Experimental multi-writer storyline: The Nano Odysey

[Badpacket]

Badpacket sat down in his sofa in order to relax somewhat and take  a break from all the packing. With his tactical vest on his chest even his expensive, soft sofa wasn't comfortable. The clips, grenades, scopes, tools and vials of chemicals inside the vest made leaning back somewhat hard due to all the sharp shapes that were resting against the body. But he didn't pay much attention to this discomfort and crossed his hands behind his head, leaning back a little bit more. He closed his eyes and took note of the hour displayed on his hud. He and his mates still had some time before departure but not enough to be taking a nap. Looking at the the open black suitcase in front of him he recalled how space packing technology, the very thing that allows one to pack a mortar into a backpack doesn't work outside Rubi-Ka. An inconvenience for one used to it but nothing big. After a few seconds more he stood up, took the vest off and put it inside the suitcase. The inside of which now looked like a mobile armory - two pistols, one grenade launcher, one rocket launcher along with two rockets, roughly two dozen grenades and a small bucket of kinetic ammo. On the sides were attached various tools, tactical gear such as night vision goggles, oxygen recycling underwater gear, knifes or his newly bought optical camouflage coat. Thinking to himself that even if he forgot something he has enough firepower to compensate for it he closed the suitcase and stepped to the window, taking a look outside at the city of Jobe below.

"This would be the first mission outside of Rubi-Ka I'll be participating in with the help of Assembly. Maybe I should have volunteered to be team leader after all, now that Kotts is in charge I feel we'll be spending more time in bars and harems than on our objectives. "

"Take out a ship on some damned broken land scorched by a sun that's gonna go red giant in something like ten thousand years. Half of the planet being an ocean, more like a hot lifeless bath by our standards, and the rest being a desert, save for a few scattered cities. Reminds me slightly of Ka. Not a very pleasant location, hardly a tourist attraction unless one likes sitting in an oven. A perfect place to manufacture things that should be kept secret. If I would be producing parts for unicorn weapons myself, I would choose a hole no less desolate than this. And our contact? Barely knowing his callsign - Uotab or something - won't make locating him easy. If he's alive that is, which with the civil war in the capital it is not certain."

Still looking at the city below he ran self-diagnostics on all of his implants. A few warnings were produced but all in the software category. Symbiants had a hard time effectively communicating with implants, hence why Cain took it into his own hands to reprogram the implants' API. Hopefully this wouldn't lead to any catastrophic events like his own hand shooting himself.

He turned to the suitcase, took a few steps and took out a holo sticker out of his pocket. He placed the sticker on the suitcase and as the sheet of shining metal made contact with the suitcase it began to glow and unwind like a coil, the silvery tentacles creating a mesh of fine nanobot fibers around the luggage. A big glowing holographic sign appeared on the suitcase: "Diplomatic Baggage". Cain grinned, took the suitcase and set for the exit. He opened comm channmels to Kotts and Mack: "I hope you're ready, we're meeting at the shuttleport in 10 minutes".

[ Mack and Kotts, your turn ]

[Kotts]

"I hope you're ready, we're meeting at the shuttleport in 10 minutes". Cain's Voice chimed in over the team's frequency. His cocky grin seemed to accent, "Already here" as Kotras replied back. His eyes hovered over his two metal cases with the "Diplomatic Baggage" label on them. Boys and their toys, indeed. Kotras adjusted the fedora on his head, and snapped the collar of his suit.  Off planet missions, He was never fond of them, but for good reason. Kotts was far from a soldier. Sure he had field experience, but that was on Rubi-ka. Combat on 'Ka was almost like an over realistic video game. Off planet wouldn't be much different for him at least. Most of his nano arsenal could still operate in his NCU. No where near as effective, but half a second is half a second, and an ounce of blood, the same. He'd have to rely more on himself then bots: Mack and Cain as well. 

