Helicopter Pilot: Fransesca Morletti

[Laraqua]

Go to The Exhibit Thread.

[Dave Syrinx]

Overhearing the boys´discussion on her helicopter she smiles and walks out the back door with Tash, "We´ll hail another cab down the street and makes it take a detour to the Ophidian. Don´t want to head straight there. We still have some time before the meeting. What was that guy talking about? Why would someone want to harm you for being able to read the tablets? You have transcribed them, right? So the meaning is documented..."

[Laraqua]

"I transcribed them but the language is difficult, no one else has been able to repeat my work, they can verify little bits, but they can't see the complex mathematical structures behind it until after I have deciphered the combinations. Without me, they won't be able to translate later scripts."

[Dave Syrinx]

"Then some people would consider you worth the effort to protect. Hopefully this Abbo, is really working for the right side. We´ll see when we get to the HQ." She looks over the traffic for any luckin finding a vacant cab. She hails one and they get in, "We need to get to the Airport, please!"

[Laraqua]

"Of course," says the taxi driver. They start driving off.

[Dave Syrinx]

As the car pulls into traffic, Fransesca keeps an eye out for any suspicious looking pursuers. Feeling sure, no one is tailing them she directs her attention to Tash. Her attention was way off when she´d checked for tails, her mind was shooting between the people she had met the last day. Memories of her past partner, Frank Herbert, who went on a drilling job and disappeared when he got in contact with his new employer. (HECATOMB scenario / graveyard forum)
She decides to be more alert when discussing security matters with her Russian employers when they get there. "How old do you estimate the tablets to be? And are you sure the inscriptions are from the same era? Can they have been added later?" She waits a bit till they have passed through a couple of roundabouts or intersections, then says, "Sir! We´ve changed our mind. Take us to a place called The Ophidian, please." She starts to fiddle with her wallet to show the driver she´s got the dimes to pay for the ride.

[Laraqua]

"There's a scientific process for dating those kinds of engravings, unfortunately, there's some confusion in times for each of them," says Natasha. "The language and mathematical processes are all the same..."

"Very well," says the taxi driver, wearily.

[Dave Syrinx]

"I see, let´s hope we´ll get to the HQ without any trouble." Morletti sits back and waits for the cab to reach the destination. "Natasha, have you been on any expeditions before this one?"

[Laraqua]

"Uh, no," says Natasha with an indecipherable shrug. "No expeditions. You?"

"So ladies, expeditions, huh?" asks the taxi driver. "What you mean by expeditions, huh? Like shopping trips?"

[Dave Syrinx]

"I´ve been stationed on Antartica for three years, working on a water recycling project. You could call the weekly trips to get groceries for expeditions! And the helicopter tours me and Frank had wealthy Americans on. Too bad he disappeared on the last job... I´ll have to put someone on finding out what happened to him." She gleered at the cabbie, "Yeah, shopping!"

[Laraqua]

"You used to get shopping for Antartica?" asked the cab driver, chuckling. "Wa-hey, I'm amazed!"

Natasha and Francesca's mobile phones both ring.

[Dave Syrinx]

"You called me, speak!" Following the protocol of not over sharing information over the cell, Fransesca waits for the caller to respond. If the caller has her number she´ll soon know what´s happening. Only a few people has her cell number.

[Laraqua]

"Fraulein Morletti, this is Daniel Carter," says a male voice in German with a light Irish accent. "I don't know if the police have been in touch with you yet, so I'm calling to warn you about the potential danger posed to members of the expedition. Two Russian scientists with the expedition were abducted from the airport when they arrived by a man posing as an Ophidian employee, while one or more accomplices delayed the real employee who had been sent to pick them up. If anyone approaches you claiming to work for Ophidian, you should verify their identity before going anywhere with them."

[Dave Syrinx]

"OK...Carter, vielen dank!", she continues in English as the accent tells that he´s not German. "I´m already on my way with Natasha Chaikovskaya to HQ.", she adds, "Is the person you say imposing as an Ophidian an Abbo Durer or Timothy Wells? I met them at the exhibit... I decided to move away from them with Tash to get to the HQ. I´ve met Romaschkova and Mikhalkova earlier, are they who they claim they are? They should be at your place right now."

[Laraqua]

"OK...Carter, vielen dank!", she continues in English as the accent tells that he´s not German. "I´m already on my way with Natasha Chaikovskaya to HQ.", she adds, "Is the person you say imposing as an Ophidian an Abbo Durer or Timothy Wells? I met them at the exhibit... I decided to move away from them with Tash to get to the HQ. I´ve met Romaschkova and Mikhalkova earlier, are they who they claim they are? They should be at your place right now."

[Dave Syrinx]

Cut & Paste...

Spoiler:

Guess the parrot approach was unintended

As Fransesca waits for a sit rep from the other side, she says to the cabbie, "You can stop here. Let the traffic behind us pass. Thanks!"

[Dave Syrinx]

When the traffic has passed the cabbie heads towards the Ophidian HQ again. When they reach the HQ, Fransesca and Natasha get out and Fransesca pays the fare. "Thanks, man! Let me know if you need something from the white continent."
She dials up the last caller, Carter. "This is Morletti, the line died... How´s the status of the people I asked for?" They wait outside the entrance to the Ophidian.

[Laraqua]

"I can confirm that all of them are Ophidian employees," repeats Daniel in English. "I just hired Abbo Durer this afternoon as our new cameraman, but I've already vetted him. Timothy Wells is our boom operator. Romaschkova and Mikhalkova are who they say they are, and I just got out of a meeting with them. I'm glad you and Tash are all right and on your way back, and I look forward to seeing both of you. Has something happened to make you suspicious?"

[Dave Syrinx]

"No, nothing but the fact that this Durer, seems quite jumpy. We´re coming up now. Thanks for the heads up, Carter." To Natasha she says, "The guys from the exhibit turned out to be who they said they were. Guess they were spooked by some scientists from the expedition being kidnapped this morning. Have you heard of that? Let´s go up there and see what´s happening."

[Laraqua]

A decidedly attractive woman gets out of a taxi cab that has also pulled up outside of the Ophidian. She approaches and speaks to Natasha in Russian.