric spoke, getting her attention again. "If we could speak to you for a moment?"

The assistants caught on to the implied alone faster than she did and exited the office quickly, closing the door with only Rai, Eric, and Dr. Jackson inside.

"Um, what exactly is SSD-C/O2?" she asked just a bit nervously. "And does it have to do with me?"

Dr. Jackson laughed, but it was a friendly sound. "SSD is the Supplemental Skills Department, newly created as of yesterday. The C/O2 is your rank, sort of, the civilian equivalent of an Air Force Captain."

"Major still outranks you," Eric put in with a grin, "so don't get any ideas."

Rai dropped into her chair, then belatedly invited them to be comfortable. Dr. Jackson immediately went to the coffeepot and poured a cup before sitting next to Eric, turning his chair to face Rai.

"I told you no one told her yet," Dr. Jackson said to Eric over the rim of his cup. "Has she even left this office except to sleep?"

"You're a fine one to talk about that, Daniel," a new voice said from the doorway. Rai jumped, but Dr. Jackson just grinned as General O'Neill closed the door behind him.

"What are you doing here, Jack?"

"I'm hiding from McKay. Is it safe in here?"

"He's already been here asking to borrow Rai for a few hours," Eric answered. "I think he went to the commissary, so you should be safe for a bit."

Jack O'Neill poured himself some coffee, poked through the fridge for cream then made himself comfortable in a chair, sliding the computer at that station back a little so he could put his cup down. "So. What did I miss?"

"We were just explaining to Ms. Taylor that the SGC has created a new department to teach supplementary skills to off-world peoples," Daniel began. "That's as far as we got."

O'Neill made a gesture for Daniel to continue.

"We now have a long list of planets with existing populations, mostly human or of human descent, and a good number of them are requesting teachers for various skills. We needed a department that can act as a clearing house for what has been requested for each planet, and someone with a good plan and organizational skills to run it. The report of yours that Eric presented at the meeting yesterday showed that you had very sound and practical ideas for keeping the teaching materials simple enough that they can be used for people of multiple planets without having to translate a lot of written materials – and/or teach the populations to read and write first. You also seem to understand the importance of using what they already have and building on that instead of asking them to start from scratch using all Earth flora, fauna, materials, and skills. The anthropology, diplomatic, biology, and botany departments all agree these are important points. So – of the people we have right now, you're the person best suited for the job."

Rai opened her mouth, but nothing came out on the first try. She swallowed hard then managed, "The job. To run a department to teach skills off-world?"

Jack waved a hand. "Daniel went from just translating some weird Egyptian dialect on a cover-stone to being a member of SG-1 and running TWO departments. Sheppard went from going along on a risky expedition as a light switch to being the military commander of a small force fighting a war where humans were food for space vampires in a different galaxy, all in less than 48 hours. You can handle this. I'm a great judge of people." And he got up and sauntered out of the office with his coffee cup, leaving complete silence behind.

"He really is a good judge of people," Daniel told her reassuringly, breaking the silence.

"We think you're the best choice for this job. You've already made a great start," Eric added.

"Oh, sure," Rai said, almost to herself. "It's just temporary, right? Until someone better qualified is found and hired?" Then she said, "Wait! Did he say space vampires?"

Both men started laughing, then Daniel Jackson leaned forward and began telling her the strange and fantastic story of Atlantis and it's unlikely heroes. It was cut short far too soon when Dr. McKay showed up again to drag Rai out to help test the new version of the interface he'd been working on. Sheppard wasn't there this trip but Jeff Andrews was collected on the way out to the craft's building. His gene therapy had been successful. He hadn't yet been introduced to the actual Jumpers yet, but he told Rai he'd tried the simulator and shared her enthusiasm, and was really looking forward to hos own flight training.

McKay's three-hour estimate stretched out into five and a half; they missed lunch entirely and Rai was starving by the time McKay was satisfied he had enough data stored in his computer to start the next round of refinements. The craft would still respond to Rai just as it had before. But now it would respond to some commands from Jeff – as long as Rai was either away from the craft or mentally blocking as hard as she could. Jeff could open and close the hatches, raise the shield or cloak and a few other basic commands, but the interface rejected the 'artificial' gene for flying, using the HUD, or opening the weapons pods. It sort of made sense as McKay explained it. It was letting Jeff use the systems for life support and defense, but not to fly or attack. Progress, and as far as Rai was concerned it was moving along very quickly.

