Pasedena, California
Interpol agent Alan White who could pass for Sean Connery in his fifties surveys the clutter of moving boxes while stretching his back. "Penny that's everything."
"Finally, phew I hate moving."
Agent White stops stretching and pointedly stares at Penny. He knows this is a difficult time for her. Moving to a new country, being separated from her parents and being pursued by the Committee.
"Remember to always call me dad. Agent Feldon will portray your mom. She or I will contact you only in case of extreme circumstances. Agent Glover whose alias is Kurt will be your contact here in Pasadena."
Tired of standing, the pair moved to sit on the stools by the kitchen island.
"We are fortunate that your English is impeccable so no one would suspect that your background is Argentinian. Luckily speaking fluent Spanish is no big deal in California. Moria Casero no longer exists. From now on you will be known as Penelope Clara Hooker."
Penny's eyes grow large and you can practically see her mind processing the significance of her name. "What the fuck? Who in the hell came up with that name? I'm not introducing myself as a Penny Hooker. No sir, that needs to change yesterday." Penny stares at her Agent White as if he's lost his mind.
Grimacing, he understands Penny's aversion to such a name and he and his partner tried to change it but they were up against the clock and could not get it done. "Agent Ross handles processing and documentation of new Witness Protection Program identities. She dated Agent Baxter and due to time constraints we were unable to change your name."
Penny moans.
"And of course you remember Agent Baxter, the person you annihilated verbally and caused his subsequent firing."
"I saw my parents' murdered bodies. I was supposedly in shock/grieving with their blood on my clothes and hands. Who asks someone on a date at such a time?"
"I agree, Agent Baxter was put on desk duty pending a hearing. He was finally let go last week. They are trying to determine how he passed his initial psych evaluations."
"INTERPOL's Global Complex of Innovation exists because of your mother and father. Our organization will do everything in its power to keep their only child and witness to their murder safe."
Shaking her head in disbelief, "you have got to be kidding me. I refuse to use that name."
Seeking a compromise, "how about you only use the first name. Don't speak of the last name. If you run into problems call me and we will smooth any resistance or run interference so no one learns of it, like Cher or Madonna."
He smiled hoping she would agree.
Continuing while Penny was silently contemplating his suggestion, "Agent Feldon is campaigning for you to join our organization for your tech skills and being one of the few super recognizers in existence."
Distracted from her thoughts, "I'm flattered but I grew up with a computer as my pacifier. I am not anxious to spend the remaining portion of my life looking at a computer screen. However, I do have a weakness for gaming."
Retrieving a folder from his briefcase, "Let's go over your cover one last time."
"My name is Penelope Clara Hooker." No one will ever know my middle and last name. I will only be known as Penny or on extreme occasions Penelope. I'm from Omaha, Nebraska where my mom and dad own a farm. My dad's name is Wyatt Hooker and mom is T.J. Hooker. I have two siblings, both older. My sister, Candy Gilliam is the oldest. Candy's husband is Jeff and she has two kids, a girl Ashley, 14 and a boy Sam, 7. My brother B.J. Hooker is serving four years for manufacturing meth. I just broke up with my boyfriend of three years, Kurt."
"Excellent, the tenants in this building is an average assortment of hard working Americans and a couple of retirees. The pair across the hall in 4A are brainiacs with questionable social skills and common sense."
"Dr. Hofstader an experimental physicist is a nice enough guy but can't think when a woman is anywhere near him. He has been diagnosed as a sex addict. He came to our attention when he stole some fuel in order to impress a North Korean spy Joyce Kim. We suspect that the elevator is out-of-order due to a minor explosion involving that fuel but have no proof. However, he is under surveillance."
"If you know he stole the fuel why hasn't he been arrested?"
"I can't answer that. It came from the higher ups that he has immunity."
"Dr. Sheldon Cooper is a theoretical physicist and one of the top 10 smartest people alive in the world today. He is idiosyncratic, narcissistic, and a germaphobe. He may have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and/or Asperger syndrome."
