AN1 Rest in Peace, Kobe Bryant, his daughter, Gigi, and everybody else who lost their lives in the helicopter crash a few days ago :( So sad.
The Spy and the Soldier
Chapter Five, The Soldier vs. the Intersect
Fort Bragg
United States
"Remember what I said the other day, Chuck."
Chuck glanced at Morgan, who was gazing at Sarah. She was waiting slightly out of reach from where the two officers and best friends were stood outside of their housing on base as Chuck prepared to depart to begin his new assignment with the CIA and NSA.
"Morgan, as I said to you the other day, I didn't take this assignment for romance. But, thank you for being so concerned about my love life," Chuck joked with a grin.
Morgan suppressed laughter and nodded. "I'll miss you, Chuck."
Chuck half-smiled as his face began to flush in sadness because he is about to be disconnected from his unit and his best friend for an indefinite period, and he was sure that he would excruciatingly miss this life for however long he would be gone from it. "I'll miss you too, buddy. But it's just for a few years; then we'll be back in the same outfit."
Morgan smiled. "Yeah, if you don't go and get shot, Chuck," he joked.
Chuck laughed. "The same applies to you. We've done everything together for six years, Morgan."
Morgan nodded. "We have, Chuck. We have so many memories together, buddy."
"Yeah..." Chuck agreed as he dipped his mind into his memory bank of all of the moments he had spent with his best friend from their time at basic training, to their time at Ranger school, to their deployments with the Rangers, to the time when they were both awarded their Distinguished Service Crosses together. Ninety-nine percent of Chuck's life for the past six years had been shared with the guy he's gazing at, and he is feeling quite emotional that they are now to depart on separate paths for several years. However, he was sure beyond all doubt that they would meet again, and arguably quite often on whatever joint operations that may arise from his new assignment where a special forces team would be required.
He breathed out a long sigh to control his emotions, and he decided to say his final farewells to his best friend and comrade on a happier note instead.
"Recognizing that I volunteered as a Ranger, fully knowing the hazards of my chosen profession, I will always endeavor to uphold the prestige, honor, and high esprit de corps of my Ranger Regiment!"
Morgan smiled before immediately taking over the reciting.
"Acknowledging the fact that a Ranger is a more elite soldier who arrives at the cutting edge of battle by land, sea, or air, I accept the fact that as a Ranger my country expects me to move further, faster and fight harder than any other soldier!"
Chuck grinned as he continued the reciting of something that would be forever lodged into his memory for the rest of his life.
"Never shall I fail my comrades. I will always keep myself mentally alert, physically strong and morally straight, and I will shoulder more than my share of the task whatever it may be. One-hundred-percent and then some!"
Morgan continued.
"Gallantly will I show the world that I am a specially selected and well-trained soldier. My courtesy to superior officers, neatness of dress, and care of equipment shall set the example for others to follow!"
It was Chuck's turn.
"Energetically will I meet the enemies of my country. I shall defeat them on the field of battle, for I am better trained and will fight with all my might. Surrender is not a Ranger word. I will never leave a fallen comrade to fall into the hands of the enemy and under no circumstances will I ever embarrass my country!"
Morgan finished.
"Readily will I display the intestinal fortitude required to fight on to the Ranger objective and complete the mission though I be the lone survivor!"
"RANGERS LEAD THE WAY!" they then said in unison as the best friends moved to embrace.
"Goodbye, Morgan. Take care," Chuck said as they pulled apart.
Morgan grinned. "Goodbye, Chuck. Remember to stay in contact with me whenever you can."
Chuck nodded. "Of course, I will. I'd better go because we're keeping Sarah waiting, and if we're late, then I'll have my new boss down my ear again."
Morgan nodded as Chuck offered his hand out, and Morgan shook it. Chuck gazed at his best friend one final time before picking up his large rucksack containing his general belongings that was placed on the floor, and he then turned away from Morgan, and he walked over to where Sarah was waiting for him near to her car. Arriving in her vicinity, he smiled at her, and she smiled back at him.
"What were you reciting just then?" she asked.
"The Ranger Creed," he said with a grin.
Holding her smile at him, she turned away as she moved to enter the driver's side of her car. Chuck then proceeded to place his bag into the boot of her car, which Sarah had already opened for him, and he closed the boot, and he walked around to the passenger side, and he entered inside the car.
