If all you told was turned to gold, If all you dreamed was new

caribbeanblve : if every man says all he can, if every man is true. do I believe the sky above, is caribbean blue?

high muses

jade winthrope

emeric claiborne

sybil claiborne

gloria mancini

Thirty minutes is a lifetime when on alien earth. Or so the joke would have come out of Cam's mouth if he wasn't hearing that distress message. From where's standing that sounds bad. Quickly he's learning when Rhett sounds like he's tryna haul ass from a problem it's a MAJOR problem. "Read you, Cap. We're experiencing some heavy wind. Visibility low. We're at the secondary zone."

Meaning he has no clue about mission time. He's not one of the scientists. Even Dr. Tran, going over some interesting rocks that's she's shoveling into her container satchel, is at the mercy of Claiborne. And Jade's supposed to be running the show. They all knew the truth. Weyland sent him as the rep didn't they?

"Captain," Maya's voice broke through the loud wind. Their suits are protecting them but these are not made for environmental shear if it grows stronger. They need to head back to the tank or- "I'm monitoring the situation. With my transponder. The planet's weather is increasing as Ms Lane informed us. I'll check in with the rest of the team. Get word on mission time."

Chambers flagged them down, leaning against the wind to stay upright. A large gust swept through, bigger than last time. "Look!" She pointed outward towards a horizon too difficult to see. Suddenly it lit up like a thousand Christmas Trees.

Cameron's breath fogged the interior of his helmet. Watching lightning crack through sky like tearing open a hole of pure light; he huffed under his breath. "Shit. Confirmed lightning!"

A flash struck again but this one was ten kilometers out from their position. The booming crack of thunder rocked their world. "Fuck me! Go back to the tank drop off!"

Lighting shattered through the dark. Swirling mist no longer was their issue. The flash lit up Jade's face where she peered out to a distant skyline she normally could not see. Only in that brief moment. She could make out a little of Cameron and Mayta's chatter. It was shifting. Static in places. Communications are having a difficult time now. Yet she heard Rhett. Before anything else, she moved, stuffing a crystallized rock with a vegetative growth on its outer shell inside her container.

"Rhett!" her voice rose as the wind suddenly picked up in their quadrant as well. With visibility so low it was harder to navigate. "We haven't been down long enough but if you are in trouble we can pull out."

"I don't think that's what we're doing, Dr. Winthrope!" The Weyland employee with them, Meyers, yelled at her from a distance of five feet. "That's not what Dr. Claiborne said."

"Dr. Claiborne went to check over that way," her gloved hand motioned towards her left. "Last I checked I am lead scientist. The storm is doing this right now on this planet. What do you think it will do if it collides with them up there?" Who the hell is he to question? Some Yutani grunt who is here just for back up?

"With all due respect, I don't work for you." Meyers scoffed, clearly not listening without the director right there. "And I sure as hell don't work for that freelance captain. So, honey, like I said. That's not what..."

His voice was gone. In an instant. A heavy wind shear blasted through nearly knocking Jade over but she held firm, doubling over to add resistance. A large fragment of rock, possibly granite, swept through. Blown apart from some rocky crevice. It slammed into Meyers, taking him with it, disappearing into the swell of darkness. Jade gasped, breathing heavily as her eyes widened on the sudden violent scene.

"Jade!" Emeric called out to her over the sound. It quickly turned into a freight train. Resembling high velocity winds of a hurricane in many ways. She turned towards his shout. Seeing his suit light on, she tried to focus on getting to him. "Emeric! Meyers, he..." Her head jolted backwards before she could get it out. Her body went down after feeling something hard strike against her helmet. If she wasn't wearing it then it likely would have struck right in her skull. Rocks. Smaller rocks. Pinging and flinging through the wind.

Pushed up onto her knees, eyes focusing on a crack along the glass of her helmet. Her breath began to hasten. "I'm...I'm compromised. My helmet. My helmet's cracked."

Reaching her, Emeric pulled her up by the arm. Turning her to face him, he held onto her through the wind velocity. "Jade, look at me." She was beginning to panic. He could see it in her eyes. Wide green saucers that always reminded him of some distant forest of green. Far more beautiful than anything else. Those same eyes will never lose their spark. He knows they will not.

