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Regaining Momentum
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Healing from the tornadoes is almost at an end. The pieces have been gathered and are being glued back into place, but instead of making the team and its members weaker, they will be the stronger for it. Rebuilding proceeds, and plans long put on hold will be brought out and dusted off. Two recruits have left, but two new members stand waiting in the wings for their chance to add to the team. The temporary stop that our heroes have faced is over, and the momentum builds once again as they look forward to the future.
Posted by Tikatu on August 12, 2007]]>artisticrainey2012-07-23T23:43:28-00:00Re: Regaining Momentum
http://irnextphase.tikatu.com/fudforum/index.phpindex.php?t=rview&goto=297&th=19#msg_297
Wednesday, September 12, Around 1:00 p.m. locally ( Thursday, September 13, around 5:00 a.m. Tracy Island)
As she jogged the streets of New York, Cassie tried to decide what she was going to do about the Thornville offer. The deadline was tomorrow, and she still hadn't made up her mind what to tell them. It wasn't like she didn't want the job. She could probably be happy there and setting up the new fire company would be a challenge. What about after that though? Once the company was started, would it turn into the same thing as working in the city only slower? Was that what she really wanted?
The job at Tracy Industries offered something new. She wouldn't be going out on calls but instead instructing others in fire safety and protocols. Teaching others interested her and would be a change of pace. The chance to travel was appealing, too. It was something she had always wanted to do. There were two drawbacks to the job that she could see right now. One, though nothing had been confirmed, she was still assuming she would be based out of Wichita seeing as that where the application was sent. The one point to this job hunt was to get out of the city, not move from one city to another. The other drawback was not being actively involved in the calls. How long until she missed it? She enjoyed helping people.
She had twenty-four hours to make a decision. Did she take the Thornville job or not? What if the Tracy Industries job didn't pan out? She could very well be passing up a good job for nothing. Yet, was the Thornville job the job she was looking for?
Cassie had asked Mark for his advice. He hadn't been much help, telling her to follow her heart. She had a feeling her brother didn't really want her to leave though he hadn't told her that and he never would. He'd never ask her to stay just for him.
Wanting some more constructive advice, Cassie had emailed both Dr. Lindon and Luke. She was waiting for their replies. Maybe she'd have time to check before going to work this afternoon.
A block from the apartment, Cassie slowed to a walk. She switched her watch from stopwatch mode to time. She'd still have time to check her email before heading in to work. She should have been off today but Frank had asked her to cover a paramedic shift last night. She had agreed, seeing as she had taken the next four days off.
When she reached the apartment, she took a quick shower and changed into her work uniform. After blow drying and braiding her hair, she headed for the computer. It didn't take long for the, "You have mail", message to appear on the screen. She clicked the box and was taken to her inbox. She had two unopened messages - one from Dr. Lindon and one from Luke. She opened the former first.
Cassie,
It's great that you have found such good reception with your applications. Sounds like your hunt is going positively. Remember what I said - don't go rushing into anything. There is no rush to find a new job. Make sure the job you choose is the one you want. Unless the job up in Thornville is something that you really want to do, then go ahead and pass it up. If the second interview with Tracy Industries doesn't work out, there are other opportunities out there. From your email, it sounds as if you're really interested in the position at Tracy Industries. I think you owe it to yourself to continue exploring that avenue even if it means passing up the offer in Thornville.
If you want to talk more, feel free to give me a call. Let me know what you decide.
Sincerely,
Ellen
Having read that email, Cassie opened the one from Luke.
Hey Cass,
It's no surprise to me that so many people are interested in you. They'd be crazy not too! The first offer sounds good, but from what you wrote, sounds to me you're interested in the job at Tracy Industries. If that's the case, go for the interview. If that means passing up the other offer, then so be it. If for some reason you blow the second interview, I'm sure another opportunity will come your way. Just don't go juggling desk items from Mr. Tracy's desk. Not sure that trick will impress a big shot like him!
I'm settling into my job okay and enjoying it. Rommel's getting used to it, too. He sends a doggie kiss your way for the hug! Stay safe, girl, and let me know how things go!
Luke
Cassie signed out and shut down the computer. It was about time to head for the station. She was hoping for a slow shift so she could ponder her decision some more, now with the advice of two of the people she trusted the most.
Posted by starrynebula on August 12, 2007]]>artisticrainey2012-07-23T23:44:19-00:00Re: Regaining Momentum
http://irnextphase.tikatu.com/fudforum/index.phpindex.php?t=rview&goto=298&th=19#msg_298
Wednesday, September 12, 2 PM; LJ Auto and Boat Repair and Body Shop, San Francisco (9AM the next day on Tracy Island)
"Will, you've got to come out and see this!"
Manager Will Abbott looked up from his computer as Jessie Feldman, who worked at one of the front desks, burst into his office. "What's up, Jess?"
"There's a parade of classic cars going by, and one of them just pulled up to our door!"
He saved what he'd been doing, and hurried out of his office. It had been a slow day, so three of his mechanics, as well as everyone in the lobby - staff and customers both - were outside, surrounding the car. Very little of it could be seen through the mass of humanity, so he joined them.
The object of everyone's attention was a white convertible. One of the customers asked, "How old is this baby?"
"It's a 1969 Pontiac Firebird," Will breathed. "Now that's impressive. Nearly a hundred years old, and still in mint condition." He looked around for the owner, and saw a man about forty-five, who smiled at him and nodded.
"You know your classic cars, sir," he said. "But as for mint condition, I'm not so sure. About half a mile from here, it sounded like the timing was off. I know you work mostly on newer cars, but I heard that you recently added a small division that could handle older models. Can you help me?"
"Pop the hood and let's have a look."
Seconds later, the owner, Will and two mechanics were gazing at the inner workings of the vehicle. "Beautiful," said Mike, the older of the mechanics. "And I see the problem. Hang on." He went into one of the repair bays, and returned with a couple of tools. "Art," he said to the other mechanic, "give me a hand here."
As Will, the car owner, and a few of the customers watched (the others had either gone back to work, or inside to complete their transactions), the two men bent over the engine, and some noises and mutterings were heard. A couple of minutes later, they stood up and Mike asked the owner to start the car. He complied, and a moment later the engine turned over, and was humming contentedly.
"Thanks," said the owner as he shut it off again and got out. "I'd probably have been able to take care of it myself at the grounds, but I didn't want to drive it that far, possibly causing more trouble or damage. Also," he grinned sheepishly at Will, "I heard about you from a friend, and wanted to see for myself just how good you guys are. But I promise I didn't tamper with it deliberately. It was just serendipity."
Will laughed. "Okay, no problem. I presume we passed the test?"
"With flying colors," the other man replied with a grin. "How much do I owe you?"
"Nothing. You paid us by coming in here and allowing us to take a look at this beautiful car. We don't get many in as of yet, and none this old and well preserved."
"Well thank you; I appreciate that. My name is Jerry Hampton." He held out his hand.
Will took it and they shook. "Will Abbott. Good to meet you. I presume you're here for the show."
"At Monster Park, yes. The Forty Niners have an away game this weekend. Hey, I've got an idea." Jerry went back to his car, and pulled a briefcase out from the back seat. He opened it, and took out an envelope. "Here're ten tickets to the show. Perhaps some of your staff might like to attend, as well as yourself. They're open dated, so you can show up for any of the four days we're here."
"Thank you, sir. We all appreciate it." Will grinned. "And don't be surprised if you hear Art and Mike at the show, braggin' about how they worked on your car."
Jerry laughed as he put his briefcase back, and got in. "I'll look forward to it. But I'd better get going, before they assign my spot to someone else." He restarted the engine and put it in gear. "Thanks again," he said and, with a wave, pulled out of the parking lot.
Ten minutes later, Will was back in his office, trying once again to look at the information on his computer screen. But his mind was on that car. I sure would have like to have been the one to work on it. It's been too long since I got to do any hands-on work - on any car. I miss it. He shook himself mentally, and got back to his office work. But the seed of an idea had planted itself in the back of his mind, and was beginning to take root.
Posted by hobbeth on August 12, 2007]]>artisticrainey2012-07-23T23:44:35-00:00Re: Regaining Momentum
http://irnextphase.tikatu.com/fudforum/index.phpindex.php?t=rview&goto=299&th=19#msg_299
Tracy Island, Thursday, September 13th, 1:45 pm...
It was an uncharacteristically rainy day on Tracy Island. A minor tropical storm had moved in during the night, drenching the area with rain. Gordon was forced to stay inside and out of his beloved pool.
Gordon was bored stiff.
A bored Gordon is a dangerous thing.
He had already spiked the sugar bowl with salt; hidden all of Alan's underwear; and convinced Tyler that if the rain continued at this rate, the island would be torn off of its artificial mountings and float away.
He had finally been instructed with a stern, "Find something productive to do," from his father.
So, Gordon was sitting at his desk in his room, surfing the internet. He'd already checked eBay for any new prank materials, not finding anything of interest. He then moved on to another website where he placed a large order of colored shampoo and skin dyes. Making a mental note to be on hand when the supply plane brought it in a few weeks, he settled his account and grinned in anticipation.
He then decided to do a quick check on International Rescue before he shut down. After the last few anti-IR articles had been published, Jeff had asked them all to keep an eye out for any new information. He typed "International Rescue" into a search engine and waited to see what would come up. Almost instantly he received information on a number of pages. Gordon scanned through them, not really finding anything new. He was about to close down when a page caught his eye. Frowning, he clicked on it and waited for the page to load. When it came up, he burst out laughing.
The title of the page read: "International Rescue, Our Tryikalican Brethren".
"This is great!" He quickly surveyed the navigation page. "Oh, God! They have names for us! Let me see....Jhutu... Lightning bird, that has to be Scott...Qiophana... Mighty Green one--Virge!!" By now Gordon had tears running down his face. "Oh man, this is priceless! I gotta see what else they have." He found yet another page with their humble beginnings, starting with a sign from "Undlieek" and how they were sent to earth to become "Jestreethzi n'Hildrathuk", the Saviors. There was more on the alien technology of the ships, even a few fuzzy pictures with brightly colored blobs, assuring the viewer that these were "authentic photos of the mighty craft".
"I have to do something; this is too good an opportunity to pass up!" Gordon quickly composed an email. There was no fear of it being traced back to him or the island; the security features were too strong to crack. "I knew those pictures of Scott would come in handy." He pulled up the photos and did a few modifications; deleting Scott's head, blurring the scene enough that one could tell it was a scantily clothed man, but all identifying features were distorted; taking out the background and creating a new one. He also added a few names of his own to their list, adding that he was a member of the Jestreethzi n'Hildrathuk's inner sanctum. He also signed himself up for the Brethren's newsletter.
Hitting "send", Gordon sat back with a contented sigh. He had a feeling life was going to get a lot more interesting.
