The entire Perth adventure was entertaining. Be it Geoff proving he still defaults to business, or Gryph and Sara still running around, trying to figure out what they're doing... just fun.

>"Will you be needing the supplemental insurance?" asked MATT as he proffered a
>clipboard and pen.
>"I wish I could say no," Gryphon replied, taking both, "but experience suggests
>otherwise."

*Snickers*

>"... 'Science porn'."
>"That's what a friend of mine calls it. It's... you know, TV shows about
>science, but the production values are pretty much like porn." As he explained
>this, he found the Science Channel, which seemed to be showing some program
>about the structure of stars, complete with somewhat cheesy background music
>and a droning, soporific narrator. "Aha! See? Science porn."

I've found that shows like that are even more fun when it's either old and out of date, or they didn't spend that money on fact checking. ("What'd he just say?")

The DocWagon Pelican just made me pause and smile (It's the little side details that get the most pointless enjoyment out of me), but the followup part with Nick in the operating room was both interesting and odd, especially when Cameron showed up. Honestly, Detanism didn't occur to me, given I assumed it would be the sort of thing that'd be tracked. (Of course, I forgot that no one knows the real identity of Misatos dad.)

... You gave Horratio a Citymaster. So freaking appropriate.

>"Sorry I'm late," she added. "I had to keep it below 15,000 miles an hour. Wrong shoes."

And you know Sara'd say that in the most casual, matter of fact voice, no matter what the reactions. Probably too distracted to think about it :P

The Grissom-Sara chat was interesting, partly because of the path they're taking on the show, and partly because I'm reminded that, once again, I really have trouble following Gils mind on occasion.

>Caine reached into his inside jacket pocket and pulled out a pair of
>dataglasses, unfolding them. He regarded them thoughtfully for a moment
>before glancing sidelong at Gryphon again.
>Then, slipping the glasses on, he remarked, "Sometimes rules change, Benjamin."

And cue the Miami theme music!

Well, it's nice to know that being Dantrovian doesn't stop Greg from suffering the 'Deer in Headlights' moment. :lol

... And THAT'S the mistake Gryph made. I'd forgotten a similar thing happened to her in the show. And it ties nicely into the Sara arc and the potential for changes in the Crime Lab, explaining (at least a part of) Grissoms mood.

I find it amusing that Nick was seemingly more upset about waking up healed, rather then the fact he was shot. The faked death part was amusing, mostly for Nicks reactions again.

Geoffs little hunt was brilliant, proving he certainly hasn't gone soft at all.

House and Wilson, out on the Rim, probably staying one step ahead of the EA, doing weird medicine in strange places, House insulting a lot of people along the way... dear GOD that's an amusing mental image.

And then things get action based, with the other Black Widow that... well, lets ignore her comics, and focus on Geoff being badass and outclassing her, not to mention a ticked off Redhead later on.

The moment I saw the Kelto, it all started coming together, possibly because I'm planning on replaying KOTOR soon. Kind of petty of the fish guy, but he's proven to be something of an idiot in the past. Then along came the lab angle that really makes things interesting.

And of course, the new Experts of Justice toy. BRIGHEST DAY looks very interesting.

Great story, can't wait for the next episode!

Matrix Dragon, J. Random Nutter

I did a double take at this one as well, if only because I'm familiar with the current seasons and had a brief "Wait, wha?" moment.

>>Caine reached into his inside jacket pocket and pulled out a pair of
>>dataglasses, unfolding them. He regarded them thoughtfully for a moment
>>before glancing sidelong at Gryphon again.
>>Then, slipping the glasses on, he remarked, "Sometimes rules change, Benjamin."
>
>And cue the Miami theme music!

It's hilarious when I had to just toss in that "wait one beat, glasses" mental image to that scene.

Lesse what I can still remeber.

        Perth, the city nobody's ever heard of.

It's almost like it didn't *exist* until last month or so. (I really don't mean to poke fun at the authors, I just have a great love of meta and this little Lampshade Hanging amuses me greatly.)

