RPG The Von Braun Odyssey

[Darren]

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[SIZE="1"]As Alex an Jamie headed toward the Casino, careful not to miss one of the most important parties of the trip, Jamie snapped away photos on his camera. Alex always seemed to be amused at the way his partner acted when he had a camera in his hand. He once made the comment about Jamie being a child in a candy store.

They entered the monorail again and the A.I. program known as Vici returned, [B]"Good evening, Mr. Azure, Mr. King. Where can I take you?"[/B]

[B]"Caesar's Palace. We don't want to be late for the launch party."[/B] Alex did not waste even a second in answering and Jamie wondered if this was anxiety to go to work or anxiety to get to the party. He suspected the latter.

When they arrived, Jamie noticed that they were obviously underdressed, and he immediately turned to return to their room. He could feel the redness in his face. Jamie King didn't mind crowds, however, he hated being the center of attention. Especially when it wasn't for a good reason. Alex grabbed hold of his sleeve.

[B]"What do you think you're doing? We can't turn back now."[/B] He said, and now the smaller british man was pulling him through the crowd to the front.

[B]"We should go back and change. They might not even let us in looking like this. I can't believe I missed the dress code for the launch party."[/B]

[B]"I can't believe you did either."[/B] He said with a smirk on his face.

Jamie had the tendency to read a lot, and had read through the brochures extensively before they even left the hotel. This was because, while Alex was interested in the juicy details of a story, he often forgot about the technicalities, such as she ship's proportions or the approximate mileage of travel. But not once did he remember reading about a dress code. Maybe it was just some unspoken rule and they were the new kids.

Seeing how uncomfortable he really was, Alex stopped and placed both hands on Jamie's shoulders, [B]"We have press passes. Don't worry, it won't be weird. Besides, it's going to be dark in there. Just find a place with good view, and start snapping photos."[/B]

Jamie sighed. Alex was right, as usual. He gave a brief nod and followed Alex through the doors. The hostesses took one look at the press passes and immediately let them in without even a second glance.

[B]"Sometimes I wonder what you would do without me,"[/B] he said, immediately moving for the bar. Jamie was right; this was all about alcohol. [B]"I've never seen a grown man get so red over a dress code."[/B]

[B]"The feeling's mutual,"[/B] He shouted back to Azure. He was almost out of earshot. [B]"You would fall apart without me."[/B]

The room went dark for a brief second, only for the stage to light up in a brilliant display of colors. A young woman walked on stage and Jamie settled himself into the corner to begin taking pictures.

From the back of the room, she looked like any other lounge singer, (Or at least what Jamie imagined the typical lounge singer to appear. He had never really been to one) but with his camera, he was able to see her up close, like all the rest who lingered mere feet from the stage. She was beautiful, to put it simply. And her voice was perfect.

Jamie vaguely remembered reading about her in the brochures before boarding. [I]L'Marcelle,[/I] he thought. But the pictures provided were rather small and certainly not flattering. Jamie thought and amateur with a disposable could do better than whoever took that picture. He snapped away a few shots and then realized that he felt like a stalker. He zoomed out and began taking pictures of the bar and the numerous slot machines and tables. (that had yet to be open) But still, that didn't stop him from sneaking glances at her throughout the performance.

When she was done, the crowd cheered, and Jamie watched Ms. L'Marcelle sit down at the bar. She was immediately bombarded with admirers who Jamie imagined were buying her all sorts of drinks, and he became disheartened.

[B]"Someone's got it bad for the lounge singer."[/B] Alex had snuck up behind him. He sounded a bit buzzed, but certainly not enough to impede the real job at hand.

Jamie didn't bother to deny it. Alex knew him better than anyone. [B]"Well, go talk to her before someone else beats you to it."[/B] he pressed.

[B]"Unlike you, Alex, I know when a woman is out of my league."[/B]

[B]"And unlike you, James, I know that there is no such thing as leagues."[/B] Alex responded with a devilish grin and immediately turned to head for the bar.

[I]shit,[/I] was the only word that ran through his mind. Alex was going to speak to her on his behalf. He didn't know wether to leave or stay. Even if Ms. L'Marcelle agreed to speak with him, Jamie doubted if she would be impressed by having his best friend introduce them. Once again, he felt the blood rush to his head and knew that if it were any lighter in the lounge, his face would be very noticeable shade of scarlet.[/SIZE]

[Raiha]

[CENTER][IMG]http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/VBO/avatar16_guest.gif[/IMG] [img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/von%20braun/arthurmostdefinitely.jpg[/img][IMG]http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b16/Blayze54/avatar7_guest.gif[/IMG][IMG]http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/8279/jamiekingse9.jpg[/IMG][/center] [left][i]Arthur stared at her hand for a few moments longer than was expected, then he blushed a bright scarlet, visible when the lights flashed briefly over his face before swirling upwards back to the ceiling. Ilona smiled and gestured eloquently with one hand.[/i] "I take it you have two left feet?" "That's the least of my troubles. More my lack of rhythm. I'd end up looking like a beached whale." "You're far too hard on yourself. Most men figure it out after falling on their partner the first few times." [i]He opened his mouth, obviously flustered, when he caught the eyes of an older gentleman fixated in his direction. And the way he stared made him feel distinctly uncomfortable, because while there were at least a dozen people watching Ilona's every move, she wasn't the object of this man's attention. He picked up his drink and gave her a polite nod. [/i] "If you'll excuse me please?" "Certainly. But you'll owe me a dance some other time. Perhaps when there aren't so many people around." [i]A flirtatious wink, and she turned back to her martini, swirling a bit of it against the sugar. Several seconds later she turned away from her drink and the bartender's attempt to pour her another to find a tallish gentleman standing over her with an expectant expression on his face. He held out his right hand and spoke about as quickly as she'd expected from someone that looked as hyper as him.[/i] "Miss L'Marcelle? Hi hi, Alex, reporter for the Herald. Can I trouble you for an interview? And perhaps a photograph from one of my friend's?" "That's an odd way to put it. Most interviews aren't any trouble at all. Except for that one time "Gentleman's Weekly" wanted to interview me." "This won't be anything like that, unless you want it to be of course." [i]Ilona set down her drink in an instant with a coquettish giggle for Alex's roguish wink, turning to face him completely, leaning on her left elbow casually, as if she were completely at home in a $600 dress and expensive shoes. Alex raised his pen and looked about ready to ask her a question when someone who was most likely his photographer friend slunk up next to him, looking distinctly uncomfortable. [/i] "Oh Jamie, you decided to show up then. Well Miss Ilona L'Marcelle, may I introduce you to my partner, Jamie King. He's a little shy." "No reason to be shy at all. I won't bite. Until I know you better that is." [i]She held out her right hand and took Jamie's, shaking firmly, and then letting go, noticing a blush creeping across his face. Was this an epidemic or what? Raising her drink, she turned her attention back to Alex and pursed her lips, waiting for his next question.[/i][/left]

[Aaryanna_Mom]

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Natalia couldn?t quite keep the grim look of amusement from her face. Space hotel aside, people were behaving like they always did at a party. Poking their nose into places they didn?t belong, having too much to drink, and hitting on every pretty woman in sight. It was no different than if she had still been on the ground managing the massive Casino where she had been working.

Once things were under sway instead of staying out on the main floor she had opted to retreat to the main security room for the Casino, not to watch what was going on as others would see to that, but to pay attention to the broadcast of the ship taking off. She kept expecting to feel it, how she could not was beyond her. Seeing the massive floating city for lack of a better word should have been a clue but other than a possible hint of vibration, something that could have come from the loud music, she simply couldn?t.

And yet the broadcast being beamed into the ship as well as around the world clearly showed the massive ship slowly rising and then picking up speed until it was gone. At that point the broadcast had switched to a mixture of events and information for the Von Braun as well as shots of Earth as it was being left behind. Natalia just frowned slightly before taking her leave. Unlike many of the others, she had been onboard for days to oversee the rest of the final preparations for the Casino.

Her return to the main floor where the party was showed everything to be running smoothly for the moment, and for the briefest moment Natalia considered getting something to drink before she changed her mind and did not. Dressed in her smart simple black flowing work dress with her hair done up like always, she didn?t make it to the entrance without being hit on several times. She politely declined each offer for a drink and to dance before she nodded to the security at the door and left, breathing a sigh of relief that until the next day she was done.

Natalia glanced at the simulated night sky of the Von Braun in irritation, disliking the illusion that she was still on Earth. She had accepted the job but even now, part of her wished that she had not. There was no turning back now; she couldn?t leave even if she wanted to. She paused for a moment to take several deep breaths before deciding to head to some of the other establishments to look for one that wasn?t quite so busy. She had felt a bit smothered in Caesars? Palace; something that she knew was more from wishing she wasn?t there.

It took her a while of walking around what was known as the Andronov Dome level D-1, until she finally found a few out of the way restaurants that weren?t as busy since people were beginning to filter back to their rooms while those more interested in partying were hanging out in the more crowded areas. Another moment to snag a table that was as deserted as she was going to get and she was set. Once she had something to eat, then she could decide if she wanted to bother to explore the ship more or simply head back to her quarters.

[Arichan16]

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[COLOR="Purple"]Gael glanced up at the clock as a kind of an after thought. Somehow, she had thought there would have been more to the launch. She was shocked when the clock noted that the ship had left by now and the party should be truly starting.

She lifted herself up from the bed and pulled aside the curtain over her window. Honestly, she wasn’t sure why there were windows. They made the place more homey, but they weren’t real. Outside of her window was a simulated sky. Not the deep space she was expecting. It was almost disappointing. Despite the fact that she could tell or see if they were even really in space at all, she knew by her clock that it was time for her performance.

Later in the voyage she was to have a few scheduled performances on a stage, but this wasn’t one of them. Since a launch party was more about mingling and excitement, she was to perform out on the floor, without a stage. After all, who’d want to sit in a theatre on a historic event like this? Very often she’d perform without a stage at parties. That was part of the fun of what she did. It was extremely flexible.

She gave herself one last check in the mirror. A flash of her smile assured her that she didn’t get any lipstick on her teeth. Jingling filled the air as she performed a quick spin to check the security of her garments. Even her headdress stayed in place. She had never had a piece of jewelry fly off before, but she always made sure.

Resting on her beside table was a map of the ship. She had previously marked the location that she was to be dancing in. They had placed her in a high-traffic area, one that she had almost given an objection to. The bar. Her objection was simply that being in a bar would make her look more like a stripper and less like a performer. She had insisted on an announcement to remind the guests of some etiquette before she performed. They didn’t want to change her location because if they put her in the actual casino area, people would be distracted from the slots. If they put her in the bar, on the other hand, more people would settle and buy drinks. They were still a business, after all. She could do more classy on stage performances later.

She made sure she remembered her route correctly before heading out of her room. She brought nothing with her since anything she brought would only crowd her dancing area. Props were out of the question in a big group. Especially a big group with alcoholic beverages. Last thing she wanted was to veil spin into a customer’s face. She didn’t want to bring the map, either. Then she would look and feel far too much like a stumbling lost tourist. That would never do.

Her feet made no noise as she walked down the hall, thanks to her lack of real shoes. However, she was not silent by any means. Even though her mastery of isolating certain areas and muscles allowed her to look more like she was gliding than walking, it did not completely eliminate the natural residual movement that walking caused. The belt of coins on her hips bounced softly with each gliding step, releasing a gentle wind chime sound.

She found the bar with only a little trouble. Upon entry, she was a little more comfortable. The usual bars were dark and almost claustrophobic. She should have known better then to expect that here, but she hadn’t frequented casinos even in her performances. Although gaudy, it was still a relief that this bar was a large open space with a high ceiling full of lights. That meant that there was more room to dance, it was easier to see, and people watching could spread out and mingle better. There was so much room, in fact, that her music wouldn’t override the main bar’s music by any means. People could dance to their own music on the other side of the bar if they so choose. She liked that. She didn’t feel that her performing should get in the way of anyone else having a good time in their own way. She stuck to the side of the bar, but didn’t cling to the wall. She wasn’t shy. Some people glanced her way as she walked, but most continued with their excited chatter without even noticing the chiming of her coin belt.

There was a separate speaker in the area she was performing. It was just loud enough for the overall immediate area to hear. This way, it didn’t interfere with any of the other live performances that graced the large launch party. Once she was in place, the announcement that she had requested took place. It was recorded in the same welcoming voice as the holograms on the rest of the ship.

[I]“Ladies and Gentleman, if I could have your attention please. Before the live performances begin we would like to set a few ground rules. Please do not touch the performers during the shows. Also, the on floor performers do not take tips personally. If you wish to tip any of the performers, please entrust your tip to one of our staff members.”
[/I]
Gael donned her smile as she rested herself into the main dance posture. Tail bone down, rib cage lifted, shoulders back, soft knees and neck. She didn’t need to think about it anymore. Her arms lifted to the sides without her shoulders moving with them. Her hands were in a basic position. Her palms were down, wrist dropped, fingers lifted, and her middle finger was slightly dropped towards her thumb. She held the graceful pose until the music began.

