---

---

It had been five, long years since anyone aboard the Vitae had stepped foot on solid ground. With Earth and Mars reduced to ash, all they had left to call home were the claustrophobic and colorless halls of the Genesis Ark. For many, this was a difficult thing to adjust to. Earthers were used to fields of green stretching for miles upon miles in every direction. Martians found their comfort in the endless deserts of twisting dust storms and crimson rock. To know that they might never see land like that again...it tended to drive people mad.

Elijah was not one of those people. He had spent almost every day of his life in the cramped hull of many a lifeless warship. He had grown accustomed to falling asleep to the sound of a purring engine. He was used to seeing nothing more than composite steel and blinking consoles for months on end. Yet still, though Ross was a career Serviceman, he had found the last five years surprisingly taxing. He no longer had a home to return to. There would be no crowd of friends and family awaiting him when he returned from a tour. There would be no quiet celebratory dinner with his aging parents, or night of drunken foolishness with his cousins. They, along with the rest of Mars, were gone. And that was something Ross still had trouble coping with.

Coming here helped.

Ross sat upon an old fashioned park bench made from wrought iron and painted sheer black. A breeze blew gently across his face, passing through the graying beard Elijah had neglected to remove. His mother had always detested facial hair, so he remained clean shaven for her sake. The gesture had lost it's meaning five years ago.

Eden reminded him of a park he used to visit back when he was a boy. He and his friends would race one another around the gardens in their motorbikes. The security officer would always yell at them whenever they got going too fast, but Elijah never listened. The grass was greener here than it was in the Martian park. The trees grew taller, too. Healthier trees and the cutting edge technology involved in keeping Eden running made the air all the sharper than it was back home.

The commander wished he could still enjoy it.

Elijah had always taken air for granted. Oxygen was something they had in abundance, after all; no one worried about breathing while they were young and healthy. Ross couldn't have known how much he missed being able to take a deep breath without a searing pain filling his side.

Almost as if on cue, Ross went to take a breath, only for a sputtering cough to follow. "Damn it." He rasped quietly. A reluctant hand reached up to tap a small button on his neck. The armored piece began to fold out, extending around his jawline and mouth until it snapped into place, both sides connecting to form the respirator that Elijah required to breathe. The mouthpiece itself was transparent, per Elijah's request- he hated how the machine obscured his features. Ross was not the kind of man to hide behind a mask.

The artificially enhanced air forced into his mouth with every puff on the respirator felt cold and hollow. It was as lifeless as the walls of any warship. Elijah despised not being able to breathe real air. He despised needing to be hooked up to some machine. He felt lesser for it. Yet all of all of the options presented to him, this was the only one Ross could take that didn't include dying. Elijah would never give up his pride as a Martian and as a man to force some unnatural cybernetic into his body. Some lab-grown pair of new lungs wouldn't do either. Even if his world was dead Elijah would never give up on it's beliefs. Ross would die before he betrayed Mars's memory.

Though Eden held a special place in Elijah's heart, he knew that it wouldn't for long. He came here because it gave him a reminder of what was. But Admiral Locke's call earlier that morning had changed that- or, it would soon, at any rate. Ross looked on at the tree before him, a smile forming underneath his respirator at the sight of it's blooming flowers. This particular tree was from Conglomerate territory on earth, if he had his facts right. It was gorgeous- probably the prettiest thing Nagasaki ever produced.

If Locke was right, this might be the last time Ross would ever need to visit Eden to be reminded of what land looked like. Elijah didn't believe his ears when he first heard the news. After five years of unending space travel, Elijah had resigned himself to it- he had expected to die never seeing anything other than a bulkhead and the blacks stretch of space ever again.

'A habitable world...'

It was the first of it's kind they had come across after heading through the Eye, and Ross had the privilege and the honor of gathering a suitable team for their first away mission off the Vitae. With the press of a button he opened the holographic display from his personal device, a list of names appearing before his eyes. This was his sacred duty. To humanity, to Mars- to himself.

N.O.A.H had prepared a list of candidates for Elijah, dividing it up by occupation and availability. There were close to fifteen thousand people awake, and this list only contained a fraction of them. Yet there were hundreds upon hundreds of names here. Almost all of them were qualified for this job. It was up to Ross to determine who was the best choice for this. "I suppose I should start with the science team." They needed them to work with the survey drones to determine just how habitable the world really was. "Let's see, here..." Ross muttered to himself, flicking through the various pages of names.

As he began to flag potentially suitable candidates, a funny little thought entered Eli's mind that made him smile.

'I wonder what the air tastes like down there..'

Rear Admiral William Locke
^{Commanding Officers Quarters}

---

William flicked through one profile, as he brought another prospective member of the team up before him. He'd let Eli have the final say over the crew however there were people that he needed down on that planet. He flicked another member onto the team, Michael Smith. File laregly redacted, expert in multiple scientific fields. To Elis eyes he'd be a scientific prodigy, whereas William knew better. Michael was an android, a sophisticated A.I system with an even more sophisticated robotic body. The idea was to make a perfect companion, scientist and leader to help guide the human race onwards. If they continued into the abyss for years to come, he was sure that Michael would maybe one day become a real leader.

He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his hands over his face and releasing a sigh that he didn't know he was holding in until he had let it go. This job had been taxing over the past five years, he hadn't even realised that the anniversary of five years had been coming up. Usually the civillian population planned some form of celebration, he put in an appearance ofcourse. Made a speech, celebrated with everyone else. The first had been a true party, the second had started to slump. Last year was virtually dead, he had spent most the time navigating the crowd. Being accosted by individuals for being a tyrant, he was hoping to make the announcement in a couple of days for changes aboard the vessel.

William leaned forwards and changed the data. Swiped the pile across the table, and looked at another two lists of names. One was made by Matthew Lopez, the individual in charge of his marine contingent. While Gavon TreVayne was in charge of civillian security, Matthew had compiled a list of possible security threats for him, basing off what would constitute a military threat. The list used to be short, but was growing longer the lower morale fell. The biggest problem that William could see was the lack of representation, yes there were civillian reps however they had no real authority and were just a glorified HR department.

He typed onto the table, sending a message to both Matthew and Eli. A reminder of the meeting, and then he pressed the button that activate the intercom to his aide. "Peter."

"Yes Sir?"

"Commander Ross and Colonel Matthew are on their way up. Let them in as soon as they're here, and bring in a fresh pot of coffee and prepare the info-graphs."

"At once, anything else Sir?"

"Yeah-" He let loose another sigh. "-Let Doctor Larson know I'm going to be on time for my bi-annually checkup for once."

"Very good sir."

The Vibe Nightclub | 21:13
The Hub | Entertainment District

One of the newest and hottest entertainment spots that the Hub has had the pleasure of cradling within its bosom, The Vibe’s popularity among the younger crowd only outshined by the massive pulse-pounding sound system, multi colored laser light and glow effects indicative of 1980s synthwave pop clubs, and nonstop energy running through its veins. Eating, drinking, dancing, or simply hiding away in the many dark corners for a while to forget, were just a few of the draws. Like most businesses within the Ark, the opportunities to sell “distractions" from an otherwise stressful journey was rarely passed up, knowing that most citizens aboard would just rather be somewhere else, whether they'd like to admit it or not. Regardless of the methods though, the effects of the Devastator’s swift and indiscriminate attack against humanity and the decimation of the homeworlds was something that could never be erased in the hearts and minds of those who lived it five years prior.

As tensions grew over those seemingly short few years, so did the need for counteractive measures to ensure security and military personnel were able to do their jobs effectively by protecting those caught within the slow uprising of civil unrest from harming others or themselves. No matter the background, religious affiliation, political affiliation, or a number of other things that make humans who they are, there will still be the one asshole who simply lights a match and walks away just to watch the whole place burn to hell. It was a physical and psychological balance that both Ark Security agents and military police forces had to maintain for there to be any continuity of order throughout the Vitae. Order, that was slowly pulling at the seams.

“Geez this place is packed tonight.” The young man chuckled while weaving through the masses crowded near the entrance. “Of course now I know where all the good-looking girls are.”

“Yeah, well keep your head in the game, kid.” The other said, trailing behind him with an uninterested expression.

Dressed in civilian attire for the evening, both Security Agents made their way past the congestion of people and A.I. serving units and into their pre-appointed positions while waiting for further instructions. A team of six agents lead by Chief Investigator Raymond Conley, systematically stationed themselves throughout the interior awaiting confirmation of their target, who was spotted entering the club earlier.

“Alright people I need eyes.” The stern and calm, yet somewhat nasally voice of Jarrol Haas came over the inconspicuous earpiece communicators given to each undercover agent. He was essentially the Watchman for this op, surveying via floor plans, target coordinates, and ensuring that all physical security measures are taken into consideration to mitigate any suspects from fleeing the scene, whether it be through camera detection, or bulkhead lockdown, Jerrol Haas was the “eye in the sky”, allowing support to Conley and his team.