More of the interior had been framed – the finish work was going slowly as the wiring might yet need to be changed. But some inner components were finished and sitting outside the frame- bunks and storage drawers in modular form to be moved into place when the craft was ready. A compact kitchenette. A storage module with empty storage containers stacked in it as if checking for size and fit. What looked like a tiny one-piece toilet/shower combo. Rai tried to imagine how it was all going to fit together but couldn't quite picture it, and really hoped she'd get to see it when it was finished.

She headed back to her office to lock up before she went to eat, and found O'Malley there with General O'Neill.

"Here she is, sir," O'Malley said as she walked into the main area.

"McKay needs a watch," O'Neill complained. Then he asked, "How did the testing go?"

"The system still works fine for me. Now McKay has the life-support and defensive systems where Jeff Andrews, who's had the therapy, could work them. It still won't let him fly or use the weapons but Dr. McKay has come a long way in..." she stopped. "How long have I been here?"

O'Neill laughed. "Yeah, I think you need a break. McKay's a genius - but do NOT tell him I said that. He and his people will get the kinks out. Sheppard is very confident and he should know. Now!" He clapped his hands then rubbed them together. "Have you eaten? No? Okay... You need to take a day off. Don't even try to come in tomorrow, there needs to be some remodeling and rearranging done in here. Now, some friends and I are going off-base to eat this evening and we'd like you to join us. We all ought to change into civilian clothes, though, if you don't mind. I'll buy you a steak to celebrate your promotion."

Promotion? "I'd enjoy that, thank you. If you could give me about fifteen minutes to change-"

O'Neill stopped her with a wave of his hand. "We need to change, too, so there's not a big rush. We'll just meet between the elevators on level 11, will that work for you? In roughly a half-hour?"

Rai nodded and started to gather up her computer, files, and legal pad. O'Neill stopped her again.

"No work tomorrow for you, leave that crap here. It'll still be here when you get back to it."

Smiling, Rai did as she was told, and parted company with the General at the outer door.

She hurried to her room and pulled her suitcase out to find something nice to wear, and chose slacks and a nice top. Then she took a quick shower and dressed, then brushed her hair. It occurred to her that she had no idea what the weather would be like and had no way to check, so she dug in the bag under the bed for a jacket to take along. Long habit had her tidying her side of the room before she left. Only twenty minutes after she'd reached her room she headed out again with her purse over her shoulder.

No one was at the elevators on level 11 yet except the checkpoint guards, so she greeted them and moved down the corridor a few steps to wait. Several groups and individuals went by on their way out and a couple of individuals came in during her short wait, and she wondered if the place was like Grand Central during busy times of day. But it wasn't long before she spotted O'Neill stepping out of the lower elevator with Dr. Jackson, a tall blonde woman, and a very big black man.

O'Neill snagged her on the way and made introductions in the elevator. The blonde woman was Colonel Samantha Carter, the General's wife. The big stern-looking black man was Teal'c. She remembered his name – he was a Jaffa and the first alien ally of the SGC. O'Neill told her Teal'c did not use a title but now served as the ambassador between Earth (the Taur'i) and the Free Jaffa Nation.

Rai smiled, returned his formal-seeming head nod, and told him she was looking forward to meeting and working with his people.

At the top of the mountain complex a driver awaited them with a van. Nondescript on the outside, the inside was comfortable in the rear compartment, set up for easy conversation with two bench seats facing each other. Rai scrambled in first as she was the smallest, and took the window seat on the backwards-facing seat. General O'Neill and Colonel Carter followed and sat next to her. The other seat was left for Dr. Jackson and Teal'c.

They went to a large and popular pub called O'Malley's – and O'Neill answered her unasked question that yes, her Marine assistant was somehow related. Then Jackson made a comment about them maybe not allowing Jack in, and it started a friendly argument between the men, something about a fight that had Carter rolling her eyes and Teal'c raising an amused eyebrow. Rai hoped she'd get to hear the whole story but steak was mentioned and the talk turned to food instead.

