bantha_fodder (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
bantha_fodder) wrote2007-02-18 08:06 pm
bantha_fodder) wrote2007-02-18 08:06 pm
Entry tags:
[fic] show me the way (to go home) [s:aab] [paul wang]
Show Me The Way (to go home), by Pen
Space: Above and Beyond, Paul Wang, PG
Chinese New Year #2
***
The lights flick on, and Paul blinks in the brightness. "Rise and shine, Marines," Shane says, and Paul rolls over.
Vanessa laughs; leans across and yanks the sheets from his bunk. "Get going, Paul. Be a marine."
He gives them the finger and, under the spray of water, imagines the punishments he'll met out to his squadron.
It's what a marine would do.
**
They land on some ugly-ass, Chig-infested moon a little before lunch, and they crawl through the mud for three miles. In the lead, Nathan raises a hand, and they all freeze. Across the valley, through the thick, still air, Paul hears a familiar beeping; braces himself for the nausea that threatens to overwhelm him.
Fuck, but he hates AIs.
**
He takes third watch: watches the sky for incoming; watches the ground for incoming. He watches the first sun rise, and the second, and he watches as Cooper pretends to sleep.
Paul hums beneath his breath.
**
They crawl another mile, and watch the Chig base from behind low brush. He rests his eyes for just a moment; jerks awake at the gunfire over head.
It sounds like fireworks.
**
In the distance, he watches half a dozen Alvins communicate, eyes darting back and forth and heads twitching. He hefts his gun, sights, and freezes at the hand on his arm. "Paul," Shane says, voice low.
"I can do it," Paul insists, but lowers his weapon anyway.
There's a reason she's the boss on these things, and he turns away.
**
Extraction twelve hours later is a relief, and Cooper grins at him, half grimace; Paul knows how he feels.
**
Disgusting and smelly, he gathers his gear, heads for the showers
"Paul," Vanessa calls. He looks at her; she smiles, rests her hand on his arm. "Happy New Year," she says, and he blinks.
"Oh," he says. "I forgot."
Vanessa shrugs and drops her hand from his arm. "Well, happy new year all the same. Do you do anything special?"
Paul shakes his head, pushes the embarrassment down. "Nah," he says. "Ours is no different." He darts out the door, eager to escape. His head under the water, he ignores the sounds around him and tries not to think; he's not very good about it, though, and hears Alvin's beeps, a counterpoint to the water. He shakes his head, gets out and hums to himself. After he's dry, he pulls his non-regulation red underwear on. He snaps the band, and heads for quarters.
At the door, Paul pauses, taps patterns with his nails on the frame.
"What the hell are you doing?" Shane demands as she pushes past him. He smiles, ducks his head.
"Nothing," he says to the empty hall; but as he steps into the room and the door slides shut behind him, he starts whistling.
He'll keep the spirits away.
Space: Above and Beyond, Paul Wang, PG
Chinese New Year #2
***
The lights flick on, and Paul blinks in the brightness. "Rise and shine, Marines," Shane says, and Paul rolls over.
Vanessa laughs; leans across and yanks the sheets from his bunk. "Get going, Paul. Be a marine."
He gives them the finger and, under the spray of water, imagines the punishments he'll met out to his squadron.
It's what a marine would do.
**
They land on some ugly-ass, Chig-infested moon a little before lunch, and they crawl through the mud for three miles. In the lead, Nathan raises a hand, and they all freeze. Across the valley, through the thick, still air, Paul hears a familiar beeping; braces himself for the nausea that threatens to overwhelm him.
Fuck, but he hates AIs.
**
He takes third watch: watches the sky for incoming; watches the ground for incoming. He watches the first sun rise, and the second, and he watches as Cooper pretends to sleep.
Paul hums beneath his breath.
**
They crawl another mile, and watch the Chig base from behind low brush. He rests his eyes for just a moment; jerks awake at the gunfire over head.
It sounds like fireworks.
**
In the distance, he watches half a dozen Alvins communicate, eyes darting back and forth and heads twitching. He hefts his gun, sights, and freezes at the hand on his arm. "Paul," Shane says, voice low.
"I can do it," Paul insists, but lowers his weapon anyway.
There's a reason she's the boss on these things, and he turns away.
**
Extraction twelve hours later is a relief, and Cooper grins at him, half grimace; Paul knows how he feels.
**
Disgusting and smelly, he gathers his gear, heads for the showers
"Paul," Vanessa calls. He looks at her; she smiles, rests her hand on his arm. "Happy New Year," she says, and he blinks.
"Oh," he says. "I forgot."
Vanessa shrugs and drops her hand from his arm. "Well, happy new year all the same. Do you do anything special?"
Paul shakes his head, pushes the embarrassment down. "Nah," he says. "Ours is no different." He darts out the door, eager to escape. His head under the water, he ignores the sounds around him and tries not to think; he's not very good about it, though, and hears Alvin's beeps, a counterpoint to the water. He shakes his head, gets out and hums to himself. After he's dry, he pulls his non-regulation red underwear on. He snaps the band, and heads for quarters.
At the door, Paul pauses, taps patterns with his nails on the frame.
"What the hell are you doing?" Shane demands as she pushes past him. He smiles, ducks his head.
"Nothing," he says to the empty hall; but as he steps into the room and the door slides shut behind him, he starts whistling.
He'll keep the spirits away.