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Changes: Part Two
Posted By: Kalexon<xelak@earthlink.net>
Date: 27 October 2006, 1:08 am
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New York City, New York
1000 Hours, UNSC Time
Marten looked around the airport. He was still confused. In the middle of the night his parents had gotten him up. They didn't say why, they were packing his things, Marten tried to get them to talk but all they would do is tell him to get in the shower or get dressed. When he looked relatively decent they put him in the car and drove him to the local airport. They gave him a plane ticket, and gave him directions on how to get to his flight. His mother and father hugged him before he went but all his little brother did was say good-bye, though he looked just as confused as Marten. Marten found the plane and after customs checked his bags briefly he was cleared to go. The flight had lasted all night. Marten had fallen asleep during it but had been woken up by the alarm clock of the guy sitting behind him. Marten guessed the guy had forgotten to plug his head-phones in. The plane had landed, he had gotten off, and now he was standing in an airport somewhere in New York City.
Marten wandered for a bit and noticed a large crowd of kids standing in a circle around a smaller group of adults. Suddenly one of them, who looked like he was in charge of whatever was going on pointed at him and yelled "Boot, get over here!" Marten had wearily walked up to the crowd. He moved through the crowd, noticing they all looked as dazed and confused as he did, though he drew little comfort from this. When he made it through the crowd he stood in front of the man who had called him over. "Right, Marten Deen, right? Guess that's everybody," he growled. His next words were spoken to the rest. "Right, when your name is called, I want you and the rest of your team to come up here, we'll give you what you need for the first exercise!" The man started listing off team numbers then names. "Team Eight: Marten Deen, Samantha Severence, Devon Smith, Jasmine Thomas," the men roared. Marten was already up in front so he just waited. First came a girl with blue hair that stood a half-head above him, next was a bald African boy who stood eye level to Marten, and last was another girl, she stood maybe a little taller then the other girl, with black hair. Behind the guy who was in charge one of the other men stepped forward and handed them a big brown envelope. The girl with the blue hair beat Marten to it and grabbed the envelope. The four of them were quickly ushered out of the crowd. They wandered off into a quiet spot and stood there.
Suddenly a broad grin spread over the blue girl's face, Marten found this annoying. "Hi, I'm Sam," she said.
"Devon,"
"Jasmine,"
"Marten,"
The rest of them said they're name's one after the other. "Well, now that we all know each other so well, let's see what the hell is going on here," the blue girl said, still smiling.
She started digging around in the envelope. "What's with the cheery mood?" Marten said, irritated. The girl ignored him but soon a look of both excitement and confusion crossed her face. She pulled from the envelope four wallets. They each took one and Sam continued looking through the envelope. And what she came up with was… Envelopes. Smaller, white ones, each with there name on it. Marten opened his and found a letter and four plane tickets. Marten first looked at the letter.
Dear Trainee, you are expected to be at the arrival point at no more then 1800 Hours on the seventeenth of January. Enclosed are plane tickets, you will see there is a clear path from if you look at the tickets from where you are to the arrival point. Good luck. And remember, we will not wait.
Marten read the letter quickly and looked up. All the other kids were doing the same. Once again it was Sam who broke the silence. "What's the arrival point?" Everybody else either shrugged or shook their heads. "Okay, next question, where do we go next?" Marten saw Devon quickly leaf through his tickets until he got the right one.
"Beijing," he said. "The flight gets here in two hours. Any ideas on what we should do until then?" Suddenly in chorus all there stomach's growled loudly. "Let's eat,"
They all sat inside a fast-food place that was part of the airport, eating breakfast, or whatever passed for breakfast in a fast-food place. They had paid for the food using the money in the wallets they had received. Jasmine was reading the letter again. She checked her watch. "January seventeenth, that's a week from now."
"What time is it?" Marten asked.
"Time for us to go, plane's going to be here in a half-hour." They all got up, threw away there trash and left. Finding the flight didn't take that long, however going through Customs was another deal, it took longer because there were four of them but the finely got through and onto the airplane. The plane's seating arrangement was two aisles of four seats. They all found they're seats(they were all seated next to one another) and sat down. No one really felt like talking so Marten covered his head with his coat and went to sleep.
Beijing, China
1700 Hours, 1/10/52 UNSC Calendar
Marten heard the whine of the plane's jets first, then he realized someone was gripping his shoulder and shaking him. He leaned forward and his coat slip off of his head. Jasmine took her hand off his shoulder. "Were nearly there, so wake up. Devon checked the tickets, and we'll need to catch the plane almost as soon as we get off."
