![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
icarusThe Walls of Jericho - 18 (from part 1 here)
by Icarus
Daniel paused on the bluff and tugged at the shoulder strap of his backpack. It seemed to grow heavier with every mile, and his throat was raw from the cold and the slightly acrid air. Below his feet stretched a barren landscape carved of curves and edges of blue and black: fresh smoking mountains a little flatter than they should be (that would be the difference in gravity) sprouted amongst worn hills of ancient stone.
Occasionally a black plate slit with cracks of orange glinted like a pools in the darkness below, winking at them teasingly. But no, the caverns were always a little farther.
Their guides were uncommunicative, and tireless.
This planet was old. It looked old, and it felt old.
The stars were the only relief. They winked in a vast deep blue sky, distant, cool and pristine. Daniel gazed at the brilliant 'day stars' on his left, and wondered what their individual names were, and whether these people made legends and myths out of the constellations just as humans had. They would do well to make a religion of the stars here, he thought, gazing at the bright hopeful points of light. But perhaps they had and that was the significance of the gate symbols to them.
Further down the trail, Jack turned and gestured for him to keep up.
Pebbles crunched underfoot as Daniel loped downhill and Jack matched his stride, P-90 at ready. The two of them took their little group's six, a comfortable team, falling slightly behind. They walked in tired companionable silence.
"It won't work," Jack said out of the clear blue sky, staring straight ahead as if at something very interesting.
"Whaee-?"
Daniel hated these inarticulate moments and blamed the cold.
"The retirement idea. It won't work." Which clarified surprisingly little.
As their footsteps crunched along, Jack finally continued in a low, tight voice. "Daniel. I'm a colonel. I have a pension at stake and a little cabin in Minnesota that's counting on it." He spat. "The highest ranking fag to ever… risk it," Jack couldn't even say the words, "was, if I recall, a rank below mine." He fixed Daniel with an accusing stare, one eye nearly scrunched shut. "I've already thought about it. Didn't you think I would?"
Daniel's watched the ground, the little stones kicking around their feet, and felt slightly ashamed. Of course Jack had considered all the options. That was his way.
"Colonel actually," Daniel said after a moment.
"Hmm?"
"The highest ranking, um, fag as you say. Was a colonel."
"Threw the book at him, didn't they?"
"Her actually. And yes, they did."
Jack was staring at that very interesting something again. "The Air Force might ignore a corporal or captain who turned queer after they got out, but someone at my level?" He made a face and shook his head. "Nah. I have way too many enemies to chance it. You're just gonna have to accept that I chose this. For good or bad. So, it's not as simple as it once was, with Sarah. So what."
Daniel walked alongside Jack in thoughtful silence, as the day stars shifted behind them and slightly to his right.
Part 19 is here. This link goes to the corrected version.
by Icarus
Daniel paused on the bluff and tugged at the shoulder strap of his backpack. It seemed to grow heavier with every mile, and his throat was raw from the cold and the slightly acrid air. Below his feet stretched a barren landscape carved of curves and edges of blue and black: fresh smoking mountains a little flatter than they should be (that would be the difference in gravity) sprouted amongst worn hills of ancient stone.
Occasionally a black plate slit with cracks of orange glinted like a pools in the darkness below, winking at them teasingly. But no, the caverns were always a little farther.
Their guides were uncommunicative, and tireless.
This planet was old. It looked old, and it felt old.
The stars were the only relief. They winked in a vast deep blue sky, distant, cool and pristine. Daniel gazed at the brilliant 'day stars' on his left, and wondered what their individual names were, and whether these people made legends and myths out of the constellations just as humans had. They would do well to make a religion of the stars here, he thought, gazing at the bright hopeful points of light. But perhaps they had and that was the significance of the gate symbols to them.
Further down the trail, Jack turned and gestured for him to keep up.
Pebbles crunched underfoot as Daniel loped downhill and Jack matched his stride, P-90 at ready. The two of them took their little group's six, a comfortable team, falling slightly behind. They walked in tired companionable silence.
"It won't work," Jack said out of the clear blue sky, staring straight ahead as if at something very interesting.
"Whaee-?"
Daniel hated these inarticulate moments and blamed the cold.
"The retirement idea. It won't work." Which clarified surprisingly little.
As their footsteps crunched along, Jack finally continued in a low, tight voice. "Daniel. I'm a colonel. I have a pension at stake and a little cabin in Minnesota that's counting on it." He spat. "The highest ranking fag to ever… risk it," Jack couldn't even say the words, "was, if I recall, a rank below mine." He fixed Daniel with an accusing stare, one eye nearly scrunched shut. "I've already thought about it. Didn't you think I would?"
Daniel's watched the ground, the little stones kicking around their feet, and felt slightly ashamed. Of course Jack had considered all the options. That was his way.
"Colonel actually," Daniel said after a moment.
"Hmm?"
"The highest ranking, um, fag as you say. Was a colonel."
"Threw the book at him, didn't they?"
"Her actually. And yes, they did."
Jack was staring at that very interesting something again. "The Air Force might ignore a corporal or captain who turned queer after they got out, but someone at my level?" He made a face and shook his head. "Nah. I have way too many enemies to chance it. You're just gonna have to accept that I chose this. For good or bad. So, it's not as simple as it once was, with Sarah. So what."
Daniel walked alongside Jack in thoughtful silence, as the day stars shifted behind them and slightly to his right.
Part 19 is here. This link goes to the corrected version.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2005-01-03 09:13 am (UTC)Icarus