Posted by lillehafrue on August 14, 2007]]>artisticrainey2012-07-23T23:44:55-00:00Re: Regaining Momentum
http://irnextphase.tikatu.com/fudforum/index.phpindex.php?t=rview&goto=300&th=19#msg_300
Tracy Island, Thursday, September 13 8pm
Tropical Storm Ludmilla had finally passed by. The clouds were drifting off to the east, showing little glimpses of the stars that had begun to appear.
Scott walked onto the balcony, and leaned his forearms the railing. The railing still dripped from the day-long rain, but Scott didn't care. He was looking straight ahead but he wasn't really seeing anything. In reality he was lost in thought. He and Elise would be leaving soon to pick up Cassandra Kishi at LAX and bring her to the island. It was a task that he wasn't happy to have been given.
We're making a mistake picking Cassandra Kishi from the applicants that were given us, he mused. Dad wants someone with fire fighting experience to help with the rescues involving fire and what does he do? He chooses the applicant with the least amount of experience. Sure, she has the paramedic skills, which are a plus, but we already have Dom and Nikki to help in the field. Not to mention Luke is just missing a few courses to be a paramedic. We could do without a paramedic. What we need is someone to keep the near disaster that had almost happened in Australia from really happening on a future rescue. Is five years really enough experience for that?
The sound of a bird made him look to his right. He caught sight of a colorful bird taking flight. His gaze followed it until it disappeared into the darkness. He stood up a little straighter and rested his hands on the railing.
Oh, sure, Virgil's arguments against my choices were sound. Still, maybe we should've just kept looking. We could've asked HR to send us some more applicants. Maybe that's what I should've asked Dad to do instead of agreeing to interview Ms. Kishi. Scott sighed. Well, things are set up now. She's scheduled to come out to the island and it isn't practical to change things now. Still, just because she's coming out here doesn't mean we have to go with her. There's nothing saying we need to divulge IR to her.
Then there's the question about why she's looking for a new job. Luke avoided the question. Does that mean he's protecting her? Was he keeping something from us that might affect her getting the job? After all, she is his friend. I'm sure he knows something he's not telling us. Is she having problems at work? Are they forcing her to look for a position elsewhere? People just don't go looking for new jobs unless they're unhappy where they're at or aren't fitting in well. There's something there, and I'm going to find it. I'm not going to let something slip by that could be detrimental to the team.
A beep from his communicator interrupted broke through his musings. "Elise to Scott."
"What's up, Elise?" Scott asked her.
"We should probably get ready to leave. You ready?"
"Yeah. I'll meet you at Tracy One."
"Okay, see you in a few. Elise out."
Scott took one more look out across the island and then turned to head inside, so he could join Elise on Tracy One.
Posted by starrynebula on August 15, 2007]]>artisticrainey2012-07-23T23:45:11-00:00Re: Regaining Momentum
http://irnextphase.tikatu.com/fudforum/index.phpindex.php?t=rview&goto=301&th=19#msg_301
Thursday, September 13, 2068 almost 7 a.m. NYC (11 p.m. same day Tracy Island)
"Mark, have you seen ..." Cassie broke off as her brother held out her wallet to her. It had been sitting of the coffee table. "Thanks," she told him with a smile. She was usually much more organized than this but the upcoming flight to who knew where was starting to make her nervous.
"A little nervous?"
"You could say that," she replied as she shouldered the one travel bag she was taking with her.
"I don't think you mentioned where you're heading," Mark said.
"All I know is that the interview is at the Tracys' home," Cassie said as she headed toward the apartment door. "I won't know the exact destination until I get my ticket."
"What do you mean you don't know where they're flying you to?" Mark asked. Grabbing his keys, and following her. "Sounds kind of suspicious to me."
Cassie couldn't help it. She had to laugh at her brother's last remark. Sometimes he could be way too suspicious. "Relax, will you? Tracy Industries is a well known company. I'm sure it's fine."
"I'm just trying to look out for you," he told her.
"I thought I was the older sibling. Aren't I supposed to look out for you?" Cassie asked as they stepped into the elevator.
"I'm not amused," Mark told her.
The two were silent as the elevator made its way to the ground floor. The two walked outside to find a cab waiting out front of the apartment building. The cabbie was waiting beside the cab.
"Ms. Cassandra Kishi?" the cab driver asked, as he opened the door for her.
"That's me. I guess that makes you my ride to the airport?"
"Sure does, miss. Bernie Levine, atcha service." He made a motion toward her bag. "Wouldja like that in th' trunk?"
"I don't like the looks of him, Cass," Mark said softly to his sister as she handed the cabbie her bag. He kept his eyes on Bernie.
Bernie shoved back his leather cap. "Well, I know I gotta face only a mudder could love, but I'm honest." He motioned toward Mark. "Since yer so concerned over the lady's well-bein', why dontcha ride along? No extra charge."
"I think I will," Mark responded, not taking his eyes off the cabbie as the three got into the cab.
Mark was quiet for about five minutes into the trip to the airport. Trying to keep his voice down, he addressed Cassie. "I still thinks he looks suspicious. They won't tell you where they're flying you to. Why don't you just forget this and take the job in Thornville. At least it doesn't sound as if they're trying to kidnap you!"
"The Tracy's ain't in the business of kidnappin'," Bernie remarked from the driver's seat, glancing at them through the
rear view mirror.
Cassie laughed as Mark glared at the cabbie. "You'll have to forgive him Bernie. He's a police officer. Being suspicious comes with the job."
"Oh, a cop! Well then! Never argue wit' a member of New York's finest, I always say. They tend ta increase yer fine... if ya know what I mean?" Bernie grinned at Mark, his gold front tooth shining in the mirrors. "So, this ya first time outta the city, miss?"
"No not the first time. Flew out to California a few years back and I went to Japan once as a kid. I have a couple of brothers who live up in Connecticut too now. Other than trips to the Catskills and field trips that's about the extent of my excursions out of the city."
"That's interesin'. Got family in Japan or just went for the culture?"
"On my mother's side," Cassie replied, nodding. "It was nice getting to see that side of my family. Other than my grandfather and uncle, none of them have left Japan."
"Musta been nice ta see 'em them."
They chatted the rest of the way to JFK Airport. After awhile even Mark quit sulking and joined in on the conversation. At the airport, Bernie got Cassie's bag out of the trunk for her.
"Now, I'm ta remind ya that yer ticket's waiting at the Delta counter." He handed her bag to a sky cap, then tipped his hat. "Have a safe trip, miss, an' tell ol' Mr. Tracy that Bernie sends his regards."
"Thank-you."
He motioned toward Mark. "You need a ride back seein' as ya know I didn't kidnap the lady?"
"No, I'm going to walk Cassie inside. I'll call someone to pick me up."
"Well, if that's whatchya want. G'bye now." He gave a jaunty salute, got in his cab, and started off again.
As Bernie drove away, Cassie and Mark headed into the airport. Cassie went to the Delta Airlines ticket window and got her ticket. Her destination was LAX and there was a short note with it saying she'd receive further instructions once there.
"Don't even say anything," Cassie told her brother as she headed toward the security gate. She could tell by his expression that the note made him like the whole idea even less.
"Well, at least call, when you get to wherever they're taking you," Mark said, admitting defeat. He could see that he wasn't going to change his sister's mind.
"I will," she said, coming to a stop right before the lines that were forming to go through security. "Thanks for coming this far with me," she told him.
"It's no problem, Cass," he told her, wrapping her in a hug. "Have a safe flight," he told her as she stepped away.
"Thanks."
Cassie got into one of the lines, and started waiting for her turn to pass through security. Turning back toward the airport entrance, Mark took our his cell phone. He figured he'd give Mercy a call. His partner wasn't going to enjoy hearing from him at this time of the morning, but he knew if he threatened to call out this evening, she'd give in and come get him.
Posted by starrynebula on August 15, 2007]]>artisticrainey2012-07-23T23:45:27-00:00Re: Regaining Momentum
http://irnextphase.tikatu.com/fudforum/index.phpindex.php?t=rview&goto=302&th=19#msg_302
Thursday, September 13, 7 a.m. Los Angeles (Friday, September 14, 3 a.m. Tracy Island)
"I'm sorry to hear you're turning down our offer," Mr. Marshall, Thornville's head councilman, replied. "Are you sure there isn't anything we could offer to make you change your mind?"
"It's not the offer that I don't like," Cassie told him. She was in a small, private terminal in LAX waiting for her contact from Tracy Industries to arrive. She had never felt so isolated in an airport before. A little part of her was wondering if Mark's kidnapping theories weren't so far-fetched after all. "I've just got other offers that I want to explore more and it's not fair to keep you all waiting. I'm sure you'll find the right person to help you out. I just don't think I'm that person," she told him, as she saw a woman and man, both around her age, walk from the jetway bridge and into the terminal. It looked as if her contacts had arrived.
"I understand. We wish you the best in whatever you do."
"Thank you, Mr. Marshall. Good luck in your search."
"Thanks. Have a good day."
"Bye," Cassie said, before ending the call. Flipping the phone closed, Cassie turned her attention to the two people who had entered the terminal.
"Cassandra Kishi?" the woman asked cheerfully, holding out her hand. The man was following closely behind her.
"That's me," Cassie replied, as she took her hand.
"Elise Collins. I'm the Tracys' pilot," she said introducing herself. "This is Scott Tracy, the eldest of Mr. Tracy's sons."
"Hello, Ms Kishi," Scott said crisply.
"Nice to meet you," Cassie said. Elise seemed friendly enough. Cassie wasn't sure what to make of Scott Tracy, though. He seemed the polar opposite of Elise.
"Ending a call with a concerned family member?" Scott asked, nodding to the phone that Cassie still held in her left hand.
"No. Turning down a job offer actually. Met with them last week and they wanted an answer by this afternoon. I wasn't ready to commit to anything with this interview scheduled."
"What if you don't get this job?"
"Then I guess I go back to looking," Cassie replied. Scott nodded again.
"How was your flight?" Elise asked.
"It was fine, or at least the part of the trip I was awake for. First class definitely beats coach."
"Wait until you see Tracy 1," Elise replied with a smile and a nod over her shoulder to the plane waiting outside for them.
"Ms. Kishi, do you have any other luggage?" Scott asked.
"No, this is my only bag," she said, indicating the bag she had over her shoulder.
"Then if you ladies are done chatting, may I suggest we board the plane? We've got a six-hour flight ahead of us."
"Let me take that for you," Elise said, reaching for Cassie's bag. Cassie handed it over. "As for Grumpy up there," Elise said as they followed Scott toward the jetway bridge, "don't hold him against the rest of his family. The rest of the Tracys are much more charming."
Cassie suppressed the urge to smile, as Scott shot a look back at Elise. He had evidently heard her comment. No matter how she felt about him personally, Scott Tracy was still her potential employer's son. Etiquette dictated that she at least be civil to him.
