Science Fiction AVP: Alien vs Predator

That sounds like something you'd do, Sithy. Also, you did give permission for anyone to use Mother, so...

---

[b]IC: Nicolette Riley, Tim Warren, Andrew Kesler, Tiffany Deas, Dave Rosefield, and [color=green]Mother[/color]
[i]Launch Bay - Marco Polo[/i][/b]

[i]?No need to fill ?er up. Maybe four on each side, total of eight? Where the hell are the lifters??[/i]

Tim looked around the hangar. "Good question."

"Mother," came Kesler's voice from behind them. He had just entered the Launch Bay (with Dave and Tiff in tow) to overhear the end of Tracy's request.

[color=green][b]Yes, Sergeant Kesler?[/b][/color] came the robotic voice, echoing through the Launch Bay.

Looking upward, unsure of where exactly to look, Kesler asked, "Where are the lifters?" He felt a little awkward speaking to the air...

[color=green][b]You mean the power loaders? Stored right where they're supposed to be.[/b][/color]

A large section of the wall across from them [i]clanged[/i] and then slowly slid upward. An opening about the size of a garage door revealed four [link=http://avp.wikia.com/wiki/Power_loader]power loaders[/link], prepped and ready for use.

Tim Warren walked over toward them. "Sweet."

[b]Tag: Sithy and whomever...[/b]

 

OOC: Based on a plot development in Piranha 3D, and a Jack Dee routine.

IC: Dan?ni (npc-junior predator), Predator ship cockpit.

The pre-teenage Predator sat sullenly in the seat to the left of his older sibling, alternating between crossing his arms while waiting for something to happen, or pressing the pads of his clawed fingers to the cauterised wound on his knee. The stains of his glowing green blood was still visible on the chair padding, and the deck underneath him.

The grown-ups on this hunting trip were all so serious, moving around him in preparation for the hunt.

The lower fangs on either side of his mouth moved outwards, to leave him free to speak. ?Mum is going to freak when she finds out you have brought me on a hunting trip with you!? He told Hirkz.

The young warrior, twice Dan?ni?s height, had given him a small weapon to shut him up, a shiny metal disc with smoothed off edges, but when you pressed it just so, several jagged hooks sprung out, turning it into a deadly throwing star.

Of course, Hirkz had not told him that it did that, and when it had first snapped open, Dan?ni had been so surprised, that he dropped it in his ni, er, knee!
Amused? The hunters had pissed themselves. Though of course, once everyone had stopped laughing, they had dressed his wound from one of their cool field kits.

The kid glared at the side of his brother?s head balefully. Just you wait; when we get home, I am going to **** in your slippers.

Just then, his brother's posture changed, as if he had seen something interesting. That something could only be to do with the reason they were here.

?What have you seen?? He asked sullenly.

Tag: cdgodin/Hirkz and other yautja onboard

 

IC: Hirkz

The older Predator briefly glanced at his younger sibling, briefly regretting his decision to bring Dan'ni along with him. He quickly changed his mind, remembering how he had wanted him to come along for Dan'ni to get some combat experience.

"The Humans have sent one of their ships to investigate the Alien hive. I have also picked up increasingly more frequent activity in the station. I suspect that we will soon be able to hunt our two prey in the same location. Just one thing. Where shall we hunt them?"

He looked at Dan'ni, expecting him to make the best tactical and sound decision. The boy had to learn how to use his mind AND his body, honing himself into a killing machine.

TAG: Sith-I-5/Dan'ni

OOC: Nice character, Sithy. Too bad I can't read your mind.

 

OOC: Glad you like him; didn't want you sitting there with an empty tag. Are you able to PM me over a selection of Yautja terms I can use?.

IC: Dan?ni (npc-junior predator), Predator ship cockpit.

The young Predator leaned forward as the chance to get involved raised itself. Although they had laughed at him, if he said the right thing, he might be able to claw back some credibility.

He thought for a moment. "If these humans are any good, they will take their infected back to their station. If we want to hunt both, we should do it there. The humans will feel comfortable, and the prey won't care."

There was no doubt in his young mind that the humans would be infected by the aliens. That was unavoidable.

Tag: cdgodin

---

[b]IC: Sergeant Tracy, Ian Lamb[/b], Marco Paolo launch bay.

Scott looked at the group of people accompanying Kesler, then considered the number of spacesuits they had brought.

"Okay," he said, "we have five suits, which will limit the number of people going on this trip. The cockpit should be pressurised, so Nicky," he glanced over to Nicolette, "should seal herself in there, and [i]not[/i] crash. Have you checked out the cockpit yet? What do you think?"

