RPG The Von Braun Odyssey

[Aaryanna_Mom]

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Natalia was startled when Jeff actually laughed a bit once Arthur was gone. He grimaced in pain before choking and then getting it under control. She was wondering what could possibly be funny when he looked to her and spoke.

?[B]Sorry, it?s just that when Samantha ordered us into the shuttle, she locked the door and overrode my security clearance.[/B]?

?[B]I don?t understand.[/B]?

Jeff smiled faintly, ?[B]everything on the Von Braun is connected to the main computer system that runs it. The easiest way to do that would be to just revoke my clearance completely.[/B]?

Natalia just stared at him. She knew how things worked for the Casino but not for something like the Von Braun. ?[B]So you?re saying your pass won?t work?[/B]?

?[B]I don?t know. But it is possible.[/B]? He closed his eyes, all traces of humor gone. ?[B]Other than a few areas of the ship, I have access to everything. It takes more time to simply limit just one area.[/B]?

He sighed as he tried to get comfortable again and then gave up. Jeff looked down at his blood soaked tunic and then back to her. ?[B]If she didn?t, pass or not I?ll be able to enter my code manually, but if she did and he understands security procedures, he might come back.[/B]?

Natalia shuddered, ?[B]Why? I don?t understand.[/B]?

?[B]Because he doesn?t know that Samantha took my keys.[/B]? Jeff said simply.

Natalia?s mouth opened to form an O. ?[B]Ah I see.[/B]? She shuddered, ?[B]what a mess. If it works, he?s likely to cause problems, if it doesn?t?[/B]?

?[B]Exactly.[/B]? Jeff said grimly. ?[B]I?m sure I don?t need to tell you what he really is.[/B]?

?[B]No, you don?t.[/B]?

?[B]You know, any other time and I?d be laughing over the irony of this situation[/B],? He grinned again faintly. ?[B]Here we are, locked up by the person I?m supposed to be protecting, and robbed by another who I should be arresting if possible[/B].?

Natalia watched as he leaned back, resting his head against the canister before closing his eyes. [I]He?s so pale, at this rate?[/I] She shoved the thought aside and then froze when she realized he was missing the headset he always wore.

?[B]Where?s your headset?[/B]?

?[B]It fell off when Samantha shot me.[/B]? He opened his eyes. ?[B]I don?t know where it is, but I wasn?t picking anything up anyway.[/B]?

?[B]So? If there are other survivors, they?ll probably try to raise people as soon as possible.[/B]? Natalia crouched down to look under the canister. It was hard to see in the dim lighting but there did seem to be a small shadow further back.

?[B]I think I see it,[/B]? She said as she tried to maneuver so she could reach for it. Infuriatingly, it was just out of reach. Without thinking she cursed colorfully as she pulled back and then took her shoe off so she could try to catch it with her foot.

It took her a moment to shift around so she could try to reach it with her foot, and then with a grin of triumph she grabbed it with her toes and pulled it out. Natalia ignored Jeff?s amused look as she put her shoe back on after handing it to him.

?[B]There?s still no response.[/B]?

?[B]Show me how it works,[/B]? Natalia ordered. ?[B]You shouldn?t be moving.[/B]? She paid attention as he explained it to her and then fell silent at the sound of footsteps coming down the hall. She couldn?t stop the cold shiver than ran through her. What it if was one of them returning? [I]Hell. [/I]

[Horendithas]

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It was too soon to tell just who was coming down the hallway, but it did sound like only one person, which meant the chances that it was either Samantha or Arthur was high. If it was and they saw his headset� he turned to Natalia to warn her to hide them but she was already putting them on the floor and shoving them back out of sight. When she looked back he nodded in approval. Unless someone was looking or had a portable light, they wouldn�t see them back there.


�[B]What should we do?[/B]� Natalia asked, clearly worried.


�[B]If its Arthur or Samantha - let me do the talking.[/B]�


�[B]Jeff,[/B]� she started to object.


�[B]Natalia, I don�t have time to explain. Please, it�s important. You need to say as little as possible. You don�t want to draw unnecessary attention to yourself.[/B]� He waited for her to finally nod before turning his attention back to the partially open doors.


If it was Samantha, the only reason he could think of that would bring her back would be if she needed one of them. There could be only one basis for that and it was one he�d rather not consider. He was certain that she meant to kill them earlier by locking them in the shuttle. So for her to not kill them now indicated that she was keeping them around on the slight chance that using them as leverage would be necessary.


Arthur on the other hand had seemed to want nothing to do with them. But if he was correct in assuming that he was a member of Terra Prime, then why he would leave them unharmed when they knew about it was puzzling him. Arthur had said it himself, that Samantha was right. The only way he would have known what Samantha had said was if he had been nearby when she forced them into the shuttle.


With whatever was affecting him, Jeff was certain it would take very little to set him off. He knew all about Terra Prime, he had been fully briefed and prepared before the Von Braun had left Earth. NARSIA had been quite clear in their instructions that he was to protect Samantha from any members of that group should they manage to get onboard. It was a pity they hadn�t warned him about protecting himself from her.


A moment later and he had his answer, it was Arthur. He looked even more haggard than he had before as he approached the pair and dropped Jeff's security pass on the floor in front of them. He looked unsteady as if he was about to fall over. Thankfully Natalia was keeping quiet like he had asked.


�[B]Your security pass doesn�t work.[/B]� Arthur said simply, he still held his weapon in his hand and for the moment it wasn�t pointed towards them, giving Jeff hope that he had no ill intent towards them as of yet. Arthur's grip on the hilt tightened and his eyes narrowed as he looked at the two of them, it was clear that he expected an answer. Jeff obliged him.


�[B]Right before the ship crashed, Samantha forced Natalia and I into one of the shuttles and locked the door.[/B]� Jeff didn�t hesitate; he got the impression that anything less than the truth would be a disaster. �[B]When I tried to leave, the system rejected my security code.[/B]�


�[B]I�m sure you know that everything is tied into the main system. If my pass is not working, then she must have revoked my clearance.[/B]�


Arthur seemed to think about it for a moment before he nodded slightly. �[B]Give me your keys then.[/B]�


�[B]I don�t have them.[/B]� Jeff explained. �[B]Samantha took them after she locked us up here.[/B]�


For a moment it looked like he wasn�t going to believe them and then he whirled around and stalked off towards the other side of the mysterious deck.


�[B]Arthur! Please, don�t leave us here.[/B]� Natalia called out suddenly. Jeff motioned for her to be quiet but she ignored him and continued when Arthur halted, he didn�t turn around.


�[B]Whatever happened in the past doesn�t matter. Please release us, I won�t tell anyone that I saw you here if that�s what you wish. All I want to do is get Jeff the medical attention that he needs. If he isn�t treated soon, he�ll bleed to death.[/B]�


For a long moment Arthur just stood there, his back to the pair. �[B]It�s not my problem.[/B]� Arthur finally said before he walked off into the semi-darkness of the deck.


A moment later and other than the occasional hint of movement on the other side, they couldn�t see what he was up to.


�[B]I�m sorry Jeff,[/B]� Natalia said quietly. �[B]I should have listened to you.[/B]� She smiled apologetically and changed the subject. �[B]Do you know what he�s up to?[/B]�


�[B]No, I didn�t get a chance to see if there was anything else here.[/B]�


Time seemed to drag out slowly as they talked in hushed tones. Every once in a while they could hear movement and see a bit of light and shadows. Neither one knew what Arthur was up to though; he was too far away for them to see clearly. Then a short while later, both of them looked up at the sound of someone running and then flinched and turned away when a brilliant flash assaulted their eyes at the same time a loud boom assaulted their ears.