        "Hey, Geoff.  Know anything about Perth?" Gryphon asked.
        Gryphon let him list off various crime-connected gun dealers,
places where a person could sell goods that did not, strictly speaking,
belong to him, and so forth for a minute or so before interrupting.
        "Geoff.  GEOFF."  He grinned as the agent trailed off and gave
him a questioning look.  "I'm taking a woman to dinner, not looking to
score a rack of BTLs and a black market plasmacaster."
        Geoff blinked as if that possibility hadn't occurred to him.

This conversation amused me greatly.

        "You've got the galaxy's most dangerous game making your
restaurant reservations now?"
        Gryphon shrugged.  "Eh, he answered the phone."  

As did this.

 Then he turned to face her, his expression
grave, and said, "You should know that... if there ever -was- one...
this isn't a good time for me to lose you."
        Sara blinked, baffled.  "-Lose- me?"
        Grissom nodded.  "To Benjamin."

Awkward word choice, Mr. Grissom.

        "Why wasn't I considered for Ecklie's job?" Catherine demanded.
        Gryphon blinked, his face taking on the look of a man who -knew-
he was forgetting -something-.
        "Did you -want- Ecklie's job?" he asked.

Ah, okay, *that's* what you meant. I had absolutely no clue about this.

        Instead he said, "Four years ago, I lost a CSI on my shift
because of an improperly cleared crime scene.  This incident is
uncomfortably reminiscent of that one. "
        He and Geoff sat looking at each other for a few seconds,
pondering all that.  Then, at almost the same moment, realization
sparked in both of their minds.
        Geoff said it first: "Who would know the details of that case
from four years ago?"

The Plot Thickens! *giddy*

       "Oh, did no one tell you?  You're dead!" Robbins declared,
beaming.
        Nick blinked.  "-What?-"

Another highly entertainging sequence.

       "Cameron.  This is... uh, Greg.  Listen, Wilson and I are out on
the Rim.  It's -great- here.  You need to come out.  They'll let you go
to waste in that damn hamster ball.  There's real medicine to be done
out here, and, uh... I... I miss... working with - what the hell was
that?  Oh, shit, Wilson, gimme a quarter.  WILSON!  WILL YOU WAKE UP AND
GIMME A QUARTER, THE PHONE'S -"

I am running out of ways to indicate that I was amused by a particular conversation. If you forgive the Internet meme reference, this chapter is Made Of Win.

        "What you got for us, big boy?" Catherine said.
        "This is where Nick's shooter was staying.  She's gone now, but
GUN!"

Gah! Unexpected shift into action! Well done.

        "That looked unpleasantly fascinating," Grissom commented.

I like this turn of phrase. It's good and it fits the character well.

        The redhead - "Natalia", apparently - snorted derisively.  "And
I suppose," she said sarcastically, "you intend to turn her with your
charm and make an upstanding agent of justice out of her."
        Gryphon shrugged and replied placidly, "It worked on you."

He's got a point there.

        "I... wouldn't worry too much about that, actually," said
Gryphon.
        (Downstairs in Interrogation A, Jackie Chan yawned, then offered
the sullenly glowering prisoner a cheerful smile, which was not
returned.)

I can just see the little "meanwhile, downstairs" and "meanwhile, upstairs" wooshes at the ends of the parenthesis.

        Catherine gazed thoughtfully into the green glow for a few
moments, then looked away from it and met Gryphon's eyes, her own
faintly incredulous.
        "And you want -me- to be one of your... 'instant Experts'?"
        Gryphon smiled.  "I want you to have the opportunity... if you
want it... to be the -first-."

Our first major explanation of BRIGHTEST DAY, and... the important part is ofscreen. Fitting, cinematically, but so very tantalising.

The green glow raises the obvious question - was Skuld inspired by the unique interaction between Wakaba's Lens and her sorcerous power?

       "I have to remove myself from this investigation," Grissom said.
"As director of the lab, I'm looking at a major conflict of interest if
it turns out someone who works here is involved.  I want you to take
over."

Ooooh... The Plot Thickens Again.

What else can I say? There wasn't a single sequence that I didn't enjoy, not a singly line that felt out of place. A brilliant second act leading up to what promises to be a *very* enjoyable finale, and I can only hope the muse holds long enough for that to actually get *written*. (I am slightly worried by previous experience with Fulcrum of Fate, which also brought much Win And Gold and even a Fangirl Freakout moment, before tapering off mysteriously before actual resolution.)

