“Unknown aircraft, this is Charles the Hammer. Identify yourself and state your intention.” This isn’t in English, but in crisp Occitan French. The speaker seems to be a flying superhero, dressed in what to Alycia is an ostentatious outfit, complete with costume in the colors of the French flag, dramatically billowing cape, and hammer-and-crown symbol on his chest. He’s keeping up with an Airbus in cruise, so it’s not all show.
“Charles the Hammer, this is the Interesting Times Gang.” Alycia is flashing back to her prep. The ASIST app would send footage back to Jason, eventually. He’d recognize the Phoenix. Alycia is wearing a flight helmet, so he’s not going to see her face, even if this interloper points his camera right at the cockpit. She just needed a name that didn’t tip anyone off immediately.
“Interesting Times Gang… Never heard of you. I’ll take over.”
Oh, it’s going to be one of these guys.
The guy’s a douche. But they’ve already got their HVT aboard. This is the perfect time to bail–
The pilots of the Airbus have been calling in their situation. Now they get on the ASIST channel too. “Negative, Hammer. The jet has us stabilized, we don’t want to risk any further damage to the wing.”
God. Dammit.
“Uh, EDW24, this is Interesting Times Gang… Uh, we’re happy to transfer over to this Charles guy,” Alycia calls over the radio.
“We can’t force you to stay. But we’d really feel better if you stay put,” the pilot comes back.
Alycia realizes something else - the choice may not be hers. The Phoenix may not want to let go, now that she’s made it realize there’s people to protect inside the airplane.
She feels a headache coming on.
“Interesting Times Gang acknowledges,” she says through gritted teeth. “We’ll stay put.”
“Very well. I will supervise your emergency landing,” announces Charles the Hammer.
This is going to be a long, long flight.
Two hours later, Alycia has propped her head up on one balled fist, elbow resting on part of the console. SNOWMAN and the HVT have apparently bonded over chemistry. The android is explaining what he’s done with carbon allotropes, and Bazar is talking about organic polymer chains. In any other situation, the science talk might be interesting. But right here, right now, it’s not helping her blood pressure.
To be sure, the goal of any interviewer - the polite way of saying “interrogator” - is to build a rapport with the target. That’s being done effectively. And Alycia is learning, or relearning, that while Leo Snow is an inventive genius, he’s still pretty specialized. Bazar knows things SNOWMAN doesn’t when it comes to organic chemistry.
What about Nono? Alycia has been keeping her on the team mostly as leverage to keep Hot Mess cooperative. As a secret agent, she’s only a little better than a civilian. She learns fast, but she’s got a lot to learn. But she’s got her own form of chemistry genius. Alycia finds herself trying to survive the conversation and the oppressive presence of Charles the Hammer by evaluating Nono.
What does she know about the girl? Not enough, she realizes. Nono hasn’t really invented anything, hasn’t published anything Alycia has read, hasn’t done anything that would really indicate her true proficiency. Is she operating in secret? Or has she just not had an opportunity to exploit what talent she has?
Maybe I should stop mentoring her in spycraft, and start pushing her into chemistry. Or does that push her away emotionally, and lose me two teammates?
Alycia remembers walking through the halls of her father’s fortresses, saluting and receiving salutes in return from obedient subordinates. She remembers giving orders and having them obeyed. Grown men lived and died on her orders when she was old enough to attend middle school. At the time, she felt so secure, so sure of how everything was supposed to work. Now, having to run a team, to think about their feelings and needs, she wonders how much of that was just her being subordinate to her father. Here, there’s no adult to punish the uncooperative. It’s all on her.
How soon before I start making the “necessary sacrifices” and “realistic compromises” I hate so much? How soon before leadership turns me into what I hate?
She wonders if that’s why she’s avoided it for so long. And she wonders if she’s found the one challenge she not only can’t handle, but is afraid to even try.