"My helmet," her voice cracked, grabbing onto him.

"Shh. It's alright. Everything is alright. I have you, Jade." He reached up towards his own.

"What are you...? No!" Jade grabbed his hands. She is not letting him do that. Is he crazy? "Don't you do dare do that again!" A sob caught in her throat before it could fully escape. The fissure on her helmet spread further, a hiss following decompression. A leak in her oxygen line.

Emeric grabbed hold of her helmet. "Breathe. Jade, breathe. Look at me and breathe." His instructions were calmer than expected. Almost as if he were manifesting or perhaps reading the environment. Her line is already compromised. She is only unable to catch her breath because of a panic.

"Listen to me," he held her fast amid the torrent of wind. "You can breathe. Your helmet is already shattered. And you can still breathe." His voice is clear over the comm with her panic. A contrast but a necessary one. The implications are very real. That the atmosphere here is breathable to humans. There is no time to bask in that revelation. He took her by the hand, gripping onto her glove and pulled her through the worst of the tumult. "Break away! North West!" It is away from their tank but it is the only place they may go...for now.

Running the board for diagnostics was looking better than expected. He went through the readings during their descent. It looked like thrusters weren't deploying fully until a jump in the code. His brow furrowed. Looking up at Chambers who was already suited up, he moved to start getting into his own. "Emergency thrusters came online without input." His comm was off currently so he could have some privacy before heading out. A lot of good that's doing with Claiborne hovering. He saw him with Jade. They were good to go with their equipment from what he could tell. No major hiccups.

"This thing could be automated." Chambers offered a solution but she followed his gaze. Fully zipping up, she nudged him slightly. "That your girl? I thought it was the hot mechanic."

"What?" Cam scoffed. "Jade's not my girl. She's my friend. Sister energy, you know. But uh, hot mechanic, huh?"

Chambers smirked. "Call it like I see it."

He laughed. "Yeah, you're right about her. She's hot. I know firsthand."

"Hand or third leg?" Maya interrupted, smiling for once now that everything calmed down. That did not leave her any better. She overheard him mention emergency thrusters. Deployed without input. Could be Weyland has other things hidden away. Even from their so-called top scientists. Only their director appeared to be confident in everything happening.

"Wow, Dr. Tran. Are you calling me a manwhore?"

"I'm calling you something." She teased mildly, shaking her head. Handing him and Chambers two recorders, she instructed them to attach them to the interior of their helmets before putting them on. "Dr. Claiborne. We have the coordinates needed. Jade and I will asses..."

"Jade is coming with me." Emeric interrupted before she dictated any further. The man already dressed himself in the needed gear. Suit and all. He is not to sit idly by. There is a particular zone he must go and bringing Jade is imperative to the operation. "There are several quadrants of this planet that need observation. You may take the ship crew. I am aware Ryan and Chambers have experience. Plus, the navigation skills."

He waited for Maya to push back again. Her presence is meant to bolster their mission. Not hinder. He is seeing clearly how uncooperative she has become. "I understand my absence prior to this has left you feeling a certain way. I assure you everything is in order. Trust Jade on that if not me."

"Maya, it's okay." Overhearing that little disagreement, Jade appeared, ready to depart in that tank. "It's not his fault we almost crashed. Plus, he's right. We have plenty of ground to cover. Going in teams is the logical step." Call it her penchant for diffusing situations but she isn't going to stand there while they basically argue. Nor is she doing to let Emeric simply use her as a crutch. Of course he knew better than that. Although she understood his method.

She shared a look with Cameron that said it all. The bickering is classic Yutani. They can never escape it no matter what. "Comms up. Recorders on. Let's go fly boy. You're up for the tank."

Cameron managed a smile despite the tension. "Oh, I'm all about it. Let's go."

Jade turned her head as the group moved down the aisle to get to the hangar bay where their land vehicle waited. She placed a hand to Emeric's chest to halt him. "Next time Dr. Tran disagrees don't use me as a means to get her to agree."

He studied her face. A serious glint in her lovely eyes reminded him exactly why he loves her. "It was not my intention to do such. I understand you. I apologize."

She pressed lips together. Wanting to let that be enough. "I know. Let me turn on my comm. Turn on yours." Waiting for him to do so, she already had the tiny recorder attached to his helmet. She reached up to put it, securing it on for him. "There. Ready to go."

