| Insurgency - Resurrection Chamber |
| Summary: | The recon of the cylon baseship, from the perspective of the first squad of marines. |
| Date: | PHD 274 (January 17, 2010) |
| Related Logs: | Insurgency - Control Center |
| Players: |
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Aft Corridor Network
Once past the Landing Terminal, the ship's interior design lends itself back to streamlined and efficient. It's a maze of long corridors, broken up by support beams like silver slivered ribs. Lighting is recessed, circular ambient fixtures line the walls in a grid work pattern, their illumination slowly and subtly pulsing with the thrum of the ship. Larger square shaped boxes shed light from above, casting uniformed pools of light on the deck.
The interior of the cylon capital ship is oddly.. quiet. There is a soft thrum pulsing along the walls like a timpani heartbeat, illuminating the gridwork white then red then white again in lazy sequence. The air is slightly on the warm side, like an Aquarian beach in late summer. The heavy combat gear makes it almost sweltering in here.
The Marines, having separated back in the Hangar bay, continue their sweep of the basestar. And so far besides the womb like comments that the bay got, The corridors themselves provide a moment of silence from Tombs as he continues to edge along, with his rifle pointed away from the man's back in front of him. Moving to cover Volker's side as they move quietly along the hallway, The Captain, doesn't even pause to spit a stream of tobacco on the ground. "Shit gets weird and weirder." more or less to himself. "Let's keep are chitter soft, eyes peeled." That goes without saying.
Ashe walks in the tail end of the group, watching the six as they move and being careful of where he steps. Keep the chitter soft? Swift is about to make a comment regarding that before he bites his lip and actually does what's suggested. Be wary of lightning strikes.
Volker keeps a close eye on his spacing. Close enough to assist Panda, but far enough away that a grenade won't nail them both. It's possible he's only thinking about such things due to the round ordinance clipped to his vest, but whatever works, right? As they move, the Sarge eyeballs damn near everything. "The fact we've got air in here unnerves me enough." What? He thought it was a good point.
Kellin walks along with the squad, hsi rifel pointed to one side at the ready. As he moves he's constantly scanning the area, for anythign, IED's mostly.
Barnabas' foot catches in something, and it nearly takes him down completely. The bright flash of an illuminated panel briefly outlines a human shape on the floor. Blonde. Or at least, it was blonde, at one point. Its head is cracked open and swimming in half-drained blood, it's body broken nearly in half at the spine, limbs sprawled akimbo. And then the hall is plunged into darkness again. And lit up.
It really is warm in here.
Panda is surprisingly sure-footed on the pulpy flooring, and he reaches out every so often to feel the various types of biomatter they come across. At the sound of stumbling and the sudden flickers of light he wheels against the wall, looking quickly ahead and behind. There's no keen of a close explosion in his ear, though, so he waits for a bit in case they need to halt.
Barney stumbles. He's got enough time to catch the outline of the shape at his feet before the lights cut out, and when they flicker back up, his arm is raised, fist closed. The blood pools at his boots, and the Sarge crouches for a closer look, giving a low whisper. "Standing in brain matter, boss. Somethin's screwed up here." Yes, he may have made a face.
Nothing like being in the shit of it ain't it. However when Volker's stumbling Tombs is quick to turn a rifle up, and cover the position, and thankfully not shoot the Sergeant like a lame horse that just tripped in the big race. You'll live this time, Barnabas. Even as the sweat comes down, Tombs doesn't seem to make a comment about the frakking heat, but what Barnabas tripped over, does cause the Captain to pause as eyes trail to the body. "What in the shit, is that.." Spit-and eyes are up to the hall again.
"Frakkin' lights.." And yes he's moving over to crouch beside Barnabas. hand up to hold here for a tick. "Did you step in her brains, or her face?" because-well he wants to get a look.
The face. Half face. Well, the rictus expression of shock, anyway, stares back up at Barnabas. Hello!
Kellin stops as the lights go out, then moves two paces to the left if he can, dropping to a crouch. Scanning the area he looks over as Barney calls out the situation.
"Last I heard, Cylon's don't have brains. POW?" Ashe inquires in a quiet voice from his place in the back. He seems most comfortable there. Looking only for a moment to glance forward then return attention to their rear.
"Quiet!" Panda hisses, glaring back at the team as they're illuminated. The panel goes red, and when it's white again the scout has his helmet off and his ear quite literally to the ground. The bullpup rifle is still held in his right hand, sort of; it's more pinned betweenthe deck and his right.
"I'm great at kicking, but I ain't that good." Barney's crouched, so it's only a little movement to close the staring eyes with gloved fingers. He's giving the corpse's odd rigor another once-over when "If it was a POW, they ain't obeying any accor-" his head snaps up, rifle following. Panda's doing his job. Shoulders raise as he breathes softly, trying to catch a sound.
Tombs looks back up towards where the LC is, as one gloved hand is reaching to move hair from the deceased face-see if it is anyone that looks familiar. As for Ashe's question he says jack and shit for now. Instead eyes are focused back over to Panda "Get your helmet back on!" That, more or less hissed back over to the Lance, before he's watching Barnabas. He can't hear shit, but he's mildly aware something is going on. Colour him clueless for this split second, or so.
"Movement." Swift whispers from his place in the back looking down the corridor from where they just came. The words are directed up towards Tombs over his shoulder before he falls silent once more.
Hand moves, coming to press against his throat carefully. Eyes looking back down the hallway, as it seems movement has been detected. Quick words spouted into the wireless, as tones remain lower. So there is movement, and now his hackles are rising just a tad, even if he can't hear it. Well this should be lovely.
There is nothing. Just the whisper of the ship's incessant heartbeat, a sound so constant it grows unpleasant on the ears. The uncomfortable heat. The bright light, and then the utter lack of light. The smell of blood and gore and the sound of machinery.
Yes, there's definitely a new sound in the mix, now. A whiir clank of gears turning, and the blood-caked floor beneath their feet shudders very softly with it, on occasion.
Panda stays down there for a moment longer, sweating it out from more than the humidity. He rolls back against the wall, taking cover as he sets the helmet on his head. He raps his helmet, shrugs, and makes a circling motion. Very carefully he backpedals toward the group until close enough for a stage whisper to be clear. "Tin cans patrolling. Not close." The straps of his helmet dangle loose, explained a moment later by him pulling a grenade out of his pouch.
[TAC1] Tombs says, "Lieutenant, sound off. I need a status report."
