Helenka, Queen of Outer Space

CHARACTERS: Radek Zelenka, Miko Kusanagi, Ronon Dex, Rodney McKay, John Sheppard, Evan Lorne, Teyla Emmagan, Kanaan, Torren John Emmagan, Ascended Characters, Original Child Characters, Original Characters, Atlantis

GENRE: Gen with Multi (FF, MM, MF, etc.) relationships

RATING: PG

OTHER TAGS: Post-Canon, Worldbuilding, Near Future

SUMMARY: With the Wraith decimated and restricted to another dimension by their own desperate folly - living on planets populated (oh, the irony) by cattle - Atlantis can finally become a peaceful city state welcoming all open-minded residents of Pegasus and even the Milky Way. If only there weren't the current problem of managing power output and sustaining a larger population when the scientists (more than just Rodney claiming to be the alpha and omega of all scientists in any galaxy) still haven't figured out how to build or recharge ZedPMs. The problem keeps Radek Zelenka preoccupied during the day and awake most nights. While Rodney and "the Colonel" are always hunting for Ancient tech, he is alone (or so he thinks) in his lab wondering what it is he isn't seeing. He's about to find out.


NOTES ON ARTWORK: Inspired by the stunning multi-panelled artwork "I Hear You Now" created for the 2018 SGA Reversebang by Selenic. Amazingly enough, this was the first year I found TWO artworks and was thrilled to be able to interpret the fabulous art provided. I had never participated before; either I was too late in claiming or nothing spoke to me.

Even more surprising was the fact that I'd already decided I wanted to write about Radek Zelenka and found art that featured him in a prominent role on Atlantis as well as alluding to the Tao of Rodney episode. Further exchanges of information with the artist concluded that we were so on the same page.

Well, that was the easy part. The hard part was finding all the right words. These are only some words, so I prefer to think of the story as twelve video clips during one remarkable year of Radek's life on Atlantis.


LINK TO FIC ON AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16363640

Ah, you chose the right (right) hand, which meant that I didn't choose to fulfill my obligations to the pantry (OTOH, I did use up a can of baby clams and a can of sliced peaches ... so it was a teensy contribution to the cause).

Instead, I wrote a story. After waking up around 5:15 (way before the alarm set for 5:50), I immediately booked my trips for next Thursday. And, then, I wrote my SGA-related story about the disaster happening in Ft. McMurray if only to ease my psyche. I don't know why, but seeing the pictures of this particular horror has affected me severely. And then I feel grateful to live in a fairly safe city, with miles of concrete and steel acting as a barrier, even if it's only psychological, against a number of critical assaults.

After I posted, I didn't feel like doing anything. Watched TV only half-heartedly, so wouldn't be able to say exactly what happened during Big Bang Theory. Did the wise thing and recorded The Blacklist.

So, tomorrow, I hope to have the motivation to tackle the pantry. And I'm looking forward to knowing that church-John has received the TV stand (as the tracking info is promising). I sent him an e-mail advising him of the good(?) news. Finally, I can have some satisfaction!

First the sad news. I got an e-mail from my co-leader of the blind group, basically confirming our meeting next week ... but also advising that she wasn't up to talking to anybody because her oldest brother had just died. Considering that she's a few years older than I am, well, it's what's happening all around us these days. I sent her my condolences and mentioned I'd light a candle for her brother on Sunday. After sending the e-mail and already having had brekkie, I was feeling cold so decided to crawl back into bed for a nap. That helped a wee bit.

And, then, let's head over to aggravation. Okay, shall we play the delivery guessing game for just today? Remember, the rules change daily (or, worse, more often). Let's keep Friday for delivering the TV stand, but push the smaller items over the weekend for delivery on Monday. I'll bet you can hear me growling even if we're separated by thousands of miles.

Had a quiet day, punctuated only a couple of times by the sneak invasion by two of the three cats. Naturally, Diva had to climb into an open slot in my hanging closet system. So not looking forward to removing all the clothes - and cat hair - from the closet. So, instead, I think I'll deal with the pantry tomorrow or Friday.

As it's playoff season for just about everything, I entertained myself in the evening by rewatching both N.C.I.S. epis. Still think the original show was a convoluted mess yesterday. I've also got the germ of an idea for writing a new Stargate Atlantis story, based on current events. Not a long one, so I'll try to dash it off tomorrow. Now that I've given myself a busy schedule, I think I'll try to enjoy the half hour left in the ::coughs:: Fourth. Which, for me, is pretty pathetic as I haven't even seen the new movie yet. Another aggravation but understandable as I no longer live within a mile of several movie theatres. Darn those good old days. They just keep popping up in my memories.

Yes, we know I iz all about teh hyperbole on Sundays. But today was even better than usual. When I left at 8:50, it was still coolish and dismal but, as soon as my bus took off, I noticed a bright ray of sunshine lighting up the interior. And the sun stayed all day long (i/o deteriorating into showers). Arrived at church at 9:15 (whoa, so early) and sat and talked with my friends, mostly about the upcoming election. Well, there goes the proscription against what one doesn't discuss in polite company. Was this worse, talking politics IN church?

