Chapter 4 - Alternate Version -- The Beta Board

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Date Posted: 17:40:34 04/16/05 Sat
Author: Diane
Subject: Chapter 4 - Alternate Version
In reply to: Diane 's message, "Okay" on 11:00:56 04/04/05 Mon

Okay � Chapter 4

Nikita examined the three files in front of her. The candidates all had strengths and weaknesses but, on the surface, seemed evenly matched. She tried to read between the lines.

Joan Evard. 42. 5�10�. 160 lbs. With Section 12 years. Good marks in profiling; excellent trainer. Not much field experience. Has been at three different Sections. I wonder why?

Kendrick Lockett. 48. 6�3�. 190 lbs. With Section 23 years�last 10 in Spec. Ops. Excellent marks in all areas. A note in his file caught her eye: �Has problems with authority figures.� She smiled. They might get along just fine.

Megan Little. 26. 5�7�. 125 lbs. With Section 7 years. Has experience in profiling and in cold ops. Also a trained Valentine Op. Not sure that�s the kind of distraction Jason needs, she thought with a smirk.

Nikita placed the files aside and raised her hands in the air, stretching her weary back. Quinn chose that moment to knock at the door. �Enter,� she called out. Finally, some action. She felt like her butt was growing permanently attached to her chair.

To her surprise, Quinn entered with a tea tray and tea pot full of Oolong tea, just what Nikita had been thinking about. �Quinn you read my mind,� she said, smiling broadly. Quinn smiled back.

�I was making some for myself, and I knew you preferred tea to coffee, so I thought you might��

Her eyes fell on the files from Center, and her demeanor immediately grew frosty.

�Here,� she said, setting down the tray none too gently and leaving without a word. �Thank you!� Nikita called out to an empty space. She shook her head. That girl seriously needed a renewal course in Sucking-up 101.

* * *

Joan Evard was pleasant and outgoing, with short dark hair and tortoise-shell glasses with thick lenses. �Call me Joanie,� were her first words to Nikita. After about 10 minutes, Nikita understood why Joanie had been transferred to so many Sections�the woman never shut up! She talked incessantly while working on her mock profiles and sims and, although her scores were good, her lack of concentration on any one thing at a time made Nikita a nervous wreck. Joanie�s cheery demeanor didn�t impress Nikita as being suited to the White Room, either. She quickly came to the conclusion that they could never work well together. She thanked Joanie for coming, told her she�d let her know, and spent another 15 minutes trying to get her out of the office.

Ken Lockett impressed Nikita as being reserved but friendly; the type who could put anyone at ease or on guard with just a look. He had silver hair and piercing dark eyes that chillingly reminded her of Madeline. He passed his tests with flying colors, and she noted that he worked well under the pressurized conditions she had imposed.

She asked Ken he wanted to leave Spec. Ops., and at first she didn�t think he was going to answer. He finally said, �No one really wants to be in Spec. Ops. I just happen to be good at it. I�ve done my time.� Nikita let her mind drift for a moment and thought about Jurgen, wondering if he really enjoyed playing mind games all day. She looked at Ken, and by the expression on his face she knew he thought he had blown the interview. She thanked him for coming, and as he took her hand he looked her straight in the eye as if the job were already his. Nikita liked that. He didn�t dwell on things.

Megan Little was a bit of a shock. Blonde and thin, she was also young and inexperienced. She also arrived for her interview in jeans and chewing bubble gum. Was this some sort of payback for Nikita�s first day in Section? She failed her mock sim, and her mock profile was mediocre at best. When Nikita asked about her ideas to make Section One more effective, Megan looked at her, surprised, and shrugged. It was obvious she had taken no time to prepare for the interview and now that she was here, was not taking it seriously. Nikita wondered what Center was thinking when they sent her file. She skipped Megan�s tour of the building and had Jason show her out. He came to Comm back bragging that he had gotten her phone number. Maybe there had been a purpose to her visit after all!

* * *

Nikita curled up in the bed in her apartment, basking in the sent of lavender candles. She wanted to read the additional material Oversight had sent over on Kendrick Lockett. She skipped over the usual physical statistics, education, previous jobs, and went straight to his conviction record. What she read chilled her. He had murdered a child.

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Replies:

[> [> Re: Chapter 4 - Alternate Version -- Shanola, 18:18:16 04/20/05 Wed

To be honest, I only noted one or two changes. I think this chapter will work, though. =P

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[> [> [> Re: Chapter 4 - Alternate Version -- Diane, 18:39:32 04/22/05 Fri

You asked me to do more showing; less telling. I tried.

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