"Leonard Speaking"
'Leonard Thinking'
John F. Kennedy Airport, New York
Leonard wheeled a small cart towards the check-in gate, with Paige following limply with her cart. The two had driven straight to New York, following their trip with a late dinner and a few hours of sleep. Leonard's enhanced body could easily bear the strain, but Paige's mind was at its last legs.
Leonard looked at Paige from the corner of his eyes, commenting, "You know, we could have slept for a while longer."
Paige grumbled, "I can sleep on the plane."
Leonard seemed amused, "You know, we could have chartered a flight to L.A. Why did you insist on a budget airline?"
Paige whispered, "I don't want to lose touch with regular people. Most problems do not affect the rich. How will we know which problems to solve without being aware of them."
Leonard smiled fondly, "Don't worry, we will solve every problem."
Paige looked at him, her eyes softening for a moment, before tiredness took over, "Well, I feel drained and tired. Solve the problem for me with a coffee."
Leonard laughed out, "Very well, a latte with a slice of pie should do the trick."
The two quickly walked in a waiting lounge. Paige quickly found a seat and sat down, her head resting on the table. Leonard made a quick trip and brought a latte, with a slice of walnut pie, for Paige, while taking an egg salad sandwich for himself. Paige took the warm cup and took a small sip. With a sigh, her shoulders loosened comfortably as tiredness seemed to melt off her. She looked at Leonard, who looked fresh and active, before enviously asking, "How are you always so chipper in the mornings? You slept even later than me."
Leonard took a sip of water, his eyes quirked up in amusement. He mysteriously answered, "I'll tell you someday. The process was quite long and painful, but my body was better for it. Maybe you could do the same."
Paige mumbled, "So, it was exercise…" before she took another sip. She turned and asked, "You said we had to go to Norway, why L.A. all of a sudden?"
Leonard took a bite of his sandwich, his voice muffled as he answered, "to rest…"
Looking at Paige's questioning gaze, Leonard swallowed the sandwich, before answering, "It's been two months since we had any time to relax. Before we start Project Stargate, we need some time off. After a week in L.A., we will go to Norway. I will also take this week to plan and simulate the reactor with Cygnus. Besides, I have to thank Sheldon as well. He gave me the idea for this reactor. I'm sure you would also love to meet Bernadette and Amy."
Paige smiled deviously, "And are you sure it has nothing to do with Penny?"
Leonard simply smiled and said, "I walked into that one, didn't I? Are you jealous?"
Paige was flustered, her ears and face went pink, before she looked down shyly, taking the opportunity to dig in her pie. The two quickly finished their snacks, before leaving the lounge. Leonard quickly looked through his phone, where a message was visible.
"We leave for the wilderness."
Paige looked at Leonard in question. He smiled and whispered, "The team is on the way to Norway."
A plane flying over Norway
Under the cover of clouds, a small private jet descended towards the cold Norwegian wilderness. The pilot, an older man with salt-pepper hair and slight stubble, looked at his dashboard, checking the gauges. Seeing that everything was in order, he pressed a button, and an announcement rang through the passenger cabin, "Good evening ladies and gentlemen, we are now approaching the private airstrip designated ARK. Once we arrive, Norway ATC will send a few officials to check our luggage. After the Customs complete their check, we can move the plane to the hangar."
The four young scientists heard the announcement. The Gus pair were playing with a deck of cards, while Karen was fiddling with her laptop. Natasha, on the other hand, was using her time to sleep. She groggily stood up from her seat, before mumbling, "I think the plane is too heavy. We should drop some cargo."
Karen looked towards her, nodding in agreement. She turned towards Gustin and Burton, before her eyes widened in anger, "What the hell are you doing?"
Burton, who was about to tear a card to show a magic trick, was startled by the sudden noise. The cards dropped to the table messily. He yelled in irritation, "Why are you shouting at me? I was just about to show Gus a magic trick."
