krillis
Member
"I suppose that things just work out like this sometimes. Don't wory about it." I pat him on the shoulder, and get up to walk back there with him and to talk with my friends.
I intend to use this time to 'get to know them' as well as 'get to know me.'
How do they act towards me?
Do they tell any stories that 'I' have been involved in?
How do they act towards one another? Is there any tension?
Are there any friends back there talking to them that I don't recognize?
It is just the four of them, and other than that their couple relationships seem to have grown considerably more "serious" they are as you remember them. They also seem to think that you are yourself, and nothing they say suggests otherwise.
They are all surprised but not unhappy to see you, and ask the same questions (what happened to your trip to visit family, and why didn't you tell us sooner that you would be flying to Paris when we were).
The flight to Paris takes many hours; dinner will be served probably three hours along, and some passengers are already sleeping.
--M. J. Young
krillis
Member
I'll simply answer with "I thought it would be a pleasant suprise to see me on the plane."
On the trip, I'll also address other aspects...
I intend to ask Nick specifically "How's work?" and the rest of the group as a side-comment. I'm interested in seeing how they may differ from my memories.
Do I know what day it is?
I'm ready to land whenever you are.
I don't think you've actually checked the date. However, it would be printed on your ticket, and you still have the copy (which incidentally is one-way). It is Monday, June 15, 2009.
And that means there's a significant gap in your memories, from one perspective: you've had no contact with any of these people for over a year.
You are fed, and I presume you get at least a nap, and now you asked to fasten your seat belt for landing in Paris, France.
--M. J. Young
krillis
Member
I'll go back to my seat and will cooperate with the landing.
The only thing that I'll request is leaving the plane with my friends. I'll follow their leads when it comes to airport etiquite, including getting my cat once we get off the plane.
If I must, I'll ask them were I need to go to pick up Harry.
You disembark and approach customs. Suddenly a couple in their late twenties or early thirties spots you.
"There he is," the man says. "Mr. Wright! If you will come this way, please, we will get you through customs quickly."
They are already flanking you and trying to escort you toward a side door.
In a softer voice, he continues, "We realize that you may have, shall we say, equipment that might raise questions in customs. We've arranged for you to have diplomatic treatment here; your luggage is being retrieved as we speak, including the cat, and will be delivered to you at your briefing. I'm John Bright, this is Mary Scott; we've been assigned to head your support team. I'm sure you have questions; we will address them when we reach the briefing."
--M. J. Young
You bypass customs, and are ensconced in a limosine. You get a glimpse of your luggage, including Harry, being placed in a second vehicle. The dark glass makes it difficult to see much of the city beyond.
The girl picks up the thread.
"Welcome to Paris, Mr. Wright--or would you rather we call you Kurt?"
"I'm not certain how much your people told you, so I will assume you don't know anything. In the past three months, someone has assassinated the top finance ministers in several EEC countries--England, France, and Germany. We have reason to believe that the assassin's next target will be Augustus Steranko, Finance Minister of the European Economic Community itself, the continent's most powerful financial leader.
"We had a man working on it, one of our top agents known by the code name 'Blade'. He has disappeared and is assumed dead; however, we know that he had gotten close to Steranko's organization and believe that he was near to identifying the killer.
"We asked the CIA to lend us one of their deep cover operatives because we have reason to believe there may be a leak somewhere in our operation, which resulted in the death of Blade. You would be unknown to anyone in Europe, and thus will have advantages even if someone learns that we brought in an outside agent for the job."
The car comes to a stop, and the doors are opened from the outside.
"We'll get you equipped," she says. "Any questions so far?"
--M. J. Young
"You look younger than we anticipated; we'll have to make some adjustments.
"These are your X-ray glasses. They see through most outer coverings, paper, cloth, thin walls. They do not see through lead, and tend to look through only the first layer of anything.
"Here is the latest in high-tech climbing gear: gecko boots. The soles use the weak molecular bonding force to bind to any surface; as you shift your feet you can connect and disconnect them, and thus can literally walk on walls.
"In the trunk of your car you will find complete SCUBA gear and wet suit, and a formal tuxedo with standard BO Blasters. There is also a hundred thousand francs to cover expenses; if you need more, contact us. There is a phone in the car.
"The car also is fully equipped--GPS, missile launchers, rear deflector shield, heavy machine guns, ejector seat, and auto-disable system."
The car is definitely a souped-up sports car, two-seater style, low to the ground.
"As to where to start, we won't tell you how to do your job; but Secretary Steranko is known to be gambling in on the Riviera, and given that we don't know who Blade was tracking your best bet may be to start from there. Steranko's mansion is in Austria, if you'd rather begin there; although we are not certain what happened to Blade, he was thought to be in Austria before he disappeared."
They give you specific locations of both the casino hotel Steranko frequents and the mansion in which he now lives.
--M. J. Young
krillis
Member
I'll request one last thing-a picture of Steranko and known associates. After that, I'll get into my new car (yay) and drive off, checking the GPS for the location of the casino, my first destination.
Oh, as a bonus, after dawning the x-ray glasses, I'll activate them and look at my female chauffeur, give her a wink, and head out.
So I'm off to be a secret agent...
Pictures:
At the moment you look at the female agent who picked you up at the airport, she is standing behind the male agent who was also there, so you only see him.
You start your journey to the casino.
As you pull out of the underground garage onto the street, you pick up a tail in a small sports car. It looks like a girl, maybe nineteen, pretty, and not one of those you saw in the pictures.
At the moment she is stuck behind you, following closely as if she's trying to pass, but city traffic, although moving rapidly, is not allowing her to get out. The GPS is taking you by a quick route out of the city, though, and it looks like you'll be on open road fairly soon.
