I still don't own SGU; I still don't want to. Dr Rush is what I'd call 'interesting'.

Kino Vision Number 3
By EllieV

The kino hid. It was under a chair in the mess hall, its camera tilted upwards. Next to Dr Rush, Master Sergeant Greer was the most likely to notice it and unlike Rush, Greer wouldn't just switch it off. Greer was with Colonel Young discussing security. It zoomed in on them.

"And you didn't search Rush's quarters," Young seemed to be repeating.

"No, sir," Greer said. Young appeared to be thinking but before he said anything else Greer added, "There were other people, too."

The kino supposed they were talking about the aborted search for stolen rations the dust creatures had interrupted. That was weeks ago.

"Do it," Young said.

"Only Rush?" Greer asked, as if in doubt. He didn't normally question Young.

"No, everyone," Young said. "We're still too short of food."

Greer came to semi-attention. "Sir," he said.

Instead of scooting along the ceiling, the kino hugged the ground, pausing when Greer did. Sooner or later, people would stop noticing the kinos at all but it was still early days. Greer collected another marine and made his way to the crew quarters. He knocked on Rush's door and slid it open. It wasn't locked.

The other marine, whose name the kino didn't know, said unnecessarily, "He's not here."

"What are you doing?" a voice demanded.

Franklin.

"Lookin' for Rush," Greer said laconically.

Franklin said in irritation, "He's going to be working, isn't he."

"Yeah," Greer agreed. He turned, considered the empty room, neat with everything in its place, and hit the control switch. The door slid shut.

The kino waited for Rush to come back. It wasn't until very late, of course, long after the sensible people had gone to bed. The kino turned to watch as he came down the corridor. He was rubbing his eyes, looking tired and worried. The more tired Rush was the less likely he'd notice the kino, so it took the chance and went into his quarters with him. It lifted into a shadowed corner as Rush sat on the bed and rubbed his eyes again. He pulled out his notebook and flicked through it, using his broken glasses to focus on the page.

The kino waited for Greer and it didn't take long, as if he had been watching either Rush or his quarters. Rush looked up at the door, put his glasses down, then went to open it.

"Sergeant Greer," Rush said in his soft voice, and then, "Is there something wrong?"

Greer seemed taken back and said, "We're searching everyone's quarters." Rush said nothing. "Uh, for stolen rations."

"What?" Franklin's voice demanded from out in the corridor. "I cannot believe this is still going on. You cannot just barge into people's rooms and tear them apart."

Greer gave him a fake smile and said, "I might need to check your room again." He stepped in and flicked the door shut.

Rush moved past the bed and stood against the wall. He hadn't protested the intrusion. Instead, he opened up his notebook again. The kino understood that sometimes Rush used the notebook as a prop. Greer waited a moment and started lifting the few things around the room. He gave a cursory glance under the mattress. Greer picked up Rush's broken glasses. He looked like he wanted to say something.

Rush took no notice. The kino considered whether or not he was simply preoccupied or had withdrawn into himself at the invasion of privacy. He seemed to be totally unaware that Greer was glancing at him. Greer wasn't even pretending to search Rush's room now. He just stood there with Rush's glasses in his hand.

Rush drew in a deep breath and let it out in a huff. He was scribbling something down and frowning. He clicked his teeth and said annoyed, "Ah, pish." He screwed up the page.

"What?" Greer asked, putting down the glasses.

Rush looked up and said, "What?"

"I asked first," said Greer.

Rush looked oddly confused and said, "What?" again.

Greer said, perhaps with a patience he didn't feel, "You said pish. What does that mean? Pish."

"Crap," said Rush in explanation, rolling the 'r'. He still looked confused. "It's when something's rubbish."

Greer nodded slowly and drawled with the tiniest of smiles, "I like that." Rush shrugged. Greer said, "I've finished here."

Rush glanced around the room. Greer had been there only a minute. Greer didn't say anything else, He gave Rush a surprisingly not unfriendly nod, opened the door, and left. Rush's attention returned to the notebook. The kino floated out at ground level following Greer and the other marine, who had waited outside.

The marine said, "You find anything?"

"No," said Greer.

"We should have hid something," said the marine.

Greer stopped. "I don't want to hear that again."

"He got us stuck here," said the marine.

The kino had heard Greer say the same thing often.

This time, all Greer said with a snort was, "Pish."

As the marine said, "What?" Greer noticed the kino near his foot.

He kicked it down the corridor.

Finis

Thank you to everyone who's sent me really lovely message about the Kino Vision series. Your reviews are much appreciated. Hopefully, I'll have the next one up tomorrow or the next day.