The  door  His opened , Mann looked  bummed out.  Ellen    went to Roy...SM?  do you think  it would ge a good Move, for me to go to the AI...

 Mann muttered under his breath. she cast hima dark look, then back to Roy.

 Beth called over...One Of Emmies  Shuttles  from a ransprot is  comign in, in 46...Unload  time  10 minutes.., You group would  be ready to go 60 minutes after it touches  down on our  dec..

Roy grimaced a little at the questions, buying himself a few seconds of time by acknowledging Beth's report.  "Should be just about perfect, Beth, thanks."

He debated with himself over which question to field first.  Practicality won out.

"Hopefully, we don't need a medic...but it never hurts to have one along."  He looked over at Na-Ce.  "If you're interested in joining a pre=Delta Night operation, get your kit and be on the hangar deck in one hour.  Make sure you've got what you need for shore leave packed so someone can grab it and bring it along when the Hermes puts in at Fuji, we may not have time to come back to the ship.  That may also mean you miss out on Captain Si's crew-beautification party before the Ball, so weigh that in your consideration."  He left her to make up her own mind as he turned to Ellen.

"You're asking the wrong question, Ellen.  There's no way to know if it's a good move or not.  It's got potential, certainly...if those armor suits end up becoming a big deal in the Fleet, you'd almost certainly end up being farmed out to help stand up AI teams on other ships, and being one of the early adopters would get you some recognition and potentially notoriety.  It also means you're going to be answering the bell for some of the most hazardous assignments, in the hottest engagements with the least backup, because the whole idea behind AI is you are basically your own backup.  And we've already seen that, even though those suits are tough, they aren't invulnerable."  He shrugged.

"So, the question you need to ask yourself is, do YOU want to go Armored Infantry?  I'm not going to tell you don't do it, but I'm not going to tell you that you should do it.  I'm agnostic on the whole thing...I see advantages AND disadvantages to them, just like every other high-tech toy anyone's tried to introduce to this war.  Ask the mech drivers how they feel about going into a ship assault strapped to the back of a shuttle, or being the first thing the enemy troops shoot at because they're bigger and more dangerous, if you want to get some idea of what it's going to be like if you do it.  So I'm not going to encourage anyone to go, but I won't discourage it, either.  If you decide you want to do it, I'll endorse the transfer without hesitation.  If you don't, I won't question it.  Takes a certain mentality to strap on powered armor, knowing that if something happens to your power supply, you're pretty severely boned...but it also takes a certain mentality to stomp into an enemy ship passageway in unpowered armor, and you're already doing that.  You're the only one that can say whether you've got the right mentality for power suits."

 NA-CE listened to Roy, she nodded, she knew Vaka was in the team it didnt matter if she missed getting ready her date would be out on a mission. NA-CE answered fairly quickly," Yes SM I will meet you on the hanger Dec in an hour, civies, low key, my med kit, weapons, and I will also bring my information extraction kit with me as well it might come in handy."

Yotolia entered the SEC room after doing a patrol of the Rec Dec and tunnels, the only places she has been since arriving. she blinked som as she noticed how active this rrom was. she stood off to the side listening to the others as each seemed busy with something. her ears perked a little hearing NA-CE "Are we going somewhere?" She asked to no one in particular, but not to herself either

   Beth looked at Yotoia...The SM  is  taking  some people  to Fuji  is  a shuttle. ahead of the  Fleet. her eyes  shifted to the SM who talked  with Ellen.

  ......

 Ellen   looked  at  Roy  she  was obviously  caught  in a corundum of thought...I think i will talk to Meari  and  Tarja  and  then make the    decison .. I liked the feel of the Armor.. but it was awkward,  But so was  walking the Hull in magna boots.

 Mann frowned and shook his head as  he took the power cell from his  rifle, and plugged it   in, before adding a fresh one, and setting the weapon into the  rifle locker.

Roy gave Ellen a nod, noticing Mann in the background.  He had a few minutes...

"Mann...my office for a moment..."  There was nothing chastising in his tone, but the request, while not unprecedented, was an uncommon one.

When they were inside, Roy pushed the door closed casually, and said, "Speak your peace," before he turned around from the door.  "Something about Ellen's question has stuck in your craw...get it out."

  Mann   looked  around , his shoulders   sagged, before he looked at Roy.look?  SM.. I know  i might be outta line., But you go  back to Anzio , and the  battels with the  SSN? the   damn Red Birds and all the crap on  Aqra?   Cora and Ekken   signed up.. they  worked with  the LC and the rest of the  group  thinnignout  bad  guys on Anzio..and  ..well  you seen them on  Jump offs.. They are as Much Hermites  as  someone  that can be, with out being here since  Olympus!