For the last few days, Haas has been acting CoS while Chief Gavon TreVayne took advantage of much needed R&R, as well as medical leave due to mandatory artificial heart replacement after the previous cybernetic system simply shutdown. Although with the cause still unknown, Gavon was assured that the technology has been significantly upgraded since his first procedure over five years ago and there would be little if any risk. Knowing Gavon, however, he continues to put little faith in A.I, no matter how revolutionized it has become.

“Target spotted.” One of the female agents nearer to the back of the club chimed in. “Rear left corner, situated between the holodancer terminals and the sushi bar.”

“Confirmed.” Another agent acknowledged. “It’s Lowry alright, but he appears to be alone for the moment.”

John “Thunderbird” Lowry was one of the military’s top pilots and a great asset to the Vitae’s fleet, but things began to crumble around him personally and professionally. The arduous course of five years aboard the Ark took a toll on the thirty-something Fleeter career pilot, and while his life practically revolved around space travel and the harsh living and survival conditions that followed, the man couldn’t help by allow the separation of his family to break him down no matter how strong he thought he was. Sure, there were plenty who’d lost someone close to them after the attack, and there were plenty of outlets for coping that were considered non-destructive and perfectly legal, but the end result for those who left the door wide open was a downward spiral of vices that would never take the pain away fully. A simple whisper in his ear, and a chance to not only make a few extra credits on the side, but to trade for just about anything he could think of, John Lowry decided it was “within his right” to steal painkillers from the Medical Sector’s pharmacies by tunneling it through various proxies. It took less than twenty-four hours for medical personnel -through cross referencing inventory logs- to realize that supplies were dwindling, and yet it had been the more potent formulas that were specifically focused on. The problem was, because of the number of hands it exchanged through the smuggling process, it was difficult to pinpoint just who was responsible, until a tip surfaced through the diligent work of Chief Investigator Raymond Conley.

As the Lead Investigator surveyed the scene, his dark brown eyes scanned the room for any immediate dangers. A packed club such as this was unpredictable in many ways. The patrons tended to be inebriated or high on whatever drugs they could get their hands on in order to amplify their experiences. He did not have his handgun on him, and he’d ordered his agents under his command to follow the same protocol. Gunshots would cause a stir, and might lead to a chain reaction of chaos. This was a simple “by the books” deal, nothing too extreme, at least compared to many of the missions he had gone through back on Earth.

It didn’t compare to knocking down doors and taking down a group of radical Martian terrorists, and for that he was thankful. A smile crept onto his face as he recalled those events, it all seemed so long ago. He had done what was typically done in this situation, interrogating and squeezing info from every person connected to Lowry and the smuggling ring. Ray knew the moment one of the men most highly associated with Lowry squealed and gave the tip his people needed.

“Don’t lose track of him, but don’t let him know he’s being watched.” Ray stated into his commlink, from a distance in a position across from the target. The loud music pummeled his ears and the stench of alcohol filled his nostrils, but he was entirely focused on the task at hand. All minor distractions were cast aside.

“Lowry’s being approached by a female, dark hair, lavender cocktail dress.” The young agent responds, keeping himself between the target and a support beam. “She's at least a few feet from him, and they're exchanging words.”

Jerrol Haas zoomed in the holo map which was laid out on the large center table within SecCom. “NOAH, bring up the Vibe’s audio and enhance focus within coordinates 25-point-6 by 78-point-01.”

What followed was a mixture of static feedback and garbled background noise with muffled voices overlaid.

“What the hell is that?” Haas responded flatly, arching an eyebrow while repositioning the three-dimensional map for a better overhead vantage point.

NOAH’s voice prompt came on over the communications with SecCom. “Electrical pulses from the Vibe’s holographic terminals have generated temporary interference to the audio and video feeds within that radius.”

“What?” Haas exclaimed, clearly annoyed. “We've been through this dozens of times during routine tests and inspections and why hasn't it shown up in the logs?”

There was a momentary pause as NOAH queued up the previous diagnostics log, its contents appearing across the screen in front of where Jerrol Haas stood, before continuing. “Records indicate it had never been an issue, as all holo-terminals are calibrated specifically not to interfere with security systems and related mainframes. There is, however, another probability-”

“Dammit I lost visual.” The female agent chimed in again.

“Same here.” Another closer agent responded. “The holoprojection strobed for a moment then disappeared. Lowry was already on the move, and the girl I don't see anymore.”

“He’s on the run, heading towards one of the side doors! Lock down both sides, follow the reactions of the crowd!” Ray exclaimed loudly to the agents, then started shuffling through the hordes of party goers and dancers.

He could make out Lowry as the man dashed through the bustling club, causing a commotion as he knocked over people even as he tried to avoid doing so. The ex pilot was certainly startled, it seemed he had been tipped off on his status as a wanted man with authorities stalking his location. Ray darted through a group of dancers, slipping around them as he broke through to an opening in the dance floor. Lowry was still making a move, but he was trapped and the poor sap didn’t even realize it.

“I want that woman tracked to, if she knows anything. She may be an associate of his and might have tipped him off.” Ray stated calmly, jogging through the club as he made his way towards the same exit as Lowry. He was closing in on the man, but had to do this carefully.

As the song changed in the club, and the the mad dancing continued on, Ray emerged from the crowd as he bustled towards the target. As he closed in, he found another clearing, rapidly zeroing in on Lowry. The lead investigator lowered his shoulders, extended his arms and adjusted his stance just right. Then he made a pinpoint tackle, slamming into Lowry as his body pulsed with adrenaline. The smuggler didn’t have much time to react as he crashed into the ground, Ray on top of him as he kept the man unable to stand up. They were right near the exit the man was bolting for, two security agents appeared around them, exclaiming loudly that they were Ark Security.

“Don’t move a muscle, Lowry. You’re under arrest for the crimes of theft and running a smuggling ring.” Ray stated calmly, then harshly grabbed the man’s hands and cuffed him. He could practically sense the rage steaming off of Lowry as he stood up, bringing the criminal to his feet as well.

“Great work Conley and perfect teamwork Agents.” Haas stated, a huge grin on his face that only those within SecCom would have been able to notice, but his tone of voice may have given it away as well. “Chief TreVayne will be happy to hear about this, but let’s get Lowry underground to cool off for the rest of the evening and pick it up tomorrow. Haas out.”

---

---

On her way to her quarters, Melanie decided she would make a quick stop at the security office. Hopefully Gavon was there, or at least his wife, Natalie. She knew them personally so she imagined her report would be a bit more authentic, especially since Eddison apparently had the upper hand at the moment.

"-if I were to start dating one of my patients."

"Wait what?" Sullie had listened to her message, somehow they missed eachother as he was taking the lift. He was heading through the hub to grab a bite to eat before heading back to his office. He'd have to deal with this new guy, his new evaluations later. But now what she said had got him thinking. His jaw contorted left and right as he thought. "Contact Dr. Melanie Larson."

Beep beep.... beep beep.... Sullie talked again. "Aww come on, you just sent me a message..."

Melanie looked down at her watch yet again, seeing an incoming call.

"Hello, Sullie?" She honestly wasn't expecting him to call back so soon, but her judgment was clouded at that point, the drinks she'd had starting to take effect. "I just left you a message, did you get the chance to hear it?

Melanie didn't want to have to repeat herself. She usually didn't mind, but this different...it was personal.

"Yeah, yeah." He sounded way more pleasant than the call, but he was anxious, a little nervous, it seemed. "You did it for job reasons, yeah I get it."

He tried to talk, but he seemed to be fumbling with his words as he got out of the lift and stopped near a wall to focus.

"So-so they think we're dating?" He asked again, repeating her words. "Just wanted to ask, uh, why don't we?" He was usually pretty forward but he was trying to be smooth, something he was - okay at?

"Are you asking me out?" Melanie stopped for a moment, causing someone to bump into her by accident due to the abrupt stop. She waved at them apologetically, not wanting any problems. "Because if you are, then I'm going to have to say yes." Melanie had spent enough time with Sullie to be somewhat attracted to him. Sure, he got into trouble here and there, but everyone had their faults. He was a good-looking guy, so what was the harm?

---

---

"Missy!" Melanie waved over her friend to guide her through the crowd of patrons eating at the restaurant. She would occasionally run a few minutes late, but Melanie was used to it by that point.

"Hey...so, how did it go?" she asked, sitting down across from Melanie as she pulled her chair closer to the table in order to get comfortable.

In response, Melanie gave her a half-hearted smile. "Well...it didn't work out-"

"But he-"

"Nuh uh," Melanie held up a finger, "let me finish. Things were going great at first, but we seemed to get on each other's nerves more often than not. You know me--I don't have an anger problem, but he...he was difficult. And he was worse when he drank. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to badmouth the guy, we just kept disagreeing a lot. In the end, obviously it was a bit overwhelming for us both and we called it quits. Our personalities just didn't click..."

