Hello everyone and welcome to chapter 2 of Unexpected. I hope this answers the questions that were made at the end of the second chapter and hopefully opens up some new ones. As all ways, all rights apply. Grab your husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend or significant other, grab a blanket to snuggle up in, and a drink of your choice and enjoy:)
Comments, questions, or concerns: email: omgorangesattack70@gmail.com
Chapter 2:
We walked down the terminal halls of glass and white steel that were Dulles Spaceport.
"You ready to meet with higher up?" Skeeter asked. He walked next to me with Opal and Peter behind us. We had just docked at the Dulles Spaceport and were directed off of the Savannah. Cars were waiting for us, or so the man in the completely white suit walking in front of us said so. He was at the Savannah's door waiting as soon as it was in bay with that completely irritating smile all of the government's public figures wore. His name was Roger Walsh, Director or Visitor Affairs. His face looked childish with its features, and the plump flushed cheeks didn't do him any favor in the matter of looking his own age. He was around Peter's height but a tad larger in scale with brown eyes and hair that looked like chocolate icing. His swagger was overwhelmingly chipper for the situation at hand? and me personally. But of course they had to bring the welcome wagon.
"Like every other time you ask me this I always tell you no. Now what makes you think this time, this time out of them all, would be any different to the last?" I nearly spat. I hated meeting leaders, especially those with worldly powers, and even more so those who have been lying to me for the past 6 years of my life.
"Sorry." He said hushed. We continued our way through the spaceport as others passed us going to make their own commutes for their own lives. For the times I glanced at Peter, he seemed to be chatting with Opal amiably until he would catch my gaze and his smile would falter and the dimples on his freckled cheeks would disappear.
As we walked out the main revolving doors, Roger clasped his hands together gleefully.
"Ah, here we are!" and then waved his hands at the two white government plated Cadillac's. "Quickly now, quickly. We don't want to keep Washington Corporate heads waiting now do we?" the massive smile planted on his face disgusted me. The doors to the cars opened at the touch of the remote in Rogers hand. Skeeter entered before me to Roger's insufferably "hurry hurry". Once it was my turn, I stood behind the door and glared at the pudgy man.
"Do us all a favor and shut the hell up." I saw his face falter just before I slammed the door behind me. Looking out the tinted window, I saw Peter and Opal both covering their faces as they laughed. I sighed. It was good to see him smile and laugh, even if it was just for a short while. Remembering back all that time ago, my life was so perfect, or so it seemed. I longed to see him smile at me again, like he was happy to see me walk through our door in our apartment. For him to giggle softly when we watched a movie on the couch; him laying on my lap while I held him strong in my arms, once when he was my little scientist and I was his hero? it all seems so distance now.
Peter and Opal were ushered into their car as well by, a now disheveled, Mr. Walsh. I smiled devilishly to myself seeing him off balance. Quickly, the cars pulled into traffic and were off like the speeding white bullets that they were down the high-speed expressways. Downtown Washington wizzed by quite fast at almost 200 mph but the background scenery stayed in the same place mostly. Sooner than later, about 4 minutes to be exact, HQ came into view. It was a massive plot of about 40 acres that sat the white steel and glass rectangular towers. There were 7 towers in total, three on each side all growing in stature until they reached the tallest of them all in the center, the building we got to go inside of. In the center of the courtyard between the two driveways was a monument known as the "Reflecting Pool", a long pool of water build by the government of before that now seemed to be dwarfed by the acres of perfectly cut grass around it.
The cars slowed to a stop in front of the main building.
"Here we go." Skeeter said as the doors opened. We both slid out of the vehicle to be welcomed, if that is the term to be used, by stoned faced men in white suits with aviators to match.
"Follow us." One of them said. To most people they would have been intimidating, and they rightfully should being the packed muscle men that they were, but then I stood, I was a head taller and easily had fifty pounds on each. I looked over to Peter and Opal as they walked along with the white suits. We walked up the steps and into the tower. It was a tall room, probably three stories, with windows into offices and corporate rooms, people rushing around inside on phones and Paper-Pals inside of a black floor and white washed walled box; ah the sweet misery of corporate government. We walked past them all to the elevators where we all packed into it. A white suit pressed the button for the top floor and the elevator rocketed upward.
"Hawthorn and Savannah are on their way up Mr. President." One of the white suits said. The sound of the voice in the earpiece was only a soft hum. The white suit nodded as if the President could actually see him. "Yes sir." He said curtly.
The elevator only took a few seconds more to reach the President's floor. The door dinged and then opened to shining bright white walls of the President's floor, my least favorite of them all. From all of the years that I've been here to? "visit" with the president, he always aggravated me with how he acted. The only time I ever was somewhat happy to be around his was when he gave me his condolences on Peter's death, which was now obviously a lie. That was one of the first of many to come visits from President Wade?
"Right this way." The man said as he led us through the white hallways. He led the four of us to the tall ornate white and gold doors of the presidents 'oval office'; one of the few tradition things that transferred over to the new government. I took a deep breath and looked over at Opal who made the comic gun to the head sign. I cracked a small smile at her before the doors opened and my ears were filled with the overenthusiastic,
"Ah, welcome, welcome!" President Wade sang. Well, my smile was gone. The tall lean man stood in what everyone else was wearing, perfectly pressed white suit. His sleek half circle glasses were pressed tightly to his face and not a blond hair was out of place on his perfectly groomed head. His skin was as always just a hint too pale and his eyes always seemed a little paler blue than usual.
"Mr. President, sir." Opal and Skeeter said. Peter and I were in a nearly identical scowl. If Peter could do anything, he could make one hell of a look when he was pissed.
"You two?" Wade said, "Show Opal and Skeeter to the waiting room. I need to speak with these two privately."
