Open ACME Retro

[Jason West]

Jason began to wonder if @Eugene had spent the night in the hangar after the poker game last night. The game had ended rather late and Jason probably would have slept in the hangar if he hadn't needed to go home to collect the rest of the things he would need for the trip.

As more people gathered she decided to ask, "So does anyone know where we're headed or are the instructors planning to keep us in suspense?"

"The instructors have decided to keep where we are going a secret. The only thing I'm allowed to tell you is that it will be an urban environment. It allows us the perfect setting to test how well you're learning as well as give us an opportunity to teach you more in a static yet real life setting." Jason said.

The urban setting allowed him the freedom to tap into existing satellite cameras as well as set up his own equipment. Jason began to think that @Nace Bilby might also need some help with the weapons portion of the trip and made a mental note to ask him when he arrived if he would like some help. While thinking about the weapons portion of the class, Jason remembered that he had a couple of his rifles with plenty of ammo if @Nace wanted a couple other unique weapons to expose his students to that he could easily bring along for the trip.

 

[Julie Justice]

Julie finishes her breakfast, thinking about what @Jason West just said. The small-town that she was from was not "the country" by any means...but it is too rural to be a city...or a suburb. But Julie left her small-town to come out to San Francisco. That's a fairly big city. That takes guts, doesn't it? !! That shows that she can adapt to new situations. And in the week or so that she had been here at ACME, she was beginning to have confidence that she could do this..that she could fit in here. As she got up to find a trash can, to throw away the paper wrapper from her sandwich, and her empty juice bottle, Julie decided to start this day believing in herself.

 

[Agent Z]

Zack took one of the orange juices and tired to act as cool as Ivy did, tossing his own oversized military-jacket over a chair only to have it gleam off the edge and fall onto the floor.

Luckily, his sister asked an open question about the field trip at the time, and everyone's attention was on @Jason West's answer. The urban environment seemed exciting. When his teacher mentioned that it would be a test of their skills, Zack decided now was a good time to speak. He cleared his throat, having prepared the small speech in his head the night before.

"Mr. West," He started, making sure the instructor wasn't busy, "I was meaning to talk to you about the technology subject... I know I haven't passed your basic class yet, but I've always been self taught when it comes to these things. I think I could really benefit more from being with the advanced students."

 

[Jason West]

Hearing @Agent Z clear his throat, Jason turned to hear what the talented pupil wanted to ask.

"Mr. West," He started, making sure the instructor wasn't busy, "I was meaning to talk to you about the technology subject... I know I haven't passed your basic class yet, but I've always been self taught when it comes to these things. I think I could really benefit more from being with the advanced students."

"Zack, my father is Mr. West, please call me Jason." He began his reply. "I had noticed that you seemed to be a bit advanced for the basic class and was planning on addressing that with you in flight but since you brought it up now, I would love to have you in the advanced class. If you'd like, I could also mentor you on some extracurricular technology programs and techniques. Would you like to help go over the equipment pre-flight manifest to make sure we have everything we're going to need?" Jason replied.

 

[Julie Justice]

Julie finally found the trash cans for the paper wrapper for her breakfast sandwich, and her empty juice bottle, and threw them away.

Even though the exact destination of this "field trip in an urban environment" was still unknown, Julie remained optimistic. She learned things quickly enough, and everyone here, students, and instructors, were very encouraging, and Julie always tried to be open to anything the instructors (or another helpful student) had to say. She was here to learn, just like everyone else. She was even getting used to the idea of calling her instructors by their first names.

From a distance, she could overhear their instructor, @Jason West and Zack (@Agent Z) talking but she didn't want to interrupt their conversation. She had nothing to add to it. It was obvious to just about everyone at ACME that Zack was very smart about a lot of subjects, especially technology. Zack had a very nice, friendly, outgoing nature, and that seemed to help him interact with people (both students and instructors) who were both his age...and older.

Whenever Julie felt uncertain, she would hang around with people who seemed like they knew what was going on, like @Ivy, Zack (@Agent Z) and @Jason West. Suddenly, that song from the musical-movie-version of "The King and I" with Yul Brenner pops into her head (from when Anna and her son are getting off the boat):

"Whenever I feel afraid
I hold my head erect
and whistle a happy tune
so noone will suspect
I'm afraid."

