InsaneJournal

Who: Helena Wells, Samantha Carter
What: Random Encounter
When: Mid-September, Saturday
Where: Coffee Shop?
Rating/Warnings: Low
Status: Complete!



What goes well with research? A decent cup of tea. Or she'd always thought so, now more than ever. First thing she'd found when she got here.

Most were here for the coffee. She strayed herself, on occasion. But when she needed to think, nothing else would do. While she waited for her tea, she studied one of the books she'd brought with her, one from her personal collection.

The Time Machine by H.G. Wells. She wondered if she really might have written it.

Sam’s preference ran more towards coffee, she’d practically lived on it while working on her PhD and now found that it had become a slight addiction. Not that it was the worst one she could have, she always justified it to herself that she could be addicted to something a lot worse than coffee.

Placing her order she moved to the side to wait where other customers were and her eye was caught by a book another woman was holding. “Good choice” she smiled, nodding towards the book, “I loved that when I read it”

H.G. answered automatically, before she'd even looked up to see who was talking, "Apparently, I wrote it."

She didn't seem especially fazed by that bit of information, realizing belatedly that she'd likely just given the impression she was quite mad. So a moment later, she added, "I can only imagine how that must have sounded." She extended her free hand with a friendly smile. "Helena Wells."

“Samantha Carter and actually it’s not the craziest thing I’ve heard around here” she assured the woman with a smile. “So Helena not Herbert wrote the book huh? That’s pretty cool”

Helena hadn't yet decided what she thought about having apparently written some of the most well-known literature of the time. The father of science fiction, even. It was really all a bit much.

"I supplied the ideas, the research. My brother, Charles, took the credit. The world was different then." The last she said in a way that suggested a part of her remembered what it had been like, but most of her could only guess. She'd studied history; she hadn't lived it. But a part of her had, and she was starting to remember.

“Incredible” Samantha said, “Isn’t it amazing how much opens up to us through the dreams?” she smiled, “History, science, literature. I know not everybody likes their dreams but I find my own rather fascinating”

Some of Helena's dreams had been wondrous. An entire world opened to her, and that hadn't been a dream. She remembered her introduction to the Warehouse as clearly as the day it had happened.

But she remembered the first days after her bronzing nearly as well. And the last. She remembered Christina. Not all of the memories were so sweet.

"And what do you dream about?"

“I dream about working for a secret government programme which travels to other words throughout the galaxy via wormhole technology left on earth by aliens” Samantha explained with a grin.

“Impressive. You must enjoy it,” the brunette answered with a smile of her own. “I seemed to have worked for the government as well, or something very like it. We collected artifacts with unique properties, stored them in a warehouse. It’s really quite remarkable.”

“I love it. And the bonus is I understand it since I teach astrophysics here” Sam smiled, “That sounds fascinating. I guess we both got pretty lucky with our dreams”

"If you could call it that." She wasn't certain lucky was how she would describe it, but it could certainly be worse. At least most of her dreams involved a bit of adventure. She couldn't help but be fascinated. It truly was incredible.

"Are you much like your other self, then?" It was curious how some seemed to have a great deal in common with their dream selves, while others seemed to think they shared very little.

“In some ways. Mostly the area of study” Sam replied, “In other ways we’re completely different. I never wanted to enter the military for one thing, I can’t imagine anything worse. Even now having experienced it in the dreams it’s not something I want to do”

Helena couldn’t blame her there. She doesn’t expect she would have made it in the military in either reality; she’d never had much use for firearms. As a rule, she was opposed to violence. Considering the plans she knew to be in her counterpart’s head, however, she was no longer certain they shared that belief.

“I never wanted to be a writer. It takes the mystery out of it.” It was almost enough to distract her from the question she badly wanted to ask, but not quite. “Do you miss it? The military, the adventure, the people?”

“Miss it? Not really. I mean I never really had it. I think it’s a shame that some of the people I know in the dreams aren’t here but a couple are. I’m happy with my life here, and I’m finding ways to look into some aspects of the things that are in the dreams. The equations and things” she explained.

“I miss the people.” And that’s all she’s going to say on that matter. Some things she would prefer to discuss as little as possible.

In a happy coincidence, her tea was placed before her, and she was glad for the distraction. “I believe that’s me.” With another smile and a nod, she excused herself with an, “It was a pleasure to meet you.”