Kellin looks back the way they came as Ashe speaks, then is very glad he's crouched as the floor moves a bit. Gripping his Rifle a bit better he continues to scan the area, more carefully now.
Barney takes a knee, keeping the rifle raised. This makes it two for two on ops in which his blacks are soaked in blood that isn't his. Ah, routine. His finger stays outstreched above the trigger of his rifle, tapping out a soft beat on the side of the firearm. Tap, tap, tap. Tap, tap, tap. The glow on his face of the powered optical sight showing a furrowed brow. The taking a knee helps with the floor motion, at least.
Tombs waits to hear back from Lieutenant Nikos-Marek, or whatever she goes by now, as his hand slips from his throat, moving to reach to the end of his rifle. A slight change in posture as he angles to get a better, or rather clearer shot should something come around, and so he doesn't hit Barny. That would be bad. "How far off?" whispered back towards Panda. "And is it coming or going?" Now, just picking up the whirl clunk..Well, it probably means coming if he's catching it now.
[TAC1] Salazar says, "We've got a few bodies in the corridor, and a lot of blood. No metal resistance yet."
Panda shrugs his shoulders. "Not close but… closing?" he hisses, hurrying back down the hall to take cover at a frame beam. The Captain can figure out what to do from there, he knows all Panda knows.
The corridor links up with another corridor, spanning starboard to port. At their intersection, the paneled lighting forms a nexus. Thrum, thrum, thrum. With each beat, the walls are illuminated like a flash in the pan, then fade away again to a near-dark that makes navigation briefly difficult again. Two beats. Three. The sound, the heat, the smell of blood are precipitous and foreboding.
On the fourth beat, a red laser sight cuts through the gloom, from the direction of the crosswise hall. It scans up and down, then swings left, accompanied by the distinctive scrape and whiiir of machinery. From the sound of it, two sets of 'feet'. A standard two-centurion patrol. Fifty feet away and closing fast.
[TAC1] Tombs says, "Roger that, we've got a patrol coming in. Keep me apprised, Over."
Hearing the Centurions before he sees them, considering Ashe is facing their backside, he glances up to see if he can discern instructions from Tombs regarding fallout pattern. At least there are a lot of bodies between him and the Centurions, making his bullet soaking abilities less called for.
Barney sloshes through the goop at his knees, breaking forward to take a beam parallel to Panda. His hand was reaching for it's own little grenade fun the second Panda was moving. From his 'cover', Panda gets a curt little nod.
Kellin moves so he has a line of fire down the Corridor, shouldering his SMI 80 and settling into a good fighting position, waiting.
"Spread out if you can.." This is always the worst case scenario, being stuck in a corridor of an enemy ship with little cover, and jack and shit to do to watch your asses. As it stands Tombs is bringing up his rifle, and moving into position along the wall. "Alright, Atjai and Volker, Elemri, and Swift. Try an pick a spot and get into firing positions. Minute they come into range, before they can lock- we'll load into them.." a curse, and the wad of tobacco is spat out completely. Let's do this marines.
Panda points to himself, then gestures with the grenade along the ground; he points to Barnabas, then makes a high lobbing motion. "… or…" he mouths, and makes a punching motion.
Barney replies with the in-universe approximation of a baseball pitch, considering the distance. Then with a quick nod, he starts to count down with fingers on the other hand.
If things could possibly get any worse, there is a sound originating from the hallway behind the group. A similar shriek and grind and clang of machinery, and a wetter sound like blood and entrails being shuffled through by steel parts. Another red laser sight dances over the walls, skims over Ashe at the back of the pack, then returns, pointed square between his eyes. Two more centurions, trapping the group in a classic pincer move. The two that appeared in the crossing corridor have stepped into plain sight now, and lift their arms in unison. The sound of heavy weaponry being brandished is a sickening one of metal breaking, locking into place and reforming.
And then, they begin firing.
The whirr clank behind him has Ashe turning to look and eyes widening some. "Six." He calls out, hissing it under his breath but it's too late as red dots line up on his far to pretty face. Pulling his rifle trigger, the Marine throws himself against the far side of the corridor from where he was, attempting to avoid getting turned into Barnabas.
Kellin waits as the Patrol approaches, then selecting his target he raises his rifle and fires a quick short burst, striking the Centurion as it's gets blown around by the Grenades, finishing off thier work.
Panda rolls his grenade along the floor with his left, the releasing spoon with nothing to push against causing it to spin and skitter. Dorian doesn't watch; he ducks back around cover and brings his rifle up to his shoulder. His priorities: Suppressing fire in the opposite direction (thank the stars that Centurions are taller than crouching people), and finding cover for the rearward counterattack.
[TAC1] Salazar says, "We've got incoming up our six, cutting us off from the Bay. Unknown number."
Give Tombs some credit, as the two rednecks in front of him lob Grenades, he pops up, over Volker's shoulder, to fire off a round into one of the incoming Tin cans, catching it in the chest, before the grenades take care of the rest. There's a turn though, as one bullet whizzes by, and the other plunks the Sergeant in the helmet. "Rear! Turn!" the command is barked out as he swivels his rifle, and plugs off a few rounds, as a retaliatory action. No one frakking shoots at him and gets away with it.
By sheer force of luck, Ashe is able to avoid taking the bullet destined for his face, rolling his shoulder up into the way and wincing as he feels the LMG bullet light into his arm. The sound of frag grenades has his arm covering his face momentarily before he spins around and brings his rifle up towards the rear at the orders from Tombs, starting to open fire.
When Barney's fingers hit zero, the frag grenade is released from his hand in an almost form-perfect baseball pitch, spoon released just in time for it to detonate in mid-air between two tin cans. He's got no time to cheer, as he's reeling forward from a round catching him square in the back of the helmet, twisting his body to land flat on his back in blood. Good times. The rifle slung across his chest is in a perfect spot to fire on the rear targets though, so it kind of worked out okay.
[TAC1] "Surgeon" Logan says, "Tombs, Surgeon. Be advised we have at least one hostile in the landing bay. Will advise when we know more. Out.""
Machinegun fire lights up the narrow corridor, a sudden rattatattat of ear splitting sound as the centurions' heavy weapons lay into the Colonials without reproach. Their red eyes are dimly glowing sentinels in a heavily armoured mask of indifference. The pair at the front of the group hit nothing but wall and floor, while the pair trained on Ashe manage to nick him— only to be destroyed by the frag grenades tossed their way. The explosion rocks the hallway and blows a few lit panels, spraying more blood and gore across the marines.
