Earth, 1967

"Aetheria" she said out loud, even though there was no one around to hear her. Her brother, in a sleeping bag next to hers, was fast asleep. He stirred a bit before continuing to snore. She wasn't sure where the word came from, why it suddenly appeared in her head and then on her lips...but there it was. She slipped out of the sleeping bag, careful not to wake her brother and got dressed. Fall was spreading out over the Blue Ridge mountains, changing the leaves and making the air colder. A sharp wind blew her blonde hair away from her face as she exited the tent. Off in the distance, over the trees, she saw a bright flash, too low in the sky to be lightning and with no thunder to accompany it. She turned back to the tent for a moment and thought of waking her brother. But, as if the thought was forced out of her mind, she was drawn to look again at the horizon, the shimmering light calling out to her. She walked across a vast, grassy meadow before reaching the tree line. Far off in the distance, shadowy mountains framed the sky. That's when she realized the light was coming from within the forest, in front of the mountains...it was something not in the sky, but on the ground. Her hands trembled as she reached into her coat pocket for her flashlight. As the light came on, the wind whipped through the trees with an unsettling howling. She felt a shiver down her spine and hesitated. After taking a deep, determined breath, she finally pressed into the dense forest. She followed the beam of light from her flashlight, trying to find her way to whatever it was she saw flickering and falling from the sky. As she ventured further into the forest, the light ahead of her became brighter, turning the trees into haunting silhouettes, shadowy guardians looming over whatever prize lay ahead. With nervous, careful steps, she moved closer to the edge of the clearing, dry twigs crackling under her boots. Her lips were trembling, either from the cold or the dread welling up in her chest as she finally looked towards the source of the ominous light. She was taking a long time to try and process what her eyes were seeing...it didn't seem plausible, a sight impossibly out of place. A large, shiny silver craft lay in a bed of crushed and smoking trees. She tried to catch her breath, stepping closer to the thing in the clearing. The word was in her head again. Aetheria pulsing like a warning light or the red numbers on an alarm clock after a power cut. "Are you...?" she whispered and felt herself drawn to the craft, her hands reaching for it, even though every other fiber of her being was rippling with terror and confusion. Aetheria. As her fingers hovered over the smooth, silver body of the craft she could see luminous blue lines appearing all over its surface, like tiny veins or highways, as if it was reacting to her proximity. Her heart was racing furiously in her chest and she hesitated for just a moment before finally putting her fingers against the craft. It was cold, very cold. She expected it to be hot or even just warm, but it was ice cold. Her trembling subsided as she ran her hand along the craft's shiny body, the glowing blue lines still crisscrossing it. Suddenly she felt a jolt across her body, not unlike that feeling while dreaming that you are falling that makes you wake up immediately in your bed. She fell backward against a tree, leaning against it, taking in deep, sharp breaths. She squeezed her eyes shut and...she could see everything. Feel everything. And "everything" was unlike anything she had ever seen. Nothing she had ever known. It was all so...alien. "Alien" she said, opening her eyes, "Aetheria...My God...what happened?"

She sat bolt upright in her sleeping bag, breathing heavy. Her brother jumped up as well and put his hand on her shoulder.

“Are you alright?”

“I had...” she gasped, “the strangest dream.”

“Me too,” her brother said.

“I need paper, pencil, something!” she was peeling herself out the sleeping bag with frantic urgency.

“For what?”

“Something...beautiful,” she smiled.

“Aetheria,” her brother whispered and her eyes grew as wide as saucers.

“What did you say?”

"Do you know who I am?" the woman asked.

"Yes, ma'am," Penny replied, standing at attention, "Director Cassel, head of the Avalon Intelligence Service."

Cassel nodded, stepping slowly around her desk. She motioned with one hand for Penny to take a seat and the girl blinked before complying. Cassel appeared to be middle-aged, with graying hair neatly tied back. Penny expected her to be wearing a suit, but she actually seemed to be wearing a uniform. She moved like someone who stayed active and fit, and Penny wondered if she actually took part in field operations herself.

"Do you know why I asked to see you?" Cassel leaned against her desk, studying the other woman.

"I-I'm being dismissed from the AIS?" Penny swallowed, her fingers trembling.

"Dismissed?" Cassel scoffed, "you would be fortunate to only be dismissed for continually disobeying orders and putting your life in danger like a field agent, when in reality you are simply an intelligence analyst."

Penny nodded and looked down.

"Charges would be brought up against you," Cassel continued, crossing her arms and walking back around her desk again, "you'd probably spend some time in a cell, then you'd never be able to finish medical school let alone come back to work in the Intelligence Division."

Penny exhaled, doing her best not to give in to the tears she could feel bubbling beneath the surface.

Cassel sat down in her office chair, "Fortunately, for you, and for us, you consistently get results. So, we won't be doing any of that."

Penny looked up with wide eyes, "Excuse me...?"

"Did you really think it was your parents' reputation or your brother's money that kept you out of prison?" Cassel's eyes were narrowed on the other woman.

Penny looked around, trying to grasp what was going on, "You...? But, why?"

"I'll admit, the first time you were caught, charges were being filed," Cassel leaned back in her chair, "but, then it was brought to my attention how many civilians you saved and with how much precision your personal little operation was carried out. I'm sure you can understand how embarrassing it would have been for that to come out. An analyst who can do the work of an entire team of field agents."

