SEP: Interlude Pt. 3

[Scav]

[FONT=&quot]One more.
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]SEP Interlude Pt. 3[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Banning, Calif.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Here you are."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Yes . . . here we are," Jamie Cunningham said as Brian Adkinson set her travel bag onto the bed. She looked around the hotel room she had rented for the night. Her mind ran over the events of the evening: Flying to Camarillo, eating some remarkably delicious (and fresh!) food, lingering until the restaurant closed, and then finally making the short walk over to the museum at the south end of the airport.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]She had never seen so many warbirds packed in one place before. Navy fighters, a Japanese aircraft, even a Russian aircraft -- all of them piston-engined aircraft and much older than her. She had revised her opinion of Brian Adkinson three times this evening -- before she had ever set foot in California he was simply being himself . . . then her opinion degraded to the point that he was being annoyingly show-offish . . . and now she reasoned that he had lived longer than anyone on the planet and had an obscene amount of money and time to burn.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]They had just three quarters of an hour to linger in the museum that evening, soaking up the history and looking at all of the artifacts, and the time was quietly spent. Jamie had spent her time in awe, staring at the octogenarian aircraft sleeping peacefully under the florescent lighting, smelling the faint scents of engine oil and lubricants . . . hearing the ghostly sounds of radial engines roaring, propellers buzzing away and machine gun fire.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]It was a humbling experience, to be sure . . . and the sustained look on Adkinson's face led her to suspect that this was only the tip of the iceberg. She wondered more than once what was going to happen the next day . . . and the next . . . because for all intents and purposes she had essentially pledged to spend her entire vacation with him.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]And then, whatever may happen, it was back to work.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Well," Adkinson said. "I should get going. I've got my own place in town."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Brian . . ." Jamie prompted. Her mind, still ablaze, lingered on the one track that was still carousing through her mind.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]He cocked his head and turned to her. "You alright?" He asked.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"I'm fine," Jamie said. "It's just . . . am I really in Southern California, of all places?"[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Yes, you are."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"And did we really just fly two hundred miles today, have dinner in another city, and look at a bunch of warbirds in a museum?"[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Yes, we did."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]A perplexed look crossed her eyes. "Why would you do this?"[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"What do you mean?"[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Well . . ." Her face contorted in a sudden fit of frustration. "It's not that I'm not grateful or anything, but why would you pull me out of Texas, drag me off to California and spend the time and money on me?"[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Hey," Adkinson said flatly, "let's get one thing straight. You could have said no at any time up 'till now. You could still be in Houston right now. But you decided to go. You packed your own bag, you used the plane ticket; you followed my directions."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"I suppose," Jamie murmured. "But why all of this?"[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Adkinson smiled. "My step-dad used to take me in this airplane on his vacations. We used to do the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, the Tetons . . . Yellowstone, Mount Ranier . . . Mesa Verde . . ."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Jamie nodded in understanding. "Then I suppose I should thank you."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Nah, no need," Adkinson said with a smile. "My step-dad was a decent man, and he passed too soon. He just . . . loved nature, really. And sharing it with people."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Jamie nodded again. "So what's next?"[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Adkinson grinned. "Want to see the Grand Canyon tomorrow? It's only an hour and a half away from here if we hit the right winds."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Sure," Jamie smiled. "It's not like I've never seen it from orbit."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"It's not the same from two hundred miles up, and you know it," Adkinson purred. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"I know, I know."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"It's a deal then. I'll make all the arrangements tonight before I hit the rack."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Jamie nodded. She felt the conversation dwindling rapidly in front of her, and there was still the naggingly unfinished topic that screamed in her head.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Brian?" She said lowly.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Yeah?"[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"You still haven't really answered my question."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Which one are you talking about?"[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Jamie sighed in frustration. "Why are you talking about space with me, Brian? You know that’s a sore spot."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Adkinson breathed out through his nose -- about the best approximation of a sigh she had seen him give yet, and he motioned to the bed. They sat.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"You're right, you know," He said. "There's no way a guy like me could not have some ulterior motive for calling a girl out of Texas, having her fly to California, then taking her up in a plane for half the evening, treating her to dinner, showing her an aerospace museum, and finding her accommodations in a strange town on short notice. After all, this is how distressing news articles start."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Cut the crap, Brian."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Alright," He said flatly. "I'll level with you, but you've got to level with me. Deal?"[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Jamie rolled her eyes. "Deal, Brian. Now spill it."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"You first," He said flatly. "I want you to tell me why you left the agency."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Christ," Jamie hissed through her teeth. "What's there to tell? I screwed up their flagship spaceplane and they're still pissed about it."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"I have a feeling there's a lot more to tell," Adkinson said. "You don't just disappear from NASA without fanfare or at least a warning. Unless you show up in the news in a bad way."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Yeah, well, that's not my problem."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"What is your problem?"[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Jamie sighed. "I was in space, Brian. I should never have been up there. I should have either died in that car crash, or . . ." She snapped her jaw shut and gave him a pained look. "Look, my sister works at the gas station ten miles outside of my hometown. That's what us country girls do -- either the gas station or one of the factories. If we're not working dead-end jobs until the end of time, we're pregnant. If we're not that, then we're boozers, meth-heads, or worse. If we're lucky, we find someone worthwhile. Until then, we just are."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Okay," Adkinson said softly.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Now how the hell did I end up here?"