One hour and a half later they had arrived at Dooplux 8, and Fry had finally emerged from his cabin, eyes slightly bloodshot, but wearing another false smile nonetheless. He greeted his friends with forged enthusiasm, then went to the hold to prepare to unload the crates full of medical supplies.
As the other two joined him, Leela and Fry put on their flight suits and oxygen tanks (Bender not needing one as he doesn't breathe) and stood on the portion of the hold that would lower them onto the planet's surface.
"Helmets on. And lowering in 3, 2, 1." Leela said in her official, captain voice.
She pressed the button on the hold's side and they felt the floor beneath them descend. The air around them was murky, with a slight tinge of green, and they stumbled over a few rocks before finally managing to pull the dolly's and crates into suitable, and easy to carry positions.
"Everyone okay?" she asked. The other two nodded as she checked her own, and Fry's suit for leaks, but found none.
"Good then, let's go. We'll continue forwards in a northerly direction. If I piloted the ship correctly, we shouldn't have to make any detours, and just continue in a direct route."
Fry and Bender nodded again, although it was hard to tell through the gloom, and the three of them started off, carrying the crates.
Neither Leela or Fry talked during the journey, as they were both trying to conserve oxygen, but Bender reminisced freely, telling them another of his scandals, or what he called, "Free Enterprise".
Occasionally, Bender would catch Fry throwing him sidelong looks, but every time he faced him, Fry would look away and pretend he was occupied in something else. His feet for instance.
Bender frowned at this, puzzled as to why his friend was being so distant with him. He thought back over the past few days, and didn't recall doing anything that would normally get him upset. Stealing his wallet (while he was still awake), choking him, or even trying to crush his dreams by retorting back during arguments. In fact, they had barely exchanged a word these past few days.
Bender was broken from thought, as Leela's voice cut through the silence.
"We're here...,"
From up front, the base looked like a colossal wall no different from the rest of the planet's
rocky exterior. But closer inspection revealed that a faint rectangular outline was visible, with an inscription to it's right. "Delivery Entrance," in small, roughly hewn letters. Leela walked up to it, and began inspecting the surrounding rock for any sign of some sort of button or device which might allow them passageway.
From above of them, a voice, distorted slightly by a metallic rumbling could be heard.
"State the password please,"
Leela checked the crate for the delivery number, and underneath in neat, typed letters was a message of some sorts. Leela read it out.
"Alohamora,"
The sound of metal on metal was heard, and the crew stepped backwards as the rock before them opened way to a passage in the craggy rockface.
"Proceed forwards a couple of hundred metres, then take the elevator on your left to the bridge and converse with the person you see there to drop off the delivery. Have a nice day,"
A click came from the voice as it was switched off, and then silence.
Bender removed a beer from his chest compartment, drained it whole and tossed the contents into the nearby undergrowth before facing his two crewmembers.
"You guys just gonna stand there all day or what?! Come on, i got better things i could be doin'..."
And with that he turned and walked steadily into the darkening tunnel.
"If it's a DOOP base, that means that Zapp's likely to be there...," Leela groaned and followed Bender.
Fry remained outside for a few more seconds, before sighing, and following his comrades.