A deep vibration ran through the deck and both looked to the odd source of light that seemed to be coming from the other side of the deck when the shaking had stopped. A dark shadow entered the light and then was gone. It took Jeff a moment to realize that Arthur had used something to blow a hole in the side of the ship, the shadow they had seen was probably Arthur leaving.



If there had been any doubt before as to what he was, there was none now. No civilian would know how to create a makeshift bomb like that. At least he was gone, for now. It still didn�t help them any. Especially if no one else had survived the crash.[/SIZE]</font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table>

[Aaryanna]

[CENTER][IMG]http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/5076/aryaviif9.jpg[/IMG] [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://img508.imageshack.us/img508/2357/kathykf5.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] ?[B]I hope they find the others,[/B]? Katelyn said quietly. After a brief discussion, they had decided to split up and look for the others independently. Jamie and Zahir were going to look for Arthur and Alex while Viktor and her were going to see if they could get to where Natalia and Jeff were. There had been some concern that they wouldn?t even be able to get in, but Viktor was of the opinion that since the system indicated Arthur had entered and left, it was probably not working correctly. Something that Katelyn agreed with. Now that she and Viktor were getting closer to the entrance to the sealed deck, it was eerily quiet and empty of passengers and personnel from the ship. Still it was at least better than seeing the remains of those who had perished in the crash. ?[B]I'm sure they'll find them.[/B]? Viktor assured her. Katelyn just nodded and fell silent as they made their way down the stairs since the lifts weren?t working. Though if they had been, she wouldn?t have used one. It would be supremely ironic to survive the crash only to get stuck or killed trying to use the lifts. They were halfway down the stairs when a loud boom sounded and seconds later Katelyn felt the deck vibrate under her feet. Without thinking she took off at a run, ignoring Viktor?s shout for her to stop. A feeling of dread raced through her, making her feel cold all over. ?[B]Katelyn! Stop![/B]? She heard him calling out behind her, she really did, but she couldn?t stop. All she could see was the passengers being tossed about before they died. Her nightmares where she could hear her parents voices as she searched for them in vain. Terrible fear seized her and she found herself running even faster. The door leading into the corridor at the bottom of the stairs was partially open and she wrenched it open. She was thwarted briefly when part of her uniform snagged on the metal, but a swift jerk to pull it free and she was off before Viktor could catch and stop her. There was a set of open doors at the end of the hallway and she had barely taken a step through when someone called her name. It took her a moment to realize that she was looking at Natalia and Jeff. But why in the world were they being restrained and? She shook her head and ran over. A million questions ran through her mind making it hard to think straight. ?[B]You?re hurt! What happened? Who did this?[/B]? She sank to her knees next to Jeff and Natalia. ?[B]It?s a long story,[/B]? Jeff said. ?[B]I can explain that later. What I need you to do is to go and fetch someone from security so they can remove the cuffs.[/B]? ?[B]We haven?t seen anyone from security since the crash,[/B]? Viktor said as joined the trio, crouched down next to Katelyn and started pulling out the small emergency kit that he had with him. ?[B]We should treat that wound of yours before we do anything.[/B]? Katelyn sat back on her heels and breathed a small sigh of relief as Viktor started dealing with Jeff?s shoulder, and then froze as Jeff explained who had locked them up. [I]What? Samantha did this? But, she was so nice![/I] She shivered when he also explained that it was Samantha who had injured him. Katelyn looked at Natalia in disbelief but Natalia just smiled sadly and nodded at her unspoken question. It was true all of it. [I]Why?[/I] Before she could regain her composure to ask a question, she froze at what Natalia said next. ?[B]Arthur blew a hole in the side of the ship; he wasn?t carrying anything with him. Perhaps there?s something here we could use to remove the cuffs?[/B]? ?[B]What?[/B]? She twisted in place to look at the light coming in from the hole in the side of the ship. She had paid it no heed since she had assumed the crash had caused the damage. With a start she realized that she hadn?t really paid attention to anything, not even the massive canisters. [I]This is what they were so secretive about?[/I] Her eyes were drawn to the letters in red painted down the side and she tuned out what the others were saying without meaning too. She came back to herself with a start when she realized that Viktor was explaining what to do next, she nodded dumbly and took over treating Jeff as he got up and walked off to the other side of the deck. Katelyn vaguely recalled Jeff telling him what to look for, but she had been trying to think of what the letters could stand for. ?[B]Are you okay Katelyn?[/B]? Natalia asked her. ?[B]Yeah,[/B]? She shook her head. ?[B]Sorry about that.[/B]? ?[B]Did any of the others make it?[/B]? Katelyn filled them in, explaining everything quickly. ?[B]So why did Arthur blow a hole in the side of the ship and leave you here?[/B]? She started stuffing the kit back into the little backpack it had been in, cleaning up. Jeff gave her an odd look before responding. ?[B]I?ll explain once Viktor returns[/B].?

[James]

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'Where the fuck could he possibly be?! It doesn't make sense!'

Jamie King's typing was now the only sound within the expansive central lobby.

Zahir stood on the other side of the reception desk. His head moved back and forth, peering down the endless hallways that branched out like never-ending spokes from the lobby. Most of the hallways were barely lit; the odd flicker of light materialized here and there, but it was always fleeting.

Being in that lobby full of lifeless bodies and darkened hallways made Zahir's skin crawl. Being without anyone he knew well - including Arthur - made him feel even more uneasy. Zahir scolded himself internally for this; why couldn't he just stand on his own two feet for once?

He tried to forget those thoughts and turned his attention back to Jamie, who's face glowed in the darkness, as his eyes darted across the screen.

'No luck yet?' Zahir leaned over the desk and glanced at the upside-down screen.

Jamie shook his head. 'No, I'm afraid not. This locator tool doesn't make any sense. I left Alex in the bar, which is not far from here. Yet the reading on this terminal [i]clearly[/i] shows him as being several sectors from here. And what's even weirder...'

Jamie paused, as though it was too unbelievable to mention. He looked over his glasses at Zahir.

'This says he's [i]outside[/i] the ship.'

For a moment they simply stared at each other. How was it possible? At first, Zahir thought that Alex had possibly been thrown from the ship upon impact. It was the only explanation that made sense.

'If he's outside the ship,' said Zahir slowly, 'maybe it isn't worth looking, I mean...'

Jamie straightened up and coughed. 'I know. I know what you mean - believe me, I've thought of that too. He could be dead...he...he probably [i]is[/i] dead...'

Zahir walked around the desk and put a hand on Jamie's shoulder. His body stiffened.

'Look...we just don't know. How can we possibly say what happened? A few of us are still alive...there's still hope...'

Jamie removed his glasses and wiped his eyes before putting them back on. He looked at the computer screen again.

'It's not so much the idea that he might have died,' replied Jamie, 'but...how could he have gone so far in such a short amount of time? I mean, look...the locator is pointing to this room on the map. It's not his room. It's nowhere near his room. It is near the outer rim of the ship. And even more than that, it's on the side of the ship that took the impact. Doesn't that seem strange to you?'

'[i]Nothing[/i] seems strange to me anymore,' Zahir shrugged. 'After what we saw on that outpost, I don't know what's true now...'

There was something odd about the image on the computer screen, apart from what Jamie had noticed about Alex's location.

'Wait,' whispered Zahir, 'look at that.'

He traced his finger from their current location to Alex's position. His finger ran directly passed a room that was labeled "SW".

'What's that?'

Jamie shook his head. 'I don't know. Storage... something?'

'It's the only room with a label on the computer. I mean, other than the engineering sections. Why would the staff have a label like that on a private room?' Zahir looked up at Jamie, who seemed to be coming to the same realization.

'Samantha Wells,' they both whispered.