Yes, the ship itself bleeds.
[TAC1] Tombs says, "Surgeon, Deal with it right now, we're cut off from you at the current, we'll hoof it back as soon as we're able. Over"
[TAC1] "Surgeon" Logan says, "Copy that. Already on it."
[TAC1] Salazar says, "Tombs, are you getting whimsical with explosives?"
[TAC1] Tombs says, "Marek, Tombs. Give me…" and sounds of gunfire.."A few frakkin' seconds here.."
Kellin grimly continues to pick his targets, firing another burst at the next Centurion who steps up to dance with the Marines. Unlike some he's silent as he shoots.
Even as a round catches him Low, it doesn't seem to finish off the Captain. Just a bark of a curse, as His bullet slams into the Centurion, as another kill shot seems to score. Remind him to mark it down in his Journal later. Still there's one more Centurion between the marines and the bay. What's the call? Ice it of course, as he's directing his rage, and bullets there.
Amidst the rattle of machinegun fire, the grind of metal, the squelch of boots slipping in blood and gore, the sound of the ship's 'heartbeat' pounding more quickly might not be noticed. Red light races across the corridor faster and faster, like it's high on adrenaline. The darkness in between becomes more pronounced, and the whiiring of machinery from the other end of the corridor they crossed can barely be made out.
Barnabas gives a squeeze of the trigger before rolling. Yes, rolling towards the wall and one of the side beams. Apparently being covered in blood is more appealing than standing up under fire. It's probably a good choice, considering a line of bullet-blood splashes follow him all the way to the wall. he ends up still on his back, rifle pointing down between his knees. The guy is giving birth to bullets, basically.
With the Centurions not attacking him, Swift is able to line up better shots, although he heavily favors that shot arm. Regardless, a series of burst fire rips out of his rifle towards the first Centurion before switching to the other once it starts sputtering.
Panda duck-walks ahead, and now that there's only one visible Centurion he takes a moment of time to actually line up his sights. The trigger is squeezed, his rifle bucks, and Panda keeps moving forward.
The lone remaining centurion fires again and again and again, but its shots are all wild, and only succeed in gouging the walls and ripping hunks of paneling away with a sick sound of shredding flesh.
Ashe may comment at a later time about the rather surprising and disturbing fact that the ship makes squishy noises rather then clingy noises when shot. In the interm however he keeps up his shooting upon the Centurion.
Kellin shifts position a bit to get a better angle of fire, firing as he moves taking a few more chunks out of the Centurion.
"Zeus's frakking balls put it down, you shits!" This more or less yelled to the quartet of marines under his command. Gun still a blazing, it seems that Tombs is not going to let up until this wounded piece of scrap is put down.
"LA RECALCADA CONCHA DE TU PUTA MADRE!" Barney is yelling at the top of his lungs, and it still is only barely audible over the noise of gunfire in the corridor. He also looks pretty pissed, but that much should be obvious by the appearance of Thracian.
"Frak this!" Panda barks and drops to a knee. He waits, waits, even waits after the panel under the Toaster to light up white. The red darkness is staved off for a brief moment by the flare of his muzzle.
The last centurion goes down much like its predecessors, metal body torn to shreds by rifle rounds from the Colonial Marines. It spins its gun arm, red eye focusing on Barnabas as it tries to take its last shots— but is plugged with a few rounds from his weapon right in the chest. Knocked back a few paces, it fires uselessly into the ceiling, shots walking a neat line through the panels of pulsing lights with a resultant shatter and squelch of things bursting. And then it topples backwards, hits the wall on its way down, and is still.
There is a creak and a groan of metal settling, then nothing but the drum-like beat of the ship's aspiration.
Kellin shifts to scan the corridor as the last Tincan falls "Hey Skipper, we might want to bugout from this spot, the fighting my attract more of'm"
Barney's mouth opens once more, letting out a long, lung-draining gutteral yell while muzzle flash dances precariously close to his legs until his gun clicks empty. He's got his pistol in his hand before most folks could blink, but before he can fire, the giant form of the centurion topples, and is out for the count. His yell slowly fades off. He's completely covered in blood from head to toe as a result of the rolling, amd there's a piece of metal just under the rim of his helmet that looks suspiciously like the shiny metal of an exploded centurion sticking quite deep into his forehead. The Sarge hasn't noticed. He hasn't noticed much, really. Most of what he can hear is a loud ringing noise.
With the Centurion down Tombs lowers his rifle, for a moment, before he's looking over to the other men under his command. "Volker, you, and Atjai, I am going to send down towards the Hangar bay. Our rides are getting shot to shit, and they need some back up." And there's a wince as Tombs angles himself to look down the opposite hallway. "Don't throw grenades, we got nukes in place. But, go cover our ride's asses, will you?" He's at least sending two of his group. The others will be moving with him. And with that he's grunting to press his hand to his neck. Time to send a message.
[TAC1] Tombs says, "Surgeon, Tombs. Sending two Marines back to help out. Keep me posted, Over."
Panda doesn't take cover but instead charges forward after all those spanging bullets. "C'mon c'mon c'mon" he hisses with each footstep, urging the lighting to come back. As much as he wants to do this, he really doesn't want to get shot up for it. He misses the lighting change on account of the bulletholes in the ceiling leaking blood over his goggles. Still, he does it: With a wordless shriek he stomps on the chest of a downed Centurion, then shoves his bayonet into cowl and fires a burst at contact distance into the 'neck' of the thing.
Swift glances over at Tombs as he makes the call then clears his throat, "Sir, you're shot up. If you need to fall back I can meander my way onward. Little more expendable these days and you're far less so." There's a pause before the Corporal adds, "Denied? Alright. Just thought I'd put it out there. Barney, take luck."
"Nix, Volker, Atjai, stay, Jenks, Colton, you head back." A shake of his head as hands, reaching to raise the frakking goggles out of his eyes. "Can't see shit with this blood shit.." Hell it smells like blood, red like blood, it's frakking weird as shit. Tombs is motioning the two others on. "Rest of you pack up, we're moving up." And now he's taking the lead. There's some muttering all the same.