Karen stood up from her seat, walking towards them with forceful footsteps, and snatched the entire pack of cards. As she turned them over to inspect her damage, she said, "Did you go through my purse? Why would you do that? Dr. Hofstadter trusted me with these."
Burton smiled sheepishly, "Well, I was looking for gum."
Karen looked annoyed, "And why didn't you search Natasha's purse for gum."
Burton shuddered, "She is too scary."
She quickly reached her laptop, withdrawing a USB-linked device. Connecting the device, she inserted a Jack of clubs into the slot. The card immediately lit up with circuit lines, astonishing the trio. Karen explained, "These aren't cards. They're graphene memory chips. Each one stores two terabytes and can even run its own software. And you were about to tear one in half."
Burton looked flustered. He stuttered, "I didn't know about this. You should have told me."
Karen quickly removed the card, putting in a Queen of Diamonds, "Maybe I should have. Besides, I don't have time to argue with you on this. We have to ensure the Chronon containers are safe."
The team looked on as Karen quickly added some software to a King of Diamonds, and an Ace of Spades. She quickly took the cards, her team in tow and approached the inert-looking cubes. She quickly placed a card on each of the cubes, before dropping the cubes into the wilderness. The team looked as the cubes scattered, worried about someone else finding them before they had a chance to collect them.
Karen reassured, "Don't worry. I have installed a small guiding and locator program in those chips. The cubes will actively hide if a human or predator approaches its position. We will be able to get them back."
The team nodded as the small opening for cargo was closed again.
Apartment 4B, Pasadena
Howard knocked on the apartment door as he waited for Sheldon to open it. A lot happened over the past six months. Sheldon got married, which was something unexpected for him. Yet, looking back, everyone's lives were looking up. Raj could talk to women, Amy and Sheldon started a life together, and he was looking forward to the birth of his child. Normally, he would have spent time with Bernadette at home, but Raj insisted on having dinner as a group.
Soon, Amy opened the door to the apartment, as Sheldon was typing something on his laptop. With a single glance, he dismissed Howard's entry, until Amy nudged him. With a sigh, he closed the laptop before greeting, "Hello Howard."
Howard gave a small smile, "Hey Sheldon. What are you working on?"
Sheldon looked excited at that. He said, "Oh, while I don't think you will understand, Amy and I have been working on a brand new theoretical hypothesis. We are exploring the possibility of asymmetrical balance in the cosmos."
Howard ignored the jibe and smiled, "Well, I hope you succeed."
Sheldon interjected, "Hope is an illogical construct, I follow science."
Amy frowned, "Sheldon, be nice."
Sheldon looked offended, "I am always nice. Who can dislike me?"
Amy ignored him and turned to Howard, "So, how is Bernadette? Has she taken her maternity leave?"
Howard said, "Well, the company offered her an extra month off if she took the leave right now. She usually rests at home but some days, I find her in the lab."
Amy smiled, "Well, I am sure you are looking forward to your first child."
Howard grinned, "Yeah! Bernie is over the moon. It's been three years since we married after all…"
Before the conversation could continue, a knock sounded at the door. Amy moved to open it, but Howard interrupted her, "Don't worry, I'll get it."
Soon, Raj entered the room with bags of takeout. He quickly greeted everyone before laying it out on the table. There was a time when Sheldon would have been fussy about his order, but over the past four years, with Leonard moving away and living with Amy, Sheldon seemed to have learnt how to adjust with people. He simply picked up his container of pad thai and sat in his spot.
Soon, Penny entered the room, and took her own container. She had left her job at the Cheesecake Factory and joined Bernadette at the pharmaceutical firm about a year ago. As she sat on the couch, eating spring rolls, she asked, "So Howard, how has Bernadette been? Sitting at home must have been grating at her nerves."
Howard giggled, "That, and her hormones are all over the place. She has been watching a lot of children's movies lately. When I left, she was watching Matilda."
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. The conversation went quiet, as Raj stood up from his seat and opened the door. He was startled to see Leonard on the other side, smiling softly, "Hey, Raj."