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The air became cooler as they moved down the north hall. Zahir and Jamie had been walking for fifteen minutes or so, but it was hard to have any true impression of time. They would walk through large sections of hallway that was almost completely dark; Jamie activated the flash on his camera to light the way, although he tried to use it sparingly. Now and then they would come across a light fixture dangling helplessly from the ceiling, flicking on and off as if its last dying breaths were escaping.

There was no light at the end of the hall, only a pitch black void. As they walked it did not seem to come closer, but instead it grew farther and farther away, like an unreachable horizon.

When there was light, they could see silver numbers on each door. The rooms progressed from one (nearest the lobby) to one hundred (nearest the outer rim of the ship). They had just passed room forty-three.

Jamie put his hand in his pocket. He was feeling around for something. Finally he produced a small, wrinkled cigarette packet.

'Do you mind?' He briefly glanced in Zahir's direction.

Zahir shook his head. 'Not at all.'

'Thanks.' Jamie took a small lighter from inside the packet, as well as a cigarette. As he flicked the lighter, it glowed ominously in the darkened hallway. The cigarette's tip began to glow and Jamie took a long, slow drag. He coughed and then breathed out a long plume of white smoke.

'Oh man,' he breathed, 'that's better. I needed that.'

He clicked the camera flash on again, as they came upon another dark spot.

'I wonder how the others are doing,' thought Zahir aloud. 'Katelyn and Viktor...'

Jamie shrugged. 'I'm sure they're all right. If anything happens they know to meet us back at the lobby, anyway.'

'How is it that you can stay so calm?' blurted Zahir.

'Well,' Jamie held up the cigarette, 'this, for one. But I've never really been someone to worry anyway. It doesn't suit me.'

Zahir raised an eyebrow. 'You mean you aren't concerned that we won't make it? We're shipwrecked on an alien planet, after all...'

'Granted,' replied Jamie, 'but I'm a newspaper photographer. It may sound glamorous, but it ain't quite so glamorous when you're being shot at in a trench in some godforsaken war zone. Trust me, we do earn every dollar for the photos we take.'

'At least in a war zone you know you might have a chance of going home...'

Jamie shrugged. 'I guess. But you never have a [i]story[/i] like this. I mean, shit, I took snaps of real life [i]aliens[/i] back there! Those shots are going to become some of the most famous shots in the world one day. They'll be right up there with the moon landing.'

Zahir rubbed his chin thoughtfully. 'But what does it matter if you don't get back to Earth?'

'Look, one way or another, my shots will get back to Earth. Even if I have to transmit them somehow from here, it'll happen. And if I never get back? Well, as long as everyone knows they're [i]my[/i] shots.'

'That seems, well...' Zahir tried to choose his words carefully, 'a little cold.'

Jamie chuckled as he breathed another cloud of smoke into the air. 'Let me put it this way, Zahir: I could go through life on Earth like any other photojournalist. In other words, I could be content snapping celebrities or whatever else. I could probably have a good life as a talented-yet-tame photographer. But who would remember me? What difference would it make?'

The flash clicked off again, as they walked through a rare pool of light cast from the ceiling.

'My point is, I could be "just another photographer" but that isn't enough for me. At least here, I have the chance to make an impact. What do you think the reaction will be once those photos become widely-publicized on Earth? No matter what, they will become part of history. And that means I'll have reached the pinnacle of my profession. It's like a lawyer getting the best case, or a politician becoming a president...'

Zahir nodded. 'Yeah, I think I understand. I don't have any of those ambitions, but I respect people who do...'

'You'll find your place one day,' said Jamie thoughtfully, 'sometimes it just takes a little longer to work it out.'

And with that, they fell silent again. Zahir looked at the door numbers. Seventy-one. Only a few doors away from the room marked "SW".

'Ah, here we are, right here,' said Jamie. The hall was dark again. He switched on the flash and aimed it at the door. 'This is it. Only question is, how to get in...'

At first Zahir thought they would have no hope of getting in without a key, but upon closer examination, he noticed that the door looked slightly buckled near the handle.

'Oh, look at that,' he whispered. 'It must have been from the impact; the frame near the handle looks chipped.'

Jamie held out the camera. 'Here, can you hold this?' As Zahir took the camera, Jamie reared back and kicked the door with all his strength. They both heard a loud [i]snap[/i], but the door did not move.

'Don't tell me that was your leg,' groaned Zahir.

Jamie laughed. 'No, thank god. I think I've well and truly broken the door though...'

He pushed against it with an open fist. The door began to open slowly, but then it promptly fell off its hinges and slammed against the floor with a thud.

'I feel like I'm on one of those cop shows,' said Jamie as he took the camera back. 'C'mon, let's check it out.'



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Zahir had expected a luxurious cabin, with beautiful furniture and an expansive bar. Samantha Wells was, after all, one of the most senior people on board the Von Braun. Instead, he found a quite ordinary room. It did not look at all like a regular cabin, but rather like an office. There was a plain desk, several filing cabinets and a wall of shelves. Papers and books were strewn everywhere, no doubt a result of the crash.

'Jackpot!' cried Jamie, as he scanned the room with the flash. 'If only Alex could see this...'

His enthusiasm seemed momentarily tempered by the memory of his colleague. [i]I guess he is human after all,[/i] thought Zahir.

'We might find some clues here,' said Jamie. 'I'll start at one end, you start at the other. Maybe we can get a better idea of what's going on here.'

Zahir immediately went for Samantha's desk. It was covered in paperwork, which made it difficult to know where to begin. He sifted through several piles before coming across a thin folder, with the words "Case Notes" typed neatly on the front.

[i]'Seems as good a place as any to start,'[/i] thought Zahir.

He began flipping through the folder. Surprisingly, it was fairly light on documents. As he leafed through it he saw pages of hand-written notes. The first few pages seemed to refer to meetings between Samantha and the NAC. [i]'North Atlantic Congress,'[/i] Zahir went over it in his mind. The notes mentioned several hearings related to the Von Braun.

He removed one page that looked type-written. It appeared to be part of a transcript:

[i]"With all due respect, Ms. Wells, the monthly reports we receive from the Von Braun Corporation only tell half the story. It is my view - and certainly that of my fellow Senators - that significant portions of this project remain highly secretive. I understand the sensitivity of some of the technological developments, but I do not see the need for the continued involvement of NARSIA."[/i]

It looked like Samantha had attended numerous Senate hearings about the Von Braun itself. [i]'Why would the Senate want to know about a hotel ship in so much detail?'[/i] thought Zahir.

He scanned down the page further.

[i]"Senator, you may have heard of several rumors in the press about NARSIA involvement, but let me assure you that the objective is to preserve national security. The Von Braun contains many innovations and if these technologies fell into the hands of rogue states, well, one can only imagine the consequences."[/i]

It all seemed rather dull. Zahir flipped several more pages, until he came upon another set of notes. These carried the NARSIA seal in the top left corner. Buried among the text were several sub-headings:

[center][b]RSK AMT

DMG CTRL

CBT AVD

PLASURV[/b][/center]

Where had he seen these before? Somehow he remembered them.

'Oh!' he said aloud. Jamie looked over at him from a nearby filing cabinet.

'What is it?'

'Oh it's just... I remember these phrases,' muttered Zahir. 'I think they were on the news or something. I'm not sure.'

Jamie walked over and looked at the document. 'Oh, I know where we saw these...on those canisters at the outpost. Remember? They had these weird jumbled letters on them. And when were in the cargo bay with those large crates, the cloth they were covered in contained the same letters.'

Zahir ran his finger down the page, looking for them again. He flipped through a few more pages before coming across what looked like a report summary.