As so often happens, Julie cracks herself up, and lets out a little chuckle. She walks towards Zack and Jason, and says,"Hello, Zack. Hello, Jason." She says to Jason,"I know you say that you can't tell us exactly where we're going on this field trip. But can you at least tell me where the restrooms are? !!"

 

[Nace Bilby]

Nace had managed to ship his two rifles from South Africa for this assignment, the No. 4T Lee Enfield rifle and a heavily modified Saiga 308, with a pistol grip, 16" barrel, and variable power telescopic sight as well as a desert tan paint scheme, suitable for the semi-arid veldt of the northern parts of South Africa.

For his part of the field trip he was going to work with Euge and Jason on the weapon instruction piece. But primarily he wanted to teach them something about his other specialty, Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), particularly its responsibility in the disarming of booby traps and UXBs (Unexploded Bombs).

He had his training aids built, having bought several lengths of wire, lightbulbs, batteries, and various other electronic and electrical components. Buzzers or flashes and clouds of smoke would be created by these training aids, nothing more.

He had blueprints of various structures to be used in their field trip and had plans to where he would place his various devices...

 

[Lee]

Lee Jordan arrived a little late, but fully prepared with his new pigskin leather jacket and a pair of reflecting sunglasses. He wasn't sure what the field trip was all about, but he knew he was going to be really good at it. He could see everybody here and there in the airfield, he started targeting the newer people.

Lee walked past @Julie Justice and Zack (@Agent Z ) talking to the Tech instructor @Jason West, and then he looked at @Nace Bilby's gear.

"Are we building a trap, Mr. B?"

 

[Agent Z]

"I had noticed that you seemed to be a bit advanced for the basic class and was planning on addressing that with you in flight but since you brought it up now, I would love to have you in the advanced class. If you'd like, I could also mentor you on some extracurricular technology programs and techniques. Would you like to help go over the equipment pre-flight manifest to make sure we have everything we're going to need?"

Zack nearly jumped.

"That sounds good to me, Mr. We-- I mean, Jason."

He took a moment to look over the equipment, there were parts there he already recognised but a lot of the things were still wrapped up and tagged, making it impossible for the Junior Detective to guess what was coming in their field trip.

"I'll start checking off whatever is packed from the manifest."

Zack began to carefully catalog and mark off the items. The only piece missing from the list seemed to be a laptop.

"Mr. W-," Zack stopped himself for the second time, it was going to take him a while to get used to calling his teacher by his first name, "There's an item missing. Other than that it seems we're ready to go."

 

[Julie Justice]

Julie Justice walked past @Lee Jordan, as she was trying to find a restroom. Or to put it more accurately, he walked past her. It is one thing for a person to be proud of their own accomplishments, or to have confidence in their own abilities. Those were areas in her own life where Julie was always trying to improve. That was part of the reason that she was here. She really thought that she could do this...that she could be part of ACME..the best of the best. At least she had to try. But to believe that you were better than everyone at everything that is just arrogance and Julie didn't like that. But it was too early in the day...and she wasn't really "confrontational" by nature...although she had no problem standing up for herself...or someone else...if she thought it was warranted. But that's OK; she knows she will have a chance to talk to Lee about his attitude eventually.

But now, she has a more pressing problem. Luckily, she found a restroom just around the corner. This shouldn't take long. She knows it has more to do with "nerves" than it does the bottle of orange juice she just drank. But it's better to take care of it now that it is to wait...until they get wherever they're going...Hopefully we will be on our way soon, she thinks as she *washes her hands.*

As Julie returns from the restroom, she can see that @Lee has moved on and sees that Zack (@Agent Z) is also happily busy...doing some kind of last-minute pre-flight check...although he seemed to be looking for an item that wasn't there. Julie smiles a little, but didn't say anything. She knows what that is like. Haha. Maybe they really will be leaving soon!!

 

[Jason West]

"Mr. W-," Zack stopped himself for the second time, it was going to take him a while to get used to calling his teacher by his first name, "There's an item missing. Other than that it seems we're ready to go."