The music was mostly a darbuka drum beating out the rhythm of the dance. There was more room to travel than Gael had been expecting and she was going to make full use of that fact. The rhythm started slow with Gael performing some simple hip drops in time with the beat. The ringing sounds of the coins striking each other fell in time with the music, practically becoming part of the music. With each change in the music, Gael’s dance changed. At the peak of the speed in the song her performance became peppered with shimmies and graceful dervish spins. Each spin flared her lightweight skirt dramatically. It was a wonder that she didn’t get dizzy. Despite the flair, this was a rather basic performance. The moves came easily to her, flowing through her body without her even having to think about it. When she planned her dances she tried to keep in mind that she’d be dancing on and off throughout the night. She could pick up the pace towards the peak of the night, then tone it back down and fade it out toward the end. She was in no rush. [/COLOR]

[DeLarge]

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[FONT=Tahoma][B]"Of course, you need no introduction," [/B]said Alex with a smile as he set pen to paper [B]"Ilona Montenegro L'Marcelle, professional lounge singer."[/B][/FONT]

[FONT=Tahoma][B]"Excuse me?" [/B]she replied, cocking an eyebrow. This was the first time in the course of their conversation that Alex had noticed a change in her icy-calm exterior.[/FONT]

[FONT=Tahoma][B]"I saw you at a bar once in Washington Prime," [/B]Alex said with a slight laugh, [B]"Zero Degrees? Nice little place, glasses made of ice. Don't worry, I'm not some kind of insane stalker."[/B][/FONT]

[FONT=Tahoma][B]"Oh, thank goodness," [/B]Ilona replied with a relieved little giggle, [B]"I've had a few in my time, I'll admit right now."[/B][/FONT]

[FONT=Tahoma][B]"Oh, really? Anything serious?" [/B]asked Alex, scribbling away in his notepad.[/FONT]

[FONT=Tahoma][B]"Not really. Just some mysterious midnight phone calls, people hanging around outside my apartment, that sort of thing."[/B][/FONT]

[FONT=Tahoma][B]"Right. And how did you get hired to play on the Von Braun?"[/B] She took a sip of her drink, and then launched into the answer.[/FONT]

[FONT=Tahoma][B]"Well, I made a demo with some friends a few months back - a certain someone to whom I owe a great deal managed to get the promoters to play it at the launch party for the Von Braun concept, and it escalated from there. Big auditions, private corporate screenings, that sort of thing, and now here I am!" [/B]She smiled seductively at Alex, who was finding her very hard to read. Usually he was a terrific judge of character, able to find flaws in people's personalities which he could exploit, either for work or pleasure, but Ms L'Marcelle was a tough one to figure out.[/FONT]

[FONT=Tahoma][B]"Good," [/B]Alex said with a smile as he wrote down everything she was saying, [B]"Finally, what are your impressions of the ship so far?"[/B][/FONT]

[FONT=Tahoma][B]"Well, in all my time as a singer, I've never played such a luxurious gig in my life, let's just put it that way," [/B]she replied, her eyes sparkling.[/FONT]

[FONT=Tahoma][B]"Fantastic," [/B]said Alex, scribbling the last of his shorthand notes and tucking the pen back into his pocket, [B]"If it's not too much trouble, which I'm sure it's not for a gorgeous young woman such as yourself, I'd like to get a couple of pictures of you for the report."[/B][/FONT]

[FONT=Tahoma][B]"Naturally, I'd be delighted," [/B]she replied, standing up from her seat, placing one slender, manicured hand on the bar and brushing her incredible locks out of her face. Jamie stood with his jaw hanging open, until Alex nudged him and gestured towards Ms L'Marcelle. He seemed to snap out of it, and took a few pictures of her from varying angles, with her in varying poses.[/FONT]

[FONT=Tahoma][B]"Thank you, Ms L'Marcelle," [/B]Alex said, taking up her hand and planting a delicate kiss upon it. She looked him up and down subtly, then smiled and said:[/FONT]

[FONT=Tahoma][B]"Please, call me Ilona. And the pleasure was all mine." [/B]And with that, she floated off gracefully into the crowd.[/FONT]

[FONT=Tahoma][B]"She was, without a doubt, the most perfect woman I've ever seen in my life," [/B]said Jamie.[/FONT]

[FONT=Tahoma][B]"You need to get a grip, buddy," [/B]replied Alex, patting the side of his friend's face gently, [B]"Either that, or you need to get laid, pronto." [/B]With this, the latest joking comment, Alex gestured to the barman for another drink. The man in the red waistcoat responded, pouring out another whisky over ice, and slid it to Alex, who grabbed it at the instant before it fell over the edge of the bar, and lifted it to his mouth.[/FONT]

[FONT=Tahoma][B]"You're drinking a lot," [/B]said Jamie, noticing how Alex drained his third glass, [B]"That's three for my one."[/B][/FONT]

[FONT=Tahoma][B]"Who are you, my mum?" [/B]asked Alex with a little more aggression than he was planning, [B]"I'm just a quick drinker. It's not my fault you don't have as high an alcohol threshold as me."[/B][/FONT]

[FONT=Tahoma][B]"Still, you were the one who suggested opening the champagne this morning. Liquid breakfast? Doesn't sound too normal to me, my friend."[/B][/FONT]

[FONT=Tahoma][B]"Sorry, are you trying to say something?" [/B]Alex replied, turning to face his friend, his stance more aggressive now, [B]"Are you implying I have a drinking problem?"[/B][/FONT]

[FONT=Tahoma][B]"No, I'm just saying, you might want to take it easy. We're technically on the job."[/B][/FONT]

[FONT=Tahoma][B]"Yeah, well maybe I'm gonna go on the job somewhere else for the night. I'll see you later, Jamie," [/B]Alex said, and stormed through the crowd towards the exit.[/FONT]

[FONT=Tahoma][B]"Alex, come back," [/B]he heard Jamie cry over the bustling dancefloor, [B]"Come back!"[/B][/FONT]

[FONT=Tahoma]Alex stormed out of the bar, intensely irritated that Jamie had apparently resolved to ruin their first night on the ship, and followed the signs on the walls to the second-nearest bar.[/FONT]

[FONT=Tahoma]This place was called Dogma, and was a lot quieter than the Kimera lounge, apparently more of an ambient bar than a real cocktail lounge. It was dark, lit only by neon and ultra-violet lights, and there were a few people moving slowly to the electronic music on the dancefloor. Alex headed straight for the bar and ordered himself another whisky, deciding to nurse this one rather than drain it straight away.[/FONT]

[FONT=Tahoma]He began, slowly and purposefully, to head towards the dancefloor, where he quickly locked in step with an attractive young woman, nothing like the level of Ilona back in the Kimera, but still stunning compared to a lot of girls he had met. He felt her scantily-clad torso press up against his, and before he knew it their lips were locked together.[/FONT]

[FONT=Tahoma]It was turning into an interesting night...[/FONT]
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[Shy]

[center][img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/von%20braun/arthurmostdefinitely.jpg[/img][/center] Arthur nervously adjusted his collar. Across the room stood an older man, one who had been staring at him for quite some time. For a moment Arthur had assumed that this slender, dark figure was admiring Ilona along with the rest of the audience, but that was clearly not the case. Although he wasn?t sure why, his palms began to sweat as he approached the stranger. ?[b]Pardon me?[/b]? he said, trying to hide the concern in his voice, ?[b]But I couldn?t help you were.. staring at me.[/b]? ?[b]Oh, I apologize for that,[/b]? the man let out a warm smiled, and reached for Arthur?s hand, ?[b]You probably don?t recognize me after all of these years. But I could never forget you.[/b]? The man motioned for a side table near the dance floor, and the two set down. He seemed genuinely excited to see Arthur, staring at him with a sense of nostalgia in his eyes. ?[b]It?s amazing how much you look like your mother?[/b]? he said, ?[b]My name is Alan Perez. I was a colleague of your father?s at Washington Prime University.[/b]? ?[b]You? you know my parents?[/b]? ?[b][I]Knew,[/I][/b]? Alan laughed, ?[b]And very well. In fact, we worked together in researching The Great Disaster some years ago. I used to baby-sit you when your mother decided it was time for an evening out.[/b]? Arthur shook his head, ?[b]I don?t think I?ve ever even heard your name before.[/b]? The old man let out a heavy sigh, ?[b]That doesn?t surprise me. As I?m sure you understand, our relationship became quite strained after he published his findings. I know he never forgave me for not defending his claims, but there was simply not enough evidence to support it.[/b]? ?[b]I? I know he had lost a lot of friends during that time. It was very difficult for him, with the divorce.[/b]? Growing up his mother had never said much about his father, or their life before the divorce. Washington Prime and its? control by NARSIA was far too hostile to raise a child in, which was why she accepted work with the Disaster Recovery Corps. As a result, his entire life had been spent in the third-world, working tirelessly to repair the damage caused by the mysterious catastrophe decades earlier. Alan placed his hand on Arthur?s shoulder, ?[b]I thought I had seen in the crowd outside the Von Braun, but I wasn?t sure. It?s good to see that your father?s views haven?t prevented you from experiencing this historic space flight.[/b]? ?[b]Oh, yes... I often wonder what my father would think of me if he knew where I was right now.[/b]? ?[b]The last time I saw your father he was such an angry man, full of fear and paranoia?[/b]? Alan replied, taking a drink from his glass, ?[b]Perhaps in time he?ll be able to find peace.[/b]? ?[b]As long as NARA continues to explore space, I?m not sure that?s ever going to be possible.[/b]? There was a long pause, and Arthur?s eyes began to narrow. Alan slowly stood up, and shook the young man?s hand once again, ?[b]Regardless, I should get going. Please send your mother my best.[/b]? ?[b]Before you go, Mr. Perez. Do you mind if I ask you a question?[/b]? ?[b]No -- of course not. What is it?[/b]? ?[b]My father always said that he was betrayed by academia, that they didn't do enough to support his research?[/b]? ?[b]There was much uncertainty about the time. I'm sure those same people were only trying to protect their jobs and families.[/b]? ?[b]And what about [I]my[/I] family?[/b]? Arthur snapped, ?[b]Did you betray us, too?![/b]? ?[b][I]Betray?[/I] Is this what you?ve grown into?[/b]? Alan narrowed his eyes, ?[b]I am an old man, and I have made many mistakes in the past? I never meant to cause your father any pain.[/b]? ?[b]You don?t understand what his life transformed him into. If you could have defended him?[/b]? ?[b]--There was nothing to defend but the ravings of a madman![/b]" Alan took a step back, shaking, "[b]I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that about Edward.[/b]? "[b]No. A lot of people say that about him. I'd much rather they be honest to me.[/b]" "[b]All the same, I know that if the situation were different he could have gone onto doing great things. It's a shame his career ended so early.[/b]" "[b]At least he found a cause he believed in.[/b]" He nodded, "[b]Perhaps so. Goodbye Arthur.[/b]" Alan quickly disappeared behind the crowd within the lounge, and Arthur found himself alone. The last thing expected was for someone on board to recognize him, least of all an old family friend. He knew that as soon as the ship departed he would have to deal with the situation. He checked his watch -- several hours had passed already. [I]Was the ship ever going to launch?[/I] He flagged down a nearby cocktail waitress, ?[b]Miss. When is the Von Braun going to take off?[/b]? ?[b]Oh that?s cute, hon,[/b]? the red-headed server said with a smile, ?[b]The ship has already left Earth Orbit.[/b]? Arthur?s eyes widened, ?[b]That can?t be?[/b]? "[b]Amazing, isn't it? You can't even hear the engines.[/b]" At that moment Arthur practically leapt from his chair and ran outside to see the deck?s enormous simulated windows for himself. There, just as he had been told, was Earth, slowly shrinking from view as the Von Braun sped further and further towards its? destination. Everything he and his father had worked against was finally coming to pass.

[Horendithas]

