Disclaimer: I own Celeste, I'm borrowing Elaine, Chris, and Lilith, while the rest belong to Norman Felton and others. Ah well.
Notes: Time travel is fun!
Synopsis: A place that plays music and sells drugs that aren't supposed to be around for another few years sends the group on a new mission while THRUSH comes in to gain some of the new items. Can the four help foil a drug dealer from the future?
Culture Shock
Part 2: The Date Drug Affair
The knock on the door caused Celeste to stand, walking over to open it as Elaine made herself some cereal for a late breakfast, sitting down as Napoleon and Illya walked in.
"So how was the last mission?" Elaine asked as she began to eat.
"Long," Napoleon told her, sitting, "and your stay here?"
Elaine shrugged as Celeste answered, "We find things to keep us occupied. What can we do for you guys?"
Illya pulled out a folder and told them, "Two of our agents were following up on a lead and ended up in a type of club that they described as...well, rather odd and out-of-place. They had to leave when one of them, after a drink, began to feel overly intoxicated. UNCLE Medical found traces of a drug that we can't identify."
"The closest we've found is a Swedish company, but it's only in the experimental stages and there have been no leaks at all from there of the formula. We were wondering if you two knew anything about it."
Illya handed the chemical analysis to Elaine, who took it and blinked. "Yikes, I forgot how strange chemistry looked."
Celeste frowned, though, and opened up the laptop she had brought with them, turning it on before asking, "What were the symptoms he had? I mean, he had an alcoholic drink, right?"
Illya nodded. Napoleon continued, "He ended up falling asleep in Medical, when he woke up this morning he didn't remember having arrived, though he was conscious when he got here, if only barely. When he came in, though, he showed all the signs of being drunk, including getting sick before he fell asleep."
Elaine frowned as she muttered, "That sounds like a roofie, doesn't it?"
Celeste nodded as Elaine explained, "A roofie is a street name for a drug called Rohypnol. Its side effects are a lot like the ones you described, especially when mixed with alcohol."
Celeste nodded, smiling as she found it. "Here. Let me see the stuff Illya gave you." The paper was scanned and Celeste nodded. "It's a roofie all right, but that makes no sense."
Napoleon leaned back. "Why not?"
"Rohypnol wasn't created until the early 1970's. So this is at least five years too early to be anywhere near a club, which means either someone else made something like this, or we have another time-traveling place."
Elaine nodded, eating some more before asking, "Did they know what type of music or whatever they played?"
"We have a recording, if you want to hear. Maybe it could tell us if it was a time-travel incident or not," Napoleon said.
"If so," Illya pointed out, "then we will need your help again. However, THRUSH is also on the move. Our agents followed one of theirs into the club, and from what we can guess, he came out in much the same state."
Elaine shrugged, then sighed. "Are we bait again?"
Napoleon gave her a smile as he let out a small laugh. "No. If anything, I'd think Illya and I were."
"Oh." Elaine shrugged, finishing off the cereal. "Good."
Act 1: "A few misplaced songs"
"So what, exactly," Waverly asked as Elaine listened to the tape, "is Rohypnol used for?"
"According to the site I was on, it was originally a sedative and used to help cure insomnia in some people," Celeste told him, closing the laptop. "It wasn't until later that it was found to be addictive and, while it's still used, only in small doses. I guess a medical student figured out another way to use it and started dropping it in drinks. After that it became a date-rape drug."
Napoleon looked over in confusion. "Date-rape?"
Celeste sighed. "Okay, due to the fact that some people, in our time and after this lovely little 'free sex' era, decide to be a little more...open...while finding the right person to be with."
Illya snorted. "Napoleon knows all about that."
Celeste and Illya both ignored Napoleon's injured look as she continued to explain, "Yes, but not all of them are as cool, flirty or chivalrous as Napoleon when it comes to dates. Some of them are lousy bastards, and thus expect someone who even puts make-up on for a date to 'put out' afterwards. When they don't, then you have date-rape, or acquaintance-rape."
Waverly sighed. "The things that people turn to for such a silly need."
Celeste shrugged. "Human nature, I guess, or an evolutionary deficiency. Either way, the result later on was some desperate people using drugs that were primarily sedatives and worked well with alcohol, or they got them drunk and went that way. Some people don't report it, though, because of the affect many have on their memory, especially when coupled with alcohol."
Waverly nodded. "So the drugs acts to create more of an intoxication, or at least help them forget what happened. I take it that also helps out should they try to prosecute?"
"Helps out the perps, yes," Celeste said, then gave a small smile. "Sorry, watch too many cop dramas. But yes, it does because that makes it easier for their testimony to be broken and allows them to get away, thus creating a lovely double-jeopardy factor and such."