[b]RSK AMT[/b] [RISK ASSESSMENT]

[i]"To assess any and all risks related to the [b]Titans[/b]. Risk assessment must be carried out before [b]Operation B[/b], as referenced later in this document."[/i]

[b]DMG CTRL[/b] [DAMAGE CONTROL]

[i]"To ensure that the full extent of the [b]Titan Security Apparatus[/b] is contained as much as is realistically possible, therefore ensuring minimal NARSIA losses. Information handling procedures must also be reviewed, particularly relating to NAC. Containment and control is best achieved via [b]Operation B[/b] and subsequent PLASURV.[/i]

[b]CBT AVD[/b] [COMBAT AVOIDANCE]

[i]"To avoid direct confrontation with the [b]Titan Security Apparatus[/b] where realistically possible. This point can not be over-emphasized. Any direct confrontation - especially as a result of revealing NARSIA capability - will invariably result in heavy losses."[/i]

[b]PLASURV[/b] [PLANETARY SURVEILLANCE]

[i]"To survey and document results of [b]Operation B[/b] on target planet [b]Phorus[/b]. Three surveillance missions are to be conducted within two weeks, twelve weeks and twenty four weeks respectively. Soil samples are to be returned to NARSIA outpost and tested locally. Atmospheric scans to be completed prior to soil samples."[/i]

Zahir and Jamie looked at each other. The document went on for many pages.

'This has nothing to do with the Von Braun, though,' said Zahir as he scratched his head. 'I don't get it. These read more like war plans than anything else. What is this?'

'I don't know,' said Jamie, 'but you should put some of those loose documents into the folder and bring it with us. Maybe we can read it more thoroughly when we find the others.'

Zahir agreed. He collected several papers and stuffed them into the folder. It was time to look for Alex.

'According to the locator, he isn't far from here,' said Jamie as he began heading for the door. 'We could spend hours in this office... I think we need to find Alex and show him these papers too.'[/color][/size][/font]

[Sabrina]

[CENTER][IMG]http://img164.imageshack.us/img164/9613/sabavixi1.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/5076/aryaviif9.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/2357/kathykf5.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/VBO/indiavi.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] The light pouring in from the hole in the side of the ship made looking for what Jeff had described much easier. If such materials did exist, there was no reason why Arthur couldn?t have helped the two remove the cuffs or at the very least break the sturdy wire. Viktor knew why he hadn?t though; it didn?t take much to put it together. It was Arthur who knew too much about the conspiracies among other things, and unless he was mistaken, his actions could only mean one thing. That he was a member of the group known as Terra Prime. Viktor remembered reading about the arrest of Edward Kendi, the founder and leader of Terra Prime, a group whose actions made them nothing more than terrorists. The in-depth report surround the arrest of Edward had mentioned a son named Arthur whose location was unknown. Considering the knowledge that Arthur ?Clarke? had, Viktor knew he wouldn?t be surprised to learn that he actually [I]was[/I] Arthur Kendi. NARSIA was looking for Arthur Kendi since it was believed that he was involved with Terra Prime just like his father was. If he was him, getting on board would have been essential and using an alias would have been the only way to do so. Arthur may have left Jeff and Natalia unharmed since they had been locked up by Samantha, but that didn?t mean he wouldn?t kill any of them if they got in the way.[I] I really hope I?m wrong about him, if only for Katelyn?s sake.[/I] He had checked the public files on her once he got the chance after returning from the abandoned outpost. He had been curious to understand some of the remarks he had heard about her since they had indicated that her parents were gone. Though he had never expected to learn that they had been murdered. If he was right about Arthur, then it was entirely possible that he was personally responsible for the death of her parents. He shook his head and tried to put it out of mind, focusing on helping Natalia and Jeff needed to come first. Viktor followed the light from the hole and then veered off to the right to what looked like a series of built in lockers along the wall. Most of the doors were either open or warped slightly from the crash. He started looking through the ones that had been gotten into, most likely by Arthur when he had been getting stuff to use for making a bomb. It only took him a moment to find what Jeff had described. There was more than one canister with the markings on the side. He picked one up and tucked it under his right arm before turning to head back. Viktor smiled as he watched Katelyn cleaning up and putting things back into the little backpack. But then he winced when he overheard her asking the pair why Arthur had left them there. The others looked up upon hearing him approach and he scowled at Jeff when he heard him tell her they?d explain once he returned. ?[B]Don?t you think it would be better to wait until you have some sort of proof,[/B]? He said more sharply than he intended. He finished closing the gap between him and the group, ignoring Katelyn when she turned and welcomed him back. He set the canister down next to Natalia. ?[B]It doesn?t take much to figure it out Mr. Ivanov.[/B]? Jeff replied coolly. ?[B]Obviously you have or you wouldn?t be objecting like this.[/B]? He looked briefly to the confused Katelyn and then back. ?[B]Suspecting someone and knowing isn?t the same thing and you know it.[/B]? Viktor shot back. ?[B]What if you?re wrong? What then?[/B]? ?[B]What are you talking about?[/B]? Katelyn interrupted but Viktor ignored her, refusing to look in her direction. ?[B]Would you have me risk the lives of every single survivor just to avoid upsetting a few people?[/B]? Jeff frowned. ?[B]Your concern is well meant, but ignorant and misplaced.[/B]? ?[B]Would you two save that for [I]after[/I] you?ve gotten the cuffs off?[/B]? Natalia said irritably. ?[B]You?re right, sorry about that.[/B]? Viktor apologized as he knelt down and then followed Jeff?s instructions by first attaching the dispenser, and then carefully applying some of the substance on the wire between the cuffs. Then once that had broken, he first applied a tiny bit of the corrosive stuff to the actual lock before carefully pulling it apart. He grinned at Natalia as she rubbed her wrist with her other hand one once it was free. Then he did the same for Jeff, avoiding contact with his skin. He set the canister down, tossed the cuffs aside and then helped both of them to their feet. ?[B]Thank you.[/B]? Jeff said simply. ?[B]So what were you going to explain?[/B]? Katelyn asked. Viktor looked at her and then the others, he caught Jeff?s look and sighed. ?[B]If you don?t, I will.[/B]? Jeff warned Viktor. ?[B]We can?t afford to keep her in the dark.[/B]? Natalia snorted. ?[B]Honestly, you two are absurd.[/B]? She reached over and took Katelyn?s hands in her own. ?[B]We think that Arthur is a member of Terra Prime,[/B]? She tightened her grip when Katelyn gave off a little gasp of surprise and tried to pull away. She pulled her close, hugging her tightly. Natalia glared at the two who had fallen silent. ?[B]Now if you?re both done squabbling over that, we need to decide what to do next. I don?t fancy heading outside since that?s the direction he took, but going the other way is even more dangerous.[/B]? ?[B]Getting down here wasn?t a problem.[/B]? Viktor objected. "[B]I'm more concerned about Samantha returning,[/B]" Natalia let go of Katelyn who was still standing there with a glazed look on her face. "[B]If she sees that we're free, there's no telling what she'll do.[/B]" "[B]The crash tore a hole in the hull where the shuttles are. If we go outside, we could probably get back into the ship that way.[/B]" Jeff suggested, he looked over at Natalia, "[B]Could you get my headset?[/B]" She reached into her pocket, pulled it out and handed it over. "[B]I already got it.[/B]" "[B]Right, lets get going then. The sooner we can get to security, the better.[/B]" Viktor watched briefly as Jeff started towards the hole and then Natalia who had her arm across Katelyn's shoulders as she whispered reassuringly to her. He looked around briefly to make sure they weren't forgetting anything before following them out.