"Wow!" Cassie exclaimed as she stepped on board the jet. This flight to Los Angeles had been the first time she had even flown first class. This jet way outdid even first class.
"Make yourself comfortable, Ms. Kishi. If you need anything, just use the intercom," Elise said showing Cassie how to use it.
"Thank-you, Ms. Collins."
"Call me Elise, please."
Cassie nodded. "And you can call me Cassie," she told her.
"Well, Cassie, I'll try to make this a smooth flight for you," Elise said as she headed toward the cockpit.
xxxx
The flight so far had been silent. The weather was clear and the flight routine so far, making talk unnecessary between pilot and copilot. As for idle conversation, Scott was in no mood to talk to Elise after her comment back in the airport. How dare she say something like that to a potential employee? he thought.
"I'm going to get a drink. You want something?" Scott asked Elise, finally breaking the silence in the cockpit.
"A Sprite would be nice, thank-you," Elise replied, not looking at him. She could tell he was still unhappy about her "Grumpy" comment.
Undoing his seatbelt, Scott stood up and headed out of the cockpit.
"You doing okay?" Scott asked their passenger as he entered the cabin.
Cassie looked up from the book she was reading.
"I'm fine, Mr. Tracy. Thank-you," Cassie replied.
"Can I get you something to drink?"
"Water will be fine."
Scott nodded and then went and got the drinks. He came back and handed Cassie a bottle of water. Setting Elise's Sprite off to the side, he sat down in the seat next to Cassie. He opened his bottle of Coca-Cola.
"Did you work yesterday?" Scott asked trying to start a conversation with their passenger.
"I worked the evening shift," Cassie said nodding. "I should've been off yesterday but they were short a paramedic so I filled in. Figured it was the right thing to do seeing as they gave me four days off to do this interview."
"Get along with everyone at work?" Scott asked, trying to sound casual even though he was searching for information.
"We're close," Cassie told him, starting to feel on edge. Informal or not, this was definitely starting to feel like an interview.
xxxx
In the cockpit, Elise changed her mind about her drink. Maybe she could catch Scott before he came back with it. Flipping the switch she opened the intercom.
"Then why the job change?" she heard Scott asking. He had to be talking to Cassie.
"My personal life has been more downs than ups lately. My son was killed in a car accident three months ago; my divorce was finalized a little over a month ago and my father never did want me to be a firefighter. Thinks it's too dangerous for his 'little girl'. I feel like I need to get out of the city. Find a place where I can make a new start. Make my life feel more like my own again."
Nice going, Scott, Elsie thought to herself. You're managing to make a great first impression.
Not wanting to give him a chance to ask any more insensitive questions, Elise spoke. "Hey Scott, can you bring me back a ginger ale instead of the Sprite?" she asked.
"Yeah, sure. I'll be right up with it," came his reply.
Elise turned off the intercom system. It wasn't too long before Scott came back into the cockpit and handed her the soda. She took it from him and watched as he sat back down in the copilot's seat.
"Can you stuff that foot in any further, Tracy?" she asked. The remark earned her a glare from Scott before he shifted his gaze and looked out the windshield in front of him.
Posted by starrynebula on August 16, 2007]]>artisticrainey2012-07-23T23:45:41-00:00Re: Regaining Momentum
http://irnextphase.tikatu.com/fudforum/index.phpindex.php?t=rview&goto=303&th=19#msg_303
Friday, September 14, 2068, 9 a.m., Tracy Island
Jeff read over Kat's resignation again, and sighed. There's no way we can do without a mechanic of some kind. Brains's plate is far too full, and so is Tin-Tin's. And though some of the new recruits are helping with post rescue maintenance, we still need someone for the vehicles we use every day. He put the letter aside. I'll alert Human Resources to this and request that we advertise for a replacement for Kat right away. Let's see; what exactly do we need in a new mechanic? Now that I've seen the scope of what the job entails, I should have a better idea.
A few moments later, he had list of needs and qualifications written in his data pad. "Someone with a background in working with aircraft, marine craft, and automobiles. Body work and fabrication experience a must. Heavy duty equipment experience a plus." He tapped his stylus against his chin. "I hadn't intended for Kat to go on rescues, and there weren't too many rescues where her skills were actually needed. I would expect that for her replacement, but... it wouldn't be a bad idea to have them look for military or volunteer rescue experience as well. Whoever we recruit would then be better prepared to go on rescues if necessary. It's not something I want to actually advertise for, though. People would wonder..."
He looked over the list again, then toggled the switch to the lab. "Brains?"
"Yes, Mr. Tracy?"
"Do you and Tin-Tin have a minute? I have something I'd like you to look over."
"Sure, Mr. Tracy. We'll be right up."
"No need. I'll email this to you." Jeff closed the file, attached it to an email, and sent it to both of his engineers. "Incoming."
Jeff sat back, sighing again, then taking a sip of his cooling coffee. We can't be too long about this; we need Seven back online as soon as possible.
Finally, Brains replied again. "That looks good, Mr. Tracy."
"Yes," Tin-Tin added, "it does." She paused, then said, "Perhaps you could put in as an aside that we need someone taller... with a longer reach..."
"And without a blood sugar problem," Brains amended.
"We can weed that out on this end," Jeff assured them. "Thanks for your input, Tin-Tin, Brains. I'll see you at lunch."
Their conversation closed off, and Jeff shook his head. "Taking Lady Penelope's advice on Kat looked like a good idea at the time. But I wish she -- or Kat herself -- had mentioned the blood sugar thing before we hired. Then again, we didn't hire her for rescues." He glanced down at the list he'd made, and began composing an email to Human Resources. "I'll just attach this to the email, and let them take care of the rest."
His attention was diverted when the radio behind him crackled to life. "Tracy One to Tracy Island," Elise's voice called. "Requesting permission to land."
Jeff smiled, and turned to the radio, toggling the switch that opened communications. "Tracy Island here. Permission granted, Tracy One. Welcome home."
Posted by Tikatu on August 16, 2007]]>artisticrainey2012-07-23T23:45:55-00:00Re: Regaining Momentum
http://irnextphase.tikatu.com/fudforum/index.phpindex.php?t=rview&goto=305&th=19#msg_305
Friday, September 14, 9:30 a.m. Tracy Island
Cassie had dozed off when Elise's voice over the intercom woke her up. "Cassie, we're on final approach. Please make sure your seat belt is fastened."
"Ok," Cassie replied, sitting up a little straighter in her seat. She hadn't taken her seatbelt off, so she didn't have to worry about that. Curious about their destination, Cassie glanced out her window. They were approaching an island. She had made the remark numerous times about running away to her own private island. Looks like this family has made that saying a reality, she mused. Mark's words about them trying to kidnap her went through her head. Get a grip, girl, Cassie thought, they wouldn't go through all this trouble to kidnap a firefighter from New York City.
Cassie watched out the window, as the island got closer. She was hoping she hadn't already ruined her chances of getting the job before she had even met Mr. Tracy. She couldn't shake the feeling that his oldest son had been looking for something wrong when he started asking her questions. Not to mention he hadn't been all that friendly at the airport. Did he have something against her? If he did, why had she even been asked to come for this interview?
She tried to put the questions out of her mind as she felt the wheels of the plane touch down. The plane soon came to a stop. Cassie undid her seatbelt and then stood up and stretched. It wasn't long before Scott came out of the cockpit.
"Elise's running post flight checks," he told Cassie. "If you'll follow me, my father is waiting to meet you."
Taking a deep breath, Cassie followed Scott off the plane. She saw two figures off to the side of the airstrip. Scott headed in their direction.
"Cassie, I'd like you to meet my father, Jeff Tracy," Scott began as they reached them. Cassie shook hands with Jeff as Scott continued with introductions. "And this is my brother Virgil," Scott said indicating the younger of the two men. Cassie shook Virgil's proffered hand. "Dad, Virgil, Ms. Kishi."
"Welcome to Tracy Island, Ms. Kishi," Jeff said with a smile. He definitely does seem friendlier than Scott, Cassie thought.
"Thank-you for inviting me, Mr. Tracy."
"Did you have a good flight?"
"Yes, sir, I did. Slept most of the way from New York to LA though. Tracy 1 is amazing!"
Jeff smiled. "Glad you enjoyed your trip. I thought we'd wait and have the interview this afternoon, say around three o'clock. That will give you a chance to settle in, and get something to eat. Maybe see a little bit of the place."
"That would be fine."
"Great. Virgil here will show you to your room and then show you around if you'd like. I'll see you at three."
"Okay. Again, Mr. Tracy, it's a pleasure to meet you," Cassie said, offering Jeff her hand again. They shook hands and then Cassie followed Virgil as he headed toward the villa. Cassie took the time to look around. The island was amazing. She couldn't imagine what it would be like to live in a place like this.
"Pretty amazing, huh?" Virgil remarked, watching Cassie taking in everything around her.
"You can say that again. It's so quiet compared to the city."
"Yeah, well, enjoy the quiet while you can. I've got five younger brothers and a younger sister not to mention some of the staff. We get up toward the house and it can get kind of noisy at times," Virgil told her. "Do you have any siblings.?"
"I've got three older brothers and a younger brother. Speaking of which, is there a way I can call my brother, Mark? I'd told him I'd call when I got here and tell him I was safe."
"Yeah, sure. You can use my satellite phone," Virgil said, taking it out of his pocket and handing it to her. "Just try to stay vague about where you are."
"Middle of nowhere vague enough?" Cassie asked as she took the phone from Virgil. Virgil laughed.
Off to the side, Cassie thought she saw a black something disappearing behind some vegetation. "What was that?" she asked.
Virgil followed her gaze. He spotted Rommel in the bushes and knew Luke wasn't far away. "Huh? I don't see anything. Don't worry about it," he told her and started walking again.
As the two of them continued to the house, Cassie dialed her brother's cell number. As she expected, his voice mail picked up. "Hey Mark, it's Cass. Just wanted to let you know I arrived at my destination safely. Everything is fine. I'll get in touch with you later in the weekend. Love you."
She ended the call and handed the phone back to Virgil. "Thank-you, Mr. Tracy."
"Call me Virgil, please," he said putting his phone back in his pocket. "May I call you Cassandra?"
"Either Cassie or Cass, please. People start using my first name and I start thinking I'm in trouble."
"Not a problem," Virgil said, smiling. "Mark one of your older brothers?" he asked. He thought about how protective Scott could be sometimes.
"My younger brother actually. My older brothers are triplets. They've always been close which meant that when Mark came along, I was happy to have someone to help even the odds. When Mark told us all he was gay six years ago the rest of the family kind of turned their backs on him while I chose to stand by him. I'm closer to Mark than the rest of my family these days."
Virgil nodded. He couldn't imagine ever turning his back on his other siblings no matter what.
