Arisen: A New Mystery [M] (IC)

[Aureyon]

Rated M for Mature themes that may include, but are not limited to; Gore, Nudity, Sexual Situations, Death, Vulgarity and Profanity.

OOC (http://role-player.net/forum/showthread.php?t=52620 )
http://i.imgur.com/S2QBjR1.png

Atlantis, Above Mariana's Trench; Pacific Ocean: 8:57 PM EST

The ocean roiled in turmoil and anger, swells fifty feet high rolled across the surface smashing against the fabled city that had risen from the depths, Atlantis. The city itself seemed to be aglow with an ethereal blue that seemed to only further the menacing feel that the city gave off standing alone amidst the angry waters of the Pacific; and yet, through the roaring of the wind and waves chanting could be heard, almost as if the voices were part of the winds itself. The language that carried with the wind was not of the modern age, nor of any known to modern men, it was the language of sacrifice, of death, and of rebirth; there was something dark happening in Atlantis and it had something to do with that mysterious chanting that echoed across the currents of the wind.

U.S.S Atlantica; Mid-Pacific, 10 miles southeast of Atlantis: 10:00 AM EST

“The U.S.S. Atlantica is a modern beauty, fitted with the most modern of digital technology and even some handy military grade defenses.”, Captain John Hawkins spoke with a tone thickly layered with pride. It was clear by this mans tone of voice that he believed his ship to be superior to all others in the US Navy; although that seemed to only be natural amongst a Captain in relation to his ship.

“You can guarantee that your safety will be ensured aboard this vessel so long as there are men who can operate her. She is the finest in the fleet and the pride and joy of the Research division. She has been many places and even in the midst of war zones and has barely received a scratch. She's a tough one, she is.” the Captain voiced again before turning to the assembled team of scientists and soldiers that were part of an expeditionary force concocted by NATO to counter the rising threat of war in the Eastern half of the world between two of the worlds most powerful countries, Russia and China.

“Right then, You've been chosen as the select few to investigate the rise of Atlantis and to attempt to find any traces of the Chinese or Russian navy that disappeared a few weeks ago once within range of that damned city. If you ask me, what lays beneath the ocean belongs there; it sank for a reason...”, the Captain trailed off with his eyes glazing over as if deep in thought.

“Right, as the good captain was saying, You are a team assembled to research and gather the needed information about Atlantis and to find evidence that the Russian and Chinese fleets made it to Atlantis in the first place. As you may well know war is on the brink of erupting and threatens to tear this world as we know it apart unless we can figure out this mystery.”, a primp and proper blonde haired woman dressed in a white labcoat and black pumps spoke with an authoritative tone. Her name was Dr. Alice Merryweather, and she was the lead researcher on the U.S.S Atlantica, who had various PhD's in various field of study, which made her a valuable asset to the US Navy and ultimately the expedition itself.

“I do not know what awaits you in Atlantis, nor what will happen once we are within range of city, but I can tell you this; The fate of the entire world is on your shoulders, should you fail in this mission, so too will the world fall into chaos and destruction.”, she paused before adding, “No pressure though. Any questions?”, she finished and stood back awaiting to see if any of the assembled group had questions or concerns.

[xxthebeast11xx]

John listened to the Captain and Doctor with a great attentive look. He wondered what they would be up against and where exactly will they be searching. He was a good Archaeologist but he did not know why they would need him. The best he would be able to do is search, he was just so curious as to why he was one of the few chosen. Something weird was going on and he just hoped he would see his family again. Before he had left, he promised Mary and Rick he would be back soon but his wife doubted. He has had the shakes the whole time since he boarded the ship because something caused these ships to disappear and it could easily happen to them. "Yes, I have a question, three actually. Where exactly will we be searching, is there any known threats yet, and what do you need an Archaeologist for?"

[Scottie]

Lara fiddling with a small leather book in her lap as the captain spoke. Being surrounded by military personal was heightening both her panicking nature and her curiosity. ‘Why on earth would they need a handful of Archaeologists’ She thought as she raised an eyebrow at the Captain.