[Horendithas]

[CENTER][IMG]http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/8936/avatar21crewxq4.gif[/IMG] [/CENTER][SIZE="1"] If it wasn?t one screw up it was another. At this rate, she?d be lucky to escape with her life. Samantha kept her expression even as she hurried down the corridor; it wouldn?t do to alarm anyone should she come across more survivors. She sighed as she made for engineering. She had already prepped the shuttle for leaving once she was done, but first she had been required to check on the cargo. If it had been damaged and had leaked due to the crash, there would have been no point in escaping. She didn?t want to die, but she wasn?t so foolish as to head back to Earth if she was infected. She had to go there anyway if she was going to initiate the destruction of the Von Braun to cover their tracks. A destroyed alien ship that had crashed would raise alarm, but nothing like finding one carrying a lethal cargo. Samantha scowled; she would have been required to enter the locked deck anyway. It had taken her little time to verify that the canisters were unharmed and then to hardwire the system so that when she set it to blow, the others couldn?t override it so easily. She had barely finished when that stupid fool Jeff and Natalia had shown up. If they had half a brain between the two of them, they would have taken the chance to flee instead of coming after her. Just more stupid crap that she had to deal with. Samantha didn?t think she?d actually need them but she was never one to leave any possibility out of the picture. So she had immobilized them instead of killing them on the spot, though she had been sorely tempted to do so. With his security disabled and Jeff?s keys gone, the chances of anyone coming down to release them were slim. Once she was gone, their continued existence would be unnecessary. The resulting blast when the engines overloaded would leave no trace of them or The Shirota Strain. Gods? she was going to have a lot to answer for when she got back. It wouldn?t matter that things beyond her control had happened; it was her job to [I]fix [/I]problems like that. And up until the crash, she had. It had started with the issues at the NAR Deep Space Outpost and the moronic passengers that couldn?t resist sticking their noses where they didn?t belong. She had taken care of that, but the idiots couldn?t stay put and wait to be picked up by the next group from Earth. Instead they had managed to use the escape pod to get back to the Von Braun. That hadn't been too bad since they had run like rats for cover, too afraid to step forward. They would die in the upcoming crash anyway so letting them think they had escaped hurt nothing. Even those pictures they had been so clever in getting would be meaningless once the plan had been executed. But then the system error with the navigation had become an issue, in spite of her efforts to fix it. They were supposed to head for the home world of Species 167A and then break apart upon entering the atmosphere of that world, exposing it to The Shirota Strain, not crash on some stupid mining planet. Now they had to start all over, but unless she got rid of the evidence that wouldn?t be possible. It was a pity that she wouldn?t have time to determine if the navigational error was a real glitch or interference from Arthur or someone like him. Samantha smiled grimly upon coming to the main engineering section of the Von Braun. She veered straight for the main computers, ignoring the bodies of the dead and cries of those who were injured and waiting for someone to help them. The doors opened at her approach and she stepped in without hesitation, her weapon already drawn. Shouts of alarm, as people reached for their weapons as they hastily turned to confront her, told her all she needed to know. Samantha wasn?t pointing the weapon at anyone, so for them to immediately pull their own meant that either Jeff had informed the rest of security or they had figured out what she was up to. [I]Lovely.[/I] With an inward snarl her weapon came up and she took aim and fired. At the same moment she pulled the other weapon that belonged to Jeff. She didn?t give them a chance to respond, shooting to kill. It was a pity they had reacted the way they did, if they hadn?t she would have sent them elsewhere, but since they had, she didn?t have the time to overpower them and lock them up. First shot took the closest one through the chest, sending him backwards, and the next hitting the one just to the side and behind him. The third target was only halfway out of her chair before the bullet slammed into her head, sending her sprawling against the panel before the technician slumped to the floor, leaving a gruesome trail of blood where her body was in contact with the equipment. Two shots to the chests of the others attempting to stop her with the gun in her left hand and it was over. Samantha ignored the blood that had splattered onto her clothing. [I]What a stupid waste of time.[/I] She thought as she put the weapons up and turned to temporary lock the doors to engineering. She didn?t have much time. The main terminal was on and she sat down and quickly logged in. A smile crept across her face as she saw that they had tried to shut her out. [I]I think not.[/I] She thought smugly. Her clearance as a member of NARSIA wasn?t the only card up her sleeve and in no time she was in. It only took a moment to see that though heavily damaged, the core that powered the ship was still operational. Her fingers flew over the controls as she entered the necessary overrides to cause the safeties for the system to disengage. A frown crossed her face as the data indicated that it would take thirty minutes for the meltdown to occur. The lighting changed to a deep red hue and the words WARNING started flashing on the screen. Her hands hovered over the controls as she debated turning it off and then she smiled as she left the automatic warning running instead. If there were very many survivors left, the crew would waste precious time evacuating them, reducing the manpower that would be needed to attempt to stop the meltdown. It took her a moment to withdraw and lock the computer system as much as possible and then she was done. She ignored the ship?s system as the mechanical voice of the ship's computer was heard over the speakers that were still working: [INDENT][B]WARNING, EXPLOSION IMMINENT. EMERGENCY EVACUATION INITIATED. ALL PASSENGERS ARE TO PROCEED TO THE NEAREST HATCH IMMEDIATELY. [/B][/INDENT] A countdown started under the red letters on the screen and the voice faltered as the damaged system messed up trying to deliver the rest of the message. Samantha ignored it as it started over, she turned her back on the terminal, got up and went over to unlock the doors before leaving. All that remained was to get to the shuttle and leave. [/SIZE]

Landmark 05: Emergency Evacuation

[font=arial][size=2][color=#202020]The safeties for the core that powers the Von Braun have been maliciously disabled by Samantha Wells in an attempt to cover up the intended attack on Species 167A. The Von Braun's automatic system is issuing an emergency evacuation order in response to this development, though only the areas of the ship that aren't heavily damaged will hear the message over the speakers. Your goal is to get your character off the ship and as far away from the Von Braun as possible before it explodes. You have thirty minutes to get clear. [SIZE="1"][B]Important Notes:[/B] If you wish to cover a bit before your character encounters the emergency evacuation message in order to wrap up any stray ends first, feel free.[/SIZE] [/font][/size][/color]

[Shy]