 Those   tin cans?  They might be the  'next big thing".. But you saw that that one guy..one RPG and he was turned into a Hermes Puree

 he  sighed,I can't think of  too many worst ways to die, then Locked  in cold  metal. he threw up his hands.since her  and Cora  got here? they have been trying to prove   they belong,  and they have done  more then that?..why..why  step into  something Unproven?

another sigh.look.. I guess its  not my business...right.. Its one thing to lose    'brand new" transfers..but  tomlose   some one who has  [proved , very good at  thier job?... he winced...see what i'm saying?

.............

 Outside  Beth Looked at Ellen as she put her own rifles away and switched out power cells.AI?   why? she  asked  as she looked at her screens  , fingers moving like centipedes or  amphetamines .

 Ellen shrugged  with a  half  smile. I went  for a walk in one..sorta.. bit  its  weird, its...powerful.  I could Kill alot of Bad
 guys in one of those  suits...

 Beth Nodded without looking up..yep?  Just like Pilots...right?  except Pilots  can fly away,, AI,  will be tagetted  like mechs..won't they?

 Eleen's smile  dropped..yeah..but  i can get killed   runnign down a corridor, or   moving through trees, or   on a delta  Night?

 look?  you see me..right? I killed  maybe..a dozen people   with a weapon..thousands  with a keyboard, so i don't have the  same persepctive  you have....but I will say this. If  you want to Join the AI... Join the AI because you want to Join, not because you think you have to show  people 'you are in  it to win it".. I'm pretty sure  everyone knows that now.

 Elen smiled a bit,Thank you for that...But.. I want to give it a try... I'll talk to   Tarja  when she  comes back from  training

Roy nodded. "I get it...but you have to stop thinking of the AI as 'them'.  They're part of US.  I'm no more going to tell Ellen that she can't do that than I was going to tell Nikki she should get her ass out of a fighter and back in the shuttle cockpit.  We're lucky, in that we've found something that we're good at, and comfortable with, and maybe even enjoy a little bit.  Ellen?  Maybe she wants more than just being a rifleman.  Maybe the thought of being able to tear apart most Demons limb from limb really thrills her in a way that being a standard groundpounder never will."  He shrugged.

"All I know is, troopers who feel like they're being used to best effect tend to make for better troops, overall.  Yeah, she may wind up as spam in a can...but dead is dead.  When that golden BB finds you, it doesn't matter if you're manning a turret on an assault shuttle, or in full armor, or you got surprised by a sniper at a beach party. There's no such things as a good way to die, Mann...the best we can hope for is a death that means something.  If she thinks her life will be more meaningful packed in power armor with a minigun that shoots smaller caliber rounds that the rifle I learned to hunt squirrels and rabbits with, I'm not going to stand in her way.  We're here to win a war, yeah...but I'm also trying to use people in the most productive and fulfilling way I can."  He stepped up to Mann, and put a hand on each of the man's shoulders, looking him squarely in the face.

"It's her choice, and I'm going to let her make it. It's not like she's leaving the Hermes and joining the EDT or something...she's still ESN, she's still Hermes, whether she's walking the deck on a Security patrol or she's strapping into one of those tin cans for a boarding op.  Those people are still OUR people."

  Mann Looke d at   Roy  there was a pained expression... he nodded slowly,yeah.... i.. i guess... but you know   when we're out there... she  see a Fighter  get popped.. the pilot's gone?... if they get shot Up, the POD out and then its a race who get them.. But those  AI things?...we only saw one of those go  down  so far.. and.. i mean.. that's it? Just a suit full  of  pasta  sauce.

 He  signed,thanks, Sm...

 NA-CE left SEC to her Quarters to get changed in appropriate clothes with her envirosuit underneath at least. She then hid her weapons and had her medical hit and torture kit. Then when it was time NA_CE would head to the Hanger Dec.

---->>>>>>> To Hanger Dec via her quarters.

Roy nodded.  "I get it, Mann.  But she'd be just as dead if she took the same hit in boarding armor.  And right now, she's only thinking about it.  She may decide she's not that interested.  She may get certified and then decide after some action that it isn't her thing.  The AI are basically shock troops, which is what we've been so far in the war, and she'll figure that out in a hurry the first time they go into action.  Some people like it. Some people lose it.  Just look at what happened with that pilot that had all but washed out, and then died defending the Hermes...if we'd had another week before combat action, she could very well have been on the ground with us, or flying a supply shuttle back and for within the Fleet.  I don't think Ellen would chicken out...but right now, it's a novelty to her.  When it stops being new and shiny, is it still going to be more interesting?  There's no knowing...only waiting to find out."

He stepped back to the door, pausing as he reached for the knob.  "But whatever she chooses, she's still Hermes.  And that's the only thing that matters, in the end.  Don't care what unit patch is on that uniform, as long as the ship patch is on the shoulder.  She's a big girl...she'll figure out the best course for her."  He gave Mann a nod, and opened the door.

