The Cosmonaut...
Who: Tamara and Gerald
Where: Their apartment
When: Saturday afternoon
Gerald was calmly reading a book -- Firestarter, to be precise.
Tamara came up behind him, and put her arms around his shoulders, and kissed his neck. "Hey sweetness... whatcha reading?"
"Firestarter," Gerald said, offering up the book.
Tamara took the book and read the back cover. "Stephen King," she mused. "My brother really likes his books, too." She settled into his lap, setting the book aside for now, careful not to lose his place.
Gerald nodded, and hugged. "Well, hi there."
"Hey sexy," Tamara said, snuggling up in the hug. "So do you want to hear what my latest research turned up?"
"Alright." Gerald had that vaguely wary expression.
"I found out that your expedition was funded by a government group called COSMO," Tamara said. "Does that name mean anything to you?"
"Hmm." Gerald didn't answer, which in itself, was an answer.
"Good. Anyhow, it seems like they've popped up in a few references... and it looks like you may have done, or may in fact be doing, work with them..." Tamara said. "So I'm guessing that they're the ones that hold the key to this whole treatment issue. Am I wrong?"
"I wouldn't know of any other name that would be relevant," Gerald answered with his usual non-evasive evasiveness.
"Good," Tamara said. "Now the only problem is that it is extremely hard to find out information on this agency. But if you work for them, then chances are they have an office here in town... some sort of base of operations..."
"That would be a logical conclusion if it were true," Gerald agreed.
"So you can't talk about it- but there's bound to be other people working with you who can," Tamara concluded. "Especially if properly persuaded. So all I need to do is find one of them, do a little kidnapping, and make them talk."
"That might be a workable idea," Gerald commented.
"Now, all we need to do is figure out how to find one of those people. So.. I don't suppose you can introduce me to any of your easily kidnapable co-workers, is there?"
"I don't know if I could introduce you," Gerald commented, "but I'm certain they have to hang out and have dinner, too."
"Hang out and have dinner... hm... at Sid's? At the Bronze?" Tamara asked.
"Everyone hangs out at the Bronze. It's just cool like that," Gerald commented.
"So perhaps we should hang out there then, and keep an eye out for someone," Tamara said, running her fingers through his hair. "But how will I know which someone?"
"Hmm..." Gerald looked thoughtful. Trying to convey this without actually breaking his oath...tricky.
"I suppose if they see you, they might come to say hello, right?" Tamara said, pondering.
"They might," Gerald nodded.
"So that might be a good plan," Tamara said. "And you're allowed to say hi to them, right?"
"Well... that sort of thing would be to one's discretion, I'd imagine," Gerald commented.
"But it's worth a try, right?" Tamara said. She wasn't annoyed at his evasiveness- she understood that he really just couldn't say.
"Definitely," Gerald agreed.
Tamara kissed his forehead. "I just want to straighten this whole mess out for you. You know how much I love you, don't you?"
"Yeah, I know. I love you too," Gerald answered.
"So everything will work out," Tamara said, then kissed him tenderly. "We just have to believe it will."
Gerald kissed back, smiling a bit. "I hope so."
"We've got each other, and we'll figure this out together," Tamara assured him. "We've already come a long way since we started working on it."
Gerald nodded. "Heh... I know. But I'm still worried."
"Me too," Tamara admitted. "You're the most precious thing in the world to me, and I don't want to lose you - or have this wind up hurting you more than help you. So we'll have to be very careful... but we can do it."
"Here's hoping," Gerald said, rubbing his head.
Where: Their apartment
When: Saturday afternoon
Gerald was calmly reading a book -- Firestarter, to be precise.
Tamara came up behind him, and put her arms around his shoulders, and kissed his neck. "Hey sweetness... whatcha reading?"
"Firestarter," Gerald said, offering up the book.
Tamara took the book and read the back cover. "Stephen King," she mused. "My brother really likes his books, too." She settled into his lap, setting the book aside for now, careful not to lose his place.
Gerald nodded, and hugged. "Well, hi there."
"Hey sexy," Tamara said, snuggling up in the hug. "So do you want to hear what my latest research turned up?"
"Alright." Gerald had that vaguely wary expression.
"I found out that your expedition was funded by a government group called COSMO," Tamara said. "Does that name mean anything to you?"
"Hmm." Gerald didn't answer, which in itself, was an answer.
"Good. Anyhow, it seems like they've popped up in a few references... and it looks like you may have done, or may in fact be doing, work with them..." Tamara said. "So I'm guessing that they're the ones that hold the key to this whole treatment issue. Am I wrong?"
"I wouldn't know of any other name that would be relevant," Gerald answered with his usual non-evasive evasiveness.
"Good," Tamara said. "Now the only problem is that it is extremely hard to find out information on this agency. But if you work for them, then chances are they have an office here in town... some sort of base of operations..."
"That would be a logical conclusion if it were true," Gerald agreed.
"So you can't talk about it- but there's bound to be other people working with you who can," Tamara concluded. "Especially if properly persuaded. So all I need to do is find one of them, do a little kidnapping, and make them talk."
"That might be a workable idea," Gerald commented.
"Now, all we need to do is figure out how to find one of those people. So.. I don't suppose you can introduce me to any of your easily kidnapable co-workers, is there?"
"I don't know if I could introduce you," Gerald commented, "but I'm certain they have to hang out and have dinner, too."
"Hang out and have dinner... hm... at Sid's? At the Bronze?" Tamara asked.
"Everyone hangs out at the Bronze. It's just cool like that," Gerald commented.
"So perhaps we should hang out there then, and keep an eye out for someone," Tamara said, running her fingers through his hair. "But how will I know which someone?"
"Hmm..." Gerald looked thoughtful. Trying to convey this without actually breaking his oath...tricky.
"I suppose if they see you, they might come to say hello, right?" Tamara said, pondering.
"They might," Gerald nodded.
"So that might be a good plan," Tamara said. "And you're allowed to say hi to them, right?"
"Well... that sort of thing would be to one's discretion, I'd imagine," Gerald commented.
"But it's worth a try, right?" Tamara said. She wasn't annoyed at his evasiveness- she understood that he really just couldn't say.
"Definitely," Gerald agreed.
Tamara kissed his forehead. "I just want to straighten this whole mess out for you. You know how much I love you, don't you?"
"Yeah, I know. I love you too," Gerald answered.
"So everything will work out," Tamara said, then kissed him tenderly. "We just have to believe it will."
Gerald kissed back, smiling a bit. "I hope so."
"We've got each other, and we'll figure this out together," Tamara assured him. "We've already come a long way since we started working on it."
Gerald nodded. "Heh... I know. But I'm still worried."
"Me too," Tamara admitted. "You're the most precious thing in the world to me, and I don't want to lose you - or have this wind up hurting you more than help you. So we'll have to be very careful... but we can do it."
"Here's hoping," Gerald said, rubbing his head.