Mack would be something to see, He had heard the war stories, and the like from Mack, but for once Kotts would see Ol' Macklin in his element-- well out of the notum element.  "Cain..." he thought "Hope he has some common sense not to blow himself up this time.... that boy just ain't right" He shook his head "Nah, stop being so hard on him. Cain's done more off planet dirty work me. Mack too... Hell he's the rookie, but he's leading the Vets." He rolled his eyes "This is why the grunts hate their CO's. They do the hard work while the ones with the medals hide behind them and tell them what they are doing wrong." Respect and authority were two words that never fit in the same sentence in Kotts' mind. Ironicly, he's sitting on a high seat with with kids just a s rebelious as he was-- is, he still is; Not that old yet, damnit. "They have no idea." he chuckled to himself.

"That doesn't matter, BP's on demo', Mack's the front man, and I'm intell. This ain't no different then it used to be, 'cept I ain't up in orbit, and away from it."  He nodded to himself again, not moving away from the wall.  keeping his head lowered and eyes closed. He watched the PFmap on his HUD. "Keep walking" he glanced up at the man that was staring at him. The man glared back, as if challenging his right to be where he was. Kotts opened the panel to his jacket, showing his security badge, and custom Bigburger Inc. The man stepped back, and turned quickly, the color draining from his face. Maybe he'll go running to the Pols, or something. Ether case it won't matter. Kotts was holding a royal flush, and a few spares aces up his sleeve. If someone checked his credentials, or wanted to start a fight, he was in his element, and they would loose.  "Just keep them on task, in and out, and we're done. Hopefully this Uotab doesn't have anythig of value in around or near the target, It'll more then likely end up a smoldering crater by the time we're done with it." Kotts check his 'link's channels making sure they were ready for the 'wire' connections, Which oddly enough have nothing to do with wires at all, and set for some good old fashion hackin' and crackin'

"Any one else think it's kinda funny, that Cain's the 'Minister of Foreign Affairs?'" Kotts chuckled, and pushed his shades up on his eyes, watching the feeds from his comlink.  So nice of the ICC to let them "borrow" three clearance codes.

[Stonyman]

 "I hope you're ready, we're meeting at the shuttleport in 10 minutes." Mack nodded slightly, knowing the pair couldn't see him over the commlink at the minute.
"I was born ready 'minister'." He said queitly to himself as he saw the Cain and Kotts up ahead and continued his slow walk towards the pair. He was glad the ICC Code he'd "borrowed" was that of a bodyguard, which meant he was able to walk around in full armour with his Auto-nine at his hip. He silently thanked Leah for repairing the old suit of Odinsonn Mk III armour he'd worn for years before making his like on Rubi-Ka.  Part of him felt a warm comfort as he'd strapped into the suit, just like the old days.

Going off world for him was a mixxed blessing, he'd made 'Ka his home, but it'd be nice to feel 'Normal' again, to feel that part of himself he'd lost since his stay on Ka started. He walked up to Kotts and nodded to his old friend before turning to Cain.
"Ok, so we ready? or ya girls wanna change ya panties before we leave?" He said, smiling as he placed a cigar firmly between his teeth.

{tag guys}

[Badpacket]

"Any one else think it's kinda funny, that Cain's the 'Minister of Foreign Affairs?'" said Kotts over the channel as Cain was en route to the shuttleport. If the little blue pyramid could smirk it surely would. "Actually no, I don't see why it would be that odd. " - Cain never thought of himself as a grunt. A soldier when necessary, a terrorist by choice, but his ambitions were greater than to play out his role and step back - the opportunist that he was he would not let past any chance that would grant him credits or power. For the time being however he was far from being an important figure, but that didn't mean he couldn't impersonate one. In fact he was expected to act as one, according to Jen's orders. One had to admit that with his suit, suitcase and neatly, or perhaps nerdy combed hair he almost looked like a diplomat. Not a cool one, the spy type, but the formal, stuck behind paperowork type. His choice of a gray, unparticular, almost indiscriminate uniform was fully conscious. Just at the ferromagnetic ballistic vest underneath it and a small self-defense pistol in his pocket. One would wonder why a diplomat would need a firearm chambered for a multirole airburst miniature grenade round that can penetrate the armor of a light vehicle or clear a room.. but as long as it remained physically compact Cain hoped nobody would point that out.