"Speaking of younger brothers, here's one of mine now," Virgil told her as he noticed Gordon walking in their direction.
xxxx
Cassie stood just inside the door to the bedroom portion of the guest suite. She hadn't expected something so big, although after seeing Tracy 1 maybe she should have. She walked slowly over to the doors leading out to the balcony. Even without going outside the view was pretty. Definitely better than tall buildings and honking horns, Cassie thought to herself.
Turning from the balcony doors, Cassie walked over to the bed and placed her bag on top of it. Continuing her exploration, she headed toward what she figured was the bathroom. Opening the door, she found that it indeed was. Like the rest of the room, the bathroom was more spacious than what she was used to.
"This whole place is amazing," Cassie said to herself as she turned and headed back out into the bedroom. She glanced over at her bag. I'll unpack later, she thought to herself. Right now, I'm looking forward to seeing more of this island.
Cassie walked back into the living area of the suite, where Virgil was waiting for her.
"I feel like I'm at a fancy hotel," Cassie commented as she entered the room.
"I take it everything is satisfactory then," Virgil said, smiling.
"Definitely."
"Are you hungry?" Virgil asked thinking about the time difference. Though it wasn't quite lunch time for them, in New York it would be around dinner time. At Cassie's nod Virgil suggested, "Then why don't we head down to the kitchen and get you something to eat before I show you around."
Posted by starrynebula on August 16, 2007]]>artisticrainey2012-07-23T23:46:31-00:00Re: Regaining Momentum
http://irnextphase.tikatu.com/fudforum/index.phpindex.php?t=rview&goto=307&th=19#msg_307
Friday, September 14, 2pm Tracy Island
Cassie followed Virgil as he led her to the second floor of the villa. He had spent the last few hours showing her around and introducing her to people they had met on the way. Cassie wasn't sure she'd be able to keep their names straight. Though she had lived in the city all her life, the island was overwhelming. She hoped she didn't get lost. Maybe it was all the open space?
Jeff and Scott were already in the lounge as the two of them walked in. Jeff stood up as Virgil and Cassie walked toward his desk.
"Ms. Kishi, I hoped you enjoyed you tour."
"Yes, Mr. Tracy. Virgil has been a wonderful tour guide. Your home is quite impressive," Cassie replied.
"Thank-you," Jeff replied. "Why don't we all have a seat," he said indicating a group of four chair that he had set off to the side of his desk in somewhat of a circle.
Cassie sat down in one of the chairs and Virgil sat down to her right. Not wanting to sit next to Cassie, Scott sat in the chair on Virgil's right leaving the chair to Cassie's left open for his father.
"So, Ms. Kishi," Jeff said as he took the remaining seat. "I've looked over your credentials, and I'm impressed at your drive. You've been working toward your goal very systematically." He put the data pad he'd been looking at down on the small table beside him. "Tell me, which do you prefer: taking action, or teaching others? Because this is, for all intents and purposes, a teaching position."
"I do realize that, Mr. Tracy. While I do enjoy being out in the field and a part of things, I do realize the importance of teaching others. My squad members and I are continuously learning from one another. I've also had some experience in a training position. I've trained two rookies in the past year. One was on the paramedic squad when one of the regulars had to take a leave of absence and I filled in for them. The other one was on the fire squad. We were training him for another precinct as they already had another rookie on the squad at the time."
Jeff nodded slowly. "I see. So teaching others isn't a problem."
Virgil half-raised his hand. "Do you see yourself as a leader? Would you be willing to take the lead in a situation if necessary?"
Cassie considered the question. "I'm not the kind of person that has to be in the lead. I believe in team work. If the situation I'm in calls for me to step up and take the lead, then I'll do so."
"That's good," Virgil remarked. He glanced quickly to his right, then cleared his throat. "You seem to have quite a bit going for you where you are, it seems. We spoke to Luke, and he told us we weren't your only job application. Why are you out there looking? Why now in your life?"
Scott sagged a bit, and looked away. He hadn't had the opportunity to tell Virgil what he'd learned earlier. Still, he was glad that it was who Virgil had brought it up; it meant that even Virge knew it was an important question.
Cassie had known the question was going to be asked again. Still, she was careful not to look in Scott's direction. Evidently, he hadn't mentioned their earlier conversation with his father and brother. She wasn't about to be the one to bring that up. She knew it put her in a tense situation with Scott Tracy, her potential boss's son and evidently a important person in the decision of hiring her as he was at the interview.
"To be honest with you, I'm looking for a way to reclaim my life in a way. My husband, Alex, and our little boy were in a car accident two months ago. My son, Nathan didn't make it. His death put more pressure on an already strained marriage. Alex and I mutually agreed to go our separate ways. I grew up in the city and had been with Alex since high school. It's hard to put things behind me and move on when I'm constantly reminded about it everyday. That's why I decided to go looking for a job that got me away from NYC."
"That's a valid enough reason," Jeff said, smiling slightly. "I know of quite a few people who want to put tragedy behind them."
"I'm sorry about your loss," Virgil said, his voice sounding sincere. Scott muttered something that could have been something similar. Jeff gave his eldest an odd look.
"Scott?" he asked. "Do you have any questions to ask?"
"Uh, no, not really," Scott replied. He made a gesture toward Virgil. "Virgil's already asked my main question."
Jeff picked up the data pad, and looked at it again. "All right." He caught Cassie's gaze in his own. "How do you feel about travel, Ms. Kishi?"
Cassie chanced a look over at Scott, before answering. His main question. Wonder if he would have had the nerve to ask that again, Cassie thought to herself even as she started answering Mr. Tracy.
"Haven't had much chance to travel, but I'm willing to do it. Mr. Marley already informed me that my position would require traveling." Cassie hoped she didn't sound to eager. She didn't want Mr. Tracy to think she was more interested in the chance to travel than in doing the job.
"Even to countries that might have different standards than ours? Where you might have to cover your head, or wear a long skirt?" Not that this was going to be an issue if they brought her on board for IR, but Jeff knew that even Dianne sometimes had problems with the local customs when out on a rescue.
"My mother's native country is Japan, Mr. Tracy. Even though I don't care for dresses and skirts, I wore a kimono when I was over there as that is part of my family's tradition. A long skirt shouldn't be a problem."
"That must have been a ceremonial event," Virgil said off-handedly. "I've only heard of kimonos being worn during ceremonies nowadays." He sat up straighter, interested. "What kind of ceremony was it?"
"Virgil, you can discuss that a little later," Jeff said, holding up his hand. He glanced at the pad again. "How would your family feel about you moving some distance away. perhaps even out of the U.S.?" He remembered Jim Kennedy and how concerned he'd been about exactly where his daughter was.
"I don't have the closest relationship with my parents as it is. As long as my parents heard from me on a regular basis, they wouldn't say too much about it. Two of my older brothers no longer live in the city. The only one who might have a problem with me leaving is my younger brother but he won't stand in my way if I decide to do it. I'm closer to Mark than any of my other family members."
"Hm, yes. " Jeff glanced at his sons. "Any other questions? Scott? Virgil?"
"I can't think of anything at the moment," Virgil said. Scott merely shook his head.
Jeff's eyes narrowed a bit. Is Scott's behavior because Cassandra isn't his first pick? If so, it's rather childish of him. I'd better speak with him a little later.
"Well, if there are no other questions from us, perhaps Ms. Kishi has a few questions of her own to ask." He swept a hand toward her.
Cassie took a calming breath, trying not to be obvious about it. She always hated this point of an interview. She knew she should at least ask one question.
"I was actually wondering where I would be based," Cassie asked. His question about how her family would react to her moving out of the US had her even more curious about that. "Personally, I don't really want to move from one city just to live in another city."
Jeff smiled, an expression with just a hint of mischievousness to it. Virgil actually grinned, and Scott passed his hand over his mouth as if to wipe the smile from his face.
"Don't worry, Ms. Kishi, if we hire you for this job, you won't be moving from one city to another."
Cassie hadn't missed the expressions that had crossed their faces. What had they found so amusing about her question? Was there something they weren't telling her?
Cassie nodded. "I can't think of any other questions right now, Mr. Tracy."
"Well, then," Jeff said, as he rose to his feet. "I guess we're through here." He held his hand out to Cassie and they shook hands. "If you have any more questions, feel free to ask me. In the meantime," he took a quick look at his watch, "we have a few hours until dinner. Scott? Why don't you escort Ms. Kishi to her room, then I'd like to speak to you and Virgil when you get back."
Scott had also risen, as had Virgil. "Yes, sir," he said.
"Thank-you for your time, Mr. Tracy," Cassie said politely.
"You've got the run of the facilities while you're here. Please feel free to use the pool, the hot tub... just be careful on the beach. There's a fierce riptide this time of year. Scott?"
Scott stepped forward. "If you'll come with me, I'll walk you to your room."
--Cassie's Interview by starrynebula and Tikatu on August 17, 2007]]>artisticrainey2012-07-23T23:47:44-00:00Re: Regaining Momentum
http://irnextphase.tikatu.com/fudforum/index.phpindex.php?t=rview&goto=308&th=19#msg_308
"So," Jeff began, leaning back in his desk chair. "What do you think?" He gave each of his sons, who sat on the other side of the desk, a pointed look. "Virgil?"
"Well, she has experience in teaching others," Virgil replied. "That's a point in her favor. She's also a team player."
"She'd have to be, as a firefighter," Scott commented. He shook his head. "I still don't think she has enough experience, even with the paramedic skills."
"At least now you know her reasons for looking for a new job," Virgil responded, his voice a little acerbic. "I'd say they're pretty legit, wouldn't you?"
Jeff frowned. "What's the problem here, Scott?" he asked. "You weren't exactly friendly at the interview."
Scott looked down. "I know...," he said in a low voice. "I guess I'm leery about bringing her on board."
"Because she doesn't have what it takes, or because she's not your first choice?" Jeff knew his sons well, particularly his eldest.
I hate it when he cuts to the chase like that, Scott thought gloomily. He glanced up again to look his father in the face. "All right. I'll admit it. She's not my choice," he grumbled. "And I know it's my own ego talking." He stood up, throwing out his arms. "I realize she has all the qualifications we need, plus a few more. It's obvious to me that you both favor her and want to hire her." Turning to point a finger at first Virgil, then his father. "I do want to go on record that I think we need someone with more experience."
Virgil and Jeff glanced at each other. "So noted," Jeff said. "I still think she's our top candidate. Her drive, the way she's systematically gone about reaching her goals, her experience in fighting fires outside the city and her willingness to teach are what recommends her to me." He raised an eyebrow as he regarded his eldest. "I hope you can put your ego aside and work with her, Scott."
"Yes, sir," Scott said crisply, suddenly standing at attention. "I can... and I will."
Jeff nodded. "Virgil?"
Virgil nodded. "I'll have no problem with her, Dad."
