Swindon, December 1989 (Chapter 2-3)
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
No matter how much time passes, some things always remain the same. For me, at least, the SpecOps building in Swindon was one of those things. The German architecture, left over from the occupation during the Second World War, loomed and gave off the slight sense of dread that anyone who entered would be lost in a mountain of red tape or come out craving sauerkraut for the rest of their lives. I wasn't sure which was worse.
I pulled my multicoloured speedster into the car park and turned off the engine. Although I was supposed to remain inconspicuous, and the car was anything but, I couldn't help but take it out for a drive. Fandom was quaint and had its charms, but the lack of driveable roads was not one of them.
"Thursday!" Victor Analogy, my old boss, called from the front door. He had either become remarkably spry for a senior citizen since we last spoke or he'd seen me pull up.
"Hello, Victor," I replied warmly, climbing out of the car and slamming the door closed behind me.
"You look well for someone who disappeared off the face of the Earth again. Where have you been? Do come up to the office. I'm sure Bowden would be pleased to see you. He has a new lady friend, you know," Victor added, as if that news should have shocked me. I wouldn't say shocked, but pleasantly surprised was closer. Bowden Cable was a good man and my former partner at SpecOps Swindon, but his straightlaced demeanour and his missing sense of humour didn't endear him to women.
"Really?" I asked, averting attention from where I'd been, "I'll have to stop in and say hello." It would be a welcome distraction if nothing else. The real reason for my visit wasn't nostalgia. I was here to see my father, and I was dreading what he was going to tell me. He had known that Landen was going to leave. I had no doubt about that, or that he knew where Landen was, and why - yet again - my husband had disappeared without a trace.
Chapter 3
Bowden was waiting for us when we reached the SO-27 office. As expected, the regular crowd (small as they were) said hello. Bowden's greeted wasn't as expected.
"Your father called. He said not today, but pop in on Wednesday and he'll explain everything. Oh, and Landen's fine."
That wasn't what I wanted to hear, but at the same time I was relieved. Landen was fine. The worst case scenario that had been doing laps around my brain could be put to rest. "No hello?" I said finally.
"Hello Thursday."
"Hello Bowden."
"You're looking well."
"For someone who dropped off the face of the Earth?"
"Well, yes. But I meant in general." Bowden always knew when not to ask questions, and my disappearing for several months or years at a time wasn't exactly new behaviour.
"Thank you. Any interesting cases?" Technically, I had quit SpecOps and shouldn't have had security clearance to be here, let alone talk about current cases, but with paperwork being what it was, my resignation hadn't been filed yet, so I was still on extended leave. It was convenient, if only for the purpose of making small talk with my former co-workers.
"Nothing out of the ordinary," Bowden replied. "The Baconians are causing their usual problems, although with Goliath under new management book sales have dropped. Well, books that aren't about toast anyway." The Toast Marketing Board had gained majority possession of Goliath two years ago, but while it had seemed like a good thing at the time, any products that weren't toast-related had suffered due to bad advertising and low-quality craftsmanship. My experiences with Golatih were not positive, but it was clear that the country was suffering after having relied on Goliath for so long. "Smaller publishers have started to appear though," Bowden added after a moment. "There have been a few scams, but nothing we can't handle."
"I'm glad to hear it," and I was, in a way, but hearing that I wasn't needed did leave a small wound in the back of my mind that would have no doubt festered if not for Bowden's timely comment.
"Since you're here, there is one case I'd like you to look over if you have the time and inclination."
"For you, Bowden," I said a little too cheerfully for the situation, "I have all the time in the world."
I did, at least until Wednesday.
[OOC: I'm baaaack. The rest of Thursday's adventures at home will follow after I've had some sleep.]
Chapter 2
No matter how much time passes, some things always remain the same. For me, at least, the SpecOps building in Swindon was one of those things. The German architecture, left over from the occupation during the Second World War, loomed and gave off the slight sense of dread that anyone who entered would be lost in a mountain of red tape or come out craving sauerkraut for the rest of their lives. I wasn't sure which was worse.
I pulled my multicoloured speedster into the car park and turned off the engine. Although I was supposed to remain inconspicuous, and the car was anything but, I couldn't help but take it out for a drive. Fandom was quaint and had its charms, but the lack of driveable roads was not one of them.
"Thursday!" Victor Analogy, my old boss, called from the front door. He had either become remarkably spry for a senior citizen since we last spoke or he'd seen me pull up.
"Hello, Victor," I replied warmly, climbing out of the car and slamming the door closed behind me.
"You look well for someone who disappeared off the face of the Earth again. Where have you been? Do come up to the office. I'm sure Bowden would be pleased to see you. He has a new lady friend, you know," Victor added, as if that news should have shocked me. I wouldn't say shocked, but pleasantly surprised was closer. Bowden Cable was a good man and my former partner at SpecOps Swindon, but his straightlaced demeanour and his missing sense of humour didn't endear him to women.
"Really?" I asked, averting attention from where I'd been, "I'll have to stop in and say hello." It would be a welcome distraction if nothing else. The real reason for my visit wasn't nostalgia. I was here to see my father, and I was dreading what he was going to tell me. He had known that Landen was going to leave. I had no doubt about that, or that he knew where Landen was, and why - yet again - my husband had disappeared without a trace.
Chapter 3
Bowden was waiting for us when we reached the SO-27 office. As expected, the regular crowd (small as they were) said hello. Bowden's greeted wasn't as expected.
"Your father called. He said not today, but pop in on Wednesday and he'll explain everything. Oh, and Landen's fine."
That wasn't what I wanted to hear, but at the same time I was relieved. Landen was fine. The worst case scenario that had been doing laps around my brain could be put to rest. "No hello?" I said finally.
"Hello Thursday."
"Hello Bowden."
"You're looking well."
"For someone who dropped off the face of the Earth?"
"Well, yes. But I meant in general." Bowden always knew when not to ask questions, and my disappearing for several months or years at a time wasn't exactly new behaviour.
"Thank you. Any interesting cases?" Technically, I had quit SpecOps and shouldn't have had security clearance to be here, let alone talk about current cases, but with paperwork being what it was, my resignation hadn't been filed yet, so I was still on extended leave. It was convenient, if only for the purpose of making small talk with my former co-workers.
"Nothing out of the ordinary," Bowden replied. "The Baconians are causing their usual problems, although with Goliath under new management book sales have dropped. Well, books that aren't about toast anyway." The Toast Marketing Board had gained majority possession of Goliath two years ago, but while it had seemed like a good thing at the time, any products that weren't toast-related had suffered due to bad advertising and low-quality craftsmanship. My experiences with Golatih were not positive, but it was clear that the country was suffering after having relied on Goliath for so long. "Smaller publishers have started to appear though," Bowden added after a moment. "There have been a few scams, but nothing we can't handle."
"I'm glad to hear it," and I was, in a way, but hearing that I wasn't needed did leave a small wound in the back of my mind that would have no doubt festered if not for Bowden's timely comment.
"Since you're here, there is one case I'd like you to look over if you have the time and inclination."
"For you, Bowden," I said a little too cheerfully for the situation, "I have all the time in the world."
I did, at least until Wednesday.
[OOC: I'm baaaack. The rest of Thursday's adventures at home will follow after I've had some sleep.]