Upon arriving at the shuttleport he took a look around, realizing this could be very well the last time he sees this planet. He found it odd, if not funny that regardless of how hard he would attempt to convince himself of the danger and perils he will face, he in fact never felt a sense of fear, guilt, hesitation or nostalgia that he may die. After a moment of thought he saw Kotts who had apparently noticed Cain earlier, and has gestured towards the engineer to come to him.  Cain walked up to Kotts, slowly, on almost miniature steps, not looking the opifex in the face but looking down at the concrete floor, only occasionally looking up to avoid running into somebody. This was definitely not the way Cain acted normally, but he was getting used to the role of a humble, harmless diplomat. He put the suitcase down by the wall and checked the hud - there was still some time left as Kotts turned and tilted his head slightly apparently trying to spot something - after a short delay Cain also turned his head to that direction and noticed Mack. Full armor, a gun in his hand. He was still outside hearing range when Cain remarked "I believe you know how a bodyguard looks like, Kotts. Mack here looks like he's armed and ready to be beamed down into the middle of a bloody warzone. " - Kotts didn't respond but instead greeted Mack as he nodded in return. "Ok, so we ready? or ya girls wanna change ya panties before we leave?" said Mack.

"No Mack, in fact my panties can be quickly changed into 100 meters of ultra-high tensile strength wire you could cut a man in half with. " said Cain thoughtfully but with slight disdain for Mack's joke. He leaned in a bit before the soldier could respond and said, almost whispering "I believe you made a wrong choice dressing up like you did. While they'll surely let us leave Rubi-Ka the office at Beta Orionis I is likely to question your role as a bodyguard and not a potential warrior in the civil war. Regardless, it's too late now." - with that Cain picked up his suitcase and set towards the gate. Putting his suitcase beside the baggage scanner and nodding to a nearby guard the suitcase was taken away as Cain walked through the scanning gate. Moments later he was inside the shuttle in a first-class four-person section.  His suitcase was surely already somewhere in the cargo bay. He didn't manage to adjust his seat as Kotts came in.

[ ping!  and you typed your reply before I managed to finish mine, Kotts! ]

[Sanjei]

[Wooo! This is great! ]

[Kotts]

He glanced around, the 'political' party was set.
Cain, The Minister.
Mack, The Bodyguard.
And, Kotts, the Adminisrative Assistant.

"We've still got a few minutes before showtime. Take inventory and make sure you got everything you'll need. All goes well and this should flow like buttah', and We'll be enjoying the inflight movie and first class treatment."

Cain leaned back from Mack, and began his way to shuttle port. Kotts removed his badge from the inside of his jacket and slapped in on Mack's upper left chest guard. "Don't worry about security when we land, Just growl when I say to, ok?  -- Oh and Joke's on you Bub. I don't wear underwear"  Kotts smacked his hand on Mack's shoulder, and laughed. "Keep in front of Cain, and me. Visor down, and keep an eye on any one within side aide arm range. If any one stares to long, check their ID." Kotts glanced over his shoulder Cain, got a good distance ahead of them. Kotts sighed. And he's worried about guns and armor...  Kotts tugged on Mack's shoulder slightly, and whispered "Show time."

"Sir! Sir! We are still behind In Schedule! Sir wait up!" Kotras quickly flashed his badge at the security officers, and tossed his bags on the baggage scanner. Kotts opened his suit jacket and showed his side arm to the officers, and spoke quickly. "Onesidearmone,andthegentbehindhasthepropperpaperworkforthegunsandsuch"
The officer blinked and checked the clearances. "Come come, We'll be late!  Is everything all right Sir?" Kotts said tilting his head at the officer. The officer shook his head. "Sorry, yeah everything is in order your flight is--"
"Yes yes Thank you Sir!" Kotts and the other two shuffled down the corridor to the shuttle.

