~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CHAPTER 2~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Christina was thrilled when she heard the news from Esmerelda. She had been training so hard and been waiting so long for this and now Mikey believed she was ready, finally. "Es, this is so cool!" Her bright blue-green eyes sparkled with excitement. " Ah, man, you'll see", she struggled slightly to keep herself under control, "Soon I'll be the Alpha team leader heading the big missions, like the Lifers and the Control jobs." She sat down to keep herself from jumping around. She soon steadied her breath and looked at Esmerelda with a large almost goofy-like grin on her face. Esmerelda simply watched her and laughed. She knew that Christina had been waiting forever for this but she wasn't totally confidant that she would be able to handle a solo without botching it. "Yeah, CC I know." She ran her hand through her wavy, raven black hair, she tried to sound happy for her but she just didn't feel it completely. She sighed and walked toward the door. " So, come on, let's get everything together, you've only got two days to get ready." Christina bounces up from the chair and follows her like and eager puppy about to get it's favorite treat. Esmerelda fought back her jealousy and pulled out the mission briefing paper from the manila folder in her arms. She hands Christina the paper with her instructions for the mission, and also a photo of her assignment. Esmerelda truly did envy her, she had not been chosen for a solo mission yet and she had been done with her basic training long before Christina ever was. She knew that Mikey favored Christina more than most of the girls there, in fact all of the other girls knew it too, but no one would ever dare say anything about it.
Two days later, at an early hour of five thirty in the morning, Christina and Esmerelda are standing in the Deployment room, ready to go and impatiently waiting for a certain master to show up. Finally the large black steel doors hissed open and a small green looking creature came rushing through. "Alright ladies, yes I know I'm late, so wipe those looks off your faces." He sat down in the head chair and looked at them both. Neither of them sat down but remained standing. "OK, Christina, this is it. Are you ready? Do you have any questions at all?" He watched her as she now sat down and took a deep breath. "Yes, I'm ready. I don't really have any questions right now that I can think of."
He nodded and went on. "Well, I'm sure you read the briefing but here's another summery for ya. You have six months in the dimension. Esmerelda will be your contact through your communicator. You'll be given two in case something happens to the main one. I'll be checking in on your progress every few hours or so. The alias you are to take is one of your own. You'll set it up in the chamber on the way. Choose wisely please. Only associate yourself closely with your assignment, but not too closely. Remember the rules and try not to bust too many of them. If you do I'll have to bring you back early and send someone else to finish it. And don't think I won't do it. Do you understand?"
She didn't hesitate with her response. "Yes." She could tell he was impressed with her confidence. He would not be disappointed.
Mikey gave a quick nod then went over to the portal generator. After entering a series of commands on its keypad it started up and opened. A slight wind from the tunnel blew through the room sending a chill up Christina's spine. She took another deep breath as she stared into the iridescent colored hole. 'This is it' she thought. She looked over at Esmerelda, who had already taken her position at her monitor, and smiled weakly. Esmerelda gave a more reassuring smile back and put her headphone on. Mikey began to tap his foot in mock impatience. "Today already. The clock is ticking you know." Christina sighed and nodded then stepped into the light.
