(new-GIB story)

12-30-98

by Agent ‘G

date: January 12, 1999

"Congratulations, PHI. You are now an Agent of the GIB."

The lavender-pink female standing before K let out a sigh and more or less fell into a seat. The past two nights had been pretty hard on her but she tried her best not to show it. And now, she’d made it. A tired but triumphant smile curled her dark red lips.

Wearing a smile of her own, K continued. "Thought you’d be happy. You fought pretty hard for this." Yeah, K knew she was bein’ easy on the kid but they’d just suffered a lot of losses. And there’d be time enough to test her later, including who she had in mind to partner with PHI.

Fighting, and killing, all those nasty gerbil things, without being told she was going to be fighting, and certainly no one told her she had to kill them all!, wasn’t easy for PHI. She didn’t like the unexpected by nature. Spending an entire evening killing rodents that were attacking her wasn’t something she’d planned for. The rest of the tests she’d been subjected to were easy… except for weapons. She’d never handled firearms before and found out quickly that she had no aiming skill whatsoever.

K considered introducing the kid to some of the alien cuisine all GIB Agents had to face but decided she looked too worn for that. "Your Agent designation is , the Greek letter, but you know that." K suspected that ‘PHI’ had picked out that name specifically for the GIB. Most who knew of the GIB and wanted in did so. Good thing there weren’t any floods of newbies… Although they could really use one now…

"You will be assigned a partner and checked into your assigned quarters but I think I’ve found a good Division placement for you. Agency Operations."

"What do they do?"

"That’s the people who keep everything running smooth on the inside of the GIB. Paperwork, computer and satellite work, tracking, all of that. It’s my Division, and I do some of everything, along with choosing who can and can’t be in the GIB, all partner assignments, and which Division they’ll go under."

Another gargoyle in black came up to K’s open door. "K? Oh…" The dark green female spotted PHI. "Didn’t know you were busy."

"S’okay. What’s up, ‘G?"

Agent ‘G entered but remained silent. She passed K a doubtful look concerning whether the strange pink-lavender female should hear what she had to say. K motioned that it was all right.

‘G sighed. "Well, I know how much you’ve been needing me to get everything back together… Don’t get me wrong. If you need me, I’m there. It’s just that, all this desk work… I really need some up and out time."

The GIB boss nodded, thinking. "’G, this is PHI, our newest Agent."

‘G nodded to the newbie.

"Hi." PHI returned the greeting.

"PHI, it says here that you have some secretarial experience." K tapped the portfolio on her desk. This was another reason why the GIB Head hadn’t been as tough as usual on this newbie.

"Yes. My clan has a small corporation. We deal with humans mostly, though they don’t know it’s us. I had secretarial duties within the business."

"I think helping in the reorganization of the GIB’ll be a good start for . Agent PHI, that’s your official assignment."
‘G breathed a sigh of relief.

"Agent SK is arriving from her International mission. ‘G, I’d like you to be here when she does. She hasn’t been with us very long and missed all the destruction and chaos. You can catch her up on all that’s been going on." At the look on ‘G’s face, K added. "Don’t worry. I’ve got something for you to do after that that’ll get you out of here, but this needs to be done right away. She’ll be in at 4AM."

‘G rose. "Okay, boss." She didn’t exactly like this assignment but she didn’t have to like it. Telling herself to have just a little more patience, ‘G made her exit.

"What do I do first?" PHI asked after the other Agent’s exit.

"Go to your quarters and memorize all of this." K heaved a two-foot stack of papers from a drawer and hefted them over to the shocked newbie.

PHI let out a sigh of a different kind. Wishing she had a photographic memory, she left for her rooms.

A week and two tries later, PHI passed the tests K gave her, oral and written, on the material she memorized. And another week was spent suffering over the smell of llama after eating that really good cheese ball! But during that time cloistered away, PHI organized and filed and helped get the GIB’s paperwork in order again. Being so useful felt great! Not that she hadn’t been with her clan. She’d just wanted… more.

At the end of the week, K sent her a message to come to her office. Feeling it was definitely time for something new, she did not delay.