Melanie took a moment to gauge Missy's reactions, who simply took a sip of water before she called over the waiter. "I feel for ya, Mel, Jason and I had a very rough first few weeks, but we worked it out eventually. You'll find someone, just gotta give it some time..."

Both women then transitioned out of that conversation, chatting over a few drinks and eventually, their dinner and dessert. They covered various topics and occasionally, Missy would touch up on available bachelors for Melanie. But she kept declining, instead asking her about the pending fitness instructor position. It would be a nice side gig, especially since she had to sit a lot for her job.

It was roughly an hour later as both women paid for their food and drinks.

"Alright, I'm gonna get going. I'm seeing the famous Gavon TreVayne tomorrow and I want to double check I have everything ready for the visit. I'll stop by after work, okay?"

Melanie and Missy then said their goodbyes, walking out of the restaurant together but eventually going their own separate ways.

---

ois was forced to take a longer route to arrive at her destination. According to the onboard screens of the transit system, part of the Hub was locked down due to Ark Sec matters. She wondered what was going on this time. She hoped it wasn't anything too serious; she hated to think that the last of human society as they knew it to be was falling apart only five years out. There was no way people could prepared for this type of scenario, but why were they all having such a hard time mitigating the damage? She supposed the answer lay somewhere in human nature: definitely not her area of expertise.

As she arrived at the entrance to Eden, she presented her badge to the staff on either side of the sliding doors. It was purely for protocol and out of habit at this point; if she was well-known anywhere on the ship outside of Hydroponics, it was Eden. It was a very rare day that Rois missed a visit to the gardens of Eden, and she could produce almost all of the names of the other regular visitors if prompted; likewise, they could all probably do the same with her. Whether for therapeutic or personal reasons, she was always ecstatic to discuss the shared space with those who visited on how they felt about it, what else they would like to see, and how else it could be improved upon. It was hers, but it was theirs, too. She was okay with sharing as long as the inhabitants took great care with everything. A closed ecosystem like this could topple over the smallest changes.

It belonged to everyone, but it was her baby. She could name every specimen, when it was planted, when it would germinate next, so on and so forth. She had little else to do these days but to dote on her plants. If the rest of the crew thought she was weird when she first arrived on board, she had definitely become moreso in the time since. Sometimes she could be caught talking with the plants; if confronted, she was sure to point out that "many scientific studies show positive results in botanical specimens where auditory stimulation is provided in person by caretakers." Most people just learned to ignore the woman if they caught her in the act.

Her hazel eyes shifted from the flora to the fauna as she removed her shoes, nestling them into the crook of her right arm; she preferred to feel the grass and 'earth' beneath her feet as she strode the paths of Eden. Several people were here this morning, as usual. With all the turmoil that had been brewing this past year, Eden had seen a large uptake in visitors. She was conflicted on how to feel about that: on the one hand, it was more people to enjoy her team's work; on the other, it increased the chances that something would be damaged. Thankfully, the staff did a good job of keeping an eye out, but their eyes could only watch so many people at a time. As she scanned the occupants, her eyes landed a familiar sight: @Superboy Commander Ross sat on a bench, seemingly engrossed in some sort of hand held data slate. She slowly made her way over to the man where he sat on the bench, stopping a few feet away on the nearby grass.

"Good morning, Commander. What brings you here this morning: business or pleasure?" She wore an easy smile as she spoke. While many on the ship were disquieted by the inarguable majority of military officials in control, they had certainly given Rois no reason to pause or feel distrust towards them. On the few occasions she'd had to interact with this particular official or observe him in interactions with others, he'd been friendly enough. If she was bothering him now, she would apologize and carry on her way towards the center of the garden. "Either way, I hope you are finding Eden suitable this morning."

Riley Cavill walked with purpose as she headed through the barracks level of the military complex. Most of the non Officer soldiers lived in groupings of individual rooms with a shared common area, nicknamed Bunkers. Each unit had a Bunker of their own to promote camaraderie. On her first day, Riley had been surprised that she would not be sharing a Bunker with her unit but instead sharing one with other Unit leaders of similar rank. However, she spent a good portion of her time with her unit anyway.

The first year had been a bit awkward and stiff within her unit. Three of the six members of her unit are Martian and they had not been too keen on having a Fed being their Unit leader. Nor were the two Feds in the Unit keen on working with Martians. Then there was the odd man out from the Nagasaki Conglomerate. Again, it was all that Nationalist bullshit that was making things difficult. Things mellowed out however, as they went on away missions and were forced to see each other every day. Sure there were still some tensions but that was to be expected. Riley had also made it clear that she wanted nothing but the best for her unit no matter their nationality.

Riley did not nor ever wanted to be more than what she was. She sometimes found officers to be a bit stiff and back on Earth too many of them refused to get their hands dirty. That was less so from the Martian officers that she had seen over the last five years. However, that had not changed her mind. She was perfectly content where she was, even though both her brothers were Officers.

Finally Riley entered the Bunker and saw that her team was already up. A group was playing a dice game at the common table and another one was chatting while they cleaned some of their equipment. They stopped what they were doing the moment she entered the room and got to their feet. They gathered in the center of the Bunker in single file line and saluted her once before placing their arms at their backs.

“Good Morning Ladies!” Riley said with a stern face even though she found the quip to be humorous. It was just by coincidence that everyone in this unit was male. Then just as she noticed that one of the team was missing, he walked out of his room. The “oh shit” look on his face was priceless as he took his place in line.

“How nice of you to join us, Knight. I trust you got enough beauty sleep?” Riley said walking over to him in line and got in his face.

“YES, SIR” Knight’s voice cracked ever so slightly as he answered. He knew he was going to get punished with all the crappy jobs that day.

“Alright, you have three minutes to put on your big girl panties. GO!”

********
Even though Riley and her team had been the first to arrive at the training deck, she did not have them jump right into the simulators. She had her team warm up with several actual exercises, including the obstacle course, hand to hand practice, and even target practice in one of the firing ranges.

Riley believed that although Simulators were a fantastic tool, they were no comparison to actually being on the ground. There was just something in the back of the mind that told you it wasn’t real. She wanted her unit to actually feel exhaustion and push themselves farther than any simulation could. The Simulators were simply there to run scenarios so they would be prepared for any outcome. However, on multiple occasions she had told the programmers to make whatever scenario they were in that day to be unbeatable. At first it had brought down Moral, but eventually those failures only pushed her team to be better. No one likes losing, but it was reality they all had to face.
It was when her unit was next in line to enter the simulators when Captain Lopez appeared on the training deck.

"ATTENTION! CAPTAIN ON DECK!" yelled Lieutenant Harrison who had been watching the training up until that moment. Riley got into formation with her unit not far from the Captain and the Lieutenant.

"At ease people," Captain Lopez said allowing them all to relax.

Then the Captain and his Lieutenant began to speak to one another. Riley could not help but over hear them speak her name. She cracked a small grin, but it disappeared as Captain Lopez looked her way.

"Master Sergeant Cavill. Do you believe in your team's ability to perform in potentially hazardous or hostile environment at the best of their abilities?" Captain Lopez asked her directly.

“Yes, Sir” She answered sternly and confidently.

Cryogenics was one of those rare areas on the ship that are defended by both Military and Ark Security personnel. That made it decidedly difficult to infiltrate, the cameras and drones had twice the personnel scanning them for anything out of place. The remote drones weren't the problem, they would ignore them. The issue would be the cameras, you couldn't alter a humans programming to ignore you. As such their more public members had leaked the information on the drug abuse aboard the ship the second they caught wind of an upcoming away mission. Everything had to be cheorographed perfectly, they could only loop the camera feed for a short period of time before Noah would detect something and alert security. While they could insert commands into the drones aboard ship it was above their programmers ability to interfere with the programming of a complex A.I. It didn't matter, they knew the cryotray they were going for. They'd be in and out before anyone knew what happened.

As the guard passed the hatch slipped of the service duct, three of them crawled out. The leader immediately lunged at a passing guard, stun stick in his hand he jabbed it into her neck. She fell down, he caught her and lowered her to the ground to prevent her body drop from creating a noise that anyone nearby might hear. A Hound Drone flew up, looked at them, a subroutine had the droid ignore them. It would replace the footage of the breach with a clip from earlier in the same hallway. It wouldn't pass up to extreme scrutiny, however the subroutine that did this would be harder to discover. At least quickly. Their only hope was that their member in droid maintenance wouldn't be discovered. If they were, then things would get far harder.

They reached the cryo-tray in question and a grin pulled across his face, carving a menacing look across his face. His teeth rotting or fallen out. He pulled the latch on the side of the cryotray, the emergency release popping open. The cold air blasting over him, mist formed spooling out of the pod and spilling out onto the floor. Grabbing the occupant by the shoulders he pulled her out, tubes rupturing and ripping, fluids rushing everywhere. As he slung her over his shoulder, he turned to his compatriots. "It's time to go, I've got the package."

Amanda Lorne would pay for the sins of her father.