The trip was going to take a few minutes so she had to work fast to enter all the information she needed for her alias. A computeristic female voice was soon heard as she activated the program. Please Enter Alias: Christina "CC" Campbell Enter Occupation: None Enter Social Status: Deceased Billionaires Heir Enter Powers Desired: Master Thief Enter Assigned Country and City: New Delhi, India Enter Specific Area: Oasis outside of the main gate Enter Desired Time and Date: 5:45pm, 18 April 1904 Enter Identity of Assignment: Aladdin Dehrec Chan'Ler Thank you. You have one minute till arrival. Christina smiled, she had always been good at entering all her information before the trip was over. She had set a new record for herself this time. She braced herself for the landing. There was always a severe disorientation that followed arrival. Followed by an equally severe headache and stomachache. The simulator tried to match it but from what all the others said, it didn't even come close. Finally she saw the other side open and felt herself forced through by the tunnel wind. She almost doubled over at the intense pain that she felt. They were not lying about the pain. She felt so dizzy that she had to sit down to steady herself and even that was difficult. She jumped when she felt hands suddenly on her shoulders and a whole chorus of concerned and worried sounding voices crowd her ears. She looked up, squinting from the glare of the setting sun, and saw at least a dozen silhouettes hovering over her. "My Lady, are you alright?" "Miss, should I get you water?" "Lady Campbell, I told you not to over exert yourself today." They all seemed to belong to the same person. Soon she had a glass of water thrust into her hand and she was forced to drink. It tasted so different from what she was used to back in New York. Another scooped her up and set her down on an incredibly soft cushion. Lastly an older woman sat down in front of her and began to speak to her in Hindi. Christina remembered suddenly that she had not set her language specialty. She would do that as soon as she got a private moment, till then she would just have to act so out of it that they finally leave her alone. After about twenty minutes of the older woman grilling her with what she knew to be questions concerning her health and wellness, she was left alone to rest. She quickly pulled out her communicator and sent a message to Esmerelda. She hoped that this wouldn't count against her. Soon Esmerelda's voice could be heard coming through the small round compact. "Hey girl, need help already? What's up?" She spoke in a whisper and held the communicator close to her mouth," I need you to set my language specialty for me. I forgot to do that on the way here and now I don't understand a thing anyone's saying to me." She could hear Esmerelda's laugh, "Alright, here you go. Is that all?" "Yeah that's it. Thanks." Christina closed that compact just in time for the older woman had just came into her tent. "My Lady, are you feeling better now?" She had a small warm wet towel in her hands and began to wash Christina's hands and feet. Christina did not give any protest and nodded her head. "I am hungry though." The woman nodded and called out to another servant to bring her something to eat. 'I could live with this', she thought. Her headache was still pounding but not quite as bad as before. Her stomachache was already gone but the dimensia was still there, though, slight. Now all she needed to do was get into the city and look up her assignment, Aladdin Chan'Ler.
Christina was thrilled when she heard the news from Esmerelda. She had been training so hard and been waiting so long for this and now Mikey believed she was ready, finally. "Es, this is so cool!" Her bright blue-green eyes sparkled with excitement. " Ah, man, you'll see", she struggled slightly to keep herself under control, "Soon I'll be the Alpha team leader heading the big missions, like the Lifers and the Control jobs." She sat down to keep herself from jumping around. She soon steadied her breath and looked at Esmerelda with a large almost goofy-like grin on her face. Esmerelda simply watched her and laughed. She knew that Christina had been waiting forever for this but she wasn't totally confidant that she would be able to handle a solo without botching it. "Yeah, CC I know." She ran her hand through her wavy, raven black hair, she tried to sound happy for her but she just didn't feel it completely. She sighed and walked toward the door. " So, come on, let's get everything together, you've only got two days to get ready." Christina bounces up from the chair and follows her like and eager puppy about to get it's favorite treat. Esmerelda fought back her jealousy and pulled out the mission briefing paper from the manila folder in her arms. She hands Christina the paper with her instructions for the mission, and also a photo of her assignment. Esmerelda truly did envy her, she had not been chosen for a solo mission yet and she had been done with her basic training long before Christina ever was. She knew that Mikey favored Christina more than most of the girls there, in fact all of the other girls knew it too, but no one would ever dare say anything about it.
Two days later, at an early hour of five thirty in the morning, Christina and Esmerelda are standing in the Deployment room, ready to go and impatiently waiting for a certain master to show up. Finally the large black steel doors hissed open and a small green looking creature came rushing through. "Alright ladies, yes I know I'm late, so wipe those looks off your faces." He sat down in the head chair and looked at them both. Neither of them sat down but remained standing. "OK, Christina, this is it. Are you ready? Do you have any questions at all?" He watched her as she now sat down and took a deep breath. "Yes, I'm ready. I don't really have any questions right now that I can think of."
