Chapter 06
Chiris-157 was a small planet, just outside the fringe of "Occupied Space". It was arid, with a perpetual twilight, but it had a viable atmosphere and some vegetation- allowing for certain life forms to live in.
Having been deemed to small for colonization and terra-forming, it was instead set aside for the establishment of a special Scientific Research Facility- funded and formed by the Wayland-Yutani Corporation.
And now the USCM Drop-Ship was headed straight towards it. The mission was simple- to go in and find any survivors and any data on the research being done there. The time frame was perfect. The Cruiser happened to be close enough when the problem arose and they quickly change course for Chiris- 157.
It certainly was a strike of luck that they were on their way back from the previous mission when the Ship's computer received the distress call from the planet, and after a conference with the USCM Headquarters back on Earth- and the okay from the Corporation and Blake- they were off.
Everyone was put into Cryogenic Suspension so that that ship could divert power from the life-support systems so that it would have enough power to make a special Worp-Jump to Chiris-157 in just seven days (instead of the months that the old travel methods took).
At least that was what they were supposed to believe!
***
The Drop-ship finally entered the planet's atmosphere!
"Prep for entry into planets atmosphere." Redford instructed Frost.
"Right." She replied.
The ship began trembling as it drew closer towards Chiris-157.
"How's the outer shell holding up?" Redford asked.
"Outer shell at One-hundred percent and holding." She replied.
Redford sighed. "Good, we should be hitting the primary oxygen threshold in five minutes." He replied.
***
Rita looked over at Artorus for a moment, curious to try and gauge his mood at the moment. He just simply opened his mouth wide for a toothy canine yawn, giving a good view of his sharp teeth as his did so.
She laughed inwardly, thinking how it reminded her of the way her dog would yawn when she was a little girl.
"How are you doing?" Cathy asked her suddenly, bringing her back to reality.
"A little nervous, I guess." She admitted, shifting in her seat as she spoke. She was starting to feel embarrassed by her own behavior. After all, staring was not polite.
***
Artorus was busy thinking about the mission ahead of him. He was a little board at the moment, seeing as how nothing was really happening. But now he was trying to piece together some kind of strategy for what he would do when they reached the facility.
Everyone looked about, from within the APC, as the chamber that they resided in began to rattle violently- a side effect of the Drop Ship's entry into the planet's atmosphere.
"Yeeeee-haaaa!!!" A Marine suddenly exclaimed from his shaking vantage point. Many would later suspect that McKenzie had been the culprit.
"Oh yeah!!!" A second voice added. Possibly Jackson.
Artorus looked around, at his comrades. He could see that Blake and Jaeger were sitting there, both giving off an image of perfect calmness. It also looked as though Haggert- the team's medic- was praying. And then, there was Hernandez- who was holding the little crucifix- that hung from his neck- in his hands and calmly reciting some holy verses.
Artorus suddenly felt guilty that he hadn't had the foresight to perform some sort of faith-based ritual of his own. He had been raised to be Catholic, but had been rather neglectful of his spiritual development in recent years. "I wonder how many 'Hail-Maries' I'll have to do when I get back." He thought to himself with a grin.
***
Blake looked around at their surroundings. The whole place was gray and barren, but it was livable. He squinted as he spotted the facility off in the distance. He raised up his hand, as if to signal to some unseen entity. Just as he did so, the large Armored Personal Carrier rolled down the ramp from the Drop Ship and stopped just behind him.
He turned on his com-link and spoke into it, instructing Redford and Frost to wait for them in the Drop Ship until he gave them the signal to join up with them once they were finished with their mission.
***
The marines were packed into the APC.
Blake was driving and Jaeger was sitting the passenger seat, Jackson was above them in the gunner turret, and McKenzie was sitting in the navigator's chair- looking at a small computer screen.
The other marines were buckled into their seats, waiting as the vehicle moved on towards the facility.
The facility was now dead ahead.
~End of Chapter 6~
Sorry about the short chapter, but I've been real busy with work and everything. Next time, they'll go into the facility.