Audrey Knight

---

In spite of herself, Audrey cracked a smile underneath the mask when she heard Rois's voice through the intercom. The Head of Hydroponics was a good friend to have, if you liked disappearing into work for several days as Audrey so often did. "Thanks, Rois," Audrey replied, her hand on the intercom dial near the Black Box. "I'll be down for the hydroponics systems check soon! One of these days. I'll let you know."

That done, she shuffled over to the doorway. Maeve's was a voice she was less excited to hear, not because she was particularly unpleasant company; in fact, Audrey had always sort of admired her sunny disposition and infallible energy. No, Audrey dreaded Maeve's visits because they inevitably meant a long, tedious medical checkup and incessant prodding about her personal life. Still, there was no point trying to keep her out - she knew from experience that the medic would happily stay out there shouting all day, and then there'd be no getting anything done.

Audrey slid the door open with a flick of her hand over a console and turned away, stepping over a pile of loose robot parts as she went to place her tablet on her bed. "Maeve. Are you sure today's the right day for the checkup? I could have sworn I had one just a week ago," she said, the humourless drone in her voice amplified by the mask's filter. "Black Box, say hello."

"Hello, Dr. Katz," the copy of Audrey's voice replied, the Box's holographic 'eye' dilating as it did so. "I have been looking forward to our next meeting. How are you?"

Audrey smiled again under the mask; it had taken so long to get the Box's greeting protocol working to some degree of simulated normality, and that was the first time it had ever successfully greeted someone other than her. She allowed herself a swell of pride, turning away from the tablet and sitting on her ever-messy bed. "Let's get this over with."

---

"Yes, Sir." Was the response given by the master sergeant, the Captain gave a brief smirk at the response, the tone of over confidence and resilience made him raise his eyebrows as he looked at Harrison for a bit. His look bode the attitude of a man that could only be impressed by action rather than face value words.

"Very well Master Sergeant, your unit is next on training dome 3. The level of realism of the simulation will be on maximum and I expect to witness only the best. Effectiveness, conduct, and courage." Matthew kept an expressionless face as he spoke each word, expecting the same from each and every one of the people in front of him, Cavill and Harrison included.

A man that had lived twice the years as many of the soldiers present Matthew had no time to concern himself with what nationalities was who and who had done what to anybody else, throughout his time as commander of the contingent he had made sure to go down on anyone that would dare risk unit cohesion over some nationalistic pretexts. Even his fellow Martians were not immune to the Captain's harsh attitude towards anything that would harm the contingent's ability to effective and coordinately fight, anyone that spew bullshit or looked down upon anyone for any reason was personally punished by Matthew, again humanity had no time for that. He himself didn't trust Feds or Conglomerates, but he knew that it didn't matter and all of them had to keep their eyes forwards as a single people, of course deep within Matthew was glad it was mostly Martians running the show over bureaucratic Feds or corrupt Conglomerates, of the lawless Fleeters. But he didn't dwell on any of those thoughts, he had an army to command.

"So I expect everyone here to put the best and work effectively as a unit. Unit cohesion is important ladies and gentlemen, without coordination a unit cannot expect to succeed in the simulation, much less so in the field. Master sergeant, I expect only the best." With that, the Captain dismissed the men and women in front of him, proceeding to go up the stairs to the platform. Harrison followed, letting him know of recent news.

"Sir, Admiral Locke is waiting up on the COQ, it's an urgent meeting sir." Harrison kept walking behind Lopez.

"Yes Lieutenant I'm aware." The Captain stopped abruptly on his path, turning to face the young lieutenant.

"Oversee the simulation, record it and send it to me when it's done. Also, I want you to be present inside the dome when the simulation is on, use the observer mode to more effectively see what they do, this is am Away Mission Scenario, so I want them to know the proper procedures. I need to get going, lieutenant, dismissed." With that the Captain gave a brief salute and made his way up the stairs to the elevator, leaving Harrison to keep tabs on Cavill's unit. The lieutenant seemed confused and bewildered for a few seconds, but he quickly got on to doing what the Captain expected of him.

The lieutenant made his way back down to the main deck of the complex and followed behind towards Cavill's unit, catching up the master sergeant.

"Get your men ready sergeant, you're up on Training Dome 3." With that, Harrison made his way to the observation deck next to the dome, he would join the Unit in the simulation soon.

---

Matthew was on his way to Locke's office, as the elevator moved up he could see the hub area from above, his expression the same monotone one as before. Thousands of people going about their business, trying to live life normally, as if anyone could say what was normal and what wasn't anymore. As he kept looking through the glass that covered the elevator the lens flares of the moving elevator combine with the shinning lights above the hub made him feel dizzy, uneven and afflicted. Then he began to remember, remember the sounds of war and the screams from that dreadful day, the smoke pilling in his cockpit as he thought they had lost the battle and he would die in the cold vacuum of space.

Closing his eyes shut in panic, Matthew turned away from the glass, standing right on the middle of the elevator trying to think things through, clear his mind which was an ocean filled with memories of pain and worried thoughts that only made him more and more anxious and tense. His neck stretched with a feeling of unbearable stress. It was hard to breath, he took one deep inhale and exhale trying to ease off the pain in his chest.

He moved off from the middle of the elevator again near the window, pressing himself against the hard glass trying to calm himself. Breathing faster and looking down on the floor trying to calm himself, he began to try and divert his thoughts from the memories of war to the ones of past times with his son, parties and barbecues on Sundays, it made him ease his chest pain as he began to catch his breath to normality. The attacks were getting worse as time went by.

Soon the elevator stopped at the bridge, the entire placed filled with activity as dozens of men and women attended to terminals, controls and screens. All of them made sure the Vitae functioned well and directed it towards unknown places that could hopefully serve as Humanity's home.

Matthew entered the bridge and quickly began making his way towards Locke's office, following through the big hallways leading to the closed door, Peter, Locke's aide, was out on his desk right outside the room. Matthew simply gave a nod and waited for the door to open as it did Peter then said.

"Admiral Locke, Lopez is here."

---

"Helmets on now."

Hal grabbed the VR device and planted it atop his head, fastening it with the under-the-chin buckle. Next were the goggles, and suddenly his vision was pitch black. Yet every soldier was expected to grab his simulated weapon with muscle memory, and he performed without problem. The inner room around he and his squad was smooth and stark white, with only a door and a boxed mirror where one of the military personnel watched and recorded the session. Inside, the team was on treading tracks, where their feet could move while their bodies remained stationary. Luckily, the VR equipment was advanced enough to input other movements within his mind with the neural link, in case they needed to tumble or duck.

Suddenly images began to flicker into Hal's vision. The scene was scratchy at first, before the definition of the jungle atmosphere about him was fed into his mind. He could feel the heat of the sun. Hear the chirps of exotic birds. Tastes the moisture in the air. The gun he held suddenly weighed as it should.

"Move out." Riley ordered. Hal held his hand up and extending two fingers, then five, the enclosing them into a fist. The troopers behind him, those similarly in the room, immediately followed orders. The two in the flanks guarding the six scientists they were to escort through near ten miles of jungle without a single non-trooper casualty. Hal had run simulations like this before, but more importantly, he had fought in jungles like this back on earth. Unfortunately, the scenario was on a foreign, hostile planet. He could not trust the flora or fauna here.

He took point, moving at a steady yet silent pace. His M356 Assault Rifle constantly trained along his visual. It was a mile before they met their first resistance. Enemy fire suddenly cut through the foliage as Hal and his company took cover behind stout trees with an unknown chemical within its trunk to give its bark a greyish color. The plasma fired roared and nearly struck a member of Hal's team, but they were all seasoned and finely honed soldiers, and Hal knew this type of fighting.

Riley gave the signal, and Charlie's 3,6, and 8 began providing cover fire as 2 and 4 held the scientists behind the thickest of cover. Hal, Charlie 7, and 9 began to move as silent as death round the indention in the battleground, covering their movements until they flanked the enemy. Luckily 7 and 9 moved about as well as he did, only passing past the foliage that would sway with the wind, as if the soldiers had never been through at all.

Inch by inch, Hal drew his gun over the short branch, past the wickedly pointed brush that separated he and the enemy. Upon inspection, they were insurgents. Likely earthling or martian rebels. Hal could see the sweat beading down their tanned faces as they fired across the expanse toward his squad, and yet again he marveled at how real the simulation seemed. This all happened within the span of a nanosecond, and before Hal could think through the action, he ordered his men to open fire and their bullets cut through the enemy like a scythe through wheat.

When it was over, they had another 7 miles to go. Charlie 3 had been hit, but he could still move. They couldn't afford to lose any men.

"Feel free to give her these as a bargaining tool for the door. It works pretty well for me. Ah, sorry. I haven't introduced myself yet: Rois Holt, botanist. Pleasure to meet you, Dr. Katz." Maeve heard the woman saying, introducing herself as well as suggesting Maeve to use the food as a bargaining tool.