[CENTER][IMG]http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/VBO/indiavi.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/8936/avatar21crewxq4.gif[/IMG] [/CENTER] [SIZE="1"]Jefferson didn’t know what he had been expecting for the duration of the trip or rather he was a bit surprised by the itinerary that Ms. Wells had forwarded to him. He had been expecting nothing but more high profile events with only the most privileged. But instead she spent the last couple of days going from tours with the less wealthy passengers and spending time fielding and answering questions in regards to the Von Braun and NARSIA. No question was beneath her, even when some of them were controversial or downright rude. She had handled everything with a genuine smile and had most if not all of the people she talked to smiling before she was done. The longer he worked with her, the more Jeff could see why she had been chosen to come on the trip as the official representative of NARSIA. Absolutely nothing was beneath her, not even making sure he had some personal time for himself. It was a refreshing change to work with someone who didn’t have an exaggerated sense of self importance, like so many other officials that Jeff had worked with in the past. And now, even as they made their way to the bridge since the Von Braun was due to arrive at the NAR Deep Space Outpost shortly, she was still managing to politely greet anyone who they crossed paths with while still keeping them on track for getting into the lift that would take them there. “[B]This is turning out to be such a nice trip.[/B]” Samantha commented once the doors had closed behind the pair and the lift was on its way to the bridge of the Von Braun. “[B]Were you expecting otherwise?[/B]” “[B]Well it’s just that I tend to suffer from sea sickness,[/B]” Samantha admitted with a sheepish grin. “[B]So I was worried that space travel would affect me the same way.[/B]” “[B]Ah, I see. I thought the sense of movement on the Von Braun was supposed to be virtually undetectable though.[/B]” Samantha shrugged. “[B]It is, just like many of the public transports in Washington Prime, and yet I still would get motion sickness.[/B]” She smiled again as the door to the bridge opened to admit them. “[B]So I’m very pleased to not be affected by the trip.[/B]” This time Jeff followed along as she went to talk to the Captain who was currently overseeing something. It was obvious that the ship was no longer in motion as what could only be the Deep Space Outpost was displayed on the main viewer. [hr=indigo]100[/hr] [CENTER][IMG]http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/VBO/indiavi.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/8936/avatar21crewxq4.gif[/IMG] [IMG]http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/VBO/avatar1_crew.gif[/IMG][/center] “[B]Ah Samantha, I was just about to send for you.[/B]” Captain Sorokov said as he turned to greet the pair. "[B]We've arrived at the outpost.[/B]" “[B]Is the ship already connected to the station then?[/B]” Samantha inquired. “[B]Not exactly,[/B]” He explained. “[B]As you can see, the outpost is running, but the communications beacon seems to be powered down, we’re barely getting a signal at all. In order to set up the tunnel between the Von Braun and the Outpost, we need to coordinate directly with the crew but we’ve been unable to raise them.[/B]” “[B]Is the communications beacon malfunctioning?[/B]” “[B]That is the most likely explanation. I know that our arrival is expected but we made better time than expected and arrived half a day early, so even using lights to get their attention isn’t working since no one is expecting us just yet.[/B]” He finished. “[B]What do you plan on doing?[/B]” “[B]I’ve already alerted both the Chief of Security and Engineering to take the shuttle over, as soon as they are ready they’ll launch. Once there they can help with any repairs and we can get the ship connected to the Outpost.[/B]” “[B]Why don’t you send some of the passengers over at the same time?[/B]” Samantha suggested, smiling when the Captain frowned at her slightly. “[B]There’s no reason to alarm or delay the guests over a simple equipment malfunction and it would be a simple matter for the ship’s AI to select a small group to go over.[/B]” “[B]Are you sure that’s a good idea?[/B]” “[B]Why wouldn’t it be? If there had been any trouble, wouldn’t the crew of the outpost have done something to indicate that there was trouble and we should steer clear?[/B]” She pointed out, something that the Captain reluctantly nodded in agreement too. Jeff just kept his mouth shut. His first instinct was to only send over a repair crew and security, but at the same time… Samantha was correct. There were all sorts of means the crew of the outpost could have used to warn them of any real danger. Even he knew that the distress beacon for such a place was independent of the communications beacon. They could have easily activated it and that wasn't the only way to warn them. So other than to be overly cautious, there really was no reason why they couldn't do both at the same time. “[B]I’m more than willing to head over with the other passengers.[/B]” Samantha finished and then waited for the Captain to think it over before finally nodding in agreement again. “[B]Agreed, I’ll have the ship draw up a random list right now and have everyone head to the shuttle immediately.[/B]” Jeff waited while they discussed a few more details and then, to the sounds of the Captain announcing their arrival and for the passengers to check and see if they had been selected to be among the first group to head to the outpost, they left the bridge to head to where the shuttle would be located. [I][INDENT]An hour and a half later…[/INDENT][/I] With everyone who had been selected onboard, the shuttle finished its approach to the airlock of the NAR Deep Space Outpost, the pilot skillfully bringing it in to connect to the station. An excited buzz could be heard in the back cabin where the passengers were eagerly waiting for their first look at the secretive Space Outpost.[/SIZE]

Landmark 02: Lonely Outpost

[font=arial][size=2][color=#202020][center][URL=http://img256.imageshack.us/my.php?image=buerglehobbystaedtedieirq6.jpg] [IMG]http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/4755/buerglehobbystaedtedieirq6.th.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [/center] The Von Braun, upon arriving at the [B]NAR Deep Space Outpost[/B], will connect to it via a space bridge (passenger tunnel). Passengers will have the opportunity to be the first visitors to see for themselves the outpost's technological wonders, including areas that even the most influential media have not had access to. [size=1][B]Important notes:[/B] Though not immediately apparent, the space outpost is completely empty and undisturbed, as if the people there simply vanished without a trace.[/size][/font][/size][/color]

[P.J. McKrafty]

[center][FONT=Book Antiqua][SIZE=2][IMG]http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o159/pjmckrafty/VonBraun-1.jpg[/IMG][/SIZE][/FONT]
[/center]
[FONT=Book Antiqua][SIZE=2]
Kevin drew back the privacy curtain hanging around the bed to look at his next patient. A young man and woman in formal attire; both sat on the bed. The man was clutching a bandage to his forehead and was relatively calm. The girl on the other hand was a basket-case, she had his arm in a death grip and her face was splotchy from crying. Kevin dawned the biggest smile he could manage and stepped into view.

[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Book Antiqua][SIZE=2][B]?Hello!?[/B][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Book Antiqua][SIZE=2] greeted Kevin in a tone that was obviously forced. [B]?How are we doing??

[/B][/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Book Antiqua][SIZE=2][B]?Could be better.?[/B][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Book Antiqua][SIZE=2] He replied as they traded grips.

[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Book Antiqua][SIZE=2][B]?Well then, mind telling me what happened.?

[/B][B]?We were at the launch party and I tripped on the dance floor and caught the corner of a passing server?s tray.?[/B] [/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Book Antiqua][SIZE=2] A slight tinge of red touched his face at the mention of the incident, Kevin jotted down some notes down on a clipboard and then he turned back to the couple with a slight smirk.

[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Book Antiqua][SIZE=2][B]?Alrighty then. Well ma?am I am going to have to ask for his arm back if you don?t mind, you can take a seat here or you could sit in the waiting room, this shouldn?t take long,?[/B][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Book Antiqua][SIZE=2] She got up and left the room in complete silence. [B]?Okay, do you have a preference in music mister...??[/B]

[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Book Antiqua][SIZE=2][B]?Lorum, James Lorum, and why would you ask that??

[/B][B]?Each bed is outfitted with a music player to further patient comfort.?[/B] [/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Book Antiqua][SIZE=2] Kevin replied in a tone that sounded practiced as he walked over to a monitor and started fidgeting with it.

[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Book Antiqua][SIZE=2][B]?Anything is fine, I don?t really care.?
[/B]
[B]?Random then!?[/B] [/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Book Antiqua][SIZE=2] Kevin pressed a few buttons and the sound of a steel drum flowed from the speakers on both sides of the bed. [B]?Reggae, didn?t see that one coming. How about you let me see that forehead of yours.?[/B] Kevin slapped gloves over his hands and gently removed the bandage from James?s forehead. About an inch long gash lay just above his left eyebrow. Kevin had a slight smile has he released his head and started to work with the contraption clipped to his web belt.

[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Book Antiqua][SIZE=2][B]?What?s that??[/B] James asked.

[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Book Antiqua][SIZE=2][B]?A cauterization unit, they just released them and they will soon replace stitches all together,?[/B][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Book Antiqua][SIZE=2] Kevin answered while pulling a pen shaped device with what looked like the head of a flashlight from the top of the unit and pulled out some of the attached cord for some slack. [B]?They don?t hurt and can dramatically reducer scarring. Just sit still, I don?t want to take your eyebrow off.?[/B]

[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Book Antiqua][SIZE=2]James tensed up a bit at the mention of losing an eyebrow which made Kevin laugh to himself quietly. He paced over to James and steadied his head with his left hand and rested the ?prod? on the gash. Kevin held down the button the pen and a slight humming came from the unit on his belt and he slowly moved the prod down the length of the gash. After about five minutes of the slowest movement know to man, the gash was healed up and the skin fused together with a slight discoloration. James reached up to touch the gash and winced.

[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Book Antiqua][SIZE=2]Kevin smiled and slipped a flesh colored bandage over the mark. [B]?It will be a bit sore though so we will prescribe painkiller and an ointment so it heals without incident.?[/B]

[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Book Antiqua][SIZE=2]The couple left the clinic the clinic and presumably returned to the party. Kevin sat down and rubbed and rolled his right wrist to relieve the stiffness.

[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Book Antiqua][SIZE=2]

---

[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Arial][FONT=Book Antiqua][SIZE=2]Kevin fumbled with his key, his wrist still a bit stiff from using the new cauterization unit.After a few moments of floundering he finally was able to get the key to strike slid into his room. He dropped his uniform by the door and the lights faded on throughout the entire room. Kevin had just reached his bed when the phone rang.
[B]
"Dr. Camfield?"[/B] the muffled voice of his superior asked from the other end.

[B]"Yes?"[/B]

[B]"We would like you to report to the shuttle bay, we would like you to be medical detail on the excursion to the outpost."[/B] Kevin let out a small moan in protest and cursed under his breath.

[B]"Yeah, I can manage that, when would you like me to get there?"[/B]

[B]"Immediately, boarding should begin shortly."[/B] More cursing on behalf of Kevin.

Kevin hung up the phone without saying anything else and hauled himself off of his bed. He sat on his bed for a second staring at the phone in somewhat of a daze. With much mumbling and grumbling he got his uniform on and gear collected and, reluctantly, left for the shuttle bay.
[/SIZE][/FONT][/FONT]

[James]

[center][img]http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/9978/vboavatarey3.jpg[/img][/center] Zahir had used almost all of his first pay from the bar to purchase a new outfit. He chose a grey coat that fell just below his waist. It covered a simple, crisp new shirt. He wore a pair of trousers that he’d had for a while; they were nothing remarkable, but they looked presentable. Since being chosen to travel to the Deep Space Outpost, Zahir felt obligated not to offend the paying guests by dressing in anything old and tattered. The prospect of visiting the DSO excited Zahir; perhaps even more than being on the Von Braun itself. Very few people knew much of anything about the DSO, except that its primary purpose was for scientific research. Zahir had leafed through a small brochure about the outpost on his first evening aboard the ship and, despite the limited detail, he was fascinated. The DSO contained several laboratories that each conducted research into different areas. The largest laboratory, for instance, conducted research into materials and fuels – Zahir remembered that NARA had recently (and rather proudly) declared that several breakthroughs were made in both of these fields. However, the sheer secrecy of the outpost made Zahir quietly suspicious. It was said that the outpost employed more than two thousand people and, furthermore, it had been built into the side of a large asteroid. When NARA had been questioned about the cost of the project, they had refused to respond and had shut down several Congressional committees. Critics in Washington Prime and around the Republic suggested that the cost of the project must have been astronomical. For one thing, the outpost was further from Earth than any previous man-made object. And in addition, the asteroid that it was built into was not orbiting any larger objects – how, then, did the outpost remain in the same place all the time? Some suggested that NARA had built enormous stabilisers across the rock, which routinely fired in different directions, automatically maintaining position at all times. Such technology – and on such a scale – would surely have to be prohibitively expensive. During his stay in Washington Prime, Zahir had read several underground magazines that were dedicated to conspiracy theories surrounding the Deep Space Outpost. Some theories – such as the secrecy surrounding cost – were plausible. Others, which involved encounters with aliens and secret weapons testing, ranged from laughable to utterly insane and illogical. These magazines were not outright banned, but they were certainly frowned upon. Large retailers who stocked such magazines were regularly dragged before the courts to face a vague series of charges that were never fully explained to the public. In most cases, the retailers simply suffered heavy fines until they ceased support for the magazines. And in rare cases, shop owners were jailed – again, often for undisclosed reasons. Luckily these incidents were highly rare, but nevertheless, acquiring conspiracy-related materials became more difficult as time went by. Zahir had once discussed an article about the DOS with Khalid, who seemed thoroughly uninterested. ‘Why would they hide things like that from us?’ he had asked. ‘All the big wars are over now. The Republic rules eighty per cent of the globe; why would they need to make advanced weapons? Don’t be so gullible.’ Zahir did not discuss his magazines with Khalid again. Still, he viewed them in the same way as tabloids; entertaining, but hardly realistic. [center][img]http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/9978/vboavatarey3.jpg[/img] [img]http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/2357/kathykf5.jpg[/img][/center] The shuttle was surprisingly comfortable. From the inside, it rather looked like a large ferry; the passenger area featured two long aisles, which divided three rows of luxurious seats. When Zahir arrived, there were already several guests dotted around the cabin. There wasn’t much of a view, though; the shuttle’s windows simply looked out onto stark white walls – the interior of the Von Braun’s shuttle dock. Zahir found his way to the left row and sat on a window seat by himself. Several of the guests who were already on board looked decidedly first-class and Zahir did not particularly want to mix with them (although as the cabin filled up, he started to think he’d be forced to). But before too long, Zahir was joined by a rather tall, slender woman. She sat beside him and, at first, did not say anything. She glanced around the cabin. Her hands were folded in her lap. Although Zahir did not know its name, he could smell the slightest hint of a highly expensive perfume. Finally she turned to face him. ‘Oh, I’m sorry,’ she said with a smile, ‘I should introduce myself. My name is Natalia.’ She extended a hand, which Zahir gladly shook. Natalia immediately seemed warmer and friendlier than many of the people he’d met on the ship so far. ‘Zahir,’ he replied. ‘What brings you here?’ Natalia shrugged and glanced out the window to the white space beyond. ‘I manage the Casino,’ she said casually. ‘What about yourself?’ Zahir was amazed at Natalia’s casual attitude; managing the Casino was a major role on the ship. He was further surprised by her young age; no doubt it caused resentment among some staff. Perhaps this is why she was not in the habit of big-noting herself. ‘Oh, I’m just a bartender,’ replied Zahir, ‘nothing too interesting.’ Natalia smiled. ‘I’d think it’s a pretty interesting job,’ she said. ‘I suppose you get to meet all sorts of people. I imagine a lot of people would clamour for such a role.’ Zahir shrugged. ‘Oh I don’t know. It has its moments,’ he muttered. ‘Your job must be fascinating though – running a big Casino like that.’ ‘Actually,’ she said with a slight laugh, ‘I feel that I’m already somewhat tired of this place. I was here prior to the launch, overseeing preparations and set up for the entire Casino. So I can’t say I’ve had much of a chance to enjoy myself.’ The shuttle began to vibrate beneath their feet, as the rear doors closed. Everyone was now seated and, as Zahir looked around, he saw several faces that he’d noticed earlier (including Arthur, who was sitting on the other side of the cabin – he couldn’t be sure if Arthur had spotted him yet). In an odd way Zahir could understand Natalia’s sense of boredom and frustration. After all, how could one possibly enjoy the voyage if one was spending hours upon hours dealing with a myriad of staff and other issues? Zahir looked out the window and now, he saw the blackness of space. The shuttle pulled out of the dock as it closed behind them. From this point, he could not even see the Von Braun itself – there were no rear windows on the shuttle, nor any windows on the ceiling. Despite the distinct lack of inertia, he was sure he could feel the shuttle rounding a corner and turning eastward. And then, suddenly, an enormous object rose up in front of the shuttle. From their vantage point, the passengers could see large craters and boulders of different sizes. The surface of the asteroid was almost luminous as it reflected the shuttle’s blinking navigation lights. He could not yet see the Deep Space Outpost, but a fuzzy announcement over the shuttle’s PA system indicated that they were close.

