Emilia fixed her posture after landing and looked around, noticing the rest of the team waiting for her. “So, can we go now”? Jessica asked.
“I was wondering the same thing. What are we waiting on? Things seem a bit crazy”. Allison.
Michelle replied next “simple, dealing with the air lock in one go is just easier. Lets hurry up before they catch up”.
“Did you just say air lock?! Are we getting on a submarine or something”?! Allison shouted.
“Not a submarine…” Michelle replied as she found a small hole near her foot. “Everyone get in the circle”. After making sure everyone was in the circle, she took a key and dropped it in the hole by her foot. As she turned it, the floor beneath them began to shake and lowered itself, then was quickly covered from above.
A mechanical voice, female, yet different from Rinoa, spoke. <<Pressure checks complete. Clear for boarding. Please proceed>>. Another door to the side opened and they followed their given route. Allison merely followed the group, well, most of it, as Emilia and Jesse split off at some point.
“So, where are we”? Allison asked while glancing around nervously.
“The only remaining safe place for us on base, or to be more exact, 100 meters below the main bottom floor of the base”.
“Main bottom? You aren’t making any sense”.
“If you’re gonna ask so many questions, go help Emilia in the infirmary. Otherwise just sit tight and don’t worry about it. You’ll get your answers soon enough”. Allison promptly shut her mouth and obediently followed. After a few more seconds of walking, Michelle came to a stop in what appeared to be darkened room. “Rinoa, ready launch sequence”.
Rinoa’s voice soon followed. <<Understood. Would you prefer being designated as ‘captain’ or should I continue calling you ‘Lady Michelle’”>>?
“’Lady’ is fine. Do me a favor and give Allison the short version of where we are and what’s about to happen. Everyone else, to your stations. Aaron, make yourself useful and get the old bastard up on screen. Mark, preform the extra pre-launch checks. Jessica, bring me a lemonade”.
Everyone complied with their orders except for Jessica who replied “What the fuck do I look like”?!
“Well, I’d send Aaron or Allison, but Aaron just got work to do, and Ali is completely lost, David is still technically recovering, and Javon scratched his balls a minute ago, so I wouldn’t want him handling anything I’m about to consume”.
Jessica shot Javon the finger and walked off, returning moments later with a bottle of lemonade. Rinoa then began her explanation.
<<We are on the bridge of the R.S.S. ship, approximately 247 meters below ground level. The base is currently still in a state of chaos and we are awaiting Colonel Dumbass’s communication before commencing with the launch>>.
“So, we’re fighting or something”?
<<Negative. We are leaving. This area is not safe and is now nearly completely hostile to this team. Most of the agency should be the same”>>.
“What?! We’re enemies of the agency?! How the hell did this happen?” Allison screamed.
On the main monitor at the front center of the bridge, the face of their commanding officer, Colonel Dumbass appeared and gave a timely response. “It’s actually quite a long story that some rather far sighted individuals came up with. There are plans were discovered that must be stopped… as well as other things. Now’s not the time though. Your team can give the details later, Rinoa should have them all. Is everything ready on your end? I think my defenses will hold for another sixty seconds at best”.
“You heard the man! Status reports mother fuckers”! Michelle shouted.
Aaron spoke up “Communication systems online with all sections of the ship. Visual surveillance of the base is forty percent disrupted. None of the essential areas are affected. Launch route is clear. All green here”.
Next was Mark. “Main, auxiliary, and reserve fuel tanks are filled and standing by. Munitions are stocked. Reactors and engines are operating normally under idle status. All non-lambda occupants have been loaded and accounted for and are signaling launch ready. Emilia and Jesse are apparently also ready. We are waiting on…. Aww fuck”!
“What”? Michelle tilted her head. “What’s the hold up”.
“It seems as though two weapons are being mounted and there’s a small hold up in the lower loading bay… wait, that’s not the loading bay, that’s the drop-ship deployment gate. What the fuck”?!
“Rinoa, bring it on screen. Bring up the weapons connection status and video feed as well” Michelle ordered.
<<The weapon attachments have just been completed. They will need to be calibrated, which is already in progress… now complete. As for the loading through the drop gate, it appears as though the firing range keeper is loading a craft. He just completed it. Proceeding to close the gates>>.
“That fucking hick bastard is holding us up. You ready over there old man? You sure you cant get to us, and don’t want us to come get you”?
“Yeah, I’m sure. It would take too much time, effort, risk all of the preparations, and besides, I can’t fucking stand you idiots”.
“Fine then, die in a fire for all I care. You gonna at least take care of the launch distractions, right”?
“Yeah, now hurry up and confirm ready so I can hit this big ass red button. You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do this”!
Allison’s eyes widened “He really is a strange old fuck isn’t he”?
“Yes I am. Now, sit down, you’re about to take off” Dumbass ordered.
“Yes sir” Allison quickly found a seat. Michelle redirected her “No, you’re sitting up there”.
