Chapter XIV
"Double oh nine? Is that you?" an elder Englishman asks.
~~Huh, wot, uh, yeah. Wot's goin' on?~~ Jon asks groggily.
"You are back at HQ, 009. M wants to see you, right away."
~~Sure, I'll get right on that. Point me in the right direction, and I'm there.~~
"Out that door to the right, 009. Are you okay?"
~~Jus' a bit tired, that's all. Kin ya refuel the porche? I feel like drivin'.~~
"I can refuel it, but I'm not sure M will let you take it out."
~~Damn....Well, thanks anyway...?~~ Jon puts a hint of a question in his tone.
"Q, 009, Q."
~~....Q, thanks Q.~~ Jon says as he climbs out of the porche. He surveys his
surroundings.
It is some kind of a laboratory or a testing area, full of white-coated men testing
various objects, all seeming lethal. Jon picks his way through the men, and walks out
to the corridor.
~'Cool, I feel like I'm in a spy movie.'~ Jon thinks to himself as he walks to this
M's office. He stops at the receptionists desk.
"Go right on in, 009." The secretary says, not looking up from her crossword puzzle.
~~Thank you.~~ Jon says, entering. ~~M?~~
"Over `ere, 009. Looking over some reports. I `ave your mission briefing ready. It's in
the folder on my desk." M says.
~~`Kay.~~ Jon says, picking up the folder.
As he browses the material in the folder, he looks over to M. M is a middle-aged
Englishwoman. She is looking at a computer screen. Jon can't read what is on the screen. Jon
looks through the information.
~'One of our agents, 007, is missing.'~ he reads. ~'He was on a classified mission, and all
we can tell you is that the future of the USA rests on the success of the mission.'~
~~007?!~~
"Yes, our best agent. `E was almost complete with `is mission when we lost contact with
`im. You will be transported to upstate New York, to his last known co-ordinates. Then you will
be air-dropped, out on your own."
~~Anything else I need to know?~~
"You will be outfitted with a bullet-proof vest, and commissioned a side arm. All other devices
are left up to you."
~~Okay, when do I leave?~~
"Oh four `undred. You will go to Q's to be outfitted, then you will rest. You can go now."
~~Sure, on it.~~ Jon says as he leaves.
"Be careful, 009. We've already lost one agent, we don't need to lose another."
Jon nods as he leaves, turning for Q's laboratory.
~~Wot do ya go fer me, Q?~~
"A few things, 009. What did M say you needed?"
~~A bullet-proof vest, a side-arm, and anything else I want that I can carry. Wot nifty little
things ya got?~~
"This fashionable sports coat is a bullet-proof vest.."
~~Naw.. I want something I can wear underneath this.~~ Jon says, and motions to his leather
jacket.
"Well, I have this fabric that is bullet-proof. We can make a shirt."
~~Okay. Wot do ya have fer `andguns?~~
"This is a laser-sighted beretta, the clip is filled with explosive bullets."
~~Cool. I want that, and a small box of ammo. Do ya `ave any inconspicuous weapons?~~
Q holds up a pen. He then points it at Jon. Jon flinches slightly.
"It's only a pen, 009. That," Q uses the pen to point at a pair of boots. "pair of boots contains
a mini-missile-launcher."
~~Awesome. Do you `ave `em in my size?~~
Q chuckles.
"Of course. Will there be anything else?"
Jon thinks for a moment.
~~`Ow about a pair of sunglasses that shift to infrared?~~
"We jus' perfected a pair of those. Do you want wrap-around, or a regular pair?"
~~Wrap-around.~~
Q nods, and walks off to a cupboard. He pulls several small boxes from it, and sets them on
a table.
"Okay, 009, this is your stuff. This is your beretta, with a leather holster. These are the papers
for it." He hands Jon a gun and a small portfolio. "Here is the pair of boots. This is a remote
activator." Q holds out a pair of black boots, and a small device, similar to a keychain. "And these are
your sunglasses. There is a small switch on the left bow, that activates the infrared visor. That's it.
Oh, yes, your ammo." He walks over to a locked cabinet and pulls a small box, marked
'EXPLOSIVE: CAUTION'. He carries it to Jon. "This is the explosive ammo. Be careful. A small
bump _could_ trigger them."
~~Cool, thanks.~~ Jon says as he hooks the holster and beretta to his belt. He hooks the boot-
activator keychain to his own set of keys. He slips off his old pair of boots and slides his nice new pair
of explosive footwear on. Nodding thanks to Q, he walks outside and looks at a directory, looking for
a cafeteria of something of the like. Jon spots the elevator for the cafeteria down the hall, and walks
down to it. He steps into the elevator, and a computerized voice calls out.
"Floor please."
~~Cafeteria.~~
"Floor please."
~~I said... wait, damn, I can't use my telepathy on a computer...~~
Jon looks around the small space for some sort of a keypad. He finds it under a panel next
to a speaker. There is a multitude of buttons on the pad, and Jon spies one marked 'cafeteria'. Jon
presses down on it. The elevator jerks slightly, and the only sense of movement is a slight humming
noise. The doors slide open, and Jon steps out to a brightly light room, with an array of vending
machines against one wall, and about a dozen tables are set up around the room. People are milling
about, and a few turn when Jon enters. He nods hello to those who turn, and orders a cup of coffee
from one of the vending machines. He grabs his cup and walks over to a deserted table. He is sipping
his coffee, watching the other people and the clock.
"Is this seat taken?" A woman's voice asks, and Jon looks up to see a woman, blonde, maybe
early twenties, motioning to the seat at the end of the table.
~~No, go right a`ead. `Ave a seat.~~ Jon says, smiling slightly.
