It had been an accident of course, like most of my discoveries here on Earth it just happened upon me. I had been looking at the various items in this office when I had come across a contraption that was unlike anything I had ever seen. There were so many buttons and dials, I wondered if it was some sort of computer.
�Colonel O�Neill?� I didn�t take me eyes off the strange device as I called for the Colonel, relying on the sound of his footsteps to tell me when he was close. �What�what is the purpose of this artefact?� I was usually good at figuring stuff like that out�when I had been given the opportunity to�but I didn�t know where to start with this object.
�This�� Jack smiled as he pointed to the device, �Is a See Dee player.�
At this point I was totally confused and it must have shown on my face because Colonel O�Neill laughed and rolled his eyes.
�It plays music.�
I was still totally bewildered and the Colonel�s eyes widened slightly when I still didn�t comprehend.
�Music.� He repeated, as if this was something totally obvious and I suddenly felt extremely stupid. �Ah come off it, Quinn. You must�ve heard music before.� I just shook my head utterly confused. I had no idea what he was talking about.
The Colonel gave a sound of disbelief, �You�re serious ain�t you?� I just nodded, very curious to find out what this music was and what it did. �Well�� He shrugged pressed a button, with a triangular marking, on the device. �I guess the best way is just to let you hear it for yourself.� And as he finished his sentence the device began to emit a noise. It was like a sort of�I don�t know. I couldn�t describe it. And as other sounds joined the first I just stood transfixed as this beautiful noise filled the room. I was breathing fast and shallowly not wanting the noise of my breathing to disrupt this wonderful�music. As the sounds increased I could hear my breath hitch in my chest and I sank to my knees, my face wet with tears � how could anything sound this beautiful? I was�floating on the rise and fall of the music. I wasn�t sure how long the wonderful experience lasted for but I was left speechless when the sounds finally dimmed to silence.
I didn�t even move until Colonel O�Neill squatted down beside me and cupped my chin.
�You alright, kiddo?�
I just nodded in response, reliving the wonderful music over and over again in my mind. It was a few seconds before I could speak and all I could manage was a stuttered.
�I�I�that was��
Colonel O�Neill just laughed softly and pulled me to my feet. �That was music, Quinn.�
I nodded, filing that away in my memory. I desperately wanted to hear more of this music but Colonel O�Neill made no move to press the triangular marked button again and I was so grateful that I had been allowed to hear it once that I didn�t dare ask again.
It sounds stupid to be afraid after what the Colonel had said to me but it�s a fact that under stress we start to rely on our instincts. My instincts had been beaten into me � obey the master and keep quiet.
�What the frack did you just say?� I whimpered as my master descended on me, belt in hand.
�I�I asked for�a- a blanket.� I managed to stammer out as I backed away into the wall, �Please�I�m sorry. I�m sorry�I I-I just�so cold.� It was cold�so very cold that my shivering was more from cold than fear.
�How the frack dare you ask me for something? You get what you�re given!� A swish of his belt and pain exploded across my torso. The heat of the weal was like a flame against my hypothermic skin and I couldn�t choke back my scream.
�You drag me out here into this fracking freezing weather for nothing?� Another blow and I managed to protect myself with my arms this time � surprising considering the sluggish state of my almost-numb limbs.
�What�s it gonna take for you to learn, 23? His hands around my throat. �You get what I give you and if you don�t like it�� My head slammed into the wall and pain explodes in the back of my skull. �I got news for you, you fracking Kelownan. No one gives a damn what you want. You just fracking tough it out!� My head connects with the wall again and this time brings unconsciousness.
�Quinn? Quinn!� I could hear the faint voice in my ears getting louder and I jerked in surprise, my hands flying up to defend my head as I tried to back away � only to find myself already in a corner. I had no idea how I had got there. I could hear my harsh, rapid breathing as I pulled my knees up to my chest, shying away from the voice.
�Quinn�Quinn�do you know who I am?�
I listened to the voice and tried to concentrate as my eyes swirled grey with fear. I knew the answer to this one.
�Master.�
A shocked gasp caused me to flinch back. I was right wasn�t I? That�s what I suppose to say, wasn�t it?
�No. No Quinn�look at me.� I felt a hand gently pushing my arms down and I tried to focus through my teary eyes. I recognised the face before me I just�I just couldn�t remember who it was. �Do you know me? Do you know where you are?�
I looked around the room and words�memories began to float into my confused brain � one word in particular stood out more than the others.
�Jonas.� I said quietly and the man before me nodded slowly.