Penny looks stunned. Wyatt continues discussing Sheldon shaking his head and smiling at Penny's expression.
"He appears to be asexual. His mother had him tested on numerous occasions 'to see if he was crazy' he tested borderline. Which means he did just enough to be classified as sane."
"Wow. I really have to be on my game around those two."
"You wanted to do the waitress / struggling actress bit so you can always say you are practicing for a part. If you are caught out of character."
"One more thing, the physicists have four friends that are always over. Dr. Rajesh Koothrappali an astrophysicist who suffers from extreme shyness around women."
"The other friend Howard Wolowitz is a brilliant engineer. My apologies. When you meet him you will understand. I won't tell you about his dress style you have to see it to believe it."
Agent White lets out a chuckle.
"Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler is a neurobiologist and Sheldon's close colleague.
"Bernadette Rostenkowski is Amy's friend. She should be receiving her doctorate in microbiology at the end of the month. She works as a waitress at the Cheesecake Factory where you will start Monday."
"Agent Glover will check on you frequently for a couple of weeks, then he will disappear but will remain your main contact."
"According to our sources the cyber-terrorist known as "Mollusk" remains at large in France after fleeing Singapore. Moria, your parents are being guarded around the clock. With the combined resources of INTERPOL, Mi5, and the Central Intelligence Agency the Mollusk will be apprehended. You can then testify in the Netherlands and return to your life and parents as Moria Casero of Singapore."
Wyatt and Penny's bodies go on alert. They move from the stools to stand by the door. They hear voices and footsteps outside the door. Wyatt opens the door to investigate while Penny looks on. He sees a tall gentleman he recognizes as Sheldon and a short guy beside him, Leonard. Penny walks over towards the door to stand next to Wyatt, smiles and introduces herself.
"Hello"
The tall guy appears shocked, shy, and standoffish in that order. The short guy is nervous but puffs himself up to provide an introduction.
Smiling and looking a little creepy he says, "Hello, I'm Dr. Leonard Hofstader and this is my roommate Dr. Sheldon Cooper. We live across the hall in 4A."
"Ohhhhh, how sweet." Looking between the two she thought to herself, could they be gay?
Leonard thought, She is so beautiful I can't take my eyes off her. I can see our kids now, smart and beautiful. Glancing at Sheldon who is fidgeting and looking at the floor like a nutcase.
"I'm Penny and this is my dad Wyatt. I am your new neighbor."
"That's great! Welcome, isn't that great Sheldon?" Leonard catches his roommate off guard before he can enter the apartment.
Sheldon replies, "Yes, What happened to the previous tenant?"
"I don't know, the landlord wasn't forthcoming on any information."
Sheldon appears put-upon and could care less to converse with the new neighbor. "Leonard, come along before our food cools to an unacceptable temperature. I have worked up an appetite from when we masturbated earlier today."
All except Sheldon stood stunned not quite knowing how to move pass this awkward situation.
With a tomato face Leonard looks at Penny saying, "He was joking."
Leonard's smiled creepily and turned to follow his roommate into their apartment.
Penny and Wyatt turned to go inside shutting and locking the door bemused as they sat on the couch.
"Sheldon is cute for all his awkwardness. Wyatt you forgot to mention that they are gay or at least bisexual. Leonard appears to be a creepy sex fiend." Penny thought, to be on the safe side I will not eat and/or drink anything while in their presence.
"Their file excluded any mention of them being gay. I checked out your apartment everything is in working order. Your car is downstairs, a red Cabriolet. We rigged it so that the engine light stays on to indicate the GPS is engaged and to help with your struggling waitress/actress persona. The keys are on the counter.
"You will also have a 24-hour security detail attached to you at all times. The detail consists of twelve men and women working in shifts of two."
Wyatt reaches into his backpack and pulls out a large envelope and hands it to Penny. Penny opens the envelope, which contains images of twelve people and a ring.