"What will happen to your accommodation, Chuck? Sarah asked.
Chuck glanced at Sarah next to him as he moved to fix his seat-belt into place. "It will be maintained. I'm only on secondment away from the outfit. I'm still a serving service member," Chuck informed her.
Sarah smiled. "So we won't be working permanently together then?" she joked, holding her smile.
He grinned. "Highly unlikely."
"Ready to begin your new life?" she asked.
He nodded. "Let's dance."
Sarah nodded as she fired up the engine of her car, and she began to drive away from Chuck's accommodation.
"Nice car, by the way," Chuck said.
She gazed warmly at him. "Thanks. You have a nice car too. I noticed it in the driveway."
Chuck returned her warm gaze. "Thank you."
"What will happen to it?" she asked.
"That's an excellent question actually because I'm not sure what will happen to it. I guess I'll have to wait and see how the arrangement of this new assignment plays out first," he said.
Sarah smiled. "Well, if you need a lift to pick it up, then I can bring you," she offered.
He grinned as he gazed at her. "Thank you. But I wouldn't want you to make a ten to twelve-hour drive for me. I've made a few of those in recent days, and I know what it's like."
"I wouldn't mind. I don't exactly have much going on with my life. I have nothing but free time when not working," she said.
"Wow, I'm surprised at that. You are gorgeous, and I'd have thought men would be all over you to eat up your free time," he said as he continued to gaze at her.
Sarah began to blush, and she broke eye contact from him.
"I'm sorry. That was rude. It's none of my business."
She made eye contact with him again. "Chuck, it's ok. But seeing as though you've kind of inquired about me, I guess I should do the same to you to make us even because I'm now curious if there will be a girlfriend, a fiancee or a wife that you have to leave behind to begin this assignment because it would be highly classified and you wouldn't be able to tell them a thing about it nor see them much."
"I see, well, in that case, it's a no to any of the aforementioned. I'm single too," he said.
"Wow, I'm surprised," she said as they gazed at each other again.
"Why?" he queried.
"Well, because you're a lot more confident than I remember you being at school. You now seem to have a confident swagger about you," she said.
He grinned. "Two years of the most intense training you could imagine, countless drill instructors screaming at you, and being around all of my comrades believing and trusting in me as a person for six years does that to you."
She laughed. "Yeah, I can imagine. But it's not a bad thing, by the way. I wasn't insulting you when I said it."
His warm gaze continued towards her. "I know," he replied. "So, did you drive here this morning?"
She shook her head. "No. I did half of the drive last night, and I stayed overnight at a motel in Fayetteville. I didn't want to be exhausted because it's going to be a very long day today."
Chuck nodded. "That was a smart idea."
-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-
On-route to D.C.
"So, Chuck, what have you been up to since we saw each other at the briefing five days ago?" Sarah asked as she glanced at Chuck briefly before she concentrated on driving the car once more.
"Oh, this and that, you know?" he said with a smirk.
She gazed at him again. "Can't or won't tell me?" she asked.
"I can't tell you, Sarah, it's classified," he said.
She smiled in acceptance.
"What about you?" he then asked.
"Me too. This and that," she said.
"Can't or won't tell me?" he asked with a grin.
"Won't," she laughed.
He chuckled along with her. "Fair enough."
"I have been waiting to ask you something for a few days, Chuck."
"Sure?" he replied.
"What made you join the military? I read through your file. You could have done anything with your life. So why the army?" she asked as she afforded him a brief gaze before she concentrated on driving again.
"I joined primarily because of 9/11. I couldn't sit back and focus on a civilian career, while tens of thousands of Americans signed up and put their lives on the line to protect me. That thought just didn't sit well with me, so then and there I decided that I had a strong obligation to join up along with all of the others that would surely sign up too. My sister tried to get me to do other things and to follow my dreams and aspirations that I had when I first began my degree, but I just couldn't do it, you know?"
Sarah gazed warmly at him, and she nodded. "Yeah, I read about your sister."
"Family wise, she's all I have really," he said with a weak smile.
She glanced at him once more. "Chuck, I know that feeling."
He nodded. "Though I have a question of my own to ask you, actually," he said.
"Sure?" she said.