Lamb looked across to the guys and girls with the other sergeant, while Tim trotted off to look at the [i]power loaders[/i]. He had felt that something sounded wrong, when Scott had referred to "load lifters", but since he knew what the marine meant, he could not put his finger on what it was.

He waved. "Well, I'm going along. So, can one of you help me get these inside?"

[b]Tag: The Kesler Massive[/b]

 

OOC: 5 spacesuits? Even if Nikki stays in the cockpit, won't we have one extra person? I suppose I could leave one of my other characters behind.

---

[b]IC: Andrew Kesler, Nicolette Riley, Dave Rosefield, Tiffany Deas, Tim Warren (have I missed anyone [face_tongue] )
[i]Launch Bay - Marco Polo[/i][/b]

Nikki trotted up into the dropship and entered the cockpit. She stowed the backpack in a small locked box behind the seat and sat down at the controls. She looked over everything, running through her training in her head. He hand slowly hovered across the board as she looked at all the buttons, switches and screens. A little smile began to creep across her face. She recognized everything.

She knew she could fly this thing. No problem.

Then she heard a grinding noise outside the cockpit. She sat up out of the pilot's chair and peeked through the windshield. She could see Tim Warren activating one of the power loaders.

Outside the dropship, Dave said to Lamb, "Here, I'll help you out." He headed over toward the spacesuits to give him a hand.

Kesler walked over toward Tim. He looked up at the grinning man and said, "You like that thing, eh?"

Tim said back to him. "This thing is pretty friggin' sweet." He moved the arms of the loader some more to get a feel for it.

"The missiles are over there," Kesler said, pointing to a short rack full of them. "I'll grab a power loader and head over there to help you load them."

[b]TAG: Sithy...[/b]

 

IC: Ian Lamb, launch bay
Location: the Marco Paulo


One of the new party came over to assist with the heavy trolley of spacesuits: "Here, I'll help you out."

The cop nodded gratefully at the other, and with his help, manhandled the load up the wide slatted-metal ramp into the innards of the dropship,

"Thanks, Man." He sighed gratefully, standing to crack his spine back into shape as he looked around the aircraft's spartan interior. "Couldn't have done that without you."

There were velcroed and metal buckled straps all along the walls to secure things, and what the hell? - a big blocky grey-olive painted vehicle was planted in the centre of the space, not leaving much room between it's sides and the bulkheads. An impressive, twin-barrelled turret seemed to be on the side, which was a strange place to put it. Massive clamps from the floor kept the vehicle in place. "Hey, there is a big pickup in here."

Tag: Dave

OOC: Meant to be an APC, but not sure if I need to spell it out?

 

IC: all my characters (Kess, Nikki, Tim, Tiff, Dave)
Launch Bay - Marco Polo

"Hey, there is a big pickup in here."

"No, man," Rosefield responded. "That's the M577 Armored Personnel Carrier." He turned to look at Lamb. "Didn't you read the files?" He started pointing at the different parts of the massive vehicle. "It's got this gun turret here for shooting at whatever enemy we come across. Then there's the twin cannon mounted on the top up there. That thing can blast through walls. It has enough space inside to carry all of us, and it can go up to 50 miles an hour even on a rocky terrain. Imagine what this baby can do on a flat stretch of road. Plus," he knocked on the outer metal shell, which created a dull metallic echo within the dropship, "the armor is pretty thick. This thing's a friggin' tank."

Nikki stepped out of the cockpit and saw the boys talking about the vehicle. "That thing's pretty cool, eh?"

TAG: Sithy...

 

IC: Ian Lamb, Scott Tracy, Launch Bay.

?No, Man. That?s the M577 Armoured Personnel Carrier ? Rosefield identified, then looked over at Lamb. ?Didn?t you read the files??

?The personnel files, yes.? Ian confirmed, hands on hips as he looked over the thing with awed eyes. He glanced over at his helper. ?You sound like you know your vehicles.?


? It's got this gun turret here for shooting at whatever enemy we come across. Then there's the twin cannon mounted on the top up there. That thing can blast through walls. It has enough space inside to carry all of us, and it can go up to 50 miles an hour even on a rocky terrain. Imagine what this baby can do on a flat stretch of road.?

?It?d be a ***** to stop for a ticket, I know that.? The Special Agent muttered, visualising a foolhardy sheriff's deputy shaking their head over their flattened patrol cruiser.

