Read Online STARGATE UNIVERSE: Air by James Swallow - Free Book Online Page A

Ancient database on Atlantis, out in the Pegasus galaxy.”
    “With no instructions.”
    “No.” Rush had to admit, the Ancients were careless that way. They tended to leave their technology littered about the cosmos with little concern as to what might happen to those who found it; then again, when your entire species had ascended from corporeal form into something of near-godlike infinite energy, he imagined that matters of the physical suddenly became far less important. “But that’s not the issue,” he continued. “It has to be your proof.”
    Eli spread his hands. “My proof works,” he replied. “How do I know? Because you said it did.”
    Rush’s lips thinned, but the terse reply he was forming was lost as Colonel Young entered the room. “Gentlemen, how’s it coming?”
    Acting on a sudden impulse, fuelled by irritation and frustration, Rush snatched up the eraser pad and wiped out the lines of numbers.
    Eli took a step forward, holding out his hand. “Whoa, what are you doing?”
    “Starting from the beginning,” Rush replied.
    “Wait! Save save save!” Eli looked stricken as the figures were obliterated by the sweeps of the eraser.
    Rush caught sight of Young evaluating the situation. The colonel did a lot of that, he’d noted. He had a dogged sense of tactics that played itself out in everything he did, from the smallest interaction to the biggest. Rush imagined that Young was the kind of man who wouldn’t go anywhere or do anything without a plan.
    “Mister Wallace?” said the colonel. “I’d like you to join me for dinner in the officer’s mess.” Which really meant: Rush is pissed off, so give him some distance. The scientist had to admit that the commander of Icarus Base had got just as much a read on him as he had on the colonel.
    Eli seemed not to notice. “Thank you. I’m starving.”
    Food could wait, though. “We’re very close to a breakthrough. I’d like Eli to keep working.”
    Young had a look that he used every time he wanted Rush to know that the scientist’s ‘requests’ were only ever that, and he employed it now. “We’ve been here for six months,” he said, leading Wallace to the door. “It can wait a few more hours.”
    Despite himself, Rush couldn’t stop from shooting the colonel a glare as he exited, and with an irritated twist of his fingers, the scientist bent forward and began to quickly and carefully write out the equations from scratch.
     
    Eli followed Young to a cafeteria-type space a short walk from the command levels, and he made a couple of attempts at conversation that netted him polite, if curt, replies.
    “Why’d they call it a ‘mess hall’, anyhow?” Eli gave a faint grin. “You military guys don’t exactly seem like sloppy eaters.”
    “It’s from ‘ mes’ ,” said Young. “Old French word for a portion of food.”
    “Oh.”
    “They make us read books in the Air Force.”
    “Right,” he nodded lamely. “I thought it was all just yelling and shooting and blowing stuff up.”
    Young shook his head as he opened the door for him. “You’re thinking of the Marines,” he replied, and Eli couldn’t be sure if the man was making a joke or not.
    He got himself a seat and an Airman served Eli what was actually a pretty passable steak dinner, which he ate with gusto. Around him, the conversation was mostly in the direction of the officers on Colonel Telford’s side of the table, the jut-jawed, clear-eyed members of the expedition force who each exuded a Right Stuff vibe utterly at odds with anyone Eli had ever known. He saw Lieutenant Scott a few seats down, talking quietly to a female officer with a strong face and a crop of blonde hair; the name ‘Johansen’ was visible on her uniform jacket.
    Nearby, Senator Armstrong and his daughter were intently focused on every word that Telford said. Chloe especially, Eli noted, seemed quite taken by Telford’s flyboy charm.
    “When you go through the Stargate, you don’t really