Polychrome

The Carnage does not park. It waits.

>"A Bentley Carnage," he
>said, pronouncing it in the French manner.

>It had a hood like the deck
>of an aircraft carrier

...It's also the only one who gets to say "One more time!"

>A rich but gentle green light
>shone from beyond the doorway, tinting the small lab with a glow
>reminiscent of sunlight through leafy trees.

<deedee>oooOOOooo.</deedee>

...will there be a LOUDEST DIN side-project for non-sighted species? :)

My immediate guess as to the hirer was Ecklie. But on further musing, his reaction to learning Sara was at ground zero seems unfaked...

--The Evil Midnight Lurker what Lurks at Midnight
"An object at rest--CANNOT BE STOPPED!!!"

Begin mnemonic memory upload...
... Complete.

	"I need you to explain to Officer Careless over there why, when
we clear a room for CSI, we -look in the closet-," Brass growled.  "If I
try to explain it right now, my version might involve his -face- going
through a -door-."

	Grissom looked up at the front of the building.  "The initial
call said the scene was on the fourth floor," he said.

	"I'm calling in -everybody-," Grissom said flatly.

	It also, mused Benjamin "Gryphon" Hutchins as he flew his
Valkyrie flat-out cross-country toward that city, had the interesting
distinction of having had nothing to do with him.  He hadn't planned it,
hadn't had a hand in its design or construction, and but rarely visited
it.  As such, he had only a vague idea where anything was in town.

	"Ooh," said Gryphon.  "I like it."

	"Will you be needing the supplemental insurance?" asked MATT as
he proffered a clipboard and pen.
	"I wish I could say no," Gryphon replied, taking both, "but
experience suggests otherwise."

	"What are you looking for?"
	"Science porn."
	Sara looked skeptical.  "... 'Science porn'."
	"That's what a friend of mine calls it.  It's... you know, TV
shows about science, but the production values are pretty much like
porn."  As he explained this, he found the Science Channel, which seemed
to be showing some program about the structure of stars, complete with
somewhat cheesy background music and a droning, soporific narrator.
"Aha!  See?  Science porn."

	"What the hell is -that-?" Greg wondered.
	"Ares Citymaster," Catherine replied.  "Urban riot-control
vehicle.  Very big in the Corporate Sector."
	"Not only that," said Grissom with interest, "that's the model
they make exclusively for the Zardon Justice Department."

	"Ah.  Well, if you do, let us know," Greg said.  "'Scuse me, I
gotta go find Grissom.  Gonna be a long night."

	Gryphon gave a snort of wry laughter.  "Horatio.  Did I, or did
I not, give you everything you asked for to get you in this job?  I even
approved that... -thing- you brought with you for use as your official
vehicle, despite the fact that it doesn't match any of the others used
by CSI.  I can't tell you what the sight of the divisional parking deck
does to my inner obsessive-compulsive now."

	"No problem, though I don't know how you can call that thing a
car."
	"A truck has an open bed.  Can't help it, I'm old-fashioned."

	"Do you have any idea," she asked, "why Nick would fail to
indicate a significant medical condition in his IPO employee medical
history?"
	Warrick blinked.  "Pardon?"
	"I'm violating the spirit, if not the letter, of doctor-patient
confidentiality just asking that much," Cameron admitted.  "If you don't
already know what I'm talking about... forget it."
	"... Okay."

	"Why wasn't I considered for Ecklie's job?" Catherine demanded.

	"Well, Mr. Stokes," she said.  "You've had a narrow escape."
	"Yeah," he replied, his voice low and hoarse, throat dried by
the oxygen-rich mix he was breathing through his nasal cannule.  "Lucky
me... "
	"Oh, it was a little more than just luck," Cameron said.  "Look,
it's not my job to ask why there's nothing in your IPO medical history
about your Detianism, that's between you and HR."

	Geoff said it first: "Who would know the details of that case
from four years ago?"