"Is it a laptop?" Jason asked. His personal laptop was on the manifest but wasn't in the same cases with everything else. It was in his bag with the rest of his belongings. "I'll be right back. I'm going to grab a couple cases from my car. I also forgot my sunglasses on the dash as well." Jason said as he made his way outside. He quickly opened the trunk and pulled out the two cases that contained his personal rifles with enough ammunition for everyone to shoot. After closing his trunk up, Jason unlocked his door and reached in to grab his Oakley Tens that were sitting on the dash. Jason finally felt certain he had everything he needed for the trip as he loaded his weapons cases onto the plane.

 

[Julie Justice]

Julie Justice watched as their instructor @Jason West added a few more items before they left. Weapons..a few pistols..and rifles of some kind...and ammo for them too, she was sure. Obviously they were going to some kind of shooting range, or something. That was OK with her. Julie had never actually fired a gun, back in Ohio, but her cousins and her one uncle went hunting from time to time, just for fun. But that didn't bother Julie too much. Whatever they killed, they brought home, had the meat made into various products, which they eventually cooked and ate. And Julie's mother was a park ranger and a police officer and carried a gun. And Julie and her family were very "territorial" and had no problem using a gun in defense of their property, themselves or others...especially after someone broke into the house where she and her mother lived. So Julie hoped she would do OK with that part of her training.

Julie thought she had better do a "pre-flight" check of her own. So she went over to the chair where she had been sitting, and got her bag out from underneath it, and looked inside, one last time, to make sure she had everything she needed. She wasn't nervous anymore, now that it seemed like they were actually going somewhere!!

 

[Sophie]

OOC
ALERT: Potential god-moding to move storyline. This post takes place in a Bombardier aircraft.
Please direct any queries to me via private Conversation.


BIC

The refitted Bombardier, with its silver-tipped nose and navy-blue stripe running across its white body, was already standing on the tarmac when Sophie Conrad arrived more than an hour ago. In the rising sunlight, she had deigned to give it a circling inspection--but, more than that, she had wanted to see exactly what aircraft she would be in, and she had wanted to do it before anyone else appeared.

Thus, when all the instructors and their Junior Detectives were led to board the six-year-old CRJ, her mind had already reconciled. She was the last person to stroll up the steps, still unable to stop herself from looking back--even if ever so briefly--before entering the air-conditioned cabin.


"Good morning," resting an easy hand on an adjacent seat, she considered the faces turned towards her, "thank you all for being on time..."

In the privacy of the sealed space, the medical student started her briefing. Her voice was clear, her diction trained, as the Bombadier taxied along the tarmac:

- They were heading out into the Mojave desert.
- At their destination, they would be expected to complete a series of tasks to test their grasp of what they had learnt over the past week--the first being technological as they were to set up the relevant application and navigation systems on their issued communicators.
- Upon the successful completion of each task, a clue would be revealed as to where they were to head to next.


"The first clue has already been uploaded into your communicators," Sophie smiled, "But you will not be able to access it until you are all linked to each other and the local network at our destination."

Lighter, she paused to add: "You may work on the former while we are inflight."

"The remainder of the clues will come as matrix barcodes that your communicator will read as you go through the tasks. Each clue will lead to a new rendezvous point and a new task."

She tilted her head, resting her gaze upon young Lee Jordan briefly, noting the fiery enthusiasm in his eyes before moving on.

"This is not a competition. There is only one team: ACME. While the instructors are here to guide, you are your own allies... and you are your own enemies, if you should choose such a path. Each of you possesses strengths that will be useful to everyone else."

Then, allowing the mandate to sink in, she nodded towards the instructors to mark the end of the first briefing. "For now, please enjoy the flight. We expect to land at about twelve minutes past ten o'clock. Thank you for your attention."


With an exhalation, Sophie eased into the nearest seat and pulled its seatbelt across her waist. As the aircraft sped into ascent, she turned to the Junior Detective beside her, kindness brightening her features: "Hello, Julie. I didn't get a chance to speak with you earlier. How are you doing?"