There's a little falter as Barnabas stands, almost like the floor doesn't want to let him go just yet. With a small shake of the head to clear the cobwebs, Atjai's getting a slap upside the back of the helmet to fall in. Ignore Barney giving a very uncharacteristic-yet-subtle punt to the downed tin can's robognads. Or at least blame the possible concussion. Speaking of which, the Sarge finally looks upwards to note the piece of metal sticking out of his forehead. The blood trickling along the edge of his eye helped with noticing. As he falls in line, he can't help but mutter a soft "Heh. Ow." Like it's the funniest thing he's seen all week.
"Anyone else a little concerned by the fact that the ship seems to be like, bleeding?" Ashe comments as they prep to head out. He motions towards the wall that is oozing some a bit more than previously.
Kellin glances at the bleeding walls "Almost like we are in a living thing" He shrugs "Maybe this is where they birth all those lookalikes?" Moving out with the rest.
[TAC1] Tombs says, "Eltee, Tombs. Give me a sitrep?"
The hallway appears to come to a terminus up ahead. Fifty, sixty feet away. There is a room bathed in bright white light, also pulsing with the ship's erratic 'heartbeat'.
[TAC1] Salazar says, "Our new friends are down. Moving out to continue the mission. Not major injuries our side."
Panda stomps on the steel skull when he's done, releasing a frustrated grunt. He hurries forward with Barnabas, swapping his empty mag for a fresh one. The goggles come off, get wiped on his clothing… wiped again… wiped again and then just tucked into his kit. Deal with them later.
[TAC1] "Surgeon" Logan says, "Tombs, Surgeon. We are taking heavy fire from two toasters. Four injured, one critical. Over."
[TAC1] Tombs says, "Copy that. Eltee, if you have any Aux not wounded, send em back to the Bay, they're taking heavy fire. Over."
The centurion's red eye flickers, and then fades completely when Ajtai gives its head a good stomp. Toast. Which is fitting, really.
Barney stopped being concerned about the walls the second he started doing his impression of Carrie. With a final glace to the piece of metal in his head, he re-shoulders the rifle and starts moving. There's a little furrow of the brow at the sounds of the radio, but only a little one. Any more than that hurts like a bitch.
Tombs is whistling back to his men, as his hand is waving at the marines to continue on. They're not going to hang out in the frakking killing floor for long. He's moving to kick them on further down the corridor. "Pick it up Marines, we have a deadline to make. Don't frakkin' forget it." Barked back. He's send a few back, the rest? With him. And we're walking, we're walking… "Come On Swift, and quit jawing. Take point!."
Cover the rear, take point, bah. Swift blinks as he's called on by Tombs and nods, stepping forward and bracing his rifle against his left side for a moment before slipping into point and beginning to creep rapidly, but as stealthily as ye ol' Swift can manage.
Resurrection Chamber
A large hollow room, seemingly empty besides a dozen rectangular shaped…bathtubs? Each odd container is partially inset into the deck, with leads and wires going from the ship itself directly into the goo that fills it. The slightly pinkish tinted gel seems lit from below, the energy thrumming from the ship making it subtly pulse.
Panda is a bit busy collecting himself, rubbing at his ears to try and get the ringing out. It doesn't really help. Sort of like the axle grease - that's what he's swearing it is, and that the blood is just his own from the grenade's concussive wave hurting his sinuses. The stuff makes it hard to tell whether he's drawn blood, or the armor's done it's job and left him with a good bruising.
[TAC1] "Tycho" Reverie says, "This is Tycho, we need reinforcements! We're getting creamed out here!"
The corridor terminates in a large, dome-shaped room with several sets of stairs descending to a hollowed out portion in the centre. Light pulses across the walls like a snowglobe turned upside down, bleeding from the top down. The room, itself, is oddly.. silent, save for an indistinct whispering whose source is not, at first, clear. The sensation is akin to diving underwater, and seeing everything move in slow motion without sound.
There are more bodies here, mostly no longer recognisable as such, due to the slaughter that's taken place. And in the centre of the room, reclining in one of the basins filled with pink.. goo, is a figure not readily identifiable as either male or female. Its mouth moves, forming words without sound.
"Great. We found the spa." The levels of 'what the frak' that Barney is going through when he enters the room is summed up by one apathetic, snarky sentence. The goggles get pulled down to settle around his neck as he really takes it in. The view, and any entry points for hostiles.
Kellin looks around grimacing "Ok this is worse than the swamps of Sag" He looks at Tombs "Want me to set G4 here and blow this shit up?"
Being on the point, Ashe comes up after entering and just stands there. It is not every day the sight before his eyes greets well, anyone and he mutters under his breath. "Holy fraking mother of all that is sweet and holy." He looks towards the others then back towards the view of the room.
"Frakkin Hades on a monday.." Tombs mutters as he keeps moving around. A look is given back towards Kellin and he's shaking his head "Negative.. You got a camera on you?" That's a question. He's got a small digital one on himself, which he is trying to pull out, while balancing his rifle with the other hand. "Take pictures. Look for frakkin intel.." Whatever may be gathered from here. Seeing the bodies though, that's something he's not ready for-still he ain't sick. Instead Tombs is moving over to investigate one of those tubs.. Reach a hand in or some shit..
Panda is mentally ready to see some frakked-up shit with the way people are reacting… but he's completely unprepared for what he walks into. "… Lords and Stars…" The Lance Coolie's left hand is reaching out, touching everything he can. The ship-stained neckerchief is taken off of his face so that he can smell better too. The young man's steps take him across the room in a daze, feeling at things like a kid in a fabric store.
Kellin nods and digs out his own Camera and starts taking pictures, keeping one hand gripping his Rifle as he does. He makes sure he gets a shot of teh 'thing' in the spa tub.
"I'll do it." Barney's got a gist of Tomb's intentions, pulling out a small camera to throw towards Ajtai and slinging his still-empty rifle. "I mean, I'm covered in this shit already." So's the camera, mind you, but at least the pouch offered some protection. He's heading towards the goo'd up tank with the almost formless figure before waiting for a reply.
Swift's gaze falls not on the equipment but the half gooed mumbling creature in the chair. Corporal Stupid moves forward, tilting his head as if attempting to make out the words that are being mumbled, or make some kind of determination of just what the hell it is.
Panda ducks down, his rifle swinging up toward the camera - and then released to thump heavily against his chest on its sling as he flails to catch the digicam at the last second with both hands. It takes the man a little bit to figure the device out; there's at least one picture of his blood-spattered face and the wall behind him.
Nothing really happens when Tombs sticks his hand into one of those vats. The skin doesn't flay from his bones, and nothing leaps out to grab him. It just feels slightly warm and.. gooey.