Dave rapping on the hull, producing a dull metallic sound, brought him back to reality.
?Plus, the armor is pretty thick. This thing is a friggin? tank.?

?No you can?t bring your surfboard, every extra kilogram uses so much fuel.? Lamb mimicked a technician back at Gateway, the orbital station over Earth, telling one of the other crew what they had to leave behind. ?Sons of *****?s were carrying this thing all the time.?

Nikki arrived from the cockpit, looking relaxed.
?That thing?s pretty cool, eh??

?It certainly is.?

?Hey, Ian!?

That was the sergeant?s voice, prompting Lamb to stick his face out the hatch to see what Tracy wanted. ?Yeah.?

?Don?t you cops have your own spacesuits? Snazzy blue numbers??

Ian nodded. ?Yeah. Storage space near my office.?

?Well go get it then; that way we should have enough suits for all of us.? He turned back to the other sergeant. ?Is that right, Andrew??


Tag: Dubya, anyone

 

IC: all my characters
Launch Bay - Marco Polo

"that way we should have enough suits for all of us." Tracy said, turning back to the Kesler. "Is that right, Andrew?"

Alongside the dropship, Andrew Kesler, piloting one of the power loaders, felt the missile lock into place. He turned the metal exoskeleton slightly to look back at Tracy. Quickly running through all the team members in his head, he responded, "Yeah, I think that's right."

On the other side of the dropship, he could hear Tim Warren lock another missile into place. Then he saw Tiffany Deas walk past him carrying two large cases, one in each hand.

Tiffany rounded the corner and headed into the ship. As she passed Tracy, Lamb and Dave Rosefield, she said, "Pardon me, gents. Delicate scientific instruments coming through."

TAG: Sithy...

 

IC : Davian Thule
Location : Hanger Bay

Davian ran through supply crates making sure everything was where it was supposed to be. They were taking alot of heavy equipment. The APC was one thing, not to mention at least three crates of weapons that were being loaded now. Davian walked around the bay watching the scientist and "security chief" or whoever he was walk around and load their own equipment. Thule turned towards another trooper, "Hey, whats up with the scientists around here. And whats with the cop."

The private turned towards him, "Hey man, I don't know, but whatever's goin' down on that rocks gonna be big. So lets shake, rattle and roll."

"Ooh-rah!" the Marines said in unison and went about their duties. Thule was relaxed, his squad was good and these scientists looked proficient. They'd be in, out and back home, noting would go wrong.

Tag : Any

OOC : Back, sorry, be out due to fatherly duties.

 

OOC: Littledawg, nice to see you along!

IC: Ian Lamb, Scott Tracy, Launch Hangar

Standing just inside the dropship hatch, Ian heard the solid click of the first missiles being slotted into their housings on either side of the heavy craft.

?Yeah, I think that?s right,? the other Marine sergeant confirmed.

Tifanny Deas started to ascend the ramp, carrying two heavy cases. ?Pardon me, Gents. Delicate scientific equipment coming through.?

Lamb stepped out of the way, appreciating how quickly the trip down was gathering apace. ?Yes, Ma?am.?

?Ooh-rah!?

Scott looked on, amused, at the special agent?s expression in the face of the wall of sound.

He was probably wondering if he really wanted to be down on an alien planet with the Mad Oorah Posse.

The sergeant was pleased to see the first of the weapons? crates too, being checked over by Thule. It meant he would not have to get his own pulse rifle from Misake?s cabin.

No Thule, that man. Sergeant Tracy chuckled at his own joke.

Meanwhile, Ian scuttled off to get his spacesuit, going up the exit corridor that they had trolleyed the suits down.

Like an insect, Scott thought. Cheered up no end, he crossed to Davian. "Here. Let me help you."

Tag: Littledawg, Dubya, Any

 

OOC: I am sorry I haven't been around. I thank you guys for taking over the game. I have not been all that great of a GM. And I am going to have to be an even worse one because I can't do this game anymore. I am currently helping my Grandparents move so I have no time to GM a game. I am sorry that you guys got left with everything. I am also sorry that I didn't give you all a notice sooner.

IC: Aaron Lars

Aaron zoned out while he read some reports about the planet below. As lead scientist the reports for almost everything came to him. Not that he minded reading some of them. A few of them always caught his attention. Like this one here. A science team had just gotten back from another planet in the solar system and they had found a plant that glowed when approached. A sample of the plant taken by the science team showed that the plant was high in an unknown mineral. Further research into it showed that it may have healing properties. The team was going to go back to collect more samples. Aaron certainly wanted to get on this. It wasn't like he was needed here. Only business going on here was a knocked out probe. The others were completely on it so he wasn't really needed. So Aaron took this opportunity to get away, and do some more research.

