AN: Chapter Two. Yayness! I'm still working out how the L/W situation will
be worked out, but rest assure it will. I'm really enjoying writing it. And
any criticism is good.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Instead of the faint stream of sunlight Linka was hoping for, she was woken up by voices talking reasonably loudly in Russian and English. Rubbing her eyes, Linka slipped out of bed and walked into the kitchen to tell Mishka to keep it down or greet (what sounded like) a whole group of people.
Instead, she found Tatiana, Mishka, Nonna and Nikolai sitting around the table eating breakfast. They all turned around when they heard her come in (the house was more of a cottage, with narrow hallways, thin walls and small rooms).
"Linka!" Tatiana jumped up, hugging her school-friend. Linka hugged her back. "I can not believe you did not write and tell me you were coming for a visit. I could have gotten some time off work!"
"Linka," Nikolai smiled from where he sat. He was tall, with brown hair and dark eyes. His family had been a friend of her father's before he had passed away. "It is good to see you home. Nadia says your English is very good now."
"Da, I have been to many English speaking countries," Linka said, pushing her hair out of her eyes, a bit bewildered from sleep.
"Since when have you listened to Nirvana music?" Tatiana sat back down.
Linka gave her a confused look. "What?"
"Your shirt. It is a Nirvana concert t-shirt. I saw them on the Internet," Tatiana clarified. Linka looked down. And felt herself blush.
"Oh, it is not mine," Linka said. "I borrowed it."
"Well," Nikolai. "I have never met a girl who listens to Nirvana - at least, not in this town. You will have to introduce me one day, Linka. Music taste in this town is very conservative."
And they all laughed. "Nyet, it is not a Gi's, it is Wheeler's," Linka said. Wheeler's worn out Nirvana t-shirt and a pair of blue pyjama pants were Linka's night-time attire - and socks usually, but Suchi had chewed those up. Actually, if Linka's memory was correct, the whole reason she had borrowed the Nirvana t- shirt in the first place was because Suchi destroyed all her pyjama tops. Or, maybe that had been Wheeler when he first got his ring.
"Wheeler?" Nadia said sharply.
"You are on t-shirt borrowing terms with a boy, Linka?" Tatiana almost squealed.
"Nyet, Tatiana," Linka went to the fridge to find something to eat. "Wheeler gave it to me." Wrong choice of words, Linka.
"Gave it to you?" Tatiana almost passed out.
"Why would any girl want a worn out t-shirt?" Mishka asked around a mouthful of cereal.
"It is symbolic, Mishka," Tatiana said.
"I do not like the sound of this, Linka," Nadia said. "Why would this boy give you his t-shirt?"
"I can think of several, ah, 'scenarios'," Nikolai said darkly.
"Bozhe moy," Linka exclaimed. "You are all insane."
"Come on, Linka. You need to get dressed," Tatiana said, jumping up and escorting Linka to her bedroom. "Did you bring your American clothes?"
"Nyet, they are all for summer. I think I will have to convince Gi we need to go shopping in Hollywood," Linka said teasingly.
"Really?" Tatiana nearly screeched. "I have never made it past Moscow, and you are shopping in Hollywood!"
"Nyet, I have never been to Hollywood - at least, not yet," Linka unzipped her bag and began to unpack it. A camera, some photos, random clothes and such.
"Photos!" Tatiana pounced. "Where are these from?"
"Kwame's birthday. We went to a boardwalk in Santa Monica, where there was a fair and then we went back to Hope Island and partied," Linka said. There had been loud music Gaia had been complaining about, piles of junk food courtesy of Gi and Wheeler, volleyball game, wind surfing.all at night. Linka really didn't remember how it ended, but she woke up curled up next to Wheeler, the others sprawled out nearby on another towel. Contrary to what she expected, none of the other Planeteers had mentioned it in her presence - and Linka was sure Wheeler would have teased her about it.
But Tatiana did not need to know the sketchy details. "Is this Whee-ler?" Tatiana held up a photo of Ma-ti and Gi, pointing to Ma- ti.
"Nyet! That's Ma-ti. Wheeler has red hair," Linka said and went to the bathroom to get changed. When she came back, Tatiana had taken the photographs out to the kitchen to show the others.
"You look like you are having fun," Mishka said, gazing at a photo where Linka and Wheeler and Gi were windsurfing.
"Da. It was a fun night. A proper party. Gaia said she had never heard such a racket."
Nadia looked over the photos all over the table. Photos of Linka and her four friends at a party. Linka windsurfing, and completely wiping out in the surf. And one with the five of them on the beach. Nadia saw Nikolai's face, jealousy flitting over his blank expression
. "You all look like very good friends," Mishka said. "That is Gi, nyet?"
