Impatience

by Red Paladin

The trip through the portal was startlingly swift.

Out the other side, a landscape of sand and water filled Red's view, broken only by the occasional strange bird that flew by the jagged line in the horizon of green and gray. The day was into its last few hours as the sun began to dip past the horizon. Bryn observed much of the same as she came up behind him. She was the last one through the Gate.

After this observational glance, Red turned to see who would come through the gate next. No one did.

Nexxus began talking to Calc. He, in turn, nodded, setting up some communications equipment. They needed to contact the base.

Nexxus addressed the group. "Everyone, stay in the immediate area. As soon as everyone has made it through the gate we'll set up a scouting party. In the mean time, we don't need anyone wandering off and getting eaten up by the local animal population."

Red nodded, smiling.

"Bryn, what do you think went wrong?" Red asked.

"The thing was a prototype. You know how those things are," she grinned, despite her worry. "Mal'll have it fixed in no time."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Red replied, trying to remain in a good mood.

Five minutes later, no one else had come through the portal. It just stood there. Red began sensing that something was wrong. Others, he thought, felt the same way.

"Where the hell is everyone else?!" Nexxus suddenly yelled. She had been pacing slightly, probably thinking about what to do. It was hard to tell what she was thinking. A few moments later, the gate shifted colors. Then, it blinked a blindingly bright white before disappearing.

He heard some comments pass between Nexxus, Calculus and Phoenix, ending with Nexx walking down the beach and Phoe following. Calculus was put in charge.

Now, all they could do was wait. His mind wandered as they waited.

Before his first visit to headquarters (see "Days of the Rookie"[1]) and dropping off his first plane designs, he was at his home in Canada. The days were hectic as schoolwork piled up and tests were on their way in November. He was the quiet type at school; very unimposing, and always in the background. Maybe too much so.

Red was pondering a difficult Al/Geom[2] problem. Thoughts of possible solutions occupied his mind, causing him to accidentally stumble into a girl on his way to his locker.

"Sorry about that," Red said, apologizing. Books had flipped open, and loose pages had fallen out. He looked up to find the two most beautiful blue eyes he'd even seen (except for Valeriana's, of course). He froze for a few seconds, blinking. *Damn!!*

As he got up to pick up her books and papers, he stuttered his name incoherently.

"Sorry? My name's Elaina." As Red handed back her books, she said, "Thank you. I'm sorry, what did you say your name was again?"

Red told her.

"Nice meeting you. Well, got to get to class. Bye!" she said, running to the next building. Red was left to stand in the cold walkway. Suddenly, a hand tapped him on the shoulder. Red turned to the opposite side.

"Can't get me with that trick any more," he said to his unseen assailant. Usually, he would smile as he said that, but there were things that clouded his mind.

His friend, Gabriel, was almost as tall as Red, standing at 6 feet, with dirty blond hair. His gray-blue eyes shone slightly with a heavenly light.

"Is that what I think it is?" he asked in amusement.

"I don't know," came the unsure reply. "Do you think it's right to find someone new? I mean it's only been six months, twelve days, eighteen hours and..."

"Enough already!" Gabriel interrupted, aghast that his friend would keep track of it so accurately. "You and your stupid timesense. What was I going to say again? Oh, yeah. You're too quiet, Red. Part, I know, is due to your training, but I believe that the other half is depression."

"Depression? My ass, depression!"

"Your ass is right."

"I prefer to think of it as mourning."

"Call it what you will," Gabriel said, resignedly, "but you've got to get over it. Valeriana has gone to a better place. Trust me," smiled the disguised archangel.

"I guess you're right."

"Of course I right. 'Now let's forget our troubles with a big bowl of strawberry ice cream,'" he quoted from the Simpsons.

Red laughed. He finally picked up his own books that had fallen before they wandered to his locker. He wondered about Elaina; what she was like. Those eyes already took his breath away. He decided to remain anonymous for the moment...[I'll get to be her friend first, then...]

"'Quit your daydreaming, melonhead!'"

"Quit your daydreaming, Red!"

[What is taking them so long?] thought Red as he regained his composure.

This echoed a general sentiment among the entire rescue team, as they had been waiting for half an hour or so. This wasn't supposed to be a walk-in-the-park-and-stop-for-a-picnic, since one of the VR triumvirate had disappeared.

Finally, an announcement was made.

"After a number of inconclusive status reports," Calc stated, "I have decided that we'll be leaving in fifteen minutes, whether the last few people on the team have arrived or not." A hint of impatience shone through his voice, despite his efforts to control himself. He had a reason to be angry, since it was his superior officer that had disappeared in the first place. He was the most likely candidate to lead the expedition. Fortunately, only a few people were missing - however, Nexx and Phoe had not returned. It probably wouldn't make any difference, anyway.

[Well, it's about time _somebody_ decided to do something,] Red thought coldly. Delaying "assignments" does not bring out the best in an assassin, especially as the coming of night revealed this one's darker side.

Red recognized only a few in this small party, mostly through reading their profiles. There was Calculus, Bryn, Theseus, and another person that Red did not recognize. She was probably someone from Explorations.

The rest of the group busied themselves with packing up camp. With such a small group, it only took five, but they still waited, hoping that the last few people would arrive. Unfortunately, they did not. Exactly fifteen minutes later, their journey began with their last few personnel forgotten; into the mysteries of High Councillor Katze Brenner's homeland, Marraketh.

To be continued in "Obstacles."

[1] "Days of the Rookie" is not part of the Op, but a personal story that can be found at Red Paladin's Home Page. Ask me for the info.

[2] Al/Geom: Short form for Algebra and Geometry, a last high year school math course. Ontario calls them OACs. Any more questions can be directed to me.

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.