hurry because of the urgency of the situation. As you can imagine, your mission is top secret.”
Jana listened as she rifled through the clear plastic sheets; instructions, data, charts, statistics, and other information deemed necessary to their mission. But this doesn’t make sense.
“If you’ll turn your attention to the photos provided...” at the back of the stack were more sheets, with pictures on them. A cloudy blue and green orb shone from the glossy plastic. “We need you to travel to this planet and recover a case from a crashed Scientific Exploration Ship. The SES was en route to S-1M when it dropped off the scanners. It crashed on this planet early this morning.”
“And does this planet have a name?” asked The Bimbo.
He hesitated before answering, knowing the weight his answer carried with it. Jana already knew what he was going to say. “E-1.”
“Wait a second...you mean—“
Earth. More than five centuries ago, the human race had abandoned their home world after global war over dwindling resources and overpopulation gave birth to a mutated virus that nearly wiped out the whole population. Knowing there was no hope to recover from the catastrophe, world leaders organized a mass exodus of survivors to orbital colonies.
“As you well know, the planet is strictly off-limits and serves as little more than a wildlife preserve now. There is no human contact, not even scientists, until now.”
“Yeah, well there’s a reason for that. There is no cure for that virus, and we don’t know if it’s still around down there. We don’t know if it’s mutated further. It could still be really dangerous down there.”
“That’s why you’re going, Sgt. Gordon. You’re the team medic and SCORPION.” Vacero’s eyes swept the table. “It’s just a precaution, I assure you. Nothing is going to happen to any of you. You are to secure the case. If you encounter any wildlife during your stay, you are not to harm said wildlife under ANY circumstances whatsoever.”
Great, so if a herd of monkeys ambushes us in the jungle, we’re expected to just stand there and wave? Jana tried very hard to stay focused on the mission briefing, but her mind kept turning to thoughts about whether or not a group of monkeys could be called a herd.
“There will also be no Mech or vehicles. You’ll drop in a skiff in the grassland area where you will have the least environmental impact.” Jana didn’t like the sound of that. No vehicles meant no protection if something went wrong. Jana vaguely heard the door open again behind them. “How nice of you to join us...” Vacero glared over their heads.
“Yeah, thanks. Those damned MPs you sent after me wouldn’t go away.”
For the love of god, NO. Jana knew that voice. Instinctively, she slouched in her seat and tried to disappear. The blood rushed to her face. She spent the rest of the briefing trying to pretend she didn’t exist. By the end of it, her palms ached and her knuckles were white from clenching her fists so tightly.
“Your ship leaves in an hour,” Vacero said, concluding the meeting. As soon as they adjourned, Jana rushed out the door, folder clutched tightly in hand. Moments later, she felt something like a vice grip clench her arm and jerk her backwards.
“Ow!” she cried out. He pulled her backwards into the shadow of an alcove in the hall and lightened his grip, but didn’t release her. She caught a glimpse of surprise. He obviously hadn’t meant to hurt her and just didn’t realize how light she was. That didn’t stop him from scowling at her.
“ Why?” He demanded.
She glared up at Aeronth. “Why what? ” She spat.
“Why did you do this?” he asked through gritted teeth. Jana struggled to understand.
“I didn’t do anything!” she insisted. It dawned on her. The mission. He thinks I picked him for the mission. He wasn’t there when Vacero explained that he was the one who put the team together.
“I don’t want to do it.
Jana listened as she rifled through the clear plastic sheets; instructions, data, charts, statistics, and other information deemed necessary to their mission. But this doesn’t make sense.
“If you’ll turn your attention to the photos provided...” at the back of the stack were more sheets, with pictures on them. A cloudy blue and green orb shone from the glossy plastic. “We need you to travel to this planet and recover a case from a crashed Scientific Exploration Ship. The SES was en route to S-1M when it dropped off the scanners. It crashed on this planet early this morning.”
“And does this planet have a name?” asked The Bimbo.
He hesitated before answering, knowing the weight his answer carried with it. Jana already knew what he was going to say. “E-1.”
“Wait a second...you mean—“
Earth. More than five centuries ago, the human race had abandoned their home world after global war over dwindling resources and overpopulation gave birth to a mutated virus that nearly wiped out the whole population. Knowing there was no hope to recover from the catastrophe, world leaders organized a mass exodus of survivors to orbital colonies.
“As you well know, the planet is strictly off-limits and serves as little more than a wildlife preserve now. There is no human contact, not even scientists, until now.”
“Yeah, well there’s a reason for that. There is no cure for that virus, and we don’t know if it’s still around down there. We don’t know if it’s mutated further. It could still be really dangerous down there.”
“That’s why you’re going, Sgt. Gordon. You’re the team medic and SCORPION.” Vacero’s eyes swept the table. “It’s just a precaution, I assure you. Nothing is going to happen to any of you. You are to secure the case. If you encounter any wildlife during your stay, you are not to harm said wildlife under ANY circumstances whatsoever.”
Great, so if a herd of monkeys ambushes us in the jungle, we’re expected to just stand there and wave? Jana tried very hard to stay focused on the mission briefing, but her mind kept turning to thoughts about whether or not a group of monkeys could be called a herd.
“There will also be no Mech or vehicles. You’ll drop in a skiff in the grassland area where you will have the least environmental impact.” Jana didn’t like the sound of that. No vehicles meant no protection if something went wrong. Jana vaguely heard the door open again behind them. “How nice of you to join us...” Vacero glared over their heads.
“Yeah, thanks. Those damned MPs you sent after me wouldn’t go away.”
For the love of god, NO. Jana knew that voice. Instinctively, she slouched in her seat and tried to disappear. The blood rushed to her face. She spent the rest of the briefing trying to pretend she didn’t exist. By the end of it, her palms ached and her knuckles were white from clenching her fists so tightly.
“Your ship leaves in an hour,” Vacero said, concluding the meeting. As soon as they adjourned, Jana rushed out the door, folder clutched tightly in hand. Moments later, she felt something like a vice grip clench her arm and jerk her backwards.
“Ow!” she cried out. He pulled her backwards into the shadow of an alcove in the hall and lightened his grip, but didn’t release her. She caught a glimpse of surprise. He obviously hadn’t meant to hurt her and just didn’t realize how light she was. That didn’t stop him from scowling at her.
“ Why?” He demanded.
She glared up at Aeronth. “Why what? ” She spat.
“Why did you do this?” he asked through gritted teeth. Jana struggled to understand.
“I didn’t do anything!” she insisted. It dawned on her. The mission. He thinks I picked him for the mission. He wasn’t there when Vacero explained that he was the one who put the team together.
“I don’t want to do it.
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