"Good." Jeff took in a deep breath, and let it out. "One more hurdle: telling her about IR. We'll do that after dinner, then see where we stand." He gave Scott a nod. "It may be that she doesn't take the job, Scott, and we'll be back to square one."
Posted by Tikatu on August 17, 2007]]>artisticrainey2012-07-23T23:47:53-00:00Re: Regaining Momentum
http://irnextphase.tikatu.com/fudforum/index.phpindex.php?t=rview&goto=309&th=19#msg_309
Friday, September 14, right before dinner on Tracy Island
Scott made his way up to the guest bedroom. With the decision to reveal IR to Ms. Kishi made, Scott knew he had to clear the air between them, especially after his conversation with his father. Other than what had been necessary for polite conversation, Cassandra hadn't talked to him since the flight to the island.
Elise had surprised him earlier by apologizing to him herself. Said she had been sorry for embarrassing him in front of a potential employee, even though she still felt his questions were out of line. He couldn't believe he was thinking this, but perhaps this was one time he needed to follow her example. As for the questions being out of line, she had a point there too.
If Scott was honest with himself, he knew he hadn't asked those questions out of curiosity. Cassandra Kishi hadn't been his first choice and no matter how hard he tried to deny it, that fact didn't sit well with him. He didn't like losing to anyone, and in this case, Scott felt like he had lost to Virgil in picking a candidate. Cassandra Kishi had been Virgil's pick. His reasoning had been sound but still ... Scott hated not being right. Not feeling in control.
Taking a deep breath, Scott knocked on the door to the guest suite. He wanted to get the apology out of the way before they joined the others for dinner. As for Elise's earlier question - he really didn't think he could stick his foot in any further.
"Mr. Tracy," Cassie said politely as she opened the door to the suite.
"I came to get you for dinner," Scott told her. "However, before we go downstairs, I'd like an opportunity to speak with you about something."
Cassie nodded as she stepped aside to let him come into the room. As the door closed behind him, Scott spoke up.
"Ms. Kishi, about my attitude at the airport and the questions I asked on the flight here, I'm sorry. I was out of line. Our first meeting wasn't the time or place to be asking about your reasons for looking for a new job. I also could have used a little more tact. I hope you'll accept my apology."
Cassie looked at him, trying to hide her surprise and suspicions. Had he been put up to apologizing or was it a sincere apology? She didn't know him well, but she got the feeling he wasn't comfortable with making apologies. Meeting his gaze, she could see the sincerity in his eyes.
"Apology accepted, Mr. Tracy," she said holding out her hand. "After all, you had no way of knowing about my personal life and the question is a valid one for a potential employer though probably badly timed."
Scott smiled as he took her hand, glad she wasn't going to hold his bad first impression against him.
"Please, call me Scott. I hear 'Mr. Tracy' and I start looking for my father."
"Okay, Scott. You can call me Cassie or Cass. Like I told Virgil earlier, I hear my full name and I start thinking I'm in trouble."
"Very well. I think we should probably head downstairs before the others get tired of waiting for us and eat all the food," Scott told her.
Posted by starrynebula on August 17, 2007]]>artisticrainey2012-07-23T23:48:18-00:00Re: Regaining Momentum
http://irnextphase.tikatu.com/fudforum/index.phpindex.php?t=rview&goto=310&th=19#msg_310
Cassie took another bite of the veal on the plate in front of her. She was sure it tasted good, but in reality she wasn't really aware of the taste of any of the food in front of her because of her nerves. I just want this meal to be over with, she thought, trying to keep her eyes on the plate in front of her.
Beside her, Virgil looked over at their guest. I wonder what's up with her, he thought, as he had noticed a change in her. Before, she had been very open and friendly. Since the start of dinner he had noticed she had gotten very quiet and very interested in the plate in front of her. She answered the questions that were asked of her but hadn't volunteered very much. Virgil had seen his Mom and Dad exchange glances, and knew they had noticed it, too. She's been polite, just very quiet. Maybe it's just meeting so many new people, Virgil thought.
John had been asking her questions about her family. She had quietly answered his questions though hadn't seemed too enthusiastic. After a while, John had stopped unsure of how to continue the almost one-sided conversation.
Virgil decided to take a stab at getting her talking himself. Remembering the line of conversation his father had put an end to during the interview, "So, Cassie, you mentioned wearing a kimono once. Was it during a ceremony?"
Cassie nodded. "I spent two months there with my mother, though most of the first month was spent taking care of my grandmother who was ill. My grandmother was bound and determined to get well for Obon though. The Bon dance, part of the Obon festival is when I wore the kimono," she told him in a low voice. Across the table though, John had heard and was listening intently, as was Cherie who was sitting on the other side of Cassie.
"Obon, that's the festival celebrating the spirit's of one's ancestors, right?" John asked from across the table.
Cassie nodded.
"Sounds spooky," Cherie commented.
"It's not. It's quite beautiful actually and it's a special time for families to be together," Cassie told her, getting caught up in the memory of the one she had shared with her grandparents and other family members in Japan. "In some parts of Japan, it's held in July; where my family is from we celebrate it in August, from the thirteenth to the sixteenth to be exact. On the thirteenth, the home and our ancestor's graves are cleaned and offerings made. The mukaebi, or welcoming fire, is lit. The Bon dance takes during Obon, at night. Different regions have different traditional dances. It's celebrated as a reminder that one should feel toward our ancestors. On the last evening of Obon, small paper lanterns with lit candles are floated on a river to light the way for the spirits as they depart."
"I bet the lanterns looked pretty out on the river at night," Cherie commented, trying to picture the sight.
"It's a very beautiful sight."
John said something in Japanese. Cassie looked at him slightly surprised and then responded in Japanese. The two exchanged a few more remarks in Japanese before Tyler spoke up from beside John.
"Hey, no fair! We don't know what you're saying," he complained, not liking being left out.
"Okay, no more, I promise," John said, looking at Tyler.
Cassie covered her mouth as she felt a yawn coming on. She had lost track of what time it would be in New York but she was sure it was late.
"I think the jet lag is starting to catch up with me," Cassie said, glancing down the table at Mr. and Mrs. Tracy. "I hope you don't mind if I retire early."
"Of course not," Dianne answered. "I forgot all about the time difference. You must be exhausted."
Cassie nodded. "Dinner was delicious," she told Kyrano as she stood up.
"Thank you, Ms. Kishi," Kyrano replied.
"I'm done. Let me walk you to your room," Virgil said standing up. He wanted to ask her a few more questions about her time in Japan on the way.
"Thank, you," she replied. Cassie and Virgil left the dining room.
"She seems nice enough, though a little on the quiet side," Dianne commented, when the two were out of sight.
"She was more at ease and talkative earlier," Jeff commented. "Perhaps she was just tired tonight."
"Or maybe it was just being with so many people she doesn't really know," John commented. "Are you going to tell her about IR, Dad?" he asked.
"Yes. Virgil and I were going to take her down to see Thunderbird 2 after dinner but I had forgotten about the time difference myself. We'll take her down after breakfast tomorrow."
Posted by starrynebula on August 17, 2007[/color]]>artisticrainey2012-07-23T23:48:30-00:00Re: Regaining Momentum
http://irnextphase.tikatu.com/fudforum/index.phpindex.php?t=rview&goto=311&th=19#msg_311
Saturday, September 15th, 2068 Breakfast time on Tracy Island
Cassie listened to the chatter going on around her as she finished her breakfast. The noise level wasn't much more than what she had been used to growing up, after all four boys tended to make a lot of noise. Still, they weren't her family and large groups still made her feel uneasy. At least no one really seems to be looking at me this morning, she thought to herself as she glanced around the table. Those who actually appeared awake were engaged in conversation together.
As Cassie put her fork down on her now empty plate, Jeff addressed her. "Cassie, if you're done, I'd like to discuss something with you."
"Of course, Mr. Tracy," Cassie replied with a nod. Excusing herself from the table, Cassie stood up and followed Mr. Tracy out of the dining room. She noticed that Virgil had followed them, too.
Cassie suddenly felt butterflies in her stomach. She had a feeling this was to do with the job offer. Had she answered the questions okay? Did Mr. Tracy feel she was qualified for the position? Had she passed up the other job for no reason?
Where is he taking me? Cassie thought to herself, when Jeff led them down the corridor instead of upstairs. She followed him silently though, sure that he would reveal his intentions soon.
The three walked around the lower level of the villa. Up ahead, Cassie saw the doors heading outside. Why would he be taking me outside? she asked herself. She was even more surprised when Jeff stopped in the hallway before they reached the doors.
"I'm sure you're wondering what's going on," Jeff said, looking at Cassie, who nodded. "We've talked it over and we'd like to offer you the job. However, there's more to the job than what we've advertised. The position at Tracy Industries is a cover for the real reason we're interested in your skills."
Jeff nodded to Virgil, who placed his hand up to the wall. Cassie gasped as a panel slid back. Virgil placed his hand on another panel, which scanned his palm and then he entered a code. Before her eyes an elevator door appeared. Mark's words about kidnapping crossed through her mind again. Get a grip, she told herself silently.
Jeff motioned toward the elevator, and Cassie entered it. Jeff and Virgil joined her and soon the elevator was descending into the ground. When it came to a stop, Cassie found herself in a room cut out of the rock. Jeff headed toward a monorail car and Cassie followed him.
"How safe is that thing?" she asked, hesitating as Jeff boarded the car.
"Perfectly safe. Don't worry," Virgil assured her from behind.
Curious as to what they were going to show her, Cassie stepped aboard the car. When the car came to a stop, Virgil got out first and led the group down a corridor which led into a well-lit huge room. Cassie gasped at the sight before her.
There in the center of the room was a large green craft. The words "Thunderbird Two" told her without a doubt what she was looking at. "You guys are International Rescue?" she asked, still trying to grasp the whole idea. "I followed you guys rescuing the pandas on TV," she told them.
Jeff smiled. "Yes, you're at the base of International Rescue," he told her. "We'd like you to join the team. Some problems at a rescue involving a sugar cane fire a little while back made us realize we really could use someone with more expertise in fire fighting the next time we have to deal with a fire. Your paramedic skills would be useful during other rescues in helping the victims, as well as if one of our own people gets hurt in the field. Though officially, you would be a Tracy Industries employee based at our Wichita offices, in reality you'd be living here on the island. You'd have your own apartment up at the Cliff House."
Cassie, who had been listening to Jeff, as well as still taking in the sight before her, didn't reply. Her eyes had drifted away from the craft itself to a familiar figure standing near the craft.
"Luke?" Cassie said in disbelief. He had been the last person she had expected to meet here on the island. "So, this is your new job you've been so vague about."
Luke ran a hand through his hair. "Um ...Yeah. Small world isn't it?" he added with a shrug.
