AN: I hope you enjoy this. I rediscovered Captain Planet like 3 days ago,
and am horrified to see such a lack of fan fic. So I thought I'd add to it.
I have only seen 2 episodes in the last five years - Beast of the Temple
and Plunder Dam - so some details may be vaguely inaccurate. I hope you
enjoy this first chapter, and I will update soon. Please review and let me
know how I am going with this.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Linka watched the Geo-Cruiser take off. Ma-Ti, Gi, Kwame and Wheeler all waved to her as they left Russia.
Because it had been so quiet for so long, Gaia had let all the Planeteers take a short holiday with their families. Well, Gaia had said, a short summer holiday. But, just Linka's luck, it was the coldest winter her home town had faced in twenty-five years.
But it was home. Not as glamorous as most places, but it was familiar and she had memories. And she would be here for two whole weeks.
Picking up her bag, Linka wondered if she might need to talk the others into stopping in Los Angeles one day soon so she could buy some more winter clothes. Most of the clothes she had were summer ones, because on Hope Island she didn't need jeans or heavy sweatshirts. She was sure Gi would be up for a shopping spree. Linka wasn't to sure about the others, but boys would be boys.
It was already dark here, and snow crunched under her sneakers. Linka spied her house, the lights were on in the kitchen, which was surprising. Mishka must be home already.
Like most of the town's population, Linka's brother Mishka worked in the local mines and didn't get home till very late at night usually. At least, that was what Linka remembered.
She knocked gently on the door, hoping she wouldn't startle her grandmother, who had been very sick.
"Who is it?" came Mishka's voice.
"It is Linka," Linka called out, grinning as her older brother swung open the door. Mishka flung his arms around Linka.
"It has been a very long time since you visited, Linka. You should have written and told us," Mishka said, leading Linka into the house. Linka dropped her bag outside the kitchen and went and sat down.
"Da, I should have but I did not know I was coming until the last minute," Linka said. "Where is Nonna?"
"She is sleeping; she has been very sick since the beginning of Winter, and the pain medication makes her very tired," Mishka said. "I am making dinner, would you like some?"
"Nyet, Wheeler and Ma-ti insisted we stop and get pizza in St Petersburg. Gi and Kwame were not happy with that plan," Linka sighed. Gi and Kwame had been shocked and disgusted at the over population of St Petersburg - and the huge percentage of homeless people. Linka had not bothered to explain to them that there was very little anyone could do.
"St Petersburg? I have not been there since you were a baby," Mishka shook his head. "And you stop there to get 'pizza'."
"Da, call it a privilege of being a Planeteer," Linka said.
"Nonna does worry about you; says it is not good from you to be gallivanting all over the world, get yourself killed or put in jail. Papa would not be pleased."
"Da, but Nonna is proud of me. And Papa would be happy if he knew what we were doing. If I stayed here, I'd end up nothing," Linka sighed.
"Maybe. Tatiana and Nikolai still ask after you. We all agree you don't write often enough, and do not tell us half of what you should," Mishka said, sitting down with a cup of coffee.
"I do not get a lot of time to write letters. And what else should I say?" Linka said, seeing on of her latest letters taped to the fridge, the whole page dotted with the Russian and English alphabets.
"I do not know. You write about people we do not know and do not explain anything. It worries Nonna, and she gets sicker when she worries."
"Da, I know. But I cannot help it. I am not going to quit being a Planeteer because I am not a good letter writer, though, Mishka," Linka shrugged.
"And Nonna and I do not want you to quit. Because you are doing good and you are happy. But other people would like you to," Mishka said, sipping his coffee.
"Who?" Linka asked, looking confused.
"Nikolai. You went and left him without a word, and now you are off with that American boy. He is very jealous."
"That is his problem, Mishka. I have never liked Nikolai," Linka said, shaking her head.
"Tatiana wants you to come home and go back to school with her; she is very lonely and school is not the same as it was when you were there," Mishka added.
Linka remembered her friend Tatiana. She had long black hair and had big eyes and loved to flirt. She was always smothering her face in make up she bought from Moscow. Linka's life of school and music seemed very far away now, after her life as a Planeteer.
"I miss her. Maybe I could go to the school tomorrow and say hello," Linka mused.
"Nyet. Tatiana has quit school now - she was not enjoying it anymore. She, Nikolai and I got new jobs," Mishka's face lit up.
