Interruptions

by Red Paladin

"Don't expect anything and nothing will surprise you."

- Book One of Lost Swords, Fred Saberhagen

Activity was as normal as it could get on the R&D level at Verthandic Rangers headquarters. Technicians were busy at their desks, hoping to churn out the latest version of a new weapon, vehicle, or something completely original. Although it was close to noon, the entire room was dark, illuminated only by desk lights placed at regular intervals. Most of the techs preferred to work in the dark.

Suddenly, the shuffling of paper, scratching of pencils, and tapping of keys stopped as several watches sounded their electric chime. It was lunch time. If not for these periodic reminders, many would forget to eat. The majority of the techs got up from their work and began filing out the door. They were heading towards the communal eating area for, of course, McDonald's.

"You coming?" asked Brynhild.

"Just one more line," replied Red Paladin, as he quickly scratched out one last line on his drawing before he pried himself from his chair to follow her. They talked as they walked (yes, that rhymes).

"What are you working on?" she asked.

"A new plane design," he responded. "I usually draw the thing first and then translate it into equations. I'll show it to you later if you'd like. Of all the R&D members, you and Necktie are the only ones who even bothered to comment on them. I don't think they're so bad that they merit a 'no comment' reply." He pushed open one of the double doors to the restaurant, holding it for Brynhild.

"Thank you," she said, as she walked in. "I prefer to make desponge devices, so I really wouldn't know much about avionics."

They stepped up to the counter and ordered. Two Double Quarter Pounders, a large fries and three shakes for Red, and a Big Mac combo for Brynhild. Around them, other VR personnel were engaged in various discussions, some serious and some not so serious. There was the occasional fry that would fly until it found a target, but generally, chatter dominated the room. They sat down to eat, talking about anything but work, their voices joining those in the background. Between bites, there was intermittent laughter.

"...so Moe says, 'I got it on loan from the US Navy. It can flash fry a buffalo in forty seconds,'" said Red. "Then Homer replies, 'Forty seconds? But I want it now!'"

Shaking her head, though smiling, Brynhild commented, "You watch way too much Simpsons."

"No, I don't...okay, maybe a little...well, it's a lot but...all right, you caught me. I never miss an episode if I can help it." He lowered his head in mock shame.

At this, she laugh aloud, almost choking on a fry. After recovering, they resumed their conversation. Ten minutes later, they had finished their lunch and split up. Red went back to finish up his paperwork and Brynhild headed to the library to read a book.

Sitting at his computer, Red put the finishing touches on his plane, then began work on a small stack of forms and reports that needed filling out.

"Damn, this is boring," he said to no one in particular as 1:30 rolled around and the stack had shrunk only a little bit. He decided to take a little break. Of course, playing a networked "Red Alert" [tm Westwood Studios] game made the minutes fly. By two o'clock, he had already crushed two bases, and was working on a third. He had two contingents of mammoth tanks, one land and one by sea transport, as well as a squadron of fighters ready to move in on another's base.

"All right, you're dead, whoever you are," he said to himself. "Just a little closer...almost there...okay, {click} send in the paratr -"

{Fzzt!}

Everything went dark for just a moment. The desk lights flashed and the computers rebooted.

"HELLLL! I almost had him...or her...or whoever. Damn!" Other curses were heard throughout the room as more important information, unsaved information disappeared. Unintelligible shouts were also heard, but one could guess at their meaning. Someone's computer said "Dr. Norton! Paging Dr. Norton!"

Red's thought was answered by a young soldier running into the room, telling everyone to get ready for a mission. Although they did not get the explanation they wanted, everyone rose to go to their posts. Some were not fighters, and they went to prepare supplies and transportation. Others ran to the Explorations Department to grab their emergency packs, which were always on hand. Red was oblivious to all this, still upset over his interrupted victory, until the soldier came and shook him out of his trance.

"Wake up, rookie! Forget the game! Go get ready!"

That was all it took. How he knew Red had been playing a game was uncertain, but that did not matter. What mattered was that Red rush to his room, quickly gather his personal weapons and join the rest of the group. Fortunately, this did not take long, since he always carried at least half of his gear.

Thirty seconds later, as he stepped out of his quarters, he spotted VR personnel running towards what he assumed was the gathering spot, and rushed to follow them. The rumbling of footsteps on the stairs grew louder as they neared their destination. They stopped.

Red was the last person to arrive. He gasped when he reached the door. The room was full of sophisticated equipment. In the back center of the room was an enormous containment globe which encompassed ripplings of immense fluorescent blue and green energy. Since he had only joined the Verthandic Rangers a month ago, he had not had time to explore the whole base. But, he knew without a doubt that this was the much talked about "Gate" to other dimensions. Warming it up had caused the slight drop in power to the base.

"Damn!!" he said in awe. He paused. "Wait a minute. Where's Brynhild?" He scanned the room but didn't see her anywhere, not even the magical signature of her crystal amulet. [She must still be in the library.]

He fled the room, racking his brain to try and remember where it was. [Damn!] He sprinted up as fast as he could, searching every floor. In between breaths, he thought, [Where... (huff) the hell... (huff) is it?]

It took him a full four minutes and thirty seconds to search all of the floors and climb all of the stairs required. He practically exploded through a door, searching the 2nd level.

"Brynhild! Where are you?" he yelled. The response came from a small corner room at the back of the long hall, where the computers were kept. She was the only person in there. She had finished her book and had decided to play on the computer, though she was trying to find out what happen to the networked "Red Alert" game.

"Do you know what? The electricity stopped just as I was about to get killed. This player had two contingents of red mammoth tanks and a squadron of planes ready to...what's wrong?" She saw Red slightly flushed, as if he had sprinted a full mile.

"Everyone's, or almost everyone, is going on some kind of mission. I left before they started the briefing, so I don't know what it's about," he explained. It came out very quickly, but she looked like she was following him. "I came back to look for you, 'cause I thought you'd want to know." Abruptly, he stopped to catch his breath.

She answered very calmly. "All right, we'll get there. Just give me a few minutes to gather my things."

They ran to her quarters. Actually, Red, not wanting to miss the transport, practically dragged her, forcing her to run so she wouldn't be caught without the support of her legs below her. It was fortunate that she didn't fall on the stairs.

He stood outside her apartment door, on the 5th level, waiting for her to get ready. It was just one minute, but seemed like an eternity to him.

"Just like a woman to take so long," he mumbled impatiently.

"I heard that," came the unexpected reply from within.

"Kidding!" Red exclaimed, surprised that she had heard.

With that, the door slid open, and she stepped out wearing her combat fatigues and the familiar chain around her neck to hold her crystal amulet. "Right," she said, as she gave him a solid whack to his shoulder.

"You know I'm joking," Red replied, smiling and rubbing her target. His face then turned serious. "Come on. We'll have to hurry to catch them leaving."

They raced down the stairs, Red naturally finishing first. He then leaned up against the opened door, pretending that he had waited a long time for her to show up. In fact, she was only a few meters behind.

"After you," Red said with a flourish and a bow, as she walked in, but this only led to a punch in his side.

They proceeded into the teleportation room and were informed they should be in the Situation Room on the Communal Level for the pre-mission briefing as a Technician shuffled them right back out the door.

"Race you to the Situation Room?" Brynhild challenged.

"Sure," Red replied, but Bryn was already a few meters away.

To be continued in "Situation."

The preceding segment is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locations or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.