Chapter 41
Six Days, Two Hours, Forty-One Minutes
Director Bradley Talmadge found Frank Parker lying on his bed, his feet propped up on the pillow while his arms were folded behind his head. "I hope you've had some rest," the man chimed, his hands tucked neatly in the pockets of his dress slacks. "From the way things are developing, I have the feeling that you're going to need it."
"Really?"
"Yes, I do."
"Why do you say that?" Parker tried, lifting his head from the cot.
"What do you mean, Frank?"
Shifting, the younger man sat up on the cot, his feet firmly planted on the floor. "From what I hear, I won't be seeing the light of day anytime soon."
"Where did you hear that?"
"That new chrononaut of yours," Parker answered. "Let me tell you: that's one sparkling personality I'm not in any hurry to meet again."
Narrowing his eyes, the director jerked his head to the side in an expression of surprise. "Channing came down here?"
Rising from the bed, Parker sighed. "Not too long ago," he said. "He's none too happy with my being here, Bradley."
"Is that so?"
"That man has more than a drawer full of issues."
"Like what?"
Parker crossed his arms defiantly. "Maybe you should tell me, Bradley."
The director pulled one hand out from his trousers and scratched the back of his head. Grimacing, he tried, "Times have changed, Frank. The world ... our world ... it's a far different place from the one you inhabit. We have different priorities and different restrictions. Vastly different protocols. Honestly, if you thought conducting a BackStep in your continuum was difficult, you can't begin to imagine what we go through with each and every mission." He paused, studying the younger man's stoic expression. "When you arrived ... you have to understand that, given the circumstances, I had to be absolutely certain that you were who you said you were ... well, I suppose, at the point, that some things ... let's just say that a discussion of certain relationships didn't seem prudent at the time."
"Relationships?" Parker gasped. "Hell, if it were only that simple! Your current time-traveling cowboy called me a time-traveling cowboy! How's that for the pot calling the kettle black?"
"Frank, despite the job, you have to trust me when I say that you're two entirely different men," Talmadge said honestly. "I won't deny that the two of you share some similarities in the way that you work. To Channing's defense, he treats BackStepping with a far greater degree of pragmatism than you did." Immediately, he held up his hand to staunch any arguments. "Now, I know what you're thinking, so let me say – for the record – that I'm taking anyone's side. I'm not saying that Channing's approach is any better than yours. I'm only trying to make you understand that he's – shall we say – more enlightened diplomatically in the manner with which he accomplishes his missions. As a result, the NSA Committee tends to grant him far more slack than they ever did you."
Smirking, Parker laughed. "Bradley, in the eyes of the NSA, I'm a field operative. I didn't mean any more to them than any other agent. When did any of us in the field – you included – ever really give a damn what those Washington pencil-pushers thought? For the matter, when did you personally ever give a damn what the Committee said?"
"Take it easy, Frank," he tried cautiously. "I am not your enemy. As I said, I'm only trying to point out that, in your absence, the members of the Committee have grown used to Channing's way of dealing with quagmires."
"With what?"
"With quagmires." Talmadge shrugged. "Yes, that's the Committee's new code word for a BackStep."
"You've got to be kidding me!" Parker exclaimed. "You mean, they changed the code word from 'conundrum' to 'quagmire'? Bradley, that's ridiculous!"
"I don't like it, either."
"It doesn't even sound right!"
"You know how the NSA, Frank!" Talmadge argued. "Above all else, preserve the secrecy of what we do here. After you were gone, they exercised measures to ensure that the technology and practices associated to the BackStep Program couldn't possibly be compromised. It's standard operating procedure."
"But 'quagmire'?"
Talmadge held up his arms in a show of surrender. "You won't get any argument out of me."
"Hell, no wonder Channing doesn't like me!"
Laughing, the director relaxed. "Somehow, I don't think having to use the word 'quagmire' has anything to do with liking you, Frank, but I appreciate the levity." He brought his emotions under control and continued. "It's simple, really. The Committee believed that you were dead. For the time being, BackStep was grounded. Even all of our routine operations – monitoring hotspots around the globe, weekly briefings with the President of the United States, everything – were at a complete standstill. In fact, it wasn't until Larnord revealed himself to Earth, along with the gift of a new Sphere, that we were back in business. Changes to the program were necessary. Granted, things worked fine under your tenure, too. Channing ... well, he's a different man."
"I get it, Bradley," Parker snapped.
"Then don't sound so stubborn."
"And what do you have to say in my defense?"
Talmadge grinned. "With the legendary Frank Parker? You left some mighty big shoes to fill, Frank. The way I remember things, I never knew what to expect. You were entirely unpredictable."
Parker shook his head. "First, you tell me that Channing's a different man ... a man who apparently has the blessings of the Committee ... and all I get is that I was unpredictable?"
"That's what made working with you such a challenge." Leaning closer to the glass, he added, "So you can stop your sulking. I'm not choosing any favorites, if that's what you're looking for."
"Gee, thanks, dad."
"But I will say that – somedays – I miss the chaos you brought in your wake."
The chrononaut nodded. "It's good to know that you were appreciated for something."
"That's why I have a surprise for you."
Parker glanced up at the director. He noticed a twinkle in his eye, and he guessed that Talmadge had something up his sleeve.
"This had better not be a joke, Bradley," he said. "I'm not in the mood ... not since I found out that your fondest memory of me is that I was unpredictable."
"No," Talmadge agreed. "This ... this I think you're going to like." Raising his chin, the director cried out in the director of a nearby wall speaker. "Open the airlock. Mr. Parker is getting a visitor."
