Home » The Archives » Chapter 9 » Regrouping and Recouperation
| Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #230 is a reply to message #229] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 15:26   |
artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma:
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Field Commander
Switzerland |
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Sunday, August 12, late morning, Tracy Island
As she laid in her bed, the sunlight woke her. Somehow the color was different. It caused her to sit up. She got up, walking over to push the sheers aside and find a distant ocean in the background, a beach in the middle and a runway in the foreground. She pushed her hair out of her face, laughing to herself. "No, Heather Marie, you're no longer in Kansas."
Continuing to talk to herself, she replied, "No, this is quite the opposite. Instead of a dry plain, I've got water-water everywhere."
Flopping back in the bed, she looked at herself lying there in the wide vanity mirror that sat opposite of her bed, beginning to remember the early morning hours when she'd flown in with Tin-Tin - with whom she'd become fast friends - as her co-pilot
Sunday morning, August 12, 2:30 a.m.
After a very comfortable three and a half hour trip from the Tracy Industries Testing Grounds - where Heather could now be called a former test pilot - they arrived at Tracy Island with a smooth landing. The metallic scream of the engines died away as Heather parked the Blue Streak into its new berth.
"Well, here we are," Tin-Tin said with a smile. "Now that your plane is put to bed, I have a question to ask. Do you want to go to your apartment right away? Or would a guest room in the Round House be better?" She paused. "The guest room would only be until you got some rest."
Heather yawned inadvertently. "Well, I'm beat. I'd say let's go with the easiest move. What would be easiest for you?"
"I guess the apartment would," Tin-Tin replied. "We're closest to the Cliff House right now."
"Let's do that then. Are there others sleeping in here?"
"Yes, the others are probably asleep, but your neighbor, Brandon is away. We shouldn't disturb anyone. The apartments are well soundproofed."
"That works for me. What are you going to be doing tomorrow?"
Tin-Tin yawned and stretched. "I'm not sure yet. Depends on if I get some sleep. All this time zone hopping messes me up!" She gave Heather a smile. "Are you hungry? I know we can get something from the Villa kitchen. I don't think there'll be anything in your fridge just yet."
Heather smiled. "Sure. I'm tired, but more hungry than anything else."
"Okay, then. Let's get your luggage up to your apartment, and go raid the fridge!" Tin-Tin said with a grin.
As Tin-Tin led them to the nearest service elevator, Heather shook her head. "Maybe you really do need a family pilot!"
Tin-Tin laughed as she pulled the antigravity float behind her, piled with Heather's luggage. The service elevator brought them to a wide catwalk within the cavernous hangar. "We'll get to the lobby of your apartment quickest this way," she explained. "Then I can show you the elevator system. It's really unique."
They found themselves at a wide glass door that slid open to Tin-Tin's key card. Dragging the float in, she activated the elevator, pushed the float in, and beckoned Heather to join her. "This is a keypad locking system. I'll enter my code, then you can enter one for yourself. The door to your apartment will only open from the inside, or if you punch in your code."
Heather nodded, and reached over to enter her own code. The door slid open, giving them direct access to the apartment. The lights automatically turned on. Walking in, Heather's delighted eyes swung from one end of the condominium to the other. She had never seen such comfortable surroundings with its sumptuous living room, well thought out kitchen, and a lovely, elegant bedroom.
"What do you think? Tin-Tin asked with a self-satisfied grin. "Let's put your luggage in your room," she added, "then I'll show you the monorail."
"Lead on, McDuff," Heather replied.
"You read Shakespeare?" Tin-Tin asked with delight.
"Some of it. MacBeth, Othello, Midsummer's Night Dream..."
"I enjoy reading Shakespeare," Tin-Tin said, as she led Heather to the monorail. "If I hadn't been so wrapped up in the sciences, I might have studied drama." They stepped aboard the monorail car. "This is a direct branch line to the Villa elevators. You'll need to remember that for when you start working rescues."
Heather nodded. "So what's on the menu this early in the morning?"
Tin-Tin laughed. "Well, we'll see who is up and about... someone nearly always is, as you heard when you requested landing clearance. Then we'll see what's available. I make a mean omelet in record time, and we always have fixings for sandwiches. My father may have even left us portions of the evening meal; he knew I'd be home sometime today... yesterday..." She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Whatever."
As Heather glanced down at the world that seemed to be moving underneath her, she said, "I've crossed time zones often, but not across the IDL. Everyone must really depend on you."
Tin-Tin smiled softly as the monorail came to a halt at the small elevator lobby. "We all depend on each other here." She gestured to Heather. "This will take us up to the Villa."
They walked into the elevator. "So how did you get caught up in all this? How did you find your way here?"
"Through my father. When Mr. Tracy needed to move to a city and away from Kansas because of his business, his mother stayed on the family farm. He needed someone to take care of the house and prepare meals, and called my father on the strength of their friendship. I came with him and grew up in the Tracy home. It was only natural that I become part of International Rescue." She sighed. "I could have taken my skills anywhere, but I knew they were most needed here. I haven't regretted it."
The elevator deposited them on the lower floor of the Villa. As they walked, Tin-Tin said, "Looks like it's dark in the sick room; there's no light under the door. It's a good sign, I guess."
"How's Dr. Tracy doing now? Does she better being home now? How are the kids doing in all this?"
"I'm not sure. I know she's home, but it's only been a day or so. I guess I'll find out later today." She lead Heather into the dining room with its long table and sideboards.
"After I get up and get my inner clock reset, I'd like to go see how she's doing. Would you like me to help set the table?"
"No, I can do it while the food is heating. Father left us portions of the meal. Won't take a moment to heat up," Tin-Tin said as she opened one of the huge double refrigerators. "Besides, it'd take longer for me to tell you where everything is than to do it myself." She smiled at Heather. "But thanks for the offer; I appreciate it."
"You're welcome." With that, Heather dropped tiredly into her seat. Tin-Tin brought both dishes over to the kitchen table and they ate quietly, saying little. Soon, their repast was finished, and Tin-Tin escorted Heather one more time to her new apartment. As soon as the door closed behind her, Heather searched her largest bag and found one of Andrea's choices of radical nightwear. She shed her daywear, slipped on the delicate piece of lingerie, and crawled into bed.
Now she looked at herself in the vanity mirror. She was dressed in clean, casual clothes, smelling of her favorite perfume. Her reverie had taken her all the way through her shower and getting dressed. "Now I'm ready to face the day... and whatever adventures this new place brings," she said to herself with a smile.
There was a chiming at the door, and Heather hastened to open it. Tin-Tin stood in the elevator, smiling widely. "Are you ready to go?"
"Lead on, MacDuff!" Heather smiled back. She was feeling a little bit more comfortable.
--Heather arrives for good by AmandaTracy and Tikatu on 1/14/2007
  
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