Return to Atlantis

Chapter 10 - Convergence

He couldn't believe his eyes.

She appeared at the ship's doorstep like a ray of sunshine. She had an air of freshness about her. Dressed in a long-sleeved, laced neckline orange A-line dress that was under a gray, velvet, waist-length jacket and high-heeled ivory shoes, she walked daintily and effeminately. Her eyes sparkled as she looked about her, a slight tinge of a smile gracing her lips and her eyes.

And he stood there, enchanted.

The last time he saw her she was dead-to-the-world. Looking at her now, he fell into a trance as he watched her every move, at how she crinkles her nose, how her eyes blinks, how her shoulder-long hair bounces on her shoulders, how her lips smiled.

She's the all too familiar girl from Alaska; but this time, she was so full of life and her eyes sparkled with excitement as she paused at the doorstep, looking around. He failed to catch himself giving a small smile...a happy kind of smile.

She then began to move away from him in another direction.

Alec quickly took a step towards her.

"Who is she?"

Alec jolted, not realizing Phil was standing over his shoulder, halting him in his tracks.

"Huh? What girl?" Alec pretended.

Phil bored his eyes at him. Alec knew exactly what that look meant. He can read Phil's eyes saying 'This is a covert mission' like a flashing red light.

"Um..oh...yeah...the girl...er....that's her... 'the' girl." There was no point lying to Phil.

Phil did not immediately understand, but then his eyes suddenly widen in realization.

"She is 'that' girl?! The one in Alaska? "

Alec nodded in confirmation. Then seeing Phil's unpleasant expression, he stammered. "I-uh, I mean--"

"No kidding?! How convenient!" Phil said with an obvious hint of sarcasm.

Alec gave a sly smile. "I can't believe it either," he chided, just to taunt Phil.

Suddenly an announcement came on the speakers.

'Ladies and gentleman, please be advised that in a few minutes the gates will be closed and we will begin the program for the launch... please settle in and make yourselves comfortable in the lobby."

"Now I don't want you going around jeopardizing this Mission. Don't be telling anyone, and I mean 'anyone', who we are, where we came from and what we are here for. And you know that's an order." Phil was telling Alec worriedly as they settled themselves among the diverse crowd of young people in the spacious lobby where everyone was on a chit-chat.

"Got that loud and clear, lieutenant," Alec said inattentively as his eyes scanned the whole place for the girl.

"Great. I'm counting on you, Alec." There was a hint of earnestness, and almost a plea in his voice that Alec was reminded of how important missions are to Lieutenant Phil Wilson. Alec sighed and turned to Phil at that. "You can count on me, lieutenant," he assured.

"Remember," Phil went on, not hearing Alec, "you have an identity to protect, not yours, but the System's."

At this point, a loud pandemonium of applause suddenly swept the place up as slowly, to everyone's amazement, the walls around them that kept the outside views slid open, revealing the landscape view of the desert around the ship through transparent glass walls.

At the far end of the lobby was a stage setup where a stocky man alighted in front of a podium and microphone to give an opening speech.

"Welcome everyone to the 20th World Academic Convention...."