The androgynous creature's voice becomes barely audible as the party draws closer. Its voice is soft, its words nonsensical seeming: "Seven, Eleven, the numbers work in harmony but there is dissention, pulling apart at the seams, rip the stitches off one by one by one, Nine, Ten, the cause is lost and yet they still fight, still believe, false gods and idols…"
Tombs is moving over towards Volker, and there's a nod as the camera's clicked on. "Pull whatever that frakking is, up. " Yeah he's going to take pictures if he can. After all Volker's covered in it. Well a bunch of them are covered in it. Tombs then turns his head back towards Swift. "See if you can find a frakkin' Computer, Corporal. We need to get what we can and get out." Yeah, lots of pictures and shit… Well that is till his hand is coming out and the fucking thing starts talking. " Oh my sweet lords.." is all Tombs can mutter. Why didn't they bring a frakkin recorder.. Shit, shit.
Panda finally speaks aloud after seeing Barney pull his hand from the gooey tub. "Looks like they ain't gettin' enough pussy either." It's horribly inappropriate, but… shock and all that. Still, he tries to busy himself taking pictures of the room's structure.
"Shh." Ashe snaps ironically as he looks at the lips of the being in the chair. "Let me focus sir." His head tilts and he remains intently zoned in on the mouth as the words come out.
No recorder, but you're damn right Barney's got a pen and pad. It's pretty speedy for a guy with a head-wound, but the first sentence or so may be up in the air. There's also the fact it's written in the short-hand of a guy from Virgon, which means it may as well be code from the second the pen starts writing. He mouths the words as he writes, and the figure gets a double-take at one mention. Whatever that was about though, he's keeping it to himself. It's possible he's not quite rational, considering he's got a head wound and he's standing right next to a vat with a malformed, life-sized jelly baby.
Ajtai continues shuffling around the bay, taking pictures of the less interesting stuff. In short order he's got the ceiling, the walls, the view across the room to the other Marines and the babbler… Well, that leaves the bodies. Dorian takes a quick break to fetch his canteen before getting to that grisly task.
"..we reap what we sow, and we have walked this path before. What has happened before, will happen again, again, again, tat savitur varen yam, bhargo devasya dhimahi, dhiyo yo nah pracodayat, if we knew now what we knew then— the reactors are online. The weapons are offline. The beasts have met their slaughter. The sentinels are lost. Wandering without a home, we are all lost, all lost.." The nonsense continues, and the ship's 'pulse' begins to thrum more insistently now.
Kellin looks around as the ship sounds more 'alive' "Um sir?" He pauses as he takes pictures.
Tombs continues to stare at the thing, as Volker begins scribbling. Finger on the shutter, he begins to try and rapid click a few pictures of the thing that lays in the tub o' goo. Even as the words come out the thrum , and beat lights up, which even Tombs can tell is not entirely good. Glove, bitten off, one hand reaches out to place fingers at the jelly baby thing's supposed pulse. Even if it means plunging fingers into the goo again, Tombs is trying to figure this shit out. "Hey. Hey!" He's trying to talk with it even if it's just spouting nonsense. "What are you?" besides utterly frakked up.
And so Barney keeps taking his notes, losing the track a little during the bout of jelly-baby-mantra. The frown that results is cut short by pain, and he focuses more intently on jotting down as much as he can. The feeling of the ship not entirely appreciating what is going on is pushed to the back of his mind at the same time the Sarge gives a shake of the head. Cobwebs from the wound are closing in.
Panda pushes a body over with his foot, steels himself, and takes a snapshot. He continues to the next one, trying to get similar shots of each body. When the bile starts coming up he lifts his head to the oddly serene dance of lights and swallows down some water from his canteen.
An ear-splitting SHRIEK goes up from the creature in the vat, when Tombs tries to touch it. The sound goes on for a full minute whether or not he withdraws it, and along the walls, threads of light begin spinning through bright colours across the spectrum of human perception. And quite possibly others.
"The reactors," gasps the androgynous voice, "are online! The weapons are offline! The beat and the counterbeat are in perfect synchronisation and the the electrons accelerate and the synapses fire and Twelve, Eleven, Eleven, Eleven, Eleven.." It's suddenly like a stuck record.
Cue hand out, and Tombs' shaking his head, the shriek. That goes on the list of bad things. Along with not answering yes if someone asks if you're a god. Goo hand is up and pressed to his ear, as he holds back. The numbers? He's got no frakking clue what that means, but the damned words. Reactors online and the weapons off. Shit. "I think.." And this is a huge leap there from the marine captain. "We found the frakking control computer..What in Hermes.." He cannot even fathom, He's turning around hand presses down from his ear to the neck. Words coming out.
[TAC1] Tombs says, "Eltee. This is the Captain speaking.." a pause probably so Tombs can do something. "We found something. Sitrep?"
"Let's, not, do that again." Ashe comments quietly after the shriek. "So if this is a computer then what, the ship seems alive, this is the brain?"
Barney's voice can barely be heard from over the shriek, but it's quite possible he just yelled 'Don't touch the malformed jelly baby' at the top of his lungs. The pad covers one ear, and his pen nearly goes into the other before he can correct it. "I get the disturbing feeling it found us." The concussion-addled idiot mutters, once everything has died down. "And we broke it." A glance goes to Ajtai, as if he might know the insurance rules for such a situation. What? The Sarge is completely and utterly out of his depth. He's also still losing blood. I mean, sure, he's coated in the stuff yet somehow still looks a little pale.
Kellin puts his Camera away and walks over to Tombs "Skipper, I say we blow this before we leave, I can set a delay that will give us enough time to bugout on the Raptors"
[TAC1] Salazar says, "We're working an intel angle. Our time's ticking down. Will report again in a moment."
[TAC1] Tombs says, "Tick quicker, we found this thing's frakkin heart, or brain..whatever the frak it is. We're going to pull the plug here soon and work our way back…You won't believe this shit…"
[TAC1] Salazar says, "Oh. I think I might."
With words out over the Wireloo, Tombs is looking back towards this thing. And yes, he's taking a few more pictures around the tub, of the frakkin' Jelly baby. Looking back up, and over towards Volker. "Yeah, or something else did..You saw that body in the frakkin' hall." Who knows how many more there are…Let alone in here. A few more shots, , before blue eyes take in the Sergeant. "Shit.." A look over to Ashe. "Swift, I need you to come over here and help the Sergeant out…He's not lookin' hot." At all. A look to Elemiri. "Do it."