‘Atlantis’ Her eyes grew wide.. ‘But thats just a myth’ She tried to keep a calm composure but inside she was bursting for excitement, she hoped dearly it wouldn’t be another wild goose case like she had already been on in the sewers of Rome. It was obvious that the Captain was not pleased with their orders.
A blonde woman appeared, she was dressed in a pristine white lab coat, she spoke with authority and confidence. Lara tried to force a small smile on her face, she listened intensely, still clutching the small book until her knuckles turned white.
Her mouth dropped open ‘the fate of the entire world.. Shit’ She glanced around at those who had also been summoned, having spent most of her time in her room, she had never met the others who had been brought aboard.

The man beside her spoke loudly, she instantly knew him as American. ‘Archaeologist... at least I’m not alone’. Her head buzzed with questions but mouth wasn’t for budging, she would not speak in front of such a large crowd, especially the large military personal who seemed to be watching them with smirks. She looked down at her lap, wishing that her curiosity hadn't gotten the best of her and that she was still home curled up in her warm flat.

[Defiled Cross]

The soldier leaned against the back wall, listening intently as both the Captain and Doctor gave their take on the present situation. While it was not his directive to solve any mysteries or uncover ancient artifacts, the information presented could prove useful in his attempt to safeguard the scientists who would be tasked with the aforementioned. Michael raised a brow at the "world-saving" bit, however. While not necessarily agreeing with the statement, the ever loyal soldier would not voice such to a superior. Besides, it wouldn't be his shoulders burdened by fate, his conscience stained with failure.

He absently toyed the Zippo lighter in his pocket as dark eyes scanned the other members of the party. While scarce on firepower, the party was fairly small in number, making it easier to monitor and protect with less guns. Still, Michael did not like working with so few, preferring the 'strength in numbers' ideology over the quality verses quantity argument.

Ears perked at the Archeologists' questions, nodding his head in agreement to the first two. His initial briefing was rushed, the same queries running through his own mind for more than some time.

[Aureyon]

William sat silently, listening to the briefing from both the Captain and the Doctor, and if his calculations were correct they were nearing Atlantis. His nerves were on high and it made him all the more aware of his surrounding and the goings on of those around him. The excitement he had for what was coming was something that he could barely contain, and the fact that a myth had become reality was even more exciting for him. He had been designated as the leader of the researcher division of the expedition.

He looked up to the stage and nodded as the Doctor signaled for him to come up, and introduce himself to the members in the audience. This was the part that was the hardest for him, and the having to speak in front of rather large audiences, whilst he was able to do it fairly well, it wasn't the easiest of things that he had done in his forty-five years of life. He made his way to the front of the audience and cleared his throat before speaking,

"Yes, well, as the good doctor said, We are needed to investigate the strange occurrences surrounding Atlantis and to find the ships that went missing. Of course there are things that have been withheld from the general public, however those assembled in this room are not of the general public and I trust that what I am about to each of you will remain with us and not find its way to the general public.", he paused before beginning again, "The Chinese received a transmission just yesterday at 10:56 AM from one of their lost ships, and in that transmission was something that disturbs us greatly. If you'll take a moment of silence to listen to the transmission that will be played for you..."

This (http://youtu.be/C5oYmgIEzfo)

As the recording finished, and the chanting faded, the room held an icy and unnatural feeling almost as if the chanting that still echoed on the ears of those present had summoned something dark and sinister. The hairs on the arms and necks of those assembled stood on end and chills ran through their bodies; outside the light of the sun seemed to dim and thunder rumbled in the distance foretelling of dark things to come.

Another moment's pause before he began speaking again, "As I stated we trust that this information will not be shared with the general public because it is likely to incite fear and riot amongst the masses. You all felt the power of the chant flood through each of you just now. It is something dark, and something sinister, something that we cannot understand. It is the groups main priority to be cautious and wary of what is in this ancient city; for it may not be entirely human.", William finished and took his place amongst the crowd once again.

[Jarms48]

The accommodations of the U.S.S Atlantica was nothing to gawk at, rows of small barracks with a pair of double bunks on either flank. Trent was lucky, as a guest he was permitted a room to himself, and seeing as nobody had called him up to the deck, he assumed he wasn't required. With that in mind, Trent flicked on his bunks light, kicked his legs up and pulled out a book. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, a story he treasure, and found somewhat appropriate. He pulled open the cover, and navigated to his spot.

