You know how I say "give me a break", being in a coma for almost a month wasn't exactly what I was talking about. Now, I guess that it's sorta hot around the ship (first of all, get over it it's what happens on ships) and it's kinda not in Shuttle Bay.

Here are some dos and don'ts if you're going to come near my area in the Bay.

✔ Get the hell away from my work area ✔ Bring me beer ✔ Bug Carolyn about everything ✔ Take your complaints to Sulu ✔ Annoy Amidala ✔ Don't ask me who the hell is in Shuttle Bay

✘ Come near my work area ✘ Touch anything ✘ Breathe around anything ✘ Think about touching anything ✘ Think about asking me what I'm doing ✘ Talking to me ✘ Thinking about me ✘ Thinking about the state of the ships ✘ Asking me what that sound is ✘ Complaining if you get shot because you broke all of these rules

Failure to comply means getting shoved out of an airlock. Or something, I don't know. Don't talk to me or even look at me.

You know what? I really hate playing catchup. You're going along, minding your own business, think you're ready for just about anything--

[ Sheppard shakes his head. There's a dusting of five-o-clock shadow, a nasty nick to his jaw, a patterning of bruises that have had a chance to come up thoroughly over the last few days--but what can you do? If you shoot an already mad as houses elf in the leg, you sort of deserve whatever you get, and Nuada was comparatively gentle with him. Just don't ask him to move too much. ]

Get on with it, Sheppard. Alrighty, what was I saying? Wraith, right; washed out, grey skin, teeth that would make a SoCal dentist hysterical. Went by the name of Todd? Well, I should probably apologise for him. He's sort of-- [ Accurate words. What are those? ] --a pet, you know? He bites other people, growls at strangers, but you just didn't have the heart to put him down when you should have. Okay, maybe that's not exactly what I mean, but anyway. Sorry about that. It won't happen again.

Second thing; much more important. Since it turns out I'm down one technobabbling chatterbox right when I actually need him, I thought I'd do auditions for a replacement. No, not a replacement. I know you're going to listen to this one day, Rodney, and I'm going to get the silent treatment for all of thirty seconds. Not a replacement, then; a stand-in. Anyway, the winner gets to peek behind the curtain. [ He waves his lifeform scanner in the air where the video can see it. ] A basic understanding of sciencey stuff and obscure movie references is at the top of the list. Applicants should also enjoy long walks on the beach. There will be a quiz.

[ The device is already properly situated when the transmission starts, a young woman in a purple t-shirt framed from biceps up. Her hair is pulled back in a dark ponytail, and there's a bow propped against the wall just behind her. She lifts a hand and gives a brief wave, seeming at ease with this technology if little else. ]

Hi, [ she begins, with a smile that's just on the friendly side of polite, ] My name is Kate, I just got here in the last jump or whatever it's called. I'm looking for a couple of people, and hoping somebody might be able to help me out. I don't want to waste anyone's time, I'm sure I'm not the only one looking for someone, but I put together a quick list that's attached to this message and if you have a minute to take a look, I'd really appreciate it. They're all-- [ here her smile briefly warms and widens, ] --sort of distinctive? So you'll probably know if you've met them. Let me know if any of them sound familiar, I'll owe you one.

[ It's not a casual toss-in, that last line. She looks quite seriously at the camera as she says it. She will owe you one, potential future friend-spotter, and she will deliver on that debt. After a moment to let the important message sink in, she starts to reach to turn off the camera, saying, ] Thanks for your time.

[ Just before she hits stop, though, she pulls back, adding, somewhat less seriously, ] Oh, also. I heard there's a bar around here somewhere? Any chance there's also a diner?

Attached is a text file containing brief physical descriptions of her teammates along with first names.