"Please memorize the faces of the twelve agents. Your gift of facial recognition memory gives us an advantage against your enemies. You need to wear your ring at all times. It is programmed to work with your fingerprints. If you are in danger you will feel a pulsing from the ring. Depressing the face of your ring will activate the ringtone of your security details' phone. This feature will help you confirm their identity."
"The agents on duty will each wear a duplicate of your ring on their pinky finger. If they are not wearing the rings or if only one is wearing a ring, they have been compromised and you are in immediate danger."
"Do you have any questions before I leave?"
"No you have been most thorough. I need to get down to the business of unpacking and making this apartment home."
They both get up and walk towards the door. Pausing she looks into Wyatt's eyes, "Thank you for keeping my parents safe."
As Wyatt nods and opens the door Leonard is on the opposite side preparing to knock.
Wyatt continues to walk out the apartment and down the stairs, "Bye sweetheart, I will call you when I make it home. I love you."
"Bye dad, love you too."
Turning to look at Leonard who has been standing politely while they said their goodbyes.
"Hi Leonard, What's up?"
"I know moving can be rough so I wanted to invite you over for dinner. We are having Thai."
Howard and Raj are walking up the steps discussing the new Batman comic when they see Leonard talking to a beautiful girl.
Raj's eyes bulge and he experiences an uncontrollable erection. He immediately runs into Leonard's apartment.
"Leonard, please introduce me to this ravishing female."
"Hi Howard, this is our new neighbor Penny who I saw first and was inviting over for Thai food. Penny this is our friend Howard Wolowitz and Rajesh Koothrappali was the guy that ran into our apartment."
Penny is blinded by Howard's outfit, skintight glittering purple pants, black turtleneck or dickie, glittering bright yellow shirt over turtleneck, Ringo Starr haircut, huge red belt buckle in the shape of lips and platform shoes. She was going blind and this outfit would be the last thing she sees.
Howard slinks up to Penny, staring at her breasts and invites her to dinner, dancing, and then to his place to play with some adult toys.
Leonard yells, "She is mine." Howard continues to stare at her breast.
Penny looks between the two and first addresses Howard.
She slaps Howard hard and he screams grabs his face and runs behind Leonard for protection.
Sheldon opens the door to see why Howard is screaming.
"I'm sorry, this happens all the time. I speak to a guy and they freeze or stare. I've learned to slap the shit out of them to help with their staring problem."
"Leonard, I just met you and I am not yours. I thank you for the dinner invitation but I will have to pass. Good night."
Penny walks into her apartment and locks her door. Sheldon is smiling at his buffoon friends as he walks back inside. Leonard looks at Howard fuming and arguing while walking back into his apartment.
"What is wrong with you? She is mine, back-off. I don't want her to think I am a nerd."
Raj looks up from his seat on the couch, "Dude, you are a nerd."
"For a filly that fine it's every man for himself. We don't have to worry about Raj or Sheldon for obvious reasons. Leonard, it's just you and me. May the best man win."
Smirking, "You are on, especially since she lives across the hall from me."
Ecully, France
In the gardens of a beautiful Chateau two persons meet at dusk. They glance around to assure they have not been followed.
"Mollusk,we have our people searching throughout Singapore and France for Rafael and Raissa Casero and their daughter Moria. Someone in our organization has gone renegade. Our kidnapping plans were foolproof."
"Conch, you are in charge of our overseas operations here in France and Singapore. Starting now you have seven days to find either the Caseros or their daughter. If they are being protected by INTERPOL, they are likely separated and anywhere in the world. Luckily for us if INTERPOL is involved the CIA has been notified also. The CIA is more corrupt than the "Committee" so it should be easy to obtain information regarding the Caseros."
"I understand, our contact stated that the Caseros have invented, by accident, technology that will transform the fields of medicine and transportation."
"I am flying back to New York tonight to report to the "Committee." Conch, I don't have to tell you this assignment is our top priority. All operatives, mercenaries, associates and so forth have been put on alert. If you fail to deliver the Caseros within the specified time period you and your entire family up to fourth generation cousins will be wiped off the face of the earth."
"…and Conch, there is no hiding from the 'Committee.' "