Play@YSDC

The flight to Berlin is smooth, if rather long and tedious, and the woman sitting next to him keeps popping the gum she's chewing. She's sitting there, twirling a thick strange of long, blonde hair, popping gum and flicking through the pages of a German fashion magazine. It has been going on like this for hours now.

- It is been a long trip, isn't it?

The girl doesn't look up from her magazine. Maybe she didn't hear him or maybe she was just being plain rude. The sky outside the window is dark and clear, filled with a swarm of shimmering stars above and shimmering lights below.

Lebedev takes some works from his students, and starts reading them.

The plane lands at 7:45 as scheduled with the woman smacking gum the whole way. The air port terminal is quite busy though not nearly as horrible as Moscow's. He quickly spots a representative of Ophidian holding a placard bearing his name.

-Good morning, I'm professor Lebedev, shall we go?

"Good evening, I'm Dmitri Kasiliev," says the man in southern Russian as he puts the placard down and starts leading the way. "I'm sure you're famished after your trip. Is there any particular type of restaurant you would like to indulge in before I take you to your hotel room? Or would you prefer to eat there?" He flashes a white-toothed smile. "This is all expenses paid, after all."

-A place that serves a good steak. And with some style, I'm enouth of eating sandwiches with crowded students in the past days, da? And that i can use a wireless computer. I will trust your jugement.
Nicolai looks by the window to the city, thinking he would like to see the zoo- if he will have time.

"I know just the feeling, well, not students, but hurried business lunches at my office, hence why I was so excited to be on suit-duty for you," says Kasiliev with a wink. "Come, come..." He heads over to baggage. "Which ones are yours? Let's grab them ... there's this neat place on Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 29 ... the Escados Steak House."

-Good. There wasn't anyone to talk in the plain, so it's good to talk to a compatriot. So how long are you working here?

"I actually immigrated here with my parents fifteen years ago but I made sure to keep the accent," says Kasiliev. "The ladies find it sexy." He collects the baggage and starts leading Nicolai out to the taxi rank.

-Find it sexy, eh? Well, I will have to remember that. Let's see this city, I have always been curuous to see it.

"Of course," Kasiliev says, seemingly distracted. He passes several taxis before finding the one he was looking for. "Ah, excellent, I always had a thing about the number five." Then he pulls open the boot, puts Lebedev's luggage in, shuts it and goes over to hop in the passenger seat, waiting for Lebedev to get in the back.

The taxi cab pulls out of its park and starts threading its slow way out of the expansive Berlin Schönefeld airport. While there doesn't appear to be a huge amount of traffic at the moment, the maze-like warren seems to have the taxi driver briefly confused.

"Could you take us to the Escados Steak House on Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 29," says Kasiliev. Then he turns to Lebedev. "So, tell me about your fine self?"

-Not much to tell. I'm an investigator in an university. Unfortunely, i spend most of the time doing paperwork and teaching students who thinks are smart because they copying their works unstead of making them.

"Such things happen, indeed they do," says Kasiliev. "So how did you get roped into doing this whole Kamchatka expedition thing? Were you one of those who saw the tablet and just 'felt it was the second sign'," he says, throwing out his arms expansively. "Or are you in it for fame and fortune? Or something else? I hope you don't mind my asking, I just always found such decisions to go exploring so fascinating. Everyone's got a different reason."

Lebedev laught.
-Well, I’m not the kind who wants to be illuminated; I’m very sceptical. And even if they discovery some old civilization, it will be good to historians discuss some data, but hardly relevant for the rest of the world. But for what I know, there was some intriguing aspects that required my expertise, so I was curious and decided to came. If nothing of important happens, well, at least I have caught some fresh air, make exercise and maybe some friends and useful contacts, it’s not bad at all, da?

OOC: Of course Lebedev is not telling all the true: above all, he wants the fame that it may bring him to others projects, but it’s not the kind of thing to so say to a person you just met…

"Not at all, not at all, what with the amount of publicity that Ophidian seems to want out of it," says Kasiliev. "Besides, true believers are so very tiresome."

The taxi exits the air port parking lot.

"Bet your girlfriend must be throwing a fit at you for coming all the way to Berlin and then all of the way to Kamchatka without her. My girlfriend was warning me about all the horrible things that would happen to my pets if I was gone too long picking you up ... hey, don't suppose you mind if I stop by there for a half minute to check up on her? Pregnant, you know how they get."

-Me and my girlfriend have just finished. She told me that everything would end if I didn't bring her, I replied it wasn't me who chose the personnel, but of course she didn't listen to me. But of course, we can stop for a couple of minutes.

"No, what did she do? Geology? Meteorology? Or did she just figure she could sight see?" Kasiliev shrugs. "Women!" he says good-naturedly. The taxi continues on down the street, making a left and two rights. "Don't worry, with a Russian accent, you can get yourself back in business again. Particularly after the media ruckus that'll be built up around you."

-Yes, women, we can't live with them... but it's even worst without them. And my boss was jumping of joy when I was invited, he said that maybe we would obtained more funds now. Anywhy, I'm curious about the other people who were chosen. But I didn't receive much info about the place, you don't hapen to know anything? I have done some research but the net was full of strange stories.