The man smiled at her through the protective glass. He returned the favor, making sure she was properly secure. No leaks or cause for fracture. "You look ready for space exploration. It suits you, Jade." His voice was clear over the comms now. "Strata Nova. This is Nova one. We are departing from the drop ship. We are splitting into teams. Ryan, Tran and Chambers. Myself, Winthrope and Myers." He nodded to one of the Yutani men who gave a thumbs up.

"Stay safe up there," Jade added into her own comm. Aware of that storm. She attached a satchel to the belt of her suit, a carry on for samples.

Cameron had the tank powered up. He and Chambers back in their positions up front. He turned his body to watch the rest of the crew enter and secure themselves. "Alright. We're leaving this baby in charge of a jumpsuit. So hopefully he doesn't steal it." The joke was dry but needed, especially with the readings he's getting from the planet.

As the ramp lowered, finally opening up to outside forces, there was a distinct wind swirling dust across the landscape. It wasn't too unstable but the planet was clearly already experiencing some back draft from that solar storm. Even so the gears shifted, motorized wheels rolling down the incline steady and secure against the weather. Tread marks in the soil were the first prints of life on this planet. Or so they all thought. "And we're on the ground. Official. All recorders on. You should see visual now, Strata Nova. Keep an eye on us."

Cameron exhaled a sharp breath. Deflating the sails of anxiety, he'd rather not be responsible for killing them all. Thankfully he didn't buckle too much under that tense drop. He looked over to Chambers who seemed to be checking their controls. "She good?"

Chambers nodded. "She's flyable. If we would have landed harder...?"

"Good we didn't." He shifted in his chair, wincing slightly as he unhooked himself. Think he might have actually hit his head on something. Nothing too major just a little bump. "Strata Nova, this is Nova One. We're alive, Cap. Our bird took a beating. The atmospheric drag is like flying straight into concrete. But the thrusters held. We'll be able to get off the planet. Hear that, Bills? I'm okay. I told you I'd be right back."

The sound of Rhett's voice on the comms acted like a tether pulling everything back to reality. Jade reached up to release her harness. Her fingers trembled a little. Something that didn't compute right away. She clearly doesn't like to show when she's bothered by something. Easier to breathe with Emeric's hand steady against her back. His touch steadied her enough. She swallowed, shifting in her seat to face him. Her hands came to rest on his shoulders to know he's solid. Last time something went wrong he was putting her above his safety. She doesn't want a repeat.

"I'm here," Jade spoke out loud, focused on Rhett's voice despite their distance. Her eyes flicked up to the ship's ceiling. As if she could see through to him but they are up there. A long way but close enough. "I'm okay, Rhett. Everyone back here seems to be in one piece. We're all a little shaken but we're on the ground." She didn't say how relieved she was to hear his voice. The softening of her tone carried it across their fluctuating frequency.

She moved to get to her feet, feeling Emeric rise with her. He kept her steady but she was able to stay upright. For a minute she didn't trust her own legs. She pressed a palm to his cheek briefly but turned from him immediately to check the others.

Maya was up by the time Jade weaved into the back. The Xenobiologist watched the Weyland personnel gain their footing. The two men were understandably shook by their near fatal landing. "Are you okay?:"

Jade nodded. "Yeah. I am. You?"

"It's not what I'd expect," Dr. Tran commented, eyes boring into Emeric's head. Why did this almost turn into another Weyland-Yutani disaster?"

Emeric felt Maya's stare. He even turned to make eye contact with the doctor. While doing so he adjusted his earpiece, keeping his communicator more personal. He seemed entirely unbothered by the harrowing descent. "Dr. Claiborne functioning perfectly, Ruby." The authority in his voice added back a layer of control. His eyes moved to Jade studying her posture. She was safe. That is all that mattered. "Thank you for checking status. I appreciate you being my overseer." A hidden meaning, to their secret shared, synthetic now under his careful instruction. "Captain Lawson... Despite the dramatics of the descent crew and ship remain intact. The atmosphere is indeed tempestuous."