Elaine straightened suddenly, her eyes blinking at the song and then looked over at Celeste and the others. The group waited as she fast-forwarded the tape, stopped, blinked again, then completely stopped the tape. "Well, I think this is going to need us."
"Oh?" Waverly asked."
"The first three songs were from around now...'The Lonely Bull' by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, 'California Girls' by the Beach Boys, and one other one by the Ventures. The last few...one was the Rolling Stones, 'Satisfaction', and..." she looked over at Celeste. "Two ones that don't fit this era."
Celeste frowned. "What are they?"
"Right Said Fred and Sir Mixalot."
Celeste blinked at that, than smiled. "Can I hear?"
"NO, you have them on your computer, you don't need to hear them."
Celeste sighed and then shook her head. "Okay, but that doesn't make sense. Why run the risk of drugs like that going somewhere they shouldn't be? Unless they're not very careful with this stuff."
Waverly nodded. "Well, that is something you all will have to figure out. I expect you to get in and find out what is going on there, and who put that drug into my agent's drink. Do so before THRUSH can get their hands on the drugs. We don't need them with newer drugs that we don't have."
The group nodded as he left, Napoleon and Illya behind him. Elaine sighed. "Why are we always the bait?"
"We aren't this time," Celeste pointed out, "Maybe Napoleon and Illya will be. Besides, if they play 'Baby Got Back' again tonight, you can use that as an excuse to dirty-dance in front of Napoleon."
Elaine shot a glare at her friend. "You," she told her with less enthusiasm then she felt, "are not funny."
"I don't see why you two have to bring those," Napoleon pointed to the cases with the extra changes of clothing, "You both look lovely."
Elaine frowned. "Well, if it is a place with various times or our time, we can change. As nice as this outfit is, I would like to not be in a skirt."
"True," Celeste said, looking over at the entrance.
"Celeste, you always wear pants if you have half the chance."
Celeste shrugged, smiling at Illya as he held out his arm for her. "Why thank you."
Elaine smiled at Napoleon as he offered the same, the four walking across the street and to the entrance when a new voice broke in.
"Celeste? Is that you?"
Celeste turned at her name and her smile turned into a huge grin as she hugged the person who was dressed in what appeared to be stereotypical hippie clothing. "Chris! What the he—how did you get here?"
The person in question had short, dark brown hair and a smile on his face, a peace sign painted on it with a rainbow inside. "Oh please," he said in a voice that left little imagination as to which way he swung, "I never told you about this place?"
Celeste's shoulders went down. "NO, you didn't."
Chris paused at this. "Then...why are you here?"
Elaine sighed. "Could we get in and now worry about how we got here?"
"I guess that's Elaine. Who are the two studs you picked up? Not that I'm fishing for them...not my type."
"At all," Celeste said, "This is Napoleon and Illya. They've been nice enough to let us stay with them for the time being."
"I see. Well, they ask anything in return?"
"Are you going to get us in," Illya asked, "or ask questions?"
Chris held up his hands. "Back off a notch, I was just asking. I need to ensure my Celeste," he hugged Celeste with one arm, "and her friend are safe with you two. Why do you all need to get in so badly?"
"We'll explain after we change," Elaine pleaded.
Chris nodded. "Okay then, that I understand. I tell you, though, those two are in for a few shocks."
Napoleon gave him a smile. "We're used to it."
With another shrug, Chris led the group into the club.
Napoleon and Illya waited as the trio got changed, Illya sighing as they did. "Why should we trust him?"
"The girls do."
"Last time I trusted someone off anyone else's word, we had to go back and apologize for stealing that scepter after--."
Napoleon coughed, stopping Illya from continuing. "Yes, I, ah, remember that."
"So why should we trust him?"
"Well, he is from their time, they do know him, and I doubt THRUSH could come up with anyone who could be his double."
Chris walked up at the last part, now dressed in tighter levis and a black shirt that was buttoned up about halfway before saying, "Well, thanks for that. What's taking Celeste so long? She's usually the first one out." He cast them a speculative look. "You didn't have her wear tights, did you?"
Celeste walked out. "No, they didn't, but I had to find my shoes. I didn't think I remembered them." Celeste was now dressed in a deep blue shirt with black lines running along the shoulders and under her bust, a knot accenting them. Her levis were also dark and she wore small, black shoes that she moved slightly in. "I'm glad I brought them, I think I would've been out of place in tennis shoes."
"No, I would have had to call the fashion police, if not done a citizen's arrest on you myself," Chris said, smiling as they waited. "Now what about Elaine?"
"She'll be out soon. I toss the stuff into the case, she actually folds it. One of the differences between us."
Napoleon smiled as they stood, waiting, "Well, I must admit, I like this new fashion."
Illya shook his head. "It has it's perks."
Chris rolled his eyes as he looked at Celeste. "He's your date?"
"WHAT? I like him. Never a dull moment."
