callmemajor | (no subject)

"Of course," Jack says and puts his hands in his pockets. He's used to that sort of restriction.

Lorne leads him down the hallway to a transporter, waving his hand in front of it and stepping inside when the door opens. "I figured we'd stop by the mess and pick something up for lunch before we go."

"Okay," Jack says and tries not to look awestruck and wide-eyed at everything, even though it's beautiful and amazing and he's on another world.

Lorne closes the door behind them. "You're allowed to gape, you know. You're supposed to be new here after all."

He touches the map of the city just outside the mess and watches Jack's face when the door opens onto a completely different hallway than the one they just left.

"Wha--how did that--we moved!"

"Yep," Lorne says with a grin, shoving his hands into his pockets and looking very much like a schoolboy showing off his new toy.

"It's the alien stuff, right?"

"Yep," he says again, cocking his head down the hallway. "Come on." He'll probably be grinning like that for a while.

Jack follows him, resisting the urge to grab his hand and squeeze it.

Lorne takes him into the cafeteria, stopping at a table with prepackaged sandwiches, fruit, water, juice and cookies. "Any preferences?"

"Ham and swiss?" Jack says, grinning at how ordinary it is in the midst of all this wonder.

Lorne digs through the sandwiches until he finds one and picks up a turkey for himself, grabbing a couple bananas and apples as well and tucking them away in various pockets in his BDUs. He grabs a couple water bottles and leads Jack back out into the hallway.

"Ready for another transport ride?"

Jack nods eagerly and trails after him.

Lorne grins at him as he steps into the transporter and points to the map on the wall. "This is where we are now," he says as the door slides shut behind them. "And here's where we're headed." He points to a spot near the center of the map before touching the screen.

A half-second later, the door opens again.

Jack takes a deep breath, still too full of wonder to say much. It's all so . . . different.

Lorne is quite enjoying the look on Jack's face. Enough that he's willing to risk the possibility of running into Elizabeth by swinging by the gateroom on the way to the jumper bay.

He points discretely at the stargate, inactive at the moment, and whispers, "That's the gate. It's how we travel."

"It's beautiful," Jack whispers.

"Isn't it though," Lorne says with a fond smile. It's hard not to reach for Jack's hand, but he smiles at him and says, "Come on. We're almost there," before leading him up the stairs to the bay.

Jack manages not to gawp too much as he follows. So many people--and the ocean--and the sleek walls of the city--

The security sergeant in the jumper bay gives Lorne a strange look when they enter, and Lorne smiles at him and says, "Jumper Four's been listing a little to right. Zelenka thinks he's got it fixed, and he wanted me to take her up just to make sure." He nods towards Jack. "And Dr. Harkness here's never been up, so I said I'd take him out for a spin."

The Marine nods and Lorne puts a hand on Jack's shoulder to lead him over to the jumper.

It's fortunate that Jack has a natural air of authority and military bearing, isn't it? He merely nods to the Marine and follows Lorne, looking easily like he has every right to be there.

When they get to the jumper, Lorne grins at him. He knew Jack would have no trouble looking like he belonged.

"Here she is," he says, running a careful hand over the hull of Jumper Four. "Not much like a plane, I guess, but this is what I fly."

Jack follows suit, touching the metal reverently. "What sort of engine does she have?"

Lorne shrugs. "No idea. She's not Earth-based. It's...nothing I've ever seen. No fuel source either. She just...flies." He smiles over at Jack. "Smoothest ride I've ever had, though."

"Oh, let's take her out," Jack says eagerly. "I need to see how she works."