© Anna-Karin 2000-2001
Author's note: This was the very first fanfic I ever wrote. It was originally posted on a mailing list
for fans of Christopher Walken, and Julia Haas hosted it on her own site. Now, when I finally have started constructing
my own site, I thought this story should be the first one I put up
Since I am not English-speaking, there have been grammatical and syntactical errors, as well as spelling errors. I hope
they are not too bad. Have a nice time, reading my story.
It's late at the computer lab at the college, but there are still a few people sitting in front of the computers, working franticaly on a paper that is supposed to be finnished and turned in to the teacher in charge at 12.00 the next day.
In front of one computer sits Anna-Karin and Gabriel.
Anna-Karin is a 24-year-old, short but not stocky, one could say she looks rather average. Her hair is middle-blond put up in a horsetail and her eyes are blue.
She wears thin wireframed glasses, and she looks like she could use 48 hours of uninterrupted sleep.
Gabriel is tall and thin, with his dark hair combed back slickly, and has green eyes. He sits on the back of the chair next to Anna-Karin, like a bird, peeking at the screen over her shoulder.
The other people look nervously at them and at the opening in the wall where it used to be a door.
Anna-Karin: I'm supposed to work on this f******g paper and you want me to teach you Boolean logic!?!
Gabriel: Yup.
Anna-Karin: Why? Why me?
Gabriel: Because you were the only one who didn't hide under the table when I entered.
Anna-Karin: Entered! You blasted the door!
Gabriel: I like making grand statements.
Anna-Karin (giving up): Okay, but you buy me cofee.
Gabriel: We have a deal!
Anna-Karin spends the rest of the evening alternating beetween her own computer, working on her paper, and Gabriel's, explaining to him Boolean logic and the structure of the database Dialog. And stopping him from throwing the computer out the window.
Anna-Karin: If you know the structure of one database, it's much easier to understand other databases. And it helps if you can read the bluesheets too. They are a big help in understanding a database.
Gabriel: I understand. Now introduce me to the Vatican Library.
Anna-Karin: Tomorrow!
The next day:
Anna-Karin wakes up from the ear-piercing noise of her alarm clock. As ususal she looks at it to see what time it is. Then she hits the snooze button.
Then she looks at the window to see what weather it is. As she decides that she indeed did put the PM in her teacher's mailbox, she tries to figure out why the room feels wrong, like there's somebody watching her.
Gabriel: Good morning!
Anna-Karin now sees a man sitting, bird-like, at the foot end gable of her bed.
Anna-Karin: Eeeeeeeeek!!!!!!!
Then she proceeds to hide under her quilt, while the startled Gabriel falls down from her bed.
Gabriel: You really don't have to shout like that. I'm not deaf you know.
Anna-Karin peeks out from under the quilt. She now remebers everything that happened the night before. Blasted doors, five empty cofee cups, somebody leading her home from the college building.
Anna-Karin: And me who thought this was just a surreal dream.
Gabriel: No it's not, and I want you to introduce me to the Vatican Library today.
Anna-Karin does not respond but walks past Gabriel out into the kitchen. Gabriel follows.
Gabriel: You do remember our deal, right?
Anna-Karin: Yeah.
She starts making herself breakfast. Then she turns to Gabriel who is sitting at the kitchen table and asks him if he'd like something to eat.
Gabriel: Coffee. Black.
Anna-karin picks forth the nescafe and tells Gabriel to pour himself some hot water from the kettle on the electric stove. Gabriel do so.
Gabriel: Now about the library....
Same day, a couple of hours later:
In the computer lab. A couple of carpenters are putting a new door where the old one used to be. Anna-Karin and Gabriel sits in front of a computer.
Anna-Karin: Now we have logged in on the online catalogue of the Vatican Library. Now what did you want me to look for?
Gabriel: A codex, a bible from the first century after Christ.
Anna-Karin: That's old.
Gabriel: It contains the 23 chapters of the Revelations of St John.
She writes in the specifications in the search fields.
Anna-Karin: I remember, that's the one they call Codex Uzriel, because it was found on the body of an angel who had been found killed in the USA. It was huge news a couple of years ago, at least among book historians. And religious zealots. And Catholics.
Gabriel looks at her. He don't know what to say.
After all, he was the one who gave Uzriel the codex. Now Uzriel was dead and Gabriel had to get that book back.
It was an important book, not only for the revelations, but for what was written in the beginning of the codex.
The humans thought there were only one oddity about the book. There were several more hidden among the letters written so many years ago.
Not only John had been a prophet. The scribe who had written the book were one too and had hidden his visions among the verses of st Mark.
If the wrong people, humans, got to read them, then there would be disaster.
Gabriel shuddered.
Anna-Karin: What's the matter? You cold? Look, here, that's where they keep the codex. Locked up. Can't read it without permission from the pope himself.
Gabriel thought for a moment.
Gabriel: We are going to Rome.
Anna-Karin: What!!!!