"Your file says you knew Bryce Larkin?" he asked.
Sarah glanced at him to query his question. Bryce was a sore topic for Sarah, and if she wasn't comfortable talking about him with Carina, she certainly wasn't comfortable talking about him with Chuck, who was almost a stranger to her.
"Uh-huh. He was my partner," she said eventually.
"Was he just a partner? Or were you guys anything more?" he asked as he gazed at her.
Sarah immediately shot Chuck a distasteful glare. "Chuck, who I may or may not have dated, isn't any of your business! I don't want to sound harsh, but that is a very personal question that you have just asked me, and I don't appreciate it. Any professional detail you wish to know about me, I can tell you. But my private life is off-limits."
Chuck shot his hands into the air in apology. "You're right. I'm sorry. It was very rude. It's just that I have a bit of personal history with him too. We were roommates at Stanford. But I won't talk about him anymore," he said.
Sarah glanced at him once more, and he smiled apologetically at her before she continued driving.
-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-
Washington D.C.
Sarah pulled her Porsche to a stop outside the secure location housing the Intersect.
"Well, here we are," she declared as she turned to glance at her new partner.
Chuck nodded.
"You're really brave to do this, Chuck. I'm not sure if I could willingly allow a supercomputer to be uploaded to my brain if I was the first candidate to have it done. I hope nothing will go wrong with the upload," she said with a sincere smile.
"Me too," he agreed.
"Are you nervous?" she asked as she held her gaze towards him.
"A little," he replied.
She smiled at him.
"Let's hope the scientists knew what they were doing when building and preparing it for the first upload," he said.
She nodded.
Sarah then departed the car with Chuck, and they joined up with Casey, who was already waiting for them a short walk away from the main entrance.
"Walker, Bartowski," Casey said on them, coming to a stop in his proximity.
"Casey," they said in unison.
Sarah then began to walk with her two new partners in the direction of the entrance to the facility where Director Graham and General Beckman, along with several analysts and doctors were stood awaiting their arrival.
"Captain Bartowski," General Beckman greeted Chuck warmly on the three partners coming to a stop at the small posse's location.
"Ma'am," Chuck replied with a nod.
"If you're finished with traipsing through the jungles of Colombia playing the hero, Chuck, then let's get on with the real assignment," Director Graham stated with distaste as he then turned back towards the entrance door, but he stopped once Chuck began talking.
"You can talk! You told me the Intersect is quite safe for upload. But if you've not uploaded it before, then you wouldn't know if it's safe or not, so I know that I'm your test subject today! My brain might be about to fry, so I would appreciate a little more respect shown towards me right now instead of getting on my case about a mission that I was part of while still attached to my unit!" Chuck argued back.
Sarah frowned as she rotated her glance between her boss and her new partner, who were both giving each other distasteful stares while everybody else remained silent in shock. That is an awful lot of 'this and that.' I guess the life of a tier-one operator has its moments
General Beckman, Director Graham, and the NSA and CIA analysts then entered inside the building, and Sarah followed on after with her two new partners.
"What was that all about, Chuck?" Sarah asked in a quiet tone while gazing at him.
"Don't ask," Chuck replied with a shake of his head as he gazed at Sarah and Casey.
Sarah smiled, and she heard Casey grunt in response, and she and her partners continued following the director, the general, and the analysts for a few minutes until the posse came to a stop.
"Well, here we are. The Intersect is behind this door, and it is where the upload will now take place," General Beckman said.
Chuck nodded as Director Graham opened the door, and Sarah and the rest of the posse entered inside the large room. In Sarah's view was a large white room with bright lights and a computer towards the end of the room with a medical chair in its vicinity with numerous monitoring devices all around its location.
Sarah followed as Director Graham led the small posse to the location of the computer.
"If you'd like to make yourself comfortable, Captain Bartowski, then we'll get started right away," General Beckman said.
Chuck nodded as he moved to take a seat on the medical chair opposite the computer.
"We'll leave the analysts to explain the process. Major Casey, Agent Walker, the upload will take several hours. Inside of this room, many images will be shown, but they are harmless and irrelevant, and they are the images that the Captain will be having uploaded," Director Graham said.
Sarah nodded.
