CONNECTION ESTABLISHED
Operation C.H.A.N.G.E.S
Changes
Happen
After
New
Grown-up
Establish
Sedition
It was supposed to be a normal, quiet day.
Rachel grabbed the neck of her Doctor Space Time and the Continuum's shirt to rub her face. She still groaned as she looked at the ceiling and her Doctor Space Time poster.
What time was it?
She looked at the clock on her bedside table. 7 am.
She groaned again. Not even in her free days she could wake up at normal kid hours. Well, at least she would be able to catch some Doctor Space Time reruns on tv.
So, that's what she did.
She went out to the kitchen, and got a bowl of cereal with milk, to then go to the living room and sit on the sofa, with the tv on the reruns.
Mom probably was working extra hours today, and Harvey was in Sector W. So, she had the whole house to herself, and she was going to seize the day!
She stayed on the sofa eating extra sugary cereal all day while watching Doctor Space Time.
"Yep. This is life..." Rachel said with a full mouth while sinking further into the sofa.
"Oh, no Doctor Space Time. What shall we do? The Tecnomen have completely surrounded the city, and the Malked navy is quickly approaching the planet. What shall we do?" A feminine voice exclaimed from the tv.
A masculine, Scottish voice responded. "Don't worry Violet. Because I anticipated this from the very beginning, you see–"
Her watch communicator beeped.
"Ah! Come on!" she shouted annoyed and answered the call. "This better be important Numbuh 86. Because I was in the middle of something super duper important on my own." This is the best part of the episode. She thought.
"Ah well, sir..." Fanny looked very nervous. "I know it is your free day and all, but since you are Global Tactical Officer, well..."
Rachel groaned. "Fanny, please cut straight to the point."
Fanny gulped. "Yes, sir. Numbuh 274 is a traitor, and he tried to decommission 2 sectors while hiding the fact that his 13th birthday was today, oh, and also he tried launching the moonbase to the sun, but sector V stopped it, and now he is in our custody until we can get him decommissioned later today, all of this making you, sir, Soopreme Leader." Fanny smiled nervously, awaiting for the blonde's response.
The blonde in question seemed to have frozen, with her eyes fixed on nowhere. 'Chad betrayed the KND? Why? More importantly, how wasn't she able to see it coming?! She was the head of spies for years! She should have–'
"Sir? Sirrr?"
Right, Fanny was still online. She couldn't stay there and overthink it. She was Soopreme Leader, and there was a whole organization full of kids in panic in need of someone who leads them, and she was that someone.
She stood up. "Numbuh 86."
Fanny stopped talking.
"I'm on my way. Please, reunite the Global Command A.S.A-NOW!" She hung up, and immediately ran back to her room to change outfits to her teal jumpsuit, sandals, and her orange sweater. She leaned her forehead on her closet door as she closed it, before getting her hand to a panel on the side of it.
She entered a code that opens a hatch to a personal vessel close to her window. She sighed, keeping her eyes on it, avoiding looking back to her room before entering the vessel, and shooting up to the moon.
A photo frame resting on her bedside table shaked with the engine power, and it fell to the floor, shattering the glass protecting the picture.
Numbuh Infinity stood up, clearing his throat to calm down the murmurs of the Global Command. "Boys and girls, please. I ask of you to calm down. We have protocols for this kind of situations, so there's no need to lose your screws. Once Numbuh 362 arrives, we can start discussing the specifics of the game of It that shall occur to select a permanent Soopreme Lea–"
"That won't be necessary, Numbuh Infinity." Rachel said as she entered the meeting room, followed by Numbuh 86.
Everyone present immediately stood up and saluted.
"Numbuh 362, sir." Infinity said, saluting himself.
"Everyone at ease." She walked towards the seat that corresponded to her position as Global Command Officer.
"362, sir, your seat is over there now." Fanny said nervously, pointing to the great chair on the head of the table.
"Oh..." She looked over it. "Right..." She walked over the few steps that separated both chairs. She sat. It wasn't the first time. She remembered when 274– no... Chad, offered her the Global Command Officer position.
Chad called her earlier to the meeting room, he wanted to discuss some stuff in private, why did he choose that place? Who knows. That boy was always particular with how he acted, but anyways.
When she entered, she saluted. "Numbuh 274, sir."
"At ease, Rachel." The taller blonde said. "I thought we were on a first name basis." A smile appeared on his face.
She rolled her eyes with a soft smile. "Alright, Chad," she said his name with some mockery. "What did you call me for?" She got to her usual spot as head of the spy division.
"First of all, you won't be sitting on that chair anymo–"
"WHAT?! I didn't do anything!" Rachel shot up from the chair, slamming the table so hard that it almost flipped (even when it was bolted to the floor.) "I didn't do anything!" She jumped to the same table and went straight to grab Chad from the collar of his shirt. She releases it, and relaxes. "Well, if I did, then–"
He raises his hands to shut her. "Before you continue going through all the stages of grief, please listen to me, and take a seat in your new chair." He pointed to the chair right beside his.
She took a few seconds to process the information. She shook her head. "Chad, you are not saying what I think you are saying."
He nods and starts walking around. "As you know, ever since Numbuh 10-40 got decommissioned a few weeks ago, their position has been vacant. And, it's evident that I've taken my time to decide who should take their place."