Everyone was hungry, and evidently the others came here often enough that they knew the menu and exactly what they wanted. Dr. Jackson asked Rai what she liked as they made their way inside, and kindly suggested a few specialties he thought she'd like. The waitress took their orders as soon as they were seated, drink and food at the same time, and Rai ordered one of Dr. Jackson's suggestions. The drinks arrived right away and their food only a short time later. The steaks were extremely good and Rai ate until she was stuffed.

Teal'c surprised her a bit when he began to ask questions about her teaching plans. She decided not to waste the opportunity of a sounding board and outlined her ideas. When she was done she asked if he had any suggestions, or if there were any of her ideas that would not be taken well. He thought about it for a few minutes, then suggested that she use sketches instead of photographs of people working in the various phases of the garden, and that she include both males and females. It had long been dictated to his people that men were warriors and did nothing but fight and train to fight while their women did everything else. It was an attitude he was trying hard to change, and simple images might help where directives and urging from their emerging governments had not.

After a little thinking of her own she asked if showing it as a family activity with children helping might be better, and he agreed. Jaffa families had embraced being able to stay together instead of the men being forced to go to war. A family activity might be even more readily adopted.

During the course of the meal and the friendly conversation she was invited to use their first names. Daniel had grinned and said if she was going to be a department head – even temporarily – she was going to see a lot of them so she might as well.

A few minutes later it struck Rai just exactly who her illustrious companions were. She'd been invited to dinner by none other than the original SG-1. The first team formed, and the only original team still intact, albeit they'd added a couple new members, later on. Her silent freak-out probably didn't last very long as none of them seemed to notice; she was proud of herself for that at least.

When they left the pub Rai was slightly disappointed to see that the stores nearby were already closed. Sam noticed her looking around and asked what was wrong.

"I hoped I could pick up a few things while we were out. I didn't realize it was getting late." She smiled. "I guess time really does fly when you're having fun."

"Well, with tomorrow off maybe you can go shopping. Jack did tell you that you can request a car from the carpool, didn't he? Or ask for a driver since you're not familiar with the area?"

No, Jack hadn't mentioned that. In fact she'd noticed General O'Neill and a lot of other people seemed to be treating her like she'd been there for a year instead of what, two weeks? It was nice to be so accepted, but at the same time it was a little frustrating.

Sam sighed and tossed a rueful look at her husband who was again happily arguing with Daniel. "I'll tell you what...meet me topside – top of the elevators – tomorrow morning at 0900 and I'll take you shopping. I'd like to pick up a few things myself before we take off on our tour. It would be nice to have some female company."

Rai agreed gratefully. A half-hour later she was heading back down into the mountain along with Teal'c who was returning to Dakara. He walked along with her as they were each cleared through the checkpoints. He was mostly silent but it was still nice to have someone to walk with.

She found a buzzed KC in the room getting ready for bed, changing out of a uniform like Rai's. A tablet computer laid on her bed with a screen-saver bouncing around. KC pulled on sweatpants and a t-shirt, then perched on the edge of her bed facing Rai's.

"Oh my God, Rai! Can you even believe all this?" she grinned excitedly. "When I got my degree I figured I'd end up studying invasive weeds outside Pasadena or something. Now I find out there are dozens of other planets, with hundreds of thousands of plants to study! Can you even imagine going to another planet?"

Rai grinned and dropped her purse back into the drawer before sitting on her own bed. KC apparently had finished the hiring procedure today and was wound up with what she'd learned. "I arrived at just the right time and got to go to the planet they call the Beta site. I'm not sure I would have believed it was really a different planet except that it had a ring, clearly visible in the sky even during the day."

"You did? You went through the Stargate?"

She nodded. "It's really strange, but it doesn't hurt or anything. One of the men I went through with described it as a fast, cold, roller-coaster ride and I think that's probably better than any description I could come up with. It happens very quickly, between one step and another, just whoosh and you're somewhere else." Smiling at the memory that already seemed long ago, she added, "I was warned ahead of time that a lot of people get sick their first trip through, like motion-sick. It's a little disorienting – I almost tripped stepping out the first time through. It helps if you can hold on to someone to keep your balance, and take motion-sickness medicine first. I had one of those little round patches that goes behind your ear like they use on cruise ships, but that was probably more than necessary. Do you know where or what you'll be doing yet?"