Kotts straightened his suit and tie, much like he's seen Kyr do so many times, and Sat next to Cain, and began tapping away at a data pad. "We have a very busy day today Sir, very very busy indeed..."

[Absyn]

Luci opened one eye gingerly. The subtle blue radiance it cast illuminated the darkened room a fraction and allowed her gaze to focus on the digital numbers framed a few centimetres from her face.  She lay there still and silent, watching the black digits stand defiantly against the notum blue light of her stare.  She blinked tiredly a few times, strobing the room with darkness.  The numbers remained frozen to the display.  Luci squinted at them, reached forward to the panel and held her hand in front of it, finger poised.  She whispered to herself in an almost breathless air, forming the words carefully on her lips, "Six.  Five.  Four.  Three." Two and one remained in her head as she nodded in tiny movements for the final two seconds.

All four digits then snapped out of existence and were replaced with 06:00.  A strangled ~bzt~ was all the alarm's speaker could utter before it was cut off by her tap on the display.  The word 'snooze' faded onto the panel, and Luci rolled over smiling smugly.  She let out a long sigh and pulled the bed clothes over herself completely, tucking a corner under her head to seal off the room.  "Stupid early hate stupid early mornings..." she muttered from under her little duvet shield against the world.  "Why did those they have to get such.  A stupid early flight!", And as if she were waiting for a response to her frustrated remark she lay still and quiet again, encapsulated, pouting so heavily that her lip pressed against her duvet-shell making a little soggy patch. 

The buzz came again and this time Luci rolled back the covers reluctantly and slumped out of bed, slapping the main clock display to mute the horrendous sound.  She slipped out of her pyjamas and tiptoed across the chilly floor on the way to the bathroom to get washed up.  She hummed a little song to herself as she showered.  After a way-too-long shower, she dressed in some lightly armoured black casuals detailed with navy accents across the midriff, arms and legs.  She made her way to the kitchen, still humming the song and pulled from a cupboard a cereal box emblazoned with the bright red title Leetmellow Treatz.  Sitting on a dilapidated chair she munched on the cereal and glanced at a small bag that rested on a silver box that lay in the centre of the tiny kitchen table next to her comlink.  She poked the comlink and watched the display glow as it logged into the Assembly network. "Hello hello!" She chimed in a cheery tweet.  Her light nanomage voice sounded a lot different from earlier now she was awake fully.  No-one returned her greeting and she scrunched her shoulders, embarrassed.  The beacons for three others were alight, but hued in amber indicating the owners were busy.  "Hmm Yes.  Kotts, Mack and BP I see. Wonder in they what are validating their why busy..  Why wou... OH CRAP! The time!"  Luci darted her attention to the comlink's time display.  07:17 it read.

Luci swiped the silver box and the bag off the table and ran at the door, yanking her overcoat off a hook and pulling it on as she bounded outside into the dusty Tir street.  The last thing she heard as she slammed the door shut was Mack's voice, speaking something about exchanging panties.  Eyes wide with the horror of the mental image she stuffed the box into an inside pocket, the bag in an outside one and set off at full speed southeast dodging past a delivery man as he lugged a box of notum coils to a shop side door from his van.  She nipped against his shoulder and sent him spinning, gadgetry flying everywhere like a miniature starburst explosion.  She regained her balance and turned her head as she ran, "Sorry again Mr. Bridok!"  As she turned to face her running direction she was just in time to see a flapping opifex penis hurtling towards her.  Slam!  She smacked into a guy running in the opposite direction.  She stepped back, took in the full view of the man and screamed.  "You're.  Naked!"

