Waking to Another Sky Ch4 bit – Don’t Mess with the Vet

~ crossovercreativechaos

“’Preciate the hand, Mr. Murray.” Rob Flint tucked a water bottle back into its holder, then backed away from the ash-ferret enclosure before he wriggled the fingers of his cast arm. “Kind of short on those at the moment – damn it.” He hurried over to a ringing phone, fumbled the receiver off the cradle; cursed under his breath and lifted it to his ear. “Really bad time, whoever you are – hang on a minute, I got a hand full….” Almost dropping the handpiece again, he hit speaker.

“-tor Flint.” The man’s voice was concerned. Conciliatory. Teal’c disliked it immensely. “We haven’t heard from you in a while-”

“How about the far side of never?” the vet shot back. “Mr. Roth, right? Yeah, I remember you, and your greasy hair dye, and your Saville Row suits. You know they make you look like a stuffed turkey, right? With a little silk tie of giblets hanging down.”

Dead silence. Teal’c raised a startled brow. If this was indeed the Martin Roth he knew of, who carried out tasks for the official NID… interesting.

“…That’s no tone for a man in your position to take.”

“My position? Oh, that’s rich, coming from one of the guys who blackmailed me out here in the middle of freezing nowhere in the first place,” Rob Flint bit out.

“I would hardly say-”

“Oh, excuse me, emphasized the damages that would result from refusing a generous offer,” the vet cut him off. “News for you, asshole. I know you and your D.C. buddies have no clue what it’s like in flyover country, but Colorado judges kind of think a dad ought to have a chance to raise his own daughter. So I still have joint custody – no thanks to you, you prick – and the local IRS office got real interested in the kinds of things you and your bosses have been leaving off your investment returns. You heard from them yet?”

Silence. Teal’c was certain he heard teeth grinding.

“Oh, you did, didn’t you. Have fun with the audit, jackass.”

41 thoughts on “Waking to Another Sky Ch4 bit – Don’t Mess with the Vet”

  2. Vets are no joke( especially farms vets. The stuff they put up with is mind boggling). Glad Doc.Flint got back the N.I.D though. Setting the IRS on anyone is pure evil.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    1. So I love the “Evil IRS” trope as much as anyone, but as somebody who actually does accounting work and has to occasionally call them up for help they’re actually quite helpful and professional. The only thing I’ve found them to /actually/ be guilty of his having a poorly designed website.

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply

      2. >Accounting, yes, they try to be decent. Undergoing an IRS audit, however, is pure hell. And not an indignity the NID higher-ups ever expected.>
        And the IRS would probably be going over the NID’s everything with a fine tooth comb.

        They probably don’t like being used as a threat during blackmail. Much less that somebody thinks they can order the IRS around for personal gain.

        Liked by 3 people

      4. My grandparents were audited by the IRS. The one IRS agent literally told grandma “No one gives away that large a percentage of their money. We don’t believe you.” as the reason for the audit. Tho thankfully, the other agent decided not to make a fuss when grandma kicked that one out. Admittedly, the reason he didn’t make a fuss is because the agent that was causing trouble got upset enough to openly admit to being anti-Christian, and that the way he was deciding who to try to audit was by who was listing donations to religious stuff… Still, until he went far enough beyond the pale that the other agent couldn’t support him, he made the audit a real nasty thing.

        Liked by 2 people

  3. Yeah, while the people the NID are leaning on can’t say everything about the situation there are some avenues.

    And the more they try this sort of stuff, the various departments that they don’t have under their thumb are looking closer and closer.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

      1. Probably wishes he had a video camera, more for his ‘proof the Taur’i aren’t wimps’ folder. Even if overpowered they will remember and repay the insult one day.

        OTOH, Kirito and Argo finding out what Murray has under his hate looks certain and imminent. Though if some of the ‘animals’ are actually alien sophonts and the raiding players explain that, I see Teal’c offering to help.

        Liked by 2 people

  7. Can you say working phone with an outside connection?

    Incidently, I can’t find the reference, but I believe it’s mentioned at one point that Silica’s dad is a reporter.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Well not sure about a reporter but her grandfather was apparently a chemist who started the family’s naming traditions by basing them on the month/day of birth and the element on the periodic table.

      It’s outlined further in the wiki but Keiko is based off silicon (珪素, Keiso), because her father couldn’t get a girls name out of Rutherfordium so 10+4 = 14 = silicon as a backup.

      It’s even related to her screen name: Silica which is from Silicon Dioxide. Though aparently she chose Silica instead of Silico because the former sounder cuter.

      The really funny thing is even her standard attire references her screen name. You know those two ribbon bauble things she always wears in her hair? They represent the two oxygen atoms bound to silicon.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

      4. >Silica is a correct spelling for a common name for silicon dioxide.>
        I’m just relaying what is written in regards to the subject.

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Presumably he is the vet mentioned in the first chapter that the NID ‘convinced’ to come work at caring for the animals at the center.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

      1. Rob Flint, I’m pretty sure, is confirmed to be both that vet and the one Silica and Kirito protected from Rosalia. Who may have been the one to break his arm, it is a bit unclear.

        Liked by 2 people

      1. Speaking of the vet, does he know about the SGC? Because he’s calling Teal’C by his cover name (Murray) but at the same time Head Nurse Jordan was apparently informed enough about the SGC to know about the Asgard.

        Liked by 2 people

  9. Though there is another aspect I’m wondering about: what does the SGC intend to do with this alien zoo that they’ve inherited, particularly now that the Nervegears have disengaged.

    Because the options seem to be A: retain and study them as part of SGC operations or B: try and ship them back to their home worlds.

    Of course B might be tricky depending on the amount (if any) documentation the NID and Kayaba had about where they got said alien wildlife.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  10. “Oh, you did, didn’t you. Have fun with the audit, jackass.”

    …..falls off bed laughing

    Damn that was a nice parting comment, well done, well done indeed.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  11. Looks like the NID is having the experience of the shoe being on the other foot. and it sounds like that shoe is going to pinch.

    Had to happen sooner or later. That the NID tried their nonsense with someone who not got mad but decided to get even. I imagine that Dr. Flint has done everything in his power to be a massive pain in the behind for the NID and bury them in a mountain of red tape whenever possible. The IRS just might be the start . . .

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a comment