[center][img]http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f385/Arichan16/arthur.jpg[/img][/center] Arthur stepped through the wreckage of the explosion into the night, stumbling about as he was no longer able to watch his step. Whatever chemicals had ignited in the small blast only seemed to make his condition worse, and he was now almost totally without sight. He let out a violent cough as he continued to walk. In contrast to the controlled environment of the ship this strange planet seemed desolate and cold. Aside from automated safety warnings coming from the ship, the only other noise he could make out was a soft hum echoing from atop a nearby hill. Having nowhere else to go, Arthur decided to head towards it. In his short life, Arthur Kendi had been forced to do and say many things that went against his sense of morality. It was shortly after reuniting with his father that he had joined Terra Prime, and taken part in a series of deadly bombings against civilian targets. Still, it was his loyalty to his father and to his cause that justified these terrible acts of violence. Given what he had seen on board the Von Braun there could no longer be any doubt that NARSIA had been responsible for the Great Disaster and the outbreak of the Saratoa Strain. [i]The Saratoa Strain.[/i] Even years after contracting the virus he still couldn’t stand to think about it. Like so many other ‘dead’ diseases, the Saratoa Strain had managed to mutate and thrive throughout the third-world. Given his mother’s teaching work, and his own careless lifestyle, it was only a matter of time before he contracted it for himself. For most the Saratoa Strain was an instant death sentence, but for those with the means to afford it, the strain’s most severe symptoms could be contained with regular medicinal injections. It was his father’s connections to the black market that ensured a regular supply of the drugs, but it also made him permanently indebted to the man. Instead of death Arthur Kendi was relegated to a life of addiction to the experimental drugs which bolstered his immune system. At least, those would only work for as long as they were being used. Without them he would begin to experience painful withdrawals as a precursor to the real symptoms of the Saratoa Strain. The loss of vision, the discoloration of the skin and the headaches were just the beginning. In a few hours, maybe less if he had miscalculated, he would suffer excruciating and fatal organ failure. Still, the thought of death did not frighten Arthur, for it was this same disease which had given his life purpose. The truth would be revealed someday; ultimately Arthur Kendi and Terra Prime had accomplished their mission. Arthur’s thoughts kept drawing back to Zahir, and the question of whether or not he had survived the impact. It would be a fool’s errand to go deeper into the ship in his condition; worse yet, it was certain that any survivors would try to use Arthur and his connection to Terra Prime as a scapegoat for the impact. In another lifetime perhaps the two could have shared a more meaningful connection, but even with his treatments it was impossible for Arthur to have a physical relationship without a risk of transmitting the disease. After several minutes of climbing, Arthur finally reached the top of the hill, and the mysterious light that had drawn him. There was a soft hum and a number of colors emanating from some sort of large object… [i]a transport of some kind?[/i] “[b]Who is there?[/b]” Arthur called out. No response. He stood there is silence for a few moments as the hum grew louder. Fearful, Arthur raised his pistol and aimed it towards the lights. “[b]Who is it, dammit?![/b]” he screamed, “[b]Answer me or I swear I’ll fire at you![/b]” A cold chill ran along Arthur’s spine as he heard the sound of breathing from directly behind. He turned around to see who it was but could only make a silhouette out of the darkness. They were tall, easily matching his height but incredibly thin. Still no response. The hum grew louder and louder, and Arthur suddenly realized that a machine was not the source of the noise he was hearing, but that the figure was. Soon the sound became deafening, so much so that Arthur could no longer hear his own thoughts. “[b]Please, I don’t want to hurt anyone else..[/b]” The figure made a single motion, the raise of its' left hand. Tears streaming down his face, Arthur raised his pistol and released the trigger.

[Darren]

[center][img]http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/9978/vboavatarey3.jpg[/img] [img]http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/8279/jamiekingse9.jpg[/img][/center]

[SIZE="1"]The dark hallway of the Von Braun sent chills up Jamie's spine. It was difficult to even walk with all of the injuries he had sustained during the crash. His head was throbbing, there was a sharp pain in his lower back, and his left arm still felt numb as he attempted to hold onto his flash from the camera. Jamie thought it was a miracle that it didn't break during the crash as well. The only thing that ran through his mind was the thought of Alex outside the ship. His partner, possibly injured or worse, lying outside the walls of the Von Braun's protection. The one thing that kept him from a state of panic was the constant trail of smoke entering his lungs.

Zahir was walking just a few steps behind Jamie, barely talking. The photographer could tell that Zahir didn't appreciate the smoke and Jamie hated having to smoke around someone who didn't like it, but it was either this or a nervous breakdown. When they entered a section of corridor that was light enough, he could hear Zahir shuffling through the papers they had picked up from Samantha's room.

[B]"Made any sense of it yet?"[/B] he asked.

Zahir let out a long sigh, [B]"Unfortunately, no. The parts that I can make out in the light seem to be a jumbled mess of code words and protocols. None of the files seem to be related."[/B]

[B]"I'm sure some of the others will be able to decipher it."[/B] Jamie stumbled a bit, using the wall for support.

[B]"Are you okay?"[/B] Zahir rushed forward to support Jamie.

[B]"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little dizzy."[/B] he replied, throwing his cigarette to the ground and putting it out with his foot.

[B]"I know what you mean,"[/B] Zahir said, [B]"I think some chemicals from the ship have gotten into the air because I've been feeling a little light-headed as well."[/B]

[B]"All the more reason to find Alex and the others and get out of here then. Do you know how much farther it should be."[/B]

Zahir checked the map of the ship he had found in Samantha's room to see where
they were. [B]"Actually, it should be just around this corner."[/B]

As they rounded the final turn to where the Von Braun's computer located Alex, the could see a faint glint of flashing red lights. They were different from the red hue of the emergency back-up lights and Jamie thought he could hear something in the distance.

[B]"That doesn't look good."[/B] he said aloud. [B]"Any idea what that could mean?"[/B]

Zahir seemed to be lost in thought. They were both confused why the lights were only on in that certain part of the ship. Finally he replied, [B]"Only one way to find out."[/B]

But as the two approached, they weren't ready for what the ship had to tell them:

[B]WARNING, EXPLOSION IMMINENT. EMERGENCY EVACUATION INITIATED. ALL PASSENGERS ARE TO PROCEED TO THE NEAREST HATCH IMMEDIATELY.[/B]

There was no need to say anything. Both Jamie and Zahir were already on the edge of their nerves. With the idea that the ship was leaking chemicals, it came as no real surprise that an explosion was going to follow. The only thing that really stood out in Jamie's mind was the new urgency to find the others.

They entered the room that the Von Braun had located Alex in and were overwhelmed by a massive hole in the wall. The dark landscape of the alien planet stretched out before them, but Alex was nowhere to be found. Jamie searched what was left of the room before he came across his ID card.

Zahir placed his hand on Jamie's should for reassurance. [B]"I'm sure he's fine,"[/B] he said, [B]"At least we don't have to search for an escape hatch."[/B][/SIZE]

[Aaryanna]

[CENTER][IMG]http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/5076/aryaviif9.jpg[/IMG] [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://img508.imageshack.us/img508/2357/kathykf5.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] It was cold outside the ship, not terribly so but enough that Katelyn found herself shivering. It was her first time stepping onto another world. In spite of all that had happened, it should have been a little thrilling. But all she could think about was what Natalia had said about Arthur. She didn?t pay attention to the others who were helping Jeff since the terrain was uneven, making it hard for him to climb over rocks with his injured shoulder. She just blindly followed along, lost in thought. Arthur hadn?t looked like a terrorist. He had seemed a bit reserved to her but wasn?t that normal when you were with people you had never met before? He hadn?t even given her a second glance either. If he really was a part of the group that had killed her parents, wouldn?t he have been nervous around her? Did he even know about her? If he had followed the news at all, he would know. If he was a terrorist, someone like that would avoid her, wouldn?t they? The media had had a field day with the story behind why she entered the contest for a chance to be on the historic voyage. Katelyn had been annoyed at first and then she had just accepted it. Her parents would have been happy and that was all the mattered. The attention had died down shortly after the winners had been announced and everything had been pretty quiet in the months before the ship launched. Other than a few people, like Samantha and Natalia, no one had said anything to her. She looked up at the others who were getting ahead of her, though they had stopped as a barrier of rocks that had been pushed up by the ship crashing was in the way. The group was looking at the ground. ?[B]It looks like Arthur went in that direction[/B].? Viktor was saying. ?[B]But that?s away from the ship. Why would he leave when he needs medical attention?[/B]? Natalia was looking at the tracks in the dirt and then looked back up and smiled kindly at Katelyn when she joined them. ?[B]He probably didn?t feel up to climbing over the rocks here.[/B]? Jeff pointed out. ?[B]But he?d have to climb up that hill to get around them,[/B]? Natalia objected. ?[B]Sick or not, the rocks aren?t that high, it would be quicker to simply go over them.[/B]? Viktor shrugged. ?[B]Does it matter? It?s cold out here so we should hurry.[/B]? ?[B]You?re right. I?ll go first and take a look.[/B]? Natalia scrambled up until she could look over. ?[B]It?s not that bad,[/B]? She called back to the others. ?[B]The ground slopes upward so once you get over the top of the rocks its pretty level.[/B]? She climbed the rest of the way up. ?[B]You ready Katelyn?[/B]? Viktor asked her. ?[B]I?ll be right behind you and Jeff. That way if you accidentally drop something I?ll see it.[/B]? Though why she wanted them to go first made no sense. Viktor gave her an odd look and just nodded. Once they were up, she climbed up as well. Other than to make sure she had made it, the others said nothing and started climbing up the land that was slowly rising. Katelyn took a moment to look back down at the tracks that lead off towards a nearby hill. She stood there and stared in that direction for what seemed like an eternity. She turned and looked to where the others were. She could hear them talking but they weren?t paying attention to her. They were helping Jeff who in spite of the treatment was obviously struggling a little. The stuff she had put on him would stop the bleeding, but moving around like he was could cause it to start bleeding again. He needed real treatment. She looked back at the hill and then without really understanding why, she climbed back down the rocks and took off at a dead run, following the tracks. A tiny part of her mind told her she was being foolish, but the other part wanted to know. She had to find out if he really had been part of the group that had destroyed the factory her parents had worked in. She knew she was being foolish. If he was a terrorist, he?d kill her without a second thought. And yet, she couldn?t stop running.