[Arichan16]

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[COLOR="Purple"]The last song in her performance ended. Somehow everything had seem to have gone quicker than she had expected. The ride had been so smooth that she had the suspicion that they were merely drifting through space. Yet they all got to the dock so quickly that it couldn?t possibly be so. Upon the ship?s final approach to port, people began to filter out. A lot of people were eager to see the docking point. Gael thought of it as a bit of a shame. She felt like she had just gotten onto the ship not to long ago. She wasn?t sure if she wanted to leave it so quickly.

She had sparing breaks between her dances, but she hadn?t done much with them. Now that she was done, she came to the realization that her water bottle was long past empty. She drifted off of the dance floor and towards the bar to remedy this little problem. She didn?t want to leave the ship without hydrating herself some. It would be terrible to spend her first day on the Von Braun in the medical bay because of something as silly as a little dehydration.

She leaned onto the bar as opposed to sitting in a bar stool. She figured there?d be no reason to sit if she wasn?t going hang out. And she didn?t feel like hanging out in the bar.

?Just a water, please.? She said simply with her lightweight voice, smiling even as the bartender gave her a funny look. Why was it that everyone on the ship seemed to be against alcohol? The poor bartender had never seen such a dry party in his life. Soda water, cola, now water? He got her the clear bottle of boring liquid even as he wondered why no one would just have a drink.

?Thank you.? She said sweetly. She sounded like she knew the bartender by the way she spoke. She really didn?t, she just talked with everyone like that. It was an odd mix of a casual voice with overly polite words. Not something you hear everyday.

She swept her bottle off of the bar and turned, leaning back on the bar instead. She wasn?t going to rush out to the space station like everyone else. She?s just let the crowd pass through first. Then she?d follow behind.

With a twist she cracked open her bottled water and took a brief sip. She wanted to gulp down several sips at this point, but that was a bad idea. Not only would it be rude, it would also be bad for her health. So she steadily drank small sips from the bottle, waiting for a bit of the fuss to die down before heading to the ?passenger tunnel? and onto the outpost.
[/COLOR]

[Raiha]

[CENTER][IMG]http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/VBO/avatar16_guest.gif[/IMG][IMG]http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/VBO/avatar6_guest.gif[/IMG][/center] [left][i]Ilona staggered back from her last late night show at Club Kimera, nursing a mild headache. Some nincompoop in the sound department had made a mistake with her in ear monitor and midway through the musical bridge of one of her pieces, the feedback had nearly shattered her left eardrum. To add insult to injury, her room's atmosphere was hovering somewhere between swamp and jungle. The humidity was enough to choke a water buffalo, and Ilona L'Marcelle was no water buffalo. After showering, she collapsed into bed, as inert and lifeless as a swamp log. And just when her dream was reaching the good part, her door began to beep. Loudly. In her ear. Cursing in a mix of several latin languages, Ilona groped around her table for the sturdy carbon fiber glass resting on her book, and hurled it at the door, the sensors registering its presence and sliding open. To Cadet Hellings, who had been asked to wake up the one passenger who was completely late to the shuttle, it had been a bad morning. But the sight that greeted him at the door made it a much better morning. In what could be generously considered a black babydoll, Ilona lay sprawled across her almost neatly made bed, one sheet twined around her left leg, her arms spread eagle while her hair curled down around the small of her back. His voice quavered slightly when he spoke.[/i] "Ah, Miss L'Marcelle?" [i]His answer was some kind of non verbal vocalization that he took to mean "YEs Cadet?"[/i] "I was asked to come escort you to the shuttle. You were selected to see the Outpost with several other passengers in a random selection of-" "Ugh. Can't they ask someone else?" "No Miss. I'm sorry, there are no exceptions." "Oh [i]fine.[/i] Could you make me a cup of coffee then?" [i]She pointed without lifting her head up from the pillows and he followed her gaze to the innocent looking coffee machine. Quickly, he strode over to start the hot water when she sat up, looking reasonably tousled. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched her pull on a pair of black slacks and a silvery halter top, her hair tossed up with two banana clips almost carelessly. And yet she still looked perfect to his rather untrained eyes. While she laced up her boots, he handed her the coffee after pouring in enough sugar to reanimate a corpse.[/i] "Here you are Miss. Are you ready now?" [i]She took one sip, then another, regardless of the fact that it was still steaming, and then nodded, looking almost alive again.[/i] "As ready as I'll ever be." [i]She snatched up her handbag that she'd tossed over the chair at her desk the night before and her M.D. player. Walking next to the young cadet, she willed her eyes to finally come into focus, and noticed Devin Letrad coming around a corner in their direction. Nobody spoke until they reached the loading deck and the cadet vanished after a nod in Ilona's direction and a furtive glance once she'd turned around, coffee still in hand.[/i] "Mr. Letrad?" "Ilona L'Marcelle. I saw you at the opening party. You were very nice." "And you didn't stop by to see me at Club Kimera ever after? I'm crushed." [i]She took another swig of coffee and gave him a mock disparaging glance as she did, dissolving into giggles.[/i][/left]

[Sabrina]

[CENTER][IMG]http://img164.imageshack.us/img164/9613/sabavixi1.jpg[/IMG] [/CENTER] ?[B]I really dislike the idea of you heading over alone sir.[/B]? Misha objected, falling back into his habit of calling Viktor sir out of long standing habit. ?[B]I won?t be alone Misha,[/B]? Viktor reminded him. ?[B]Other passengers along with members of the ship?s crew will also be heading over on the shuttle. If it worries you that much then come and join me once the space bridge is connected to the Outpost.[/B]? Misha wanted to say more but he did not. In the end the final decision was up to Viktor and upon being notified that he had been selected to be one of the first to head over to see the Deep Space Outpost built by NAR; Misha recognized that gleam in his eyes. It was the same look Viktor would get as a young boy. He had always been headstrong and slipping away whenever he got the chance to explore things on the estate back home. ?[B]I?ll do that sir.[/B]? Viktor merely smiled in response to the seriousness in Misha?s voice before he left to head for where he was to join the others on the shuttle heading over. [hr=black]100[/hr] [CENTER][IMG]http://img164.imageshack.us/img164/9613/sabavixi1.jpg[/IMG] [IMG] http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/VBO/indiavi.jpg[/IMG] [IMG] http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/8936/avatar21crewxq4.gif[/IMG] [IMG] http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/5076/aryaviif9.jpg[/IMG] [/CENTER] Viktor couldn?t help but smile at the thought of how his father would have been frowning at him if he had been there to see him get onboard the shuttle without Misha. Father had always been a stickler for him never going anywhere alone, even on the estate grounds. He was so strict on that matter that a tiny part of Viktor wondered at him sending him to take his place on the Von Braun with only Misha to accompany him. He looked around the shuttle to see that other than a few seats all of them were taken, a low hum of conversation filling the space as the others talked among themselves. He was about to move to take a seat when a slightly familiar voice called his name. ?[B]Viktor Ivanov,[/B]? it was Samantha Wells. ?[B]Why don?t you and your friend join us up here? You?re too late to get a seat together; the rest of the shuttle is nearly full.[/B]? Viktor wondered who she was referring to and then turned around at the sound of another familiar voice; it was the young woman he had run into when he first boarded the Von Braun. A hint of a blush crossed her face as she stammered a hasty reply. ?[B]We?re not together ma?am.[/B]? She proclaimed. ?[B]I was simply boarding the shuttle?[/B]? she faltered a bit turning even redder. ?[B]We?d be honored to join you Miss Wells.[/B]? Viktor smiled, ?[B]if Miss Brennan would be so kind?[/B]? He motioned for her to go first. ?[B]Uh? of course.[/B]? She finally managed before slipping past Viktor to join Miss Wells and another man who was protesting slightly. ?[B]Are you sure that?s a good idea?[/B]? He kept his voice low to avoid being overheard but Viktor caught what was said just the same. ?[B]Don?t be silly Jeff,[/B]? She admonished him before giving the two her full attention as they took a seat across from where Samantha and her security were currently sitting. He couldn?t help but notice that the forward part of the shuttle they were in was filled mainly with personnel from the Von Braun, a few of them frowning slightly in their direction. It was a simple matter to insist that Miss Brennan take the seat closest to the window and thus leave her in the position of facing Miss Wells directly. Viktor ignored the glances and frowns being sent their way, he was accustomed to it. Instead he focused on listening to the conversation as Samantha skillfully drew Katelyn into a conversation about herself and her intent to become a member of NARSIA someday. He was a little startled when Samantha congratulated her on being one of the winners of a writing contest for earning a spot on the Von Braun, and that her parents would have been proud of her. [I]Would have been? [/I] ?[B]Thank you Samantha,[/B]? Katelyn was saying before pausing at the sound of the shuttle?s PA announcing that in just a few minutes they would be boarding the Deep Space Outpost. The group fell silent as the vibration and slight banging noises of the shuttle docking with what had to be the air lock to the Outpost could be heard. It only took a few minutes and then upon the announcement giving them leave to head out they did. They waiting patiently until their turn came and then finally emerged into the station itself. ?[B]If you?ll excuse us,[/B]? Samantha said once they were clear of the air lock doors and standing in a corridor leading further into the station. ?[B]Feel free to go ahead and take a look around. I?m sure the station?s crew can answer any questions you might have.[/B]? ?[B]Thank you Miss Wells.[/B]? Viktor said even as her escort remained silent before they turned and headed for the branch in the corridor leading to the headquarters of the station. It was clear from the directions on the wall that the left went to the command center for the station, the center to laboratories and the path to the right to living quarters and other recreational facilities for the crew there. ?[B]So,[/B]? Viktor inquired of Katelyn. ?[B]Which area did you wish to see first?[/B]? he ignored the other passengers who were already breaking off into groups and heading into the station.

[Arichan16]

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[COLOR="Purple"]Gael was a little annoyed, but she kept it to herself. She had been ?chosen? as one of the first to see the port. Although she was flattered, she felt rather rushed. The man who had retrieved her had hardly given her time to change her clothes into something more suitable. She didn?t want to go anywhere in her performance outfit, after all. Her current choice of clothing was a bit more modest than that. Her outfit was a light chiffon sari that had a range of color from purple to an ocean blue. The design was all in the gradient of the color, so the cloth didn?t have any intricate pattern to it. Nice and simple.

She sat in the back of the shuttle as it took off, waiting patiently for their arrival. She sat with her ankles crossed slightly, her hands resting one over another in her lap. She wasn?t expecting the jostle of the shuttle, after the smooth sailing of the Von Braun, so the shake threw her off a little at first. She managed the sudden stop more gracefully.