"I don't believe it," Cassie said slowly, staring at her friend whom she hadn't seen since Nathan's funeral. Part of her was mad at him for keeping this from her, though the rational part understood why he had done so. Still, she wondered how long he had laughed when he got her email asking for advice about whether or not to pass up the other offer to do this interview.
"Don't I get a hug?" Luke asked, holding out his arms. Cassie hurried over to him and hugged him. "I'm sorry to hear things didn't work out with you and Alex," he told her softly.
"It was a long time coming," Cassie told him. "You know we had our problems before Nathan's death."
"Yeah," he said letting her out of the hug. "Still, I know how hard you tried to make it work."
Jeff cleared his throat to remind them that he and Virgil were still there.
Cassie turned around. "Sorry," she said, realizing their little reunion probably didn't look too professional.
"It's no problem. I'm sure finding out Luke was here is just as much a shock as seeing Thunderbird Two. I realize that this is probably overwhelming for you and please keep in mind that I don't expect an answer from you right away. Joining International Rescue is a big decision and one that you didn't realize you would be making. I want you to be sure of what you're getting yourself into before making the commitment. For now though, why don't I let Virgil and Luke show you around a little more? I'll be happy to answer any questions that may come up."
"Of course, Mr. Tracy," Cassie told him, as Jeff turned and headed back through the door they had entered.
Beside Luke, Rommel barked. Cassie looked down to see the dog looking up at her expectantly, his tail wagging. Reaching out a hand, Cassie scratched him behind the ears.
"You ready to see the inside of Thunderbird 2?" Virgil asked her, eager to show off his baby.
"Yes," Cassie replied, eager to see the inside of the craft. She fell in step beside Luke as they followed Virgil onto the craft. "Just what have you told them about me, Morel?" she asked quietly.
Trying to sound nonchalant, Luke shrugged and waved his hand as he told her, "Ah ... nothing good."
Luke looked toward Cassie to see her reaction. He saw a trace of shock which turned into anger. Though he tried, he couldn't keep a straight face, and he put on a wicked grin. He saw the anger in his friend's eyes change to annoyance as she realized he had been teasing her.
"Liar," she muttered as she hit him playfully on the arm.
Posted by starrynebula on August 18, 2007]]>artisticrainey2012-07-23T23:48:46-00:00Re: Regaining Momentum
http://irnextphase.tikatu.com/fudforum/index.phpindex.php?t=rview&goto=312&th=19#msg_312
Saturday, September 15, 2068, 10 a.m., Tracy Island
"Where are we going?" Tyler asked as he helped carry the shipping boxes into the Cliff House elevator.
"We're going to pack up someone's things," Lisa explained as she brought along the luggage float. "They've left, and aren't coming back, and asked us to do this."
"Who's not coming back?" Cherie asked, frowning a little. She shifted her bag of packing materials from one arm to the other. "Miss Kennedy?"
Emily sighed. "We're not quite sure about Heather, Cherie. It may be that, after a bit of grieving, she'll come back and be part of the team again. Today, we're packing up Kat's things." She pressed the button for "2", and the elevator began to rise.
"Yes, Ty, that's what I mean. Kat's not coming back."
The boy broke out in a wide grin, and pumped his fist with a hiss of "Yes!"
Both of the older women glanced at each other, Emily frowning, Lisa's eyes wide in disbelief. Then in unison, they cried in disapproval and shock, "Tyler!"
Tyler started; he hadn't expected such a vehement response from both his grandmothers at once. "Yes, Grandma, Grammy?"
"Tyler Tracy, what on earth is wrong with you?" Emily snapped. "Why are you so gol-durned happy about this?"
"We just lost a very valuable employee, and a nice young lady," Lisa added, sounding stern. "And John has lost a good friend."
The boy wilted under the combined stares of his grandmothers for a long moment. The elevator stopped and Emily keyed in the code to enter. The door slid open and the foursome stepped inside.
"Well, she left it neat enough," Emily said, hands on her hips. "That'll make it easier to pack."
"Cherie and I will start in the kitchen," Lisa said, picking up a box.
Emily nodded. "Tyler and I will start in here." She glanced around, and her eyes fell on the bookcase. "With the books."
As they began to pull the books from the shelves, Emily asked, "Tyler, why are you so happy that Kat's gone?"
Tyler's face grew sullen and stubborn. "'Cause I didn't like her," he grumbled.
Emily stopped for a moment and gave her grandson a long, hard look. "Why? Why didn't you like her?"
Ty knew that no-nonsense tone of voice and realized he couldn't skirt the subject. "'Cause she was making goo-goo eyes at John."
Emily chewed on this for a moment, then asked, "Does this mean John can't have girls make goo-goo eyes at him? Is that it?"
The boy sat down with a thump, and scowled. "No. That's not it. It's just that it was all she did. All she wanted to do was run around doing stuff with him, even when John and me were supposed to do stuff together. And she didn't want to be my friend... except because of him. All the other new people have been friendly to me. She wasn't until she wanted to know where he was."
"I see." Emily nodded slowly. She glanced down at the book she was holding, and frowned, the conversation set aside. "This looks familiar." She opened the cover and saw an inscription: "To John, continue to keep your eyes on the stars," and the author's autograph. "I wonder where she got this."
"That's John's!" Tyler exclaimed. "She probably stole it from him."
Emily sighed. "I doubt she stole it, Tyler, but she may have borrowed it." Glancing at the books, she said, "I wonder how many others are his, and if he has any of hers. I'd better call him down here. He can help us pack things up." She fixed Tyler with a baleful eye. "Don't think we're finished talking about this, young man. You're entitled to choose who you like, but that outburst in the elevator was rude."
Tyler looked down and said nothing. Emily levered herself off the floor with a groan and headed for the kitchen. "Cherie? Will you please call John down here? I think we're going to need his help."
Posted by Tikatu on August 18, 2007]]>artisticrainey2012-07-23T23:49:02-00:00Re: Regaining Momentum
http://irnextphase.tikatu.com/fudforum/index.phpindex.php?t=rview&goto=313&th=19#msg_313
Friday September 14th, 2068. 4.55pm. Wichita, Kansas, U.S.A. (Saturday 15th, 10.55am, Tracy Island.)
It had been a long day. Mike Lavender stretched out his six foot four frame in his chair, and felt his jaw pop as he yawned. Since nine am he had been barraged with phone calls, visitors, and what seemed like every issue under the sun in the realm of family law. I'm looking forward to getting home to my own family -- couch and TV, here I come!
He stood up, yawning again, and brushed down his still-pristine grey suit with his large, dark hands. He swept a glance across his desk to see that everything was in order -- outward mail in the outbox, in-tray cleared, no pens out of place. He muttered his approval to himself, and lifted his briefcase... just as his assistant burst into the room.
"Mr. Lavender!" She gasped.
"Ellie, are you all right?" Mike asked, his brow twisted.
"This just came -- priority mail!" the young woman panted.
She held out a large white envelope with one pudgy hand, before bending over to catch her breath.
"Did you run all the way to get this?" He joked, turning the envelope over in his hands.
"The courier said that it was" gasp "...priority one important'."
Mike frowned and looked at his watch. It had already gone five pm. With a sigh, he set his briefcase back on the floor, and opened the letter. He was suddenly glad he did.
"Ellie, get me the Kelly-Houston custody files! Damn it...!"
***
It had just gone eleven am on Tracy Island, and Dominic was grumpy. Damn ironing! I hate ironing! Why must things be ironed? They only get wrinkly again anyway! He had set up shop in the partition between kitchen and living area, with Joshua safe inside his playpen. Ducky and Horsey appeared to be having a fight.
"Tell me what you're doing," Dominic said as he ran the iron over a pair of his jeans.
"Ukie hurted Horsey. Horsey mad 'n fiten 'im."
"Now, now, I don't think he should be fighting Ducky. Did Ducky do it on purpose?"
"Yeah, Ukie mean."
"So does Daddy need to take Ducky away for a time-out?"
Joshua thought for a moment, before separating his toys from their fight-to-the-death and cuddling Ducky tightly.
"Nope. Ukie didn't hurted Horsey on porpoise."
Dominic shook his head and laughed. Porpoise. Oi.
"Okay then."
The satellite phone began to ring, and Dominic set the iron upright as Joshua started shouting, "Phone-phone-phone-phone!" Dom crossed the room to pick it up, and answered promptly.
"Dominic Kelly speaking, may I ask who's calling?"
"Dominic, it's Mike Lavender here."
"Hello, Mike."
"I've just received mail from your ex-wife's lawyers. They neglected to send it on time and it just arrived here today as I was about to leave. They've scheduled the custody hearing for Monday. That's the seventeenth."
"What?! Don't I get some kind of say in that?"
"It says here you agreed, but I have no records of it, and I assume you didn't."
"You're damn right I didn't."
"This whole thing smells as fishy as the inside of a mackerel," Mike said, shaking his head. "Will you be able to make it on Monday? I know it's last minute, but the sooner the better, I say. It won't get beyond this stage."
"Well, I'll just have to be able to make it. Tell you what, if you don't hear from me, then I'm coming. I'll let you know if I can't."
"Okay. I'll give you my cell number in case--"
In the mean while, Joshua, Ducky, and Horsey were singing and dancing to the off-tune of Joshua's latest creation: the phone song. Dominic had to ask Mike to confirm the number several times.
"Is that the little guy I can hear in the background?" Mike asked.
"Is indeed," Dom said. "A rascal, as ever."
"Well, I hope you're looking forward to many more years of him, because if I have my way -- which I will -- you're not going to lose him."
"Thanks, Mr. Lavender. Hopefully I won't be speaking to you again until Monday, if you catch my drift."
Mike laughed.
"I understand. I'll email you a break-down of everything you'll need to be prepared for. Nothing difficult, just questions you need to be able to answer."
"Thanks."
"No problem. Goodbye now."
Mike hung up, and Dominic set the phone receiver back down. He glanced over at Joshua, feeling a now-rare genuine smile creep onto his face. He watched his son for a moment, before activating his communicator to explain the situation to Jeff.
Posted by ArtisticRainey on August 18, 2007]]>artisticrainey2012-07-23T23:49:58-00:00Re: Regaining Momentum
http://irnextphase.tikatu.com/fudforum/index.phpindex.php?t=rview&goto=315&th=19#msg_315
Saturday, September 15, 2068, 3:30 p.m., Tracy Island
"So, are all of Kat's things packed up?" Dianne asked as Cherie joined her on the settee in the sitting room of her suite.
Cherie sighed. "Yeah, pretty much. Things went faster when John got there. She sure had a lot of stuff."
Dianne chuckled, then sighed. "I'm sorry we're losing her, but this life isn't for everyone." Straightening in her seat, she poured cola into two tall glasses sitting in a tray on the wide ottoman before her. She offered one to her daughter, then took one for herself. After a long sip, she put the glass down and said, "All right. What's this about some homework that Anna gave you?"
