LOST

CHAPTER ONE "You asked me to see you," "Yes Dave!,get your team ready, I have a mission for you," His words hit me like a shock wave. For the last six months, working at SWAP was but a cleaning job. I didn't expect a job to be thrown at me so soon. "Sorry, sir ?!" I asked just to be sure I heard right. "You want a raise and promotion? Get your sorry ass and that of your team division, and meet me at the conference for briefing." Well, that had to be the most precise way of saying 'do the job or skidadle'. The ten members of the division IS-2A36 gathered at the conference with the head of the team division 'IS' division, agent Norwell, and junior agent Cladwell . "We are sending you to a specific location which would be disclosed in your project manual to retrieve a rare specimen which is nearly extinct. You are to find it and bring it in for study. You are to leave tomorrow by 8:00 am. " "Sorry to ask, boss, but can we know what we'll be looking for? Rick asked " I don't know," His answer visibly shocked everyone in the room. I mean, I half-expected him to blast Rick away with some radiography gun or something, but he actually did not know. That's......something of concern. What's so special about this specimen we were sent to retrieve that even our division head didn't have information about it. "You are dismissed, say goodbye to friends and family cause you might be gone awhile." I'm not sure if it's the fact that he asked us to say bye to family or I was just feeling sick about travelling, but something somewhere in my gut didn't just sit properly. I tried to shake off the jittery feeling in my stomach as I packed my things for the mission. The door to my room opened to reveal my mother in the doorway. Her beautiful face etched with worry. Oh, how I love this woman. "Mother..don't look like that, I'm not going to be gone too long " I said, kissing the top of her head after hugging her. "I don't like the idea of you being away for more than three days, and this job might keep you away for a month! I don't like it, not one bit!!" "Mom, this is what I signed up for it's part of my job, and I'll be safe. All I have to do is retrieve a specimen, and we'll be right back before you can say Dave!" I gave her one last hug before turning back to finish packing. * * * * * Mum made sure I ate a full meal of ravioli and my goodness, nothing beats my mother's pasta, cheese,meat, and pepper sauce. I arrived at SWAP headquarters at exactly 7:45 am. and moved through the white and sterile research labs to calm my nerves. I've always loved the smell of antiseptic and the blinding shade of white walls in labs. It brought me a kind of comfort I couldn't explain. Agent Norwell's voice boomed through the intercom and nearly got me to piss myself. "Division IS-2A36 report for duty" I turned and headed for the dispatch room. My teammates were already there, each holding a scowl, might I add. Agent Norwell nodded at me before sharing a handout that's supposed to contain mission specifications.......only it felt a bit too light. "Good luck guys, make me proud," He said after showing us the waiting bus that transported us to the airport. We were led straight to an empty plane. "Ooh, we get to fly solo. That's amazing." Denise squealed and got into the aeroplane first while the rest of us followed behind her. The plane looked empty even with us in it. I got my seat near a window and took a look at the project manual in my hand. All the cover had written on it was SWAP CONFIDENTIAL DOCUMENT. I flipped it open and gaped at it. MISSION R2K2 DIVISION :IS-2A36 MISSION : RETRIEVE AND CONTAIN SPECIMEN: BLOOD SAMPLE LOCATION: FLORIDA, 246S,215W EMERGENCY: 2131-4256 BACK-UP:5213-2311 That was it, that was it?!! I wanted to run back and ask questions and even have this project manual shoved into somebody's face. How were we supposed to retrieve what we knew nothing about. For all we know, we could be getting blood samples of a nearly extinct species of snake!!!. unfortunately, the plane was already moving down the tarmac. it slowly but surely went airborne and it hit me that we had just been sent on a wild goose chase. Bummer.