* * *
Night fell and Sally was no closer to a solution than she was before. Weary, frustrated, and dead on her feet, Sally ordered the freedom fighters to catch some shut-eye. Apparently, she wasn't the only one. When they got to the barracks, she saw Olivia shooing her charges into bed. Sally couldn't help but smile.
"Sally!" Olivia called. "Turning in?"
"Yeah. Listen, if it's not too much trouble would you mind-?"
"Not at all! We've got some extra sleeping bags, sorry we don't 'ave anything better but..."
"I know. I saw, most of you are sleeping in bags on the floor too. We don't want preferential treatment."
"All right, then. I talked to Sky Lynx and 'e agreed to let your friend Dulcy spend the night in 'is, er...place."
"That's very generous of him." Sally said politely, though she suspected that neither Dulcy nor Sky Lynx would be happy with the arrangement. "How did he come to end up here anyway?"
"Sky Lynx? Well, 'e first showed up about eight years ago. Said 'e flew into the valley to avoid some hovercraft patrols. 'e stayed a few weeks, then left. 'e comes back four or five times a year and spends a couple of weeks with us. Where 'e is the rest of the time, 'e doesn't say."
"Hmmmm." Sally thought. "I wonder..." Just at that moment though, Rotor ran up to her.
"Sally, I did as you asked." He handed Nicole over. After Olivia moved off, he added. "I don't know when Uncle Chuck will be able to respond or how long he can stay on."
"Thank you Rotor, you've done more than enough." She bit back a yawn. "Get some sleep."
"Heh. You first." Rotor grinned.
"Rotor I don't-" She yawned, loudly. Looking sheepish, she sighed. "All right, point taken. Good night Rotor."
"Good night Sally." As they headed up the stairs they found that Olivia had successfully shepherd just about everyone into bed. Within minutes, the lights were out and the low conversational murmuring silenced into nothing. Sally removed her boots and vest and climbed into her sleeping bag. She contentedly curled up inside and began to doze off.
Sally awoke a short time later to the ever pleasant sound of Nicole beeping. "TRANSMISSION RECEIVED FROM UNCLE CHUCK." Sally groaned and grabbed Nicole from off her boot. "Shhhhhhh!" She hissed. Sally cautiously crawled out of her sleeping bag and headed over to the bathroom, trying not to step on anyone in the process.
"Olivia was right." She thought sleepily. "There isn't a lot of privacy when over twenty people all sleep in the same room." Unfortunately for her, Olivia was right about one other thing too.
Mikhail snored like a buzz-saw.
As she carefully closed the bathroom door behind her, Sally flipped Nicole open and was greeted to the sight of a holographic Sir Charles Hedgehog.
"Morning princess." He said cheerfully.
"Too damn cheerfully." Sally thought bitterly, every fiber of her being just aching to go back to sleep. Still, she forced herself to sound happy. "Uncle Chuck! I'm really glad I managed get in contact with you." Too bad it was a two in the morning, she added mentally.
"I'm always on duty. What is it that you need?"
"A couple of things, actually. First, I need you to get in touch with Lupe and the others. Tell them that we may be delayed. If we don't contact them at our pre-scheduled time they are to wait fifteen minutes, then head back."
"Understood. What else?"
"I need you to find three things for me. First, I need topography charts, maps, and surveys of this location. Second, I need all the intelligence from the Great War on this region and one 'General Franklin.' And third, I need all the data from public records you can get from the Province of Russiya on the Dragoslav family. Can you do that?"
"That's going to be tough." Uncle Chuck admitted. "Especially that last request. The outlying provinces aren't as accurate in their record keeping as Mobotropolis. Or as open about it. But I'll see what I can do." This hologram flickered, went out of focus, and then came back. "I have to go Sally. This signal isn't that strong and Robotnik might notice it if I stay on any longer. I'll send the data to you just as soon as I get it."
"Thank you Uncle Chuck." Sally managed to say before the transmission winked out. Sally shut Nicole off and quietly crept back into the next room. As she headed back to bed she couldn't help but notice that something was different. Or to be more specific, missing.
"It's quiet." Sally commented, which sounded horribly cliché but nevertheless true. After a second she realized what was different. "Mikhail stopped snoring." Was her first thought, but no. After her eyes grew accustomed to the darkness, Sally noticed that two sleeping bags were empty. The next thing she noticed was a dim light coming from down the stairs.
Deciding to investigate, Sally quietly headed down the stairs to the mess hall. There she saw to figures sitting at a table and talking by candle-light. One of them was Mikhail. The other, was Rosa Nussboym. They were speaking softly in Yiddish, which made it impossible for Sally to understand just what they were saying. But the tone of voice they both used was familiar in its warmth, its compassion. And there was no mistaking the gesture of Rosa putting her hand on Mikhail's or the soft kiss that cast shadows on the wall.
Sally decided that it was a good a time as any to go back to bed. Though, despite her fatigue, she couldn't help but feel a smile tug at her lips. "Well," she decided as she crawled back into her sleeping bag. "At least I know why Mikhail's so tense around Rosa's brother..."