Natalia sighed.  "Fine.  Have it your way - but if she's really
a graduate of the Red Room, you endanger anyone you have guarding her."
        "I... wouldn't worry too much about that, actually," said
Gryphon.
        (Downstairs in Interrogation A, Jackie Chan yawned, then offered
the sullenly glowering prisoner a cheerful smile, which was not
returned.)

	"For a few years now, Skuld's been working on some special
equipment projects.  One of them was originally envisioned as the next
generation of the Lens, but the project's grown in scope a bit since
then."  With a slightly rueful chuckle, he added, "These things often
do."

	Catherine looked at the source of the light, trying to make some
sense of what she was seeing, then asked, "... What is it?"
        "It's sort of... "  Gryphon trailed off, then tried again.
"Well, we designed the Space Force's next-generation warships so that
non-traditional personnel could operate them, and this is sort of the
same idea for Special Assignment-level agents.  We wanted something that
could make a normal person the equivalent of an Expert of Justice
without requiring the years of training, invasive augmentive procedures,
or both that are normally required.  It'll still take a very -special-
sort of agent to make it work, and that's by design, but all the
qualifications are mental and ethical, not physical or paranormal.
        "It's taken Skuld fifteen years to develop the basic principles,
though she's only been authorized to work on the actual hardware in
earnest since May."  He gestured into the vault.  "This is the
prototype.  Still incomplete, but you get the basic idea.  It'll be
ready for field testing in another four or five months."

	"So... wait.  You're saying this fish guy's accomplice is
someone with access to the evidence lockers?" said Brass.  "That doesn't
make any sense."
        "I think it does, Jim," Grissom replied with a troubled
expression.  "Too -much- sense."  He turned to Sara.  "Do the access
logs show who removed the money from lockup?"
        Sara shook her head.  "Whoever it was wasn't clumsy enough to
check it out by name.  My guess is that they went in with a legitimate,
or at least legitimate-looking, request and grabbed the money on the way
out.  It was in a duffel bag.  Would've been easy, if whoever did it had
the brass.  So to speak."
        Brass snorted.  "Yeah, I never -heard- that one before."
        "It gets even better," Greg chipped in as he emerged from the
layout room.  "There was a lot more than 30 grand in that duffel bag.  I
should know, I logged it myself.  -And-, our fish guy is supposed to
have swiped 150 pounds of this kolto stuff?"  Warrick nodded.  "Well,
there was only a hundred pounds of it in those ammo cans."
        "Which means Kelshar and his theoretical accomplice have enough
left to hire at least one more hitter if they want," said Brass.
        "The game's still on," Sara agreed.

	"... Anybody want to guess what -that- was about?" Greg
wondered.

                         Pimped Horatio's Ride
                             Janice Barlow

Black Aeronaut Technologies Creative aerospace solutions for the discerning spacer "To the commissary we should go," Yoda declared firmly. "News of this kind a danish requires."

A Torre da Carne -- without babelfishing, that sounds like it means (or, at least, is intended to mean) "A Flood of Meat," which is such an accurate description of a churrascaria that I almost laughed out loud. I went to one for my birthday last year, ate until I could barely move, and still didn't come close to sampling everything they serve. This particular restaurant was very inexpensive as such places go (I paid a total of about $75 for two people, including tax and tip), and the salad bar alone was worth it (two words: veal carpaccio), but as my wife and I don't eat as much as we used to (for various reasons), we don't know if we can ever eat our money's worth again.

If Gryphon and Sara didn't have atypical physiologies, I'd wonder how they would expect to get up to anything physical after that kind of meal.

Also, really really dug the Bentley. Even if I am someday somehow staggeringly wealthy, I doubt I'll ever lay out for one, but I do like the cars.

Also, Catherine Willows as a GL? That's... it's not that it's at all unusual for UF, but it's a mental image my brain refuses to render. I just can't conjure up a satisfying image of Marg Helgenberger with such a look. Suppose I'll have to wait to see the next episode.

And I assume the reference to losing a CSI four years prior is an allusion to a UF version of the events of the original show's first story arc?

