Events on the Horizon: A Stargate Sequel

Chapter 22

Eleanor

We were gathered in the large conference room with five members of the IOA that Richard Woolsey had brought to discuss Stargate Command matters with. Apparently the Russians, once again, were finding it hard to believe that the American side of the pact was delegating impartially when going off world. Daniel was acting as translator between them all as General Hammond and Jack sat silently waiting for their turn to speak. I was shocked that I had been asked to join in on the meeting, mostly to take what notes I could for Daniel as he translated but also to give them a quick presentation of the database I had finished and would be up for their use in a matter of days. I had already explained that not only would it be a small field guide pre jump for cultural differences in earth customs to other planets, but an easy search engine for referencing points in past mission reports. They didn't seem as excited about it as I was, but it went over well enough.

Now, I was sitting watching lost but mesmerized while Daniel managed to effortlessly switch from Spanish to Russian to English and Chinese like it was nothing. He would listen to one member, speak to another, and repeat in English for everyone else to understand and I just sat looking equally as lost as Jack who was half asleep leaning back in his chair. I noticed the Chinese representative flashing Daniel little alluring looks completely unaware his fiance was sitting across the table from him. Each time I'd place a small tally on the left side of the page keeping my face perfectly placid. The Russian representative would often say something insulting to Jack, and on the right side I had made another collection of marks. After another hour of arguing the meeting adjourned and I collected my belongings. Daniel flashed a cheeky smile in my direction before leading the IOA members to a group luncheon. Hammond turned out the door with Jack, both mumbling about how this was a waste of time for them. I escaped back to my office and saw Jonas scrolling on my computer where I had left him this morning. From what I could tell he was reading Wikipedia entries as he spun around to greet me, a look of pure childlike wonder beaming from him.

"Do you know about the Roman Empire?" He blurted out.

"What about it?" I asked, setting my travel laptop back onto my desk and slipping my bag under.

"It's wild, absolutely fascinating. I've spent the last," he looked at the clock on the computer, "four hours? Yeah I guess so. Four hours reading about it."

"You know who surprisingly knows a lot about the Roman Empire? Jack O'Neill. He has a few books on his shelf in his office about them. The only ones that don't have dust. I bet he'd let you borrow them." I looked over at the computer and made a face. "I wouldn't trust everything you read on Wikipedia." I motioned for him to get out of my computer chair and slipped my loafers off, kicking them under my desk as well and gliding into my chair curling my feet under me.

"What were the highlights for the meeting?" He leaned against my desk and I pat the corner inviting  him to take a seat. My office was too small to host any extra chairs with the additional bookshelves Daniel had brought in for me, no one came in for a meeting anyway. If I did have to meet with someone it was often a large setting or one on one in their respective office.

"Well, the Russian emissary said Jack was a pigheaded idiot, his words not mine, seven times. The Chinese emissary made eyes at Daniel nine times. Jack fell asleep twice, and nothing was resolved." I handed him the pad of notes and he flipped through with a confused look back.

"Made eyes?" I often forgot that he was not fully used to every earthly turn of phrase and it took a moment for me to figure out a polite way to word it.

"When someone gives flirtatious glances at you, in an obvious way usually. They want you to know with body language that they want you. Making eyes is the polite way to say it." I tapped my pen on the desk and glanced over at my computer once more. "I guess you could look it up on Wikipedia the next meeting I'm in."