* * *
Night fell and Sally was no closer to a solution than she was before. Weary, frustrated, and dead on her feet, Sally ordered the freedom fighters to catch some shut-eye. Apparently, she wasn't the only one. When they got to the barracks, she saw Olivia shooing her charges into bed. Sally couldn't help but smile.
"Sally!" Olivia called. "Turning in?"
"Yeah. Listen, if it's not too much trouble would you mind-?"
"Not at all! We've got some extra sleeping bags, sorry we don't 'ave anything better but..."
"I know. I saw, most of you are sleeping in bags on the floor too. We don't want preferential treatment."
"All right, then. I talked to Sky Lynx and 'e agreed to let your friend Dulcy spend the night in 'is, er...place."
"That's very generous of him." Sally said politely, though she suspected that neither Dulcy nor Sky Lynx would be happy with the arrangement. "How did he come to end up here anyway?"
"Sky Lynx? Well, 'e first showed up about eight years ago. Said 'e flew into the valley to avoid some hovercraft patrols. 'e stayed a few weeks, then left. 'e comes back four or five times a year and spends a couple of weeks with us. Where 'e is the rest of the time, 'e doesn't say."
"Hmmmm." Sally thought. "I wonder..." Just at that moment though, Rotor ran up to her.
"Sally, I did as you asked." He handed Nicole over. After Olivia moved off, he added. "I don't know when Uncle Chuck will be able to respond or how long he can stay on."
"Thank you Rotor, you've done more than enough." She bit back a yawn. "Get some sleep."
"Heh. You first." Rotor grinned.
"Rotor I don't-" She yawned, loudly. Looking sheepish, she sighed. "All right, point taken. Good night Rotor."
"Good night Sally." As they headed up the stairs they found that Olivia had successfully shepherd just about everyone into bed. Within minutes, the lights were out and the low conversational murmuring silenced into nothing. Sally removed her boots and vest and climbed into her sleeping bag. She contentedly curled up inside and began to doze off.
Sally awoke a short time later to the ever pleasant sound of Nicole beeping. "TRANSMISSION RECEIVED FROM UNCLE CHUCK." Sally groaned and grabbed Nicole from off her boot. "Shhhhhhh!" She hissed. Sally cautiously crawled out of her sleeping bag and headed over to the bathroom, trying not to step on anyone in the process.
"Olivia was right." She thought sleepily. "There isn't a lot of privacy when over twenty people all sleep in the same room." Unfortunately for her, Olivia was right about one other thing too.
Mikhail snored like a buzz-saw.
As she carefully closed the bathroom door behind her, Sally flipped Nicole open and was greeted to the sight of a holographic Sir Charles Hedgehog.
"Morning princess." He said cheerfully.
"Too damn cheerfully." Sally thought bitterly, every fiber of her being just aching to go back to sleep. Still, she forced herself to sound happy. "Uncle Chuck! I'm really glad I managed get in contact with you." Too bad it was a two in the morning, she added mentally.
"I'm always on duty. What is it that you need?"
"A couple of things, actually. First, I need you to get in touch with Lupe and the others. Tell them that we may be delayed. If we don't contact them at our pre-scheduled time they are to wait fifteen minutes, then head back."
"Understood. What else?"
"I need you to find three things for me. First, I need topography charts, maps, and surveys of this location. Second, I need all the intelligence from the Great War on this region and one 'General Franklin.' And third, I need all the data from public records you can get from the Province of Russiya on the Dragoslav family. Can you do that?"
"That's going to be tough." Uncle Chuck admitted. "Especially that last request. The outlying provinces aren't as accurate in their record keeping as Mobotropolis. Or as open about it. But I'll see what I can do." This hologram flickered, went out of focus, and then came back. "I have to go Sally. This signal isn't that strong and Robotnik might notice it if I stay on any longer. I'll send the data to you just as soon as I get it."
"Thank you Uncle Chuck." Sally managed to say before the transmission winked out. Sally shut Nicole off and quietly crept back into the next room. As she headed back to bed she couldn't help but notice that something was different. Or to be more specific, missing.
"It's quiet." Sally commented, which sounded horribly cliché but nevertheless true. After a second she realized what was different. "Mikhail stopped snoring." Was her first thought, but no. After her eyes grew accustomed to the darkness, Sally noticed that two sleeping bags were empty. The next thing she noticed was a dim light coming from down the stairs.
Deciding to investigate, Sally quietly headed down the stairs to the mess hall. There she saw to figures sitting at a table and talking by candle-light. One of them was Mikhail. The other, was Rosa Nussboym. They were speaking softly in Yiddish, which made it impossible for Sally to understand just what they were saying. But the tone of voice they both used was familiar in its warmth, its compassion. And there was no mistaking the gesture of Rosa putting her hand on Mikhail's or the soft kiss that cast shadows on the wall.
Sally decided that it was a good a time as any to go back to bed. Though, despite her fatigue, she couldn't help but feel a smile tug at her lips. "Well," she decided as she crawled back into her sleeping bag. "At least I know why Mikhail's so tense around Rosa's brother..."
* * *