Singing in the Shower

Posted on Fri Feb 22nd, 2019 @ 2:53am by Civillian Shae & Civillian Dr. Jessica Andrews

Mission: A Brand New Day
Location: Dr. Andrew's Quarters
Timeline: Between 'The Fox Girl' and 'Yet another Effing Briefing'

Jessica lead Shae into her quarters, She had already decorated her quarters with some curiosities she picked up during her travels, but for the most part, it was quite bare. "One hour to shower, eat, and do whatever before another idiotic briefing. No wonder I chose Archaeology over the Military. You spend all your time getting briefed and debriefed."

"It takes longer than that for me to boil water to bathe with so I don't freeze to death, and I thought 'brief' meant a short measure of time," Shae murmured as she glanced around the small room. It wasn't that much bigger than the one room cabin she had built for herself, so at least in that way it felt familiar. "The Tau'ri use many strange words and word combinations I have not yet learned, it is very confusing," she admitted, pulling down her hood and loosening her cloak. "Why did you bring me here? Not this room specifically, but to Earth? You lured me in with the safety of the Iris, and now I am here, but for what purpose?"

"I didn't lure you here, you decided to come because you were intrigued." Jess noted. "I will find a safe place for you if you want. But give the Tau'ri a chance before you decide to live in permanent solitude. Survival is not living."

"I appreciate that you want to help me, but I hope this place is not what you mean by 'safe'; I could not live in a place where there is no sky," Shae said sadly, then sighed as she sat down on the bed to remove her boots. "So how are we to clean up? I do not see any means of containing or heating water in here. Oh, perhaps the Tau'ri make use of communal bathhouses like I've seen on some worlds?"

"There is a sky yes. We're deep inside a mountain Shae. Specifically Cheynne Mountain Installation in the beautiful Colorado woodlands here on Earth. I'll talk to the Colonel about taking you with me when I go see my family." She smiled. "As for your shower, in here." She showed her the bathroom and turned on the shower, the steam from the shower filled the bathroom and she expained the nobs. "Hot Water, Cold Water. Towels are over here. The shampoo's you're so curious about over here. And the soaps. I'll get us some food as well. Do you like Italian? Then after we're done, we can go surface side and see Earth." Jess noted.

"What is 'Italian'?" Shae asked. She was amazed by the running water, instantly hot or cold by the turn of the knobs, and the hot water clear and didn't smell of sulfur like the hot springs she frequented. "This is amazing! And the water will just keep flowing as much as we want?" Shae was suddenly quick to shed the rest of her clothes, now in a hurry to try this shower thing! "I must admit, you may have just won me over with this contraption," Shae confessed as woolen clothing and furs fell to the floor.

"There's more to Earth than just running water. There's cities untouched by the system lords for thousands of years. All kinds of food. Art, theater, sports, universities. This planet dose have its problems though, but It's worth me spending five years sacrificing myself against the Goa'uld. And I'd do it all over again in an instant. I'd die to keep them away from this world."

"I believe you would..." Shae said, casting a knowing glance back to her friend. Then, unashamed of being bare before another person, she removed the last of her clothing and stepped into the shower. The intense sigh of decadent enjoyment that escaped her spoke volumes. "You said the people who spoke my language come from here, a place called Japan? Is it very far, can we see this place?" Shae asked as she let the water run over her.

"It's on the other side of the planet. Easily a nine hour flight from here." Jess noted. "I'll talk to the colonel about the possibility of going there."

"Thank you," Shae said softly, then began cleaning in earnest.

After a bit of an incident involving some rather colorful language when some soap got in her eyes, Shae made it through the shower relatively unscathed. Now clean, she retreated to Jess' bedroom to sit on the bed so that Jess could dry her hair with a noisy machine that blew hot air, while Shae sat draped in a towel and enjoying some chips of chocolate that Jess was sharing with her.

"I should have visited Earth long ago..." Shae said with a blissful sigh as she popped another piece of chocolate in her mouth and let the wonderful confection melt on her tongue.

Jessica smiled as she worked on Shae's hair. "I never thought I'd end up on Earth again. I finally get to see the lugs known as my family." She chuckled.

"I'm happy that you were able to return," Shae said softly. "And the Tok'ra just let you? Doesn't Salara have responsibilities to them?"

"Salara and I are kinda... well... we're kinda doers. While the council just sits around and talks, we actually go out and help the galaxy against the system lords. Which is why I traded for your information a lot. The thing is; if we do nothing, we might as well hand the galaxy over to these megalomaniacs. No Shae." She opened a tattered wallet and showed Shae a roughed up picture of her family. "I can't hide with the rest of the Tok'Ra, when Earth could be attacked and my family would be enslaved like many others. Worse, they could do what to them what they tried to do to me." Jessica mentioned.

Of course Jessica would want to keep her family safe, who wouldn't sympathize with a goal like that. "They look so happy," Shae remarked, touching the picture ever so gently and with great respect for what her friend longed to protect. "Do you think there will ever be a day when we are free of the Goa'uld?"

"Shae, a wise man here on earth once said. 'All that is required for the triumph of evil, is for good men to do nothing.' I could turn my back on the galaxy, go back to my academic studies, study ancient ruins. But with the agonizing knowledge that one day they may decide to decimate Earth. Sometimes you simply cannot go back to the way things were." Jessica noted and checked the clock. "Dammit!! look at the time!!! We need to get to briefing.

"Oh my!" Shae exclaimed, then greedily shoved the last piece of chocolate in her mouth, She grabbed the clothes being loaned to her while she was on base and tried to figure out how to put them on. "I want to help you, Jessica, I really do, I'm just scared... Helping others always ends badly for me, I'm just tired of getting hurt or being used," she said, flummoxed by the green jumpsuit in her hands.

"Another wise leader once said 'the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.'" Jessica noted as she got dressed. "For now, lets focus on the here and now."

"Your words are easier spoken than acted upon, but I will try," Shae replied, finally zipping up her jumpsuit. "Let's get through this meeting with the Tau'ri leader and we'll see how things work out."