"Right now I'm helping go through a bunch of disorganized reports from science teams. We're looking for information about native foods."

Rai wondered if it was for her project but didn't ask. KC might not even know.

They talked a little more as Rai changed for bed, but when she came back from the bathrooms KC had conked out with the lights still on. Rai smiled, jotted down a couple more things she'd wanted to shop for, then turned out the lights and went to sleep.

She woke when KC's alarm went off again at six the next morning, but she stayed in bed and managed to doze a little longer. She was hungry, though, so she gave in and got up before seven-thirty. A quick shower, clean clothes – and she was going to have to find out about laundry today, too – and she went to breakfast. By eight-fifty she was standing at the entrance looking out at the brightly blue sky. It was a little cool but the sun was warm and her shirtsleeves were enough to be comfortable.

Sam pulled up to the outside entrance where Rai was waiting just before nine, and grinned. "Were you going stir-crazy?" she asked as Rai got into her car.

"Maybe a little," Rai grinned back. "I've been staying too busy to think about anything else much. But this morning I realized I hadn't seen the sun since I got here, except at the Beta site."

"I wish I could tell you that things will slow down soon but I'm afraid I'd be lying. Life at the SGC is almost always hectic. You just have to learn your own limits and take time off when you need it so you don't go nuts or burn out. Our team, SG-1, was lucky; we had Jack and he refused to let us spend too much time in our labs before he'd drag us out for dinner or movie night or something. Balance is very important, especially if you're in for the long haul."

Sam drove them down the mountain to a mall in Colorado Springs, asking on the way what Rai wanted to get. Rai pulled out and read off her list; shower shoes, a shower caddy of some sort, insoles for her boots, an alarm watch, a few toiletries, and laundry supplies. Sam told her she could get flip-flop style shower shoes from supply, and use the base laundry rooms including generic detergent for free – although if she wanted fabric softener or her own detergent she'd need to get them. She also mentioned it was a good idea to use unscented products if you were going off-world – even laundry products – as you never knew what might attract foreign insects or animals. Just before the got out of the car Sam gently reminded Rai to watch what she said, and be careful not to say 'off-world' in public; she explained that she used 'traveling', 'off-grid' or 'roughing it' instead. Rai nodded, glad for the reminder and the suggestions. Then they set off to shop.

Having lived in the area and shopped the mall for years, Sam knew exactly where to go to shop for certain things. A luggage shop had nice travel-ready shower caddies that were just what Rai wanted – lightweight plastic mesh baskets that wouldn't rust or mildew, and they came with a waterproof case that had a 'pillow' of moisture-absorbing beads attached with velcro inside. The beads would absorb moisture if the caddy was packed wet; the case easily wiped clean and the pillow dried in a dryer, a microwave, or in the sun. Sam said she had a blue one, so Rai chose a dusty rose.

A sporting-goods store carried four kinds of specialty insoles for hiking on rock, and for extreme hot, wet, or cold conditions. Sam highly recommended all four as they were easy to swap out as needed. She also showed Rai an unscented bar soap that was designed for both body and hair, and said she'd used it while actively serving – but she'd had short hair then. Rai bought a bar to try. Sam showed her a few more items to make packing and living easier while traveling 'off-grid', several of which Rai added to her total. Then they were off to another store to look for a watch.

The watch Rai bought put a dent in her credit card but it was a fantastic watch. It had a large easy-to-read face, a comfortable but sturdy band that the salesclerk adjusted to fit her, and the crystal was shatter proof, scratch resistant, and non-glare. It was self-winding with a common battery as back-up, and promised to be waterproof to a depth of 300 meters for over an hour. Rai confided to Sam that she didn't want to test that last claim, personally, as she wasn't that great a swimmer; Sam laughed but agreed.

With Rai's mall shopping completed, Sam sighed and admitted she needed underwear. She confessed that she hated shopping in places like Victoria's secret, but she was also very tired of plain or service-issue underclothes. Rai grinned and led her to a familiar department store, where she introduced Sam to the joys of microfiber underwear that was practical and comfortable as well as pretty. It was fun to see Sam get excited over the soft, brightly-colored garments, and Rai ended up using her uniform gift card plus a little more to get a few things for herself while Sam picked out a mound of bras and panties in several styles and a rainbow of colors.