Rachel followed him a bit behind.
"The G.C.O. is a rank that works back-to-back with the Supreme Leader, I should know, considering all the years I was 100's G.C.O. So that left me with a few options. Maurice was one of those, but he is still busy trying to find the chickenpox island. I was also looking among outstanding sector leaders, but I haven't worked enough with any of them to seriously consider any of them. So, that leaves me with one obvious option," he turned around, and extended a hand to her. "You." He gave her that smile that had brightened her days so many times...
She shook her head, where had that thought come from?
"So, what do you say?"
She stared at his hand for a bit. It was a great responsibility, but it meant that Chad trusted her a lot if he was offering it to her. So, what the heck.
She reached for it, and with a smile she said. "You have a deal."
"Very well, so, we'll have to- What... what are you doing?" He looked at her with confusion.
Rachel had jumped to his Supreme Leader chair, and made herself comfortable in it. "What? I'm just getting used to it, since I'll be Supreme Leader after you're gone now." She giggled.
Chad rolled his eyes with a smile. He thought it was cute.
But whatever he thought didn't matter anymore. She left all the papers that 86 had given her on the table, and she leaned forward, elbows on the same table, and chin on her thumbs. "There won't be a game of IT called. I fully accept the responsibilities of Supreme Leader." She said with a weight that made everyone present pay attention. "The organization doesn't need any more chaos after what happened today."
"I find this resolution very admirable Numbuh 362, sir." Infinity declared as he adjusted his lapels. "Having some stability in turbulent times will definitely help."
Rachel nods, and looks at Fanny. "What's the status of Numb– of the traitor?"
The redhead scrambles through some papers. "Uhm... the teenager is being held in the decommission chamber 2, awaiting for his decommission due for later today."
362 sighed. "Alright..." She spinned toward the great window. "Is there anything else that needs discussing? I have a lot to take care of, and would like to do it ASAP."
Infinity cleared his throat. "There's some stuff that can wait for another opportunity."
"Very well, you are all dismissed." She said, still facing the window.
"Thanks everyone for connecting in such a short notice. You are all dismissed." She ended the transmission sighed as she leaned back on her office chair. This was going to be a long week.
Numbuh 1 clearing his throat made Rachel almost fall from her chair. Right, he was still on Moonbase.
"Oh, Numbuh 1. You're still here. You are dismissed."
"Yeah, I think that was implicit, but, since my team is still recovering, I wanted to see if you wanted to go with me for some food."
"Thank you, Nigel. But I still have a lot of stuff pending." She grunted as soon as she took one piece of paper that was on her desk.
"Did I mention that it is Meatball Sandwich Day?" He lowered his sunglasses.
Her stomach growled at the mention of food. She sighed and smiled. "I guess I can accept one or two sandwiches."
Six sandwiches later, and they were both laughing.
"Their faces when they realized must have been so funny!" Rachel said with a full mouth.
"Oh, definitely. Let's say that they weren't really delightful when the popcorn popped all over." Nigel said. "Lenny really thought he had us all convinced, but thanks to your division and... 2... 74..."
What were laughs a few moments before, was replaced by the sound of murmurs from the other kids in the cafeteria. They both looked to different parts, 1 to his sandwich, 362 to the window by their side.
Nigel was the first to interrupt the silence. "I know that you two were close, I guess that the news must have hit you the hardest..."
"Yeah... Crud! We live in the same neighborhood! Our parents are friends! He was my mentor, my friend... my best friend in the organization..." Some tears started to form on her eyes. She sighed. "I guess I'll make sure he gets home safe after he gets decommissioned..."
Numbuh 1 had gotten close to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I don't know how you feel right now, but just make sure to take cookie breaks too, okay?" He said with a soft smile.
She couldn't avoid reciprocating that same smile. "Thanks Nigel."
"NUMBUH 362, SIR!" Fanny ran to their table, pushing Nigel away.
"Fanny, calm down." Rachel said.
"Numbuh 274– Chad! Chad escaped!"
"WHAT?!" Both Rachel and Nigel said at the same time.
It was already night at the McKenzie apartment. Their mom was still working at the hospital. Harvey was still with his sector. Rachel was still on Moonbase. And a shadow was entering her room through the window.
He wasn't supposed to be here. The high command was really clear when telling him that no contact with former teammates was permitted, but he didn't care for those rules. What was the worst they could do? Decommission him? Pfft... He was the best there is, they aren't going to get rid of him, not even if they wanted to.
In any case, he just wanted the opportunity to say goodbye. Even if not directly, it was the least she deserved.
He walked towards the bed in which he had the few sleepovers he had as Supreme Leader (at Rachel's insistence), until he felt something crunching under his foot. He stepped back, and grabbed the broken frame. He recognized the photo, even in the darkness of the room. The photo that the KNN had taken after her promotion was officially announced. A few tears escaped his eyes and fell in the photo.
"I'm sorry Rachel. I wish it didn't have to be like this." Between a few more tears, a smile managed to form. "*But I'm sure you'll make a heck of a Supreme Leader."
He slipped his hand on a pocket, getting a letter out, and placing it under her Doctor Space-Time and Continuum's teddy bear, together with his numbered chestplate, before leaving the room. It would probably be a while before he could come back here.
"Goodbye 362."
CONNECTION INTERRUPTED