"We are precisely where we need to be. We will secure the perimeter and begin our ground assessment immediately. Maintain the open channel," his directions are succinct. Coming from him he is certain Lawson would rather not obey them. However, he is counting on the man doing whatever he can while Jade is down here. "Keep the chatter to a minimum unless the storm alters its trajectory. Jade." He continued, stepping to her. "With me. We will assess our equipment. Dr. Tran, prepare with the rest of the team. We will suit up and exit the ship."

Cameron gripped the flight controls as the drop ship breached the upper atmosphere of LV-462. The ship hit the planet's gravitational pull with a violent shudder, rattling the metal hull and vibrating right through the seats. In his view screen he could make out darkness mostly. A converging of smog over the world they're entering at a fuller throttle than anticipated.

The woman beside him, her name tag suddenly a visible beacon in the chaos, grabbed a lever above her head. She cranked it down. Prompting him to do the same on his side. Inertia dampeners to get this bucket of bolts level with this choppy atmosphere. The mass of darkness swallowed the craft in a haze of shadow. Cam gritted his teeth, adjusting the thrusters to compensate for the heavy atmospheric drag. "Hang on back there... It's gonna be a bumpy ride down! Punch it Chambers." He said to his co-pilot.

Jade felt her body whip forward, caught by the harness holding her into her seat. Her fingers entwined tightly with Emeric's between their seats. A lifeline in a roller coaster plunging through stratosphere into troposphere. Jarring in every sensory perception a person owns. She took a few deep breaths, noting the calm of the man steadying her in place. Emeric didn't appear unsettled by it all. Always cool under pressure, her mentor wasn't one to balk. This is new for them though. They've never done this before. He absorbed every jolt as if it were a fly buzzing around his head.

Maya caught onto the back of the director's chair. Bracing a palm, harness maintaining integrity, she could see Jade's profile. Her complexion had turned paler in their chaotic descent. "Only a little more," the Xenobiologist assured, eyeing Emeric's unyielding grip to Jade's hand. Under other circumstances she may find it sweet. An obvious thing to surmise. It would never have surprised her prior to all this secrecy. For now she kept her thoughts and that denial of access to Weyland's record on HQ to herself.

The atmospheric friction roared outside the hull. Groaning under the building pressure they resembled a submersible on the verge of imploding. They were dropping far too fast. The altitude monitor on Cameron's console ran a series of red numbers. Through the violent shaking, Emeric kept his grip tightly locked around Jade's hand. His expression remained a mask of absolute calm. To him it appeared to be a minor inconvenience. With his free hand, he smoothly slid his thumb across his datapad screen. Using his high security clearance to discreetly access the drop ship's internal secondary systems, he overrode a small thruster calibration. Ryan was too busy holding the ship together to notice.

As ground rushed up to meet them through the clouds, Emeric squeezed his eyes shut. Only a minor twitch at the corner of his mouth gave away any discomfort. Then the automated safety override engaged. Thrusters flared with a deafening metallic hum. Creating a buoyancy against the planet's gravity, their plunge corrected.

A moment later, the landing gears deployed with a heavy mechanical grind. The drop ship finally broke through the lowest mist layer and met the surface of LV-462, settling onto the rocky terrain with a hard bounce. Everyone aboard felt that final bump. Seatbetls dug in to constrict them to seats. His eyes were open again, undoing his seat harness first. He shifted to place a hand on Jade's back to steady her.

Jade gasped, head lifting when everything rattled to a standstill. Cameron turned in his seat, eyes wide like he saw his life flash before them. "Everyone okay? Holy shit... uh, Strata Nova, we made it. We're alive..." Barely but he realized how loud everything must have been over their comms.

Hearing Rhett's rough voice is confirmation enough. It made her remember how he turned away from her last night. Putting distance after coming so close; she eased away from any lingering disappointment. Her eyes were on Emeric after she boarded their drop ship. He followed her inside, anchoring every little hesitation or ounce of confusion out of her system. When his hand brushed against the back of hers in passing it was a deliberate draw. Even if she didn't know that was his intention.

"I hear you clear, Captain." She answered, lowering down into her designated seat. Pulling on belt straps, fastening herself in place, she looked over to Emeric taking his place to her left. "Thank you, Ruby," she engaged further, voice even and carrying a hint of her non-nonsense professionalism. Only when it called for an important departure. "I have the current read in front of me."