"Sir, if we blow up the brain.." Ashe shakes his head then just starts to make his way over towards the Sarge to help slap some sense into him.
Panda is working his jaw to fix the pressure in his ear caused that scream, water still spilling down his body from the canteen. "Hey uh, anybody else feel that?" he asks. Dorian moves over toward another body, returning to his camera work.
[TAC1] "Surgeon" Logan says, "Tombs, Surgeon. We're secure here for the moment, thanks to your boys. Nukes are set, we're ready when you are.""
Barney tucks the pad away into a pouch, swaying ever-so-slightly from side to side. As Ashe approaches, about all he can do is blink.
"Well we're about to leave a nuke up it's ass, Swift. Us blowing it won't do a lick of shit, more." A look back towards Kellin and he's nodding to the Lance Coolie. "Get that thing set to go, and give us enough time to get on board those frakkin' raptors. Atjai, scan the room with me here one last time, then when you're ready Kellin, we'll pull the frak out. Understood?" Yeah Tombs has had enough of the creepfest, so to speak. And he's looking down to his cut, one hand reaching to press with another wince. "Sonuvabitch."
Reaching back, Ashe gives Barney a little bit more than a love tap of a backhand. "Sarge." The Corporal's tone is rather stern. "Pull your shit together or so help me I'll start describing how horrible sex with Jupiter Black is in gory detail."
Kellin nods and sets about doing his task, laying out his G4 before attaching it to the side of the 'tub/chair' carefully he attaches the detcord. Once it's all set he sets to work on the timer, getting it programmed, glancing up "How much time you want me to give us?"
Lights continue to race along the walls and circuitry embedded into the floor. The thrum turns again to an erratic pounding, all emanating from the androgynous creature in a tub in the centre of the room. Its babbling turns nonsensical again, running through lists of the ship's systems, the status of its 'central' and 'auxiliary' matrices. While Kellin is going about setting his charges, the countdown resumes again, only to be interrupted: "Eleven, Eleven, Ten, Nine— And the blaze pursued them, and the people of Kobol had a choice. To board the great ship, or take the high road through the rocky ridge." Here, the creature is actually silent for a long moment. Its lips remain parted, and its breathing appears to slow a little. "Nine, Eight.."
Barney gives a little peer to the good three-to-four inches of metal sticking from his brow in a now-ragged cut. As Ashe swings his arm back, the Sarge opens his mouth. "I think it's in my skul-" Backhand. Barney's head reels sideways, and for a moment, the Marine lets out a loud exhale. There's possibly a squeak in there, too. A couple of seconds later, and he's back up. "You can save that story for when she's in the room. She's been avoiding me lately and it'll be fun to watch." Yup. Barney's back. At least for the moment. Tombs gets a nod.
"Not takin' it with us, huh?" Panda asks as he gladly changes tasks. What he's not glad for is the count-down. The Marine is patently nervous, rushing through a walk around the room. The camera is pointed almost at random, though a few interesting plugs and growths get a careful shot. "Serious, he looks maybe one-twenty sopping wet."
There's a look back to the 'thing' that has been regulated to simply just being this frakked up living and breathing computer. "Frakkin' shit.." He mutters, before Kellin. "Enough for us to get the frak out of here. I don't want life failing and leaving us choking our balls out in the corridor." Tombs offers, a few more pictures. "We're not taking it with us." Tombs offers back towards the Marine. "If it's plugged into the ship, us unplugging it, will not do us any frakkin' good. Don't know if it will kill the ship if we do that shit." A grunt as he's sliding his camera away. Eyes flicking over the ground.
[TAC1] Tombs says, "Eltee, Tombs. Get ready to hump it back to the Hangar for take off, when I tell you."
Kellin nods and sets the timer with enough time for everyone to bug out. He steps away "Ok all set Sir, I suggest we don't wait much longer?" He's already turning to pull back.
[TAC3] "Backfire" Kairos says, "Smalls okay? I saw him get hit pretty bad. Sol, still breathing? You better frakkin' be."
"You and me both Sarge, you and me both." Swift states as he nods, seeing that Barney seems to have his shit together again for the moment. "If you were to unplug our brain, what woudl happen to us, sir?" The statement from Ashe is directed towards Tombs. "We can blow it and get out, but something's happened right? Look around us sir. You sat in on that meeting that I played guard too."
[TAC1] Salazar says, "You got it, Captain."
"Swift, that's e-frakkin'nough!" Tombs says with a look back to the Corporal. "Everyone get your asses out of here now. Frakkin' now." Needless to say he's not liking this. Not liking it one bit, but what do you do? One hand's pressing towards his neck, as he's moving for the hatch. Yes, this is time for us all to get the hades out of here. But he'll be sure to clear the room last. A nod given to Kellin. "Point. Atjai, behind him. Move it, marines!"
"Seven, Six, the wheels are spinning, all in such perfect harmony, the beat and the counterbeat, can you feel it? Can you feel it? Five.."
[TAC1] Tombs says, "Eltee, Bug out now. We're about to leave a load in our date's face."
Barney pauses. It's just for a second, and it's the tinest of glances the thing in the goop gets. There's a small voice in the back of his head, through the daze and the concussion that suggests the countdown might be going faster than he wants it to. Cue the Sarge double-timing it.
[TAC1] Tombs says, "Surgeon, Tombs. Get your kids and shit together, we're all humping our asses back. Get ready to fly once we're all loaded up. Over."
[TAC1] "Surgeon" Logan says, "Tombs, Surgeon. On it. The birds are hot and we'll be ready the minute you close the hatches. Haul ass."
Panda acknowledges the order with a barked, "Urrah!" and hurries to back up Kellin. The camera is thrust into his pants pocket and a round is chambered on the march. Instead of a perfectly measured distance, Panda has to constantly remind himself not to overtake the pointman. He wants out.
Kellin slings his pack back onto his back as he moves toward the entrance, quickly.
Hoofing it out of the whatever that was HUB, Tombs is closing up the rear, and moving to hurry along to catch up to the lead, basically he'll make sure to put himself between Kellin and Panda's two man tangent, and Ashe and Volker. "Alright, Welcome's over. Double time it, now boys." That's the order, so lets so those legs.
Kellin jogs back toward the Ships, occasionally glancing behind him to check thier six, just in case.
