Work Text:
Two People Talking...
"Now let me see," Sir James said oh-so-politely, "if I have this brilliant plan of yours correctly. You want my security forces to trail after you from epoch to eon -"
His American visitor nodded vigorously, curls flying and hands waving as he opened his mouth to speak.
"No no, do let me finish. You want Her Majesty's Government to fund this, both the security forces and the travel, so that you can study -"
"Senses." More vigorous curl-flying and hand waving. "Oh man, this could change everything we know about Sentinels, going back into when the enhancements actually, genetically appeared -"
"And I thought my own academics were insane," Lester muttered.
"No, man, really, think about it!"
"I am doing everything in my obviously inadequate power not to."
"It's all in the interests of science, man. The research possibilities are endless, this could completely revolutionise -"
"Or couldn't, young man, since the whole project is - as you may have forgotten - Top Secret." He sighed at the total lack of understanding in the big blue eyes - despite several years dealing with scientists and scholars, he had never become used to their almost wilful blindness in anything that actually mattered. "You do grasp the meaning of the word -? Given that your own government decrees Sentinel studies to be the same." No, that didn't seem to aid comprehension. "You. Cannot. Tell. Anyone."
"Hey, I'm cool with that, I can keep it just to the people in the know -"
"Of course, how stupid of me," Lester mumbled. "Just the cast of thousands involved in keeping government secrets."
Professor Sandburg bounced - actually bounced - with a very unprofessorial gusto and delight that was giving Lester the usual headache. "On both sides of the pond, man. In any case, that's not the point - at least, yeah it might be the point some time down the track but it's not the point now. You've got to let me do this -"
"Chase Sentinel stegosauruses - saurii - whichever," Lester went straight on before he could get a lecture on semantics, knowing quite well that his own scientists would give him that later on. In quadruplicate, if he was fortunate. "Whatever they are, knowing our luck with the many-teethed and even-more-clawed, the last thing we want is teeth and claws and super senses all in one unsightly package."
"How d'you know -"
"Because they're always unsightly, as far as I see."
"That's just anthropocentricism, trust me, we're just as unsightly to them, well, those of them that don't see us as fast food."
"Which from our experience, Professor, is most of them."
"And we don't need to go back that far anyway. Just the periods of human and hominid ancestry -"
"We can only wish for that much choice... as you've been told. Several times, actually."
"Uhh.... yeah, okay, I know. But you have to admit, a Sentinel Rex would be so cool... yeah, a bit scary but definitely cool."
"'Cool' being, of course, one of both projects' primary objectives. I know from bitter experience that this is a futile request of an academic, but be rational for just one minute. This will benefit the world - and more importantly, my Department - how?"
Professor Sandburg started at him with those round, brilliant blue eyes and smiled. "All in the interests of science, man..."
the end