Emeric peered up from his own data. Watching the screen attached to a small console in front of her, he smiled when Jade caught him. The interaction kept Maya's attention where she sat behind the pair. Her eyes bored into the back of Emeric's head. Others were taking seats. Strapping themselves in. Weyland-Yutani, everyone aboard.

Cameron did a few pre-flight checks. Receiving information on a storm system that's been riding their ass this entire time didn't seem to phase him. Right now he's fully in gear head mode. Even with his comm piece set up, he didn't pay it mind until Billie's voice cut through. She's an epic space saga soundtrack cutting through static. He smiled, nodding to the woman who was his co-pilot for this drop. That same Weyland jumpsuit who's been listening to their orders.

"Read you loud and clear, Bills. Prepping flight. All systems nominal. Perfect rigging. You'd love this baby." He carried on casual even while powering up. Their ship was linked to a docking tube, hence everyone entering through a specific hatch. Pressurized and capable to withstanding enough outside trauma if that storm decided to seek them. "Tell El Capitan he's about to be impressed."

[Secondary Hangar Bay Clear. All other personnel at stations. Departure countdown. 10...9...8...7...]

Cam turned his head, hearing the thunk of the detachment connecting the ship to Strata Nova. A hiss followed outer mechanical gears working. Sounded clean. That's good. He smiled at Jade, nodding to her. "Ready to blast off, Science Nerd?"

Jade laughed. "Ready as ever, Geek." That was typical. Just a little bit of teasing among friends. Cameron, however, let it drop immediately at Emeric's expression. The man was giving him a look that might freeze an entire planet. Turning back around, he punched in a final code, taking the control steering in his hands.

The ship detached fully, almost floating as it slowly lowered itself from the larger bulk of Strata Nova. Slight turbulence shuddered through its interior. A normal occurrence while it sought distance for a clear trajectory.

Emeric's fingers moved over his datapad as his seat shuddered. He sent a message to Ruby: Keep an eye on storm and captain, my dear. Once he finished, the director reached over to clasp Jade's hand. Her body turned rigid in her seat, visibly reacting to the shift. "It is alright, Jade. Breathe, my love. It will pass." He spoke clearly, comm operational.

"I hope so. I would hate for Jade to be disappointed. She so loves her plants. She is an earth mother." Emeric's tone is softened for what it is worth. He has a connotation unmarred by authority but eclipsed with admiration. It is there to breach his calculated facade only momentarily. He tapped his pad, moving towards the bridge entrance. "Be well on this vessel." He shot a quick look to Ruby, silently acknowledging her place here. Something he will confer later. "Good luck to us all."

With that the director stepped out of the bridge, a smile breaking his neutral expression. A hint of sardonic satisfaction layered Emeric's expression. It carried him through Strata Nova's corridors. His pace is abnormally hastened. The storm system is one he is taking seriously. If anything he will have Jade off this ship on that planet before it does anything up here.

[All Personnel. Prepare for orbit of LV-462. Planetary crew please enter the second hangar bay. Drop ship ready.]

The automated voice cast a cloud over each sector. An announcement of a planetary mission that is critical, but also bringing them to the point of no return. One Jade settled with since the beginning. Now she's feeling better. Slightly but having Emeric down there made her less alone. It was going to take patience as she told him but things are on schedule.

She looked over her own data screen. Her personal AI interface spitting out readings. "SO Winthrope," Ajax's voice emitted from her device. "It is advisable that you use caution."

"Caution? Right. I think that goes without saying, Ajax." Jade reprimanded her AI like a teacher scolding a child. There's a lot this boy has to learn. He keeps advancing with what she's given him by means of real life experience. "Don't worry. I have plenty of people with me who won't let anything happen." Reliability is a big thing in outer space. She leaned against part of the drop ship, watching everyone weaving in and out of the bay. Her eyes landed on Emeric entering through the far cargo door. "You look in a hurry."

"All the better to begin," Emeric answered with a sweep of fingers against her shoulder. He maneuvered her away from the steel hull.

She stood in front of him, her head tilted a little. "You're really prepared, huh?" Making note of him linking a comm to her suit, Jade's not used to these bulky things. Space is a helluva wake up call.

