Turn 4: The Med-Bay

[Hayden Knutson]

Lieutenant Knutson and Priest set up a makeshift command center in the Med-Bay. Knutson sat and watched the two screens through which he could access much of the information he could access in the APC. He also ordered Wang to set up a third Sentry-Gun in the corner of the Med-Bay, which would cover the entire room, more or less. While at first it made some of the marines uncomfortable to have a turret pointing at them, they all knew that the gun was unable to commit friendly-fire.

After several hours of setting up this barricaded Headquarters, Lieutenant Knutson had come up with a plan for the next stage of the mission.

“Sergeant Jonsson, I am sending you with seven marines to investigate the Atmosphere-Processing Plant, if there’s anything left of it. I will stay here with Priest, Corporal Sykes, Privates Grayham and Honeysett. Grayham is hurt anyway, and I will need at least two active marines in case they attempt a siege. Priest can help me here, and he has enough medical training to take care of Sykes. Eight of you should be more than enough to handle yourselves. I’m sending Wang so that we can stay in close communication.”

The marines had their orders, and those sent out into harm’s way said short farewells to those required to stay behind. Once the main group left, Knutson ordered Honeysett and Grayham to patrol the perimeter of the Med-Bay and to be alert.
<Tag Honeysett/Grayham>

[Apachetear]

The gun never left Jacob's shoulder.

In case of a siege?

He glanced at the sentry gun, wondering just how careful it could be. He knew, really, but it always felt different when you were staring down the barrel, same as a smart gun.

As he moved, he looked at the ground, at the trolley. Perez had noticed some stuff. The corroded floor and equipment he could put down to the....whatever they were....getting shot up. The medical tubes were a giant question mark to him though. If the acid meant the creatures, then he wondered what two marines would be able to do. He looked over at the sentry gun, hoped it would be the difference.

Nodding at his squadmate Grayham, "Sticking together, yeah? if it's one of those fucks from the APC..."

He didn't finish, just started to move and keep watch

<Tag Grayham>
<Roll Awareness & Scouting>

[Corporal Hicks]

Corporal Danny Sykes groaned and sat up. Where the hell was he? His leg hurt like hell and the rest of him ached slightly. "Man, that morphine is some good shit. Where the hell are we? Ohh God, this sucks."
<Tag Honeysett/Grayham>

[Nicole Grayham]

More Patroling. Fine. Niki wasn´t tired anymore, maybe she left it behind, but her legs still hurt, this walking wasn´t so good for them, but the order from the lt was clear. She would ask Honeyset for some painkillers as she heard what the lt said, too. In case of a siege? She looked around, the Lt, Priest, Honeyset and herself against these hellbugs. If there were one or two, maybe ten they would have a chance..maybe. but what if there were more, since they were on the planet she hadn´t see one living person, no settler, no pet, nothing, only hellbugs. Okay, they were marines and trained, but this things weren´t normal enemy.

"Sticking together, yeah? if it's one of those fucks from the APC..."

„Hell yeah, I do not forget what happend. Hopefully, this sentry's will protect this place lang enough.“ She spoke quietly, didn´t want the lt hear what she was saying.
„We are in the safest place on this ball. I am sure you will be fine in some time.“ She smiled to Sykes and waited for Honeyset, ready to go.

<roll awareness / scout >
<Tag Honeyset / Skyes >

[Corporal Hicks]

"Hell yeah, I do not forget what happend. Hopefully, this sentry's will protect this place lang enough." She spoke quietly, didn´t want the lt hear what she was saying. "We are in the safest place on this ball. I am sure you will be fine in some time." She smiled to Sykes and waited for Honeysett, ready to go.

Sykes smiled back, his eyes half closed and a stupid look on his face. "I'm sure I'll be fine with you around, Niki. You're prettier than Jacob, anyway." The morphine was still in his system, as witnessed by his crappy attempt to flirt with Private Grayham.
<Tag Grayham/Honeysett>

[JuanPerez]

<Location: Hadley's Hope, Medical Bay, First Floor>

Perez discussed the clues in Medbay with Honeysett, but they both could not come up with a reasonable explanation. Too many question marks and unknown factors here. But it was apparent, that this things were in here, because of the traces of acid corrosion. Perez decided to let it be for the moment and get some rest, before their sentry duty shift would begin. But he reported their findings back to Lieutenant Knutson ...

"Sir, sorry to interrupt you, but we found two places of acid corrosion and bullet impacts in the smaller room of Medbay. There were two smaller splashes of acid, looks like one of those things got in there and they wounded it. And we found two empty stasis tubes but no signs of what could have been in there. Maybe they were empty all the time. That's all, Sir."
<Tag Knutson>

He decided to visit Corporal Sykes. As he approached, it looked like McKenna was just finished with his treatment and Sykes dozed, so he did not want to wake him up. Then, new orders were given. He grabbed his gear and assembled with the others to check out on the Processor Plant.

[Hayden Knutson]

Lieutenant Knutson surveyed Perez's discoveries. "Looks like it. The other six appear to be dead, so I doubt we'll get any more trouble out of them. I wonder why someone would let them out? Must have been an idiot, or some kind of accident. Good work, Lance Corporal."
<Tag Perez>

Knutson heard the three marines he had kept with him speaking quietly. He was glad to see that Sykes was awake. He figured they were saying something they didn't want him to hear, and let it go. The grunts deserved a chance to speak without him breathing over their shoulder.

[JuanPerez]

"Looks like it. The other six appear to be dead, so I doubt we'll get any more trouble out of them. I wonder why someone would let them out? Must have been an idiot, or some kind of accident. Good work, Lance Corporal."

... Perez nodded slightly ...