“That looks like a pilot’s seat. Wait, you said take-off. We’ve been walking in this thing for some number of minutes. Don’t tell me this thing fucking flies”?!
Michelle grinned “Yup, welcome aboard the airborne battle-carrier, the R.S.S Lucid Valkyrie. Take your seat and buckle up baby! We’re in for a bit of a rough ride”!
Allison took her assigned seat and buckled in “are you seriously putting me in the pilot’s seat?! What the hell, I can’t fly something like this! I haven’t even seen it, I don’t know shit”!
“Relax, most of the take-off work will be handled by Rinoa, I’ll also be copiloting. Javon, get to the ranged weapons controls already and next time keep your damn hands out of your pants! Mark, has Bubba secured the last of his payload”?
Javon glared at Michelle and did as he was told and took to the controls. Mark nodded in response to Michelle’s question.
“Rinoa, any other hindrances we need to be made aware of”?
<<There appears to be a group of hostiles sitting on the launch gate. They apparently have no idea, but there are some truck sitting on it. They will block the path and make the launch unsafe. Otherwise, all is fine with the ship and all on board>>.
“Well old bastard, this is the kind of is your business right? That button got a solution for this”?
Dumbass grinned and shot Michelle the finger. “Who the fuck do you think we are? Of course I got plans for this”. An explosion sounded behind him. Dumbass turned and shot the finger in the direction of the explosion and yelled “SUCK IT FUCKERS”! He then could be seen slamming his hand down on a button, after which his video feed cut off.
“He didn’t just…”?! Allison gasped.
“No time to worry about it. Everyone, brace yourselves. Things are gonna shake a bit, then we’re leaving. Rinoa, give us a countdown when you’re ready”. Rumbles and the sound of distant explosions came seconds later. Seconds passed afterwards: one, two… ten, what felt like an eternity passed.
Rinoa’s voice broke the silent and tense atmosphere in the bridge <<Commencing launch in ten seconds as all checks are complete. Commencing countdown from eight seconds…>>
“This is really happening isn’t it”? Allison muttered. Jessica, who was sitting slightly behind her to the right simply replied “It’s Ok, we’ll manage”.
<<Five… four>>
“But…” Allison whined.
<<Three…>>
“No buts, we’re going now” David spoke from behind and to the left of her.
<<two… one. Launching>>
The feeling of being pinned back in one’s seat assaulted Allison as she held the controls of the ship, though there weren’t supposed to be doing anything at the moment. They rapidly accelerated down what was apparently an underground runway. Rinoa’s voice continued <<Initializing ultry-heavy rail acceleration>>. The force doubled nearly instantly as the ship picked up speed. Allison felt a slight incline, slowly becoming a sharper incline and finally, out of the blurry view from the bridge windows, the artificial light gave way to a crimson-tinted sky.
Aaron spoke “Radar stealth is now active. They’ll have a harder time hitting us with heavy weapons now”.
Javon could be heard next “Preparing pre-emptive counter attack, engaging…” Javon could be seen at the controls with a focused look on his face, occasionally pulling a trigger, after which a light shake could be felt and an explosion afterwards.
Michelle’s orders were given anew “Rinoa, increase thrust output by twenty percent. We need to get out of here as soon as possible.
<<If I do, autopilot will no longer function with Javon using weapons during the ascent>>.
“That’s fine, just give control over to Allison”.
“What”?! Allison shouted yet again.
“You’ll be flying in a few seconds. Hands on the controls. We’ll help, but try not to kill us please” Michelle winked”.
“Step one… grab the controls. Step two… don’t kill us all. Step three… don’t let anyone else kill us” Allison repeated as if it were a mantra.
Michelle nodded readied an auxiliary control panel “I’ll just let her think she’s flying for a while” she muttered with a grin as the base became a small red speck in the distance.
Team Lambda - First Draft
Following
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Ch 4 - Cross Training Ch 5 - Tactical Manouvers Ch 6 - Stupidity and Revalations CH 7 - Morning Semi-nudity Ch 8 - Run n Gun Ch 9 - Air Force None Ch 9.5 - Allison's Pilot Evaluation Ch 10 - Caged Fangs Ch 11 - The Calm(ish) Ch 12 - Destruction Incarnate: Jesse Ch 13 - Artificial Disturbance Ch 14 - Squad Games - Round 1 Ch 15 - Tic-Tac-BANG! Ch 16 - Bits, Bytes, and Bullets Ch 17 - Off Day Ch 18 - Beginnings Ch 19 - Outing Ch 20 - Date Ch 21 - Schemes Ch 22 - Live Broadcast Ch 23 - No Holds Barred Ch 24 - Playthings Ch 25 - The Fissure Ch 26 - Unbound yet Restricted Ch 27 - Truth Ch 28 - AdvanceCh 26 - Unbound yet Restricted
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by 3 Armored Kittens · Prodromos v.1.1 - World Anvil 0.9.15.042 © 2017-2024 [en] | Anvil Time: 08:52, Nov 15 2024