"Huh?  Oh damn! Freakin' grid armour wore off.  Yea um, sorry!  Sec..."  And with that, the guy tapped his comlink and phased out until he was a ghostly mirage in front of her.  Luci regained her composure and set off again, ignoring the words coming out of the air, "There hun, all better!" The shimmering outline seemed to be pelvic-thrusting as she made it around a corner, rolling her eyes.  She didn't slow down until she made it to the shuttleport.  Just as she skidded to a halt in the lounge she saw reflective bags with the text 'diplomatic baggage' being dumped by a shifty-looking security officer onto a belt aimed at a sizeable shuttle outside the lounge windows.  She grabbed the silver box and headed over to the officer.

"This is the also needed to add.  In the diplomats' luggage you see!"
"What the hell you talking about miss?"
"I mean you are to supposed in taking this! With the rest of the luggage!"
"You what?"

She shoved the box into his hands, "Add! This! To the shuttle!"
"Now you know I can't add no junk to the ship unless it goes with a passenger who got a ticket to ride!"
"Here is my ticket." And she tapped the code into the credit transfer till at his counter to transfer three million credits to his comlink.  He squinted at the number on his comlink and chewed the inside of his cheek while he considered it. Finally he tapped the accept link and placed the box on the baggage scanner with the last of the big bags.  He placed his own holographic sticker against them.  Its coils of nano-mesh enveloped both box and case, and they were bound together.  He cracked his neck and uttered, "Now get on your 'shuttle' and disappear before I gotta do an inventory-to-passanger check.

Luci watched that the bags all slid into the shuttle and then made her way outside just in time to see the shuttle lift off the ground.  The torrents of air whipped at her overcoat, making the silver threads that ran down her back twinkle in the morning light.  She waved frantically up to the ship.  "Boys, please!  Use that. Holocamera and take me some pretty pictures. Of these otherworlds I cannot see!  I am sorry to I didn't seeing you off and away!"  She pulled the bag from another pocket, opened it up and glumly bit down on a fresh scone. "I.  Tried and made you a.  Some cakes to bring with." She sighed.

"I should get back. To and helping with the operation from the headquarters", she confirmed with herself out loud, and turned away from the dusty wind to start gridding herself.

[Tussa]

Jen bit her lip. They were leaving for the mission soon. She knew that off planet missions weren't too rare, but they were far from common for people who had gotten used to the fact that death was as good as impossible on Rubi-Ka. Off planet missions meant dangers that could easily be forgotten just for the fact that people were used to the abilities they had on Ka.

Most often, the people who took missions that would briefly take them off of Rubi-Ka did it for personal gain. They were often the most lucrative jobs, but with great gain came also great risk. And this mission would carry a lot of risk. First, dodging security controls then alien scouts and the blockade, then arriving and keeping their cover at the destination. Even if Rubi-Ka had been under siege by the Kyr'Ozch for years now, she felt apprehensive every time someone she knew left the immortal comfort of the red planet's skies.

'When did I turn into such a worried little qwabbit?' she murmured under her breath. 'They're big boys, grown men with every ability to seal the deal and be back quick. Stop fussing over them.' She craned her neck to glance up at the huge wall-mounted monitor in the operations room in their oversized Head Quarters. It was shortly after 7 am in the morning and she had to force back a yawn as she watched the three dots appear at the shuttleport.

The plan had been risky to the point of foolish, but she had every reason to believe that the three men would get through it. Mack, with his extreme off planet training that could prove the difference between life and death in a tight spot. Kotts, with his quick wits, daredevil approach, unique knowledge and experience before he came to Rubi-Ka. Cain, the man whose knowledge of weapons and volatile substances far surpassed any she had ever known and a man she could count on would keep his cool. The trio would pose as a diplomat, his assistant and their bodyguard. She had to smile.

