Galvanized

[Professor Fenway]

Vanidan broke the silence. "I also managed to access the computer core of the drone," he said.

"What? How?" Hallix asked.

"It was using the exact same algorithms as the satellites back home. I'm combing through the data now but it will take some time. But one thing is clear, this wasn't built on earth."

[Error]

Ash blinked.

"False flag operation by the enemy, the U.S. Government screwing with us, rebels from Terra with a sense of nationalism, and I'm taking bets now. even odds on all 'cept five to one on the rebels." she commented dryly.

[Archduke Daynel, PhD]

"Well, to be on the safe side maybe we shouldn't nuke the scar. But we should go down there, preferably soon. So when are we leaving?"

[Professor Fenway]

Hallix thought for a moment. "We won't nuke it then," he said. He snatched a floating missile component out of the air. He recognized it as the targeting system. "Vanidan, activate our IFF and set it to broadcast. I have a feeling that we aren't seen as an enemy."

"Yes sir," he responded. Hallix turned to everyone else.

"We'll reach Europa orbit in 5 hours. Settle your matters and prepare for any eventualities by then. Briefing over."

[Error]

Ash floated towards the hatch, turning to face Hallix.

"I'm prepping the dropship. But my question is this: if we do go down there, will it be a hot drop? I'd like to know before I load up on AGMs only to find a pile of interceptors coming at us."

[Professor Fenway]

"I don't know, Ash." Hallix paused. "We'll figure it out when we get there."

[Julo]

3 hours after the briefing Agatha came out of her bunk, she just couldn't sleep. When her eyes were open, she was looking around all the time trying to find someone who seemed to be invisible, but when she closed her eyes, she could feel a presence so close to her, that she opened her eyes again, just to find it. She went to a small mirror and took out a small bag containing a first aid kit. She ran some tests on herself, but she was alright, no fever, normal reactions and enough sleep. While she ran the tests, she always checked if there was someone else in the mirror.
Agatha was embittered. She had hoped there would be something wrong with her, maybe a small disease or just an ordinary space tantrum. But she had no symptoms for these types of diseases. The only solution would be, that she was paranoid. But that was just not possible, no, this was unacceptable. She was not able to operate in a hostile environment with paranoia. She began to panic a bit and didn't know what to do. She sat there for three minutes, just thinking what to do now. Her last resort was to rely on her training. She had to inform her commanding officer, that she might be unable to attend the mission. She had to speak to Hallix.
Most of Alpha were sleeping and so she tried to be as quiet as possible when she went to the armory to speak to Hallix. He was testing his equipment, silently speaking with himself, it seemed he was noting numbers. Hearing someone speak was a massive relief, the feeling of being followed -although not going away- wasn't as strong here. She floated to Hallix as quiet as possible. In mid air she turned around to see if there was no one behind her, before she came close to Hallix. He seemed to be done with the testing now, as he stopped noting numbers. She tipped on his shoulder and, very quietly, said: "Sir!"
He seemed to be startled.

[Professor Fenway]

OOC: Yeah, ring is not going to be spun up for quite a while now. Safety precaution.

Hallix looked at Agatha really quickly. He withdrew his hand from his pistol and sighed. "Thought you would be sleeping, Agatha," he said. He looked at the charts in front of him. He felt that he should elaborate. "All our approach vectors are bogus. Vanidan and I have been running scans. Reports and plans have been falsified left and right. If we take this vector, for example," he pointed to one of the lines on the chart, "we'll pass within 500 meters of a very large asteroid orbiting Europa. If we take this vector," he pointed to another one, "we'll dip into an extremely active cryovolcanic area. We'll be shredded." Hallix sighed. "The only vector we can find that won't kill us passes directly over the Scar, and places us in geosynchronous orbit over it." He leaned back in the chair he was strapped to. "But never mind that. What's on your mind?"

[Vinyl]

Having been drifting gently around in the port hydroponics bay, Cecilie decided that watching plants all night would be the least interesting of the options present. Besides, she sort of wanted to check on her gun again.

Cecilie silently slid into the armory. "How intriguing," she added softly during the lull in which Agatha pondered what was on her mind, "first we find an American flag on a missile, then we discover our trajectory is deadly, what's next, a system-wide malfunction and the labeling of this mission a tragedy?"

[Professor Fenway]

"Not out of the question Cecilie," Hallix responded. "We can't trust any information we have anymore."

[Julo]

"Sir, I have to inform you, that my medical condition might restrict me in the coming mission." Agatha couldn't think of a better way to say it. She just hoped, that Hallix wouldn't say: "What do you mean?" Well, *, she had to say the whole truth.
"I have recently noticed symptoms, which can only be described as paranoid. I have the feeling of being watched, or followed." Hallix scrutinized her.
"It could be, that you might not have enough sleep or something like that."
Agatha sighed. She didn't know how to explain it.
"I've run multiple tests on myself, all my bio-stats are okay, I have enough sleep, I'm not ill, I don't have a space tantrum."
"Well, you are being watched by the cameras and there is always someone near you on this ship."
Agatha couldn't understand why Hallix seemed to want to dissuade her out of this. It was almost as if he tried to defend himself.
"Sir, listen, I want you to decide if you can use me down there, even with these symptoms. If you don't allow it, I will stay on the ship and try to help wherever I can from up here."

[Professor Fenway]

Hallix held a hand to his temple. Briefly. He raised his head slightly. "I know," he said.

"Sir, I don't understand."

"Please don't call me sir," Hallix responded, a slight hint of annoyance in his voice. "I have the same feeling. Earlier in the armory, I felt certain that somebody was pressing a gun to my neck. But there was nobody there." There was a moment of silence. "I think someone's fucking with us, aliens or otherwise. I was hoping it was just me, but it seems I was wrong."

[Error]

Ash stuck her head around the door.

"Hate to interrupt, but systems sweeps of the dropship and both fighters show clean. Physical inspection concurs, thouh I'd like to look over the engines more thoroughly."

[Professor Fenway]

"Thanks Ash," Hallix said. "Look over the engines if you want, but get some rest. We won't have any problems for the next 8 hours." Ash raised an eyebrow.

"Didn't that drone sneak up on us?"

"We still detected it, just wrote it off as an asteroid. Nothing we can see right now is coming within a hundred kilometers of us."

[cats]

Reid awoke and tore the blade from his chest. His hand came away empty save for a fresh bruise courtesy of the storage room wall he had struck in his panic. His uniform bore no indication of any trauma, no crimson stain. Probing through the fabric, he felt only the fading scar of an injury from years past. Dreams hadn't bothered him for years, they'd stopped even before mandatory counseling. The wall drifted away as Reid caught his breath. He had slept for more than a few hours; luckily he had gotten most of his tinkering done before sleep befell him. Hearing nearby voices, he attempted to push his way through the debris field that had been slowly growing around him since he had started working. He exited the cramped storage room and entered the armory.

"...But it seems I was wrong."

Halix's voice sounded muffled. Reid popped his ears.

Ash interrupted, "Hate to interrupt, but systems sweeps of the dropship and both fighters show clean. Physical inspection concurs, thouh I'd like to look over the engines more thoroughly."

"Thanks Ash. Look over the engines if you want, but get some rest. We won't have any problems for the next 8 hours."

"Didn't that drone sneak up on us?"

"We still detected it, just wrote it off as an asteroid. Nothing we can see right now is coming within a hundred kilometers of us."

Reid knocked softly on an air duct. He noticed a few glances in his direction.

"Sleep well?" Someone inquired.

"Well enough, it was the waking up..." Reid trailed off. "Anyone know where Sasha might be?"