"Atlantis." He worded to himself. Almost beyond disbelief. This would have been the biggest scientific discovery since the advent of steam, electricity, motorised vehicles, flight. But all Trent could think about was the dangers that be, he wasn't cleared for the information but he overheard stories from the crew. The Chinese and Russians at each other throats, missing fleets, whole lists of unknowns. Why were they sending the brains in first? Why not the marines? Why not secure, green light before the scientists moved in? Everything about this mission seemed off to him, the tone, the feelings down his spine.

This maybe his only refuge for a long time, it would have been nice to have some form of company, though he was never the one to make friends quickly. Never had the courage, never could say the right things, was he really so awkward? No. That wasn't it, just lacking in words, to quiet for his own good.


* * * * *

The captain had drawn him out of his own thoughts, time and time again he sat pondering the possibilities. He looked around took in the faces around him, noted their features, read their name tags. Judged their professions and fields from their appearances. He feigned a cough, cleared his throat, he had developed a retort as he politely listened to the mans brief.

"I don't believe the state of the world rests in our hands. I understand the situation, but suggesting we could enter conflict thanks to scientific discovery is half-handed. I solely believe the United Nations will place similar sanctions upon Atlantis as they have done for Antarctica or Space. Nobody can claim something that beholds so much cultural significance, the lost city of Atlantis. A myth, a legend, fantasy, and now reality."

"It's just curious isn't it? The nature of man? I suppose wars have been fought over less. Economics has brought us all closer, we live in a global society, a war cannot be fought without logistics. Ceasing trade can effectively halt a country in its tracks, and politicians understand this, I don't think I could ever seen a world war 3. Not over something like this at least, what is there to lose? What is there to gain? And surely, wouldn't the whole world benefit over such a discovery?"


* * * * *

Trent was taken aback from the transmission, a flash of lightning sent a tingle through his spine and brought him back into the world.

"What was that?" He stuttered. Trying to recover his fleeting courage. "I, I doubt that would panic the masses, is the modern world really so blind? Hasn't cinema, media as a whole, prepared us for such comings? The imagination of man is a powerful tool, forging tropes that could save a person in the right circumstance."

[Heson Shadowbane]

Nadia just leaned against a bulkhead in the room with a few other Russians the motherland had deemed to send with her. Mostly soldiers, but some egg heads as well. Even though this was now a multicultural mission, Nadia couldn't speak english that well. She could understand most of it, but speaking it was another thing for her and just say nothing about the chinese language. Needless to say, she'd be relying on a translator to understand the chinese and maybe one to speak with the english speaking people of the mission.

She scoffed loudly at the words that the fate of the world rested in their hands. Sure war was soon to break out over this discovery, hell she even had orders to turn on the others should they find the Russian ships and find signs of sabotage among them to link to the Chinese or the Americans. However, even if they were to become lost in this new place, the war would be centered out at sea around Atlantis for control of such a place. At least that's what she thought would happen at worst case scenario. If the fate of the world truly rested upon them, NATO would've sent a bigger force rather than relying on such a small group such as this. Nadia did not speak up about anything though, if NATO wanted to gamble the world like this then it wasn't her problem.

[Cookies Ahoy]

Corporal Starr Davis was doing routine maintenance on a medical instrument when she saw Sergeant Sanders being carried into the infirmary. He didn't look like he was in much pain, but he did wince from pain every now and then.

As the sergeant passed by, he winked at Starr, "looks like you're up."

She gave him a questioning glance that was only answered by an officer motioning for her near the entrance.

"Sir?" She asked.

The officer gave her a short briefing, then sent her to where the scientists and soldiers where going to be briefed. With a quick salute she left the infirmary. She never thought that being one of two certified combat medics on the ship that she was going to see some action. The thought worried her, she had heard about the missing fleets. Fleets of ships! Now the plan was to send more people into the unknown. Starr thought a better plan would be to hit the whole place with the stockpiles of bombs and missiles the USS Atlantica carried and wipe the mythical city back off the face of the planet.

She quietly slipped into the briefing room, still in her scrubs -the short notice had not given her time to change into fatigues yet. Starr began to take note of the people she would be working with. Scientists, soldiers, and Russians that would be tagging along. Everything about this op seemed odd to Starr, and the sound bite that was played put her on edge. They were marching into complete unknown.

When questions began to rise, Starr kept quiet. Sure she had questions, but right now wasn't the time. Her job was to patch people up and shoot a gun, nothing more. She would have time later with the officer in charge of the operation when they were on their way to shore. She pulled her hair back and leaned against the cold metal wall seeing as all the seats were taken by others.

