I exit the double doors to see a small transport landing on the pad. Val stands next to me, shielding her eyes from the morning sun. The ship touched down and the back ramp opened up. One single person stepped out and stood there in front of us, a single canvas bag slung over her shoulder as she stared at us with her dark black eyes. Her short purple hair seemed to grow brighter in the light, but her stocky frame and well kept appearance is what threw us off. She looked like a front line specialist, so what was she doing here.
"We gunna stand here in a standoff or you gunna show me my quarters?" She says after the ship takes off. I proceed by introducing myself and Val, but she seemed to be distant. I escort her in and show her where she was staying. It was across the hall from Liz and near Angelina, so I would hardly run into her. She gave me the creeps.
"I'm Dorothy." She says suddenly, thrusting her hand out. I shake and nod, wincing inwardly as her anaconda grip grinds my knuckles. She tours around the place as I go back out to grab Liz's gear that the medics left on the pad. After stacking it in the armory lockers in order, I head back to the communications room where Val and Dorothy were conversating.
"So what you do to get put here?" Val asked as I enter the room. Dorothy didn't even look at me as I passed her to access the panels.
"They didn't like my compulsive call to action. Every time I see a Tech Walker, I have to beat it down."
"Tech Walker?"
"My little nickname. That's all they are, walkin computers hell bent on destroying us."
"Fair enough. I call them target practice."
They go back and forth like this for the next half hour as I read the mission briefing. We get a new recruit and they already gave us a mission, so that tends to through a little wrench in my calculations for a successful mission. Although I should probably stop doing that because the conclusion always ends the same way. Something important gets blown up that delays our progress, or some important intel gets burnt to a crisp by an unexpected incineration. I activate the recon drones and set them around the base, prepping them once the mission was a go.
I turn around to address my squadmates, only to be ignored. They were so intent in their conversation about the color of the Cagnors' insides that they don't even hear me talking to them.
"Uhhhh, guys? We have another mission to do and we only got a few hours before our window closes." They finally stop and pay attention. Not really, more like conversate about it.
"So why are we doing this? Delta could do a better job at this while we can go do a search and destroy op." Val asks, which I shake my head.
"The Cags won't be there for long and no other squad can get there in time. We are the closest and even then it will be a quick mission. All we have to do is see what the Cagnors are up to, document our discovery, and report back to command." Dorothy raised an eyebrow.
"Document? The fuck are we, white suit punies? I'm here to kick ass, not sit on it."
"We have our orders." I add weakly, hoping it would help. I does as she rolls her eyes and walks out. I breath better as Val follows after her. I call in a vehicle drop and wait for the two of them to prep up. Whilst in the process of programming the drones to station themselves in the land rover, Val's voice chirps over the communicator.
"Hey is my rifle in the third or fourth locker from the left? None of them are reading my code."
"What is your code?"
"4348."
"Your code is 3448, Val." A slight pause as I hear few beeps followed by a release lock.
"Thanks." She says as she loads up the weapon. I finish getting the drones calibrated as I see them heading out to the vehicle. I check comms to make sure they could hear me and see them tear off into the distance with Val on the wheel. I check their body cams and open up the relay towers. Several pings came straight from the location marked in the mission parameters. Good, the targets are still in the vicinity of insertion.
"The Cagnors haven't moved from their last position, so it should be a simple operation. The radar isn't picking up any armored support, so they should only be escorted by armed guards. Remember, Observe and report. We got a small window and we don't know when they will be leaving so be on guard."
"Roger roger." Val replies with a heavy blast of wind ripping through the communicator. She had the windows rolled down again, mainly because she likes to feel the wind in her hair. That or she is trying to hide a scent from Dorothy. It was obviously the second option as I hear her disgust over the comms. I smile as she gripes at Val, Val denying the fact, and a full blown arguement carrying on for a few minutes.