There were a number of people there, but it was easy to see who was in charge. He was a tall man with brown hair, and a weathered face that looked like he'd been out of doors for a good part of his life. But it wasn't merely that which allowed her to determine who he was. The air of command was on him, and he had the look of experience that the vets who came to the academy had.
Seeing his name on his uniform didn't hurt either.
"Captain O'Neill?" she asked, slipping in after another officer left.
"That's me," O'Neill replied, turning to face her. "Can I help you?"
"Airman Samantha Carter, reporting in," she said, snapping off a precise salute, and handing over her orders.
"To me?"
"I was ordered to report to General MacGyver when I arrived, but when I got here, I was informed that he was not here, and that I could come to you."
"Lucky me...."
Carter couldn't stop a small frown from crossing her face. "Sir?"
"It's not you, so relax Carter. In fact, relax now. You're making me think that they've started inserting posts into the cadets now to keep them standing straight."
"Yes, sir."
"And as to the question that you didn't ask," O'Neill told her with a sigh. "I'm not usually the one who has to handle all the mess around here. That's the good general's job, since he's great with people. Me? I've got tons of work going on around here, Commander Global of the Maro Polo being stuck with the wrong schedule, and who knows how many workers running around here. And to top it all off, I've got to deal with the Soviets. I didn't like to deal with them before, and now I've got to work on all this... 'goodwill' stuff. So, I'm a bit busy, and now I've got to handle a new arrival."
"I didn't mean to cause you trouble, sir."
"Listen, if you could cause me trouble, I'd worry. However, you're supposed to be here to help, right?"
"Yes sir. I should be able to work well with the systems up here, since my training has helped me to understand the system connectivity, and the physics behind it. I'm certain that I'll be able to work on anything from the proportional controls for the reaction chambers, to the subprocessor integration of the main data storage banks. I do enjoy working with...."
"Carter, Carter, Carter!"
"Sir?"
"Do well at the academy, did you?"
"Top of my class, sir."
O'Neill gave her an arch look. "Well, I didn't. My skills were high in the 'military' part of being in the military. I don't know all those technical details, and I don't want to. All I need to know is how long something is going to be put together, when it'll be done, and what's needed for handling it. What I don't need is a list of stuff that I don't understand."
"Understood, sir."
"Great. Fine, even. We'll get along well enough, then. Only...."
"Yes sir?"
"There's a guy around here with a name like mine, except he's only got one 'l' in his name," the captain told her. "Really sour guy without a sense of humor. Remember that when you need to see one of us. And if you do see him, don't call him 'Plissken'. He hates that."
"Who is 'Plissken', sir?"
"Someone who that guy was mistaken for. Just don't call him that, okay?"
"Uhh.... sure."
"Well then, everything should be fine. Tomorrow, you talk to the head of your department. You go and enjoy yourself, okay?"
"But I came to work, sir," the young recruit responded, as she took her orders back.
"I know that, but it'll be best if you get used to being here first. Learn what the place is like first, so you don't get distracted, okay?"
"Yes, sir."
"Then, you're dismissed, Airman."
She nodded at him, and turned on one heel to head out of Ops, while:
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(Posted Sat, 10 Dec 2005 21:05)
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