At least you came up with a reason for Horatio Caine's glasses thing. The only time I've seen any of him was when my father watched the crossover that started CSI: Miami and bits and pieces of the show when it's been on the TV at the break room at my workplace, and my impression of his entire catalogue of mannerisms is this:

Stand with hands on hips.
Remove one hand from hip to move sunglasses from face to pocket to punctuate a line of dialogue.
Immediately return hand to hip.
Make the only eye contact for the entire conversation, then return to gazing into space or at wall or something.
Remove hand from hip to replace glasses on face.
Immediately return hand to hip.

Anyway, I'll be around to read the third one when it shows up.

- Sean
"All tribal myths are true, for a given value of 'true.'"
-- Terry Pratchett, from _The Last Continent_

And worse, depending on how close to cannon G is staying, this isnt even the first time something like this has happened to someone on the night shift! Thank goodness Brass has the anger management skills to know when to tag out to a third party.

> "I took a shot at the guy, but
> either I didn't hit him or he was wearing body armor. He went out the
> window."
> Grissom looked up at the front of the building. "The initial
> call said the scene was on the fourth floor," he said.

URK. and given that there isnt someone mangled on the sidewalk, we're talking one of three possibilites. Human in peak condition, metahuman, or some sort of jump/flight gear.

> Perth, the city nobody's ever heard of.

Now, be fair G. This is the first time there was even an authorial NEED for another city on the psudo-continent. How could we have heard of it if it kinda didnt exist cause there wasnt a need for it yet?

> And that meant he needed a connection. A -fixer-.

I always knew Kei broke him! <play Rimshot.mp3>

> "Know anything about Perth?"
> "The one in Australia?"
> "No, the one on the far side of Avalon County."

Prior to this, this would have been sarcasm, though. :P

> "Oh. Uh, no, not so much."
> "Know anyone who -does-?"
> Vision shrugged. "It's the undiscovered country out there.
> Depew's still in the office, you want to try him?"

Huh. And here I thought that being a net.denizen ala Eve Vision could find info on anything at... well, the speed of computer thought. Yet more proof that V is a Clueless construct who is more a person who's body is electronic rather than meat.

> "Geoff. GEOFF." He grinned as the agent trailed off and gave
> him a questioning look. "I'm taking a woman to dinner, not looking to
> score a rack of BTLs and a black market plasmacaster."
> Geoff blinked as if that possibility hadn't occurred to him.
> "Oh. Uh. No idea. I'd usually just grab a Fodor's if I needed
> something like that."

And its nice to see Geoff is still... well.. Geoff! There is also the old saw about the more things changing, too.

> How about... uh... " A slow, evil smile
> spread across his face. "... churrascaria," he said, pronouncing the
> word with relish.

What, no Ketchup? no, thats mud on my face. I was thinking of a Cuban thingy I saw featured on an episode of "Throwdown with Bobby Flay," not brazillian bbq.

> "Major Boothroyd wanted me to test some pistols for him, then
> write a report," Geoff explained. "He says I document things well. I
> figure my sacrifice saves everyone else the trouble."

Yup. Some things still stay the same. At least Q gets the info he needs without having to harrass one of the less paperwork inclined SA types.

> "A Bentley Carnage," he said, pronouncing it in the French manner.

Fit for a Don, no less!

> The car (actually an Arnage Type C) didn't so much sit in its
> parking space as crouch there, as if lying in wait.

Heh. Even with this clarification I still get visions of a certain segment of Disney Afternoons.

> As for the bundle of pink roses on the passenger seat, Gryphon
> supposed they hadn't actually come with the car. Who knew Geoff had a
> romantic side?

No, just the same attention to details that makes him such a good agent, form filler outer and general straight arrow.

> "Will you be needing the supplemental insurance?" asked MATT as
> he proffered a clipboard and pen.
> "I wish I could say no," Gryphon replied, taking both, "but
> experience suggests otherwise."

Indeed it does. I forget how many different vehicles G has had trashed on screen... although its not like he's a walking disaster area either. Its just experiance has shown that like any other member of the IPO, he doesnt have to go looking for trouble, it finds him all on its own!

> "You should be a detective," she remarked.
> "I've done that," he observed. "The hours were terrible."

During the exile, I assume...

> "You've got the galaxy's most dangerous game making your
> restaurant reservations now?"