-Bojack727
Chiris-157 was a small planet, just outside the fringe of "Occupied Space". It was arid, with a perpetual twilight, but it had a viable atmosphere and some vegetation- allowing for certain life forms to live in.
Having been deemed to small for colonization and terra-forming, it was instead set aside for the establishment of a special Scientific Research Facility- funded and formed by the Wayland-Yutani Corporation.
And now the USCM Drop-Ship was headed straight towards it. The mission was simple- to go in and find any survivors and any data on the research being done there. The time frame was perfect. The Cruiser happened to be close enough when the problem arose and they quickly change course for Chiris- 157.
It certainly was a strike of luck that they were on their way back from the previous mission when the Ship's computer received the distress call from the planet, and after a conference with the USCM Headquarters back on Earth- and the okay from the Corporation and Blake- they were off.
Everyone was put into Cryogenic Suspension so that that ship could divert power from the life-support systems so that it would have enough power to make a special Worp-Jump to Chiris-157 in just seven days (instead of the months that the old travel methods took).
At least that was what they were supposed to believe!
***
The Drop-ship finally entered the planet's atmosphere!
"Prep for entry into planets atmosphere." Redford instructed Frost.
"Right." She replied.
The ship began trembling as it drew closer towards Chiris-157.
"How's the outer shell holding up?" Redford asked.
"Outer shell at One-hundred percent and holding." She replied.
Redford sighed. "Good, we should be hitting the primary oxygen threshold in five minutes." He replied.
***
Rita looked over at Artorus for a moment, curious to try and gauge his mood at the moment. He just simply opened his mouth wide for a toothy canine yawn, giving a good view of his sharp teeth as his did so.
She laughed inwardly, thinking how it reminded her of the way her dog would yawn when she was a little girl.
"How are you doing?" Cathy asked her suddenly, bringing her back to reality.
"A little nervous, I guess." She admitted, shifting in her seat as she spoke. She was starting to feel embarrassed by her own behavior. After all, staring was not polite.
***
Artorus was busy thinking about the mission ahead of him. He was a little board at the moment, seeing as how nothing was really happening. But now he was trying to piece together some kind of strategy for what he would do when they reached the facility.
Everyone looked about, from within the APC, as the chamber that they resided in began to rattle violently- a side effect of the Drop Ship's entry into the planet's atmosphere.
"Yeeeee-haaaa!!!" A Marine suddenly exclaimed from his shaking vantage point. Many would later suspect that McKenzie had been the culprit.
"Oh yeah!!!" A second voice added. Possibly Jackson.
Artorus looked around, at his comrades. He could see that Blake and Jaeger were sitting there, both giving off an image of perfect calmness. It also looked as though Haggert- the team's medic- was praying. And then, there was Hernandez- who was holding the little crucifix- that hung from his neck- in his hands and calmly reciting some holy verses.
Artorus suddenly felt guilty that he hadn't had the foresight to perform some sort of faith-based ritual of his own. He had been raised to be Catholic, but had been rather neglectful of his spiritual development in recent years. "I wonder how many 'Hail-Maries' I'll have to do when I get back." He thought to himself with a grin.
***
Blake looked around at their surroundings. The whole place was gray and barren, but it was livable. He squinted as he spotted the facility off in the distance. He raised up his hand, as if to signal to some unseen entity. Just as he did so, the large Armored Personal Carrier rolled down the ramp from the Drop Ship and stopped just behind him.
He turned on his com-link and spoke into it, instructing Redford and Frost to wait for them in the Drop Ship until he gave them the signal to join up with them once they were finished with their mission.
***
The marines were packed into the APC.
Blake was driving and Jaeger was sitting the passenger seat, Jackson was above them in the gunner turret, and McKenzie was sitting in the navigator's chair- looking at a small computer screen.
The other marines were buckled into their seats, waiting as the vehicle moved on towards the facility.
The facility was now dead ahead.
~End of Chapter 6~
Sorry about the short chapter, but I've been real busy with work and everything. Next time, they'll go into the facility.
-Bojack727