Turn 8: Joint Operation (Marines)
Posted: Sun May 24, 2020 8:10 pm
A loud but passively calm robotic voice broke through the loudspeakers: “Warning. Potential hull breach in Life Support Section C. All nonessential personnel are required to evacuate this section and report to your designated safety zones.”
The Marines had to listen to this repeating in their ears as they hurried the last hundred meters to the station’s bridge. As they drew to the end of the corridor, they heard a shouted challenge from a doorway ahead. “Halt! Who goes there?!”
“United States Colonial Marines, Special Forces Recon Unit designated ‘Devil Dawgs,’ Sergeant Major Sykes commanding!” barked Sykes in reply. As the Marines entered the bridge, they passed sixteen heavily armed and armored policemen locked and loaded with assault weapons. Their faces were obscured by the black gas masks that they wore. Several of the policemen nodded at them as they passed. There was sometimes rivalry between different branches of military and law enforcement agencies, but all of that was forgotten at the moment. All of the people who wanted to save Gaia Station were united in one common cause.
The Marines found themselves in a fairly impressive command room with two dozen people occupied in various urgent tasks. The wounded policemen were taken for medical treatment, and the Chinese prisoner was taken away to his grisly interrogation.
Two important looking older men approached them, and both shook the hands of Sykes and his Sergeants. One wore an expensive-looking tailored suit and tie. The other wore a police dress uniform with numerous commendations on the left breast. He spoke: “Welcome to Gaia Station, Marines. My name is Edmund Lowe, Chief of Police. This is Herman Frazier, Colonial Governor of Gaia Station. We have no time for formalities, so I will get straight to the point. Life support is down, but I’m told that the Navy is working on a solution in the next few minutes. We have to act on the assumption that they will succeed.” It was clear enough what he meant; if they fail than we are all fucked anyway.
“I’m sorry to say that we have bigger problems to deal with. Engineering has gone completely dark. We are unable to contact the engineering staff and systems are starting to suffer failures. If we don’t get things back online, the whole station could plummet into the planet's atmosphere, and us with it. We sent in a team of police to deal with the situation and we lost contact with them too.”
“Here are your orders. You are to force entry into engineering through the starboard bulkhead. My police attaché will assault through the port bulkhead in coordination with your men. You will escort our engineers in safely so that they can reengage the station’s engines and equilibrium. I want you to command the joint operation, Sykes. We will remain here for as long as we can and coordinate the evacuation of all civilians. I am committing all of my reserves here Sergeant Major. Don’t let me down!”
They exchanged hurried salutes and Sykes turned to his Marines. “Staff Sergeant Morse, you have command of the Devil Dawgs. Choose a replacement for First Squad’s leader. I will be overseeing the joint operation. Okay, people, move out!” The Marines, police, and engineers began to move out on the next stage of their horrifying adventure.
<Tag Morse/everyone>
The Marines had to listen to this repeating in their ears as they hurried the last hundred meters to the station’s bridge. As they drew to the end of the corridor, they heard a shouted challenge from a doorway ahead. “Halt! Who goes there?!”
“United States Colonial Marines, Special Forces Recon Unit designated ‘Devil Dawgs,’ Sergeant Major Sykes commanding!” barked Sykes in reply. As the Marines entered the bridge, they passed sixteen heavily armed and armored policemen locked and loaded with assault weapons. Their faces were obscured by the black gas masks that they wore. Several of the policemen nodded at them as they passed. There was sometimes rivalry between different branches of military and law enforcement agencies, but all of that was forgotten at the moment. All of the people who wanted to save Gaia Station were united in one common cause.
The Marines found themselves in a fairly impressive command room with two dozen people occupied in various urgent tasks. The wounded policemen were taken for medical treatment, and the Chinese prisoner was taken away to his grisly interrogation.
Two important looking older men approached them, and both shook the hands of Sykes and his Sergeants. One wore an expensive-looking tailored suit and tie. The other wore a police dress uniform with numerous commendations on the left breast. He spoke: “Welcome to Gaia Station, Marines. My name is Edmund Lowe, Chief of Police. This is Herman Frazier, Colonial Governor of Gaia Station. We have no time for formalities, so I will get straight to the point. Life support is down, but I’m told that the Navy is working on a solution in the next few minutes. We have to act on the assumption that they will succeed.” It was clear enough what he meant; if they fail than we are all fucked anyway.
“I’m sorry to say that we have bigger problems to deal with. Engineering has gone completely dark. We are unable to contact the engineering staff and systems are starting to suffer failures. If we don’t get things back online, the whole station could plummet into the planet's atmosphere, and us with it. We sent in a team of police to deal with the situation and we lost contact with them too.”
“Here are your orders. You are to force entry into engineering through the starboard bulkhead. My police attaché will assault through the port bulkhead in coordination with your men. You will escort our engineers in safely so that they can reengage the station’s engines and equilibrium. I want you to command the joint operation, Sykes. We will remain here for as long as we can and coordinate the evacuation of all civilians. I am committing all of my reserves here Sergeant Major. Don’t let me down!”
They exchanged hurried salutes and Sykes turned to his Marines. “Staff Sergeant Morse, you have command of the Devil Dawgs. Choose a replacement for First Squad’s leader. I will be overseeing the joint operation. Okay, people, move out!” The Marines, police, and engineers began to move out on the next stage of their horrifying adventure.
<Tag Morse/everyone>