At that point Elaine walked out, placing the key needed to get their things back in her pocket. "Are we ready to go?"
As compared to Celeste, Elaine was slightly darker, tall black jungle boots leading to jeans that flared out, and a dark red shirt that accented her...well...assets as it were.
Chris smiled. "And suddenly I am one of the three luckiest guys in the room."
Both Celeste and Illya rolled their eyes, while Napoleon stood looking over at Elaine, who blushed as she realized he was looking and lingering on every feature, eyes and face included.
Which made it very hard for her to think of a retort at this point, expect to say, "We need to get going and do our job."
Napoleon charmed her with a smile and held out his arm. "That we do. Shall we?"
The group ended up at the bar as some low music played beyond, leading into the main club-area. The whole of it was subterranean and cooled or heated depending on the time of year. Chris explained that the bar was apparently from the future and extremely exclusive in that time, but would allow in people from the past as well.
"I guess they just like our music," he concluded, "that's all I hear them play. But other then that they have an indoor pool, fighting area, game area...it's like a mall instead of a club!"
"Fighting area?" Napoleon asked.
"Yeah, for real fights between professionals or to hash out a difference," Chris told them as he ordered himself a drink. "You girls want anything?"
"I do have a question," Elaine said, "Can you get back to a time you didn't enter into?"
"Well, yeah, but only if you have a special pass. I did for one day, just to go out and about, but I can't do that again. One-time deal," he sipped his drink. "Is this because you both are stuck in the past or something?"
"First one," Celeste told him, "had to ask."
Chris shrugged. "I'd ask them about it, but I don't think they'd want to mess with it. They're picky about that stuff. I can't get anything from the past here, and if I do, it ages the appropriate amount of time when I get back. So mint-condition items are out for selling, but that doesn't stop a few from trying."
Illya spoke up, "What about Rohypnol, or another type of drug like that? Could it be smuggled out?"
Chris coughed into his drink, looking at the two girls then their dates when he was done. "Should I guess some of it ended up in the past?"
The two nodded, not adding anything else and Chris sighed, thinking. "I dunno. I'll go ask Lilith, she might."
Elaine and Celeste blinked at that. "Lilith's here too?" Elaine asked, obviously happy about that fact.
"Sure. She's probably in the karaoke bar, though. I'll go find her, you stay here and watch over your men."
Chris placed his finished drink back and headed out, causing Napoleon to ask Elaine quietly, "Who's Lilith?"
"A mutual friend," Elaine explained, "I didn't think she'd know so much, though."
Celeste walked over, looking at the selection behind the bar and blinking. "Oh, cool, they have those order tables."
"Barmen are better," the bartender told her as he walked up, "What'd you want?"
"Harvey Wallbanger, please," she said happily.
Elaine rolled her eyes. "What is it with you and that drink?"
"I like it," Celeste said with a shrug as she accepted her drink, eating the small orange that came with it before taking a sip. "You're the one who always drinks the strange ones."
"Ma'am?" the bartender asked Elaine now.
"Jamaican Ten-Speed."
Celeste rolled her eyes now. "You pick some of the weirdest things."
Napoleon watched the liquor that went into the shot-glass, which Elaine downed quickly as Celeste drank more of her own drink, finishing off about half of it quickly.
"Sir?"
"Ah...a Vesper, if you would."
A nod while both girls looked over at him and shook their heads, Illya joining them.
"What?" he asked.
"The James Bond Martini?" Elaine asked, watching as Napoleon accepted it and drank some, smiling at the taste.
"He finds it very funny, to order things like James Bond would," Illya said, then told the bartender, "Vodka, Russian if you would."
"Shot or a glass?" the bartender asked.
"Glass," Illya said, and was happy to get his own drink quickly. He gave it a casual sip and smiled. "At least it is Russian vodka, and chilled too."
Celeste cast him a glance. "I tried a shot of something like vodka once. It hurt. A lot."
Elaine had already turned back to the bar. "Long Island Ice Tea."
The rest of the group winced as Elaine shrugged. "Might as well get it over with."
Chris told Lilith, "That's them."
The other red-head smiled as she saw her friends, who were speaking to two of the men at the bar. Lilith herself was dressed in a somewhat gothic look, her darker red hair standing out against her own dark clothing and make-up. She frowned as they neared and she heard Elaine say to the bartender. "Sex with an Alligator."
The dark-haired man who had been speaking to her paused and said, "Honestly, dear, I don't care how drunk you are, but there are other options."
The blond man who was speaking to Celeste rolled his eyes and at the comment and said simply, his tone teasing and bored, "Napoleon, it's a drink, not an invitation."
Celeste herself giggled then added, "In this case, I think it's both."
Elaine turned bright red as her drink came over and Lilith walked over as well, Chris nearby. "Hey. So, what brings you guys here?"