[DeLarge]

[center][IMG]http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b16/Blayze54/avatar7_guest.gif[/IMG]

[FONT=Microsoft Sans Serif]Alex stumbled across the bare, bleak landscape, a literally alien world, his boots crunching on the dust and tiny rocks that covered the ground. His breath was escaping him in ragged gasps, and he had discovered a few minutes into his exploration that he was in fact hurt a lot worse than he had originally thought. Blood was dribbling down from the gash in his forehead, dripping into his eye and congealing, forming a sticky glue that forced his eye shut. He was losing blood from other wounds he hadn't realised he had received, too, and the walk was becoming slowly more and more difficult.

The ruined shell of the Von Braun was in the distance now, but he could still vaguely hear the sounds of the ship's interior shutting down. A long trail of footprints led from the gash in the side of the ship that he had clambered out of, and spots of blood were mingling with the dust of the planet's surface.

[B]"Surface of the planet seems barren," [/B]he whispered into his dictaphone, [B]"No signs of life, no clues as to how the planet is terraformed, how the atmosphere is safe for humans to breathe. No signs of other survivors as of yet."

[/B]He dropped to his knees, breathing heavily with exhaustion. The blood loss, the pain of the injuries and the lack of any kind of food or water were affecting him. He felt weak, and knew he wouldn't be able to continue walking for much longer without a break.

Pulling his jacket off, he rolled it up and placed it on the floor. He didn't feel cold any more, so he felt comfortable with taking his jacket off and leaving his torso all-but exposed to the wind on the planet's surface. Laying down, he rested his head on the jacket and looked up into the heavens.

[B]"Could I be the first person to see the stars from this planet?" [/B]he said, quietly and breathlessly into his dictaphone, [B]"Have we stumbled upon a brand new planet? Has any being set foot on this ground before?"

[/B][I]If I ever get back to Earth, this story is going to make me a millionaire. As long as Jamie gets some pictures. I hope he's ok, [/I]Alex thought, his mind wandering. He took a few deep breaths, and realised the severity of the situation he was in. He wiped a single tear from his eye, the fog over his mind lifting, and lifted the dictaphone to his mouth once more.

[B]"This is Alex Kristopher Azure, and this is my final story. The Von Braun has crash-landed on another planet, one that seems not to be inhabited. I've seen the stars from the surface of another planet, and it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.

"I know that the injuries I have sustained from the crash are too severe for me to survive much longer. I have lost a great deal of blood, and accept that my time is limited. Jamie, if you're still alive, and you're listening to this, then thank you. You've always brought me down to Earth, and though I've never been able to say it properly, you're the best friend I could ever have asked for. This recording is my last gift to you - if you find it then I give you full rights to the publication of anything I have done on this voyage. It's only money, I know, but it's the least I can do for you.

"To anyone else who is listening to this, know that the Von Braun was sabotaged - someone moved me to the wrong side of the ship in order to get rid of me. It seems the story we uncovered is important enough to warrant my murder. If you get this recording, make sure the truth gets out.

"This is my final recording. Thank you."

[/B]He clicked the dictaphone off, realising that the recording was semi-incoherent, but his mind was too shaky to rectify that at this point. He clenched his fist around the dictaphone, and with his last ounce of strength he thrust the tiny object deep into the sand. With any luck someone would find it and listen to his final message. He took a breath and closed his eyes, feeling himself slip away from consciousness.

---

He was awakened by a bright light burning into his eyelids. He wrenched them open and looked into the bright whiteness, squinting to try and see through it. A voice came through the light, coming from everywhere at once.

[I]It's not your time, Alex Azure. Come with us.

Yes,[/I] he thought, and closed his eyes, allowing the light to wash over him, warming his body through, a tingling rushing through his veins. He smiled, and let go of his consciousness, floating into this new life...
[/FONT][/center]

[Sabrina]

[CENTER][IMG]http://img164.imageshack.us/img164/9613/sabavixi1.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/5076/aryaviif9.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/2357/kathykf5.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/VBO/indiavi.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] Viktor didn?t know how long she had been gone. He only knew that when he looked back, Katelyn was nowhere to be seen. He had been too busy helping Jeff and Natalia as they worked their way around the crashed ship. Katelyn had been holding back a bit and saying almost nothing but she had still been following along. [I]I should have watched her more closely.[/I] He cursed inwardly and came to a halt. ?[B]What?s the matter?[/B]? Natalia trailed off as she realized that Katelyn was missing. ?[B]I?m going after her.[/B]? Viktor declared. ?[B]You and Jeff need to get back inside the ship.[/B]? Jeff looked like he was going to object and then he nodded. ?[B]You?d better hurry if you?re going to catch her.?[/B] ?[B]Be careful Viktor.[/B]? Natalia said simply. Viktor nodded in response and then turned and took off, running as fast as he could; only slowing long enough to climb back down the rocks. He turned and followed the dual set of footprints leading away from the ship. He had to catch her before she found Arthur. [hr=100]black[/hr] [CENTER][IMG]http://img164.imageshack.us/img164/9613/sabavixi1.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/5076/aryaviif9.jpg[/IMG] [/CENTER] [I]What is that little fool thinking?[/I] He found himself getting angry and tried to get a hold of it. It wasn?t her fault. She had lost everything to those terrorist attacks on the factories. He had heard her talking to Samantha about her plans to join NARSIA. He didn?t get the impression that she was after revenge, but rather to stop them so no one else would lose loved ones. [I]She probably just wants to know the truth.[/I] He thought as he stumbled a bit and then continued running. The cold alien air was harsh and before long he began to feel a painful stitch forming in his right side. He slowed down to catch his breath and then halted at the sound of someone crying. His froze in panic, his heart beating wildly as he looked for the source. A cold feeling ran through him when he realized that there was only one set of foot prints and he started searching frantically for her. [I]Oh gods no, please no.[/I] If anything had happened to her? He searched the ground until he found where it looked like something had happened. It almost looked like a struggle until he saw a deep imprint in front of an outcropping rock. [I]Did she trip?[/I] He followed the deep scuff marks that went to the side and then turned into a long trail down the sloping ground. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her sitting on the ground, covered in dirt, her face in her hands as she cried softly. ?[B]Katelyn![/B]? He called out to her as he rushed down the slope, careful to avoid tripping. Startled she looked up and then cried even harder. ?[B]I?m sorry Viktor. I shouldn?t have run off.[/B]? She waited until he was kneeling in front of her. ?[B]I wanted to know if Arthur really was a?[/B]? Viktor grasped her shoulders. ?[B]It?s alright, I understand.[/B]? He waited for her to smile a little and then offered her his hand. ?[B]Let?s go, okay?[/B]? She hesitated. ?[B]I hurt my ankle when I fell. I can?t stand on it.[/B]? Viktor frowned slightly and took a look at it. ?[B]It doesn?t look like you broke it. It?s probably just sprained. Does it feel broken?[/B]? She shook her head. ?[B]I can carry you but it would be best if I wrap it up first.[/B]? ?[B]Here,[/B]? Katelyn pulled her scarf from her uniform free and handed it over to him. He was so caught up in carefully wrapping her left ankle and putting her boot back on that he didn?t realize that the humming sound he was hearing was getting closer. He stood up before helping her semi stand so he could pick her up. Movement caught his gaze and he started in alarm when Viktor realized that some sort of land vehicles were almost at their location. He could see three of them. He had never seen anything like them before which meant it could only be? He felt Katelyn tense up as well as he picked her up quickly. He had to get her out of there before they arrived, back to the safety of the ship. He turned and then froze. ?[B]Viktor![/B]? She cried in alarm. There were two more of them at the top of the trail where she had tripped and people were exiting the vehicles. Too late he realized that the soft hum they were emmitting was what he had been hearing as he worked on Katelyn's ankle. There was sand being kicked up by the unknown machines, sending it swirling around everything, making it difficult for him to see if they were human or not. Even if Katelyn wasn?t hurt, they were surrounded. He clutched her protectively and waited as the strangers approached.