"Where are we heading next, what time does the next plane get to the airport, and what time is it now?"
Jasmine checked her watch. "Next stop is London, it's nearly five and the next plane arrives as five-thirty, so wake up." Marten groaned and stretched. He tried to think about what had happened today, why he was here, and what was going on but all too soon the plane touched down and they all had to scramble to get off the plane. They found the entrance to the next flight fast enough that they were ten minutes early. It gave Marten the chance to look at the departure and arrival times. Looking at the large computer screen he saw that the flight to London would get in at eight-thirty. When the plane got in Marten and the rest had to do the whole Customs thing again, which became a problem because Marten had trouble understanding the woman's English with the Chinese accent. Sam quickly cut in, said something in Chinese, and got them through Customs. Again they found they're seats and sat down. Marten wide awake unfortunately, so he sat there, staring at the seat in front of his.
Memories of the recent past began bubbling up as he sat there but as soon as he started to think about it a woman came up the aisle asking people if they wanted drinks. Marten realized he hadn't had anything to eat or drink since breakfast, so he asked for a soft drink. The woman unfolded the tray on the seat and poured a thick brown liquid into a plastic cup, Marten guessed it was Root Beer or something like it. Marten accepted the cup and leaned back in his seat as the woman passed on. Marten gulped down half of the cups contents and put it back on the tray. Marten suddenly felt sleepy, though he tried to stay awake he felt like he couldn't keep his eyes open. Within a minute he was asleep.
London, England
2030 Hours, 1/10/52 UNSC Calendar
Marten suddenly woke with a start. He felt pain in his right cheek and face. He realized someone had slapped him and he looked to his right to where Sam was sitting. "What was that for?" He demanded.
Sam shrugged. "We tried getting you awake other ways, I finely had to backhand you,"
"Thanks," Marten grumbled. He leaned forward and looked down the seats towards the window and saw that it was dark outside. "What's the time? Where are we off to next?"
"It's eight-twenty, and were going to Berlin next, but the ticket is dated for tomorrow." Marten wondered where they were going to stay tonight if they had to wait until tomorrow. Soon enough the plane touched down and they got off. Once again they stood in an unfamiliar airport, but this time with no were to go for now.
"Here, you'll need these." They all spun around and found themselves face to face with one of the men that they had seen this morning. He handed them each a white envelope. Marten glanced down at the envelope but when he looked up again he saw the man disappearing into the crowd. Marten looked back down at the envelope and opened it. He found enclosed another letter, and five hundred dollars in Euros. He put the money in his wallet and looked at the letter.
Trainee, congratulations on getting this far, but it is far from over. Using the enclosed money you must take a Taxi or Bus to The Hostess Hotel, there you will find reservations for rooms under your name. Boys will be in room 106, girls in room 107. Then you must fly to your next destination in the morning. Best of luck.
They all looked at each other and headed for the exit. Outside they saw a bus parked at a bus stop right outside the airport. They quickly ran for the bus, Devon flew forward and made it to the bus first. They got there in time to hear him say "Does this bus go by the Hostess Hotel?"
"Sure does kid." The bus driver answered. They paid for bus tickets and sat down in the bus. Barely anyone was on the bus at this hour, students mostly, and night people. After maybe a half-hour the bus driver announced the Hostess Hotel was coming up. They got off at the bus stop in front of it. Marten looked up at the Hotel. The first thing that struck him was it was huge, easily six, or seven stories high. The next thing that struck him was it was really fancy, one of those Victorian Style hotels with vines growing up the front. Inside was a huge entrance hall, this hotel had it's own restaurant, it's own museum, and gift shops. They managed to get through the crowds of people standing in the entrance hall to the front desk.
When they up to there the man at the desk added some names to the roster "Ah yes, the two masters and two mistresses, right on time." The four looked at each other, bewildered. "Rooms 106, and 107 I believe?"
"Yes, sir," Sam said.
"Yes, here are the keys, room service should be sending your meal up very shortly."
Marten accepted the key to 106 and Jasmine 107. They all left the entrance hall and found the hallways with the rooms. They walked down the hallway, and by now Marten was getting tired of carrying all his luggage around. They stumbled into the rooms, only bothering to switch on the light. Marten stumbled towards a bed, dropped his luggage and collapsed on the bed. He heard Devon close the door, though he didn't care weather the door was open or not. "Wonder when food service will be here," Devon said. Marten didn't answer because he really didn't care about that either, all he wanted to do was fall asleep and hope this had all been a dream.
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