�That�s right, we�re in Jonas� office and I�m Colonel O�Neill.�
�Colonel O�� I trailed off as things started to make a little more sense some of the grey in my eyes filtered away. �I ah�� I rubbed my eyes before looking around the room a little more. �Why am I in the corner?�
Jack gave a little smile at that but his face grew serious quickly. �You had a flashback, Quinn.� He said and I realised he hadn�t taken his hand off my arm. I liked the contact, it was comforting.
�Oh�� I looked away. �I�m sorry.� I could feel my cheeks flush with embarrassment.
�Hey�hey no, don�t be sorry.� His voice had taken on that soft tone he always used when I was frightened. �You had me worried for a bit there.� He stroked my arm a little and I knew he was trying to stop me drifting into another flashback. �You still with me?� He asked and I nodded a little sluggishly. As much as I wanted to speak I just couldn�t seem to get my brain to work fast enough. It was like I was underwater and nothing would move quickly enough.
I still had enough coherence to look up at the sound of someone opening the door and I know Colonel O�Neill felt me tense in fear � my mind still half in my memories.
�Easy�.It�s okay � this is Teal�c, he�s a friend.�
I fought to keep my breathing calm as I looked up at the towering man above me.
�Teal�c � this is Quinn.� The man inclined his head in a bow and I tried to return the greeting, only managing a kind of nod. �We�ah�we had a bit of a moment.� Colonel O�Neill grinned sheepishly and I bowed my head. Colonel O�Neill was embarrassed of me. This brought with it both shame and anger. Shame that I hadn�t been able to keep my mind in the present and that I was so afraid of my memories. But also anger that Colonel O�Neill was ashamed of me � he didn�t know what I had just relived, didn�t understand how frightening it was. I fought to keep my eyes green even as I burned with resentment. What did he know anyway?
It was with perhaps more force than was necessary that I jerked my arm away from him and stood up. Then Teal�c spoke and from his first words I knew this was a man I wanted to be friends with very much.
�There is no need to be embarrassed, Quinn � flashbacks perturb even the strongest individuals.�
I think I gave a little gasp at this and decided almost immediately that I liked this man before nodding my agreement to his previous statement.
�It is nice to meet you Quinn of Kelowna.� He continued with a smile and I smiled back slightly.
�I�It�s nice to meet you too Teal�c.�
He smiled again and bowed his head before turning to Colonel O�Neill.
�I came to inform you that Quinn�s quarters are ready.� I jumped at this. Quarters? Quarters of what? I think it was the fact that Teal�c answered my next question without even looking at me that gave me the idea that maybe he was an alien to Earth too.
�It is a term for accommodation.� He explained without even shifting his eyes to glance at my confused face. The only reason I could think of that he would know that I was confused was that perhaps the word had also confused Teal�c at some point.
For some reason the thought of another alien on Earth gave me comfort. It�s stupid considering how nice the people of the planet had been�well most of them; How kind and patient they had been in explaining things to me; How they had done everything to make me feel welcome despite the fact I was an uninvited guest. Yet I still felt somewhat out of place surrounded by people who understood perfectly what it was to be an Earthling. I suppose it didn�t make me feel so lonely being an outsider if there was going to be another person on the outside with me.
�What do you say Quinn? Want to see your new place?� Colonel O�Neill�s question brought me back to the present and set my brain off on another chain of thoughts. Accomodation � a place to stay. I smiled at that word, stay. I was going to STAY. Not leave, not go back to the world from my flashbacks but to stay. The thought comforted me so much I didn�t care if I was to be sleeping outside chained to a wall like the home from my flashback.
The quarters that greeted me after my short, and somewhat wobbly, walk however were very different from a chain and a wall. They were very different from�anywhere I had ever lived. They were�
�Huge�� I whispered without realising and I felt Colonel O�Neill ruffle my hair. I didn�t understand the meaning of this gesture but I was too distracted with trying to get my stunned brain to order my feet to cross the threshold.
Once inside I let my eyes roam over the rooms. There was a table in the centre with a bowl of some sort of food on it, a bed in the corned with blankets � an adjoining room led to a bathroom with a bath AND shower and a toilet. There was even a small food preparation area.
�H�how�� I could barely spare the concentration to stammer out a single sentence to Colonel O�Neill so enraptured was I with this new development. �How many others will be sharing these�quarters?� I didn�t take my eyes off my surroundings but I heard him chuckle before he leaned down and whispered in my ear.
�No one kiddo. This is just for you. This is your�� And it was the next word that snapped me out of my shocked stupor and into an equally mind bewildering happiness.
��your home