[Nine years ago, Arkhangelsk, Soviet Union]
I greatly enjoyed working with Alec Trevelyan. He was my best friend - heck, he was really my only friend. As a 00 agent, my life didn't lend itself to having friends.
"Ready to save the world again?"
"After you, 006."
Five minutes later, I had set the timers for the explosives.
"Come out with your hands up! You have 10 seconds."
The facility commander, Ouromov, had a gun to Alec's head.
"Finish the job, James! Blow them all to hell!"
I took Alec's advice. Ouromov shot him the moment after he said it. Three minutes later, I had commandeered a plane and was flying away from the explosion that destroyed the Arkhangelsk Chemical Weapons Facility.
[Present day, London, England]
GoldenEye existed. We had seen the effects as Mr. Tanner was giving his briefing. Now I was in M's office.
"If you think I don't have the balls to send a man out to die, your instincts are dead wrong. But I won't do it on a whim - even with your cavalier attitude towards life."
I locked eyes with her.
"I want you to find GoldenEye. Find out who took it, what they plan to do with it and stop it. And if you should come across Ouromov, guilty or not, I don't want you running off on some vendetta. Avenging Alec Trevelyan will not bring him back."
"You didn't get him killed."
"Neither did you. Don't make it personal."
I nodded and rose to depart.
"Bond."
I looked back at M.
"Come back alive."
[One week later, St. Petersburg, Russia]
I proceeded through the dimly lit junkyard. I was supposed to be meeting "Janus", an arms dealer. I picked my way through the passages and saw a lit doorway. A figure emerged into the light.
"Hello, James."
I blinked as I tried to process what I was seeing and hearing.
"Alec?"
"What's the matter, James?"
I put my gun back in its holster and raced at top speed towards my old friend. I wrapped him in a bearhug, then put him down.
"It's so good to see you, Alec! I thought you were dead!"
"And I thought you would be all about the mission, not about your friend. I had plans for that."
"You're the only person I would break the mission for. I've only had one friend since becoming a 00 agent. Anyway, we have nine years of catching up to do. I know a place that's still open."
We proceeded to a spot in the heart of St. Petersburg and entered the restaurant.
"I know this will come as a huge surprise, Alec, but I know the owner."
"Yep, you know restauranteurs in every major city in the world. When you eventually die, 99% of the guests at your funeral will own a restaurant."
"Let me let him know I'm here with you. We'll get the VIP treatment."