[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"That's a good question," Adkinson replied. "I'll tell you one thing. The very first look I got at your personnel file told me everything I needed to know. Your medical charts indicated a previous injury that had healed, but your academics told the story. You went from public school to a credible university, graduated with a bachelor's degree, caught the attention of NASA through your employer. That's no small feat."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"I had a lot of help," Jamie said sullenly.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Is that what this is all about? You think you don't deserve any of this?" Adkinson snapped. His sudden change in tone was startling, and she snapped her gaze to him.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Do you want to know what I did for three months after SEP Ten?" Jamie said softly.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Sure!" Adkinson prompted.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"I spent the first three months in hell," She said. "My body ached from every joint from the gravity, and having to answer to the various agencies for what I did up there didn't help my sense of self-worth at all. I ended up leaving NASA feeling like I had absolutely no business participating in anything other than ordinary work," the word came out of her mouth sounding like a profanity.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"So you got ran through the ringer," Adkinson said. "I'm sorry you went through that, but these things happen when the government gets excited."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]She flashed him a baleful look. "You think I took off?"[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Do you?" He said flatly, and she sighed in exasperation.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Yes. No. I don't know," She spat. "All I do know is after all of that . . . the worst part, my most psychotic moment, I ended up almost throwing away that chunk of H-D that Sienna, Sveta and Anthony saved for me. That, and the tow strap. I almost did it. I convinced myself I didn't deserve to have that relic in my apartment. It wasn't mine, it was the government's, and it was just another reminder of how badly I screwed up."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Why didn't you?"[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Why didn't I? Because . . ." Jamie faltered. "Because I felt that it would've been a colossal slap in the face if I did . . . I hadn't told them, Brian. I hadn't told Sienna or Sveta I was back to being a civilian. Sienna doesn't know, and I think Sveta figured it out; she hasn't been returning my emails and it's been eight months."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"You think she's disappointed in you?"[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Would you be?"[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Frankly," Adkinson said softly, "I'm more than a little disheartened to see you this way."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Oh?"[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"You were at your happiest when you were in NASA, Jamie," He said. "I could see it. Ed could see it. Hell, everyone could see it. You were at your best when you were working on Constitution installing new sensors, training with the other astronauts . . . flying in space. You were happy, you were complete. You had a goal, a purpose. A reason to live. I look at you now and you're . . ."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]". . . broken," Jamie finished his sentence unhappily. He nodded.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"That's why I've come authorized to give you this information," He said lowly.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]A sudden stab of adrenaline lifted her out of her funk. His tone was official, she realized. He was definitely up to something.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"What . . . are . . . you . . . up to?" She intoned slowly.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"I know I don't work directly for NASA anymore, at least not on a flight crew level like I used to. But . . . I've been given the go-ahead to let you know of one thing."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"What's that?" She asked cautiously.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Our current director -- you may remember him; you rammed your resignation papers down his throat two years ago -- is aware of the situation and is prepared to work some magic."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"What . . . kind of magic?" She prompted lowly.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"It seems there was a mix-up in human resources two years ago," Adkinson said. "It seems that a one Jamie Cunningham was placed on an extended leave of absence with the agency, with option to return . . . if she wants it."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Jamie let go of the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. It took several seconds for the light-headedness to leave her brain, and even longer for her to take him seriously. A querulous look flickered in her eyes and she looked directly at him.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Are you screwing with me?"[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"No," Adkinson said with a smile. "I'm flat out telling you that under the right circumstances, with the right effort and the right cards falling into place, we can have you back in space again -- soon."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"I . . . don't . . . I just . . ."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"You don't have to decide anything right now. Just know that it's been worked out with your employer if you do want to go back, and--"[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Yes," Jamie interrupted weakly. The word came out of her mouth faster than she could think it. Her core was completely unbalanced and she felt sea-sick as she ran his words through her mind over and over.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Is that a real yes?" Adkinson prompted mildly.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"I thought they hated me," Jamie said weakly. "I didn't know."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Jamie, everyone was piss-scared of what happened up there; you and I were no different. They spent two years taking Constitution apart to find out what happened, how it happened, what her inherent weak spots were, and how to toughen her up so that even if she did take another rock to the face, she wouldn't endanger her crew. They also know you took a situation with an insane amount of bad luck, and you brought the ship back in once piece."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"You're right," She said. Her tone was a little stronger now. "I did bring her back, after all."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Damn straight," Adkinson replied. "On one hand, that's exactly the kind of pilotage we need up there. On the other . . . you still have a long way to go before you can wear the Mission Commander mantle for real. I'll help you as best I can, of course. It's just . . ."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Yes?"[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"I think you've got some demons in your life, Jamie . . . and we're going to have to work them out of your head before they'll let you in the seat again."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"You really think I can do it?"[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Well, whether or not you think you can, you're right."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Jamie sighed with a weak smile. "Don't you ever get tired of blurting out weird existential phrases?"[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"No," Adkinson replied with a smile. "Weird existential phrases are my lifeblood. Now," He checked his watch. "It's almost ten o'clock. I'm gonna get out of here so you can get some sleep. Set your watch for seven tomorrow morning; I'll want to get out of here around nine or ten so we can have some time to really see the Canyon."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Alright," She said. Her voice was still a little shaky, and she smiled weakly at him.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"See you tomorrow morning," He said with a smile.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"G'night, Brian," She said. "And thank you."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"You're welcome, Jamie," He said with a head nod.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]* * *[/FONT]​

