callmemajor | (no subject)

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."

"Well, all right, then," Lorne says with a grin. He steps up the ramp and quickly stows their lunch in a bin off to the side before pressing the button to close the hatch.

Jack hesitates at the sight of the cockpit. There's an obvious pilot's seat . . . "Where should I sit? Back here, in the passenger seats?" He hopes they're passenger seats.

Lorne slides into the pilot's seat and gestures to the seat next to it. "You can sit up here," he says, and walks quickly through the pre-flight checks.

He may have forgotten Jack's not used to seeing something like the HUD just pop up in mid-air, so he doesn't warn him about it.

Jack sits back in the seat and says softly, "Huh."

Lorne smiles over at him. "Heads Up Display," he says. "Tells you everything you might need to know. Power levels, life-support, inertial dampeners..."

"Wow," Jack says. "When my father learned to fly he had the horizon and a throttle."

As he speaks, the HUD pulls up the artificial horizon, very helpfully telling them that they are level. Lorne laughs. "Come a little ways since then, I guess."

"Yeah, I'd say so," Jack says, watching with wide eyes.

"Ready to take off, then?"

"I'm ready," says Jack, taking a deep breath.

Lorne gives him a sideways smile and taps his radio. "Flight, this is Jumper Four requesting permission for takeoff."

A slightly tinny voice comes back through, Roger that, Jumper Four. You are good to go.

Lorne pushes a button and the ceiling of the bay retracts and Lorne eases the Jumper out of her berth and up towards the opening.

"A straight vertical," Jack says in wonder. "Holy God."