Concussion or no, covered in 'blood' and blood or no, the order to double time brings a crooked, broken grin to Volker's face. It's been a long time since he's had to run like shit's about to explode, and by the gods he's going to do his best to enjoy this one. Well, it might be his last.
At the Captain's order Pandorian leans into his jog, turning it into a dead run. Right about now he's kicking himself for the bayonet: It seemed like such an awesome idea at the time. Fixed bayonet, badass, killkillkill. If he hadn't put it on there, he could sling the rifle behind himself and bolt. Instead he's holding it at port arms, and dully grunting an "Ow" with each hammering footfall. His back is really hurting… probably something to do with the cut in his web gear that shows the yellow insides of the tac vest's functional material.
[TAC1] (from Salazar) Salazar's voice comes over the comms again. The tone is flat. "Typical. En route, Captain." There's a pause, a quieter, "Thank you," And then, before the channel closes, there's the sharp report of a gunshot.
The marines' boots beat a hard, disjointed rhythm as the squad retreats. There's the occasional squish, slide or squelch as someone steps in bloody entrails or crushes a hand underfoot. The lights are flickering so madly now, that it's hard to tell which is the beat, and which is the rest. The whole ship seems to yawn and list slightly to one side, and then there's the distinct jarring rumble of an explosion from back the way they came. The sound of flesh tearing, glass panels splintering, wiring ripping loose, and a terrific, blood-curdling scream that ends mid-explosion.
Leading through the maze of Corridors is harder than you think. But, with the explosion. Tombs isn't saying much beyond the sharp intake of breath and the curse that has to escape from his lips. Yeah, he's hurrying his sweet ass out of here, and is making for the landing. Because that last sound? Probably not the best to hear. "Move it quicker ladies. We're about to be frakkin' late to the homecoming parade."
Ashe is huffing and puffing along behind with Barnabas, muttering over his shoulder. "Last one there has to wear the frakin' dress." Regardless he does toss a look over his shoulder just in case there's metal trailing them.
That's all the incentive Barney needs to pick up the pace. Party's over, time to get the hell out before someone asks you to help clean. The guy's cardio is good, but each footfall sends a throbbing pain into his skull.
"It hurts to do anything." Reverie quipsas she starts to ease on up ever so slowly. She's still a bloody mess, but she hobbles on over toherseat at the DRADIS, slowly strapping herself into her seat. "That's good. Lots of cakes. Then it was a good day."
Matto makes certain that Thorn's strapped in tight before he heads up front, climbing into the pilot's seat and easing into it, doing a brief check-over of systems and then, of all things, of himself, as if he might have been shot without knowing it. Nope. Flightsuit still intact, and body within. Which is subsequently fastened into place. Time for operation GTFO.
Panda and the boys barreling down the hall make one hell of a racket. They're running like the devil is on their heels. Which, considering what the ship's doing… he just might be.
Blood and thunder. That's a pretty good description of what comes from the aft corridor. Volker is damn near sprinting when the group of Marines appear, the Sarge covered from head to toe in blood, goop and gods-only-know what else in an excellent impression of the final few scenes of Carrie. Not to forget there's a good couple of inches of shiny centurion metal sticking out of his right eyebrow, bobbing up and down with every bootstep.
And coming from the aft side of the ship, the marines are hoofing their asses back to the busses. However, the only one waiting at this point is the Captain. He's pausing mid way to look back towards the fore Corridor, before he's checking his watch. "Alright kids. Frakking get it in gear. We're greatly overstaying our frakkin' welcome!" And yes, that was an order to marines, and any pilots who might be dilly dallying.
Kellin looks around "Where's the other squad?" He's following orders but he keeps looking back the way the others went.
Luckily, it would appear that all the pilots have buttoned it in. Backfire's aboard his craft, strapped in tight, with a bleeding Reverie laying on her back on the floor, first aid already performed on her. The hatch is open, and he's just waiting for the rest of his people before they high tail it outta there.
"Get in the Frakkin' boat Lance Coolie." That's the last time that Tombs is repeating himself. As for the other fireteam, he'll be sure they get in, and get on before he does. You can bet your sweet asses on that. And with that one hand is pressing to touch at the band at his nec. A few words exchanged, as he waits for the other kids to high tail it in.
Actually, Reverie is strapped into her seat. Sure she's making a mess considering she's still bleeding from her chest, back and even her helmet is cracked from a bullet! She wobbles but she doesn't fall down at least. She smiles brightly at the marines, giving a meek bow of her head. "Lots and lots of cake."
[TAC3] "Surgeon" Logan says, "Flight, Lead. Head 'em up and get out of dodge. Be ready to detonate on my command"
When Barney is through the hatch, everything catches up to him. His front leg loses all strength, and the rear leg wobbles, sending the Sarge tilting sidewards and down. All the weight of the marine, the goop, the headwound and the kit slams into the floor of the raptor.
[TAC3] "Surgeon" Logan says, "Hestia, Strike Lead. All personnel aboard and accounted for. We are clearing the Baseship now. Request permission to detonate the devices."
"All right Tyke, you heard the man. Hit the big red button when he says," Backfire mentions, holding his neck as blood trickles down from it. Shit, it still really hurts to talk. Yeah yeah, whine whine. The injured Kairos waits for all the Marines to board, looking back over his shoulder. He frowns when he sees Barnabas collapse. "Just say the word when all are accounted for, boys and girls, and we'll get right out of here."
[TAC3] "Madman" Matto says, "Surgeon, Madman, closing hatch and queueing up launch in formation with you."
"Okay…let's get to work here…" Forgoing getting strapped in, Dal drops her fieldkit off of her back and it's opened fully, taking up a fair amount of space on the deck of the Raptor. "Who's hurt?" Frowning, she looks from face to face, starting with her fellow Marines and then to the ECO and pilot, Patch's expression stiff, professionally detached.
[TAC3] "Spider" Kai says, "Strike Lead, Spider. Good to hear your voice. Permission granted, the second all points are clear."
"Go attend to your fellow marines. We'll be fine til Sickbay." she tells the marine before looking towards the pilot. "I think we're all here Dak." Reverie's wheezing and it hurts but she's ready to press the shiny red button at any time. "Let's go home."
[TAC3] "Surgeon" Logan says, "Spider, Strike Lead. Copy that. Please advise medical to have gurneys standing by. We've got about a dozen injured."
[TAC3] "Spider" Kai says, "Copy, Strike lead. Medical will be standing by."