Maeve couldn't help but feel a bit relieved that there was someone else taking care of Audrey other than herself, since Maeve had other things to do so she couldn't see Audrey every day. She wouldn't be surprised if she knew that if it wasn't Rois bringing Audrey food, she would probably forget to even eat.

"I have to admit that I feel a bit more relieved by having someone taking care of Audrey other than me. It's a pleasure to meet you to, Rois. Please, just Maeve is enough." Maeve said with a smile.

"I wouldn't be surprised if I knew that Audrey forgot to even eat if it wasn't for you bringing food for her!" she said, laughing. Rois seemed to be a very good person.

"Oh! You mean you're responsible for taking care of the Eden? I go there every single day since the first day I came here. So lucky! You get to stay there for as long as you want, right?" Maeve said, smiling.

"I won't take much more of your time. Thanks for taking care of Audrey and the Eden." Maeve said, with a wink towards Rois as she walked away. She would sure maybe try to pay her a visit. Perhaps she would even be lucky enough to be able to spend an extra hour per day on the Eden.

When Audrey finally opened the door, she would find Maeve with a smile on her face and holding the food that Rois left for Audrey.
"Mental note: Food as a bargaining tool to get Audrey to open the door works extremely well." she said with a playful smile.

"Yeah I'm sure, Audrey. The last checkup was two weeks ago... Even though they may be annoying, they're incredibly important in order for you to stay healthy." Maeve said, with a look of disapproval towards Audrey. Maeve knew that Audrey had a lot of things to do due to her position and job on the ship, but even though, Audrey could, at least in Maeve's eyes, take care of herself a bit better. Maeve wondered if she wasn't pushing herself a bit too much...

As she handed the food to Audrey, she heard the AI Audrey was working on greeting her. She was honestly impressed on how fluid and polite the AI sounded. It was very different from most of the other AIs she saw.

"How polite! I'm very well, thank you, Black Box!" Maeve said with a giggle, not hiding her surprised expression as she heard it talking to her.

"Let's get this over with." Maeve heard Audrey saying as she got prepared for the medical procedures.

"You know how things go. It will be over in a moment." Maeve said, getting a compact set of medical equipment from under her coat and putting on a set of disposable medical gloves as she took out a surprising amount of things out of that small metal case, making clear that it would certainly take a bit more than just 'a moment'. It was almost unbelievable to see how many things she could fit in such a small space. Unlike other times, this time Maeve wasn't wearing the usual medical coat, instead wearing a black sweater and a black choker. It was almost like if she was on her day off or something.

"I know I keep telling you this every time I come to see you, but I must insist. You could take one hour of your day to go to the Eden. It would be very good not only for your mind, but for your health as well. It's probably the place with the cleanest air around here... Oh, and as another question... Are you sure you're not pushing yourself too much?" Maeve asked as she took out a disposable syringe and needle, cleaning her arm with a bit of alcohol before taking a bit of blood.

"At least now I know that you're feeding yourself properly, thanks to Rois. She seems to be a good woman, going out of her way just to bring you food." Maeve said, putting the blood sample in a small flask before taking Audrey's blood pressure, checking her respiration and her heart beat with a stethoscope.

"How have you been spending your days?" Maeve asked, as she continued with the medical checkup.
"You know... Getting out and having a bit of fun is also important to one's health..." She continued.
"Regarding your health, have you been feeling anything out of the ordinary?" Maeve asked as she took a small tablet to write some observations about the checkup.

@Cairo@The Valkyrie

---

---

_{@The Valkyrie}

If there was one thing in the known universe that Elijah might hate more than the Devastators, it was paperwork. Though he hadn't used actual paper official documents in more than a decade and a half, the man still abhorred it. He understood the importance of what he was doing well- deciding who was best qualified to join them on the first expedition to a habitable world was a monumental task. And Ross was honored that he had been chosen for this duty. All of that said, however...

'Good God I hate this.'

It had to be the worst part about all of these promotions he'd earned over the years. Elijah appreciated the increased income and the better quality of life that came with it. And he appreciated, too, the weight of the tasks that came with his rank and title. There was nothing quite like the feeling of commanding a crew from the helm of a gargantuan warship in the midst of battle. It was altogether terrifying and exhilarating in the same breath. With those highs came the lows. And unfortunately for a man of his standing, the 'lows' constituted around eighty percent of what he did on any given day.

Paperwork. It was nothing but paperwork. Signing off on orders, reading over mechanical and troop inspection reports, dealing with requests from personnel and other departments, and any other host of poignantly mundane duties that came with a position of leadership. Elijah's mornings typically consisted of pouring a pot of copy and then looking at his datapad for a few hours. Then he would leave for Eden, and look at his datapad for a few hours. Then to lunch, more of the datapad, on to his office and more of the datapad (and, refreshingly, other viewscreens!) and finally he would return home for dinner and eventually bed...and more looking at a datapad.

If Eli was forced to remain in a single place to do all of this, he might've lost it awhile ago. As it was, he was quite thankful that places like Eden existed to offer some different scenery to his aging eyes. Eden was- pun totally intended- a breath of fresh air. It cut out a bit of the monotony of it all, in a way. Ross enjoyed the warm breeze brushing against his face. The sound of swaying trees broke up the maddening hum that came from the rest of the Vitae.

As his fingers traced across a barely tangible screen, Elijah heard a familiar voice play in his ear. The pad fell down against his knee, forgotten momentarily as the commander turned to face Rois Holt. "Doctor Holt." He greeted, his voice distorted by the mechanical breathing apparatus that dominated the lower half of his face. Elijah ran a finger up along his neck, pressing down on the button that caused the mask to retract. Ross held in a cough, letting his lungs adjust to the unfiltered air for a moment. Even if his doctors implored him to keep the mask on as often as he could, Elijah was adamant about speaking face to face. He was doing his body no favors, but a few minutes of unregulated breathing shouldn't kill him.

Ross rolled his shoulders, bracing himself for the upcoming strain as he went to stand. He suppressed a groan at the screeching ache within his right knee and upper thigh. A near silent mechanical whirring followed the action, the sophisticated brace adjusting to release the pressure on his wounded right leg.

"It is a good morning indeed." Elijah offered a warm smile to Holt, taking several steps to meet the Head of Hydroponics with an outstretched hand. It wasn't just a good morning. A good morning involved waking up feeling rested and eating a healthy amount of scrambled eggs and bacon. No, today was shaping up to be a great morning. Potentially even the best since he had entered the ark five years ago- paperwork aside.

Her question on whether he was in Eden for business or pleasure brought Elijah's hands together, to be clasped in front of him as his demeanor shifted slightly. "A little bit of both, actually." Ross said, his earlier joviality replaced with a dash of seriousness. "I meant to come speak with you personally later today about an...opportunity."

He glanced down at the datapad in his hand, remembering well the names of those qualified for the expedition. Among many others, Elijah had seen Doctor Holt's. "The admiral has me choosing a crew for a very...special assignment. I'm trying to bring together a small team of experts, and, well.." He started, picking his words carefully; he knew that the mission wasn't on the official record just yet, and letting that information slip early could very well stoke the fires of unrest that were already burning.

It was difficult for Elijah to keep from getting at least a little excited at the prospect. They were going to a new world! After five long years spent with nothing but dwindling hope, they had finally arrived at a world ripe for colonization. His attempt at remaining serious and keeping this all under wraps was broken by the slight grin that Ross wore as he spoke in a lowered voice. "...How would you feel about being a part of history, Doctor Holt?"

Rois was not a hard sell. She was their leading expert on plant life and agriculture- along with someone like Wolfe, Holt could determine just how 'habitable' this habitable world really was. "Now, nothing's finalized quite yet, so I can't get into the details until I've met with Locke-"

Ross's point was interrupted by an obnoxious beeping coming from the device he held within his fist. He turned it over, glancing down at the screen to see what all the fuss was about. "Ah. I let time get away from me." Elijah grumbled, switching off the alarm. "Speaking of meetings, I'm going to be late if I don't get moving to mine now. I'll have one of my aide's reach out to yours so we can schedule something." The commander implored, starting to turn away from Eden's caretaker. He really should've set that alarm for fifteen minutes earlier, all things considered, to give himself more time. But Elijah had a terrible habit of rushing to get on time to things. "Have a wonderful morning, Doctor Holt! Oh, and Eden was just superb!"

Rear Admiral William Locke
^{Commanding Officers Quarters}

William poured over the data and sighed. This was such a big step, and he wasn't sure what telling everyone about this would be. if it turned out to be a bust it would just destroy morale even more, forcing it lower than it already was. If that was even possible. The other announcement, the introduction with elections would probably go a hell of a lot better. It would be chaotic, and he'd need a sit down with Lopez and TreVayne first but it was certainly doable. They just had to make sure that all the details were hashed out first. William was at the point where he believed that the structure would work, there'd be growing pains but it would certainly be worth it in the end. Especially if they ended up staying behind for years to come.