Penny couldn't help but smile, but quickly cleared her throat, letting the smile fall away, "And after that?"

"After that, we simply let you get away with what you were doing…under my orders, of course. I wanted to see if you would keep succeeding. And you did. Mostly."

Penny closed her eyes and nodded, "The Andromeda incident...ma'am, I can expl-"

Cassel waved a hand, "No need. I don't believe that was entirely your fault, Thorne. You lacked the resources and support to completely carry out an operation of that size. Wrong place, right time, but you still managed to pull it off on your own and not expose yourself. I commend you for that.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

“While I applaud your willingness to take on more and more complicated tasks, you simply can no longer attempt to do them on your own."

Penny opened her eyes again, raising an eyebrow, "What are you saying, ma'am?"

"You work directly for me now, Thorne," Cassel smiled, "I will personally provide you with the equipment you need and you will continue on as you have. Analyst and medical student by day...who occasionally ventures off on her own for 'extra-curricular' activities."

"I don't know what to say. I-"

"Say nothing about it to anyone," Cassel stood again, walking over to a large metallic case set against a far wall, "You are not the first I have hand-picked to work for me in such a way."

"You said 'medical student'?"

"Indeed," she started to punch some keys on a keypad connected to the case, "To further reduce suspicion that you are carrying on as an unauthorized field agent, you will finish medical school."

Penny smiled, "Thank you, ma'am!"

"Don't thank me," Cassel replied as the case slide open, "Between your work in the Intelligence Division, your studies and your work for me you will have no time for much of a social life. Will that be a problem?"

Penny looked down for a moment, then said, "No, ma'am. Not at all."

"Good," Cassel stood beside the case as it revealed a dark gray bodysuit, a pistol, and a small earpiece, "This is your field equipment, come here."

Penny walked over and looked the suit up and down, brushing her fingers against the material, "This is mine?"

"Yes," Cassel replied, "The latest in Aetherian technology. This case will be discretely delivered to your apartment and installed into a compartment in one of your walls."

"Aetherian" Penny echoed under her breath as she picked up the pistol.

"Yes, as I’m sure you know, the Aetherians designed Avalon and most of our technology," Cassel continued, picking up the earpiece, "they are exquisite technologists and societies like theirs are what we are working to protect...from complete annihilation."

Penny looked up at her, "You mean you know that I'm trying to track down the 'Cleansing'?"

"Yes, the terrorists that destroyed our home planet" Cassel looked the earpiece over before handing it to Penny, "Although we have seen no sign of them in nearly fifty years...if they were to wipe out civilizations like the Aethrians, just think of the loss. Not just of life but, of an entire culture, advancements we would never have."

Penny nodded, looking the earpiece over, "what is this?"

"This is your LOLA headset," Cassel motioned for her to put it on, "Long-range Operations and Logistics Assistant. No matter what planet you are on, it will interface with their communications network and provide a steady stream of information vital to whatever mission you are undertaking."

Penny put the headset on and a holographic display appeared before her eyes. A cheery voice chirped in her ear said, "[i]Hello, Agent X2342! I’m ready to help you save the world! Or worlds…or, you know what I mean.[/i]"

Penny recoiled a bit, “Well, that sounds really chipper.”

“Discontinued model,” Cassel said, “best I could do on short notice. Let me know if it causes you any problems and we’ll get you a new one at some point.

Penny nodded and turned her attention to the tactical suit.

"The suit uses a combination of nano-tech and holograms to create the illusion of any number of disguises or outfits,” Cassel said,  “It will also withstand environmental conditions, including the rigors of space. It can also take a beating and the nanites can be used to heal injuries."

Cassel took the pistol and pressed a button. Penny watched as it reformed into a rifle, "This is the standard issue modular AIS sidearm. Pistol and rifle mode. It can fire lethal or non-lethal bursts."

Penny took the earpiece off and put it back into the case, "The quirky A.I. called me 'Agent X2342'."

"Yes," Cassel reverted the rifle back to pistol form and placed it back into the case, "From now on, in our communications through LOLA, you will refer to me as 'Control' and you will simply be twenty-three."

Penny nodded and Cassel closed the case back up. She walked back to her desk, satisfied that the case was again locked, "There may come a time when you will undertake a mission that exposes you once again, even with my support. Be prepared to be processed for what will be perceived as offenses against the AIS. A court marshall and or jail time even."

Penny swallowed and then nodded, "I understand, ma'am. In order to maintain my cover. To protect you."

"To protect the AIS," Cassel corrected, "To protect Avalon. In time, I will provide you with a more substantial network of agents to work with. And you may recommend anyone you think is fit to work directly for me and with you."

"Understood," Penny said, "A tech specialist would be helpful.”

"I will take it under advisement," Cassel studied the other woman for a tense, silent moment, "You will continue to work autonomously as you have. If I have something specific for you, I will contact you. In the meantime, I don't have to tell you that your discretion is paramount."

"Of course. I understand."

"I hope you do, Thorne. Lives are at stake, yours included."

"Yes, ma'am."

"For now, you go back to being 'Planetary Penny'," Cassel smiled.

"Oh, you heard that too?" Penny looked down and scoffed, "Lovely..."

"Believe me," Cassel said, motioning to the door, "It is but the tiniest of the many sacrifices you will have to make from now on. Goodbye, Penelope."