[Aaryanna_Mom]

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It was harder to get anywhere without Viktor to help. Natalia was tired and worn out and though Jeff wasn't saying anything it was clear that he was struggling. He had already lost a lot of blood before the others came along. The temporary treatment had helped, but she could see that all the activity had gotten it started again.

She was beginning to question if it would have been better to go back up the stairs inside the ship instead, even with the risk of running into Samantha. Natalia could see the opening in the hull just ahead but Jeff stumbled and they were forced to halt. She helped him sit down and lean back against the outside of the ship.

"[B]Sorry about that.[/B]" He apologized. "[B]I'm feeling a little dizzy, just give me a moment and I'll be able to continue.[/B]"

"[B]You're not up to it and you know it Jeff.[/B]" Natalia stood back up. "[B]You keep going like this and you really will die.[/B]"

She overrode him when he started to protest. "[B]I'm going to go ahead to the shuttle bay and get some more medical supplies from the one we were in when the ship crashed. I can test the communication system to see if it's been restored so I can get you some help.[/B]"

"[B]Natalia...[/B]"

"[B]You should keep trying to raise them with your headset. If I'm lucky there will be crew there, if I'm not, I can at least get you some supplies before I search the ship for survivors.[/B]"

She could feel tears forming and she brushed them out of her eyes angrily. "[B]Don't be an idiot. Once Viktor catches up with Katelyn they'll come this way too and she has some stuff in that little backpack of hers.[/B]"

He pulled out the headset and smiled wanly. "[B]Alright, I'll wait here. Save the sightseeing for later though.[/B]"

The joke was hollow but she forced herself to laugh a little at it anyway. She didn't trust herself to say anything else as she turned to hurry for the shuttle bay. She heard him tell her to be careful and she glanced back briefly and simply nodded.

It wasn't supposed to happen like this. The trip should have been a throughly boring affair. A pointless cruise with space for the scenery. How had they ended up caught up in this disaster? Just thinking about it was enough to make her head spin.

She had been happy to leave home and now, she'd give anything to be back there. Natalia would even tolerate her cold and indifferent family. She wondered if they would even notice that she was gone.

Natalia finally made it to the opening only to realize it was up too high for her to reach. Would she have to backtrack after all? She choked back the tears and kept going since the opening was huge and she couldn't see all of it. It was possible that further on she could get inside.

It took her a moment to realize that one of the humming noises she was hearing wasn't coming from the ship. Puzzled she turned to look and then just stared. As far as she knew, the Von Braun didn't have any land vehicles at all.

They were closing on her location quickly and a moment later it hit her. [I]We're not alone.[/I] Oddly, she felt calm, even though a part of her mind was telling her to panic. She didn't know if it was because she was exhausted or not, but all she could seem to do was just stand there and stare.

They were close enough that even if she ran, she couldn't get back to Jeff before they arrived. All she could do was hope they understood her so she could get him some aid.

[Horendithas]

[CENTER][IMG]http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/VBO/indiavi.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/VBO/avatar1_crew.gif[/IMG][/center] [SIZE="1"] Jeff waited a bit before trying to get up and follow Natalia, but another wave of dizziness forced him to sit back down. She had been right of course, treatment or not, he had lost too much blood and all the walking about had gotten it started again, making it worse. He was fine for now, so long as he didn?t try to get up. Jeff was fairly certain that the actual wound wasn?t that serious. It was the blood loss that was the problem. He shifted a bit in an attempt to get comfortable, grimacing in pain. It was hard to not laugh at the situation. No matter how he looked at it, he had failed at his job. It didn?t matter that he had been set up from the beginning. Logically he could see it, but he still felt like he should have been able to see through the lies, to stop what had happened. [I]I hope Samantha never comes back.[/I] The look in her eyes after she had left them in the sealed deck was that of someone he didn?t know at all. Cold, calculating and ruthless. He had no doubt that she would have simply killed both of them if they got in her way. A scratchy burst of static from his headset startled him. [I]It?s working?[/I] It took him a moment to get it on before he tried to raise anyone. He wondered if anyone was even hearing his request for communication when the channel went silent and then to his surprise Captain Sorokov actually came on. ?[B]What?s the situation Mr. Matheson?[/B]? He sounded terse and guarded to Jeff, and why was he dropping his security title? All sorts of alarms were going off in his mind. Had Samantha said something to him? ?[B]It?s a long story sir.[/B]? He answered cautiously. ?[B]Make it short then, we don?t have much time.[/B]? [I]Don?t have time? What in the world is going on?[/I] He shivered unintentionally as he gave the Captain the details of what had happened. Making it as to the point as possible. To his surprise, the Captain didn?t say a word or interrupt him, not even once. ?[B]So you?re outside the ship and you don?t know where Samantha is correct?[/B]? ?[B]That?s correct sir.[/B]? He heard a slight sigh of frustration from the other end before the Captain spoke again. ?[B]Pay close attention Mr. Matheson since I won?t repeat myself, there isn?t time. Samantha has sabotaged the power supply to the ship. In approximately twenty minutes the ship will self destruct unless we can halt it.[/B]? Jeff went cold all over. [I]What the hell?[/I] Jeff started to reply and then thought better of it. The Captain was right, there wasn?t much time. ?[B]There is nothing we can do for you. I have no one that I can spare at this time. If you spot Samantha then let us know, otherwise, get as far away from the ship as you can. Good luck.[/B]? He didn?t even wait for Jeff to reply, the line went dead. [I]Great, just great.[/I] He staggered to his feet, fighting the waves of dizziness. [I]I have to warn the others. [/I]Jeff looked in each direction but he couldn?t see anyone coming.[I] If I don?t find them, they?ll be killed by the blast if the Captain can?t manage to stop it.[/I] A terrible urgency filled him as he stumbled a few steps away from the ship before sinking to his knees as another wave of dizziness nearly caused him to pass out. He got back up only to fall back to his knees again. The force of the semi fall caused his wound to start bleeding again and an odd humming sound started to fill his ears. He waited for the world to stop spinning as his vision swam, and for a moment it felt like he couldn?t breathe. The moment finally passed and his vision cleared. He was looking at something approaching, but he didn?t know what it was. Some part of him recognized that the blood loss was more serious than he had originally thought, but all he could think of was attempting to get back up and find the others. He sat back on his feet since he couldn?t seem to get up. He focused on the thing approaching but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn?t figure out what it was.[/SIZE]