"Really? Where?" Linka could not think where else, other than the mines, anyone could get work.
"A new printing factory. The boss says it will make the town very rich and we won't have to be miners forever. We're already organized to start a local magazine," Mishka said. "We all work binding up huge amounts of paper to send around Russia, but Tatiana wants to become fashion editor of the new magazine."
"This is good, but what about recycling?" Linka asked. "For the newspapers and magazine, so we do not cut down too many trees."
"It is only a new factory, Linka. We have not finished with things like that yet," Mishka said. "But I will suggest it tomorrow. Or you could go and suggest it yourself tomorrow." "Da, I think I will come with you tomorrow and see the boss myself," Linka nodded.
"Linka, you are home." A third voice said. Linka turned around to see her grandmother, Nadia Pquetrakova, standing in the doorway. She was a tall-ish woman with black hair streaked heavily with grey that was in a long plait.
"Da, Nonna, I am. For a little holiday," Linka jumped up and gave her grandmother a kiss on the cheek.
"I worried about you, child. Gone for so long, and so few letters," Nadia eyes her grand daughter.
"I do not like writing letters, Nonna," Linka shrugged. "I am not good at it."
"We know, Linka. Half Russian, half English and Mishka swore black and blue he saw some French in one," Nadia chuckled. "I think spending so much time in America has made you forget how to write in plain English. It takes me an hour to translate your funny letters." Linka winced - her letters were usually only a page long, and that was a long time to read.
"I am just making dinner, Nonna," Mishka said. "Soup. Would you like some? Linka will not have any because she had dinner in St Petersburg."
"Nyet, Mishka, I am not hungry. I will go back to bed soon. I overheard you telling Linka about the new printing factory," Nadia sat down.
"Da, he did. Why is this business man so interested in this town?" Linka asked.
"I do not know. But when he bought the mines, he realised we needed jobs, so he built the factory. It is good for this town, Linka," Nadia said. "We shall soon publish magazines and newspapers all around the world."
"But what about recycling here?" Linka asked. "We need a recycling plant here, to deal with the excessive refuge."
"Da, maybe one day the boss will do that, Linka, but not yet," Mishka said.
"I am going to go to bed," Linka stood up. "Do not forget to wake me tomorrow so I can come with you, Mishka."
"Da, Linka. Good night."
"Good night."
Linka picked up her bag and went to her room, which looked like she'd never left. All her dolls were clustered on her shelf, her desk was cluttered with sheet music and CDs. Her electric keyboard was set up in one corner, and her computer was covered with a sheet, on her desk. Linka dropped her bag next to her bed, vowing to clean up later, and flopped onto her bed. An d landed on something sharp.
Her Planeteer Communicator in her pocket. A device Gaia had given them before they had left. It was like a digital organizer, except it could send instant video or text messages to any one of the other Planeteers. It was meant for emergencies, but that hadn't stopped Ma-ti and Wheeler sending messages to each other from one side of the Geo Cruiser to the other.
Luckily, the Communicator did not run on batteries, but on light - natural or electric.
As Linka looked at hers (she had a sudden urge to pull the whole device apart to see how it worked), a new message came up on the small screen. From Wheeler, no doubt. Hitting the 'Enter' key, Linka read the message and began to laugh. He'd sent her a whole page of corny pick up lines. Gi must've shown him how to surf the internet.
Wheeler was very cute, and Linka half wished he'd had stayed in Russia with her, or she had gone to New York. It would have been more fun that way. But suggesting it would have lead to more teasing than she would even want to think about.
Rolling over, Linka looked at the photos on her nightstand - one of her parents, one of her brother and grandmother, and one of all the Planeteers together on Kwame's birthday. And one of Linka and Tatiana.
Gi had said, 'Home was where you heart is,' but it wasn't the same coming home once a year or less. It made Linka feel like a stranger in her own home. She was told of drastic changes and it was too late for her opinion to count.
It didn't feel like home anymore - Linka was not a fond of the cold as she used to be. She missed Hope Island, with its beaches and rainforest. And her friends - staying in Russia would mean she wouldn't see them unless there was an environmental disaster near by, and then they'd expect Linka to take care of it. If Linka left the Planeteers, she would lose them as friends. If Linka stayed in Russia, she'd try to change everything too much.