Tag: No one.

OOC: So I will use this as my drop out point. Thank you all again for taking over this game. I leave you the keys to the space station.

 

IC: Andrew Kesler, Tim Warren, Dave Rosefield, Tiffany Deas, Nicolette Riley
Launch Bay - Marco Polo

Kesler slid the last missile into place. "There," he said aloud to himself. "All done." He maneuvered the power loader back a few steps to look at the loaded missiles. "How you doin' over there, Timmy?" he yelled to the opposite side of the dropship.

Tim came walking around the backside of the ship, his power loader's feet CLOMPing on the metallic floor. "All set and ready to go."

The two men walked the power loaders back to the storage area that Mother had revealed for them earlier.

Inside the dropship, Dave Rosefield was double-checking all the straps and chains and everything else that was holding the APC down to the floor of the ship. After all, the vehicle would be a terrible thing to lose.

Across the other side of the ship, Tiffany was securing the two cases in their compartments. The foam inside the cases would keep the contents from rolling around and breaking, so she didn't have to worry about that. Those "scientific instruments" were very expensive. (All tax-payer dollars, mind you.)

And Nikki was headed back down the ramp of the dropship, into the Launch Bay, to see if anybody needed help with anything else.

TAG: all in Launch Bay (which I think is everyone)...

 

OOC: Just a little warning... If you haven't noticed it yet, I've seen error messages pop up today when trying to edit or post in different threads. So, unless you want to possibly lose an entire "IC" post, I suggest copying all the text before hitting the "post reply" button, because it may disappear and you'll lose some awesome post you had. I've seen it happen in the past... *looks at Sith-I-5*

 

OOC: Thank you for the warning. Can't recall the last time I composed a post here. Still, this would have been up sixteen hours ago, but for those errors.


IC: Special-Agent-in-Charge Ian Lamb
Location: The Marco Paolo


The trip to get his Agency vac-suit had been an expensive one, but it said a lot about Ian, that the loss of just one dollar, qualified as worth his notice.

One of the civilian contractors, Dee, a senior, grey-haired female in the bright red one-piece of Maintenance, had bustled about, getting signatures and plaudits for Doctor Aaron?s collection and leaving card.

He had scrawled, Good luck for the future; dropped a coin into an A4 brown envelope; and regarded the woman for a long moment.

?What are we getting him, vouchers??

He knew her type. She would be the one to remember the birthdays. It was going to be a bugger bringing the cakes into work though.

Lamb arrived at the closet near his office, and he considered going in to see what Palmerro was doing that he could not answer the wall communicator, but headed into the walk-in closet.

The light sensors detected his arrival, and flickered on, revealing his and Palmerro?s suits, bulky metal and fabric.
His was cobalt blue, looking like a collection of globes, making up the limbs. The helmet was the crowning glory, as it were, several transparent panels: the main faceplate, plus, curving round the back and over the crown, smaller ancillary windows, that would only have been of any use, if the wearer happened to be a big owl, able to revolve its head the full three-hundred-and-sixty degrees.

?Ah well, this thing is not going to move itself.? He noted aloud, his voice sounding strange in the silent room.

* * * *

Twenty minutes later

He'd had to get a gurney from Medical, and manhandle the blue exo-skeleton onto it, but he managed to steer the ******* thing back into the launch bay, in time for Nikki to emerge from the dropship, and tread down the ramp.

Perspiration his shirt stick to his armpits, and his arms felt like hawsers.
In short, the Special Agent was glad to see her, as he held on to the back of it, lowered his backside towards the deck, and dug his boots in, in an attempt to stop the trolley from running her over.

He wanted to tell her that Doctor Aaron would not be joining them, but all he could manage, panting over the halted gurney, was a plaintive and high-pitched, "Help?"

Tag: Dubya, any

OOC: Mister Master, I don?t know how long it takes to move things out of one house, and into another, so I would hope that when you have done all that, that you could return to the game.

 

IC: Nicolette Riley, Andrew Kesler, Tim Warren, Dave Rosefield, Tiffany Deas (I'm gonna have to start shortening these names...)
Launch Bay - Marco Polo

Kesler and Warren hopped out of their power loaders and stood back to look at them. "Nice piece of machinery," Warren said.

"They are pretty impressive," Kesler responded. He turned around to head back toward the dropship when he saw Nikki grab the other end of the gurney that Ian was pushing.

