xp_logs | The Gates: Departures

The Elpis crew waits for their plane at JFK. It looks to be shaping up to be an interesting flight.

It was snowing. Nathan glared out the window at the tarmac rather balefully, shaking his head. Not hard, but those were definitely snowflakes. "Well, I suppose it is almost the first of November," he said with a brief smile for his traveling companions. "And that's not enough snow to delay us, which is the important thing."

They'd cleared security here at JFK and found their gate with plenty of time to spare. Nathan had been rather terribly amused to notice that they were at the Czech Airlines gate. The others were probably assuming, and logically, that they were flying the national airline of the country they were after all going to. Although Nathan had already caught Angelo giving him a somewhat odd look when he'd claimed that there was no need to check in just yet.

"Apparently it's going to worsen," Juliette said tranquilly where she was bent over one of the suitcases with the camera gear, checking each piece of equipment meticulously. "But we should be well off the ground by then." She gave him a sideways, knowing look, and Nathan tried not to smirk at her. She was the only one who did indeed know how precisely they were traveling.

Angelo was sitting on his suitcase, getting in a last cigarette before it was time to board. He shot the pair of them a suspicious look, not missing what looked more than a little like a conspiracy. He just had no idea about what.

"When're we supposed to take off, again?"

"About half an hour from now," Rahne murmured. In which case, normally, they should not only have checked in but be starting to board. Or there would have been a delay announced. There hadn't been.

Medusa had infrequently traveled by commercial air, so she wasn't too concerned that the group hadn't checked in yet. Even if she would have noticed anything odd about the situation, her attention was focused on the black locks hanging around her face. It was not the first time she had dyed her hair, but it always felt strange to see it any shade by the usual brilliant red. She wasn't paying much attention to the group or their questions, instead reviewing in her mind the files she had read on Smichov.

Nathan smiled briefly at the sight of Medusa still examining her hair, then turned his attention to Angelo and Rahne. "I'm sure the plane will be here soon," he said. There was a Czech jet coming into this particular gate as well, in about an hour, so the departures lounge wasn't entirely empty. Which would have given the game away. The fact that the board displaying flight numbers above the check-in desk was out of order was the only reason there was a game in the first place, of course.

Juliette gave him a reproving look and closed the suitcase, apparently satisfied by her last check of the gear. "It's a charter jet, children," the secretary said mildly. "We'll be able to board as soon as it arrives. Rahne," she said, turning to the redhead who hadn't had to dye her hair, "you did pack those extra tapes for the camcorders, yes?"

"Of course I did." Rahne accepted the news of a charter jet with much more equanimity than she would have a few years ago, before the Blackbird, Moira's helicopter, and for that matter her first flight ever when she'd come to the school. "And the extra drives for the digital one." She looked out the window again and added lightly, "So this time we'll not have to worry about Nathan picking up a bug on the flight?"

Angelo laughed from his perch on the case, grinning over at Nathan. "Well, there's one worry to cross off the list."

"Oh, pbbth. My immune system is not a worry at all anymore, thank you very much..." He looked at Medusa and shrugged somewhat cheerfully. "Long story. Commercial air used to be the death of me on a regular basis."

Medusa had actually looked relieved at the comment they wouldn't be traveling commercial. Only when it was mentioned had she thought about the fact that most people traveled coach. She shuddered inwardly, then smiled at Nathan. "Well, we should have plenty of time for stories on the flight."

Ah, yes, let's tell the young lady about the Bioweapon That Did Not Love Me, Nathan thought, and had a hard time not laughing - Medusa might think he was laughing at her, and that would be bad. "Well, Angelo's got a great one about a cavalry charge in the Hindu Kush..."

"You really want me to tell more people the story about you leadin' a cavalry charge with one arm in a sling?" Angelo demanded, amused.

"One man's daft is another's heroic measure?" Rahne suggested. She glanced at Medusa. "Angelo was also in the cavalry charge. They were rescuing me and Sooraya."

"Ah, so it's contagious is it?" she said. Medusa's face stayed solemn, making it impossible to tell if she was talking about the daftness or the heroism.

"No, I'm just a particularly bad influence," Nathan said merrily, then looked up at the windows. "Ah-hah. Here we are." The sleek Gulfstream that was pulling into the gate had a discreet, red/green/white flag emblazoned on its tail. "Part of the plan," he said to the others as he rose, lifting suitcases. "The other observer teams are being picked up elsewhere, and they'll arrive separately too. And present themselves for entry at different gates once we all get to Smichov tomorrow afternoon. That way at least one of the groups is sure to get through, even if the officers on the spot prove problematic."

He grinned briefly. "And," he said, gesturing to the plane's tail, "we can thank Minister Barath for aiding and abetting."