A Plot For The Next James Bond Movie?
Tonight my mission was to recover a package left by agent yaggers and to deposit a package for agent smelsb. Since both transactions were to occur at victoria station I thought that the mission would be a simple one. Little did I suspect the dangers that lay in store for me...
First the pickup: I arrived at the allocated platform just as a train was arriving, and not wanting to draw suspicion, by taking a seat rather than getting on the train, I retreated to the opposite platform to wait its departure. To explain this action I assumed a look of perplexion, and decided to seek out a tube map to look at quizzically. I thought perhaps I might stroke my chin a bit. Unfortunately my ruse was all too successful - an underground employee (possibly an enemy agent??) asked me what I was looking for. Imediately my agent training kicked in: I told him I was looking for a tube map, hoping that he would point one out then depart. Little did I suspect the individual's dedication to his cause (whether benign or purest evil I wasn't able to ascertain, though I suspect the latter) - he asked me where I was going. At this point I hang my head in shame and admit my training failed me, and my cool almost snapped. Thinking as quick as I could I plucked a name from the air ...
'Baker Street' I replied with a steely glint in my eye.
'Then you're on the right platform' he informed me, the beginnings of a sneer playing around the corners of his mouth, 'you can get on this train just coming in.'
I was foiled! I couldn't risk not getting on the train - this could blow my cover, putting the mission and all my fellow operatives in danger. I considered detonating the explosive device I had implanted in my molar the previous evening, but I decided it better to go on, and try to retrieve matters. I boarded the train and headed one stop north, then quickly dismounted and crossed to the opposite platform. Here I located myself at the approximate lateral position that I believed corresponded to the location of the drop-off point, and boarded the next train.
As it arrived at Victoria I realised I now faced the most dangerous moment of my career as a top secret spy: if I encountered the same station attendant again I new I would be in trouble - speed was everything. I took a book out of my bag as I was on the train, under the pretence of reading .... though it was in truth quite imposible, as my head was too full of the danger that lay ahead to make sense of the words on the page. On arrival at the station I dismounted, book in one hand bag in the other, and stooped at the correct point to put the bag away (I had estimated my platform position perfectly to acomplish this). While replacing the book I quickly located and retreived the package (though once again I left valuable blu-tak, but I hadn't the time to collect it).
Those certainly are some thirsty rodents:
Success! But I couldn't become complacent - the mission was only half complete, and I was still deep in enemy territory. I hastened to the exit, and managed to avoid detection by the authorities. I advanced quickly to the district/circle line platforms: I have always prefered pick-ups to drop offs as my mission of choice, but after this narrow scrape, I didn't think this could prove half as bad.
But as I arrived at the platform I realised completing my mission would not be as simple as I had hoped. For there, across the tracks, was a whole platform full of potential witnesses staring right across at me. My mind froze: how could I risk acting with so many people facing me? I could be putting innocent civilians in danger. I walked along the platform, desperately scanning for somewhere I could hide it, and myself in front of so many people. Eventually I had to leave the platfrom and take stock. I briefly headed up to the overland station to consider dropping it off here, but even the photo booth (a favourite drop off of mine) didn't seem suitable, and I didn't want to place it too far from smelsb's point of entry.
So I girded my loins and returned to the platform. This time I was lucky - a train was just leaving the opposite platform leaving it almost empty. I struck imediately, crouching in a corner by a chocolate machine as if to get a book from my bag, I surreptitiously applied the package to the underside (bolstered as it was with additional blu-tak from yaggers package). Mission complete. To avoid further risk of detection by my old adversary, the station attendant, I took the circle line to embankment before completing my journey. But by now I could rest easy, knowing I had done my duty. It's all up to you now smelsb - Good Luck!