He sighed as Peter announced the arrival of Lopez. He sat himself up straight. Pressing the button on his table: "Very well, let him in. Just let the Commander in as soon as he arrives as well." After releasing the comm button William took another swig of his coffee, it was begining to go cold but had not yet reached the temperature where it was completely untolerable. He still found it odd, even after all these years that on a ship on which he was serving it was possible to get a reasonable cup of coffee. Most ships of the line had terrible coffee, and that's because it was all filtered coffee out of a pot that constantly brewed and was never any semblence of fresh. The coffee got better once he made Commander, better when he made Rear Admiral, and the best once he got onto the Ark. The work was tedious, it always was. He could push through it though, so long as the coffee kept flowing to keep him awake.

William didn't stand as Lopez entered the room. He could hear the tell tale thud of the armoured boots on the deck of the ship. "Take a seat Colonel, though if you stand up and that armour of yours takes a chunk of the couch with you I'm not going to be happy with you." He couldn't complain at Matthew wearing his armour rather than his officers garb, he himself had buttons undone on his tunic, his black vest visible underneath. A clear indicator that he hadn't been a career officer, he had been career military. Working his way to where he was, through all the levels of shit you had to go through.

"While we wait for the commander there's something I want to discuss." He waited until Matthew had finished sitting down before he spoked, smiling politely at Matthews retort to the comment about the couch. "I'm going to open up Civillian Elections, and restructure the Civillian structure aboard ship. This was never meant to be a long term solution, and while Martians have all served in the military, and every Martian is used to serving an Admiral or a General it isn't sitting so well with the other nationalities." He took another sip, sliding a datapad over the worktop to Lopez. "The idea is, to divide powers round the Hub. The elected official will have control over the Hub, the Civillian Laws and Civillian research projects, as well as matters such as births and family rights. While I will retain military control, and control over everything outside of the hub. Including any civillians working on military projects. There's nothing concrete yet, I still need to meet with the Civillian Reps and TreVayne. I'm just letting you know there's going to be some changes-"

He took a sip, before lowering the mug again as with a -hm- as he realised something. "-On that note. I need you to request transfer. Lieutenant John Lowry was apprehended last night by ArkSec. The CAGs after his ass and I plan to give it to her. Let ArkSec get whatever information they need from him, then he's ours to courtmartial."

---

ois was long since used to the way that Ross persisted on removing his respirator when speaking with her pretty much anyone, if he could help it. Of course, one hardly required a background in medicine to understand for what purpose the equipment was needed, but she wasn't his physician; it was obvious to her that he had long since made up his own mind on the matter, so she said nothing--as usual--even if she noticed him struggling from time to time suppressing a cough or sound of pain here and there.

When he came closer to offer his hand, Rois did not hesitate to return the gesture. "Ah, I'm glad you find the morning well," she replied and couldn't help but return his good-humoured smile. The man gave off a very amiable energy in his movements and words, not what you would expect by judging solely on his appearance or military record. When his tone turned a bit more consequential, she began her less than lackluster attempt to appear more business-like; this presented as Rois suddenly appearing a bit stiff in posture and closed off in body language. She wasn't uncomfortable with the shift in conversation rather she was merely unpracticed at not being the one delegating tasks to be done. It had been a while since anything had come down the line from anywhere above her, and she certainly wasn't used to receiving the news in person. She was certainly nervous at the prospect, but also terribly excited. She could definitely use some excitement right about now, anything to chase away the stagnation of late.

A light turned on in Rois' eyes and she was already lining thought after thought up on what the task could be--of course something potentially plant-based if she was being considered--when the commander's speaking was interrupted by an alarm in his hand-held device. "Of course, Commander. It's certainly easy to let time run away with you here; I'm glad it is to your liking. I'll watch for word from you and your staff." She could see that he was just as excited as she was to talk about it, but of course couldn't just lay it all out--especially in Eden with too many ears. Nevertheless, the fire was lit for more information and she hastily pulled a notepad from her pocket, hurriedly flipping to the back of the book to find a clean page. A suitably empty paged found, she hastily scrawled:

---

---

Underlined. Underlined. Starred. And she shoved the notepad into the breast pocket of her suit before continuing on to her duties in Eden.

She was always happy to be in Eden, but now she had some pep in her step as she moved from section to section, closely examining each arrangement of 'wildlife'. The trees from the Conglomeration were a personal favorite; she loved to run her hands over the bark and imagine climbing the trees back on the farm. Hell, climbing the trees at university as well. The tips of her fingers found some old vandal work by one of the ship's crew whom was no longer permitted unsupervised visits; they were damned lucky she allowed them back in at all after they'd carved into her tree. That was about the closest she ever came to wanting to murder somebody. She'd scraped some of the bark and applied a covering that enabled some of it to regrow properly, but the poor thing was forever scarred.

Satisfied in the current health of all Eden's specimens, she moved on to the irrigation and simulated weather systems. She didn't handle those personally, but she could check if basic functions were in order via hubs strategically placed around the area. It wouldn't do to have the whole area under the same exact weather pattern, so multiple units were placed that controlled each wedge to which they were connected. This not only enabled slight changes in temperature, shade, and breezes but was also helpful in case the watering system malfunctioned. Instead of the whole area being disrupted, only a single section would be; furthermore, it enabled maintenance on the synthetic systems without interfering with the whole of Eden. It was well designed, and Rois remained very appreciative of her colleagues in fabrication, who were always quick to jump on any problems she had presented them. Even a few false alarms. One could never be too careful about these things. All screens seemed to indicate proper function from what Rois could tell, so it was unfortunately about time for her to head out and back to home base in Hydroponics.

As she walked, she pulled her notepad from her pocket again, adding a second note to the back of the first reminding herself to actually check her e-mail for once. She wasn't as forgetful with her professional correspondence as she was with personal, but she had lagged behind as of late. She couldn't say how many months it had been since she'd even logged in properly, but her PDA indicated they were--mostly--routine and automated messages. Surely nothing important. Probably. She'd have to find a minute at work today to go through it as she figured she'd hate to miss whatever it was that was going to have her being a part of history for a second time.

Riley Cavill saluted the Captain as he dismissed them all. She turned on her heels knowing that her team would still be in formation until she gave them the go to prepare for the simulation. She was not prone to speeches, but in this case she wanted to give her unit a few words of confidence before probably the hardest simulation they will ever go through. Sure they had been through the maximum reality setting before, but no one likes a test.

“Listen Up, this will no doubt be one of the hardest things you will ever do.” The thought of leaving Earth forever came to her mind as the hardest, but she continued. “If you find yourself doubting you can go on, just remember how far you have come. Remember all the fears you have already overcome. The Body always follows the Mind. Take another step. Show the Captain you have stones bigger than a Martian Bull and WE ARE NOTHING BUT THE BEST!”

“NOTHING BUT THE BEST!” The Unit all shouted in unison as Lt. Harrison walked up to Riley. Then Right on cue an alarm sounded letting the team know that their training dome was free.

“Helmets On MEN!” Riley said with massive grin as she looked over to Lt. Harrison who raised an eyebrow at her.

*******

Riley and her team entered the simulation with ease. She was always the first to enter and would be the last to exit. The few seconds of pitch black always unnerved her. It reminded her of a time she had to hide in a crate to escape a particularly hostile territory back on Earth.

The simulation loaded and they found themselves in a familiar landscape. Though it would be laid out differently than any location they had trained in before. It was the machines way of making it more real. The jungle before them was massive and dense. Its humidity was so oppressive that they were all sweating before they even took one step. They were also standing at the base of what looked like some sort of Alien Ruins. There were three scientists gathering what looked to be their important equipment rather quickly.

“We are ready to head out Major” One of the scientists said with a bit of a stutter in his speech. He must be afraid of something. Whatever it was had them all spooked already. That made the situation more dangerous and would make it harder to control.

Riley nodded and signaled to her men to get into their usual formation. She didn’t need to tell them where to go, they just did. During their first year together she had let them hash out their own pecking order since they were all of a similar rank. It changed from time to time though, just as she noticed it had now. The two notable changes were Knight and McCormick. Knight having been embarrassed earlier this morning had been given the rear post. It was the most dangerous position to take in the case of ambushes from behind. However, it could be the most rewarding if he managed to warn the unit before being attacked. Her unit was cleaver that way. Pay your due and reap the benefits. McCormick had not embarrassed himself. In fact last simulation he single-handedly took down six attackers without even breaking sweat. Obviously that had garnished him major brownie points. He stood slightly back from her and in front the small group of scientists. Riley took point but she relied on McCormick to keep the formation tight and the payload secure.

“Move out” Riley ordered as she moved just slightly ahead of the unit. She was scouting an appropriate route for them to take back to the ship she instinctively knew was waiting for them. Luck would have it that she also suddenly knew the path they had originally taken to get here. She decided that was how they were going to travel back.