"As the Director said, you will be seeing thousands of images today, Captain Bartowski. We have encoded all of our data into the images, and the information will be fed over to your subconsciousness while you are sedated," an NSA worker said to Chuck.
The analysts then continued explaining the process of the upload for several minutes while attaching the necessary devices onto Chuck, and Sarah continued to observe the procedure.
"Guy's a hero," Casey said in a quiet tone, and Sarah averted her glance away from Chuck and to Casey stood next to her instead. "I read his file. He's served our country with distinction. But this might be his bravest act. I'm not sure I'd allow my brain to be used as a guinea pig."
"I agree, Casey," Sarah said.
Sarah then continued to watch the medical process continue to play out as the analysts prepared Chuck for the upload.
A few minutes later
The analysts had now connected the numerous devices and electrodes onto Chuck's head that would be required for the upload to take place.
"Captain Bartowski is prepared. All that is left is his confirmation to begin, and then we will proceed with the sedative and begin the process," an NSA doctor said.
Sarah watched as Director Graham retrieved a device from his pocket.
"Very well. Here is the cipher needed to begin the upload, and when the Captain is ready, then we'll begin."
Chuck took a breath of air for a long moment to compose himself for the upload to begin. "I'm ready," he eventually said.
Sarah smiled comfortingly at Chuck from where he was arched back on the medical chair.
"We'll see you on the other side, Bartowski," Casey said with a nod.
Chuck nodded.
Graham then handed over the cipher to one of the analysts surrounding Chuck.
Sarah watched on as the analyst then began to type into the computer as the NSA doctor applied the sedative to Chuck.
"If you would like to count backward from one-hundred, Captain Bartowski," the doctor said.
"One hundred," he said groggily.
"Ninety-nine."
"Ninety-eight."
"Ninety-seven," he whispered drowsily.
"Ninety-six," he finished as he lost consciousness.
The posse paused in wait for several seconds as the three doctors that were present began to check Chuck's vital signs.
"The anesthesia has applied. The Captain is now sedated, and we're ready to begin to process," a doctor said.
The analyst at the computer nodded as he inserted the cipher, and the upload officially commenced.
"We will now move to the observation room in wait," Director Graham said.
General Beckman nodded as the Director and the General began walking away, and Sarah followed on along with Casey.
-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-
Sarah was in the observation room, and she was standing idle in a part of the room with Director Graham stood in her immediate vicinity. Major Casey and General Beckman were in another corner of the room, and they were engaging in a conversation.
"I'm worried about this partnership, Director. Casey's a burnout," Sarah said as she glanced over to the location of Casey briefly, before fixing her gaze back at her boss.
Graham nodded. "He's a killer, Sarah. Cold school. I want you to listen to me," he paused. "You can't let Casey control Chuck. They're both military, so they'll have a powerful bond with each other, and you will be the outsider of the team. So you are going to have to do whatever it takes to keep the asset under our control."
Sarah frowned as she continued to stare at Graham. "Asset? You said at the briefing a few days ago that he would become my partner?"
"In technical terms, he is your partner. And he won't react well if you attempt to treat him as an asset because he's special forces and an officer in the United States Military, so you'll have to be very careful in how you do it. But I am going to need you to keep him under control, Sarah, because we've invested too much time and effort into this project to let him or the NSA do whatever the hell they want on it. I know these soldier boys, Sarah," the Director said.
Sarah blinked as she continued her expressionless stare at her boss. "So what are my exact orders?" she asked.
"As I said, Sarah, use whatever means at your disposal to keep him in line and away from the NSA. He will be staying with you. A cover will be arranged for you both as boyfriend and girlfriend."
"I don't like playing him as a mark or an asset. He's a Captain in Delta Force. And he will be assigned temporary agent status while he is on the assignment, so it is an entirely different situation to him being an asset of mine. He won't react very well to any kind of seduction, I'm sure of it," Sarah argued and gave her professional opinion of the assignment.
"Sarah, he's now the most important intelligence asset in the United States and the entire world! If Chuck should fall into the wrong hands, the damage to our country would be catastrophic. It's your job not to let that happen. And I will repeat your objective one final time because I'm getting tired of stating it; by any means necessary to keep him as your guy," the Director said before he began to walk away to another location in the observation room.