"URRAH MOTHERFRAKKERS!!" Panda roars, grabbing an overhead loop. That actually makes him feel better as it takes the pressure off of his throbbing right leg. He's hopping around on his left, trying to figure out if he can stay like this during a takeoff… No. Nope, once he looks down at the clinging pants leg and feels the wet heat of his own plasm, the Marine stumbles into a seat and hastily buckles.
"Okay, that's it! Hang on, ladies!" Backfire kicks the Raptor into high gear and raises the vessel, blasting out of the hangar bay along with his comrades.
[Raptor-2201: Kairos] From the Cylon baseship, Raptor-2201 screams clear of the hangar bay, presumably the last one out. Same order as they came in, strangely enough. There's something hasty and frantic about Backfire's flying, like that place is somewhere he really really wanted to get out of.
[TAC3] "Surgeon" Logan says, "Flight, Surgeon. Detonate on my mark. Three, two, one Detonate!"
Daliah looks over to Barney, first, and tugs at his arm, frowning deeply as she does. "Where are you hurt," she asks while trying to get him to face her, her eyes drifting here and there in a manner that might be considered ogling by someone who doesn't know what it is she does for a living. Panda's also looked at, her head angling to the left upon seeing how he is limping. "Am I the only one on this frakking ship who didn't get shot?"
Over the comm, Reverie listens. She's focused and slams the shiny red button when given the mark. "Boom motherfrakkers." she says before coughing up some blood, dirtying her helmet from the inside. She grumps afterwards as it totally killed the badassness of her moment. But still, basestar go boom.
[Foxbat-4: Matto] Foxbat-4 hasn't left formation from Raptoe-2203 since launch, passing the clear proximity only seconds after the leader, keeping an easy heading.
[TAC3] "Madman" Matto says, "Surgeon, Madman, wilco."
[TAC3] "Backfire" Kairos says, "Backfire here. Tycho's pressing the big red button now."
Barney rolls on to his back. The Marine is covered from helmet to toe in blood. Well, Blood and 'ship' blood. Seriously. It's a Carrie remake in the back of a raptor, here. The only obvious issue is a few inches of centurion wreckage embedded into his right eyebrow. It goes down to the bone. As his eyes flutter, Barney settles his eyes on Ajtai for a moment, breaking into a lopsided grin. "Told you… Pandorian. No damn cat. No damn cradle. S'all just letters in string." There's probably a concussion, too.
[Raptor-2201: Nike] The raptors liftoff and make swift egress from the enemy capital ship, which banks away behind them at a sharp angle. From here, the thing seems almost peaceful, if faintly menacing. The source of the shuddering that was felt before they launched becomes clearer now, as the massive 'arms' of the craft live up to their name, and begin to change configuration from a star— into the vee shaped pattern of FTL navigation and atmospheric entry.
As manual overrides for the nuclear salvos are detonated in tandem, the baseship is preternaturally still for a moment. A silver, ghostly shape occupying the dead of space some kilometres out from Hestia in the distance. And then, soundlessly, the enemy ship begins to come apart. Its arms begin breaking away, crumpling, its innards lit up as fire rages through the corridors. Metal shreds and peels away from fleshy innards, like an animal to the slaughter. And then, there's a rumble of kinetic energy as the thing simply comes apart at the seams and.. explodes. The shockwave rips through the fleeing raptors, jarring them heavily.
[TAC3] "Backfire" Kairos says, "Now THAT'S a SPICY MEATBA-whoa!"
"We didn't get shot," Dorian says warily, pointing to himself and the big, collapsed bag of scars called Volker. The Marine shifts in his seat, stretching his injured leg out. He's quiet for a bit, starting and stopping at checking his leg. Maybe, he thinks, I don't want to know. So Barnabas' babbling is a welcome distraction. There isn't much of a view out the back, so the shockwave interrupts him as Panda grunts back, "I really think we're talkin' about two d-d-d-shyyiit…"
Once again, Reverie wobbles but she doesn't fall down. She's hanging on for dear life to her seat as she lets out a squeak and coughs once more, her helmet full of blood. "Woo!" she chirps merrily, but meekly. "I don't ever want to do that again." She then turns to the marines. "Cake for all!" she squeaks, still on a full adrenaline rush.
As the Basestar explodes behind everyone, the shockwave rapidly approaches. Backfire tightens his fingers around the controls, teeth clamping together. "Hang on g-g-g-g-guyyyss-s-s-s!" The ship is jarred heavily, but thank Goodness that Backfire is a pretty sweet hand on the Raptor stick. They get through the shockwave with minimal damage. "Dude. You guys. How did you get so bloody? I mean, this is my own blood, here. I want it back in my body. Can I borrow yours?"
An arm stretches out, it used to brace herself against the nearby seat. "That was nothing," Daliah comments casually to Reverie. "You want Hell, you should have be involved in stopping the frakking insurgency…" Grinning, she rides out the bumpiness, taking it all in stride, Erasmus fairly unflappable.
[Foxbat-4: Matto] Kisseus can of course foresee a shockwave enough to tip the aft of the boat south-carom a few degrees and code in a little bit of backdrift so that, though the Foxbat feels the force of it, it's as a straight, strong push rather than a jostling rocking before the Foxbat evens out its course again.
"We waded through corpses." Barney's succinct. "Well. I had to roll through them. And blood. Lots of blood. Had to stop them shooting me in the face again." A finger raises into the air. It points in an accusing fashion at the ceiling. "But they tried! They threw bits of 'em at me to get the job done!" His voice is wavery, and probably more high pitched than is actually neccesary.
[TAC3] Alyssa says, " Strike group, this is Medical. We are awaiting your landing. Can you give us an estimate on the numbers of wounded and the severity of their wounds?"
[Raptor-2201: Kairos] Kairos hits the full throttle and rides the wave much like a surfer would, the ship being jarred slightly and all of the passengers within just shaken a little. There is no damage incurred to the Raptor, and as the shockwave passes and dissipates, there's nothing left to do but celebrate. That was a pretty sweet 'splosion.
[TAC3] "Surgeon" Logan says, "Medical, Strike lead. Approximately one dozen. Several with light gunshot or shapnel. A few with chest wounds, one severely damaged arm."
Panda turns pale at Barnabas' description of things. Maybe it's coincidence. Maybe it's the blood loss. Yeah. And maybe he's a Chinese fighter pilot.
[Into the Wireless] Kairos says, "Hestia, this is Backfire. Gimme clearance to land. I got bleeding folk here. That's including myself."