Nikki tried to get a firm grip on it and said, "Alright, go ahead." She started to pull the gurney while Ian pushed.

Seeing Nikki strain to move the thing, Rosefield ran over to help. "Whoa, whoa. Here, I gotcha," he said as he stood next to Nikki and grabbed the end of the gurney.

TAG: Sith-I-5...

 

I am in a different state helping my grandparents move to another state. So it isn't as simple as moving from one house to another. But when I am done I will try to return.

 

IC: Ian Lamb, Scott Tracy, Mother

With the other's help, he manhandled the gurney up and into the dropship.

"Thanks, Guys." The cop panted, leaning against the inside wall of the dropship, and sliding down it till he was a crouched shape, sitting right at the bottom.

Scott, who had heard the voice, looked over from where he had been checking a rack of ten pulse rifles, "Ah crap, are you back already? I had been hoping we would set off before you got back. The sergeant popped his head out the hatch, "Get those power loaders squared away so that Mother can seal them in before we launch. We don't want them falling to the planet below, do we?"

Tag: Dubya, any

 

IC: Kess, Timmy, Mother
Launch Bay - Marco Polo

"Get those power loaders squared away so that Mother can seal them in before we launch. We don't want them falling to the planet below, do we?"

"No sir," Tim Warren answered, giving a little salute. He and Kesler stepped out of the alcove and back into the Launch Bay. "Mother, shut this door again. We're about ready to leave," Tim said, glancing upward as if expecting to see Mother's face or something.

The door began sliding shut without a response from Mother.

"Perfect," Kesler said. "Let's head out." He and Tim began walking toward the dropship.

TAG: Sithy and whoever...







EDIT: Damn mark-ups

 

IC: Scott Tracy, Ian Lamb, dropship interior
Location: Launch Bay, the Marco Paolo

Once Tim and Andrew moved to put the power loaders away safely, Scott ducked back into the dropship?s dim interior, getting an idea as he came across the cop again.

?Ian, you been in a dropship before??

?Nope.?

?Okay then, you will need to get into that suit of yours for the drop,? The sergeant advised the S-A-C, winking over Lamb?s head to Rosefield, so that the younger man did not give the game away. ?Do you need any help getting it on??

Lamb was not fooled that easily. He made no move to get off the floor, and looked past Scott?s camo?ed legs, towards the gaping rear hatch with some confusion. ?Why do we have to put the suits on up here? Isn?t the ship pressurised? What?s the point in having a starship that isn?t pressurised??

?Well, tell you what, we?ll raise that at the next Weyland-Utani annual general meeting.? The sergeant bent down to hook one arm under Ian?s, in order to help him off the floor. ?C?mon. Up and at ?em.?

Tag: Dubya, Littledawg

 

OOC: Sorry. My parents were on vacation for a week so I had to head to their house when I wasn't at work to take care of their new puppy (ya know, because it's not quite potty-trained yet). But now I've got some free time again.

---

[b]IC: Dave Rosefield and Nicolette Riley
[i]Dropship interior - Launch Bay - Marco Polo[/i][/b]

Seeing Tracy wink, Rosefield cracked a smile then tried to hold it back.

[i]"C'mon. Up and at 'em."[/i] Tracy said, reaching down to hoist Lamb up.

"Yeah, you heard what he said," Rosefield added, grabbing Lambs other arm. "Let's go."

Leaning in the doorway with her arms crossed, Nikki watched the men try to fool SAC Lamb. She rolled her eyes with a half-smile on her face. Boys will be boys. With a quick flit of her head, the strands of strawberry blond hair fluttered back off her face. "Well, whenever you boys are done, I'm ready to head out on this mission." Then she saw Tim and Kesler appear outside the opening of the dropship.

[b]TAG: Sithy, any others...[/b]

 

IC: Doctor Yakamura Misake, Mother, S-A-C Ian Lamb
Location: the Marco Paolo

Doctor Yakamura had abandoned the control room, and was making her way back to her cabin.

?Mother,? The Oriental scientist called out as she neared her quarters, ?is the dropship close to leaving??

Affirmative, Doctor. Missiles have been loaded, and everyone is getting onboard.

Misake nodded, tapping her entry code into the keypad set into the wall next to her door. The portal slid aside, allowing her to see that Scott had returned for his pulse rifle. ?Mother, forward all telemetry from the dropship and APC to my personal screen, as I will be monitoring the mission from my cabin.?

Yes, Doctor.