In a couple of short weeks before their departure they had talked about it and planned it. She had explained about the encrypted bulletin they had managed to snatch up and decrypt using Sembly's WormWood module - one of the first real tests of the software - and how it in great detail told them about the small base on an obscure little planet called Beta Orionis. The base was home to a weapons manufacture plant that among other things produced components used in the fearsome weapons the Unicorn Company used. A small, albeit vital component. They were sending a huge shipment off the planet in two days. A shipment that, if stopped, would make six months of weapons production delayed for a long time. The message was sent to "whom it may concern" and was clearly a contract for destruction.

She had insisted that Cain play the role of a diplomat, a minister, and the other two had quickly followed up on the idea and etched out the plan. They were to go in, find a way to stop the ship - preferably by blowing it up - and then get back in one piece. The plan was simple and dangerous, but something told Jen the three men relished the idea. 'It will be a sting the Unicorns and Omni-Tek will feel,' she had told them, 'and even though we don't usually do jobs off planet, there is much to gain from it. There is someone willing to pay us a lot of credits for the job, but the best part is that we get to kick the corporation in a place that hurts.' The planning had gone smooth from there on.

The door hissed and Luci stepped in only minutes after Jen had seen the shuttle leave the port. Jen smiled at her, thankful for the company. She expected more people to come by the HQ today and the following days. While the three men were away, Assembly members would do their absolute best to distract Omni-Tek, draw their attention away from the fact that three Assembly members were off the planet. There would be attacks, theft, sabotation and a number of other 'fun' activities going on under the scorching heat of the twin summer suns. Anything that would keep Omni-Pol and the Unicorns a little less focused on what happened on shuttles leaving and entering Rubi-Ka space.

As the shuttle's signal disappeared from the range of their radar and satellite tower, all Jen could do was to ask Chronos to guide their minds as they traveled towards the goal.

[Xeenah]

The holoscreen was faintly glowing, displaying the information, a beep indicating each update.  She was drinking coffee to stay awake.  7:00 am...  Night shift was over, her comlink was off.  She had came home to the empty apartment that now seemed awfully big for just her tiny person.  She frowned briefly to keep her thoughts in line.  She had no idea of what their mission was, what their destination was, and she didn't want to ask.  There's a time to lead and there's a time to help, and there's a time to shut up as well.  Now was the time to shut up and help.

Beep.

She briefly looked at the screen.  Mack and BP would be with Kotras on this off-world mission.  She was wondering if Kotts would manage without his GSF...  She grinned, thinking he couldn't run it on others without warning.  She didn't know how much of their programs would work out there, without a notum environmnent.  She was just hoping that they would remember what it was like before they came to Ka.  Kotras has always been a streetwise little bugger, sneaky little bastard and she loved it.  Though he didn't have any military training, he's been raised playing hide and seek with the police.  The experience he had gained since could only serve him.  Hopefully.

Mack...  Aaah, good old Mack would feel so relieved!  If there was one Cher knew who would get back to it quickly, it was Mack.  Notum has always been a heavy burden on him, and she knew that even though he was trying to keep his nostalgia and bitterness shoved in a corner, there was always the memory if his days as a Spartan.  Now, he could again function without the strain of notum on him.  Lucky them, they'd get to see him shine...

She went to fetch an umpteenth cup of coffee and came back to the dining room low table.

Beep.

She checked the holoscreen a moment then down at her cup.  BP...  Cher didn't know what to think.  BP had many strong and rare assets and no matter what people say, he was a friggin' genius.  If he would be less concerned about his own ambition and power hunts, and care more for the good of the clan and the people in it, he would have been a veteran a long time ago.  She let out a sigh.  Why is it that freakingly intelligent people often seemed to lack heart?  The price of genius, maybe...

Beep.

Reclaim...  That's the thing they'd lack the most if something went horribly wrong.  She wasn't too eager to see Kotras leave for this assignment, on a personal basis.  On a professional basis, however, she was proud he was part of it.  It was what they signed up for, and they were all willing to take things a step further, hit where it hurts.  She could only hope they'd all be back in one piece...  Safe and sound, back on Ka.

Beep.