As the airlock was released, many people quickly split into groups and headed into the area. Gael stood slowly and waited patiently for others to filter out before she too left the shuttle and stepped foot on the ?dock?.
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[Aaryanna]

[CENTER][IMG]http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/5076/aryaviif9.jpg[/IMG] [IMG] http://img164.imageshack.us/img164/9613/sabavixi1.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] [B][I]?So, which area did you wish to see first??[/I][/B] Katelyn felt herself starting to flush again and fought it as she worked out a reply while wondering why he had even asked her. There were so many others there who were far prettier than she was? Katelyn shook her head a bit wondering why she was even thinking about something like that. It had been embarrassing enough that Miss Wells had assumed she was with him when she had only been entering the shuttle at the same time. She had tried to protest only to be startled by him remembering her name. The next thing she knew she had ended up sitting across from Miss Wells and discussing her plans for the future with her. Katelyn had not expected her to actually know the details about how she was on the Von Braun or about her parents. Katelyn shook her head slightly and answered the question, paying slight attention to what looked like a group of passengers from the Von Braun heading down the corridor in front of them. ?[B]Perhaps the labs would be the best place to go to first?[/B]? She smiled nervously at Mr Ivanov who was waiting patiently for her to answer, ?[B]At the school we never did care for people coming to check the place out, visiting the dorms without notice. So it might be better if we ask one of the crew here to show us.[/B]? ?[B]That?s an excellent suggestion Miss Brennan.[/B]? He indicated the center passageway with a slight motion of his hand and the two started heading that direction. ?[B]Katelyn, if you don?t mind.[/B]? ?[B]I don?t mind at all, so long as you don?t mind Viktor.[/B]? He had a slightly amused look on his face. ?[B]Isn?t that considered too forward?[/B]? Katelyn asked. ?[B]It?s perfectly acceptable for one like?[/B]? She stopped as she realized that she was bordering on being rude. ?[B]Not among friends it is not.[/B]? They continued to follow the passageway, the footsteps of others echoing back to where they were. ?[B]You were called Miss Brennan by your teachers and most of your peers weren?t you?[/B]? Katelyn nodded, wondering how he knew just how formal the school she had been attending was. Was it the same for the schools where he was from? ?[B]I don?t know about you Katelyn, but it is tiring to always be called Mr Ivanov or Sir. Don?t you think so?[/B]? ?[B]Well yes but?[/B]? She didn?t know how to put it in words. Unlike him she was pretty much considered a nobody. She knew perfectly well the social status he held was way beyond someone like her. ?[B]Consider it this way then, we are both passengers on the Von Braun and in that light it makes us equal. You earned your right to be here with your own skill instead of paying for the ticket like so many others.[/B]? He held up his right hand to pause the objection she was starting to voice. ?[B]Katelyn you have more than earned the right to be here and I would be honored if you would call me by my first name.[/B]? ?[B]Of course.[/B]? Katelyn stammered, she hadn?t thought of it in that light before. The only thing she had been seeing was how so many of the passengers were so obviously wealthy and privileged in comparison to her. The trip had still been fascinating and very enjoyable thus far, but that obvious difference had resulted in her wearing her school uniform for most of the trip. She had felt far more comfortable in it since it drew less attention to her than her plain clothing had. Further discussion was briefly halted as they finally came to an overview of what had to be the greenhouses for supporting the station. Both of them paused on the massive walkway that ran along the outer walls of where they had just come from. It was a very impressive sight and both of them stood there for a moment taking it in until it finally hit that the movement they were seeing was automated machines tending the fields. To the left was what looked like a garden for recreation further down, just as the growing fields were to the right. ?[B]Where are all the people?[/B]? Katelyn was puzzled. She could see the garden with pathways and little benches and even further over what looked like a gathering area for having something to eat. But it was all empty. ?[B]Perhaps they are at work.[/B]? That still didn?t explain why there was absolutely no one there. At the school she attended the cafeteria was closed at night, but at an outpost like this, she had expected them to work in shifts, just like the plant her parents had been at. She could understand people being at work, but shouldn?t those who prepare the food be there? It looked completely deserted. ?[B]Maybe we could ask someone,[/B]? Katelyn pointed to where the food would have been served; there was something odd looking about it that from their vantage point she couldn?t make out. ?[B]Good idea.[/B]? Viktor agreed as the pair made their way for the set of wide double stairs leading down. It took them very little time to make their way to the lower floor and through the tables to head over to where food was prepared. But when they got there, even though it looked like someone had been in the process of getting something ready, the place was deserted.

[James]

[center][img]http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/9978/vboavatarey3.jpg[/img] [img]http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/2357/kathykf5.jpg[/img] [img]http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/VBO/maul.jpg[/img][/center] Half of the shuttle had now boarded the Outpost's entry dock. Natalia walked casually beside Zahir as they stepped over the threshold and entered a wide hallway, which led to the Outpost's main reception area. The Outpost's interior was brightly-lit and was remarkably comfortable. The walkway that connected the entry dock to the main building had clear walls, so that visitors could see the dark sky above them as well as the deep gray rocky surface of the asteroid. As they walked, the hallway curved slightly downwards; most of the station was underground, although rooftops and certain buildings popped up above the surface now and then. 'I suppose this makes the trip at least a little worthwhile,' sighed Natalia as she glanced around. 'I'd rather be here than on the ship, to tell you the truth.' Zahir smiled. 'I'm happy with the Von Braun, I just wish I didn't have to work there too. To be a first class passenger...' Natalia smiled and put her hand on his shoulder. 'You could be doing a lot worse. Just be thankful you aren't in a position like mine; the more senior you are, the more angry customers you have to deal with. I don't think it's worth the money.' They both laughed as they realized they'd reached the reception area. It was completely empty. Natalia raised an eyebrow. 'No welcoming committee?' she asked aloud. 'And where did the rest of the passengers go?' Zahir looked around. He heard noises nearby, down another hallway. A large sign on the wall pointed to the Botanic Laboratory, which presumably contained gardens used for farming and clean air. Another sign sat just below it, with the words "Communications Tower" printed in large black letters. Natalia rubbed her chin thoughtfully. 'I'm quite sure I heard some talk on the shuttle about them needing to repair the communications system here.' She chuckled to herself. 'Wouldn't it be funny if the ship arrived during a staff rotation.' Zahir's ears perked up. 'Staff rotation? You mean that they change the entire staff regularly, on a station this size?' Natalia nodded. 'Well, perhaps not everyone [i]at once[/i],' she said, 'but few of these workers actually bring their families with them. I don't know the ins and outs of it, but I do know that the station's staff rotate every year or so.' 'Still,' she continued as the pair began making their way towards the Botanic Laboratory, 'it would be quite remarkable if we arrived during the rotation period. That would be a very odd coincidence.' The thought of being on an abandoned station excited Zahir greatly. And since they had apparently walked away from the rest of the group, they could perhaps spend some time looking around on their own. As they came closer to the Laboratory and Communications Tower, the voices became louder. 'Sounds familiar,' muttered Zahir. 'I think I know the voice. It's the Chief Engineer.' Sure enough, as Zahir and Natalia rounded the corner, they came upon the entry door to the Communications Tower. Several Von Braun engineering staff were gathered around the door, with the Chief Engineer standing in the center. One of the engineering staff piped up, just as Zahir and Natalia came within earshot. 'So what are you saying, Chief? We can't get up there to fix the beacon?' A deep, gruff voice emanated from the Chief's somewhat small frame. 'That's precisely what I'm telling you. The beacon is down but we do not have access to this tower; we rely on the Outpost staff to assist us. But as you can see, there's nobody here.' As the Chief said this, the group of engineers mumbled amongst themselves in agitated tones. 'Look,' said the Chief as he adjusted his collar and checked his watch, 'I don't know what's happened here. It will be up to the Captain, Ms. Wells and Major Sijan to determine the situation... all I can tell you is that we have a job to do. We will need to return to the ship and bring some additional tools over, so that we may access the beacon.' He eyed the engineers one by one as he spoke. 'I suggest that you prepare for another few hours' of work here, as we have a great deal to do.' The engineers grumbled and protested, but around half of the group returned to the entry dock. Zahir and Natalia were close enough to hear the conversation, but they were out of sight of the crew. 'Looks serious,' whispered Zahir. 'I wonder what's happening here.' Natalia grinned. For the first time, she seemed somewhat excited. 'Well, why don't we try to find out? I think some of the other passengers have headed to the Botanic Laboratory...why don't we head over that way too? We might have a couple of hours to do some sleuthing.'

[Aaryanna_Mom]

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For the first time since she had accepted the assignment to work on the Von Braun, Natalia was enjoying herself. How long had it been since she had any sort of time away from others? Even as a little girl she had always been surrounded by other people, constantly reminded of her duty to be responsible and dutiful. Her family was not as well off as others were but still more than enough to have a comfortable living in one of the richer areas of the former US.

She had been raised and educated to better serve her family?s interests. Natalia had instead taken the first opportunity to leave the cold and socially barren town to work in management for one of the many Caesars Palace Casino?s throughout the country. Her attention to detail and reliable nature had resulted in her rising quickly in management and before long she was managing one of their more successful establishments.

The cold and distant nature of the people around her did not bother her, not like it had where she had been raised. That thin layer of pretending to care had irritated her to no end back home. But to receive such treatment from strangers had mattered little to her. Natalia had few friends and other than the occasional relationship she had never settled down. She had wondered if that was part of why she was selected since sending an individual would be a lot easier than sending a family on the trip.

At first, coming on board the Von Braun for her was merely another day at work; the surroundings though a bit more lavish still the same as back home. Now as she and Zahir made their way to where the Botanical Labs were located she felt like a little girl sneaking off to explore. Based on the excited look on Zahir?s face it was clear he felt the same.

?[B]Even if the staff is currently being rotated, it does seem a bit odd that no one would be at the communications tower.[/B]? Zahir observed as they made their way towards the Botanical labs.

?[B]Not necessarily,[/B]? Natalia explained further when Zahir looked puzzled. ?[B]It?s not at all unusual for something like that to be completely automated and controlled from the security center at most Casinos. I imagine that for a place like this being automated would be required to keep the need for staff at a minimum.[/B]?

?[B]Ah, of course, more automation means less people that they have to pay.[/B]?

Natalia nodded, ?[B]That?s always a prime concern among management, to look for ways to do things via automation and cut back on operating costs.[/B]?

?[B]Before long everything will be automated.[/B]? Zahir joked though he looked a bit uneasy at the idea. But then Natalia couldn?t blame him, everyone found the concept of being replaced by a machine upsetting.

?[B]I doubt it; take your job for instance. They?ve already tried using something similar to the holographic program on the Von Braun for one of the most advance casinos.[/B]? Zahir looked surprised.

?[B]It was a dismal failure, the customers positively hated it and within a year they removed the technology and went back to having real bartenders.[/B]? She smiled. ?[B]Admittedly the system here seems to be a lot more advanced, but there are some things where the personal touch is more effective.[/B]?

?[B]I see.[/B]?

Natalia dropped the subject in favor of enjoying the expansive view of what could only be some of the gardens meant to sustain life at the outpost. The two of them just stood there in silence on the walkway overlooking the massive internal chamber.

?[B]This is so much nicer than that artificial imagery on the Von Braun. It was pretty enough but nothing beats the fresh air from the real thing.[/B]? Natalia sighed contentedly.

?[B]Do you think they know what?s going on?[/B]? Natalia looked to where Zahir was pointing. There were two people walking among what appeared to be tables for an area where the crew of the outpost could gather for meals.

?[B]Why don?t we find out?[/B]? Natalia smiled. ?[B]They look like passengers from the Von Braun though.[/B]?

?[B]Why do you say that?[/B]? Zahir inquired as they started heading down the stairs to the lower area.

?[B]I would be very surprised if anyone on the outpost could afford the clothing the young man is wearing. It?s very expensive.[/B]?

[Shy]

[center][img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/von%20braun/arthurmostdefinitely.jpg[/img] [img]http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/VBO/gaelavatar1.jpg[/img][/center] Arthur felt a subtle nudge from behind as he stood before the passenger bridge. Though he had spent much his life reading up on space travel, he was certainly not comfortable with the idea of doing it himself. “[b]You needn’t worry,[/b]” a comforting, female voice said from behind, “[b]I have to admit that I’m a little nervous as well.[/b]” He turned around to discover a beautiful woman with olive skin and penetrating violet eyes. She was wearing an ornate purple saree, embroidered with detailed gold stitching. Arthur shook his head. Right above them was a clear domed ceiling, revealing the dark expanse of space. “[b]It’s just I had never expected it to be like this… everyone seems to casual, but look -- we‘re in the middle of outer space…[/b]” “[b]A little humbling, isn‘t it?[/b]“ she replied with a smile, “[b]My name is Gael. I‘m one of the performers on board the Von Braun.[/b]” “[b]It’s very nice to meet you. My name is Arthur Clarke.[/b]” The two shared a nod, and they began to walk across the bridge. Several passengers had already hurried across, eager to explore the grounds for themselves. Arthur too was excited to learn more about the mysterious outpost firsthand, but he would never let anyone else know that. “[b]Have fun everyone![/b]” a cheery voice called out from a loudspeaker, “[b]We‘ll be returning to the Von Braun to our dinners in just a few short hours.[/b]” “[b]So what brings you to the Von Braun, Mr. Clarke?[/b]” Gael asked. He thought for a moment before responding, “[b]I’m just trying to fulfill a promise I made long ago. You?[/b]” “[b]Trying to escape from a promise, I suppose…[/b]” Along with the gold lace Gael wore between the braids of her hair there was also an enormous green jewel placed squarely on her forehead. Arthur couldn’t help but admire it, and try to turn the topic of conversation to lighter matters, “[b]My. That gem on your forehead is exquisite.[/b]” Gael smiled, “[b]Oh, thank you, Mr. Clarke.[/b]” "[b]You can call me 'Arthur,' you don't have to be so formal.[/b]" "[b]I'll try, but I can't promise anything. I'm a little old-fashioned.[/b]" "[b]Maybe both of us are.[/b]" Arthur looked ahead, noticing a downward slope in their walkway. With half of the space station beneath the lunar surface, it appeared as the entire space was being reclaimed by the Moon, or devoured. It was impossible from the shuttle to tell how large the outpost really was; Arthur was determined to find out firsthand.