He nodded and went on. "Well, I'm sure you read the briefing but here's another summery for ya. You have six months in the dimension. Esmerelda will be your contact through your communicator. You'll be given two in case something happens to the main one. I'll be checking in on your progress every few hours or so. The alias you are to take is one of your own. You'll set it up in the chamber on the way. Choose wisely please. Only associate yourself closely with your assignment, but not too closely. Remember the rules and try not to bust too many of them. If you do I'll have to bring you back early and send someone else to finish it. And don't think I won't do it. Do you understand?"
She didn't hesitate with her response. "Yes." She could tell he was impressed with her confidence. He would not be disappointed.
Mikey gave a quick nod then went over to the portal generator. After entering a series of commands on its keypad it started up and opened. A slight wind from the tunnel blew through the room sending a chill up Christina's spine. She took another deep breath as she stared into the iridescent colored hole. 'This is it' she thought. She looked over at Esmerelda, who had already taken her position at her monitor, and smiled weakly. Esmerelda gave a more reassuring smile back and put her headphone on. Mikey began to tap his foot in mock impatience. "Today already. The clock is ticking you know." Christina sighed and nodded then stepped into the light.
The trip was going to take a few minutes so she had to work fast to enter all the information she needed for her alias. A computeristic female voice was soon heard as she activated the program. Please Enter Alias: Christina "CC" Campbell Enter Occupation: None Enter Social Status: Deceased Billionaires Heir Enter Powers Desired: Master Thief Enter Assigned Country and City: New Delhi, India Enter Specific Area: Oasis outside of the main gate Enter Desired Time and Date: 5:45pm, 18 April 1904 Enter Identity of Assignment: Aladdin Dehrec Chan'Ler Thank you. You have one minute till arrival. Christina smiled, she had always been good at entering all her information before the trip was over. She had set a new record for herself this time. She braced herself for the landing. There was always a severe disorientation that followed arrival. Followed by an equally severe headache and stomachache. The simulator tried to match it but from what all the others said, it didn't even come close. Finally she saw the other side open and felt herself forced through by the tunnel wind. She almost doubled over at the intense pain that she felt. They were not lying about the pain. She felt so dizzy that she had to sit down to steady herself and even that was difficult. She jumped when she felt hands suddenly on her shoulders and a whole chorus of concerned and worried sounding voices crowd her ears. She looked up, squinting from the glare of the setting sun, and saw at least a dozen silhouettes hovering over her. "My Lady, are you alright?" "Miss, should I get you water?" "Lady Campbell, I told you not to over exert yourself today." They all seemed to belong to the same person. Soon she had a glass of water thrust into her hand and she was forced to drink. It tasted so different from what she was used to back in New York. Another scooped her up and set her down on an incredibly soft cushion. Lastly an older woman sat down in front of her and began to speak to her in Hindi. Christina remembered suddenly that she had not set her language specialty. She would do that as soon as she got a private moment, till then she would just have to act so out of it that they finally leave her alone. After about twenty minutes of the older woman grilling her with what she knew to be questions concerning her health and wellness, she was left alone to rest. She quickly pulled out her communicator and sent a message to Esmerelda. She hoped that this wouldn't count against her. Soon Esmerelda's voice could be heard coming through the small round compact. "Hey girl, need help already? What's up?" She spoke in a whisper and held the communicator close to her mouth," I need you to set my language specialty for me. I forgot to do that on the way here and now I don't understand a thing anyone's saying to me." She could hear Esmerelda's laugh, "Alright, here you go. Is that all?" "Yeah that's it. Thanks." Christina closed that compact just in time for the older woman had just came into her tent. "My Lady, are you feeling better now?" She had a small warm wet towel in her hands and began to wash Christina's hands and feet. Christina did not give any protest and nodded her head. "I am hungry though." The woman nodded and called out to another servant to bring her something to eat. 'I could live with this', she thought. Her headache was still pounding but not quite as bad as before. Her stomachache was already gone but the dimensia was still there, though, slight. Now all she needed to do was get into the city and look up her assignment, Aladdin Chan'Ler.