What followed was a flurry of greetings, hugs and small talk. Soon, Leonard and Paige were in the house, sitting among the group. For a minute, the room was filled with awkward silence, but Leonard started to smile, "So... no one saved me any food?"
Penny rolled her eyes. "You disappear for a year, show up without warning, and your first concern is pad thai?"
Leonard argued, "Hey, that's not true, it has only been six months."
Raj chuckled, "We expected you to mess with Sheldon after the wedding. You know, for all the times he messed with you."
Sheldon looked offended, "That's not true. I never mess with people."
Leonard looked at him in amusement, "Well, I suppose bazinga was just our imagination then."
Sheldon folded his arms. "Technically, you should be thanking me. It shows that I am fully capable of having fun, with interests ranging from simple jokes to elaborate pranks."
Raj chuckled, "Like that time when Leonard startled you and you pissed yourself."
Sheldon looked down, embarrassed as he remembered the incident. A few chuckles spread through the room.
Howard leaned back in his chair. "Well… we heard that Chaldea has become a billion dollar industry. Congratulations!"
Leonard chuckled, "Yeah, our branches have become quite profitable, though Chaldea is not an industry."
Sheldon interjected, "So, what are you working on?"
Leonard shrugged, "We have expanded operations in Northern Europe. In fact, after a small, week-long break, we will be leaving for Norway."
Paige smiled as she drank from her cup, while Leonard sighed dramatically, "I come here hoping for some relaxation."
Penny replied, "You should have been ready for a thorough grilling. It's been a while after all."
Amy smiled warmly at Paige. "You must be exhausted."
Paige nodded. "We've been travelling since yesterday."
Amy immediately stood. "I'll order something…."
"Oh, thank God," Paige muttered. "I only had some cake on the way."
Bernadette wasn't there to comment, but Howard laughed, "Careful, Amy. If you keep doing such nice things, Sheldon might be jealous."
Sheldon pointed his chopsticks toward Howard, "I heard that."
Another round of laughter broke the remaining tension.
For the first time in weeks, Leonard simply sat back on the couch with a relieved sigh, surrounded by familiar voices. No FBI agents. No laboratories. No impossible deadlines. Just old friends arguing over takeout in Apartment 4B.
For a brief moment, it almost felt like nothing had changed
NSA Headquarters, Fort Meade, Maryland
The room was quiet as people sat around a conference table. A serious-faced man in glasses sat at the head of the table, with analysts and CIA operatives around them. The man looked at lowered heads around the table. Finally, losing his patience, he growled, "Why doesn't anybody tell me how we lost the most advanced code breaking machine, a machine that took billions to develop, while trying to infiltrate a private network."
Everyone looked unsure. Suddenly, a tall, shapely woman, with flowing brown hair, stood up and said, "Well, it started like this…"
Flashback
CIA Agent Sarah Walker walked into the NSA headquarters, followed by a square-jawed white man, who carried himself like a soldier, and an unsure looking man with unkempt hair and dark circles. She had been asked a favour by her mentor in the FBI and she took Chuck along to let people from the NSA recognize him.
John, the square-jawed soldier, asked Chuck, "Are you sure there is nothing about him?"
Chuck replied, "If the guy was on surveillance, I would have known. Dr. Leonard Hofstadter was never on surveillance, except for a time when he came in contact with a North Korean spy. Otherwise, he's clean as a whistle."
Sarah explained, "Whatever the reason is, Agent Starling asked for him to be kept under surveillance, and this is the only favour she has ever asked me, so we have to help her."
Soon, the trio walked into the Cryptography and Network Surveillance division, a new division meant to monitor every conversation in the country. Originally, the departments were separate, but after a fiasco, where their main code breaking machine was destroyed about five years ago, the divisions were merged. Normally, they would never care about something the CIA wanted, but luckily, Sarah knew someone.
As she saw the tall, shapely woman, Sarah ran towards her. Susan quickly felt the movement and turned, before her face broke out in a smile, "Sarah! How have you been?"