[Roberts]

Owen sat back in his chair, thinking over in his head, 'great, even though they sound kind of satanic, they are probably way to civilized to do anything bad to us, especially me, I think this will be okay' he repeated this thought over and over again in his head hoping that this would make it be true, "So if we do meet these people, what will be the protocol, what are we to do in the case of contact?" Jake wondered, accidentally saying it out loud.

He started to imagine what they would look like, what this city would look like, if it would be covered in in sea life, or if it would be some how free of any sign the corrosive powers of the sea, if their writings would be similar to anything the modern world had, if they would have paper, or if everything would be chiseled into stone, would they even have writing. all these thoughts poured into his head and were scattered when he heard thunder in the far off distance.

[SpiritsBane]

Syria stood, leaning against the wall as she listened to the captain speak to them, than the professor. She frowns thoughtfully as she listened to this 'speech.' She sighs mentally, they had to be over exaggerating. No one group could hold the fate of the world on their shoulder's. Her face remained emotionless as she looked around at the people, eyeing the men cautiously. She was snapped out of her thoughts as a man of their group spoke. She frowns as she listened to the recording, not liking the reaction it gave her at all.

Sy quickly shook off the feeling and looked at the man as he spoke his mind, asking questions. 'how predictable. Scientists are too curious for their own good...' She thought to herself, but looked at the other man as he asked what protocol would be used. This question, however, she had to agree with. What were they supposed to do against any natives they ran into? She looked around, wondering who would be the one to answer this question.

[xxthebeast11xx]

John listened as another man spoke He's not supposed to tell any one? His wife and son are going to pounc him with questions when he gets back. IF he gets back. As soon as the recording finsished John got the shivers. What the hell was that? He thought to himself and decided that they may not come back. They still never answered his questions either, "Do you guys have any intel on this chanting? I guess what I am try to ask is, what the hell is it?" John said, although he really didn't want answers.

[The Texan Queen]

Carrie stood amongst the group of people and listened to the Captain and the blonde woman speak. She had heard the rumors of the mythical land Atlantis but now that she was reassured of its existence she smiled. She remembered watching a movie about Atlantis when she was little and it totally blew her away and if this mysterious new world was anything like the movie then they were in for a treat. She was slightly nervous though with the big element of the unknown looming over their heads, but it was also exciting! She glanced over at Dr. William and smiled at him, she was so grateful he convinced her University to let her go on this expedition. When the time came for William to speak she leaned over and whispered, “Good luck!” and watched him make his way to the stage to give his piece of information. She couldn’t wait to see everyone’s reaction to the recording they had discovered. Carrie remembered the first time she heard it, it sent chills down her spine and made her stomach turn. After replaying and replaying the tape she had gotten used to the strange language that was on the tape and the creepy feeling had gone away. Looking around at everyone to see their reaction she could tell they understood the seriousness of the situation and she hoped they would act appropriately and keep this a secret like they were instructed.

Carrie wanted to speak up so badly but she didn’t feel like it was her place to explain to everyone what they believe the recording meant. She didn’t want to take away from William since it was his information to find. She was just lucky enough to be standing there with everyone. She pulled out her spiral note book from her bag and reviewed her notes from their studies. Even though William would explain everything she liked to go over her notes to make sure she didn’t miss anything and that she understood everything perfectly.

[Aureyon]

U.S.S Atlantica; 500 meters South East of Atlantis; 11:30 AM EST.

William had expected the questions to come after people had heard the tape, and many attempted to mask the fear, written on their faces as plain as words on a page, with fearlessness and mock courage. He admired them for at least attempting to ease the feeling that had settled over the room like a blanket covering a child, a feeling of dread and foreboding, It wouldn't matter how many times he listened to the recording, it still wouldn't make him feel any more comfortable than he had when he had heard it the first time.

“Slowly, and one at a time please. Your questions will be ans-”. about the time that William had gotten the word 'answer' out of his mouth, a massive thunderclap echoed across the interior of the ship, the inside of the ship itself vibrating from the intensity of the thunderclap, and he turned to the windows and his features altered to that of question and a latent fear. The sky was darkening and Atlantis could be seen in the distance, the seas pounding angrily upon it's dark, algae infested towers, though it still held an ancient beauty that could not be taken away by the elements.

