First Mission 4
Arezou holds me tight, strokes my hair, soothing tone, "chill baby, things'll be ok. Had you forgotten, movie tonight?"
Somehow that cheers me up. A real Bollywood movie. She seems to like me, that's a first.
Now in a gentle tone, Malali says, "you're immune to every disease under the sun. Girlfriend on your arm. Movies. Food's good but not French chefs."
Sonali chimes in, "everyone get tea refills, harder to do after they dim the lights."
Only ever seen Bollywood on a tiny viewer before. This is full size, awesome. I alternately laugh, cry and groan as the riot of music, dance, costumes and melodrama assaults my senses.
Arezou doesn't push, just walks me home after. I can see what she's doing, giving me time to adjust.
At breakfast, I eat probably the best eggs I've ever had, as the gang dissects the movie, with much fun and hilarity.
Fereshta summons Arezou and me. No one else has indicated an interest, do I find Arezou acceptable as my instructor? She is removed from her other duties, mostly jeep driver, and assigned to me for probably four months.
It's a lark. Lots of chat, her teaching me Dari as we go. We spend days talking of our lives. Everything from her experience as a refugee to my training ordeal, a week alone in the High Arctic. From her driver training to me trained on a Dragon.
You are not allowed to admit Time Corps exists. To any of her probing questions, I steadfastly present myself as an ordinary Marine officer.
As time goes by, I'm more and more ashamed of myself. All the life stories here - oy - I got off easy.
It's an exact month I'm here. The clicking is audible.
Breathless, Arezou asks, "what's that? It's well coming from your arm."
"Implanted beacon."
"How's it work?"
"Tiny battery, only good for an hour. If the Dragon is within 20 miles, in the correct time slot, I am automatically beamed aboard."
"What happens if the battery dies?"
"They don't know me from Eve. Nothing else on me that either transmits or reflects."
We sit quietly, stare at each other. The hour feels like all eternity and then some. I both hear and feel the clicking stop.
She grabs me, starts French kissing. I respond vigorously. After a hot minute, she pulls back a few inches, stares into my eyes, "now I understand why you were holding out on me. You wanna go to bed as much as I do. But you didn't wanna get involved, just in case the beacon worked."
I smile.
Somehow that cheers me up. A real Bollywood movie. She seems to like me, that's a first.
Now in a gentle tone, Malali says, "you're immune to every disease under the sun. Girlfriend on your arm. Movies. Food's good but not French chefs."
Sonali chimes in, "everyone get tea refills, harder to do after they dim the lights."
Only ever seen Bollywood on a tiny viewer before. This is full size, awesome. I alternately laugh, cry and groan as the riot of music, dance, costumes and melodrama assaults my senses.
Arezou doesn't push, just walks me home after. I can see what she's doing, giving me time to adjust.
At breakfast, I eat probably the best eggs I've ever had, as the gang dissects the movie, with much fun and hilarity.
Fereshta summons Arezou and me. No one else has indicated an interest, do I find Arezou acceptable as my instructor? She is removed from her other duties, mostly jeep driver, and assigned to me for probably four months.
It's a lark. Lots of chat, her teaching me Dari as we go. We spend days talking of our lives. Everything from her experience as a refugee to my training ordeal, a week alone in the High Arctic. From her driver training to me trained on a Dragon.
You are not allowed to admit Time Corps exists. To any of her probing questions, I steadfastly present myself as an ordinary Marine officer.
As time goes by, I'm more and more ashamed of myself. All the life stories here - oy - I got off easy.
It's an exact month I'm here. The clicking is audible.
Breathless, Arezou asks, "what's that? It's well coming from your arm."
"Implanted beacon."
"How's it work?"
"Tiny battery, only good for an hour. If the Dragon is within 20 miles, in the correct time slot, I am automatically beamed aboard."
"What happens if the battery dies?"
"They don't know me from Eve. Nothing else on me that either transmits or reflects."
We sit quietly, stare at each other. The hour feels like all eternity and then some. I both hear and feel the clicking stop.
She grabs me, starts French kissing. I respond vigorously. After a hot minute, she pulls back a few inches, stares into my eyes, "now I understand why you were holding out on me. You wanna go to bed as much as I do. But you didn't wanna get involved, just in case the beacon worked."
I smile.
posted by afghangirlscifi @ 8:01 AM
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