The two friends quickly started to catch up, leaving the men following them in an awkward silence. Suddenly, an overweight man approached the two, "Don't worry, women often want to catch up. I'm Jabba."
Chuck nervously took the offered handshake. As the handshake ended, Chuck looked at his now greasy hand in disgust.
Susan seemed to notice it. She chuckled, "Here, use some sanitizer. Jabba might be the best at network security at NSA, but he is still a slob."
As the two women caught up, Susan looked Sarah dead in her eye and said, "I am guessing it is not a social visit. What do you need?"
Sarah explained, "We need surveillance on a high-priority target. His name is Dr. Leonard Hofstadter, a scientist and businessman. Recently, he incapacitated an entire team of FBI operatives. It was Agent Clarice Starling who interrogated him, but she felt that he had concealed information from them."
Susan nodded, before asking, "So, you want me to tap into his phone and get you some information?"
Sarah nodded, "That would be highly appreciated."
Susan thought for a second before addressing Jabba, "Jabba, I need priority access to DELPHI."
Jabba looked unsure, "Shouldn't I run this by Leland first? You remember what happened last time."
Susan tersely answered, "Last time was an internal issue. DELPHI can easily check what we need. We just need call records and location records."
Chuck looked around in fascination. He asked, "Is DELPHI the successor of TRANSLTR?"
Susan looked at Chuck with wariness, when Sarah explained, "Susan, this is Chuck. The Intersect guy."
Susan nodded. As the machine was using its supercomputer to crack into Leonard's phone, something else reared its head.
Copenhagen, Denmark
A young man wearing a hoodie was eating inside his apartment. On the bed, a girl with short, dark hair, was sleeping. The man looked at the sleeping woman with soft eyes, when suddenly, a small alarm started ringing in his watch. This woke the girl, who stretched her naked form, cracking her neck to the sides. She turned back, looking for a shirt, as a large tattoo, a dragon, stretched across her back, as she yelled, "What is that racket?"
Elliot smiled, "It's nothing Lis. Looks like someone just poked Cygnus."
Lisbeth quickly wore a tank top, approaching the computer. Looking at the attack pattern, she scowled, "Looks like it's the NSA. And it's not a human on the other side. No single person, or even a team, could be this relentless. What should we do?"
Elliot reassured her, "Don't worry. Cygnus and Aegis will not let any attack through."
Lisbeth seemed to think, "And what shall we do?"
Elliot grinned, "We counterattack. Shouldn't take long."
Lisbeth smiled, before heading for a shower. Elliot cracked his fingers, before opening his locket and taking out a small, transparent pill.
Fort Meade, Maryland
Sarah looked at the large screen, as they waited for the firewall to break. Jabba checked his computer and said, "Now this is odd, DELPHI shouldn't be taking more than a minute. We are already at minute five."
Susan kept her eyes glued to the screen. For some reason, she had a bad feeling about the situation. Suddenly, the screen started to glitch, twisting from its green theme to red. Jabba started to frantically type on his keyboard. As sweat poured off of him, he yelled, "This is insane. Not only was our probe solved, the other side has already counterattacked. And we are losing."
Suddenly, all the screens went dark. Chuck, John, Sarah and Susan stood frozen. They couldn't comprehend how someone was bold enough, and skilled enough, to even hack the NSA. Suddenly the screen in front of them lit up with words:
"We don't appreciate your snooping. Don't do it again."
As the words faded, the room plunged into silence and fear, as Jabba cried about the damage done to the DELPHI. No one knew how to explain it.
Now
As Susan narrated the incident, Leland Fontaine, the Director of NSA spoke through gritted teeth. He asked rhetorically, " So, we have a smart, well-equipped scientific team, who could basically toy with the NSA, and we can do nothing."
As everyone hung their heads, Leland gritted his teeth in anger, "Well, that's just peachy."
AN: The story has started to expand in scale, with many twists and turns coming. Stay tuned for more.
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