--M. J. Young
As you reach the outskirts of the city, you realize that you have picked up a second vehicle--a black compact sedan, maybe German, keeping pace behind the two of you. It is still at some distance back, and at this speed not gaining. The vehicle is too far back to get any view of the driver.
The girl seems to be trying to pull alongside you, but your car is an easy match for her; you could leave her behind, and maybe the German, too, but it would require moving at a speed at which you are not accustomed to drive.
--M. J. Young
They certainly did. You have several heavy caliber machine guns and a few rocket launchers built into the car.
They did not give you a handgun; they probably assumed you had your own.
They did put your luggage in the trunk for you, except the cat, which is still in the cat carrier on the back seat.
--M. J. Young
krillis
Member
I'll continue going and press harder on the gas, to increase my speed.
At this speed, I'll try to recall tips that a friend of mine gave me when he told me a story of when he ran from the cops in his car one time. It's very important to keep full control of the wheel, and not even let it turn a little unless you intend to. Look far ahead, and try not to take your eyes off far-down the road.
How good a driver are you?
--M. J. Young
krillis
Member
I've had a license for 3 years now, but I don't drive very often. I still think I'm better than most of the people on the road, but I can't say for sure in a lot of cases.
Shall we go with a low amateur level for driving? While I am a safe driver, I've never driven above 90 mph before.
I should have asked this already: do you have computer skills that go beyond ordinary use? This would include programming in any computer language, repairs or modifications, et cetera.
You push the car, but apparently the girl knows what she's doing. She pulls out alongside you. She's trying to get your attention and trying to say something to you, mouthing something, first one syllable that pushes her lips forward, and then two syllables in which her upper teeth touch her lower lip in the middle as her mouth generally moves from open to closed. She does this several times.
The other car is not gaining at this point.
--M. J. Young
krillis
Member
I don't have any knowledge about computers other than typing, pointing, and clicking.
I'm not usually computer savvy, let alone able to program or repair computers.
I sound out what the woman is saying, and come to the conclusion that she's probably saying "move." At that, I'll slow my car a bit, so that I can possibly make out the sound of what she's saying over the blowing winds, which should quiet with the reduction of speed.
It takes a couple times, and you're having a difficult time driving and reading her lips--but you're pretty sure she's mouthing, "Pull Over".
The other car is still following.
--M. J. Young
krillis
Member
I think for a moment about the issue at hand. She could either be there to help me or harm me.
I'm most defended in the car.
...but I'm immortal anyways. I pull the car over, but I only roll down the window, instead of getting out of the car to talk to her. Do I recognize this woman when we've stopped?
She pulls over next to you. Her passenger side window is already down.
"You're the new spy, right?" she says. "You've got it wrong--Steranko is the...."
At this point the other car comes up, and the man inside aims a pistol in your direction. He has not slowed down much, and appears to be attempting to shoot someone without stopping. He does look familiar: he looks like Zigesfeld, the bodyguard included among Steranko's associates.
--M. J. Young
The black car which Zigesfeld is driving pulls ahead perhaps fifty yards and does a skid turn, now facing to come back toward you.
The girl's windshield shows a crack from being hit; your car seems to have deflected the bullets, although one deflected off the inside of the passenger side window and sank into the back of the seat next to you.
Before you can open your door, the black car is accelerating back toward you.
The girl has sat up again, and appears unharmed. It is not entirely clear to you whether the Zigesfeld was shooting at her or you; he could have hit either or both.
--M. J. Young
krillis
Member
I attempt to grab the woman and hurl her into the passenger seat of my car as quickly as possible.
After that, I'll slam the door with just as much emphasis on speed.
Once I'm in the car, I'll attempt to begin pursuit of Zigesfeld and figure out how to use the machineguns attached to the car.
I am confused about what you think you are doing. Let me attempt to put it in perspective, because one of us doesn't understand what the other has described. Sometimes that turns out to be me.
You were being pursued by two cars, one containing a maybe nineteen year old very attractive girl and another containing a man you recognize as Zigesfeld, one of Steranko's bodyguards. The girl pulled up alongside you and yelled for you to pull over, and you did. She started to say something when Zig shot past and opened fire as he did so. You are sitting in your car, her car is stopped on your driver's side, she is sitting in her car.
Zig continued past you about fifty yards and did a one hundred eighty degree skid turn so that his car is now facing back toward you for another pass.
What you describe to me would involve:
--M. J. Young
krillis
Member
Ooooh, okay, I did misunderstand. I thought she was outside her car by my driver's side window for some reason.
Instead, I'll nod at the woman while checking to see if she's alright. At the same time, I'll press on the gas and roll up the window. Then, I'll investigate if I know how to use the machineguns attached to the car.
If I do, then I'll dive toward's Zig and start firing when I get 30 yards away.
The girl puts her car in reverse and backs away from you; you are barely aware of this as you scan panels--geosynchronous location system, database, communications, finally finding weapons systems. You hit that button, and a panel opens on the center console as a pleasant female voice says, "Weapons Systems Active". Scanning this, you see selectors for rear blast shield, fore and aft rockets, oil slick, smoke, finally what must be machine guns, plus a targeting joy stick. You hit the button.
As the voice says "Machine Guns active" the system shoots, and one bullet cracks the windshield of the car that is almost upon you. The driver veers, fires his pistol out the window; the bullet glances off your side window without leaving a mark, and Zig sails past you, now behind you.
A glance in your mirror shows that the girl has put some distance between you, heading back toward the city Zig is slowing, as if trying to see what he might have done.
--M. J. Young
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