No matter how often she came home, she always faced the stay or go dilemma. She wondered if the other Planeteers ever had this problem.
*~*~*~*~*~* AN: How is that for my first chapter of my first Planeteer fic? Please review!
*~*~*~*~*~*
Linka watched the Geo-Cruiser take off. Ma-Ti, Gi, Kwame and Wheeler all waved to her as they left Russia.
Because it had been so quiet for so long, Gaia had let all the Planeteers take a short holiday with their families. Well, Gaia had said, a short summer holiday. But, just Linka's luck, it was the coldest winter her home town had faced in twenty-five years.
But it was home. Not as glamorous as most places, but it was familiar and she had memories. And she would be here for two whole weeks.
Picking up her bag, Linka wondered if she might need to talk the others into stopping in Los Angeles one day soon so she could buy some more winter clothes. Most of the clothes she had were summer ones, because on Hope Island she didn't need jeans or heavy sweatshirts. She was sure Gi would be up for a shopping spree. Linka wasn't to sure about the others, but boys would be boys.
It was already dark here, and snow crunched under her sneakers. Linka spied her house, the lights were on in the kitchen, which was surprising. Mishka must be home already.
Like most of the town's population, Linka's brother Mishka worked in the local mines and didn't get home till very late at night usually. At least, that was what Linka remembered.
She knocked gently on the door, hoping she wouldn't startle her grandmother, who had been very sick.
"Who is it?" came Mishka's voice.
"It is Linka," Linka called out, grinning as her older brother swung open the door. Mishka flung his arms around Linka.
"It has been a very long time since you visited, Linka. You should have written and told us," Mishka said, leading Linka into the house. Linka dropped her bag outside the kitchen and went and sat down.
"Da, I should have but I did not know I was coming until the last minute," Linka said. "Where is Nonna?"
"She is sleeping; she has been very sick since the beginning of Winter, and the pain medication makes her very tired," Mishka said. "I am making dinner, would you like some?"
"Nyet, Wheeler and Ma-ti insisted we stop and get pizza in St Petersburg. Gi and Kwame were not happy with that plan," Linka sighed. Gi and Kwame had been shocked and disgusted at the over population of St Petersburg - and the huge percentage of homeless people. Linka had not bothered to explain to them that there was very little anyone could do.
"St Petersburg? I have not been there since you were a baby," Mishka shook his head. "And you stop there to get 'pizza'."
"Da, call it a privilege of being a Planeteer," Linka said.
"Nonna does worry about you; says it is not good from you to be gallivanting all over the world, get yourself killed or put in jail. Papa would not be pleased."
"Da, but Nonna is proud of me. And Papa would be happy if he knew what we were doing. If I stayed here, I'd end up nothing," Linka sighed.
"Maybe. Tatiana and Nikolai still ask after you. We all agree you don't write often enough, and do not tell us half of what you should," Mishka said, sitting down with a cup of coffee.
"I do not get a lot of time to write letters. And what else should I say?" Linka said, seeing on of her latest letters taped to the fridge, the whole page dotted with the Russian and English alphabets.
"I do not know. You write about people we do not know and do not explain anything. It worries Nonna, and she gets sicker when she worries."
"Da, I know. But I cannot help it. I am not going to quit being a Planeteer because I am not a good letter writer, though, Mishka," Linka shrugged.
"And Nonna and I do not want you to quit. Because you are doing good and you are happy. But other people would like you to," Mishka said, sipping his coffee.
"Who?" Linka asked, looking confused.
"Nikolai. You went and left him without a word, and now you are off with that American boy. He is very jealous."
"That is his problem, Mishka. I have never liked Nikolai," Linka said, shaking her head.
"Tatiana wants you to come home and go back to school with her; she is very lonely and school is not the same as it was when you were there," Mishka added.
Linka remembered her friend Tatiana. She had long black hair and had big eyes and loved to flirt. She was always smothering her face in make up she bought from Moscow. Linka's life of school and music seemed very far away now, after her life as a Planeteer.
"I miss her. Maybe I could go to the school tomorrow and say hello," Linka mused.
"Nyet. Tatiana has quit school now - she was not enjoying it anymore. She, Nikolai and I got new jobs," Mishka's face lit up.
"Really? Where?" Linka could not think where else, other than the mines, anyone could get work.