Just as everything inside seemed to recover form the thunderclap, the alarms on the ship began to blare loudly, an alarm that signaled they were under attack. There was no time to react before the ship was hit from the side by an unseen force, and people were knocked from their seats and standing positions, falling to the floor with force.

William fell from the small platform and onto the solid ground, whereupon his breath was knocked from him, and his vision darkened temporarily. He pushed himself up, holding heavily, onto the platform to steady himself, and just as he did so, another massive lurch threw the ship off course entirely and heading directly for the city itself.

As the ship drew closer to the city, the weather seemed to grow angrier, and an opaque, shimmering wall-like structure could be me made out if one looked closely.

“Brace for Impact!”, the helmsman's voice rolled across the whole ship through the speakers that provided ship-wide transmission. However, no impact came, instead they seemed to pass right through the shimmery wall, and into what appeared to be a harbor that led directly to the city docks.

What was even more, eerie and unnerving, was the fact that no sounds could be heard at all, not even the blaring of the alarms, that still flashed, very much active. It was as if a silence had been placed upon the ship and everything within Atlantis, and even the speakers went silent, as all forms of communications died out immediately.

It was then that William stood up, blood streaming down his forehead, from a gash that had been knocked in from his head meeting the sharp end of the platform. He stood up in the center of the room, despite the dizziness that threatened to overwhelm him, and asked,

“Is anyone hurt? Does anyone need any immediate medical attention?”, he heavy voice echoing across the silence of the room as the people began to recover from what had just happened.

[Defiled Cross]

Michael shook his head in an attempt to dispel the uneasy feeling of fear, its cold, icy fingers running along his spine. With some success, he managed to hide any trace of it from his visage, a trick he had learned from both the military, and growing up in his house.

He was nonetheless relieved when the Doctor turned the recording off, hoping the ensuing answers would quell the remaining fright in the pit of his stomach, hand instinctively resting on the grip of the Sig Sauer at his hip.

His questions, unfortunately, would not be answered...

...at least not by words. As the deafening clap of thunder boomed around the ship, the Lieutenant crouched against the wall in time to avoid being knocked from his feet as the impact floored his cooperatives.

As quickly as the threatening movement and noise came, it left, the air that hung around them unnaturally quiet in its wake. What the f**k, he thought to himself, dark eyes scanning the destroyed room and assessing the company's damage.

He swung the strap that held his rifle into reach, grabbing it firmly in both hands until knuckles turned white, shaking his head as an answer to the Doctors question.

[Scottie]

A man appeared on stage and Lara peered at the man, the face tugged in her mind, when she realised who it was and a grin had appeared on her face, Dr William Johnston pressed play on a tape and the room was filled with shrieks. Startled slightly, she gripped the small leather notebook in her hands feeling like her fingers were going to break, the noises sent shivers up her spine and she felt fear course through her body.

The tape was stopped and Lara snapped out of her trance, glancing at those around her. Williams began to speak again and she turned her mind buzzing with questions from before and new ones from the presence of the tape. She nodded slightly as he began to speak when suddenly a massive thunderclap echoed throughout the ship, it felt as if the ship itself was vibrating she looked around her with wide eyes. She stopped at the windows to her right and her mouth hung open, the sky was darkened but against the darkness a great city could be seen, towers were smashed by waves and there was an ethereal feel to it.

She was brought back to reality when alarms began, Lara felt incredibly out of place as many of the soldiers around her leapt into action moving swiftly around, keeping herself firmly in her seat she made herself appear smaller. She turned to view the city again when she was thrown full force from her chair.

Her notebook went flying forward as she threw out her hands to catch herself, she was too late and her face made contact with the hard steel flooring, pain soared through her nose and she blinked rapidly as her sight went in and out of focus. Just as she pushed her head from the ground another force hit the ship and she slid forward unable to stop herself as she crashed against the wall opposite her, she turned at the last moment and crashed hard against her shoulder.

As the attacks stopped she pushed herself up from the wall, one hand leaning on the wall the other holding her nose trying to stop the blood. Her head spun and her vision kept blurring but she was certain they passed through a wall or something, focusing her eyes she froze. They were inside the city, well in the docks, as she held herself upright the entire ship went silent as if everyone on board was filled with the same awe as her.

Williams stood and glanced around the room, Lara nodded briefly as best she could, she would be fine, she wasn’t going to be dragged away from the sight before her just yet.