She glanced at the screen and frowned slightly upon seeing the word "Boarding" next to their shuttle flight number.  She drew a breath.  "Showtime...  Good luck guys, be careful" did she whispered.  She turned off the holoscreen.  She dumped the rest of her coffee, her stomach begging for mercy after too many coffees in a row and walked reluctantly to the big, empty bed.  She stared at the sky through the immense bay windows of the bedroom and felt incredibly small, sliding under the bedsheets.  No worried of her would change anything about what would happen to the three of them.  She made a silent prayer and tossed a long time in the bed before finally finding sleep.

[Badpacket]

"We have a very busy day today Sir, very very busy indeed..." remarked Kotts as he sat down next to Cain, typing on his datapad.

Cain took out a candy bar from his pocket and inspected it in his hands before replying

"The optimistic version is that we make it in 6 days. Diplomatic negotiations are a ..lengthy process. I wouldn't be surprised if it took us considerably more a week however. "

Soon after Mack came in, in his armor but without his gun, sat down on the seat in front of Kotts. Cain was ready to ask Mack a question, but was interrupted with a loud electronic sound. That meant that boarding the shuttle was no longer possible as the external doors were closing and the shuttle getting ready for liftoff. A female voice spoke from within the walls "Welcome and thank you for choosing the MS3 as your transport to the Morning Star space station. We would wish to remind you that the only authorized shuttle service between Rubi-Ka and the Morning Star space station is the Morning Star Shuttle Service..." - a mild rocking sensation was felt as the shuttle was being moved for launch - "In order to ensure a safe trip.." - Cain stood up in attempt to turn the speaker off, but as it turned out muting it completely was impossible, only lowering the volume to a somewhat more tolerable level. The hum of the reactors, engines and various other machinery almost canceled out the annoying barking that came out of the speakers. Cain reluctantly put both his hands on the arms of the seat and with his right hand pressed a big red button. The button faded and became an indiscriminate fragment of the seat and from two metal elements on both sides of the seat Cain was sitting on slowly came out two black ribbons, slowly making their way around Cain's chest and belly in a slight distance until a complete seatbelt was formed. It then tightened slightly - Cain never trusted those automatic seatbelts. In the event of a crash they would hardly help in anything else than choking the passenger or failing to let go of him should the circuitry fry. And although Cain never heard a confirmed case of such an event, what if something had gone wrong and the belts would put too much force, strangling the passenger, making his eyeballs pop out..

"Once we arrive at the station we have a few minutes to board the ship to Beta Orionis. We'll be put to sleep and about thirty six hours later we'll be waked prior to landing. Just hope the escort they have on this shuttle is enough to keep the aliens off."

Cain unwrapped the candy bar he was holding for some time now, and before he managed to take a bite thought for a moment and glanced at Mack, recalling he wanted to ask him a question.

"What about that gun of yours? Taken away?"

[Badpacket]

[ MACK! YOUR TURN! WRITE SOMETHING ALREADY! ]

[Kotts]

[RL might be crappy for him at the moment. but there was enough buzz from this alone there ain't nothing stopping us from writing a seprate Odysey-thingie. ]

[Stonyman]

"What about that gun of yours? Taken away?"

"Yeah, the guards threw the paperwork in the bin and took it. It doesn't really matter, i can have any equipment we need on Beta Orionis within two days anyway, oh the joys of ownin' a freighter." Mack said with a sly grin on his face, "Just be glad they didn't try ta get my armour, otherwise there would have been a few bodies."

Slowly he sat down and placed his helmet on the seat next to him as the safety belts jumped from the seat and tightened across his chest. Resting his head on the back of his seat, Mack looked up at the shuttle's ceiling and rubbed his beard.

"So what's the story with this trip and why the hell couldn't we have gone in comfort instead of cryo?"

[Kotts]

"So what's the story with this trip and why the hell couldn't we have gone in comfort instead of cryo?"