Sam tucked her wallet away as they were leaving and then impulsively gave Rai a hug. The older blonde woman immediately blushed, a little embarrassed apologizing for being so familiar. Rai just laughed. Sam was surprisingly fun and she'd really enjoyed their shopping.

It was still early, so they had a quick lunch then Sam headed to a beauty salon for pedicures. Rai had never had a pedicure before.

"They were my secret vice for years while I was active-duty," Sam admitted. "It's not like my toes were visible or got inspected when I was in uniform, so it was the one really girly thing I could treat myself to on a regular basis."

Rai nearly went to sleep in the massage chair as her feet were pampered, and she decided it could definitely become an addiction.

They succumbed to a few impulse purchases on the way out of the salon. Rai got a tube of leave-in conditioner for her hair, a tube of light face and body lotion with sunscreen, and a 'forever' glass nail file. Sam got hair gel that smelled like luscious fruit, moisturizer, and at least a dozen colorless flavored lip balms – a handful of which she promptly gave to Rai by dropping them into her bag.

Even after stopping at another store for toiletries and a few other miscellaneous things, it was still fairly early in the afternoon when Sam dropped Rai back at the base with her bags. She had plenty of time to visit Supply for shower shoes and take care of her laundry.

The next morning Rai enjoyed her shower with her feet protected from the cold tile and her toiletries handy in the shower caddy on a hook. She made it to the commissary for breakfast early and filled her tray with fruit, yogurt, and bacon, which made the cooks grin with amusement.

When she arrived at the office area on level 24, though, she was in for a surprise. The main door from the corridor now had a sign that said "Supplementary Skills Department" over it. Inside there were even more changes.

The big open room now held an oval conference table and chairs near the far end; the area just to the right of the main door was set up with a reception desk, chair, and phone. On the opposite side of the door the wall was lined with large framed photographs that she suspected were probably classified – Earth from space, a huge pyramid-shaped thing that might be a space ship, a metallic snowflake that on second look had buildings on it, and several more of other ships, one of which was in orbit above a planet with many small strangely-shaped continents.

At the back wall there was now a coffee station complete with a sink, a multiple-pot coffeemaker, a much larger fridge, and a microwave. There were cabinets and drawers for storage and open shelves partially filled with coffee cups.

There seemed to be more people, too. She saw O'Malley and he met her eyes with a huge grin. Then he opened his mouth and announced loudly, "Boss on deck!"

More people came out of what had been empty offices and stood in loose formation in front of Rai and O'Malley. Although baffled she had to hide a smile – it was pretty apparent that if these people weren't military, that they'd worked around military long enough to pick up some of the habits.

"What's going on, Corporal?" she asked curiously.

"The General got your department some upgrades and additional staff," he said. "May I introduce your new people?"

She nodded, a little shocked. O'Malley went through the group making introductions, giving their specialties as he went. Her medical assistant now had an assistant to help determine dietary needs and possible local toxins. There was an anthropologist to collect information on the planets' resources and how they had lived up to this point, and would also help figure out the best ways to approach teaching. One regular botanist and a xeno-botanist, their equivalents in biology, and two xeno-geologists to figure out the different climates and soil types.

O'Malley claimed in an aside to her that he was still her head minion, but now there were two more.

Rai's prior office had been cleared of other people and reconfigured to be more comfortable for her to work in. The big U-shaped desk was gone and she now had a proper desk with a worktable and files behind it. The assistants that had been crammed into her workspace and the new people had spread out into some of the encircling offices. O'Malley gave her a quick tour of the open area, pointing out the projector suspended from the ceiling above the conference table, and the pull down screen above the photographs on the front wall.

At some point in the middle of his tour it hit her: they were really putting her in charge of an entire department! Temporary or not, it was a big responsibility, and for a moment she felt like panicking. But then she looked around and realized she wasn't going to have to do it alone, she'd been given a lot of great help. All she had to do was organize...somehow.

As soon as she expressed proper appreciation for the workspace upgrade and all the extra help, she asked if they could all sit down and go through what they had so far and what they still needed.

