1.
No new structures are to be erected on site. Only modifications to existing structures will be allowed. See Section 3, Line 20 (Co-habitation Agreement) of Research and Development Manual.
2. No unauthorized will be issued as needed and all excursions must be escorted by qualified personnel or an appointed resident. See Section 2, Line 9 (Co- habitation Agreement) of Research and Development Manual.
The transportation of cultural artifacts and property is expressly forbidden without written permission of The Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division in conjunction with The EuropeanMonitoringInvestigation and EnforcementDivision. All other exports and imports are subject to individual consideration..
The sudden drop in altitude brought his behind out of the seat. The papers slid out of his lap to flutter beneath the feet of the passenger in front of him. He gripped the armrest with a decidedly un-manly screech, relieved even as the plane leveled off again, to hear he wasn't the only person who'd been unnerved by the turbulence.
He leaned forward to retrieve the papers, cursing under his breath. He abhorred flying. If the assignment hadn't been a once in a lifetime chance, he would have kept his feet firmly planted in Helen's Bay. Instead, he'd packed his suitcases, seen his doctor to beg off some Valium for the flight and boarded the plane in Belfast.
The assignment hardly seemed believable. A couple days prior to his departure he'd gone to the nursing home to visit his grandfather and tell him the news.
He hated the smell of the place. A mixture of stale urine, ancient perfume, muscle rub and cafeteria food permeated the air. He would always bring flowers of some sort, the more fragrant the better. He would sit then and listen as his grandfather, a former horticulturist, expounded on the origin or the genus of the blooms, adding some old folklore in for good measure. Then he would make sure his grandfather, was comfortable, had everything he needed, often staying for supper with him.
Of course his grandfather knew right off that this visit was different.
"Colin, where is it yer off to now?"
"Grandad, I only just got here." he'd smiled and patted his grandfather's knee, alarmed at how much weight he seemed to have lost since Colin had last seen him.
"Aye, ye miss my meaning but I can see it in yer face. Ye've come to tell me something."
Colin had given him a sheepish grin, "Yer a sharp one," yet unsure how to tell his grandfather what he himself still had trouble believing.
"I've been given a new assignment." Colin scratched his head, "Yer gonna think I've gone mental when I tell you."
"Try me," his grandfather had laced his hands over his stomach and leaned back into his pillows.
"Well I'm going out of town for a wee bit." In all actuality, his assignment packet indicated he'd be gone for at least a year but he saw no need to worry the old man.
"But where Col? Ye've not told me where?"
Colin had given a short laugh, "Do you remember when you used to tell me those stories from that book of mythology? About the Greeks and the Romans and the Norsemen with all their gods and goddesses and their palaces in the sky?"
"Aye?" He watched the smile slip from his grandfather's face, "What of them?"
Colin was aware his grandfather preferred to live in the years of his youth now. He'd never had much use for the telly or the papers even when Colin was a little boy, much preferring to read books or putter around in his greenhouses. When Colin had been hired on at his job, he'd simply told his family he worked in an office in Belfast. He'd kept from them the intensive combat training he'd had to endure, the multi-level security clearances he'd had to pass. The classes which had left his head hurting at the end of the day. Now he was going to let his grandfather in on his biggest secret, not that he would remember come tomorrow anyway.
"Grandad, I've an assignment to travel to a place called Asgard." There it was. Colin waited, watched the smile return to his grandfather's face, bloom into a full hearty laugh and Colin nodded.
"Aye, I thought as much."
His grandfather had wiped tears from his eyes, "Col, is it playing me for a fool, you are?"
"No, grandad. I swear on grandmom's grave."
His grandfather had chuckled, waved his finger at Colin, "Now, Col, tell me where it is yer really going to."
Colin had sighed. In the end, he'd told his grandfather he was going to the United States, kissed him on the forehead and helped him with his dinner. It wasn't a full on lie. He was going to the states, only he wasn't staying there for long.
Colin looked out the window at the skyline of Manhattan, listened to the other passengers exclaim over the Statue of Liberty standing sentinel in the harbor, the Empire state building, the Freedom tower, the Brooklyn bridge. He could focus on little else save the tall building in the middle of the city with the words "STARK" emblazoned across the facade in bright red and gold neon letters.
By the time the wheels of Aer Lingus flight four-six-three touched the tarmac at JFK, he was damp with sweat. His hands gripped his briefcase like a life preserver as the airliner slowed to a halt near the terminal.
"On behalf of the captain and crew, we'd like to thank you for flying Aer Lingus and we look forward to seeing you on board again in the future. Have a safe visit.." came the announcement as he shuffled along behind the passengers headed toward the exit hatch. He stepped out of the plane, shielding his eyes against the sun, momentarily overwhelmed by the difference between the temperature controlled cabin and a rare mid June heatwave.