[FONT=&quot]
A short walk through the hotel building and across the parking lot led Brian Adkinson to his white Prius parked in the lot next to Jamie's rental, and his mind was ablaze with the day's events.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Seeing his friend Jamie was good for both of them, he reflected, though he had caught on very early on through her brusque exterior that things were not all well. He was immensely glad for the gift he was able to give her, and seeing her loosen up at the museum was one of the best things he had seen all year.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]And now this.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The die had been cast, and Jamie had found it within herself to actually answer the calling. He hated seeing her like this, and seeing her actually take control of her life was probably the best thing he could have done for her just then.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]He opened the door to his car, got in, shut the door and pushed the start button. The car beeped once and the motor immediately kicked in, filling the car's inside with air conditioning. He reached for his phone and paged through his contact list. He started a call.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]After five rings the other end picked up.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Williams,"[/FONT][FONT=&quot] A man's voice prompted weakly. He sounded like he had a mouth full of cotton.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Greg, it's Brian."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Do you know what time it is?"[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Yeah, ten o'clock."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"I'm in friggin' Florida!"[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Yeah, one o'clock," Adkinson immediately said.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"What do you want?"[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"I just wanted to let you know. Jamie's coming back."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]There was silence on the phone for about fifteen seconds.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Did you hear me? Jamie's coming back."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Are you . . . are you serious?"[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Hell yeah, I'm serious! I'll tell you more later; I've gotta get to bed."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Sounds familiar."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"Yeah, yeah. Oh, and before I forget."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"What?"[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Williams replied tartly.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"You owe me a thousand bucks, my friend," Adkinson said with a grin.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]* * *[/FONT]​

 

[Aeadar]

Yes! Yes! Yes!

 

[Scav]

Is that in allusion to:

1) Jamie admitting she's not perfect,
2) Jamie acknowledging and owning up to her calling, or
3) Adkinson and Williams actually hedging a bet on her return?