Kotts rolled his head to the side to face Mack. "Number of reasons. Cost being one, and the other being, --" Kotras glanced around for signs of any one else that my overhear. "The other being that no one will be able to strike up conversations or draw unwanted attention to us. Also these kinds of jumps can be a bit much on the human body. If the ship isn't properly prepped' for it, the passengers could get some major brain damage, or it could even kill 'em." Kotts twisted his mouth and quickly changed the subject. "Our main objective we can discuss once we get to the hotel. For now, just look and act like a body guard, if we get in a pinch let me do the talking."

Kotts nodded once to Mack, and leaned back in the chair, as he was buckled in. "Oh, one other perk though, we got a diplomat's suite" He perked his brow and grinned. The shuttle's engine started to wind up and roar, prepping for takeoff.

---

It wasn't long until they reached the Morning Star Stations, and were shuffled off into the giant freighter. Each stowing and locking their belongings in place, and climbing into the cryo beds. The space around Rubi Ka was thick with the Kyr'Ozch, however shots from the Goliath battle stations, and fighters near and around the Morning Star were more then enough to create a window to pass through.... usually... The ship detached from the station, with a low 'clank' and it began to move forward.  Kotts could hear low thudding when he pressed his ear to the bottom of the bed. Could be the workings of the ship, or maybe those fighters shooting the bugs... or getting shot themselves. It won't be long before they got out of range; it's just the wait, and not knowing that made it worse. The bed started to hum. Cyro was engaging.

[Badpacket]

Cain lifted himself a bit wanting to get in a more comfortable position but fell down like a stiff board immediately, blacking out.  In the same instant, as if a fragment of time was removed from existence, he woke up, nauseous, confused, a splitting headache only intensified by all the sounds around him.  His vision was blurry allowing him only to make out the dim pulsating, flashing red light making it's way around the room. He lifted his head slightly as high as the cryo chamber allowed and squinted as something entered his right eye. He wiped that part of the face with his hand and felt it was some liquid. As the red light came over his hand he saw the black liquid on his hand - a drop fell to the floor of the chamber and settled between the shards of the shattered glass. He pulled the hand closer to him - it smelled like rusty iron. He turned his head around and saw a gaping hole in the cryo chamber's glass, the side where his head was, the remaining glass covered with an intricate web of cracks brilliantly lit by the passing alarm light. Each breath of air from this four-chamber room, now mixed with the sleeping gas that provided instant  uninterrupted sleep and a pleasant wake-up filled the lungs with a diluted mixture that drained strength and awareness. Struggling with the feeling Cain gathered all his effort and crawled through the hole, inflicting more cuts as he forced himself through onto the floor. He stood up, grabbing and holding on to the pipes, slowly standing up until he grabbed and pulled a lever on the closest cryo chamber, the one facing his. The bloated pressure pipes and cracked life support systems gave out a wail as a gush of air left the chamber, flooding the room with mist coming out of the systems. A blue, bloated hand with veins urging to burst fell down to the body as the glass panel lifted unlocking the limb which was set firmly against the glass, the passenger desperately having tried to force open the glass. The hand fell down like a string of saussages and uncovered the face of the victim - his face like a baloon, huge, cartoon-sized eyes and almost a demonic tongue, fixed in a grotesque form of terror, once a face one would call handsome, now covered with a tatoo of dried blood coming from the ears, nose and mouth.

Cain struggled not to vomit as the gush of air threw him off balance and into the shattered glass once more. He stood up again however, the shards of glass glued to his body by blood, and on his knees made his way to the two remaining chambers. They seemed in-tact, Cain stood up and opened that of Kotts, then that of Mack. It was as Mack's chamber was opening as he sat down against the wall, still confused and dazed by the chemicals in the air, and lost consciousness.

[ In case you are wondering, you are free to advance the story in whatever direction. Note that the reason for this sudden change of events explicitly missing an explanation was intentional (not because I was feeling like some storywise-irrelevant  gore flying around) - it's for you to write up ]