While i was cleaning the anointing oils, I looked up and smiled as our guest cellist walked into my frame of view. That guarantees fabulous music! I was sweetly surprised by Brent's customary shoulder squeeze when I went by him. He has been extra affectionate with me since his return. ::sighs gratefully:: I wonder if he's just appreciating all of the people he's been able to influence or been influenced by ... and that soonish his way of living will be completely altered. Anyway, when I returned to my pew, there was a woman sitting there. I was just about to introduce myself (yadda, details, yadda) when SHE welcomed me, saying she loves reading my summary every week! I think I'll put an open invitation in my writeup next week to join me in my pew.

I cried so much during the service, but I know I wasn't the only one. Brent took us on an undulating river journey where we followed the flow, not knowing whether we'd be mourning parts of our history or getting some relief from a funny memory. My own tears continued during the Offering, as it was a tender, evocative solo. Church-John and I had one of the Deacons for both Anointing and Communion; for the latter, her prayer was for us to go and be "Ambassadors of God"! Well, that was impressive.

I had to dash out as the service didn't end until 12:20. As I sat outside, I got to greet even more people (and have been hitting my head, trying to remember some of the names from long ago). Really enjoyed my conversation with my cab driver who got me home at 1:00. I offered the cats an open door policy; the two more rambunctious ones took me up on it, while Diva stayed with me. And, then, I had to scurry to write my summary and post it. Finally finished it around 3. Now I'm exhausted.

Was completely taken aback by an e-mailed comment from my SGA novel reposted on AO3. OMG, there was so much carefully detailed praise with numerous examples that, as soon as I'd read it, I had a huge smile on my face. How could this day be so ... awesome? With gorgeous, sunny, warm weather, too?

My cat-mothering ended when SuM returned after 5. Oh, good. She got a verbal report of cat (and human) misadventures though I told her she could wait until tomorrow to fix my shower door. I'd already moved things around in the bathroom to try to eliminate a potential source of the problem. I hope it's enough to make the door more stable. ::crosses fingers::

I'm scared to find out what the baseball score is. I was on FB a few minutes ago and had to leave because friends were discussing the score. Mind you, they were just listing numbers and not which team had which number. Ack! I think that's even worse. Anyway, I'd better think about bed because I haven't packed anything to take to church for tomorrow. Yay for the continuation of a fabulous holiday weekend!

Forgot all about this until I saw people posting (mostly their writing stats).

Well, my writing stat (yes, singular) was ONE fic, written for the SGA... Ten Years Later Fest. Mind you, I'm very proud of the story I wrote ("Comic Book Confidential") not only from the perspective of writing a complex story but also of growth in awareness, education and – above all – compassion when it comes to trans people and issues. I cringe when I think back more than two decades and remember how clueless (and callous) I was. Let's just call that anti-nostalgic. The other good thing about the fic is that it forced me to learn how to post on AO3.

I lost two people last year: Paul, a friend and lover from four decades ago, and Drew, a fellow congregant whose mellifluous Japanese scripture reading will have to live on solely in my memories. I'm still having a hard time dealing with both losses.

As for personal stability, I resolved the tiny tremor in my housing situation. I'm thrilled to remain in this neighbourhood, just wish the stairs were less of a ... challenge. But, as compensation, I love having two cats to adore.

My health has actually improved. I read an article today tailored to women about unexpected cancer signs. The only one that might have applied to me was persistent cough. Luckily, I'd already dealt with that problem in 2013 and, not only am I cough-free, my sinuses are clear most of the time. There's just the stubborn persistence of pain behind the blind eye and I wonder whether the two operations meant a pain receptor in the brain was activated. Brain be weird, dontcha know. But, then, it's MY brain.

Another area of improvement is sleep. I can't believe how well I'm sleeping nowadays. I used to use the time waiting for sleep to grab me by writing my story dialogues in my head. Now I just fall asleep and – mostly – stay asleep all night long. Considering that I'll be an old person officially in June, I feel this is an excellent prognosis for retention!

So ... what are my goals for 2015?

You just know I'm going to say WRITE MOAR. Lots and lots. I just have to totally settle down. I still have personal papers to go through (I feel my eyelids fluttering from eye strain) and decisions to make. Plus organizing my closet. Didn't get a chance to when I moved, so everything's a bit disorganized. I've found that I tend to fulfill personal obligations when my living space is serene.

I want to work out with my weights, but have to devise a way to hold them without causing more pain or damage to my fingers. Wonder if I could combine my Isotoner winter gloves with velcro straps.

When summer comes, I want to start exploring the local parks, also to go down to the lake on my own using regular transit. Jan tells me a nearby bus will take me exactly where I want to go. Didn't know it diverted. But yay. I want to start getting together with friends more often. That's always a very good goal.

I would like to buy a couple of luxury items because, you should know by now, when I get something stuck in my head it just won't dislodge itself ... and I won't make it!

So, that's my 2014 synopsis and hopes for 2015. I'm crossing my fingers for only good things in my life's Inbox!