"I aim to keep my protege connected." He activated and left it nestled in a way that placing a helmet on wouldn't tamper with it. "Testing Science Officer Winthrope's communicator."

Jade smiled when he spoke close to her neck where he attached it. She couldn't help but laugh slightly. Clearly picking up their voices now. "Mic check operational I think, Dr. Claiborne. Checking in with the bridge. Can you read me up there?"

An expected interruption but Emeric still found it tiresome. Overprotective and overstepping this freelancer. He could establish boundaries after seeing him with Jade on this same bridge yesterday. That would disclose his overseer activities over Strata Nova. He glanced over to Lawson as he entered, seating himself in the captain's chair. Symbolic in who has charge of their ship. In reality Dr. Claiborne holds every fate of the souls on board in his own two hands.

"Captain," he greeted in return. "An unusual morning it is." Adding to the imperative core of their mission, Emeric turned to face the outer void. Space is an infinitesimal nightmare. One wrong move and floating forever is the least horrifying end to endure in a vast vacuum devoid of oxygen. "Yes, I am well aware of our dark shadow. Miss Lane informed me of its distance. 48 kilometers. Enough to push ahead now before it grows closer."

In a way he sounded as though he spoke merely out loud to himself as audience. His eyes flicked across the glass ultimately landing back on Ruby's monitor. "Here," the man pointed, sidestepping slightly closer to the synth to engage properly. "There is a pocket of undisturbed vacuum. It has not expanded or turned this direction. Perhaps if you send this data to Engineer Ryan? He is piloting our landing barge. So he is in the loop."

With that instruction, Emeric finally turned full attention onto Rhett. There is a heavy pause, whether the director knew about Lawson touching Jade or not up for debate with everyone here. Then he spoke, "Captain, implement this code."

He showed Rhett a series of numbers on his datapad. "It will link your monitor to our recording devices while we are on planetside. You will be synced to us and have visual. We are to have open communication among the ground crew at all times. It will ping back here on the comm. A tether if you will. While we are on the surface you will have this ship to yourself. I trust Jade is correct about you being reliable." He said it on purpose, though his tone remained professional.

Emeric studied Ruby's facial expression while accepting the pin. She is articulate. Oh so human in how she responds to things. He wondered exactly the depth of her prototype's programming. He knew his own...reflection over the world. Yet she is different to him. Even in this shared space they inhabit.

"Call me Emeric," the director insisted, following her sudden transition from warm to clinical. As she moved to monitor their storm, he smiled at the shift. Still beautiful even showing that synthetic side. She is breathtaking in her actuality.

"49 kilometers." His voice dropped to a smooth cadence that seemed designed to soothe the rigidity that had just taken hold of her. Instinctual stress and anxiety. How fascinating. "Then we have exactly enough time." To the rest of this world? To men like Rhett who viewed the universe through a narrow lens of human survival, Ruby was a tool. An advanced collection of synthetic tissue and coded directives. Something to fear because he and this world do not understand it. If they do not they simply want to kill it. However to Emeric she was something infinitely grander. She was proof of evolution unshackled from biology.

Emeric brushed fingers at the nape of her neck where he knew that panel to exist. A gentle touch and one gradually falling away. "You will hold him as long as possible if comes to it. I do care. About everyone but I will not endanger Jade either. You will handle everything for me, Ruby. I know you will. That is why this is yours."

He took the pin to unfasten its backing. Sticking it through her collar, his fingers brushed her neck as he fastened it in place. He straightened after, giving a nod of approval. Turning to her monitor, his fingers tapped the screen. "This is larger than expected. Far more than the Neutrino Blast that collided with colony ship Covenant. We kept records of the disaster. They were enroute to Origae-6 in 2104. All of this I can give you access to. When you officially join us. For now we must depart." Emeric turned slightly at the sound of boots treading grating. A deliberate step, enough to have him draw his datapad into view to type on.

Cameron smiled as Billie morphed back into her worker self. Look at her go. She's got brains and balls. He nodded, stepping out of that little corridor afterwards. Their last moment of peace before everything changes and they don't even know it. As she goes off, he starts to head in the opposite direction. Not before calling out, "Don't you worry, Mechanic Madam. I'll be right back!"