"A new printing factory. The boss says it will make the town very rich and we won't have to be miners forever. We're already organized to start a local magazine," Mishka said. "We all work binding up huge amounts of paper to send around Russia, but Tatiana wants to become fashion editor of the new magazine."
"This is good, but what about recycling?" Linka asked. "For the newspapers and magazine, so we do not cut down too many trees."
"It is only a new factory, Linka. We have not finished with things like that yet," Mishka said. "But I will suggest it tomorrow. Or you could go and suggest it yourself tomorrow." "Da, I think I will come with you tomorrow and see the boss myself," Linka nodded.
"Linka, you are home." A third voice said. Linka turned around to see her grandmother, Nadia Pquetrakova, standing in the doorway. She was a tall-ish woman with black hair streaked heavily with grey that was in a long plait.
"Da, Nonna, I am. For a little holiday," Linka jumped up and gave her grandmother a kiss on the cheek.
"I worried about you, child. Gone for so long, and so few letters," Nadia eyes her grand daughter.
"I do not like writing letters, Nonna," Linka shrugged. "I am not good at it."
"We know, Linka. Half Russian, half English and Mishka swore black and blue he saw some French in one," Nadia chuckled. "I think spending so much time in America has made you forget how to write in plain English. It takes me an hour to translate your funny letters." Linka winced - her letters were usually only a page long, and that was a long time to read.
"I am just making dinner, Nonna," Mishka said. "Soup. Would you like some? Linka will not have any because she had dinner in St Petersburg."
"Nyet, Mishka, I am not hungry. I will go back to bed soon. I overheard you telling Linka about the new printing factory," Nadia sat down.
"Da, he did. Why is this business man so interested in this town?" Linka asked.
"I do not know. But when he bought the mines, he realised we needed jobs, so he built the factory. It is good for this town, Linka," Nadia said. "We shall soon publish magazines and newspapers all around the world."
"But what about recycling here?" Linka asked. "We need a recycling plant here, to deal with the excessive refuge."
"Da, maybe one day the boss will do that, Linka, but not yet," Mishka said.
"I am going to go to bed," Linka stood up. "Do not forget to wake me tomorrow so I can come with you, Mishka."
"Da, Linka. Good night."
"Good night."
Linka picked up her bag and went to her room, which looked like she'd never left. All her dolls were clustered on her shelf, her desk was cluttered with sheet music and CDs. Her electric keyboard was set up in one corner, and her computer was covered with a sheet, on her desk. Linka dropped her bag next to her bed, vowing to clean up later, and flopped onto her bed. An d landed on something sharp.
Her Planeteer Communicator in her pocket. A device Gaia had given them before they had left. It was like a digital organizer, except it could send instant video or text messages to any one of the other Planeteers. It was meant for emergencies, but that hadn't stopped Ma-ti and Wheeler sending messages to each other from one side of the Geo Cruiser to the other.
Luckily, the Communicator did not run on batteries, but on light - natural or electric.
As Linka looked at hers (she had a sudden urge to pull the whole device apart to see how it worked), a new message came up on the small screen. From Wheeler, no doubt. Hitting the 'Enter' key, Linka read the message and began to laugh. He'd sent her a whole page of corny pick up lines. Gi must've shown him how to surf the internet.
Wheeler was very cute, and Linka half wished he'd had stayed in Russia with her, or she had gone to New York. It would have been more fun that way. But suggesting it would have lead to more teasing than she would even want to think about.
Rolling over, Linka looked at the photos on her nightstand - one of her parents, one of her brother and grandmother, and one of all the Planeteers together on Kwame's birthday. And one of Linka and Tatiana.
Gi had said, 'Home was where you heart is,' but it wasn't the same coming home once a year or less. It made Linka feel like a stranger in her own home. She was told of drastic changes and it was too late for her opinion to count.
It didn't feel like home anymore - Linka was not a fond of the cold as she used to be. She missed Hope Island, with its beaches and rainforest. And her friends - staying in Russia would mean she wouldn't see them unless there was an environmental disaster near by, and then they'd expect Linka to take care of it. If Linka left the Planeteers, she would lose them as friends. If Linka stayed in Russia, she'd try to change everything too much.
No matter how often she came home, she always faced the stay or go dilemma. She wondered if the other Planeteers ever had this problem.
*~*~*~*~*~* AN: How is that for my first chapter of my first Planeteer fic? Please review!