[The Texan Queen]

Carrie was waiting eagerly for William to respond when suddenly the loud thunderclap interrupted him. She jumped slightly in her seat and let out a small yelp of surprise. Her eyes drifted to the sea and noticed that they were about to enter into Atlantis and suddenly she felt very unprepared and scared. They had been studying this place for weeks but she just couldn’t seem to rationalize all the information in her head to calm her down. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she knew her eyes were wide with fear as she looked at the looming landscape ahead of them. Her eyes drifted back to the stage and she looked at William for reassurance and as their eyes met something hit the ship with a powerful force sending her flying from her seat.

The sirens jolted her foggy mind back to what was going on and she looked around at everyone collecting themselves. Her head was ringing loudly and it seemed that her heart was now in her head since it had a constant thump to it. Gently place a hand on her head she felt the sticky liquid and quickly brought her hand to her meet her foggy gaze and she groaned. Carrie frowned and then had a look of confusion on her face; she tasted blood. Touching her lip she realized it was spilt open and she had bit the shit out of her tongue. The sudden silence made her jump more than the thunderclap did from earlier. It was like everything was muted on the ship. This was getting intense pretty quick. William’s voice broke the unnerving silence and she forced herself to her feet.

“If I could get something to wipe this blood off that would be great.” She grumbled and made her way to the stage tenderly.

[Roberts]

When the thunderclap hit Owen almost fell from his chair, already on edge from the recording, then the ship rocked Owen fell back and hit his head, seeing double everything he went to get up when the second impact occurred, propelling him forward launching him into a jumble of chairs where he almost got stabbed, and instead got a charlie horse a broken leg of the chair scraped up his arm removing skin in a half inch wide streak 5 inches long holding his arm he gasped out in pain standing up clutching his arm he stumbled to the stage, unable to say anything as he gasped in pain.

[SpiritsBane]

Syria's hand went instantly to the hand gun strapped to her side on her belt at the thunderclap the sounded through the ship, shaking the entire place. She frowned, it had to be close for it to make the ship shake like that. She thought, before the alarms cut off her thoughts, she quickly went to the door leading out into the hall, glancing out the windows as she saw the city. She was then thrown off her feet by the force of the blow at whatever hit the ship and she tripped over the shin-knockers all ships held and twisted in mid-fall to try and save herself, but still slams her shoulder into the floor, a gasp of pain coming from her.

'Better my shoulder than my head...' She thought, wincing as she stood, placing a hand on the door and looking out the window, frowning as she saw the docks of the city. "I don't like this one bit..." She muttered to herself, not licking the eerie silence, always used to the sounds of the night around her or forests or towns from her positions of sniping.

She nods at William's question. "Fine." She says, she would probably had some trouble with her shoulder, but she went to help the others, always having carried a small, first aid kit wherever she went. She put it on the table, glancing at who's wounds were the most server. "Anyone else know first aid or is a medic?" She asks, she knew a bit, as she was often on her own on missions and had to take care of her own wounds and injuries, but not as much as a person trained to.

[Cookies Ahoy]

As if her nerves weren’t already at the point of breaking, the blaring sirens were all Starr needed to lose it. She kept her calm though, just in time to be tossed across the room after the ship rocked violently. Luckily, a burly Russian soldier stopped her from colliding with any sharp or hard surfaces. She huffed, then examined the soldier. He was unconscious, but fine.

Starr grabbed a medical kit that was strapped to the wall and got to work. A few other doctors had made their way up to William, the head doctor of this exploration. He had a rather nasty gash from a collision with a desk.

“Doctor,” Starr said, taking a calm tone, “please sit down.”

When she had sat William down, Starr began to clean the wound on his head, gently applying an alcohol wipe. The cleansing sting was probably rather bearable considering the shock many would experience from the sudden events that had happened.

Head injuries were always scary. They bled a lot due to the amount of blood that is at the head, but worse than that was the unseen damage. The brain could be affected and damaged without any noticeable exterior damage.

As Starr began applying a thick coating of liquid bandaging, she asked, “Doctor, how do you feel? Are you dizzy? Are you experiencing any numbness?"

The operation hadn't even begun and already things had gone awry. Starr just kept a straight calm face as she worked, trying not to let other emotions get in the way of her primary concern, the health and safety of the crew.