"Thank you, L-T. Maybe the video camera feed backup storage can tell, what happened in here? Might be worth a try to check it out. At least, the cameras seemed to be intact at first sight, Sir."
<Tag Knutson>

... he saluted and left, checked back on Sykes, said a brief good-bye to Honeysett and Grayham and assembled with the guys, who should check out the Processor Plant.

[Nicole Grayham]

"I'm sure I'll be fine with you around, Niki. You're prettier than Jacob, anyway."

Nicole blushed a litte bit and then she grinned, knowing he was under the influence of painkillers.

"I´ll bet on it, Danny."

But she wanted Skyes going better and the flirting did not just help him. All in one this was a shit situation and the goodbye from Perez did not make it better.
She watched him for a moment while he left. Hopefully, this was not a goodbye forever and they all died on this rock.

[Apachetear]

"I'm sure I'll be fine with you around, Niki. You're prettier than Jacob, anyway."

Nicole blushed a litte bit and then she grinned, knowing he was under the influence of painkillers.

"I´ll bet on it, Danny."

Jacob heard the exchange and chuckled.

"I like to think I have a certain charm about me!" He exclaimed.

<Tag Grayham and Sykes>

He moved around the med bay, he noted the two doors. Obvious entry points, but the sentry should cover them well enough, before moving out to scan the hallway.

Moving through the hallway, he was scanning the area when he noticed a ventilation cover hanging awkwardly where normally it should be fixed in place. He flicked his comms, and spoke to Grayham and Sykes. "Both of you, look at the vents. One out here is hanging loose, dunno what's done it...it might be nothing...but lets treat them as entry points. Better safe than sorry and all that! Sykes, you wanna relay that to the others? Think it's worth it? Could the civilians have gone into hiding up there?"

<Tag Sykes>

As he moved down the hallway, he felt his heartbeat speeding up, his body tensed. The worst part was waiting, the worst part was not knowing when or how things were going to happen.

[Hayden Knutson]

Lieutenant Knutson decided to look into Perez' suggestion about looking at the colony logs. He brought them up with a little help from Priest and began to search for anything unusual.
(Search)

[Nicole Grayham]

yeah... stick together... Niki followed Honeysett in hurry and watched the vents. „These things have acid blood, Jacob, they litteraly burn through everything.“
Speaking of it Niki saw some bullet holes in cover and walls. Someone has fought here. The further she went, the clearer the image became...
barricades, more bullet holes and by acid spattered metal.

„Shit… shit.. Jacob? L.T.? You have to see this. They were here, the bugs fought here. There are some big acid caused holes in these barricades.“

Meanwhile Niki was thinking about how to fight against acid. A giant soapshell was the first thing that came to mind, but not a purpose.

<roll awarness / recon >

[Apachetear]

yeah... stick together... Niki followed Honeysett in hurry and watched the vents. „These things have acid blood, Jacob, they litteraly burn through everything.“
Speaking of it Niki saw some bullet holes in cover and walls. Someone has fought here. The further she went, the clearer the image became...
barricades, more bullet holes and by acid spattered metal.

„Shit… shit.. Jacob? L.T.? You have to see this. They were here, the bugs fought here. There are some big acid caused holes in these barricades.“

<roll awarness / recon >

The acid that had eaten through everything it touched. In his mind there was a picture of chaos, of panic, and death. There wern't any bodys, that was what was strangest to him, still.

"Guess we need to shoot them before they get too close. Dont think it's gonna be as easy as that." He coughed, and cleared his throat.

This whole situation was so far from ok for so many different reasons. Yet I guess none of it mattered her, surviving and returning to base was the concern now. Then it would be the time for questions. He didn't know what they would do if they were attacked. What they could do. There were two of them mobile, and a sentry gun. The last encounter had been damaging enough with more people.

A few deep breaths, look around. The air vents might be an entry point. There are but two of us, not enough of us.

"One of those things gets it's claws into me, then you shoot it dead. Acid or not, I'll worry about that after." He tried to sound brave, he wasn't sure that he did at all. "I vote we don't let ourselves stray too far from the sentry guns, but I'm all ears if you think otherwise!"

[Tag Grayham}

[Nicole Grayham]

"Guess we need to shoot them before they get too close. Dont think it's gonna be as easy as that."
"One of those things gets it's claws into me, then you shoot it dead. Acid or not, I'll worry about that after. I vote we don't let ourselves stray too far from the sentry guns, but I'm all ears if you think otherwise!"

Niki nodded, he was right, better being alive with wounds than being dead. „Good ideas, both. But promise me, you will do the same Thing ... again.“ Nicole has nearly forgotten that one of these beasts already had caught her.
„We have already drove away one of these and we are prepared.” She was not sure wether she wanted to make herself or Jacob bolster up.
Was she in fear? She didn't know. She already saw the worst case at the APC. But in these moments the silence still was making her nervous. But after all they remained close to the sentrys. This might sooth her neves.

<Tag Honeysett>
<Roll Awarness / Recon>

[Corporal Hicks]

"Both of you, look at the vents. One out here is hanging loose, dunno what's done it...it might be nothing...but lets treat them as entry points. Better safe than sorry and all that! Sykes, you wanna relay that to the others? Think it's worth it? Could the civilians have gone into hiding up there?"

Sykes listened to the others discussion. The world had stopped spinning, but he still felt like he was on a boat rocking in the waves. "I don't know 'bout you, but I don't feel like crawling into those vents to find out, man. Sounds like a bad idea." He shut his eyes and felt the waves rocking him. It was soothing, comforting. Whatever would come after, right now he felt okay. So why did it matter? If he died, he would die, and he would take the enemy with him. That was all that mattered.

"Hey, where's my flamer. I'm gonna need it. Somebody put it next to me would you?" he said, opening his eyes. "Just in case."
<Tag Honeysett/Grayham>