Cherie took out a data pad from the bag where she kept her sketching supplies. It had gotten so that wherever Cherie went, the bag went with her, full of sketch pads, pencils and pens for whenever the teenager was struck with inspiration. She sat close to her mother so that the two of them could look at the pad together.
"Well, I was complaining to Anna one day about how much I missed my friends and how unfair it was that I couldn't see them more often." She glanced up to see her mother's slight frown. "This was after I came back from my week in Los Angeles with Steph. I'd gotten some emails and they had news about school back... back in Greenville, and I just missed it so much!"
Dianne nodded slowly. "I hope you understand why we decided against leaving you in Greenville."
"Yeah, I do. Grammy was scared, and I can understand how she wouldn't want to stay around with her ex-husband stalking her. Anna told me that the way he went about trying to meet with her just proved that he didn't really want to make peace. I figure she knows what she's talking about." Cherie sighed. "In any case, she told me that there were ways for me to meet new people and make new friends, and gave me the homework of finding out what they were. Then we went over them together, and cut the list down to these four things. I wanted to show them to you and ask if there's any way I can do at least one of them."
She gave Dianne a pleading look. "I really want to make some new friends, friends that aren't halfway around the world from me. People I can see every week, and have fun with."
Dianne nodded once again. "I understand that. You're at an age where being sociable is important." She straightened up. "Let's see what you've got."
The two bent their heads over the data pad. "Well, there's an art class for teens at the community center in Christchurch. It meets on Thursday evenings. Then there's this anime and manga club at the Christchurch library on Wednesday nights. The Children's Theater in Wellington is looking for people to help paint scenery and stuff; I'm not much for acting, but I think it'd be cool to work behind the scenes. They're having sign ups for that next week. And there's a stable outside of Christchurch that's offering Western-style horseback riding lessons." Cherie looked at her mother with a grin. "You know how much I love riding."
"Mm-hmm," Dianne hummed. She looked over the list once more then asked, "Which of these is your number one pick?"
Cherie pointed a painted fingernail at an entry. "That one: the art class. Don't get me wrong; Virgil's a great teacher. But I know there are things I can learn from other people. And it would be fun to meet some artists my own age and see how they do things." She paused, then touched the screen with a stylus. "There. Now the items are numbered according to how much I want to do them."
"That puts the anime and manga club second, horse riding third, and the theater fourth." Dianne smiled at her daughter. "Do you mind if I take this and talk it over with your father? We'll have to make arrangements to fly you over and back..."
"Maybe the boys can take turns, and use the time that I'm at the class for shopping or something," Cherie added, sounding eager and helpful.
"That's a fine idea, Cherry. I'll bring that up to your father." Dianne put an arm around Cherie's shoulders and hugged her close. "There may be some security issues, but I think we can work them out. I'll talk with Dad and see what he thinks, okay?"
Cherie nodded, and smiled. "Okay. But please don't take too long. I'm really excited about this."
"I'll talk to him today, promise." Dianne put the data pad on the ottoman and picked up her drink. "Now, maybe you can help me come up with something for the boys to do. After all, once they see you going out and having fun, they'll want to, too."
Posted by Tikatu on August 18, 2007]]>artisticrainey2012-07-23T23:51:15-00:00Re: Regaining Momentum
http://irnextphase.tikatu.com/fudforum/index.phpindex.php?t=rview&goto=316&th=19#msg_316
Saturday, September 15, 2068, 8:30 pm Tracy Island
Cassie was relieved when dinner had come to an end. Once again, she had felt nervous all the way through it, though she had tried to be a little bit more sociable than the evening before. Having Luke there with her had helped a little. Still, she was glad to be able to escape the dining room table.
"So, Cass, you haven't made any plans for this evening, have you?" Luke asked, with a smile.
"Actually, I have a date with a good book," she told him.
"Well, can the book wait? We haven't really had a chance to catch up yet. I was thinking we could go back to my place. You can see what the apartments are like... if you want to take the job that is," he added quickly, not wanting her to think he was pressuring her to join IR.
"Yeah, I think the book will wait for me. Lead away."
Luke guided her back to where Jeff and Virgil had taken her earlier. "Isn't this place something?" he asked as they arrived at the elevator terminus. He let the hand scanner do its thing and punched in a code. "I was totally floored at how big the complex was."
"It is pretty amazing," Cassie said as she followed Luke. "You would think I'd be used to complexity coming from New York City, but some of this stuff could give the city a run for its money. The fact that there is no smog, beeping car horns or people yelling profanity at you from their cars is a nice change of pace, too."
Luke laughed as they entered the monorail car. "I have to admit, though, the humidity is something else. Even though we're coming out of winter into their spring, it takes some getting used to "
"Can't take a little heat, Morel?" Cassie joked, as the monorail car started moving. She looked out the window as the car moved through the underground facilities of the island. "Now this I don't mind. I feel right at home - or, well, on the city subway going home. Less crowded though."
Luke laughed again. "You know me, Kishi, just a mountain boy at heart. Although," he gave her a wink, "I wouldn't mind climbing to the summit of this one. Never climbed an extinct volcano before."
They continued bantering with each other until they got to the platform at the Cliff House. "Here we are, home sweet home," he said as they left the car. "My side of the building's over here." He led her to the glass door on the right. "The elevator's interesting, too," he explained. "Transport and front door all in one."
"I was assigned to one of the one bedrooms on the third floor," he continued as they rode up the lift. "Great view! Ask Rom; he lounges out on the balcony all day watching the birds.
Cassie laughed at his comment. Not many apartment buildings allowed dogs in them in the city. It was the reason she had never had one herself.
The elevator reached the third floor and came to a stop. The door opened and Luke led her off the lift and into his apartment. Cassie looked around the area they had stepped into. Like her room at the villa, the apartment was bigger than she had expected.
Luke looked at her face and grinned. "Bigger than you expected?" he asked.
"You could say that," Cassie replied looking at her friend. "I suppose there isn't any chance of finding any mice or roaches either," she said, thinking of the one bedroom apartment she had lived in while going to NYU. "Not that I miss those guys, mind you."
"Not a one," Luke assured her. "But I've had a gecko or two find their way inside. Kinda startling to find one in the bathroom while you're showering."
Rom finally eased himself off the couch to greet Cassie as Luke went into the kitchen. "Want something to drink?" he asked.
"Water will be fine," Cassie told him, as she reached out to scratch Rom behind the ear. The dog looked up at her with a grateful doggie expression. "You're just a big lovable mutt, aren't you?" Cassie said affectionately to the dog. She had seen pictures of Rom before, but this morning had been the first time she had met the German Shepherd. Luke had left him with his parents when he had visited her in the city.
"You know my brother, Mark, was worried the Tracys were trying to kidnap me," Cassie said, Luke rejoined her. She took the glass of water from him. "Wanted me to take the job in Thornville and not even come. He'd really freak if he knew where I was at right now."
"Yeah, he'd freak " Luke said, thinking of her younger brother Mark. He was the only one Luke knew who could be more suspicious than himself at times. Guinness in hand, he sat down on the sofa. "My parents would do the same if they knew. They think I'm in Los Angeles..." His voice trailed off.
Cassie sat down next to Luke. His sofa taken up, Rommel settled himself on the floor near Luke's feet. "Yeah, and my family would think I'm in Wichita if I came here," she said. She took a sip of the water. "I'm really not sure what I want to do. I mean, I started this job hunt to start over. Get out of the city and away from the memories. Do you know how many times I've been just jogging or running errands and I think - 'Alex and I did this here' or 'Alex kissed me here'? I haven't even ventured anywhere near Central Park since I moved out of our apartment. Not only are there too many memories of Nathan haunting it but that's where..."
Though she let her sentence trail off, Luke didn't need her to finish it. He knew what she had been going to say. Cassie had told him about Alex proposing to her on the carousel in Central Park.
Cassie dabbed at the tears starting to leak from her eyes. "I guess this isn't exactly what you had in mind when you mentioned catching up, huh?" she said giving a nervous laugh, and trying to will the tears away.
"Hey, it's okay," Luke said softly, putting an arm around her. "I've got the same problem in a way. I'm nowhere over Barry yet, but... the pain will lessen in time." He swept his arm in an arc, indicating the apartment, and what lay beyond it. "Coming here, taking up this challenge... it's helping. Though, at first, I did have to do some soul searching about my motives, especially when I thought I'd be based in LA."
He smiled. "I can hardly wait to get out in the field and start putting my skills to work... though I'm not too excited at the prospect of learning how to fly."
Cassie nodded, glad for the comforting arm around her shoulders. "Flying could be fun," she admitted. "Although I have a feeling Thunderbird 2 might handle worse than the fire engine in rush hour traffic."
Luke laughed again, long and loud. "You are so right about that, Cass Better watch out though, I get the feeling that Virgil's none too happy when people insult his Thunderbird!" Taking his arm from around her shoulders, he glanced at her with a twinkle in his eye. "You should see how these beasts launch! It's mind-boggling. I've seen Thunderbirds One and Two so far... well, let's just say you've got to see it to believe it." He paused and continued in a quieter, less excited tone. "God, it's good to see you. I don't want to influence your decision, but if you ask my opinion, you'd do well here. Could probably teach these veterans a thing or three."
"Maybe," Cassie said thoughtfully. Her thoughts drifted to Scott. Yes, he had apologized but she still got the feeling he wasn't completely happy with the thought of hiring her. "However, I think I'm going to have to prove to Scott that I should be here, more so than any of the others. I got the impression he wasn't thrilled about the prospect of bringing me on board. Gives me pause about taking the job."
"Oh sure, anywhere I go, I'm going to have to prove myself to some extent. It would be like when I started out as a paramedic and again on the fire squad. The veterans are always a little leery of the rookies and it's understandable. They don't know you. Don't know what you're capable of. Still, there's a difference between wariness and not being wanted on the team."
Luke turned thoughtful for a moment. "Did Mr. Tracy tell you why they wanted to hire you?"
Cassie nodded. "Said they had some problems on rescues involving fires. He wanted someone on the team that knew more about how they behave and how to fight them."
"From what I've seen, Mr. Tracy knows his team well. So, if that's the reason he wants you on it, that means there's something that even Scott can learn from you if you join up." Luke took a swig of his Guinness, and put the glass back down. "Obviously, HE thinks you're worth it, or he wouldn't have told you about IR in the first place. Scott will just have to deal."
Cassie smiled at Luke's last comment. He had a point though. Ultimately, it was Mr. Tracy in charge of IR. It was his confidence she needed, not Scott's, and she apparently had that. Though if she took the job she certainly planned on trying to earn Scott's confidence in her abilities.