HUH??? How did Geoff become the galaxy's most dangerous game? Is there a HHGG or BPGD entry I missed or something?

> "Er... no... that would've been presumptuous," he replied.
> She shook her head in disbelief. "Are you for real?"

Nope. He's Memorex. Actually, those are the sort of genteel contradictions that makes UF-G UF-G. And in a way its probobly at least part of his quirky charm, too.

> "Not really," Gryphon replied casually. "I told the guy at the
> front desk I'm an entomologist named Grissom."

and so, even in UF Sara winds up sleeping with Grissom... in a way.

> <Yeah, Gil,> he replied. <What's up?>
> <Have you seen Sara recently?> Grissom asked.
> <... Is this a trick question?> Gryphon wondered.

And why am I listed as checked into the Hotel Marconi when I'm processing a scene in New Avalon?? Looks like I spoke too soon about the sleeping part though.

> <... What are you doing in Perth?>

Impersonating You, actually. :P

> "Push two units whole and page the Special Trauma on-call. This just
> became a case for the ninth floor."

Aha. So thats a difference between the two types. Blaster burns are regular type, sponantious regeneration in a non detian or surviving the 'unsurvivable' is special. Or having a black market milspec implant you didnt know about... or...

> "Ares Citymaster," Catherine replied. "Urban riot-control
> vehicle. Very big in the Corporate Sector."
> "Not only that," said Grissom with interest, "that's the model
> they make exclusively for the Zardon Justice Department."

Now WHY is Horatio driving a Citymaster? Other than just continuing the general trend of the crime labs having BIG honking black vehicles?

> "Define 'normal'," said Geoff after a moment's consideration.

Not a honorary Valkire, not possesed of powers beyond those of normal men... you know, the girl next door. Umm, ok, given the residents of G's street, the girl a block or two over.

> Greg gave her a look. "Catherine, how long was blood my sole
> livelihood? I know I'm new to field work, but I think I can tell it
> apart from a waffle topping."

Its not fair to call it his SOLE livelyhood. But close enough. And its begining to look rather like someone is hunting CSIs. and out of season, too, the bounder!

> That brought Sara to her feet, interesting tool marks forgotten.
> "ExCUSE me?" she blurted, eyes flashing in the reflected light from his
> handlamp. "One, that's not really any of your business, and two, to
> lose me you'd have to have -had- me at some point, which, -what?-"

Umm, he's about to point out that he means loosing you as a night shift criminalist, despite my jokes earlier about UF-G using Grissom's name. Silly.

> "Can we proceed on the basis that everyone knows I'm bad at this?"

Sure Griss. Note to self, Grissom is the rather shy, not very people person of seasons 1-3, not the at least able to manage personnell effectively version seen as of the end of season 7.

> For several years Caine had headed up the crime scene investigation unit
> of the Royal Alderaan Police, Headquarters Division, a lab with the
> responsibility for an area nearly the size of the old United States on
> Earth, and he'd made quite a name for himself in that volatile posting.

Bwaa? Ok, clearly Alderaan is not the totaly peacenik 'ship all our weapons off into deep space' version from the source. Even with the Jedi based there; not that it matters where their HQ is as far as people getting on each others nerves to the point of shooting each other.

> And since a blaster would be a little redundant to a Kryptonian,
> she thought, as would, oh, -landing-, that probably means augmentation...

Ah, darn I forgot cyberware in my list above about how the shoot could have got out

> It's not in any of the travel brochures, but
> Aldera is a major smuggling hub. Glitterstim, BTLs, you name it.
> We had stuff blowing up -all- the time."

Ah. Nice of you to include the explaination of how this Alderaan is different. In addtion to not having been blown up by the AT&T, of course.

> Trace evidence was familiar. It was tangible. He hadn't failed
> to read a departmental email introducing it.

Heh. like I said... the more things change. Although its nice to see even being Dantrovian doesnt make Greg totally unflappable. Its those little things that keeps us connected to the source despite the changes.

> "Why wasn't I considered for Ecklie's job?" Catherine demanded.
> Gryphon blinked, his face taking on the look of a man who -knew-
> he was forgetting -something-.