O'Malley fetched her computer and one of the new minions - who was from tech services, evidently- set it up to use the wireless projector. Rai quickly went through the outline of her plan for Chulak's gardens up to where they had been two days ago. She saw from the familiar faces that they had more information for that now, but she asked for them to brief her later and went on to the next two planets, explained their needs and the ideas so far.

Before she dismissed them as a group to start going over things more in depth, she asked if any of them were artists. None of them were, so she kept O'Malley back and asked him to find out if any artists were available on base, with a brief explanation why one was needed.

The rest of her day was spent in meetings with various groups of the specialists. They'd already divided themselves into working groups and she had no interest in rearranging any of them; she announced what she needed to discuss and the appropriate people assembled in her office or at the table, depending on how many there were. She laid out a plan, and invited suggestions and for any weakness to be pointed out; it was quickly plain to the new personnel that Rai meant what she said and welcomed all viewpoints, giving immediate approval for better ideas. She made it clear she wanted the teaching materials to be as visual as possible with no reading needed. She'd decided power-point teaching sessions and picture books for reference would likely work best, and if the narrative parts of the sessions were on a separate soundtrack it would be fairly simple to change languages later.

In fact, the whole gardening/agriculture system should be modular so that the dietary needs, local climate, and soil types could be taken into account for the different settlements and planets for the garden programs.

Similarly, the sewing skills class would have modules for different climates and take into consideration what clothing and other items the people were used to as well as suggesting new items they might like. Modules about fabrics and other materials would reflect what they had available or could trade for.

The building section would have modules on materials available and different ways to use them, and different building styles for different climates and living traditions.

It was a huge undertaking, but once begun it could be built on and expanded. And it could be copied to teach many skills.

By the end of the workday she had a short list of new people she needed, chief among them artists and translators. Everyone had assignments to work on. But she needed more first-hand information about the existing conditions and current foods on the various planets ASAP. So she called Eric's extension and wasn't too surprised when he answered. She was still working, after all, and she knew he had a lot more to do than she did.

When she explained needing more information, he chuckled. "Well, Teal'c is ahead of you on Chulak and he wants you to include Dakara in your garden program, also. When he left here night before last he took an A/V technician with him fully loaded with gear for both video and still photography. They returned an hour ago with four other Jaffa; a man, a teenage boy, and two women. Teal'c wants to meet with you in the morning."

She wondered if Eric could hear her grin. "That's wonderful! Video and photographs are a great idea. Could we-"

Eric laughed. "I'm on it. We've got two teams gearing up right now to check out what's what on the other two planets on the tour for you, complete with video and stills and as much information as we can wring from the leaders and any other people willing to cooperate. Both teams are experienced science and military teams, and we're sending anthropologists along to help make it clear that the more we know about their people, conditions, and what they already have to work with, the better we can teach them to be independent. And that's what most of them want."

"Most?"

"Well, there's a small percentage on some planets that would rather have an overlord or something to tell them what to do and when to do it. They're not used to thinking for themselves, and it's not a comfortable transition for everyone."

"I can only imagine. I guess it would be a huge step."

"Yes. The best we can do is help them keep learning, and try not to let them stumble too much. Now, was there anything else?"

"I need at least one artist sooner rather than later. I can wait on the translations until we have the lessons ironed out, but then ideally we'll need someone who'll be comfortable recording the lesson soundtracks."

"We'll make sure you get who you need. Don't work too much longer tonight, the last thing we want is for you to burn out! I'll see you tomorrow; I'm going to come down with Teal'c and his people."

"See you then."

Her mind was running in high gear, though, after talking through everything with her new people. She ended up taking her computer and notebook back to her room and sitting cross-legged on her bed for several hours, writing quickly to flesh out ideas as they came to her and creating more detailed outlines for both the building and the sewing modules. She typed out a list of new assignments for the various groups of researchers then realized she didn't have everyone's e-mail addresses yet. She wrote herself another note to get them into her computer. Maybe O'Malley's tech-minion could do that for her... And she really needed to learn everyone's names. Probably it would be bad to keep referring to them as minions...

It wasn't until morning that she realized she'd forgotten to eat dinner.

o-O-o

to be continued...