They had covered nearly a mile in silence when Riley noticed something amiss. Riley signaled the group to come to a stop as she accessed the situation. That’s when they suddenly come under fire. Blasts of blue energy soared past them in high volume hitting trees and other vegetation.

“Get to higher ground” Riley ordered as she remembered the small slant they had traversed down just moments before. Yes, it was heading back the way they had come but the higher ground was best. Her feet moved fast and seconds later she was safely behind a fallen tree.
Their attackers then showed themselves. They were hideous looking things and Riley wasn’t sure if they were biological or mechanical. They were in fact humanoid, but with a third eye in the center of their foreheads and instead of one of their hands there was what looked like a massive pulse weapon.

Riley counted 4 of them. However, one of her men took one down with a shoot to the head. Vile looking goo exploded in every direction. The Just like the corks of wine bottles her united popped the last three remaining hostiles.

Riley let out a short breath just as the crackling of her radio com got her attention. She pulled it out to listen.

“All units return to the…” began the voice of an unfamiliar female, then there was sound of shots being fired. The com fizzed out for a moment. “I repeat. We cannot stay much longer” there was more fizz and then the com went silent.

They were now under a time crunch and the worst part was that they had no idea exactly how long they had.

“Umm, Top?” one of her men said getting her attention.

Riley looked over to him and noticed for the first time that one of her men had been shot in the leg. He was now bleeding and looked whiter than a ghost.

“Fuck” was all she could say.

---

Entering the Admirals quarters, Lopez followed his military instinct to salute the admiral with the respect he deserved. A soldier to a soldier, but two different brands of them. Lopez fully armored and lacking in anything that would set him apart from the usual grunt other than a pair of insignias on both shoulder pieces, and Locke displaying a more casual attire which despite the lack of proper wear still bode the essence of a commander. Locke didn’t reiterate the salute with Lopez, rather just nonchalantly asking him to sit down and be watchful of damaging the chair with his armor. The marine commander did as he was told, with stiff face and rough complexion he waited alongside the admiral for a few seconds, both men had coffee on the side of the table, though Lopez barely touched it.

“I’ll make sure not to sir.” Lopez answered to Locke’s comments about damaging the seat, with a light tone to his voice.

As they waited for Elijah, Locked had something to discuss with the marine commander. Lopez heard the words of the admiral with care, only lightly ever touching his coffee and not even drinking it, just lightly pressing it on his lips and simulating like he was drinking it.

Locke’s words of opening up civilian election took Lopez by surprise, he didn’t expect an announcement like that, part of him saw sense in it but the other part didn’t. Why open elections? Why now? They haven’t even confirmed of any habitable planets, couldn’t they wait until then? It could be chaotic, it could lead to many problems. They’ve been able to keep things relatively mellow thanks to the non bureaucratic military rule, sure it wasn’t perfect but what was? Surely not some civilians making up rules they themselves don’t understand. Still, Lopez showed control as the Admiral kept talking, but within himself he had many doubts with these new plans.

The Admiral slid a datapad to Lopez, he picked it up with his armored hands and skimmed through all the details and graphics of the pad, still listening to the words of the Admiral. At least the military would be in control OF THE MILITARY, not some stuck up civ Fed or Conglomerate who would surely get them all killed in less than a week. But there was still so many thin layers, and so many eyebrow raisers for Lopez, still he couldn’t protest, at least not outloud. He respected Locke and respected the fact that new changes would come, still that didn’t mean he had to like it one bit at all.

Then it came to the situation with one of the lieutenants, Lowry, he had been apprehended by security. This was a bit of a shocker for Lopez, much more than the previous news. He had not been informed at all of it until now and he didn’t know what the crime was, had this been anyone else he would’ve stumped his fist on the table and demand an explanation but his better judgment dictated else when realizing who he was talking with.

“I understand sir. I’ll make sure of it, but like you said, he will face military justice. Anything else you’d like to tell me?” Lopez asked, some roughness in his voice this time.

---

Harrison's impression of Cavill's unit had turned from neutral to feeling somewhat disappointed, he had been present since the simulation had started, wearing the same outfit as everyone in the unit but casually walking about. At times the blue rays of energy from the opposing force would go right through him, unharmed by it. It was like he was an omnipotent being who saw it all and felt none of it. He himself had been in these simulations in actual leader roles, he hand't earned the trust of the commander just because. He knew these were difficult, but they were nothing like real war, the real thing.

Harrison looked towards the soldier who had been shot, bleeding like if the wound was real and he probably felt it too. It wasn't pretty, but the simulation on the level they were in was programmed to run every single aspect of battle like it was real, no matter how gruesome. Of course the pain received by anyone getting a hit was probably nothing like actually getting shot, but it was close, damn close.

Harrison looked towards Cavill, frustration in her expression as he single words were "Fuck." Harrison could relate to that feeling.

---

@Fuzzybootz

"We still have miles yet." Hal told Riley, trepidation evident in his voice. He spoke the obvious fact to keep her mind on the target, not to inform her. Hal knew full well that the woman was fully aware of the situation. She gave an apt 'fuck' to what was transpiring, but on the brightside, they had taken out all enemies thus far, and the scientists remained unharmed. With a wheeling motion of Hal's arm, the troopers set up a perimeter around the scientists.

Sergeant McCormick knelt down to the wounded man, checking his wound. The others had managed to halt most of the bleeding for now. Hal was simply glad it was a simulation. "Can you focus?" Hal asked, knowing the pain might be overwhelming. "Are you good to go?" Private George nodded fiercely, too out of breath from crying out to speak too much. But he wanted them to succeed as much as any of them. Hal grinned and patted his shoulder. "Stay frosty, and use your sidearm." With that, Hal McCormick knelt down, and got the others to help hoist George up on Hal's shoulders. They would take turns if the terrain was rough, but Hal would take first carry.

"If we move up by the western flank, we might go through lighter resistance." He said to his superior officer, indicating to the left in front of Riley. He could see some low hills between the west and the center, and he had a feeling that the enemy would be gazing further eastwards. He couldn't rightly tell, but it was a soldier's instinct he'd long come to trust over his fairly bloody career as a terran trooper. "But it's your call, ma'am."

---

---

_{In collaboration with @InfamousGuy101 and @Sep}

A brief exchange of words between the Admiral's personal aide and Commander Ross were had before Elijah made his way inside the Commanding Officer's Quarters. He knew Locke's office well; in the five years they had spent on the Ark together, they'd held more than one meeting here. Ross had to confess that he was a little envious of the space provided to William. Martian vessels didn't offer lavish extravagances like 'space' and 'comfortable bedding' or other such superfluous luxuries to it's officers. Quarters were, for the most part, spartan and utilitarian in nature- as all things Martian were. Seeing as how the Ark was built and designed by more than just Martians engineers, however, the Feds and Conglomerate types decided to give the royal treatment to the Ark's commanding officer.

'Living like this is going to make Locke go soft.' Ross quietly joked to himself. He wouldn't have protested a room like this...much.

With heavy, uneven footfalls, he made his way inside the cabin. His officer's uniform was crisp and well kept as ever. Appearances were important to Ross. It was a fact he had learned far before he was ever inducted into military service. Back when he was just a school boy, Elijah had a teacher that refused to roll up his sleeves, loosen his tie or unbutton the top button on his shirt. The man ran the most disciplined class in the district. The presence he commanded when he entered the room was never forgotten, even when Elijah became a man. He had learned to emulate that teacher, and it had paid dividends in his military career.

"Sir." Elijah saluted, his arm snapping up into place so that his fingers touched his temple. It was quick and customary, but Ross insisted. Military tradition was a means of honoring the past that they had left behind- a way to keep from forgetting where they had come from.

Once he was given the go ahead, Ross found a place to sit. He wasn't exactly in any shape to remain standing for great lengths of time, given his leg, but Elijah wasn't going to break protocol just because his knee was a little sore. "Captain Lopez." The commander offered a nod of recognition to his equal from the Marine division.

"I have the list of names you asked me to compile. It should be connecting to your datapad in a moment." Ross was as quick as ever to dive into business. Locke and Lopez didn't have time for pleasantries, though Elijah had to confess that his time was a great deal less valuable than theirs. He didn't drill his men as strenuously as Lopez did. Flight simulations and emergency contingency practices could only be run so many times before it just started to feel tedious. And Locke being horrifically busy wasn't exactly a surprise, either, given his position. "None of them should be much of a surprise. They're all experts in their fields with up-to-date EVA training. Provided we're not walking into hell, they should do just fine."

Locke returned the salute before inviting Elijah to sit. As always his uniform was impeccable. What he would do to put Elijah into the body of a healthy officer. Still, he’d make good use of him while he had him. He deeply respected the mans resolve not to get cybernetic, or biological implants. While Martians tended to avoid them, feeling that the human was already a perfect machine that would only get better with time anyway, he had to respect that here where cultures mixed that Elijah had managed to resist the temptation to get the implants from a Fed, Con or even an Armani Doctor. The man was committed and dedicated, and the only one he would trust to lead this mission.