The woman was pleased with how cooperative the artificial intelligence was being, and hoped it would not ask any awkward questions about what she felt she had to do next.

She tiptoed round the bed to the bathroom, sealing the door to the bathroom, and sighing to herself with resignation, removed the top of the white cistern behind the toilet, to dip her hand in the chilly recycled water, and retrieve what she had dropped in there before.

After a moment, a glowy rectangular halo showed round the edges of the door, followed by utter, empty silence.

* * * *
Dropship Interior
Ian had allowed himself to be helped up by Rosefield and Sergeant Tracy, but waved them off from helping him into his blue space-suit. One, he was not a baby, and two, with it being the only thing between him and hard vacuum, or a poisonous atmosphere, he relied only on himself to test the seals, and all the other integrity checks, though he did allow the lead marine to place the goldfish bowl helmet over his head and lock it into place.

?Okay, we are going to strap you to the wall here.? Scott said, securing Lamb?s left arm to the bulkhead via one of the many black straps draped there. ?Dave, can you get the other arm??

Tag: Dave, others

 

IC: Dave Rosefield, Tim Warren, Andrew Kesler, Tiffany Deas, Nicolette Riley
Dropship interior - Launch Bay of the Marco Polo

"Dave, can you get the other arm?" Tracy had asked.

"On it," Dave Rosefield responded, reaching for the black straps.

Kesler and Warren saw them strapping Lamb in. "What are y--" Kesler started when he was elbowed in the ribs by Tim Warren. While Warren knew what was happening, Kesler was a little more serious. Kess just shook his head and stepped up the ramp into the dropship.

Tiffany Deas walked over toward Nikki, who was still standing in the doorway to the cockpit. "Should we stop them?" she asked.

Nikki remembered back to when she first met this Lamb guy... She then shook her head. "Nah. Let's see what happens."

TAG: Sithy and any others...

 

IC: Sergeant Scott Tracy, Special-Agent-in-Charge Ian Lamb, Dropship Cargo Bay

Tracy stood back to cross his arms to admire his and Dave's handiwork.

There was a thick black band around the torso of Ian's hard-shelled spacesuit, and two vertical straps each was securing both arms against the bulkhead with very little leeway.

The sergeant leaned down to look through Ian's faceplate, and silently mouthed a query at him, intending to give the impression that he was speaking, and that it was the cop who could not hear him.

The sealed arms rattled against the wall as Ian tried to say something, his eyes looking a bit desperate.

This prompted Scott to grin widely, and give the agent a caricatured double thumbs up! He held the pose for a beat, then instantly sobered and turned to the others.

"Right, everyone in the APC. Nikki, back in the cockpit and seal her up please. Nice job, Dave." He indicated Tiffany. "Check her stuff is squared away securely, then get you and her strapped in securely. Hustle, people. Planet X327 will not wait on us."

He made a beeline for the ominous armoured vehicle and stepped up into the open hatch, ducking under the elevated door, suspended over his head in the manner of a gull-wing door on fancy Twentieth Century cars.

The interior was better lit than the docking bay, but was considerably more cramped. He dropped into the seat serving the communications and suit-cam monitoring console, while he waited for the others to embark and take the seats lining the APC's interior walls.

Tag: everyone inside dropship

 

IC: Nikki, and all my other characters...
Dropship interior - still ion the Marco Polo's Launch Bay

Tracy gave some orders and Nikki straightened in the cockpit's doorway. "On it, sir," she responded, giving a little salute. She turned and sat down in the pilot's chair. She looked over the controls and remembered her training. "Okay," she said softly to herself as she put the helmet on. "Here goes nothing." Nikki began flicking switches, which sealed the cockpit door and began to close the back hatch of the dropship.

Elsewhere in the dropship, Dave and Tim filed into the vehicle behind Tracy. Tim took a seat and said, "Wow. Kinda cramped in here."

Dave, on the other hand, was in awe. He was excited to be riding in this tank.

Just outside the APC door, Tiffany double-checked the locks on all the straps and cases one last time and headed for the vehicle.

"Everything secured?" Kesler asked.

"Yup. Ready to go," Tiff answered, climbing into the APC. Kesler watched the back hatch of the dropship close. Then there was a hissing noise as it sealed shut. He glanced over at Lamb, his armored suit strapped to the interior wall.

Shaking his head, Kesler entered the APC and closed the door behind him. He took a seat and began strapping himself in when he heard Nikki's voice echo out of the communication device in the APC's control panel. "Everybody strapped in? If anybody has to use the toilet before we go, speak now."

TAG: Sithy and any others...