"Da. She is from Asia and is trained in marine biology," Linka nibbled on a piece of toast.
"You four better head to work or you will be late," Nadia straightened up. "You do not want to be fired."
"We will see you later, Nonna," Mishka said. The four of them walked towards the old mine site. Apparently, according to Mishka, the new printing factory was next to the mines. And as they walked down the hill, Linka saw the factory. It was huge, built at the edge of a pine forest. Linka could only begin to imagine how many trees they had to pull down to build that factory.
Mishka, Tatiana and Nikolai went and put in their time cards. "We will see you at lunchtime. Linka and I will go and see the boss," Mishka said to Tatiana and Nikolai.
"Okay," Nikolai said.
Mishka lead Linka through a maze of hallways and up several staircases to an unlabeled door.
"Go in and ask to see Mr Plunder. After you finish talking to him, ask Mary - the secretary - where I am."
"Da, okay," Linka said, her attention focused on 'Mr Plunder'? Would this man's name be an ugly coincidence or was Looten Plunder up to one of his no good schemes?
Mishka walked away, and Linka went into the office, sticking her hands into her coat pockets - her Planeteer Communicator was in there, luckily.
"Hello. I am Linka Pquetrakova, I am here to see Mr Plunder."
"Da, your brother works here. Please take a seat and Mr Plunder will see you in a moment."
Linka took a seat in one of the hard plastic chairs. She gazed at her ring steadily, almost reassuring herself it was there.
"Miss Pquetrakova? Mr Plunder will see you now." Linka walked into the internal office and nearly used her ring on the person inside by force of habit.
"Looten Plunder!"
"M'dear. Fancy seeing you here. What can I do for you?" Looten plunder flashed her his fake 'winning' smile
"What is your plan this time, Plunder?" Linka said, infuriated.
"I have nothing 'planned'. I am merely giving the townspeople work when I bought the mines."
"You are not going to scam my people, Plunder. You will not get away with this!" Linka shouted, balling her fists, ready to use her power and teach Plunder a lesson.
"Well, I don't see how I can't. The rest of the Planet-Pests aren't here. The townspeople are happy. And if you use your ring on me, I will make sure your brother.Mishka Pquetrakova.is fired."
"Da, Plunder. You will not get away with this. I will find out what you are up to!" Linka said, storming out of the office.
As she left, Plunder picked up the phone. "I want the Planeteer disposed of, yes, the mines, any means necessary."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Instead of the faint stream of sunlight Linka was hoping for, she was woken up by voices talking reasonably loudly in Russian and English. Rubbing her eyes, Linka slipped out of bed and walked into the kitchen to tell Mishka to keep it down or greet (what sounded like) a whole group of people.
Instead, she found Tatiana, Mishka, Nonna and Nikolai sitting around the table eating breakfast. They all turned around when they heard her come in (the house was more of a cottage, with narrow hallways, thin walls and small rooms).
"Linka!" Tatiana jumped up, hugging her school-friend. Linka hugged her back. "I can not believe you did not write and tell me you were coming for a visit. I could have gotten some time off work!"
"Linka," Nikolai smiled from where he sat. He was tall, with brown hair and dark eyes. His family had been a friend of her father's before he had passed away. "It is good to see you home. Nadia says your English is very good now."
"Da, I have been to many English speaking countries," Linka said, pushing her hair out of her eyes, a bit bewildered from sleep.
"Since when have you listened to Nirvana music?" Tatiana sat back down.
Linka gave her a confused look. "What?"
"Your shirt. It is a Nirvana concert t-shirt. I saw them on the Internet," Tatiana clarified. Linka looked down. And felt herself blush.
"Oh, it is not mine," Linka said. "I borrowed it."
"Well," Nikolai. "I have never met a girl who listens to Nirvana - at least, not in this town. You will have to introduce me one day, Linka. Music taste in this town is very conservative."
And they all laughed. "Nyet, it is not a Gi's, it is Wheeler's," Linka said. Wheeler's worn out Nirvana t-shirt and a pair of blue pyjama pants were Linka's night-time attire - and socks usually, but Suchi had chewed those up. Actually, if Linka's memory was correct, the whole reason she had borrowed the Nirvana t- shirt in the first place was because Suchi destroyed all her pyjama tops. Or, maybe that had been Wheeler when he first got his ring.
"Wheeler?" Nadia said sharply.
"You are on t-shirt borrowing terms with a boy, Linka?" Tatiana almost squealed.
"Nyet, Tatiana," Linka went to the fridge to find something to eat. "Wheeler gave it to me." Wrong choice of words, Linka.
"Gave it to you?" Tatiana almost passed out.