End of Chapter 41
Six Days, Two Hours, Forty-One Minutes
Director Bradley Talmadge found Frank Parker lying on his bed, his feet propped up on the pillow while his arms were folded behind his head. "I hope you've had some rest," the man chimed, his hands tucked neatly in the pockets of his dress slacks. "From the way things are developing, I have the feeling that you're going to need it."
"Really?"
"Yes, I do."
"Why do you say that?" Parker tried, lifting his head from the cot.
"What do you mean, Frank?"
Shifting, the younger man sat up on the cot, his feet firmly planted on the floor. "From what I hear, I won't be seeing the light of day anytime soon."
"Where did you hear that?"
"That new chrononaut of yours," Parker answered. "Let me tell you: that's one sparkling personality I'm not in any hurry to meet again."
Narrowing his eyes, the director jerked his head to the side in an expression of surprise. "Channing came down here?"
Rising from the bed, Parker sighed. "Not too long ago," he said. "He's none too happy with my being here, Bradley."
"Is that so?"
"That man has more than a drawer full of issues."
"Like what?"
Parker crossed his arms defiantly. "Maybe you should tell me, Bradley."
The director pulled one hand out from his trousers and scratched the back of his head. Grimacing, he tried, "Times have changed, Frank. The world ... our world ... it's a far different place from the one you inhabit. We have different priorities and different restrictions. Vastly different protocols. Honestly, if you thought conducting a BackStep in your continuum was difficult, you can't begin to imagine what we go through with each and every mission." He paused, studying the younger man's stoic expression. "When you arrived ... you have to understand that, given the circumstances, I had to be absolutely certain that you were who you said you were ... well, I suppose, at the point, that some things ... let's just say that a discussion of certain relationships didn't seem prudent at the time."
"Relationships?" Parker gasped. "Hell, if it were only that simple! Your current time-traveling cowboy called me a time-traveling cowboy! How's that for the pot calling the kettle black?"
"Frank, despite the job, you have to trust me when I say that you're two entirely different men," Talmadge said honestly. "I won't deny that the two of you share some similarities in the way that you work. To Channing's defense, he treats BackStepping with a far greater degree of pragmatism than you did." Immediately, he held up his hand to staunch any arguments. "Now, I know what you're thinking, so let me say – for the record – that I'm taking anyone's side. I'm not saying that Channing's approach is any better than yours. I'm only trying to make you understand that he's – shall we say – more enlightened diplomatically in the manner with which he accomplishes his missions. As a result, the NSA Committee tends to grant him far more slack than they ever did you."
Smirking, Parker laughed. "Bradley, in the eyes of the NSA, I'm a field operative. I didn't mean any more to them than any other agent. When did any of us in the field – you included – ever really give a damn what those Washington pencil-pushers thought? For the matter, when did you personally ever give a damn what the Committee said?"
"Take it easy, Frank," he tried cautiously. "I am not your enemy. As I said, I'm only trying to point out that, in your absence, the members of the Committee have grown used to Channing's way of dealing with quagmires."
"With what?"
"With quagmires." Talmadge shrugged. "Yes, that's the Committee's new code word for a BackStep."
"You've got to be kidding me!" Parker exclaimed. "You mean, they changed the code word from 'conundrum' to 'quagmire'? Bradley, that's ridiculous!"
"I don't like it, either."
"It doesn't even sound right!"
"You know how the NSA, Frank!" Talmadge argued. "Above all else, preserve the secrecy of what we do here. After you were gone, they exercised measures to ensure that the technology and practices associated to the BackStep Program couldn't possibly be compromised. It's standard operating procedure."
"But 'quagmire'?"
Talmadge held up his arms in a show of surrender. "You won't get any argument out of me."
"Hell, no wonder Channing doesn't like me!"
Laughing, the director relaxed. "Somehow, I don't think having to use the word 'quagmire' has anything to do with liking you, Frank, but I appreciate the levity." He brought his emotions under control and continued. "It's simple, really. The Committee believed that you were dead. For the time being, BackStep was grounded. Even all of our routine operations – monitoring hotspots around the globe, weekly briefings with the President of the United States, everything – were at a complete standstill. In fact, it wasn't until Larnord revealed himself to Earth, along with the gift of a new Sphere, that we were back in business. Changes to the program were necessary. Granted, things worked fine under your tenure, too. Channing ... well, he's a different man."
"I get it, Bradley," Parker snapped.
"Then don't sound so stubborn."
"And what do you have to say in my defense?"
Talmadge grinned. "With the legendary Frank Parker? You left some mighty big shoes to fill, Frank. The way I remember things, I never knew what to expect. You were entirely unpredictable."
Parker shook his head. "First, you tell me that Channing's a different man ... a man who apparently has the blessings of the Committee ... and all I get is that I was unpredictable?"
"That's what made working with you such a challenge." Leaning closer to the glass, he added, "So you can stop your sulking. I'm not choosing any favorites, if that's what you're looking for."
"Gee, thanks, dad."
"But I will say that – somedays – I miss the chaos you brought in your wake."
The chrononaut nodded. "It's good to know that you were appreciated for something."
"That's why I have a surprise for you."
Parker glanced up at the director. He noticed a twinkle in his eye, and he guessed that Talmadge had something up his sleeve.
"This had better not be a joke, Bradley," he said. "I'm not in the mood ... not since I found out that your fondest memory of me is that I was unpredictable."
"No," Talmadge agreed. "This ... this I think you're going to like." Raising his chin, the director cried out in the director of a nearby wall speaker. "Open the airlock. Mr. Parker is getting a visitor."
End of Chapter 41