work.

April 3.

Billy continued in the acting course, not progressing as much as he would like. They only had the first two parts, but many important scenes for the movie were still missing. Something that would gradually diminish, and the scheduled release for June was a foreseen fact.

-Damn it, my friend. You have to stop making mistakes, - someone said in the distance. He was in bad shape, and it was the second time he made the same mistake.

Ronald Emerich got up from his chair. - You have twenty minutes of break. Those with something on their minds, please distance it from your thoughts, - he said.

The sun was strong, and Billy's tan was accentuated. He reached what was an attempt at a dressing room, and there was Russel Kurt, doing push-ups with drops of sweat spreading on the floor.

-Billy, my friend, - said Kurt.

-Kurt, - said Billy, taking a seat, feeling lazy; he had slept terribly in the last few days.

-Come on, kid, come here, and do push-ups with me. I bet that by the time we finish filming the movie, you'll already have some meat on those arms of yours, - said Kurt.

-Am I as skinny as everyone says? - Billy thought.

Kurt is the second person, like Dohlp. Both witness a lack of strength, or is it a predominant culture in the 90s for men to have strong muscles?

-Thanks, sir, but I'm so mentally exhausted that if I exercise, I think I would use up all my good luck. But hey, my room is next to yours; we can go jogging in the morning, - said Billy.

-What time do you leave? - Kurt asked.

-Before six in the morning, the heat is unbearable to go out later, - said Billy.

-Great, I'll pick you up tomorrow, - said Kurt, smiling.

-Tomorrow morning, I hope you can keep up with me, - Billy joked. He has been jogging for five months for 30 to 40 minutes every day; exercise is as necessary as sharpening his mind.

-My dear boy, you're talking to an expert, and speaking of which, this girl Mila has been very attentive to you, - Kurt said, seeing Mila smiling in the distance. But he didn't interrupt the conversation between the two.

-You're missing out, boy. You know, little Mila has been looking at you with desire in the last few days, - Kurt said.

-Are you sure? I think she prefers more mature men, - Billy said.

-Oh, come on, boy! A man like me has had enough of women. I'm happily married, and staying away from women makes my marriage very healthy, my boy. Hollywood marriages are based on trust and staying away from all the women you might consider. No, boy, she wants to be with you. It's normal at her age to want some adventure, to ignite the flame, - Kurt said.

Continuing with the push-ups, he was already at the 50th repetition. He performed them slowly and smoothly, pausing at times, but his job was demanding, as evidenced by the tight muscles and the agitation in his voice with each challenging repetition.

-She's beautiful, but for now, it's good to focus on my career, - said Billy.

Oh, and the little Alice. Billy thought.

-Wise of you, but if you want a career, it's good to drop that frown. And socialize a bit. For example, Nigel, the little assistant, has connections with various people, like Ronald Emerich and Person Gore. You know the director, but Gore is a somewhat old producer, who happens to be Nigel's uncle. Even though he lacks talent for directing, he has it for producing. He invited me; when he wants something, he gets it. Although he likes you for your perfect work, a little friendship won't hurt anyone, - said Kurt.

-I'm not very good at relationships, but I can be friendly, - said Billy.

-Bill, you're a serious and strange person... that was the idea we all had at first, until your agent mentioned in a meeting that you're a method actor who tends to immerse himself in roles to the extent that you often stay in character after the performance, - said Kurt.

-I didn't know. It wasn't my intention, - said Billy, somewhat surprised.

Working on personal relationships. This socializing, he lost it, and work doesn't help much to start conversations out of nowhere and be the center of attention for everyone or interact with everyone in a certain way.

-Kid, don't worry, just smile more, greet people, and nod when they talk to you. You don't need to be talkative, just friendly enough for them to start the conversation, - said Kurt.

-Does that work? - said Billy.

--It worked for me; I think I'll go,-- said Kurt, getting up from the floor. He approached Billy and said, --Just play along, kid. She's not a bad girl, --

Mila arrived as soon as Kurt disappeared.

-Hello," she said.

-Mila, how's it going? - Billy asked.

-Very well. I was surprised not to see you yesterday at the team dinner. The crew gathered for dinner at the hotel, - Mila said.

-I was indisposed. I apologize for not excusing myself to everyone, but I sent my regards to Nigel, - Billy said.

-Well, Nigel forgot to send his regards, - Mila said.

-You have something in your... - Billy said, caressing Mila's hair.

-You'll have to recover; we'll finish early today. Maybe there's another dinner, - Mila said.

-Can we have dinner together? - Billy said, as an offering of apology.

-With pleasure. I'd be delighted, - Mila said.

-See you in the lobby, - Billy said, lost in Kurt's words.

-See you later, - Mila said, her charming smile shining. The only imperfection was the mole on her cheek, which highlighted her well-cared-for and bronzed skin even more.