"Thank you for flying Aer Lingus." The stewardess nodded at him as he started down the steps. He returned the nod then scanned the tarmac.
Parked on the pavement not far from the bottom of the steps was a gleaming black car. A woman in a dark grey suit jacket and skirt, her blond hair pulled back in a ponytail, stood beside the driver's side door. When she spied Colin, she smiled and started towards him with her hand outstretched, "Colin Denehy?"
"Aye, that'll be me." He stared at his own reflection in the woman's sunglasses, winced at how worn out he appeared.
Her hand met his, "Agent Lily An..." She grinned, and he noticed her cheeks bloom bright pink, "Forgive me. I'm still getting used to my married name, Lily Ericson." She turned to the car, "Shall we?"
"Uh, my luggage is still on the plane. Hadn't we ought to wait for it?" Colin cast a glance over his shoulder at the airliner.
"Your luggage will be sent to the office. Right now we have a lot to go over before you're ready to leave, Agent Denehy." She grabbed the door handle of the back seat and swung it open, "Now let's get going. Soonest begun is soonest done."
"Now you sound like me grandad." Colin climbed into the back seat and set his briefcase on the seat beside him.
Lily sat in the driver's seat and fit the key into the ignition, "I'll take that as a compliment."
Colin had leaned closer to the window, watching the city as they zipped down street after street.
"Is this your first time in New York?"
Colin glanced at Lily in the rearview mirror, "Ah, no. I was here as a boy but I don't recall much of the visit"
Lily returned his gaze, "A pity you won't have much time to enjoy the city during this visit either."
Colin looked out the car window, "I doubt I'd be able to in the first place. Too much on me mind."
They had stopped at a red light and Colin found himself staring into the crazed eyes an old lady with hair dyed jet black whose great girth and stunted height cast her in the shape of a soccer ball. She was dressed in a multi-colored shift, a blue button up sweater over her shoulders. She was pushing a shopping cart filled with numerous plastic bags filled with clothes, food, magazines, empty crates. Just as the light turned green, she shouted the word "Asshole" though the window muffled the retort, and shot him the finger.
"The people here are the epitome of friendliness."
Lily turned down a one way street, "You have your good and bad people just like anywhere else."
"I suppose."
Lily hit her blinker and honked the horn, Colin choosing to look down at the floorboard as he felt the car swerve into another turning lane, "So did your packet specify your assignment?"
Colin resisted the urge to check the papers in his briefcase for the thousandth time, "No, it said to be determined. I'm after thinking they wanted to look me over thoroughly before they made their final decision."
"Well the fact that you're here means you've cleared quite a few hurdles already."
They pulled into a parking garage and Colin felt his heartbeat ramp up, "Tell me, will I be leaving for..." he paused, "Ya know I still have trouble wrapping my mind around it."
"The first trip is a bit intense, then it becomes easier each time. Mister Stark is going to streamline the whole process."
She pulled the car into a spot marked reserved and they stepped out into the garage, the distant sounds of traffic following them to a pair of large red doors across the way. A panel set into the concrete off to one side contained only a clear pad with the word "RESTRICTED" above it. Lily took the badge hanging around her neck, passed it in front of the panel and the doors slid open.
"Are you ready?"
"Don't tell me we're taking a lift to the bleedin' place." Colin peered inside with a lopsided grin, enjoying her laughter in response.
"We're going to meet Director Fury first."
Colin swallowed hard, "I'm thinking Asgard might be the lesser of two evils."
Fury eyed the lanky young man and handed the badge back to him, "Well Mister Denehy..."
"Colin, please."
Fury folded his hands behind his back, "Colin then. You're going to need a complete physical. We want to make sure you're up to date on your immunizations, not carrying any communicable diseases." At this, Fury fixed him with a hard stare, "And you'll have some reading to do before morning."
"More reading? My head's stuffed full already." Colin slapped a hand to his forehead, "Pretty soon I'll have wordstuff coming out of me ears."
"If you want to take this assignment, you have to do what's required. Trust me, you don't want to be unprepared for this trip."
"No, sir. I do not." Colin looked down at his shoes, feeling well chastised.
"Agent Ericson will bring you to the medical lab for your physical and then she'll provide you with your homework and show you to your quarters for the evening. There will be a final briefing at zero seven hundred sharp providing everything checks out, then you're on your way."
Lily stepped back allowing Colin to leave Fury's office. Just before she followed him out into the corridor, she turned and looked at Fury receiving a raised eyebrow in return. She shot him a thumbs up sign, a sardonic smile on her face, then hurried to catch up with Agent Denehy.
The clatter of silverware and plates woke him with a start and he grabbed at the folder, holding it above his head with one hand while he attempted to stem the flow of iced tea from the overturned glass with the other.
"Ah fuck!" He pushed his chair away from the small table, watching the tea drip onto the carpet as he searched for a place to lay the folder down.
