"Hurry up Trudy! They'll leave without us." Toby was almost dancing in her doorway. He was almost as anxious as she was to get out into the open. The walls were stifling, and she was pretty sure she had developed a case of claustrophobia over the past years. "Come on," he whined again.

"Shut up you goof, they won't open the hatch unless everyone is there." She just finished putting the rest of her clothes in a duffle bag. She couldn't help but notice the scars on her skin. They were more noticeable now that she was finally getting out. She wondered if she could find a way to cover them up before she took off to find Jake. Then she realized that her face was covered in the deformities. She slung the bag over her shoulder and pushed Toby out of the way. "Come on, let's go, or 'they'll leave without us'!" She tried to put as much sarcasm in that as possible.

Toby, now forced to follow her, made a face and mimicked what she just said. She turned just in time to see him finish and punched him in the shoulder. Hard. He rubbed the spot and glared at her. "You better hope that doesn't bruise."

"Yeah? Or what? You gonna shove something down my shirt?"

"I could do that."

"That'd be the last thing you ever do, brainiac." Her mood had definitely improved ever since she stepped out of Director Hendrix's office. She had known before she left that she was on the list. She could still feel the sweat dripping down her back.

The office was one of the nicer rooms in the complex. The walls were covered with walnut paneling and several bookshelves were arranged for easy access. She noticed some authors she remembered from grade school, Charles Dickens, Shakespeare, Mark Twain. She probably would never read those. Too many big words and characters she would never really understand. The director himself sat behind his desk, his computer casting a faint light on his features.

His beady brown eyes seemed to watch her over his plump cheeks, and he kept twirling the end of his thick mustache like some 20th century evil villain. "Sit, please." Trudy did as instructed and sat with her back stiff. His constant stare made him seem taller than a Na'vi, and he did have the power to revoke her request. "So, you want to get out of her just as bad as everyone else, eh?"

"Yes sir," she said. She was scared, oh yes, but she wouldn't show it to this walrus of a man. "I belong in the open, not cooped up underground like some ant." She clutched a fistful of her pants, recently cleaned and ironed for just this occasion. "I am also qualified for security detail. I have weapons certifications to prove it."

"Yes," Hendrix said, "I'm well aware of your military past. It's your future I'm worried about. It would be very unfortunate if you were to be injured in the jungle." He stood and lit a cigar that he took from its box on his desk. The stench was almost a relief, something other than recycled air. "However, you do prove a point. We have a limited amount of security personnel here. You would be an invaluable asset on the trip. That's why I'm letting you go."

Trudy exhaled. She didn't know that she had been holding her breath, but now that the worst was over, she could rest easy.

That was three days ago. She really was happy it was over. Hendrix may hold no true power over her, but he was a very intimidating man. "Were you nervous in front of Hendrix," she asked Toby.

"Are you kidding?" Toby shook his head and smiled. "Who wasn't? Hell, I want out of her just as bad as the next guy. I'm just glad that I got chosen."

"You sound like it was some religious act of god that he chose you."

"Who's to say it wasn't?"

"Oh god," she said, "don't throw your religious crap at me again."

"What did I say?" Toby was one of the only Christians in the complex. They all got together every Sunday and read their bibles and prayed. They usually kept it quiet in the commons, so no one really cared what they did.

The doorway to the outside was coming up. Her heart began to beat a little faster with every step. She grabbed her mask, hanging on her belt, and slid it over her face.

"Listen up people," the lead officer was saying, "Out there is hell. Don't fall behind, don't go off alone, and don't take off your masks." He opened the door to the air lock and went in. It was small, so it only held a few people at a time. It wasn't long before her turn came up, and she stepped over the ridge hesitantly. Toby was there and he gave her a reassuring pat on the back. There was a hiss and she felt the pressure change as oxygen was pumped out, and the toxic atmosphere was pumped in. She took a deep breath through her exo-pack, just to make sure it was working. The stale, recycled air greeted her nostrils.

The outer door opened and she stepped out. Everyone who had gone before her was loading up the jeeps and buggies in a giant garage. There was also a large trailer hitched to a truck. There were supplies strapped down to the flatbed, probably building materials for their camp. Trudy had finagled her way into getting herself a buggy with Toby. Nobody would think anything of it; they were practically like a brother and sister. She dumped her duffle in the basket on the back and climbed in the driver seat. It wasn't the same as her Samson, but it would do. Toby climbed in behind her and sat down. "Can I see your license and registration," he asked.

Trudy gave him what he asked. A fist in the air with just one finger raised. "How's that work for ya?"

"Looks legitimate," he said with a laugh, "proceed then."

She hit the ignition and it roared to life. Her foot tapped the gas pedal and the rev of the engine vibrated the entire frame. "Oh yeah, I'm gonna like this." Toby laughed at her from the back.

They had to wait for everyone else to get packed up. It only took a few minutes but those few minutes seemed like an eternity to her. The start up of each vehicle was like a choir: pleasant to the ear. The vehicles moved into a single file line in front of the metal door. Someone pushed a button somewhere and the doors slid open with a squeal. She revved her engine again and heard others do the same. Everybody was anxious to get on the way.

With a honk of the horn, the lead jeep peeled out and headed off into the jungle. Everyone else felt the air of the situation and did almost the same thing. Trudy did, but she added a yell of triumph to it. With a squeal of the tires, she took off after the buggy in front of her. The uneven terrain reminded her of turbulence in the air, but this had an almost rhythmic feel to it.

The greenery was a welcome sight. The gray walls had long ago become eyesore, and the bio-lab was starting to become too familiar. The randomness of the forest was something she could enjoy. She couldn't wait for night to fall. She had never really been outside when it was night, only seeing what the windows would let her, and whatever the plants in the lab had shown her. She almost felt giddy, like one of the scientists.

The convoy drove at full speed for a few hours, dipping and diving under giant roots of trees and through small creeks and rivers. The shrubbery flew by in a green blur and the rocks she couldn't see jolted her through her harness and rattled her teeth. Every now and then she let loose a laugh of pure joy. This was great. Finally, she was free, no walls to hold her, no ceiling that kept her grounded. This was how she was meant to live her life.

Eventually the fun had to end though. The buggy in front of her slowed down, forcing her to do the same. The rest of the convoy came into view then, all parked in a circle at the base of one of Pandora's great trees. Its roots gave them 180 degrees of protection, probably why the lead had chosen this as their base of operations. She parked the buggy and cut the engine. She just sat there for a while, taking in the fact that she was free. Some of the security officers and scientist started to take the materials off of the flatbed. There was only a limited amount of light left, and they had to get the camp up and going.

She unstrapped her harness and climbed out of her seat. Toby was already there and waiting for her, her duffle bag slung over his shoulder. "Come on," he said, "let's go help. The faster we get this done, the quicker we eat."

"Of course," she said, "you're a man. Food is constantly on your brain."