Ah. THATs the personell error you were talking about. And it didnt occur to me because I've always thought of Cath as part of Gill's shift without allowing for upward mobility...

> "Look, it's not my job to ask why there's nothing in your IPO medical history
> about your Detianism, that's between you and HR. However, as your -doctor-,
> I have to admit it would have been -somewhat- helpful to know in advance."

Okay... Nick's a Detian. You do realise that this now leaves only Catherine as the only person on the nightshift wihtout some sort of 'upgrade'?

> "Yeah." Sara frowned. "... I -hate- that."

Which, if you think about it, also explains why she brought the whole night shift in on her secret as well as asking for their heklp in studying it.

> He and Geoff sat looking at each other for a few seconds,
> pondering all that. Then, at almost the same moment, realization
> sparked in both of their minds.
> Geoff said it first: "Who would know the details of that case
> from four years ago?"

IOW... maybe it WASNT what it appeared like back then?

> "Why not?"
> "Oh, did no one tell you? You're dead!" Robbins declared,
> beaming.
> Nick blinked. "-What?-"

Could be worse, Nick. At least this way the guy doesnt come back gunning for you with something like that.... Oh gods, what was that stuff they tried to use on Kei? Come to think of it, I dont think being Detian will save you if someone does a highlander on you either...

> Robbins shook his head. "Nope. The hospital needs this bed for
> someone who's actually sick," he said with a mischievous smile. "But
> we've made other arrangements.

Comming from Robbins, I almost expect they've set up a cot for him in the Mourge... If only as a joke.

> Geoff shook his head. "No. But I've heard on the grapevine
> that one of their other outfits is missing an agent."

Well, at least we know that they're MISSING an agent, not that he's turned his skills to the free agent market due to being 'downsized'... then again...

> "You should be aware that this is -not- part of the standard
> patient services package at Boyce Memorial," said Dr. Cameron as she
> wheeled Nick into her apartment.

Heh. Not even with the plus coverage from Doc Wagon? Aww... Still, recalling what the cost of even a basic DW contract was per month in books, thats one heck of a nice perk for working for the IPO.

> The first floor was home to a redheaded woman with a bionic eye and
> a quite large handgun;

Janice Barlow, though Nick has yet to meet her paramor, Neil...

> on 2 was a startlingly tall Salusian guy who looked like a weightlifter
> or something.

Have we met this gent on camera and I've forgotten him, or is he just J Random IPO staffer Corwin has rented to?

> It was, Geoff reflected, a classic spot for a rendevous of
> spies. Say what you would about the Neo-Soviet Ministry for State
> Security, its officers respected their roots.

IOW, the sort of place a SMART spy would never use because its too damn obvious. Of course, given that we're talking about the Resident, he can indulge himself occasionally.

> "I had heard that you had turned cop and gone soft, Hellbringer."

Hellbringer, eh? Well, we KNEW he was darn good even before he left Big Fire, and that he'd only have gotten better under the tutalage of the Brotherhood before he left on his self appointed quest.

> "Cameron. This is... uh, Greg. Listen, Wilson and I are out on
> the Rim. It's -great- here. You need to come out. They'll let you go
> to waste in that damn hamster ball.

Greg... hmm, given what the others have said about her source, and his general sarcastic tone, this could only be...

> "You worked for Gregory House? -The- Gregory House?"

From the message, it sounds like he too was able to get out from under the thumb of the EA... More power to him!

> "You do that. If you give me any trouble, there are some -very
> painful tests- you might need before you can go back to work,"

Proof of why one should always be nice to the person who keeps you healthy, eh?

> "This is where Nick's shooter was staying. She's gone now, but GUN!"

Threw me for a second there, but that last line is delivered in the "There's a GUN, get down" tone of voice known to everyone who's watched a movie with the Secret Service, or Cops... right?

> HELL'S KITCHEN 03:14 AM

Into DareDevils turf. Will the man without Fear show up as well?? keep reading to find out!

> A tall blonde Novaya Rodinskaya, she had been one of
> the MGB's finest agents, even so far as to having been given the Red
> Room's most coveted female agent codename - Black Widow - after the
> first one turned traitor.

