USCMRPG

The Marines partially floated, partially slid down the ladder, head first, that was inside the umbilical cord. The walls where bright white and where lined with light panels - A tactical oversight as the red light back in the dropship had been intended to adjust the human eye, something that was destroyed in this white tunnel. As they neared the WY-109 they automatically slowed down as the artifical gravity generator got hold of them and the last two meters they had to climb a ladder manually.

The Dufresne poked up is head through the airlock, quickly scanning around with his M41 raised. Nothing. He quickly left the airlock and soon Squad 1 had formed a perimeter around the airlock.

While Squad 2 was making their way through the airlock, MacGuire having some problem getting herself through the airlock at the same time as her M56 harness, Squad 1 had some time to look around.

They stood in a hallway, almost three meters wide if not more. Just behind the airlock two smaller halways led to the left and right. Despite the hallway allowing four marines next to eachother, the corridor felt cramped, probably due to the fact that the ceiling was so low and stuffed with piping, cables and bulkheads. The floor was a grey plastic grid with fingersized holes every ten centimeters, the walls and roof where raw metal and here and there rust spots could be seen. Small droplets of water fell from the roof a few feet away, the drops smashing into the plastic floor rythmically was the only thing that could be hear except for the "tap...tap...tap" of the motion tracker signalling no motions - The marines could hear their own hearbeats in the deafening silence.

"Sergeant....*static*...gent Caden! Report *crackle*..ver!" Minutemans nasal and distant voice pierced the silence.

Ronald Green stood guarding the others with his smartgun as he looked around, waiting for orders. He heard his heart pump slowly but for every second he stood there his heartbeat sounded like it went faster and faster. Those who looked at Ronald could see that he was grinning and his thumb stroke the smartgun slowly.

Magnus got threw the airlock and drew his pistol. With only a few mutineers, the need for his pulse rifle seemed distant. Plus he never really scored well with the huge rifle. He was a marksman, better suited to the single shot action of the pistol. At least he could hit a target with it.

And, well, generally when one brought up the rear, it was better not to spray a full auto burst into the crowd. He wasn't here for his heavy gun tactics anyway, that's what MacGuire was for; putting holes in people. Magnus's job was to patch those holes.

After getting through the airlock, Daniel shouldered his weapon and stood near Lt Cpl Chappell and started staring intently at his motion tracker constantly scanning the area.

The motion-tracker screen was empty: No contacts.

Tightening his grip on his pulse rifle, Lt Cpl Steel visually took in the hallway, trying to get a feel for the place.

"Ok sarge. Do we go left or right?" he asked looking at the two hallways leading ahead.

"Umm.. hey guys," Magnus whispered, looking past the others surrounding the airlock. The repeating drip of fetid water falling from the red hued rusting pipes fell onto the floor almost in time with the motion tracker's beeps. "Wern't we supposed to be met by the crew?"

....Like being born....he thought , as Rednus looked up.

With squad 1 ready and awaiting orders, squad 2 in set-up and the blipping of a mo-track in his ear, a sudden thought struck Chappell . His hands rapidly searched over his camo's in search of a forgotton object.

Located now, a keychain is produced from a side leg-pocket, and clipped on the end of the 'torch...

A small plastic panda, holding a flag that said "Gateway welcome bear!!", currently swayed from the nozzle of the M240-A1.

Smiling at this (for reasons best left unsolved), again Rednus searched his cargo's
- this time producing a cigarrette......
...Smoking being against regulation while under fire (itself being an oxymoron,) he'd found a loophole years ago...

You didnt have to light it .

In one movement it is placed in his mouth and chewed .
Few saw this (those that did wished they hadn't,) pvt. Bojan one of them, but the confirmation came when Rednus spat out a filter.

"...Ready...where is our welcoming party, Priest ?" said Chappell, smiling with tobacco covered teeth and turning to his squad.

"Sergeant....*static*...gent Caden! Report *crackle*..ver!" Minutemans nasal and distant voice pierced the silence.

Sgt Caden made out Lt Minuteman's communication through the interference.

"Caden here; section is in postion; area clear with no movement detected; proceeding with sweep. How's signal quality on the uplinks?"

Caden glanced at his HUD to make sure all of the indicators were green. Looking down the passageway into the main body, Caden noticed the quiet stillness of the ship. ...not a good sign...

"Ok sarge. Do we go left or right?" he asked looking at the two hallways leading ahead.

"According to the info supplied, we're on the engine deck. We're going to run a sweep of this area first before we head upstairs. Squad 1 Leads, I want you to move and cover that left hallway. Squad 2 Leads, you do the same for the right. Then we'll move left, with Squad 1 on point and Squad 2 guarding the rear. We don't need anyone sneaking up on us, after all."

Caden glanced at the Marines with their weapons drawn and at the ready.

"I don't want anything but proper fire control here. Bullets can bounce off of these bulkheads and give one of us a bad day. All right, let's get to the sweep."

Sgt Caden moved his helmet-mounted microphone closer to his mouth.

"Priest, you got any diagnostic info on this vessel? Anything we should be looking out for besides the whacked-out crew?"

"Caden here; section is in postion; area clear with no movement detected; proceeding with sweep. How's signal quality on the uplinks?"

"I read you...*static* nd..probably some inter...*crackle* from t...*whining noise*...suns. Over." Minutemans voice was heard.

"Priest, you got any diagnostic info on this vessel? Anything we should be looking out for besides the whacked-out crew?"

"Sorry *tapping noise*...don't have more th...*crackle"..urrently over" Priest replied.

Ronald who started to get irritated by the waiting jumped a little and looked around before he spoke. "Waiting for orders Sir".