[James]

[center][img]http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/9978/vboavatarey3.jpg[/img] [img]http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/2357/kathykf5.jpg[/img] [img]http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/5076/aryaviif9.jpg[/img] [img]http://img164.imageshack.us/img164/9613/sabavixi1.jpg[/img][/center] Zahir and Natalia made their way down a short set of steps into what looked like a large dining hall. It contained dozens and dozens of long tables with simple, plastic and metal chairs neatly surrounding them. The walls were glass, although trees and ferns blocked most of their view. Two figures sat next to each other at the end of the room. A young man and woman, both seated at the end of one of the lengthy tables. It was odd to see them sitting there, dressed so finely, all on their own. Their voices echoed somewhat through the room. As Zahir and Natalia approached, it was clear that they had been spotted. The man stood up and extended his hand to Zahir. 'Oh, it's good to see signs of life,' he remarked cheerfully. 'My name is Viktor. And this lovely lady is Katelyn,' he gestured toward the woman sitting next to him, who smiled and blushed heavily. Zahir shook his hand. 'Zahir. And this is Natalia.' Natalia shook Viktor's hand and nodded to Katelyn. 'Pleased to meet you.' Viktor gestured towards two seats nearby. 'Please, take a seat, both of you. We would love the company.' As the pair sat down, a grin came across Viktor's face. 'I think I know you,' he said, looking at Natalia. 'You're running the on-board Casino, aren't you?' Natalia nodded and glanced at Zahir. She looked somewhat surprised. 'Er, yes...although my face hasn't been published anywhere that I know of. How did you know who I am?' Viktor looked satisfied with himself. 'Well, my company was involved with some aspects of the Von Braun program. So we are aware of some of the senior staff on board the ship, although I have not yet had the chance to share a drink with the Captain.' Natalia chuckled. 'Good luck. He's very reclusive; I'm running our largest casino and I [i]still[/i] haven't been introduced to him.' Everyone smiled at each other and then fell silent. It was too much for Zahir to bear. 'So, is it just me, or does anyone find this situation totally ridiculous?' Everyone around the table looked at each other. 'You mean the fact that we're exploring an abandoned space station? Or the fact that they seem so preoccupied with fixing the communications beacon that they've left the passengers to do as the please?' Everyone around the table laughed. 'All of the above,' replied Zahir with a grin. 'Granted, I have never been into space before, but this doesn't seem like great service to me.' Natalia looked at her watch. 'We have already been here for almost fifty minutes. As interesting as this place is, I must admit that I don't like the idea of staring at the walls of a station for another couple of hours.' 'What do we do about it, though?' asked Katelyn. 'Do you think we can get back to the ship early?' Viktor shook his head. 'No, doubtful. The shuttle has returned to the Von Braun for now. I think it may come back with more engineers, but I can't be sure.' 'They [i]should[/i] be extending the access bridge any time now,' said Natalia sharply. 'If that were the case, though, we'd hear it. When the bridge locks into place, the access lights around the station are supposed to turn from red to green.' 'Impressive - you've been reading up on this,' said Viktor with a wink. Natalia simply nodded. 'And, as you can see, the lights are all still red.' She pointed to a small flashing light at the top of a nearby wall. It sat just beside the entry door at the other end of the room. 'If we're going to be here for another couple of hours,' said Zahir, 'I think we should at least have some fun.' Everybody around the table looked at him - they all wore an air of suspicion. 'Er, well, why don't we [i]really[/i] investigate this place? Nobody's watching us. There are [i]clearly[/i] no security people around... and it might kill just enough time for us to get back to the ship.' 'I just don't know,' muttered Natalia hesitantly. 'I do have my job to think about - what if I was caught snooping on a secret government outpost?' Viktor nodded and gestured towards Zahir. 'You have a point, but Zahir is right; there's nobody around to pull you up. Besides,' he rubbed his chin, 'you never know what we might uncover.' 'And, we might just find some more passengers. Everyone seems to have run off in different directions,' said Katelyn cheerfully. 'I am a little worried that some of them will get lost,' replied Natalia. 'This hasn't been planned properly. I'm actually very surprised - how are the staff going to find the passengers that have gone missing? This station is massive, they could be anywhere.' Katelyn shrugged. 'All we can do is try, I suppose,' she said. 'Considering how incompetent the Von Braun staff have been so far, we might find more answers here than they do.' Zahir stood up. 'I don't think they're even looking. Why not cram us all right back into the shuttle as soon as they realised nobody was here? It doesn't make sense.' Viktor looked around. 'Something strange is definitely happening here. I think there's one place for us to look at first, though.' Natalia raised an eyebrow. 'Oh?' Viktor nodded. 'Yes. The escape pods. Just think about it; where could all these staff have gone? Even during a rotation, skeleton staff are left behind to monitor everything. Either those staff are here somewhere or they've left. And if they've left... that means something unexpected has happened.' 'So where are the escape pods?' asked Katelyn. Everybody automatically looked to Natalia. Although she was as new to the outpost as they were, she seemed far more clued in on procedure. Natalia shrugged. 'I'm not sure. However, it's unlikely that they would be underground for obvious reasons... so that cancels out a good ninety per cent of the station, doesn't it?' Viktor smiled broadly. 'Very true. The next biggest above-ground part of the station is the cargo bay. Did you read about it in the brochure? It's where all of the mining equipment can be found. I'm sure I read something about the escape pods being near there...'

[Horendithas]

[CENTER][IMG]http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/VBO/indiavi.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/8936/avatar21crewxq4.gif[/IMG] [IMG] http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/VBO/malkav.jpg[/IMG] [/CENTER][SIZE="1"] ?[B]I don?t like it.[/B]? Jefferson objected once Samantha had briefly stopped to see if there was anything they could do for the Chief Engineer before continuing to the control room of the Outpost. ?[B]There seems to be a lot of things that you do not like Jeff.[/B]? Samantha teased with a smile. ?[B]Don?t you find it odd that we?ve encountered no one at all?[/B]? She seemed to be oblivious to the complete lack of noise other than those who had come over on the shuttle. In Jeff?s opinion they should be heading back to the Von Braun and letting the security check things out instead of doing so themselves. ?[B]Of course I find it odd, that?s why we are heading to the control room to talk with the director of the Outpost.[/B]? Jeff grabbed her by the shoulder, causing her to stop and look directly at him. ?[B]I?m serious ma?am, even if the station was in the middle of a staff rotation there should have been someone manning the air lock. With the Communications Beacon out of order it would make sense to make sure someone was at the air lock at all times.[/B]? Samantha brushed his hand off, ?[B]I understand your concern, but if something actually has gone wrong, the security will need me to access the stations computer systems. Our esteemed Chief of Security will not have the necessary clearance.[/B]? Jeff held back the sigh as she continued along the corridor following the signs indicating which direction to go to reach the Control Center. The construction itself was fascinating as the tunnel went back and forth between being covered by the rock of the asteroid the Outpost was built into; to a view of the darkness of space above them. The next turn took them to a set of double doors that were currently closed. The Chief Security Officer, Christina Sijan, along with a group of security personnel were attempting to access the Control Center. At the sound of their approach she stopped what she was doing and turned to face the pair. ?[B]I thought they were expecting us.[/B]? She glanced at Samantha, her eyes narrowing. ?[B]No one is responding and the doors are locked.[/B]? ?[B]I see, in that case stand aside please.[/B]? Christina gave her another hard look before she complied and stood to the side. It didn?t take Samantha long to enter what had to be some type of code. When she was done the sounds of the locks disengaging could be heard and the doors opened. Samantha moved to head in and stopped when Christina touched her right shoulder lightly. ?[B]They were having similar issues getting into the Communications Tower to fix the Beacon.[/B]? Christina pointed out. Samantha nodded, ?[B]I know, the doors seem to be malfunctioning as well though. So they had to return to the Von Braun to retrieve the necessary equipment in order to fix them.[/B]? She brushed past her and the rest of the security as well to enter the Control Center. The first thing Jeff noticed was that though the equipment was running, there was no one there at all. No matter what was going on, the Control Center should never be unmanned, not on an Outpost as large as this one. The Chief Security Officer was busy checking out the section that monitored the different aspects of the Outpost while Samantha moved to check where the Director of the project would have worked, accessing their personal logs. There were monitors displaying different areas of the Outpost and Jeff watched as Major Sijan cycled through the different areas that were under surveillance. They did not cover every aspect of the facility, but other than to occasionally bring up views of the passengers from the Von Braun who were wandering around; there was no hint of any of the crew who should have been there. ?[B]Did you find anything?[/B]? Jeff looked over Samantha?s shoulder to glance at the logs. ?[B]Everything is in order and there is nothing to indicate where everyone is.[/B]? She looked briefly to Jeff and then over to Major Sijan who had stopped what she was doing when Samantha spoke. ?[B]What do you recommend?[/B]? Samantha asked her directly. ?[B]If something happened and they needed to leave, then the escape pods would be missing. However, there is no record of any pod being launched.[/B]? ?[B]Until we know what has happened, it would be best to send the passengers back once the crew returns from the Von Braun.[/B]? Major Sijan looked far from amused. ?[B]It would be counterproductive to send people after the passengers at this point.[/B]? Samantha disagreed. ?[B]It would be better to send teams to sweep the Outpost in order to determine if anyone is still here. I'm sure you don't need me to tell you how to do your job though.[/B]? Samantha stood up, ?[B]Jeff and I will head to check where the escape pods are located. If we learn anything we?ll notify you immediately.[/B]? Jeff followed along, keeping his expression as neutral as possible. He thought about questioning how she had asked the Major what she recommended and yet brushed it aside and changed his mind. For someone who excelled at remembering details such passengers names and circumstances, she was either unwilling to accept possible risks or oblivious to them. He found her lack of snobbery refreshing and yet at the same time it made his job harder when she merely brushed aside genuine concerns. He shrugged it off as they followed the corridor and signs towards where the cargo bay was located. It was annoying, but at least it was better that some of his past assignments. The real question now though was just what in the world had happened to the people who were supposed to be stationed here? Samantha seemed unconcerned but all sorts of alarms were going off in Jeff's mind. If they didn't find something and soon, he would have to insist that Samantha head back to the safety of the Von Braun. [/SIZE]

[James]

[center][img]http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/9978/vboavatarey3.jpg[/img] [img]http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/2357/kathykf5.jpg[/img] [img]http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/5076/aryaviif9.jpg[/img] [img]http://img164.imageshack.us/img164/9613/sabavixi1.jpg[/img][/center] 'No power here.' Viktor's voice echoed in the darkness. All four passengers were standing at the end of a long hallway. The only light came from a large room at the opposite end, where they had come from. There was no door between the larger room and the hallway; they had instead come through an open archway. 'Is this the only way to access the cargo port?' asked Katelyn. Zahir could barely see the others; the thin rays of light that fell down the hall barely reached the group. Zahir heard the faint sound of metal rubbing together. And then, suddenly, a bright light flickered before them. 'I carry a small torch with me,' said Natalia with an air of satisfaction. 'After all, when the casino shuts down I need to be able to access everything. You never know when you'll need it.' 'Good thinking,' replied Viktor with a grin. 'Let's look at this door, shall we?' Natalia aimed the torch at the door and examined the wall around it. All security doors in the facility had a small control pad just next to them. The locked doors had a small screen that glowed a faint red. On this door, however, the control panel sat dark and lifeless. 'This doesn't make sense,' said Zahir finally. 'Why is this one section out of power?' Everyone else shrugged. 'Maybe a fuse is broken,' said Katelyn. 'That's possible, isn't it?' Natalia nodded. 'I'm sure it is, considering that the Communications Beacon is also broken.' Viktor opened his jacket and produced a small brochure. As he unfolded it, Zahir realized what it was; the brochure contained a simplified map of the station. All passengers had received a copy upon entry to the ship. Natalia instinctively aimed her torch at the map, as Viktor held it open before them. 'As you can see,' he muttered as his eyes scanned the map, 'this is the only entrance to the cargo port. They've kept it secure; can't have too many access points, I suppose.' Katelyn huffed. 'Well, I guess this is as far as we can go! We might as well start heading back to the shuttle.' 'I guess so,' replied Natalia hesitantly. Nobody moved. Viktor chuckled to himself. 'Seems our feet don't want to take us back. I have a feeling there's more for us to find here.' 'If we can't reach the cargo port, then we can't check the escape pods, can we?' asked Katelyn. Natalia took another look at the door with her torch. 'Wait,' she said quietly. 'Look.' Everybody looked up. Zahir squinted. 'What are you looking at? It's just a wall.' 'No, look...a vent. It's large, too.' Sure enough, about halfway up the wall, they saw a sizable metal plate. Viktor approached it and put his ear against it. 'Very faint, but... I can hear the air. The life support system is still operational in there, even if everything else isn't.' Katelyn gulped audibly. 'Wait! Are you suggesting we climb into a vent?!' Viktor turned to face her. He placed a hand on her shoulder reassuringly. 'My dear, I would never put you in harm's way; if you do not wish to do this, we can return to the shuttle. Please don't feel pressured.' Katelyn looked at the others. They both nodded slightly, as if to reassure her. She could tell, though, that they all wanted to continue forward. And she did not want to ruin their fun, despite her reservations. 'Er, well, okay... I suppose we can keep going. I'm just not so sure that this is a good idea.' Viktor put his hand to his chest. 'I promise you, nothing bad will happen. We will be safe in here...and we still have another hour and a half before we're due to return to the Von Braun. Plenty of time.' 'Now, Zahir, do you want to help me remove this plate?' Viktor walked over to the wall and gripped one edge of the plate in his hands. It was slightly slippery and not easy to hold, but it did not seem to be fastened with screws or anything more permanent. Zahir struggled to get his hands around the other edge. The plate was sitting out from the wall ever so slightly and it seemed as though it simply snapped into place. Just as Zahir and Viktor had begun pulling the plate away from the wall, they heard distant noises. 'Wait, quiet,' said Viktor softly. 'Does anyone else hear that?' Everybody paused and listened intently. They could hear the soft droning of the life support systems and, occasionally, what sounded like footsteps and voices. A female voice stood out among the others. 'Oh no,' cried Katelyn, 'don't tell me the security crew are coming. What if they find us trying to climb into an air vent?!' Natalia laughed to herself quietly. Katelyn spun around and pointed at her. She spoke in a strained, hushed tone, in an attempt to keep as quiet as possible while still sounding authoritative. 'Why are you laughing?! We might get into big trouble!' 'I know,' replied Natalia, much to everyone's surprise. 'I am just thinking about how utterly absurd this is. Here I am, the most senior staff member at Caesar's Palace...breaking into a damn air vent!' Katelyn paused for a moment. Zahir was sure he could see a slight grin spreading across her face. 'At least,' continued Natalia, 'I can say I'm finally having fun on the job.' All four chuckled quietly in the dark. 'Okay, but c'mon, we have to get through this vent before they arrive,' whispered Viktor. 'With the security door locked, it will take them some time to get through. And I [i]doubt[/i] Ms. Wells will be climbing into a vent anytime soon.' Viktor and Zahir finally pulled the vent cover away and set it down by the wall. 'Ladies first,' said Viktor as he gestured toward the vent. Katelyn glanced at Natalia immediately. 'Er, I'm not sure if I should go first.' Natalia sighed. 'Fair enough. I'll go first. It doesn't look too high, we should be able to climb in pretty easily.' And with that, she placed the torch between her teeth and perched her hands inside the air shaft's entrance. She pushed herself up against the wall and disappeared inside the dark tunnel. Then, a moment later, her face appeared at the hole in the wall. 'Well?' Katelyn shivered involuntarily and approached the vent. Viktor knelt on one knee and looked up at here. 'Here, I'll help you.' Katelyn smiled down at him. 'You'll stay close, won't you?' Viktor nodded. 'Of course. I'll be right behind you. Just make sure to follow the light from Natalia's torch.' Viktor held Katelyn's hand and helped her steady herself as she awkwardly climbed up into the vent. The noises from behind them grew ever louder, if only slightly. 'We don't have much time,' said Viktor. 'You go first, Zahir. I'll close the vent behind us.' Zahir dived into the vent behind Katelyn. By the time Viktor pulled the cover up against the wall, he saw several torch lights probing around the other end of the hallway. [i]'Just in time,'[/i] he thought.

