Board Thread:The Mech Bay Bar'n'Grill/@comment-24930445-20140526230330/@comment-24866242-20140607011136

Sandra glanced out the front of the cockpit glass as she ran through her preflight checklist. The load lifter was maneuvering a pallet of equipment towards the Darwin's open cargo bay. Korbin had insisted on accompanying them and he was making a nuisance of himself in the Vextis' shuttle bay, generally getting in the way of the crews working the floor and chiding the load operator about the sensitivity of the equipment on the pallet. Eventually Jarrid showed up and gently guided the scientist out of her line of sight towards the ramp under the starboard gun pod.

She shook her head and triggered her comm circuit. "Vextis Control, this is Darwin. Requesting flight plan verification and launch window update."

A burst of static filled the compartment before the squelch kicked in. She glanced up at the windows of the control room above the launch bay and saw a figure adjusting the microphone on his headset.

"Darwin, your flight plan has been recorded and verified. The launch pattern is clear for the next fifteen minutes. You are clear to launch as soon as your cargo is secure."

"Thank you Control." The load lifter was pulling away from the front of the ship now, the pallet deposited in the cargo bay. She heard the whir of the bay door motors kicking in and noted the green light appear on her board when the doors clamped shut.

A moment later Ben entered the cockpit from the ramp behind her. "Cargo is secure," he told her as he dropped into the right hand seat, quickly running through the much shorter copilot's checklist.

"How's our passenger?" Sandra asked, finishing up her last checks.

"Overly excited. Jarrid is getting him settled. Familiarizing him with the sensors I think."

Sandra nodded then pointed at someone out on the launch bay floor. "Someone here for you I think."

Ben followed her gesture and nodded, seeing Kat striding towards the ship. "Must be here to see us off," he assumed. He stowed the checklist and climbed back out of his chair, touching her shoulder as he passed. She touched his hand in response and a moment later she saw him meet Kat below. The pair of them walked past the cockpit toward the ramp.

“I dinnae like this,” Kat told him as they climbed the ramp. “Krita should go. Better defended.”

Ben shook his head, “We’ll be fine. Darwin is a small ship. We’ll avoid detection, even without a cloak. Besides, Jarrid and I have been there. We know what we’re getting in to.”

“The Scarab would b’better equipped for it then,” she insisted. “Tis wha’ I built her for.”

“The Scarab’s not built for combat though.” Ben argued. “Science ship.” It wasn’t said disdainfully, by any means, just matter-of-fact. “I don’t expect to get in a fight but the Darwin is at least built for it if we do. And she’s got better sensors than we’ll need.”

Kat scowled, looking around at the inside of the ship for the first time in a few years. “Ye’ already put yer stamp on her, I’ll give ye’ that.” A few years before, Kat had practically picked the ship out, telling Tarin exactly what qualities she was looking for. Tarin had fulfilled all requirements with the Darwin but the ship had not been utilized the way Kat had hoped until now.

“Y’ should be bringin’ more people then.” She wasn’t prepared to let him go without a fight, and he hadn’t taken the hint yet.

Ben peered at her, a little smile at the corners of his mouth. “You could come yourself,” he told her. “Place is right up your alley. Ancient civilization, lost to time… We could delay launch long enough for you to pack.”

“No need,” she told him before sticking her fingers in her mouth and whistling down the ramp loud enough to make Ben wince. One of the deck techs came up the ramp a moment later, carrying her bag. “Put it in there,” she told him, pointing at the door across the hall from the ramp to the cockpit. She grinned at Ben. “Tell Jarrid he’s bunking wi’Korbin.” She followed the man into the common room, leaving Ben shaking his head.

“Sandy!” he called. “We just picked up another passenger!”

They waited long enough for the deck tech to disembark, then closed the hatches.