"You wanted to see me?" PHI asked upon entering a silent K’s office.

"Yep. I believe I’ve got a partner for you." K pressed the intercom switch at her desk. "ZD? Bring IOTA up."

K seemed really busy tonight. She didn’t even look up or say a word as they waited. Filling out a series of papers was occupying her mind. PHI told herself that of course K was busy. Being the Head of this Agency must take considerable time and management. PHI, used to sitting and waiting, did so quietly.

She tried not to have any expectations about her partner but her excitement grew as seconds, then minutes, ticked by. She’d never had a partner in anything before. IOTA… the Greek letter ‘I’. Would her partner be male or female? What would he or she be like? And would they get along well? PHI reminded herself that K must know what she’s doing when it comes to assigning partners.

PHI noticed that she was fidgeting with her hands and stopped immediately. That’s when two male gargoyles stepped in, startling her slightly. One was very tall, muscular, and had a strikingly handsome blue-skinned face. Remembering to breath, she secondly remembered her manners and let her gaze fall. As it happened, her eyes fell on the second gargoyle and her expression quirked at what she saw.

Even for a gargoyle, this male was strange looking. He was short, smaller than most humans. Geez, he looked like a teenager! His wings seemed to make up for his height. They were so long, he kept them held out behind him so they didn’t drag the ground. His coloration stood out like a pea among carrots. Yellow skin, blue inner wings, and… brown outer? A mop of muddy green hair sat atop a yellow face half-covered in thick glasses. And the way he was slyly ogling her set her mouth in a prim line.

PHI’s assessment of the males took only a few seconds. Not wishing to look at the little one any longer than necessary, she turned her eyes to the slightly bored, tall, blue male.

"Thanks, ZD." K said, eyes on PHI.

To her disappointment, the blue male leaving must be Agent ZD. Then that meant… PHI looked back down at the short, weird-looking male. He was leaning casually against the wall wearing an all-too-comfortable grin. He’s my partner?!

"Agent PHI, this is Agent IOTA. PHI has been assigned as your partner, IOTA. And you two have an assignment." She handed PHI a large stack of papers. "Verify, sort, and organize this data."

Resolutely, PHI turned to the door.

"Right behind ya, partner." IOTA’s slight nasally voice was at her back. He then whispered to the GIB boss, "I owe ya, K!"

K pointed imperiously to the door, showing her firm side instead of the laugher she was doing inside.

"So… PHI," IOTA began on a grin as he led her to a terminal. "Where’re you from?"

"Planet earth. You?" She smirked inside.

"Hey, that’s funny. But I can always go look you up." His grin broadened at PHI’s surprised wariness. "First thing about Agency Ops is that we have a lot of power. May not see much action but, boy, the things you can learn and do!" His near lecherous watch of her slackened as his mind fell to the recitation of his greater love.

PHI, an observant individual, picked this up. Maybe I can use that to keep his mind off me. she schemed.

"You can finger anybody, everybody! , on or off-line. And codes? Forget ‘em! We can crack it all!"

"Are you supposed to teach me?" she asked, seeing what he meant by power. Being in Agency Ops granted one a certain seat of authority.

He smirked at her. "Yeah. I can teach you. Anything you wanna know. Anything."

PHI rolled her eyes as he turned to the screen. Was he always like this?

She took a seat beside the flirtatious male, determined not to let him get to her. This job was permanent, or else. K had assigned IOTA as her partner with good reason. She just had to adapt to that decision. And if she was with IOTA indefinitely, she’d prefer to know more about him.

"How long have you been with the GIB?" PHI asked, trying to show as little interest as possible as they waited for the computer to run through a series check.

"Not long. A month. I showed up at their door just after the llama ordeal. I think I got in so fast because of my various computer skills. I’m sort of a… self-made gargoyle."

He taught himself? Impressive.

The computer finished and let them know it was ready by razzing them.

"Here we go. Let’s see the first one on the list." IOTA pointed to the stack of paper in PHI’s hands.

She handed it over, setting the pile on the desk, and her new partner began his teachings.

Fi’n!