Lily had brought him to the cafeteria after his very thorough physical so he could grab a bit of supper to bring to his quarters with him. After he'd eaten, he'd decided to tackle the thick folder Lily had left with him. He figured if he were to sit at the table and read, there would be no danger of falling asleep. He was obviously wrong.
He threw the folder onto the short couch in the small sitting area walked over to the sink at the kitchenette and pulled out a handful of paper towels As he mopped up the iced tea, he considered calling his parents, then changed his mind, recalling the reaction from his mother when he'd told her he was going away for a year. Calling them again would only make it harder and he wanted to stay positive.
He cleared the dishes from the table and set them on the tray by the sink, dug a pair of pajama bottoms out of his suitcase which he'd found had been brought to his quarters while he'd been suffering through the medical exam. He picked up the folder from the couch and headed into the small bedroom where he lay crosswise onto the double bed, opening the folder before him. Before he was able to turn another page, his head had dropped onto his arms. He knew nothing else until morning.
"Agent Denehy?"
He felt a soft hand at his shoulder and his eyes flew open.
Lily was standing over him dressed the same as she'd been the day before and Colin was given to wonder if she'd even slept.
"It's six-thirty. The briefing is at seven."
She stood back as Colin rolled over onto his back and sat up, "Ah I'm going to be sore all day fer sure."
"I'll let you shower I'll be back in twenty minutes to bring you to the briefing. I left you a set of clothes on the couch."
"I've me own clothes," he jerked a thumb in the direction of the sitting room where his suitcase lay open.
"I'm aware, however if you'd read the entire folder, you would know one of the stipulations, with a few exceptions, are the attire we wear while in Asgard." Lily beamed at him and Colin closed his eyes.
"I tried to stay awake, honest I did but the flight left me bushed. I'll bring it along and finish, cross ma heart."
Lily shook her head, "I'll be back shortly, Mister Denehy."
He shoved his pajama pants into his suitcase and zipped it up, standing for one final look in the mirror over the bathroom sink, "I look like Robin Fuckin' Hood!" He called to Lily who had reappeared in a much prettier form fitting dark blue scoop necked gown.
"Tunic, breeches. Standard attire. Let me give you some background before you get shell shocked."
Colin walked into the sitting room, dragging the suitcase behind him, "At least the boots are fair."
Lily waved her hand over the panel beside the door. It slid open and they walked out into the corridor.
"Asgard is largely a pre-industrial revolution society. Not that they aren't aware of our technology, they merely choose not to use it. For example, there are no washing machines, dryers, televisions. They cook in an open hearth, use earthen ovens.."
"Begging yer pardon, Agent Ercison, but I know what the industrial revolution was..."
Lily held up her hand, "You'll encounter anachronisms as well.." They had stopped outside a gray door which slid open to reveal a large room with a round table dominating the center, "As you will see, after you Colin."
Colin knew he was sitting at the table, mouth agape, eyes wide but there was no helping it.
"Director, forgive the impudence but could you repeat what you just said?"
Fury rubbed his temples, how in the hell did the European division decide he was the right man for the job? Pull his name out of a hat? "I said you're going to be the liaison for the royal adviser. Your assignment will be to smooth over relations between the Asgardians and incoming personnel. You will report any immediate and foreseeable problems directly to this agency."
Colin sat forward, "So I'm to be a spy, is that it?"
Fury pushed a paper across the table to him, "I expect you to be an agent, Mister Denehy. You use any label you want, as long as you do what's expected of you."
Colin's hand hovered above the form. If there was ever a time to back out, it was now. He set his jaw, then with a flourish, he signed his name.
"Alright then." Colin thought back to the folder in his suitcase, about the section marked "Protocol and Customs." hoping he was going to have a few more minutes to scan through it but Fury was standing up from the table.
"I think we're all set then," He extended his hand out and Colin shook it, "Let's get you two on your way."
Colin leaned against the wall as the elevator shot upward, "I've a feeling this isn't your first rodeo."
Lily shook her head, "And you'd be right."
"Tell me, are the Asgardians a forgiving sort?"
She smiled, "Occasionally."
The door slid open and Colin found himself before the nosecone of a large jet, "An indoor hangar?" His voice echoed in the cavernous room.
"Yes, the roof is retractable," She pointed above them, "Follow me."
They climbed a set of stair off to their left, coming to a gray door at the top of the landing where Lily turned to him, "Brace yourself, it gets pretty windy out here."
As if in answer, when she opened the door, it tore from her hand to slam open against the metal railing. Colin stepped out onto the rooftop, buffeted by the strong winds, turned, helping to pull the door shut again.
Lily fought to hold her dress down as they walked to the center of the platform. She looked up into the clear turquoise sky. "Are you ready?"
He set his suitcase in front of him, "I don't believe so but I doubt it matters."
Lily cupped her hands to her mouth and shouted, "Heimdall!"