The list transferred over to his pad, and Locke merely accepted it. He didn’t doubt the list was anything but perfect. “I’ll be brief.” The hologram of the planet appeared above the table. “This planet, which we’re calling P4A-229 is more or less ideal, from what our deep space scanners are telling us. From what we can tell is that most of the planet surface is water, even more so than on Earth, however we don’t need much land in order to construct a settlement. Missions standard recon, orbital and in atmosphere sweeps. If the risk is deemed acceptable, you may land and take samples and scans. Decontamination protocols apply, so everyone should be wearing a suit and a rebreather at all times. This is all pretty simple, any questions?”

Lopez paid much attention to the hologram of the planet, closing in to see the hologram closer he then moved his hand through his beard as he questioned himself multiple things. Some of the questions were arbitrary but others were important to know.

“Any life readings? Most importantly scans for structures around the planet, we shouldn’t run the risk of them being here and surprising us before we even know it.” Lopez expressed towards the Admiral, Locke probably knew full well what the marine meant with “Them.”

Sat upon the table before them was an image of a world. Small, the light from the projector flickering slightly every couple of seconds, it wasn't much to look at at first glance. One wouldn't guess that the colorful sphere suspended before them represented the first taste of hope humanity had seen in five years. The first planet that could support human life. The first place that they could call home. Ross felt a stirring in his heart as he looked on it, captivated by it's simplistic beauty.

The question from Captain Lopez cut through the glimpse of hope like a knife. It was a reality check that they could not ignore, even when things started to seem like they were going their way- the Devastator threat still loomed. Somewhere in the distant, black cosmos, the unknowable enemy lurked. No one knew why they had attacked mankind, and no one knew if they would seek out the survivors that fled upon the Arks. They had to assume, for the sake of their entire species's survival, that those monsters sought to finish the job.

"If the Devastators are present on this world, we've already lost." Ross didn't enjoy being blatant, but he felt it necessary now. "They'd have detected us when we did them. I'm more worried about the planet itself." Elijah held in a cough, his lungs burning as the harsh touch of unfiltered oxygen ran down his throat. "Now I'm no expert on the subject, but a planet with this much water present's bound to have some bad weather. What do we know about the storms on 229? Will they disrupt our survey if we get hit by 'em?"

William understood the fears that both these men held in their hearts, that the Devastators were somehow out here. The fear couldn’t stop them though, they had jumped far from their origin point, outside of their own galaxy. Most theories had the Devastators origin being within the Milky Way. That wasn’t to mean that they could run on the thought that they were the only ones out here. “Scans are detecting one possible structure here-” a red blip appeared on the hologram “-that may equally be a large mineral deposit just near the surface, we’re not entirely sure as our sensors are running at their maximum range. You’ll just need to take a more accurate scan when you arrive in orbit of the planet.”

He turned his attention to Ross. “Same goes for your question, we won’t know for sure what’s going on until you move in closer. Storms are expected to be a major issue, obviously. As unlike Earth hurricanes are going to build force for longer before breaking on land. You’re just going to need to keep an eye on the sky to avoid getting caught in a storm, as if it’s as powerful as they theorise they might be then it could cause some serious issues.” William took another sip of coffee before buttoning up more of his shirt, going from laid back officer to fully decorated. “I trust you both with this mission, Elijah you’re obviously on point-” he turned to face Lopez “-with you as his second Matthew. We’ll be in communication range if you need to contact the ship, however I’m not anticipating any issues that you can’t solve.”

William checked his watch. “Launch is scheduled for 1400 hours. You’ve already been selecting your personnel, they all need to be on board and squared away ready to go. Dismissed.”

Having taken in all that info, Lopez was quick to salute the admiral as well as his fellow commander and began to walk out of the office, heading back to the training complex to gather the team for the mission. He would led the troops with efficiency and like Locke said, there was nothing he couldn’t handle.

There was a structure present? That surprised Ross. Though it was more than likely a simple mineral deposit, as the admiral suggested, Elijah couldn’t ignore the swirling sensation of nausea in his gut. That infinitesimally small chance that there was something elsepresent on the surface…

The commander shook his head, knocking those doubts from his mind. A Devastator outpost all the way out here was more than unlikely; it was all but impossible. Ross would prioritize discovering the true nature of the detected anomaly, but he couldn’t go into this mission expecting contact with the enemy. He had to keep himself focused on the much more tangible threats that came with atmospheric entry. The Nyx was a tough old bird, yet flying it straight into a hurricane or a thunderstorm was less than advisable- especially when her sensor suite was deployed. Electrical systems would be at their most vulnerable then, and a stray bolt of lightning had the potential to damage the equipment.

Worries he would need to deal with when the mission was actually underway. For now, Elijah stood, offering another snapped salute to Locke. His mask slipped back into place, filling his lungs with a burst of much needed oxygen as he made his way out of the room just behind Lopez.

---

After the meeting was over the Captain quickly headed to the elevator passed the bridge, expecting the results of the field tests by Harrison. On his way down he couldn't help but feel doubt as he thought more and more about the potential dangers. No accurate life scans or radars, a massive structure on the surface of the planes, could be a massive Devastator encampment, the minute the arrived to the planet there could be a Devastator fleet right at the other side of it. A single Devastator cruiser could cause massive damage to the Vitae, and though they had the armament, they didn't have enough firepower for a prolonged battle. Lopez would be the first to jump into a starfighter if need be, but a hundred or so human fighters against an entire fleet, that was simply impossible.

Lopez sent a call through his arm pad to Harrison. A slight beat followed as he awaited an answer. Suddenly the face of Harrison appeared through the pad, the lieutenant was still in full armor and it seemed like the simulation had ended.

"Captain, sir. How was the me-"

"How did the field testing go lieutenant?" Lopez interrupted, he didn't want to bother discussing the meeting.

Harrison was a bit shook by the Captain's sudden question, but he looked at the results and answered. "Well, we're wrapping up down here. Cavill's unit scored a 97% on the field test, with an average score of 95% on trials. The highest of both company A and B." Harrison seemed to be sure of Cavill's unit ability for whatever was coming, though it all could just be another field day test, which would be a disappointment for the troops, as much as they tried to showcase enthusiasm, everyday the morale just felt weak and the soldiers uninspired.

"Alright, get her team ready and in full live combat gear. I wan't them all assembled for away mission at the hangar by 1300 hours. Understood?" Lopez said with the usual rough and tough tone of his warrior like demeanor.

"Understood captain. I'll rally them and we'll be ready." Harrison was about to hang before Lopez added something.

"You're staying this time Lieutenant." Lopez said, he wanted his second hand to remain at the ship, he himself would lead the mission and in case of the worse possible scenario the troops would need a person they could trust to carry the mantle of commander.

"I... Sir, I-"

"That's an order lieutenant. You're in charge of the remaining contingent while I'm off. See you at 1300." And with that, Lopez hung up. He was not heading to the training complex, but to the cryo chambers. Before he went off to that unknown planet, he wanted to make sure he knew what happened to him if he didn't come back.

Maeve watched with a discreet giggle as Audrey made an obvious grimace after hearing Maeve's endless questions about her life, but as a doctor, Maeve needed to know about her patient. Just like Audrey probably thought, the examination took a while as Maeve asked about a lot of things, plunged needles on Audrey's arms a few times and heard about her personal life. The fact that Audrey spent so much time in her room or confined on an office repairing AIs was definitely bad for her already fragile health. All that together made Audrey quite a delicate patient to deal with.

After she was finally done with the questions and the examination, Maeve quickly made all the medical equipment disappear inside the small briefcase she brought with her as suddenly as they appeared. It was still a mystery how she was able to put so many things in such a thin and small briefcase...

"It's everything ok, at least for now, Audrey." Maeve said, getting up with a smile on her face.
"But I do need to insist... You should go to the Eden more often... Get out a bit and relax, ok?" Maeve said with a playful wink.

"And you said it wouldn't take too long..." Audrey said, rubbing her arms on the spots Maeve had used to draw her blood.
"Regarding the Eden... I can think about going there if I can finish this..." Audrey said, as she quickly started picking up her tablet again.

Maeve knew very well that that was her cue to leave. Audrey probably had other things to do and with Maeve there, she really wouldn't be able to focus.

"This time I'm not lying though..." Maeve said with a laugh.
"I won't take much more of your time. Just remember of feeding yourself well. If you feel anything, please call me." Maeve said, winking to her as she got out of her room.

As Maeve walked back towards the Pub, now decided to buy that cup of hot chocolate she was craving for before she went to check up on Audrey, she couldn't help but think that she was forgetting about something... Something she had to do maybe? But as she got closer to the store, the delicious smell of hot chocolate quickly made her worries go away. Whatever it was that she had forgotten, probably wasn't that important... right?

"Finally!" Maeve said, getting in the store almost hopping with happiness.
"I could kill for some hot chocolate right now!" She said to herself with a giggle as she sat down on the table, waiting for her order to arrive.