Billy felt the urge to kiss her right there, but he knew that his sweet Alice's heart would break if she saw him flirting the way he did with Mila; she would be devastated. He understands Kurt's words now, but he doesn't deny Mila's charm. At twenty-one, the enchanting Mila is undoubtedly a woman who can generate attraction.

-Wait, where's your accent from? There's always been something that has piqued my curiosity, - said Billy.

-That's for dinner, - Mila replied, moving away, swaying her hips in a gesture that seemed natural, as if the genetics of many years were drawn to that particular movement.

-We start in five minutes, - Nigel shouted from a distance.

Mila turned back. - I think I need to get ready. There's not much time left for us to meet. During that time, Daniel, I hope you're as charming as Bill, - Mila said, placing her hand on his chest.

-It'll be quite an entertaining competition. In the next five days, I'll push your performance as much as I can, - Billy said.

-Oh, more rebellious than I initially thought, - Mila said.

-You always have an answer for everything. See you on set, - said Billy.

Mila exited as Billy adjusted his glasses, a trademark of Daniel Jackson, a character indiscriminately shy.

-Good afternoon, Billy. Keep up the good work. The director is pleased, though he prefers a more natural performance. Still, it's a great act, - Nigel said.

Preparing for his round, - Wait, Nigel, could you get me some sunscreen, please? - Billy asked.

-Of course. Go to the pyramid; they need you for the next recording. They'll start filming in less than five minutes, - Nigel said.

Billy walked through the desert toward the large pyramid covered with some black tarps, and on it, the green screens covered a special place where the Stargate was. The next shots were the special base.

-Everyone in position, - said a young man.

Billy walked to the pyramid, and a green screen behind him. There was Ronald Emerich with a camera, checking the lights and organizing that every shot was in order.

Scene 79, take 2.

Daniel transplanted the star circle with his hand, a silly smile on his face, but not on the faces of others who were scared by the shapes in which the next stellar journey unfolded.

He had barely touched the bright plane of the Gate with his eyebrows when radiant turns, a small blue door that extended linearly, crashed so fast that he didn't have time to react. When he recoiled, he was already out of Earth's atmosphere, thrown into a black silence like a fish, spinning out of control, moving blindly in interstellar darkness. For a second, he thought he was slipping until a fold in the energy field gave him the final push. No gravity, no control, no sense of direction.

-Jackson, are you okay? - It was Kawalsky, who had the man, the military team looked on with fear and anticipation of some deadly trap or perhaps an unknown and uninhabited danger.

Billy started trembling, just as Kawalsky described in the script. Kawalsky stopped shaking Billy/Daniel, who tried to shiver and breathe forcefully since fear had infected his being.

-Everyone's okay, - Colonel O'Neil said.

-We need to repeat that attack maneuver, - Ferretti, a soldier whose demeanor was punk, said.

They lit some flares that illuminated the dark chamber.

-All right, ladies, let's get to work, -- O'Neill's voice echoed. -- Phase one. Only the essentials. -

All the soldiers were serious and nodded.

O'Neal began barking orders.

-Ferretti, you lead. First group, move out, - the voice was powerful.

Everyone followed the steps with extreme care. Ferretti crossed the threshold, a short corridor that led him upwards, carrying the rifle on his shoulder and being as alert as the actor could interpret. The cameras shifted to Daniel/Billy, who was in front of Commander Kurt/O'Neal.

Billy continued to survey the entire chamber by touch. The murals were engraved with writing, and Daniel stopped being the shy guy, transforming into the archaeologist who had dedicated his entire life. The hazel-green eyes lit up behind the camera, which was capturing his eyes and profile.

When fans saw the shot, they would think of more than just a person guided by archaeology. Billy had an air of something more special as if he were an explorer. Billy's profile was very good and very photogenic.

He walked straight, eager to see what was beyond the alley. Surely something was interesting, with bright eyes illuminated by a dream of seeing more samples of archaeology at a level never seen before, the secret of the pyramids of Egypt.

Daniel started to move forward down the corridor, totally unfazed by the palpable fear surrounding him. He passed two soldiers.

-Not you, idiot. Stay here, - Freman said, grabbing him by the shoulder with force.

-Uh... sorry, but I have something to check, - Billy stopped. But, in the next turn, there was light, sunlight.

Both were nervous. Quite nervous.

-The external conditions are similar to the interior. There's no danger of radiation, and electromagnetic radiation is normal, - said O'Neal, who was the group leader.

They walked until they saw the desert, a long and flat desert.

- Cut. -

Ronald began to review the shots, and his face lit up, while his forehead wrinkled with some tics and effort.

-That was great. We'll do a second take, and we'll continue with the next shots. Adjust the desert camp, and we'll shoot some scenes at night with the tribe, - said Ronald Emerich, pleased with the good take.

...