The woman sits, and starts to eat the small meal she has on a tray.
"Are you new `ere?"
~~Sorta. You?~~
"Yeah. They `ired me Monday."
~'So it `as to be sometime during the week.'~ Jon thinks.
"What do you do?" she asks.
~~Um, I can't really say.~~
"Oh, one of those guys." She moves down to the seat in front of him, and leans forward. "Is
that what is up on the top floors? I've been wondering."
~~Uh, if I say, you can't tell anyone. There are some strange things up there.~~
She nods.
"Yup, that's what I thought." She leans back. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."
~~Good. `Cause then I'd `ave to kill you.~~ Jon says completely deadpan.
She moves back.
"Uh, yeah... I think I'll move back down `ere." She says, and moves back down to the end.
Jon chuckles, then looks at a clock on the wall. It reads 3:30 a.m. Jon finishes off his coffee,
and walks back to the elevator, dumping the empty cup in the trash. He enters the elevator, and opens
the panel. He presses a button marked 'lab', and the computerized voice speaks.
"Access code please."
Jon sighs, and starts to let his psionic aura flow out into the computer. He psionically fiddles
with some of the components, and then the voice comes back on.
"Access code accepted. Thank you." And then the elevator begins to move up. Jon withdraws
his aura back from the computer, and leans against the wall.
~'I got to get this as efficient as possible...`~
The doors open, and Jon walks down to the lab.
~~Q? Q, are you in `ere?~~
"Over `ere, 009. What do you need?"
~~Wot kinda watches do you `ave fer me?~~
"Well, what are you looking for?"
~~I need a watch that automatically switches time zones, maybe a minicomputer or something,
or maybe a laser..~~
"We `ave a watch that reads the position of the sun, and then recalibrates its time. It also
has a small heat laser, activates by the chronometer trigger."
~~I'll take it.~~ Jon says, then sits down on a stool to wait for Q to get his watch. Q just
reaches over to a dummy and takes the watch from it. He then hands it to Jon.
"There you go, 009. The battery is life-time, and that thing will withstand pressures up to
half a mile underwater."
~~Great!~~ Jon says as he straps on the watch. Jon waves to Q as he leaves, then heads
down to M's office.
"Go right in, 009. She's waiting fer you."
Jon walks in, wondering if the secretary can read his mind.
"Good. I expected you coming by. You need to go up to the top floor, up to the helipad.
A copter is waiting to take you to the airstrip. Do you have your gear?
~~Yes, ma`am. Why? Is there anything else I need?~~
"Just some GPS gear. One of Q's tech will meet you up there to give you the gear. Ypu'd
better get going, 009."
~~Thanks. See you later!~~ Jon says as he leaves. He nods to the secretary, then gets into
the elevator.
After pressing the button marked 'helipad' and getting another access code requirement, he
reaches out with his aura. He activates the elevator, then slumps down to the floor.
~'I'm gonna need some sleep.'~
The elevator opens, and a young man in a lab coat is waiting outside. He is carrying a box.
"Double oh nine?" The tech asks.
~~No, Santa Claus. Of course I'm double oh nine. Do you `ave the GPS gear?~~
"Yes, sir. Please hold out your arm."
Jon holds out his arm as he walks toward the doors outside, and the tech straps a small box
to Jon's arm. He presses a button on the side and several panels flip up, along with a small satelite
dish.
"This is the satelite dish, that connects you to the GPS network. In order fer it to work you
must be outside. The battery is lifetime guaranteed, and the case itself is shockproof. It is
waterproof, but we wouldn't suggest taking it swimming."
Jon hits the button again, and the satelite folds closed and slides back into the case, and the
panels flip shut.
~~Thanks.~~ Jon says, and then walks out onto the helipad.
The waiting pilot motions for Jon to duck down and hurry. Jon does, and he climbs into
the small, two-man helicopter. He places the headset on as the pilot ets into the other seat.
"Ready fer takeoff?" The pilot asks over the mike.
~~Yep. `Ow long to the airstrip?~~
"In this ride? Ten minutes!" The pilot boasts, then lifts the craft off the ground.
Jon chuckles to himself, and then settles in for a quick nap. He awakes to the pilots
nudges, and then gets out of the copter, walking over to the small jet. He climbs into the jet, and
settles into his seat as it takes off. He presses the mike button on the armrest of his chair.
~~`Ow long's the flight? And wot's the movie?~~
Jon can hear the pilot chuckle.
"This is a three hour flight, and there ain't no movie. They got you flying coach."
Jon chuckles, and settles down into the seat. He dozes off, and then awakes to a buzzing
noise. He jerks up, then presses the mike button.
~~Wot's going on?~~
"Time fer yer jump, agent man. The chutes in the seat across from ya. The door will
open, and the light will go green when we come to yer drop zone."
Jon straps on the chute as the pilot continues.
"That gauge on the strap will tell you when to pull the chute. It will read green when it is
time. Ya got a minute to pull the chute before the emergency chute opens. Got all that?"
Jon presses the mike.
~~Yep.~~ Jon says, then walks over to the door. As he steps to the line on the floor, the
door slides open. Jon watches the light, and when it turns green, he leaps from the jet. The
sudden rush of wind almost knoch his new gear off, but he envelopes himself in a small cocoon.
He plummets downward, and in the blackness of the night, the gauge flashes green. Jon turns in
midair, righting himself, and then he rips the cord. The chute flies from the pack, and Jon jerks up
several feet before settling into a comfortable downward descent. As he descends lower, he can
see the tops of trees.
~'Where the hell did they drop me, Canada?'~ Jon thinks as he hits the tops of the trees. (
geocities.com/timessquare)