[Sabrina]

[CENTER][IMG]http://img164.imageshack.us/img164/9613/sabavixi1.jpg[/IMG] [IMG] http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/2357/kathykf5.jpg[/IMG] [IMG] http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/9978/vboavatarey3.jpg[/IMG] [IMG] http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/5076/aryaviif9.jpg[/IMG] [/CENTER] Viktor found himself resisting the urge to giggle like a small school boy. If only Misha and his father could see him now! Just imagining their stern looks of disapproval was enough to nearly get him started again. Even if it was just a short crawl through an air vent the sheer absurdity of their actions only served to remind him of all the things he had missed as a child. The few times he had gotten to spend time with other children his age, he had always been so envious of all the tales of adventures that they had. They could have been merely bragging but that had not mattered at the time. His own brief and interrupted attempts to explore the grounds of the manor as well as sneak into the massive attic above had seemed so pale in comparison to their tales. “[B]The cargo port isn’t all that secure if one can simply get around it by going through the air vents.[/B]” Katelyn’s voice filtered back to Zahir and Viktor who were following the path Natalia was choosing for them. “[B]That’s why I think it’s a malfunction,[/B]” Natalia stopped and used her torch to highlight a section of the vent. “[B]It looks like there is some sort of grate that can be triggered to isolate part of the station but as you can see, it’s open.[/B]” Natalia waited for the others to look at what she was illuminating with her torch. It looked like the edge of some sort of thin metal plate running along the air vent's side, there was a corresponding groove in the top, bottom and the other side. Once everyone had looked she turned back and picked another branch in the air vent heading towards the right. "[B]How did you know about the grate?[/B]" Zahir asked. "[B]We have something similar in all of the casinos.[/B]" Natalia sounded amused. "[B]Metal mesh grates every so often to keep people from using the air vents to get into things they shouldn't. They can be opened if needed for repairs, but the rest of the time they are always in place.[/B]" "[B]I guess we should be glad this isn't a casino or else it would have been a waste of time to enter the air vent.[/B]" Katelyn observed. "[B]Well I can't imagine a need to really close off where the escape pods are located. I'm betting that those grates are the kind meant to close off the section in case of an actual breach and not to keep people out.[/B]" Natalia said. The group paused briefly as the sounds of whoever had been approaching when they entered the air vent could be heard echoing through the air vent. The voices were a bit too faint for them to make out what was being said but it was still enough that they all instinctively tried to make less noise as they moved. “[B]Can you see an exit yet?[/B]” Viktor called up to Natalia who was picking yet another direction to take as the air vent branched off again. He kept his voice low since he didn’t want his voice to carry back to whoever was back at the doors leading into the cargo bay. "[B]Yes, were almost there[/B]." She called back in a soft voice as well.

[James]

[center][img]http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/9978/vboavatarey3.jpg[/img] [img]http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/2357/kathykf5.jpg[/img] [img]http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/5076/aryaviif9.jpg[/img] [img]http://img164.imageshack.us/img164/9613/sabavixi1.jpg[/img][/center] The air vent was growing ever tighter around them. It seemed to twist and turn; its walls were like skin, breathing and constricting around them. Zahir stopped and touched his forehead. He was breaking into a cold sweat. 'Are you okay? What's the matter?' called a voice from behind. It was Viktor. Zahir felt a hand touch his. It deposited something into his palm. 'Take it,' said Viktor calmly. 'Wipe your face, you'll feel better.' Natalia turned slightly and aimed the torch over her shoulder. The air vent was just big enough for Zahir to sit up against one side, although his head was touching the ceiling. In the stark light, he opened his hand and saw a white handkerchief there. It was embroidered on all sides and featured Viktor's initials. In other circumstances, Zahir may have appreciated these details. Now, however, he just wanted to be free from the metal tunnel. He dabbed his forehead and neck with the handkerchief and took a deep breath. 'Sorry,' he said finally. His breathing was hard and labored. 'A touch of claustrophobia?' asked Natalia. Zahir nodded weakly. 'Never mind,' replied Natalia. 'I think we are close. Can you hear that sound?' Zahir closed his eyes and tried to imagine himself somewhere else - an endless field, or perhaps even back in his apartment at home. It didn't work, but as his breathing regulated he noticed the presence of a deep metallic humming sound. It faintly echoed down the vent at them. 'What is that?' 'I believe that is an air purifier,' said Natalia. 'They station them every few dozen meters. Usually they are accompanied by a large manhole that leads into the ventilation system, just in case repairs are needed. I think there is one just ahead, which means we aren't far from the cargo dock.' Zahir put the handkerchief in his pocket; it was drenched. He assumed that Viktor would probably not want it back. As they progressed further into the tunnel, Zahir tried to forget where he was. He wondered what Khalid would be doing right at that moment. Thinking about what time it would be in Washington Prime helped to distract him sufficiently; he felt his face cool slightly. The air felt cleaner and cooler. At that moment, Khalid would likely be standing on their balcony. He had a habit of standing there alone each night just after dinner. He would stand against the railing and slowly puff on one of his cigarettes. During this moment of solitude, he insisted that he should not be disturbed. Zahir often wondered what Khalid thought about during those moments to himself. He smoked all the time, but that one cigarette was special; it was when his mind seemed to reboot itself. Providing that he had not been disturbed, he would return with a very different attitude; usually he seemed happy and relieved. 'We're here,' said Katelyn. 'At least, we've come across a dead end... I think there's another grate here.' Zahir squinted ahead; he could see Natalia squeezing up beside Katelyn as the pair attempted to push the grate away from the wall. After several attempts (and a loud, metallic clang), faint light poured into the shaft. Katelyn and Natalia emerged from the end of the tunnel, followed by Zahir and Viktor. 'Thank god,' sighed Zahir, 'I couldn't stand being in there any longer.' 'I'm not sure if this place is any better,' replied Katelyn. 'Look.' Zahir looked up and noticed that they were standing in an enormous room. Their voices echoed slightly when they spoke. From where they were standing, they could see large metal crates stacked into columns. The number of columns seemed almost endless; it was like standing before a city of metal cubes. The far end of the room seemed to be divided from the main area by a floor-to-ceiling glass wall. Behind it, Zahir noticed an unnatural green glow. 'What's over there?' He looked to Natalia, who shrugged. 'I don't know. I'm sure the escape pods must be around here somewhere.' 'Not if they're gone,' said Viktor as he scanned the room carefully. 'Even if they are gone,' replied Natalia, 'we would still see the docking stations that they enter and exit from.' 'Do you know what they look like?' asked Katelyn. Natalia tapped her torch, which was starting to flicker. 'I'm not certain,' she said calmly. 'However, the brochures all said that the escape pods leave from docking stations at the perimeter of the outpost. So I would imagine that there would have to be doors of some kind along one of the walls that leads to those stations.' Viktor nodded. 'I suppose they'd be like big roller doors, no?' Everybody seemed to agree, as they began walking between the metal columns. Natalia flashed her torch around from side to side, trying to catch a glimpse of anything unusual. They walked for several minutes in silence. It seemed that everyone was holding their breath, waiting for some kind of revelation. After walking past what seemed like countless rows of metal crates, the room seemed to abruptly clear again. 'We've reached the end,' said Katelyn, pointing to the opposite wall. 'I'm not sure if it was really worth coming here; it's just a storage center.' Viktor rested up against a crate and looked around. 'I think you're right. I doubt we'll find much here. And I'm starting to worry a little that we will miss the shuttle.' He looked down at his watch, which glowed eerily in the dark. 'We still have another hour. It hasn't taken as long as I thought.' 'Still, it might be worth turning back,' said Zahir. 'If we miss that shuttle, we have no way out of here.' Everybody nodded, except Natalia. Instead, she swung her torch around and aimed it at a wall nearby. 'What about this?' The giant glass wall that they had seen previously was now very close. Natalia's torchlight bounced off the glass and seemed to light up the room. Katelyn's eyes widened. 'Oh. Look at all those computers. They're still switched on.' Natalia began walking towards them. Viktor rose his hand in protest. 'Er, do you really think we should be touching those? We could get in big trouble...' The flashlight covered Viktor like a spotlight. 'We have come this far, Viktor,' said Natalia with a grin. 'Besides, what are they really going to do? We'll be careful. We will just look.' Viktor laughed. 'I don't know you very well, Natalia,' he said with a smile, 'but somehow I never pictured you encouraging us to browse classified files.' They heard a laugh ahead of them, where Natalia had already entered the glass room. Once the others stepped inside, they noticed several walls lined with computer screens. Keyboards were strewn everywhere. Ashtrays and drink cans also sat strewn across the desks. Zahir approached the nearest desk, where he saw a still-lit ember burning in the bottom of the ashtray. He looked at it closely. 'Still burning,' he muttered. When he turned around, he saw that Viktor and Natalia were standing next to each other, tapping on keyboards. Katelyn, meanwhile, was standing near the room's entrance. She looked somewhat worried, as though they might be caught at any moment. Zahir butted out the ember and wiped his hands on his jeans. [i]I hate cigarettes,[/i] he thought. Natalia suddenly gasped and gestured for the others to join her at her terminal. 'Guys, have a look at this.' Zahir, Viktor and Katelyn crowded around the screen. 'What are we looking at?' asked Katelyn. Natalia hovered her cursor over a file. 'This file looks like a transmission log of sorts. We use these all the time at Caesar's Palace - in our case, they are used to record machine pay-outs. But if you look at the filename, you can see that this log relates to the escape pods.' Natalia double-clicked the file, which unfurled before them. It contained rows and rows of dates and codes. 'These all look the same,' said Viktor. 'The codes, I mean.' Natalia nodded. 'Yes, I'd say that's because they routinely test the escape pods. They need to make sure that they're going to work in case of an emergency.' 'Oh, yes, there it is,' said Zahir, pointing at the screen. 'They just ping the pods from this terminal and make sure they respond.' 'Look at today's date,' whispered Natalia. 'Of five pods, they received responses from only two.' 'That can't be right,' said Katelyn. 'So that means three are not working?' Viktor shook his head. 'I'd say it means three have left the asteroid all together.' Natalia rubbed her forehead. 'Why would they leave like that? As far as I know, the staff rotation occurs by shuttle. At home, I regularly heard about people leaving and returning from shuttle rotations.' 'So, something went wrong,' said Zahir matter-of-factly. The others turned and looked at him. Viktor raised an eyebrow. 'Went wrong? Like what?' Zahir shrugged. 'Who knows. But let's face it, this entire place is abandoned - it's no rotation. Something happened to cause them to leave.' 'Oh!' Everybody turned back to the monitor, as Natalia almost jumped out of her seat. 'Look at this, it was sitting right out in the open.' Viktor squinted. 'Huh? They've got a whole folder on something called The Helix Program? What is that?' 'Don't you know what the Helix is?' asked Katelyn. 'It was all over the news back home.' Viktor smiled awkwardly. 'I'm a very busy man, I don't get to watch much news...' 'Helix is the name of the system that powers the Von Braun,' replied Katelyn. 'Actually,' Zahir interrupted, 'I think there's a lot more to it than that.' Katelyn opened her mouth to speak, but held back momentarily. Her expression seemed curious, if not slightly incredulous. Zahir felt a little flustered, as the eyes weighed on him. He suddenly felt silly for what he was about to say. 'Er, well,' he scratched the back of his neck. 'Did you ever read about The Helix Program? There's a lot more to it than the Von Braun's engine. Apparently it all started just after the Great Disaster, and--' His words were interrupted by the sound of many footsteps. They could hear voices drawing in on them. 'Don't worry about the passengers, I'm sure they'll be fine. We will get them back to the ship safely, Major. I am more concerned about what happened here. If any escape pods are missing, we must account for their whereabouts. Don't forget, I have people to report to back home.' The voice was unmistakable; pleasant, but firm. It was Samantha Wells. 'Oh my god!' Katelyn covered her mouth, trying not to attract attention. 'It's Ms. Wells! What if she sees us here?' Natalia waved a hand dismissively. 'Don't worry, I'm sure she'll understand that we're just bored passengers. We don't know what we're doing, right? She'll probably just ask us to return to the shuttle dock.' 'I think she's right,' said Viktor reassuringly. 'Samantha Wells is a fine woman, from what I know of her. I think she'll be reasonable, I am just not so sure about Major Sijan; I get the impression she can be quite tough.' 'So what do we do? Should we give ourselves up?' Zahir looked around. 'Er, well, maybe not just yet. I'm sure we can find somewhere to hide. They haven't yet put the power back on here and I think she's probably only walking around with a few officers. They probably won't even notice us.' The others nodded. 'Okay,' said Katelyn. 'Let's try to find a safe spot near here.'

