Drag and Lift, by Cantarina (PG-13)

[sg-fignewton.livejournal.com]

Show: Stargate SG-1

Rec Category: Sam and Cam friendship
Characters: Samantha Carter, Cameron Mitchell
Het/Slash/Gen: Gen
Warnings: none
Author on LJ: cantarina1
Author's Website: Cantarina at AO3
Link: Drag and Lift

Why This Must Be Read: This is wonderful Sam and Cam pre-series friendship, complete with S9 coda. With stellar characterization and excellent dialogue, this fic is a marvelous exploration of competitiveness, support, and true companionship.



They say that Cadet Carter will fly by the precise science of numbers, doing calculations in her head as she goes, whereas Mitchell will be all hot blood. They say that he’ll fly by the seat of his pants, split-second decisions made on gut instinct instead of mathematics. They say this even though they all know that Sam’s mind is not a flight computer. That Mitchell has to study too, because there’s only so far they’ll let you get without an understanding of aerodynamics.

Sam thinks that she will sometimes think about vectors and trajectories, calculate the curve of the turn (because science is fun, no matter how much any one else complains) but she’s been hanging around Air Force pilots long enough to know secondhand that sometimes, there isn’t any substitute for the simple kick of instinct that screams nownownownownow.

After they get to know each other, when she hears him tells stories about driving too fast and loose on back-country roads, she thinks that Mitchell learned that lesson a long time ago.