"Why would any girl want a worn out t-shirt?" Mishka asked around a mouthful of cereal.
"It is symbolic, Mishka," Tatiana said.
"I do not like the sound of this, Linka," Nadia said. "Why would this boy give you his t-shirt?"
"I can think of several, ah, 'scenarios'," Nikolai said darkly.
"Bozhe moy," Linka exclaimed. "You are all insane."
"Come on, Linka. You need to get dressed," Tatiana said, jumping up and escorting Linka to her bedroom. "Did you bring your American clothes?"
"Nyet, they are all for summer. I think I will have to convince Gi we need to go shopping in Hollywood," Linka said teasingly.
"Really?" Tatiana nearly screeched. "I have never made it past Moscow, and you are shopping in Hollywood!"
"Nyet, I have never been to Hollywood - at least, not yet," Linka unzipped her bag and began to unpack it. A camera, some photos, random clothes and such.
"Photos!" Tatiana pounced. "Where are these from?"
"Kwame's birthday. We went to a boardwalk in Santa Monica, where there was a fair and then we went back to Hope Island and partied," Linka said. There had been loud music Gaia had been complaining about, piles of junk food courtesy of Gi and Wheeler, volleyball game, wind surfing.all at night. Linka really didn't remember how it ended, but she woke up curled up next to Wheeler, the others sprawled out nearby on another towel. Contrary to what she expected, none of the other Planeteers had mentioned it in her presence - and Linka was sure Wheeler would have teased her about it.
But Tatiana did not need to know the sketchy details. "Is this Whee-ler?" Tatiana held up a photo of Ma-ti and Gi, pointing to Ma- ti.
"Nyet! That's Ma-ti. Wheeler has red hair," Linka said and went to the bathroom to get changed. When she came back, Tatiana had taken the photographs out to the kitchen to show the others.
"You look like you are having fun," Mishka said, gazing at a photo where Linka and Wheeler and Gi were windsurfing.
"Da. It was a fun night. A proper party. Gaia said she had never heard such a racket."
Nadia looked over the photos all over the table. Photos of Linka and her four friends at a party. Linka windsurfing, and completely wiping out in the surf. And one with the five of them on the beach. Nadia saw Nikolai's face, jealousy flitting over his blank expression
. "You all look like very good friends," Mishka said. "That is Gi, nyet?"
"Da. She is from Asia and is trained in marine biology," Linka nibbled on a piece of toast.
"You four better head to work or you will be late," Nadia straightened up. "You do not want to be fired."
"We will see you later, Nonna," Mishka said. The four of them walked towards the old mine site. Apparently, according to Mishka, the new printing factory was next to the mines. And as they walked down the hill, Linka saw the factory. It was huge, built at the edge of a pine forest. Linka could only begin to imagine how many trees they had to pull down to build that factory.
Mishka, Tatiana and Nikolai went and put in their time cards. "We will see you at lunchtime. Linka and I will go and see the boss," Mishka said to Tatiana and Nikolai.
"Okay," Nikolai said.
Mishka lead Linka through a maze of hallways and up several staircases to an unlabeled door.
"Go in and ask to see Mr Plunder. After you finish talking to him, ask Mary - the secretary - where I am."
"Da, okay," Linka said, her attention focused on 'Mr Plunder'? Would this man's name be an ugly coincidence or was Looten Plunder up to one of his no good schemes?
Mishka walked away, and Linka went into the office, sticking her hands into her coat pockets - her Planeteer Communicator was in there, luckily.
"Hello. I am Linka Pquetrakova, I am here to see Mr Plunder."
"Da, your brother works here. Please take a seat and Mr Plunder will see you in a moment."
Linka took a seat in one of the hard plastic chairs. She gazed at her ring steadily, almost reassuring herself it was there.
"Miss Pquetrakova? Mr Plunder will see you now." Linka walked into the internal office and nearly used her ring on the person inside by force of habit.
"Looten Plunder!"
"M'dear. Fancy seeing you here. What can I do for you?" Looten plunder flashed her his fake 'winning' smile
"What is your plan this time, Plunder?" Linka said, infuriated.
"I have nothing 'planned'. I am merely giving the townspeople work when I bought the mines."
"You are not going to scam my people, Plunder. You will not get away with this!" Linka shouted, balling her fists, ready to use her power and teach Plunder a lesson.
"Well, I don't see how I can't. The rest of the Planet-Pests aren't here. The townspeople are happy. And if you use your ring on me, I will make sure your brother.Mishka Pquetrakova.is fired."
"Da, Plunder. You will not get away with this. I will find out what you are up to!" Linka said, storming out of the office.
As she left, Plunder picked up the phone. "I want the Planeteer disposed of, yes, the mines, any means necessary."