[Darren]

[CENTER][IMG]http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b16/Blayze54/avatar7_guest.gif[/IMG] [IMG]http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/8279/jamiekingse9.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/VBO/avatar16_guest.gif[/IMG] [IMG]http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/VBO/avatar6_guest.gif[/IMG][/CENTER]

[SIZE="1"]The voyage to the deep space outpost had been slightly upsetting to Jamie. Of course, Alex took it in stride, but every little bump and shutter had the photographer worried of a malfunction. It was strange because Jamie had never been scared of flying. Sure, it was a big difference flying in space and flying on a plane, but he hadn't recalled being that stressed out and nervous since his internship began back when he was in college.

And actually being able to see the endless black of space was not helping. Alex just pat him on the shoulder before exiting the shuttle. And, just as he expected, the reporter went to work. He had produced a small notebook for shorthand recordings and had managed at least three interviews before Jamie had even managed to hobble out of the shuttle. No wonder the Von Braun chose to animate false images. He was sure there had never been a medical diagnosis for space sickness, but there's a first time for everything.

Jamie and Alex had explored most of the basic rooms to the deep space outpost, not wanting to venture too far away from the staff. At first, it seemed like everything was normal, but then as some of the security officers began running around the station nervously, Alex picked up on the urgency of the matter with his keen sense. From that point on, he wanted to interview staff members only to see if they could give any insight. (To which they answered: "No Comment") After almost an hour of taking photos of the communications beacon, like his partner had insisted, Jamie wandered off. He knew that if Alex really needed his help, he would come and find him. Jamie knew that this outpost provided much more opportunity than a communications beacon. And even if his photography of the station didn't make the Herald, The serene beauty of such a structure carved into a stationary asteroid, would be enough to boost his personal portfolio to instant fame. He could easily sell the photos for thousands of dollars.

Immediately, within his first minutes of searching, Jamie came across Miss L'Marcelle and a man whom she seemed to know. They were exploring the outpost just as the rest of the guests were, but Jamie thought he saw something in the way they moved. It seemed like they were sneaking. And of course, being the curious photojournalist that he was, Jamie followed without being noticed. He felt somewhat like a stalker of the lounge singer, but at this point, following her was second to Jamie's inquisitive nature.

They turned down a long hallway and Jamie lost sight of them for a brief second. But suddenly, they reappeared, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. It seemed that some of the staff members were around the corner and the two were almost caught. Jamie decided that this was the best opportunity to introduce himself.

[B]"Hello, Miss, I see we meet again"[/B] he said in a low whisper after approaching the pair. Then turning to her friend, [B]"Good morning. My name's Jamie King. I'm a photographer for the Washington Prime Herald."[/B]

[B]"Devin Letrad, nice to meet you."[/B] The man said, giving Jamie a firm handshake.

[B]"Alex Azure. Washington Prime Herald."[/B] The other reporter emerged out of seemingly nowhere, frightening all of the group.

[B]"Where in the hell did you come from?"[/B] Jamie asked, trying to be as quite as possible, given his state of shock.

[B]"I followed you,"[/B] allowing a brief smirk before continuing, [B]"don't forget, I can smell a story from a mile away. So Mr. Letrad, would you mind telling me what's around that corner?"[/B]

[B]"It seems to be the control room and several of the staff are trying to get into it. We're just trying to get a glimpse of the room to possibly get some hint of what's going on around here."[/B]

Jamie figured that the deep space outpost's members all had access to the control room, which is why the control room was out in the open. After all, there wasn't a ship full of civilians. Just then they heard a loud crack followed by a sliding door.

[B]"They've unlocked the door."[/B] Ilona said, peering around the corner.

Jamie pulled out his camera bag, and immediately began sifting through the man lenses he carried until he found the perfect one. It was lens that Alex had bought him for Christmas last year and was commonly used for spying. it was equipped with the ability to pivot 90 degrees in any direction. The photographer attached the lens and then twisted it in order to look around the corner. He then turned on the view finder and peered inside the room.

[B]"That's Samantha Wells and her bodyguard."[/B] Ilona pointed out, after Jamie showed her the view on screen. [B]"And that's Christina Sijan, head of security."[/B]

Ms. Sijan was browsing through a list of security checks and Jamie soon realized that the images displayed on screen were live feeds from the deep space outpost. The images were going by very quickly and he figured that Ms. Sijan was simply making sure the security cameras worked. But Jamie noticed a group of people on one of the views. The head of security seemed too occupied with all the system operations to notice, but there was a group of four people, pulling off the cover for an air vent. The gasps from the group meant they had seen it as well, and Alex immediately turned around, convinced he had found his story.

It took the group several minutes to find the exact hallway the others were in, but Miss L'Marcelle kept them all entertained with her many stories. When they did find the vent, Alex took no time in deciding to climb into the ventilation hole.

[B]"What are you doing?"[/B] Jamie asked.

[B]"You didn't think we would come all this way just to turn around."[/B] Alex replied, peering back out from the dark hole. [B]"I can feel it. Our story is in here somewhere."[/B]

[B]"I have to admit, the thought of an adventure does sound intriguing."[/B] Devin spoke aloud, almost to himself.

[B]"Well then it's settled."[/B] Alex said and disappeared into the darkness once again.

[B]"But wait,"[/B] Ilona said, [B]"What are we going to do about light?"[/B]

[B]"Jamie, give me your camera."[/B] he said, snatching the device from his hands.

Alex put the cap back over the lens and held down the capture button. A series of quick, but brief flashes emerged. Whenever the camera was in complete darkness with nothing to focus on, it emitted such flashed in an attempt to find the object it was supposed to focus on. However, with the lens cap in place, no such object would be found, thus lighting their way.

Devin Letrad was the next member to climb into the vent, leaving Ilona and Jamie standing in the dark hallway. She looked tired and barely ready for an adventure. But Jamie knew that he had to go. There was no way he would trust Alex with such expensive equipment.

[B]"Miss L'Marcelle, you don't have to go if you don't want to."[/B] he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. [B]"Perhaps you could put the cover back after I've entered?"[/B] he suggested, but couldn't wait for a response because they heard a group of fast-approaching voices.

[B]"That's Wells and Sijan. No turning back now."[/B] she said and lifted herself into the dark hole all on her own. Jamie was going to help, but she seemed to be able to take care of herself just fine.

The group had been crawling for what seemed like forever when they found the opening. Jamie couldn't help but wonder who the other four passengers were. Just as the last of their group had set foot into the cargo bay, the door gave a loud snap like in the control room, and then it slid open.

[B]"Great, so we could have just waited and avoided this whole crawling around mess."[/B] Jamie said to himself.

The group ducked behind a stack of the metal crates and Jamie, taking his camera back, began snapping away quick photos at the staff members, careful to make sure his flash was off.

[CENTER]~~~~~~~~~~[/CENTER]

[B]OOC: Sorry it was so long. See the underground thread if this post was a little confusing. I was just trying to make up for my lack of posting since the deep space outpost landmark.[/B][/SIZE]

[Arichan16]

[align=center][IMG]http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f385/Arichan16/arthur.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f385/Arichan16/gaelavatar.jpg[/IMG][/align]

[color=purple]“It’s quiet.”[/color]

Gael’s voice was light and content sounding. Not at all the worried tone of voice people normally had when a place like this seemed abandoned. Her smile didn’t falter, either. She brushed a bit of hair out of her face and behind her ear as her violet eyes scanned over the area.

[color=purple]“Fitting, isn’t it? Space is supposed to be quiet. Serene.”[/color]

She took a few steps forward, on the downwards slope that they were facing. The view to her was nice. Just as fitting as the silence, in her opinion. The moon was barren. It had a cold feel to it. With no life, it was also quiet.

[color=purple]“Do you think that this place is mostly automated? It would surely explain the lack of people.”[/color]

She glanced back at him over her shoulder.

[color=purple]“What do you think?”[/color]

It was then that Arthur noticed a broken pair of glasses lying on the ground. He slowly knelt down and picked it up.

[b]"Why would they have us visit an abandoned station?"[/b]

[color=purple]"Maybe we should try and find the others," [/color]Gael replied cautiously, [color=purple]"Something seems off about this place."[/color]

[b]"I'm glad we're in agreement. I've felt that way ever since I set foot on the Von Braun."[/b]

[color=purple]"Oh? I thought the Von Braun was rather nice. Though, of course, I didn't get to see much of it." [/color]

Gael shrugged. This place made her feel slightly uneasy. Even the people that they had boarded with seemed to be gone now. How could they have gone missing so quickly? That wasn't right.

[color=purple]"This is unsettling." [/color]She murmered, her voice quiet as if she was speaking more to herself. [color=purple]"I feel as though maybe I should have brought my swords..."[/color]

[b]"Swords?"[/b] Arthur asked, picking up on what she had said despite her lowered voice.

[color=purple]"Oh? Oh, they're nothing." [/color]She said quickly, giving a light laugh.[color=purple]"Just a couple of dancing swords. I had such a hard time getting security to let me bring them on board!"[/color]

[b]"I would think so... Don't they count as weapons?"[/b]

[color=purple]"Oh no, not at all. Dancing swords are blunt so the dancer isn't injured if they drop them. They aren't much use as weapons, I just feel better when I have them close by."[/color]

There was an uncomfortable silence. The two continued to survey the empty space surrounding them, although Arthur was clearly fixated on the conversation. It seemed strange to him that anyone would be allowed to carry blades on board the craft, even dull ones. This, and the mysterious disappearances on board were leading him to believe that security was not as tight as he was once led to believe.

[color=purple]"Have you noticed that the people who boarded with us seem to be... gone?"[/color]

It was just then that the lights within the outpost began to flicker.

[b]"Perhaps we should get back to the boarding craft."[/b]

Gael turned rather quickly so that she was facing back towards him. She was smiling again, though she was clearly still uneasy.

[color=purple]"That sounds like a grand idea." [/color]She took one last look over the very vacant area. [color=purple]"Before we vanish as well."[/color]

[Aaryanna]

[CENTER][IMG]http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/5076/aryaviif9.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img164.imageshack.us/img164/9613/sabavixi1.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/9978/vboavatarey3.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/2357/kathykf5.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] ?[B]I don?t think this is going to work.[/B]? Katelyn whispered in a worried voice as she turned from her position of peeking around the door to look at the others. ?[B]If we head out now, they?ll see us leaving.[/B]? ?[B]What about that way?[/B]? Zahir pointed to another door back against the farthest wall between one of the rows of computers. ?[B]Let?s hope it?s not locked.[/B]? Viktor was already heading towards it, moving as quickly and quietly as possible. Not wanting to give up just yet the others followed along. Natalia was the first to make it there as Viktor opened the door with a grin. He held it open for the others and then swiftly followed, pulling it shut behind them. He was careful to keep it from shutting too hard and making unnecessary noise. Natalia already had her torch lit and was sweeping the room with it. They appeared to be in some type of break room with several sets of tables and chairs in the middle and a row of what looked like refrigeration units for holding food for the workers along the far wall. ?[B]I guess some of them prefer to pack a lunch instead of walking over to the dining area we saw earlier.[/B]? Natalia remarked at the sight of half eaten lunches still sitting on some of the tables. ?[B]What could have happened that would have resulted in them leaving so suddenly?[/B]? Katelyn didn?t like it. The longer they were there, the more wrong it felt. It also felt wrong to be hiding from the crew of the Von Braun and yet a part of her wanted to know where the people from the station were. Katelyn hadn?t realized she was shivering a little until Viktor grasped her shoulder reassuringly. ?[B]Don?t worry, if anything was really wrong, the crew of the Von Braun would have never let us come over to the station.[/B]? Viktor said. Katelyn nodded and then froze at the sounds of what had to be the others in the computer room they had just left, if they looked into this room too? There was no telling what kind of trouble they would be in. She really wanted to know what happened but at the same time she didn't want to get into trouble either. ?[B]There are more doors over here.[/B]? Zahir was checking out one of three with the help of Natalia who was using her torch to see what was in them. The first two were restrooms but the third appeared to be another small storage area with more of the metal boxes that they had seen in the other large room stacked along the walls. It wasn't completely full, the center area and further back along the far wall was clear of any boxes. Natalia was already walking in and shining her torch back where they couldn't see because of the boxes. She shook her head indicating that there was nothing there. ?[B]We can wait in here for a little bit until Ms. Wells and the Major are done.[/B]? Natalia suggested. The others looked at each other and then at the sound of more noise from the other room they quickly moved into the storage room to join her, closing the door behind them.