... and not for Marvelous Music (as it did yesterday, what with the music director slotting in my fave "When Peace Like A River" and creating thunderous chords and arpeggios on the piano to accompany "The Lord's Prayer" because we haz a very sick organ). It just wasn't fun to wake up before 6 to the sound of my own hacking cough. Ugh for changing seasons.

However, you can imagine my (pleasant) shock to have a sly white critter jump up on my pillow at 6:06. Wha--? Yes, it was the Diva. I guess SuM hadn't closed my door properly last night so, after she left for work this morning, the sneaky cat snuck in and surprised me. What with the coughing, I wasn't going to be able to sleep any longer anyway, so I got up. Sigh. The doggie showed up later to sniff around.

It was an incredible scorcher today. Seriously, with a temp in the low 80s. Whoa. I didn't even raise my blinds, though I did have a pleasant breeze. OTOH, it was hot and stuffy upstairs. I still had to be careful in the afternoon, as the north-facing windows were taking a beating. Not good in the summer, though at least I'll have some natural light in the colder months.

Watched my usual shows in the evening. Didn't know this, but it was pointed out in Wheel of Fortune that Jeopardy MUST include "!" at the end. And here I'd never noticed. Julia won her 16th after racking up an impressive lead. I'm always happy when personable people win. [Okay, okay, Rodney McKay may be awarded a Nobel ... or three.] Speaking of SGA, I did my good deed for the day by trying (and succeeding) in answering a request on storyfinders. But, in doing so, first I had to speed-read through a 50K word fic (that wasn't the right one). How did I do that? Well, I skipped ALL of the sex scenes. I always think that's lol-worthy.

Anyway, I guess I should take my stuffed-up head to bed. And insist it stop this foolishness. Am I not the master of my own reality? Sigh. I don't think so, when it involves my respiratory system.

So, I was intending to e-mail Brian about his birthday dinner but he got to me first, offering several dates. Starting this Sunday!!! Uh ... a wee bit too soon, so I replied with a more reasonable choice, namely Sunday the 9th. It'll be interesting going out with him on a Sunday as we usually do our celebrating on Saturdays. OTOH, as the Japanese restaurant is in my neck of the woods, it's not that far away.

Just too bad that I couldn't surprise him (as the rascal has done to me at least once). But, to do that, he would have had to park here and then I would have called a cab. Way too complicated. I was even gracious enough to give him the Yelp link and the restaurant's own site which includes the ... MENU. And now I'm making myself hungry. Again.

Otherwise, it was just another stupid cold day. But the reflection of the morning sun on the snow through the window next to the bed was strong enough to wake me up an HOUR before the alarm. So weird.

I've been trying to amuse myself by reading SGA fics. Right now I'm crazy enough to have tackled a 283K monster. But it's entertaining, so I'd better get back to it. TTYL.

The only good thing about today is that I had a lovely sleep. See what I mean. Even that's ultra-boring. I continued reading the exceedingly verbose SGA fic and finally finished it. Ouch - my butt hurts from sitting so long. So I gave it a rest by lying in bed and watching another 4 epis of S1 Beauty & The Beast.

I'm trying to focus on pleasant things, but seem to be sliding into doom'n'gloom territory - a place where I don't want to get stuck. But looking for miracles is exhausting. ::sighs:: Ah, well, at least I should have an uplifting day tomorrow.

Up after 8. I'm still amazed at how well I'm sleeping. After brekkie, I decided to watch a 90-minute MacGyver TV movie, "Lost Treasure of Atlantis", from 1994. I'd seen it before years ago, so could barely remember anything. But what I hadn't noticed until this time was the writer's name. John Sheppard. Yup. Identical spelling. So I'm wondering whether RDA appreciated him SO much he used his name for his headliner character in SGA. Whatever the reason, I was tickled pink.

Internet/phone still not restored by noon, so I'm going to wash some dishes. ::sighs::

Still no connection, so I've watched another two epis of S4 Glee of which I feel little. After my shower, still another two epis. It feels weird watching all of these Finn-centric epis after Cory's death.

Eeeeeek! I ended up watching a total of eight Glee epis all day long. Please, universe, give me back the internet!!!!!

Well, it didn't start off that way. This morning's brekkie telly was last night's Glee. Um ... Ryan, why are you making me want to throw a shoe through my computer screen? Yeah, I get it. The best way to cover Sam's and Artie's grotesquely thoughtless and insensitive comments is to remember (and repeat) the mantra: High school kids are stupid beyond belief.

After that, I rewatched Enemy at the Gate for tonight's FINAL SGA rewatch on sga_squee. And that's why I'm blue, as writing my review throughout the day was a punch to the gut. No more talking about Atlantis with others. After 100 episodes, it's definitely time to cry. Waaaaaaah.

It didn't help that I also felt dizzy (don't know why), so the best thing to do was take a nap. You should not be surprised by now. When I woke up, I finished my comments (though not closing thoughts) and posted them. It was cute to see that the mod thanked me for my participation. Hee! Can I be obsessed, or what? The answer is obviously an enthusiastic YES!

Well, as I'm still feeling down (and my butt is screaming at me), I think I'm headed off to bed. I'll play my daily crossword puzzle on my phone. And sleep would be really, really good.