Board Thread:Roleplaying/@comment-5543592-20160108000841/@comment-5543592-20160111002314

"You think he cares?" Reynolds asked, leaning against the rocket's far wall.

"What do you mean?" Stockings replied, glancing over at him. Stockings had a bandage on the back of his head, from where one of the blows had bruised his skull.

"About Webb.  Do you think he cares about him?" Reynolds explained. The two marines were side by side, Stockings seated and Reynolds leaning, as they watched Carter. The Sergeant Major probably knew they were looking at him, but he didn't seem to care. He was staring down at the ground, focused on the chip in his hand.

"Of course he cares.  Webb was part of the squad.  He'd have to care."

Reynolds frowned. "You know what they say about him?"

Stockings glanced up at Reynolds. "What?"

"That he's not even human.  He's a secret government project, engineered to be the perfect soldier."

Stockings rolled his eyes.

"No, really, I heard it from an officer.  It makes sense.  Think about the things we've seen the Sarg do, the thing we know he can do.  He's not even human half the time.  And he always finishes his missions.  I don't think he's got a singled booked failure."

"He seems pretty human to me, Reynolds." Stockings said dryly. "And he does care.  He risked his life for me, and carried me all the way to safety."

"Doesn't mean anything.  He was facing down some girl.  If you were held hostage by a Mechanized Trooper, you can garuntee he'd use you as bait to get the kill."

Carter suddenly looked up, eyes locking onto Reynolds and Stockings. The two fell silent immediately, staring at the Sergeant Major with cautious eyes. He walked over to them, easily half a foot taller than each, and they said nothing as he met their eyes calmly, an unreadable expression on his face. He reached out, and with a flat palm, slammed something into Reynolds' chest, before lowering his arm and walking past the two into the cockpit.

Reynolds held his hand to catch the object as it fell into his palm. It was a pair of dogtags that had the name "WEBBS, KEVIN" stamped into them.



Carter entered the cockpit, plopping down in the co-pilot seat, next to Gunnery Officer Adams.

"The other kids giving you a hard time, Sarg?" Adams asked, his eyes on the controls as he brought the rocket into the Quetzel docking bay.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">Carter said nothing. Reynolds and Stockings had no idea that his implants had easily heard what they were saying. Not that he had cared, what they had said wasn't all false. But Carter did care. He just did a good job of hiding it.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"It's alright, they'll warm up to you eventually, sir.  Hell, I did, right?  Even if you're awful company."

<p style="font-weight:normal;">Carter glanced over at the pilot. "What do you think?" He asked, his voice as thick as always, making his true feelings impossible to know.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"Me?"

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"Yeah."

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"I think you'd've done all you could Sarg, short of throwing yourself in front of 'im."

<p style="font-weight:normal;">Carter just nodded, before looking away.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">

<p style="font-weight:normal;">He made his way to Admiral Joseph Howard, who was standing on the bridge, surveying a holographic battle map. He wore military fatigues with the shleves rolled up, and his cap was securely fassened onto his head. He surveyed the scene with a furrowed brow and folded amrs, one finger thoughtfully bridging his lip.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">Carter stopped a few feet from the Admiral, and saluted, standing at attention.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">The Admiral glanced over. "At ease, Sergeant Major." Carter relaxed. His helmet rested underneath one of his arms, and he let the other hang loosely by his side.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"Did you recover your objective?" The Admiral asked.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">The Sergeant reached into his pouch and held up the data chip.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"I did, sir.  I'm not certain what it does."

<p style="font-weight:normal;">The Admiral took it, and slid it into a familar looking input on the holotable.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"I'm about to show you." Suddenly, the swirling mass of data he'd seen back at the Soviet Station appeared.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"This is an A.I, Sergeant Major." The Admiral said, both officers observing the twisting blue light in front of them. "This is the data it contains.  It's been a Soviet project for years now, and we've been waiting for an opportunity to seize it.  It was obviously imparative we stop them from achieving this level of technology."

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"Are you going to destroy it, sir?" Carter asked, his face impassive.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"Destroy it?" The Admiral glanced to Carter. "No, I'm not going to destroy it.  I want to download it onto the Quetzel."

<p style="font-weight:normal;">Carter perked up at that, meeting the Admiral's gaze, thinking to what had happened when he'd tested it out. Suddenly his conversation with the woman made a lot more sense. But she had seemed so confused. Had she not known what she was?

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"I'd advise against that sir."

<p style="font-weight:normal;">The Admiral nodded. "And you'd be right to do so.  I want to field test it first.  Since it's your find, soldier, you're going to do the honors."

<p style="font-weight:normal;">Carter raised a brow. "Me, sir?"

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"Yes, you.  If this A.I can be of any use, then it's best left with you.  Not only are you best we have, chances is are this will make your effectiveness multiply.  You put it into your Red Sight when you were transporting it?"

<p style="font-weight:normal;">Carter nodded. "Affirmative, sir."

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"Well do so again, perhaps go on a misson run with it, and tell me if you think it's military applicable." The Admiral said, ejecting the chip and extending it to Carter, who took it, and put it back in his pouch.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"Yes, sir."

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"Dissmissed." The Admiral said, turning back to the holotable that was a map once again.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">Carter saluted, and then walked off.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">

<p style="font-weight:normal;">Daniel moved closer, altering his motion so that'd brush against her every now and then, but fluid enough as to not interupt her own movement.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">

<p style="font-weight:normal;">The Captain Lieutenant nodded to Petra, and departed.