"Now, I've gotta get my gear packed and get to the hangar deck in about forty-five minutes...wouldn't do for me to tell everyone else to be there in an hour and then not be the first one on deck.  Help Shoemaker keep a lid on things while I'm off the ship."

  Mann  nodded with a sheeish smile,..All right, SM. Already done..

 Ellen  was waiting..early Lunch.. the other   teams should be on the Rec dec

 Yeah?  Sounds  good

 Lyri Had her gear..   Jax  , Nifty  and Zob were there  gathering heir  gear.. Cross and his  2  people  were waiting outside the doors.

Roy took a few minutes to step next door to his quarters, rounding up what he needed there and making sure his dress blues were ready for someone to grab if he didn't have time to make it back to the Hermes.  He'd need to stop at the QM to check out sniper rifles, but otherwise, he was ready to go in all of ten minutes, gesturing for the rest to follow him out of Security and to the Hangar Deck.

Yotolia hurried after Roy in an attempt to get his attention only to find him gone as soon as she entered the hallway. it wasn't long after that he reappeared from his room, so she made her move to his side. "This one volunteers to go with you sir, if you have need of this one on your travel." She had hoped he would say yes and allow her to, though he did seem to be in a hurry himself.

slight flex

Roy looked a bit surprised at the request, but considered it for a moment.  Felrites were slowly integrating into the APF, so their appearance wouldn't be totally surprising.  But two Felrites might, actually, draw less attention than one, as it seemed likely to him that any Felrites that went to Fuji wouldn't be going alone...

He gave a small shrug.  "Stick with Lt Hirr.  She's got a better notion of what surprises you'd be encountering, compared to what you're accustomed to back on Zolth.  Unless I say otherwise, she's your senior officer on this one, do as she says."  He glanced at the clock.

"You've got about twenty minutes to round up whatever gear you need...we're going to a station carrier and you need to look like you kind of fit in, somehow, so don't get carried away with exotic weapons or gear.  We also may not make it back to the Hermes before we have to start attending to normal activities after she puts in to port, so get anything you'd need for shore leave packed up and leave it just inside your door...we can have people retrieve it and bring it down to Fuji if we need to.  If you're not on the Hangar Deck by the time the shuttle's ready to leave, we go without you, so you better hurry."

End flex
This message was last edited by the player at 04:16, Wed 31 Jan.

Yotolia nodded with out much of a word before scurrying off to her room then the hanger once everything was taken care of as instructed.

Hanger >>

 After everyone left Sam went back to work on comms and transmissions, and seeing if she can find any interesting ones.

 Sam will also try to monitor Fuji transmissions to see how their team was doing on Fuji.

  Sam  would get  feed  back, watching her readings , she  could  tell , whomever the Lights Out  people were, they had  finally released the   alarms  systems.

  there was a disturbance in the lowers.  on the port side  hull , near the  entrance to the  Stem.

After 5 hours on shift Jug and the other Gava entered the SEC. She checked for any outstanding notices, finding the last was the 4 Angel pilots incident. she looked at who was on desk "Gava go on lunch now.  everything okay?" she asked.as they all followed procedures.

Having returned from lunch some time ago Jug and the Gava continued patrolling and making their notes.  Finally the shift ended and the Gava began strolling into the SEC there they finished the shift.  A few wanted to go to the recdec, a few wanted to go sleep. Jug wanted a shower. After closing out she dismissed them to go where they wanted.

===> Enlisted Quarters

 Sam worked hard as always going through coded comms, and when her shift was over she had time to go shower and change and then head to Captain Si's Quarters to get ready for the ball. Sam closed down her secured computer and then shifted everything to her comms.

 Sam then smiled at everyone," Hope to see you at the ball if not have fun." Sam then left SEC headed up to her quarters, quickly showered put on a matching blue lace lingerie set both bra and panties, and her robe. Sam would then head right to Captain Si's quarters.

----->>>>>> To Captain Si's Quarters via Sam Quarters.

just going to finsh going through this last disk Sam i might check out the ball a little later. jasonsays pulling up on last data file

  Scarlett  finished her   last  disc...well?  the    ships  goign to be clmaped in  20 Minutes... the   Limos  and   shuttles  will be lined up, in 2 hours  to  take   those who are going, But?  some  folks take thier own transport...  Sometimes  , that   Forge  ship  run by That Porcine?   will rent out   Hover  Bikes , Hertmes folks het a  Deal from her, since he r Brother  flew  for us..he  got Killed when they were tryign to Get Shadow of the Green  Moon, when we  first attacked Nivar.

Jason finishes up the disc it did seem to contain any vital information.Well that’s done. Time to head to the ball I suppose. Jason heads to the hanger deck

>>>>> to hanger deck