Plans in Motion

[Natalia Ryder-Singh]

Natalia sat in her freshly waxed and washed cherry red convertible, it was the first time in months that she felt like leaving the house after having little Nora. She had more than regained her former figure, but she had terrible anxiety after her father's death, something she kept from pretty much everyone. Telling Noonian that she was just working on a project and spending quality time with their daughter, when she was scared to death to leave the Tower. But, leave it to her brother Nick to bring her restored convertible back and it was a lovely day for a drive. Plus the diplomatic plates he had put on it meant she could go whatever speed she wanted.

"So are you actually going to leave the garage?" Noonian said as he stood in the doorway.

"Yeah yeah... don't rush me." Natalia said as she revved the engine, she closed her eyes and smiled, it sounded so good. No one would know it wasn't an original gas burning engine that was converted to run on a special fuel cell she developed. "I'm enjoying the sensations."

"Right..." Noonian rolled his eyes and took a sip of his coffee. "Just be careful, lot of lunatics on the road, they may challenge you to a race."

"Bring 'em on." Natalia gripped the steering wheel and revved the engine again. "Don't wait up and don't forget to feed Nora."

"I am sure she will not let me forget." Noonia chuckled and waved as she sped off through the parking garage and out into the open street. He smiled as her red Corvette became a blur in the early morning pre-commute street.

-- A half hour later --

Pulling up to a roadside burger stand, Natalia smiled when she saw the secondary reason for her trip out.

"About time you showed up." An adult Nora said as she leaned against a purple motorcycle. "So did dad question why you wanted to go?"

"Nope. Course I haven't left the house in months... since you were born." Natalia said softly. "So future girl what was so important we couldn't discuss it at home?"

"Two things... one... you needed to get out of the house and two... we need to set something up that we can't really use for another 20 some odd years but will be incredibly useful when the time comes." Nora said before taking a sip of her soda in a paper cup. "I managed to set up a lab in the boonies here, just you and I will know about it. Vin and I already changed our personal timelines so we can never quite go back to our version of the future, but there are enough variables that determine that some of what happened in my past will still happen in your future." she winced slightly. "As for you having future knowledge, I wouldn't worry about it too much..."

"Why?" Natalia raised an eyebrow.

"In six months you have a head injury, I won't say from what because that may change things, but... something happens and you lose about a year of memory, you forget that you already had me for a little while, you gain like 15 pounds because you think you're eating for two... " Nora chuckled lightly. "You always bring it up why you could never quite shed those last five or so pounds since you had me. iN ANY CASE... this is the perfect time to do this."

"Let me guess... six months... my birthday." Natalia nods her head. "Say no more, I'm sure I did something stupid and deserved it."

[Alessandra St. James]

"I dunno... I've done some stupid shit on my birthdays and I didn't quite deserve having a mind wipe. Although SOME I could entirely do with having wiped out." Ally said said as she walked over with a milkshake in one hand. "I'm glad you two finally remembered I exist."

"We never were... close Ally... " Natalia replied.

"Understandable, but... if you're setting up something for the future, then you need me." Ally said as she sat down across from Nora and Natalia and handed her a padd. "What Nora's got in mind is damn near brilliant even if it feels like it's way ahead of what our current threats are, but if it helps with a future one... even though she's being annoyingly coy about who it is."

"Honestly, if I told you, you'd have no frame of reference and it would drive you nuts for the next twenty years." Nora said and closed her eyes. "So... remember how Uncle Tony created that virus that disabled AlphaTek gear pretty much everywhere, other than that used by the Alliance? Well... this... targets the software they use in the future on Earth. It's good code, but I figure if we can break it sooner than later and the have a payload delivery method hidden somewhere that we can use when we need it the most... my counterpart in the future can maybe prevent some really really nasty stuff from happening. Timeline's changed more than once and mine is adios, bye bye gone..."

"Eh, time's always been fluid. Hell, traveling with my brother Jack has more than taught me that." Ally said and sipped her milkshake. "Why do you think there's so many alternates out there? An infinite number really. Hell, in one I was back in the 1980s as an undercover operative, working as a starving artist... a reality where I took Jack's offer to travel through time with him and met a really cute sculptor... course in our reality that sculptor was as gay as a rainbow unicorn."

[A'mira Stormborn]

"What does 'gay as a rainbow unicorn' mean?" A'mira asked turning a chair backwards and sitting down without invitation. She glanced at Natalia and nodded, "Yes, I followed you. Gathering information is my job, and not all of it is of strategic value, but one never knows until it has been analyzed. No, I don't always follow you, but you were acting strange... Well, out of the ordinary for you, and that raises alarm bells in my mind that can only be satisfied with answers. You need practice at being more covert, unlike Agent St. James here. She is a true master."

[Nora Nicole Singh]

"Careful, she'll get a swelled head." Nora teased.

"Oh please, flatter me some more." Ally said with a grin. "I'd kiss you but I have 'special' lipstick on."

"Makes people pass out or die?" Nora raised an eyebrow.

"Worse, makes them run to the bathroom." Ally chuckled. "Figured if three... now four very attractive women were sitting together, some male would decide to think they had to 'be company' for us. So... a little peck on the cheek and he's got a date with some porcelain. And A'mira 'gay as a rainbow unicorn' means over the top and overt. Apparently a few things changed in the timelines. Still...being kissed by THESE lips today... they may regret being attracted to girls. Last man I kissed with this... he spent two hours in the bathroom. Gave my team plenty of time to search his place, download his computer files and gather enough evidence to get him locked up for 20 years."

"Now that's using science effectively." Natalia laughed and gave her a high five. "And to answer your question A'mira... none of your business." she said with a sweet smile. "Unless Nora thinks otherwise. This is her party."

"Well, we never COULD keep anything from A'mira and providing she doesn't do anything stupid, she COULD be around long enough to be useful." Nora replied and gestured to a seat. "We're safeguarding the future... or at least... setting up some insurance for later. Hey, I may be a model but I'm not an airhead. I'm the daughter of Natalia and Noonian Singh. Long game plans and secrets are kind of our 'thing'. Nora Nicole may fill out a dress or a swimsuit but Nora Singh has two doctorates in programming and holographic fabrication. Did I mention that I had no personal life before I came here?"

[A'mira Stormborn]

"I never do anything stupid. That isn't to say I am infallible, hardly, but every decision is carefully thought out. Even if it was made based on faulty assumptions. I am also familiar with all of your qualifications, and histories. I do have an eidetic memory. It is quite useful in my line of work."