"Yes, Mr. President." The two white suits said. Opal winked at me before leaving. When the door shut, Wade stood there, his crooked smile gleaming at us.
"Gentleman, I?" he started with his nose in the air.
"Cut the shit, Wade." I snapped bitterly. Wade's smile broke and his face fell into darkness. "You lied to me, Wade." Wade closed his eyes to calm himself before speaking in a classed demeanor.
"I haven't the slightest clue what you mean." He spoke.
"Don't play dumb, do you not see who is next to me right now?" I said, anger building inside me. "Dr. Peter Savannah, you know, the one who you told me died six years ago? Ring a bell?" Wade was quiet for a moment before saying a soft,
"Perhaps." Peter's jaw was grinding.
"Perhaps my ass!" Peter burst to my surprise. I looked down at him. His cheeks were more flushed than usual and a vein was pulsing lightly on his forehead. "Telling him I was dead was not part of the deal."
"Research taking six years wasn't part of the deal either Dr. Savannah." Wade said, becoming annoyed.
"Everyone dying wasn't part of the damned deal!" Peter's eyes were glaring right at Wade who stood there with an angered expression on his face. He took his phone out of his pocket and started to type. Casually he said,
"They were just casualties of war, Savannah. Maybe if you met your quote, it wouldn't have turned out like this." Peter look about near tears after that. Those were all of his friends and if not that, close work colleagues that were all damned to have that science lab as their resting place.
"Don't blame a fucking quote, it's how cheaply that lab was made! Not even any blasting shielding? Are you freaking nuts?" I blasted and Wade was silent but his gaze went to Peter.
"So that's your view on your scientists." Peter stated matter-of-factly. His voice was soft but carried a heavy weight of the new found discovery. All President Dick did was nod as he typed away.
"You are a soulless son'bitch, Wade." I said emphatically. He gazed up from his screen and frowned.
"I am well aware of your position about me now as I was four years ago but, thank you for the reiteration." He closed the screen on his phone and put it away back in his pocket. "On to other things." He said as he turned around and walked back to his desk. He sat down in his chair and looked up at us. "Seeing as Dr. Savannah is with us now, your mission was a success I presume?" he asked.
"Define a success, Wade. Your view and my view of success seem to be highly skewed." I said as I crossed my arms across my chest. Wade sighed and glared of me. He had taken off his glasses and had them twirling in one hand.
"Don't be difficult. Do you have the research or not?" he nearly spat. I looked over to Peter.
"I have most of it saved with me and the bomb I detonated to destroy the base was a prototype on a small scale. One on the size you requested would take more time to perfect." Peter said. He had recuperated himself for the most part and was back to the new professional him.
"How much more time?" Wade asked.
"I was planning on finishing this with Dr. Coddwell and Richards but seeing as they are now?." He took a second, "? deceased, it would have only taken a few weeks, two months at max. Now that it is just myself, half a year to a whole year." He said speaking as though he was on autopilot. President Wade twirled his glasses some more and zoned out on his desk as he pondered options. Peter looked over at me right as I looked at him. Looking into his eyes, especially after all this time, it was depressing to see the sadness he held at the moment. I gave him a small smile and awkwardly bumped his shoulder with my arm. He looked at his shoulder and blushed ever so slightly, but it was enough for me to know I made a difference in his mood.
"I have a solution." President Wade said suddenly as his head shot up. He paused for a moment and didn't say anything.
"And what would that be, oh brilliant one?" I mocked. The invisible middle finger was obvious.
"Your ship has a science and medical lab, doesn't it?" he asked. Oh no?.
"Yes?" I said warily.
"Perfect, I'll have it outfitted with the materials he needs and two other scientists in the field to help out Dr. Savannah with his research." My jaw had dropped and I'm pretty sure Peter's had too from the look Wade gave us.
"What, you two will be together again. Wont you be happy?" he asked as though it was going to be that easy.
"Six years?" I stressed. "? is a long time to live with someone being dead." I said. Peter didn't say anything but to be honest, I'm not sure I would want him to. I looked over to Peter who looked like he had just been shot.
"Peter?" I asked as calmly as I could right now. He just shook his head and started toward the door.
"Peter!" Wade and I said in unison, him with more force than care.
"Give me a damn minute to absorb all of this." His demanded as the door slammed behind him. I turned back around to see a very stressed out President Wade.
"You!" He said pointing at me. "You know how to get to him. Just make sure that damned research gets done. Do you hear me?" He yelled. I walked up to his desk, my stature dwarfing him. I slammed my hand down onto his desk making him jump.
"Don't try and threat me." My voice rumbled, "I've cleaned up more of your mess-ups in the past six years than I think the rest of your corporate empire would care to know about." Wade sat back in his chair looking upset but he knew I had too much on him to think he had any power over me. "Especially with this latest episode; President's Secret Space Facility attacked killing over one hundred forced scientist workers, how does that sound for a headline in tomorrow's News."
"What do you want?" he asked as he ran his fingers through his hair.
"Nothing except my respect and privacy, and Pet? Dr. Savannah's as well. I will make sure it gets done; just keep your shit together while it happens." I had made my point. Wade looked me in the eye for a moment before sighing and nodding.
"Fine, I'll stay out of it. Just get it done." He said. I started to walk out of his office.
"One more thing." I said.
"What?" Wade asked begrudgingly.
"A thirty thousand dollar yearly raise." I said, the grin growing on my face.
"You're crazy!" he snapped.
"Do it." I said and closed the door behind me. Peter was leaning on the wall outside the door.
"Hey." I said quietly. Peter looked up at me with a pained expression on his face.
"Come on." I said. I was trying to put a smile on my face but it wasn't spreading to his. He just started walking away, leaving me behind.