Sarah began to inhale a deep breath of air as she glanced at the back of her boss as he walked away from her...
-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-
A few hours later
The upload had now completed, and the posse of CIA and NSA personnel had all returned to the upload room.
"He should be coming to his senses any moment with the sedative now worn off," an NSA doctor said.
"That's good. And the upload?" Director Graham asked.
"The upload was a success, and initial indications are that the upload seems to have caused him no damage," another doctor said.
"That is good news," General Beckman said.
"Amen," Casey muttered.
Sarah began to glance at her new partner, who was still on the medical chair, and she paused in wait for several minutes as Chuck began to come to. A few minutes later, she observed as he groaned in a complaint, and he fought his disorientation from the anesthetic and likely the upload too.
"Where am I?" he muttered gingerly.
"You're at the upload location of the Intersect, Captain Bartowski. The upload was a success," General Beckman said.
Chuck moaned groggily as he raised a hand to his forehead. "Head… hurts… Can see lots of images," he complained.
"What type of images?" Director Graham asked.
"Warplanes, blueprints, buildings, maps," Chuck said.
Sarah watched as most of the CIA and NSA personnel began to grin with relief.
"That's great news. We will now need to run some further tests," Graham said.
"Tired. Must sleep," Chuck complained.
"The tests won't take long, Captain Bartowski. We understand how exhausted you must feel, and we won't keep you long," General Beckman said.
A short while later
The initial post upload tests had now completed for the day. It was almost midnight, and most of the people inside of the room were very tired, nevermind how exhausted Chuck must be feeling. Sarah was feeling very sympathetic towards the condition of her new partner.
"For the next week, we'll be running many additional tests to see the functioning of the Intersect and to see any effects that it may have on you," General Beckman said.
"We will also have your NSA, and CIA status confirmed, and you'll receive your relevant credentials. We'll see you back here tomorrow, Chuck," Graham said.
"Where will he be staying tonight?" Casey inquired.
General Beckman was about to speak, but Graham quickly interrupted her before she could. "He'll stay with Agent Walker for now."
Sarah glanced at Chuck, and Director Graham's words barely registered with him. He looked exhausted and completely out of energy, and Sarah estimated that he was a few minutes away from collapsing on the spot. Frankly, she was surprised he was still standing. She couldn't imagine what it was like to have a supercomputer uploaded and absorbed into your brain.
The small posse then began to depart the facility. Arriving outside in the open air a few minutes later, the three partners began to head to their transports together. While at the same time, Beckman and Graham remained behind to enter into conversation together.
Sarah arrived at her Porsche with Chuck and Casey a minute later.
"You're looking pretty out of it there, Bartowski. Walker, are you sure you can handle looking after and protecting your boy toy here, tonight?" Casey asked with a smirk as he shifted his glance between Sarah and Chuck.
Sarah glared at Casey for his remarks. "Casey, I am a CIA agent, and he's a Delta Force operator. We can handle ourselves. It would be suspicious if you came to stay with us," she said.
Chuck nodded. "It would be very suspicious. Because I'm not into men," he joked.
Sarah smirked for a long moment as she shifted her gaze between her partners.
"Very funny, Bartowski. For that, I have suddenly lost interest in protecting you. I'll see you both tomorrow. You two are on your own," Casey said, and he immediately began walking off away from them.
"Goodbye to you too, Casey!" Chuck shouted after him, but Casey didn't turn back to look at them.
Sarah suppressed laughter as her gaze became focused entirely on Chuck. "Are you ready then?" she asked.
He nodded. "Yeah. I'll probably crash out in your car," he said as he grinned at her.
She smiled as she continued her gaze. "You'd better not. Because you're too muscular to carry, and I don't feel like sleeping in it too, and I would have to because it's my job to shadow you now."
"Heh," he chuckled.
Sarah continued her warm gaze as she moved to enter into her car, and Chuck followed her inside.
"Well, Sarah, if your boss is so insistent on us sleeping together, I at least hope your hotel is a nice and luxurious one," Chuck joked.
Sarah smirked. "Our boss now," she stated.
Chuck sighed. "God help me," he said as he shook his head.
"He's not so bad. If you show him respect and follow what he sets out to you."
"Sarah, he strikes me as conniving and very deceitful," Chuck said.