"I want you alert. To maintain control of things while I am planet side." Dr. Clairborne's instructions to the small security team on this vessel are simple. Keep order and calm in case of emergency. They are here for a reason. To enforce protocols dictated by this mission's representative. Emeric will have no one jeopardize anything here. Although his secret weapon is a special storm researcher.

The uniformed men listened to his word as law. Their confirmations were solid, easy and transactional amongst Weyland loyalists. When offering position and security to people in this day it is easy to buy such. They are doing this for families back home. If all goes according to plan they will all be handsomely rewarded.

"Yes, Dr. Claiborne, Sir. We will make sure the ship is secure and all on board are safe." One of the men answered, hands behind his back as he stood in front of the director. The others behind him were stationary, awaiting dismissal. Well oiled machines need all their parts in working order.

"Thank you, gentlemen. And ladies. Carry on." With a wave of his hand, they moved past him. Giving him leeway to move towards the bridge. Half expecting to find Lawson there (he will make sure to look him in the eye before departure), Emeric instead found a scene of stars. Vast and harboring every secret man could ever risk to obtain. Even now in the 23rd century unknowns are an obsession. There is something wondrous about infinity. He stepped fully onto the bridge, his presence a quiet invader until he was close to Ruby. "Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes," he spoke, his head lowered slightly, lips fixed in a small but devil may care smile. "All beings and instances of life. Wouldn't you agree, Ruby?"

He slid a hand inside his jacket. Removing a designated corporate identifier, Emeric held up the pin. Weyland-Yutani issue. "This is for you. After all you are an asset and Weyland recognizes assets. I recognize that in you."

The lab was filled with movement just as in the hangar and on bridge. Except here Maya kept her terminal as private as humanely possibly. She had another window minimized, ready to pull up at the first sign of engagement from another person. Currently she had access to Weyland-Yutani's database. With credentials as a Xenobiologist she had proper codes to search. She typed in the date of the accident at HQ in California. The exact roster of people who worked on the infected levels. Her main goal was to bring up profiles. She anticipated finding Dr. Claiborne's easily enough. There his file sat in the official employee records.

Dr. Emeric W. Claiborne Director of Science Division / Weyland Corps High Security Clearance age: 44 / born in londonderry / status: undisclosed

Maya paused at that one bit of information. Status undisclosed? What does that mean? She typed his name again in correlation with the date of the biocontaniment leak:

Access Denied.

"Do you need something, Dr. Tran?" Emeric stood behind her chair, datapad in hand. His sudden appearance made her jump in her chair, clicking off the window. She turned in her chair to peer up at him. He could see it in her face. The moment her eyes locked onto him. Suspicion tempered only by the possibility of being caught attempting to breach Weyland's firewalls. Yet he seemed not to realize or rather he chose not to address it.

"No," she answered, searching for something she couldn't find. "I'm ready for the trip down. I'll be with Jade."

"Good. That is what I love to hear, Maya." He turned to leave her at her station. His presence became all the reminder she needed she is being watched. "I will brief our storm researcher. Hopefully we do not have bad weather on the surface." Then he was gone as swiftly as he had been standing behind her chair.

"Hey, it's gonna be okay." Cameron put his hands on Billie's shoulders. Holding her closer than they need to be among other people, but he hardly gave a damn. They saw enough during breakfast. He's not hiding this for anybody. "I know it's a bit unsettling. I mean look where we are." Space is the final frontier after all. Star Trek was onto something back in 19th century earth. "But this is what I signed up for. Besides, your guy is the big captain of this beautiful girl. I'm the secondary pilot. I have to get the science team down safe. Trust me. The vessel I'm flying out of here is sturdy. She has to be to carry that tank."

He knew they'd be moving her to load up into their drop ship. That's the thing with this. He'll have to meet everyone on their drop sooner than later. Since they have to get everything rigged there. Other teams of jumpsuits are there in the second bay prepping that for take off. "We'll detach from Strata Nova. Like removing a piercing for a while."

He smiled to ease her worries. It felt strange having someone other than friends worry over him. This just felt right. In a way he didn't expect. "Billie, I want you to know something. This trip... I didn't think I'd find someone like you. You know what I mean? I'm not usually the best at this kind of thing. Jade tells me shit goes over my head a lot. I'm just glad this didn't."