Hmm. Maybe the Red Room should reconsider naming their top female agents that then...

> <You might as well have left your -pants- at that crime scene.>

Pants, or Panties? or is this one of those terms that doent really have a gender specific?

> Grissom nodded. "Kolto exports are very strictly controlled by
> the government of Manaan, Warrick. Get a spectral analysis of this
> sample, find out which processing facility it came from, and then see if
> they've had any go missing lately." He smiled darkly. "For once, the
> Selkath authorities will be happy to cooperate."

Selkath? Now WHY do I suddenly have the feeling this is related to the illegal Nick PNG'd?

> "You can't break her, Natalia," Gryphon's voice rejoined,
> sounding patient. "She's not paid for yet."

HA! Ah, and the answer to just where Natalia went when she left the service of the Rodina. Though to be honest for some reason I thought she'd gone free agent like her successor did. That'll larn me for making assumptions, wont it?

> Gryphon shrugged and replied placidly, "It worked on you."

DOH!

> (Downstairs in Interrogation A, Jackie Chan yawned, then offered
> the sullenly glowering prisoner a cheerful smile, which was not
> returned.)

Heh. Man, Everyone is getting to get into the act this episode! Must be sweeps week!

Hmm. Remember when I noted that Cath was the only person who didnt have some sort of upgrade? And the DNA sample...

> Catherine Willows had never been in the maze of subbasement labs
> and test facilities that made up the IPO's equipment research and
> development department before.

Also known as the Temple of Skuld... NOT... though it probobly is the home of Cardinal...

> "I think it does, Jim," Grissom replied with a troubled
> expression. "Too -much- sense."

Sense with a capitol ECH-ly...

> "I have to remove myself from this investigation," Grissom said.
> "As director of the lab, I'm looking at a major conflict of interest if
> it turns out someone who works here is involved. I want you to take over."

Or rather, worked there...

Of course, after reading other folks comments I'm struck by the similarities in our trains of thought. And that there are places where I was wrong. Especially about Perth...

That's a... unique term. Appropriate once explained but it threw me for a sec.

>The Grissom-Sara chat was interesting, partly because of the path
>they're taking on the show, and partly because I'm reminded that, once
>again, I really have trouble following Gils mind on occasion.

　　　It's funny, but I had no trouble following Gil's thought process on that one. Sara's reaction acutally spurpised me.

--
Druid

*chuckles* I'm amused with myself to pick up a reference to the fun movie 'Sneakers'. Bonus points to whoever got me wanting to watch that movie again. Thanks!!

ShaithisXL (the movie geek)

I read this and immediately thought of Q's scene from Tomorrow Never Dies:

Q: "If you just sign here Mr Bond. It's the insurance damage waiver for your beautiful new car. Will you need collision coverage?"
James Bond: "Yes"
Q: "Fire?"
James Bond: "Probably"
Q: "Property destruction?"
James Bond: "Definitely"
Q: "Personal injury?"
James Bond: "I hope not, but accidents do happen"
Q: "They frequently do with you"
James Bond: "Well, that takes care of the normal wear-and-tear. Is there any other protection I need?"
Q: "Only from me 007, unless you bring that car back in pristine order."

--------------------------
CdrMike, Overwatch Reject

Because, damn, that's what I'm feelin' now.

Beautiful work, Gryph; I'm going to be keyed up and excited for a long while now. It was non-stop entertaining from the start -- I just skipped lunch (unintentionally) at work to read this instead -- and I'm going to drive myself nuts trying to figure out what comes next.

I hate cliffhangers, in the kid-at-Christmas, oh-god-I-can't-wait-any-more sense. This is the most perfect type, too; not a case of "please hold while I come up with more", comes when you're least expecting it, sets everything up and leaves you with stuff to chew on... gah!

Pardon me, I'm going to go sit down and twitch for a while.

--sofaspud
--buzzed

Look who was hiding in the credits! (though only those of you over... oh... 35 or so will probobly 'get it' even if the series was around in syndication for quite a few years as well. Usually on channel 5 in the Los Angeles area.

John Gage
Dixie McCall, RN

Should I assume DeSoto is like, somewhere around there, he just didnt get any lines?