Besides, she had never backed away from anything in her life just because someone had said she couldn't do it or she shouldn't do it. If she had, she certainly wouldn't be here right now. How many times had her father told her not to pursue being a firefighter? "It's too hard and dangerous for my little girl." Sure, he was only trying to look out for her. Protect his only daughter. Still, that had only made her want to do it more. I never backed down from my father; why should I back down from Scott Tracy? she thought to herself.
The thought of her father brought a small smile to her face. "You know, I'll feel a little weird about lying to Mark and the rest of my family, but there's something to be said for telling my father that I'm taking a nice, easy consultant job, off of the streets. He's been on my back ever since I told him I planned on joining FDNY, more so since his accident. Taking this job would give him peace of mind if nothing else."
"Don't make that your reason for taking it though," Luke warned her. He sighed. "The lying is hard. I have been told that I'll spend some time in the office, actually earning my keep with Tracy Industries, but I'm not sure how that works yet. A couple of people here actually work for the family, so they're covered, but I don't see how I'm going to be able to do this consultant thing and still be available for rescues." He shrugged. "I suppose that means you'd be going out to do the instruction as well."
"Yeah, supposedly I'd be making sure fire codes and safety protocols are up to date and being put in place correctly at the different sites. That in itself could be interesting work. Definitely something different than what I've been doing. Don't get me wrong; I love my job, but it can get monotonous after awhile and some days you're sitting around the station thinking of what you could be doing at home if you weren't stuck waiting for a call to come in."
Cassie paused briefly, realizing how what she had just said probably sounded. "Argh, that sounded horrible. It's not that I actually want some accident or fire to happen but ... forget it, I don't think I can actually put into words what I mean."
"Still, it's helping those in trouble that means the most to me. Like the traffic accident I was at last week, there was this little girl trapped in a car. We had to use the jaws of life to cut her out, and all I did was hold her hand and talk to her, but I know that made a difference. That's what I like about the job, and that's why I never wanted to take a desk job or instructor position in the city like my father wanted. I wouldn't mind doing that but I don't want to lose the feeling of actually making a difference in someone's life. This job would actually allow me to do both."
"That's the way I feel about it , too," he admitted. "Working with the best ... God, who wouldn't want to work with IR?" He brought himself up short, and gave Cassie a lopsided grin. "Oops. And here I said I didn't want to influence you."
Cassie smiled. "Too late for that, Morel," she said jokingly. "But seriously, if I'm going to take the job, I need to do it for myself. If I'm honest with myself, I started this job search to get away from the city. To start new. I can definitely do that here, while still doing the job I love."
"And you get to hang out with me and Rommel, too," he replied with a grin. "Not a bad perk, I'd say."
"Well, hanging out with Rommel would be a perk," Cassie said with a sly grin. "Hanging out with you, that may be considered one of the hazards of the job."
She tried to slide out of his way, as he batted at her for her comment.
-- Written by starrynebula and Tikatu with input from Lillehafrue on August 21, 2007]]>artisticrainey2012-07-23T23:51:43-00:00Re: Regaining Momentum
http://irnextphase.tikatu.com/fudforum/index.phpindex.php?t=rview&goto=317&th=19#msg_317
Tracy, Island, Sunday, September 16th, 5:45 AM
Luke ran along the edge of the water. The sun had risen a short time ago, but the beach was still in shade. He knew from experience that that wouldn't last, so he tried to get his run out of the way before it got too hot. He paused to watch a pair of dolphins playing beyond the surf line and smiled. Who'd have thought a few months ago I'd be living in paradise.
"Luke! Hey!"
He looked up to see John jogging towards him and waved. John reached him and leaned over, hands resting on his knees. "You're up early."
Luke nodded. "It's too hot later."
"That's for sure. Where's Rommel?" John asked, looking around.
"I left him at the apartment. Snoring away. He's not a morning dog."
John laughed. "Sounds like Virgil."
"Besides, he got into the pool again yesterday and I had to wash all the chlorine out. I don't feel like doing it again with salt water," Luke told him. The dolphins jumped again, catching both of their attention. "I'll have to remember to tell Gordon about them."
"Tyler and Alex, too," John added.
They stood there watching quietly until the dolphins disappeared. Luke turned to John and grinned. "Race ya to the rocks."
John narrowed his eyes. "You're on!"
The two men raced across the beach, sand flying. They reached the rocks at the same time, both panting. "Call it...a tie?" John gasped.
"Deal." Luke pulled a water bottle from his belt and took a long drink. John did the same. They sat down on the rocks. Luke glanced over at John. He was looking out at the sea, his thoughts seeming to be a million miles away. Luke didn't want to get caught staring and put his bottle back on his belt.
Finally John spoke up. "Do you remember Kat? She's our mechanic."
Luke nodded. "Yes, tiny thing. I flew out with her. Why?"
John turned to gaze back out at the water. "I got a phone call from her the other night."
Luke caught the edge in John's voice. "Everything all right there?"
John shook his head. "No, not really." He tossed a stone into the sea. "She's not coming back. The girls packed up all her stuff yesterday."
"John, I'm sorry."
John shrugged. "I thought, for a while, that we might have something special together. But lately she had become more of a little sister than a girlfriend, if that makes sense."
Luke nodded thoughtfully. "I know what you mean. I was in a relationship for almost five years. Figured this was it, the 'one', you know?"
John nodded. "Yeah. What happened?"
"I was spending two to three weeks at a time at the SAR cabin; we only spent a few days together. Then when Barry got transferred to L.A., that kind of put the cap on it." John looked startled a moment, but Luke went on. "I thought maybe we could make it work, but..." his voice trailed off. "Long distance relationships suck. At least we ended things when we were still friends, so he's still a part of my life. Not the way I had thought he would be, but he's still there."
John was quiet for a long time. "She thought we had something, and I didn't feel the same. When she called the other night, I think she was expecting me to act differently than I did." He threw another stone. "You know, it's probably better in the long run. I mean, this life doesn't really allow a lot of time for relationships." He picked up another stone and sent it skipping. "I can see now why Alan broke things off with Tin-Tin."
They sat there in silence a few minutes before Luke clapped a friendly hand on John's shoulder. "Listen to us, moping about our love lives. I say we get the rest of the guys together and see if your father will let us go to the mainland for a day. Hit some bars, hang out. Guy things. This hanging by the pool is going to kill me! What do you say?"
John's eyebrows furrowed in thought. "You know, that's a great idea. I'll ask my brothers, you handle Dom and Brandon. Then I'll send Scott in to tackle Dad."
Luke laughed. "Good, it's settled." Luke got to his feet and stretched. "I've got another mile to do. Want to join me?"
"Sure." Together the started along the beach. John pulled out in front of Luke, and Luke found himself gazing at John's physique. Dammit, Morel, he's not interested!
Yes, another voice whispered into his head, but you can still appreciate God's work when it's right there in front of you.
Luke shook his head and, smiling, increased his pace and together he and John continued down the beach.
Posted by lillehafrue on August 21, 2007]]>artisticrainey2012-07-23T23:52:03-00:00Re: Regaining Momentum
http://irnextphase.tikatu.com/fudforum/index.phpindex.php?t=rview&goto=318&th=19#msg_318
Sunday, September 16, 3:15 p.m. Tracy Island
Cassie looked down at her watch. She had switched it to the time on the island so she could keep track of things like meals. Being late would not make a good impression on her potential employers. Of course right now she wished she'd never switched it as she wanted to call Mark. What time is it in New York anyway? Cassie thought. Maybe I should have paid more attention to the time differences Mr. Tracy was telling me about when he was informing me of the arrangements he had made for me to get home After a few minutes of trying to figure it out, she gave up and headed for one of the vid phones that had been pointed out to her. She'd just take the chance and give him a call. He usually turned his cell phone off when he was sleeping anyway, so if it was too late, she wouldn't disturb him.
Cassie punched in the number and listened to it ring. Looks like I'm going to get his voice mail, she thought to herself. She was about hang up and try again later when she heard her brother's voice.
"Hello?"
Cassie smiled. It was nice hearing a familiar voice even if her brother was being his usual suspicious self.
"Hey, Mark. It's Cassie."
"Cass! Are you okay? How's the interview going? When are you coming home?"
"I'm fine. The interview went well and I'll be home soon. My flight should be coming into JFK at nine o'clock Monday morning there. Can you pick me up?" she asked her brother. She could hear voices in the background and wondered where he was at.
"Yeah, sure. I'll be there."
"What time is it there anyway?" she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.
"A little after eleven. I just got off work," Mark told her, which explained why he had taken so long to answer the phone. "Why, the guys too loud for you?"
"Well, I can hear them in the background. Mostly, I was just hoping I hadn't called you at a bad time. You know I was never good with time zones."
"Exactly, what time zone are you in?"
"A different one than you," Cassie replied, easily. She couldn't really blame him for trying to get her to tell him where she was at. In his place, she'd probably want to know. "The Tracys would like me to keep the location of their home secret. You can't really blame them. We've seen some of the media circuses they've had to deal with when they've been in the city."
"Fair enough. So what's up with the job?" Mark asked. Cassie heard the voices fading away in the background and figured her brother was leaving the locker room.
Cassie took a deep breath. Here it goes. Except for silly things when we were kids, this will be the first time I've ever lied to him but it's for a good reason, she thought to herself. "Well, I've been offered the position. It would mean relocating to Wichita, Kansas as I'd be based at the Tracy Industries branch there. The job would entail making sure fire safety protocols are up to date and upheld in all their branches, even those overseas. The traveling should be fun and it would be a change from what I'm doing."
"You always did want to travel," Mark commented, trying to sound upbeat. He didn't want his sister moving halfway across the country but he also wasn't going to stand in her way. He wanted her to be happy. "Aren't you going to miss the actual firefighting part of the job?"
I won't be missing out on that entirely, Cassie thought, recalling some of the rescues she had followed that IR had already carried out. "Yeah, I'll miss it some but maybe it's time for a change. What I'll be doing would be important in its own way and probably less stressful. Besides, I haven't said I'm going to take the job yet. Mr. Tracy has given me some time to think it over."
"Maybe you're fooling yourself, Cass, but not me. I can hear it in your voice. You really want to take this offer."
"I haven't made up my mind yet," she insisted.
"Yeah, sure. Whatever you say."
"Well, I guess I should be going. I'll see you when I get back to New York."
"I'll be waiting. Stay safe."
"You too. Bye, Mark," Cassie said, hanging up the phone.
She felt slightly guilty about not being able to tell him the real nature of the job. Still, she understood the Tracys need for secrecy. She rarely kept anything from Mark. Keeping things from him would be the hardest part about taking the job with IR. There were, however, a lot of positive things about the job. I just need to decide if the sacrifices I'm going to have to make are worth taking the job, she said as she headed out of the villa. Maybe a jog on the beach will help me think things through.
Posted by starrynebula on August 22, 2007]]>artisticrainey2012-07-23T23:52:33-00:00