She smiled at him. "Oh, he is. But being the director of the CIA, one would argue you have to be."
Chuck nodded. "Fair point. I guess I'm going to need a lot of adjusting to how things are done here."
Sarah held her smile toward him for a short moment before firing the ignition, and the partners departed for the hotel.
-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-
Sarah entered inside the hotel room that she'd been staying at for the past couple of weeks, and Chuck followed in after her. She heard him close the door behind them, and on doing so, she turned around to face him, and she watched as he placed down his large rucksack onto the floor of the room.
"Well, here we are," she said, gazing at him.
He then began to glance around the room for a short moment before he fixed his gaze onto her. "It'll do," he said.
She smiled as she held her gaze, and a brief silence ensued, which quickly turned awkward for them both, and to add to it, they both attempted to speak at the same time.
"You go first," he said.
She nodded. "I was going to ask if you were hungry. I could order room service?" she suggested.
He nodded and sported her a loving grin. "Yeah. I guess you are too unless you ate while I was sedated."
She shook her head as she held her smile. "I didn't. What would you like?"
"Oh, Sarah, I will eat anything, I can assure you. Surprise me. I am too exhausted to think," he said.
She held her smile, and she nodded. "Ok."
Chuck began to take off his shoes before he moved to lay on the bed while Sarah spent the next few minutes ordering room service before returning to his presence. Gazing at where Chuck was now lying on the bed, she noted as he appeared to be soundly unconscious, and a smile pursed through her lips on how quickly her new partner had passed out in addition to just how peaceful he looked when he was sleeping.
Room service arrived a short while later, and Sarah contemplated waking him up so that he could eat the cheeseburger she had ordered for him. However, she opted to leave him in peace, and she spent the next few minutes eating her medium-rare cheeseburger with extra pickles before gathering her nightwear from her suitcase as she then departed for the bathroom in their now shared hotel room. As soon as she entered the bathroom, a sudden rush of anxiety hit her incase he woke up and decided for whatever reason that he needed to use the room that she would be naked inside of the shower in. But that situation was just something that they would now need to learn to live with, with them now being partners and after Graham telling her under no uncertain terms just what her assignment with Chuck would entail. Shaking aside her feeling of dread of him seeing her in the shower, she began to undress before entering into the walk-in shower. She turned on the water, and it quickly heated up, and Sarah started to freshen herself up after a very long day.
Departing the shower a short while later, she dried herself down, and she changed into her nightwear before leaving for the main room once more. Arriving in the main room of the hotel room, she gazed at Chuck; he was still sleeping peacefully.
Should I sleep on the sofa? I know Graham told me what our cover is. But we can fake it in public. We don't have to fake it or change who we really are inside this room
Sarah spent the next minute gazing at Chuck from where she stood before she began to walk towards the bed. Breathing out a long sigh over the situation she had now been placed in on this assignment, she lifted the covers back on her side of the bed, and she moved to climb into the bed. Placing the sheets over her, she turned away with her back facing Chuck, and she gazed at the wall for a long while until sleep overcame her.
AN2 So then, we are five chapters in. Thoughts on the story so far? Please leave a review. I will stress that this will be an eighty to one-hundred chapter story, so if you have any comment to share about the story so far, good or bad then do reach out and share those thoughts because it's the interaction whether it's good or constructive that gives me the drive and motivation to keep the chapters coming. And I will need that drive throughout the whole of this story, that's for sure.
AN3 I suck at detailing medical procedures, especially fantasy ones! I just wanted the upload to be over and done with, so I can get on with the story. You won't notice the Intersect is even present too much in this story. It will only be used to begin missions or flashes that will occur in the middle of a mission to provide any necessary information, which is why the process of the upload in this chapter was threadbare and not overly complicated. I also changed the upload process to a more 'realistic' version too. All of the images seen on the screens are irrelevant in this fiction because they would be irrelevant in real life also. What I mean by that is that the upload in this story could only occur with the correct devices connected to Chuck, and not by just looking at a monitor because that is highly ridiculous, and if the Intersect were truly a reality, then an upload to somebody's brain would happen exactly like this. It would have to be a medical procedure.
AN4 Next Chapter: I'm afraid I can't tease what will happen next chapter. Because then that would spoil it, so I don't want to do that :)
