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The door to Bay 1B slides silently open, and Kady Grant’s knees nearly give in relief

Evans starts the two-minute sto

Grant scra raines As they rumble to life, she coaxes the door closed behind her

Evans turns a corner, now one e now taken froar bay and corridors]

Grant accesses the autopilot list, scrolling through recent trips to select her route She’s nearly hyperventilating as she finds it, and jabs at the screen to select

Evans is sixty seconds fro the shuttle bay doors Boll ordered abays, in anticipation of ees, but the captain only has students working for her now, and they’ve done it the complicated, backwards way that takes forever to unpick Now it’s Grant’s turn to issue a non-regulation curse, and she starts working through the sub-directories

Evans arrives at the entrance to Bay 1B, clutching a hand radio unit Which she starts screaines on warmup

Security Squads 4 (ETA 60 seconds) and 5 (ETA 75 seconds) receive the call, and start running like motherfuckers (I believe the correct term is "proceed with all due haste") toward Bay 1B

Evans relays an e Captain Boll

Neurograines of Shuttle 49A remotely, on orders from Captain Boll No dice

Boll attempts to hail Shuttle 49A directly No response

Security Squad 4 arrives on scene in ti

Inside the shuttle, Grant isn’t shaking or hyperventilating any across theat the touchscreens with quick, efficient gestures She ht not be the best there is, but today she’s the best the Hypatia has, and that’s all that counts

The launch bay doors open, revealing the black beyond

Security Squad 5 arrives on the scene to join the others in studying the closed door

Shuttle 49A engages autopilot and departs, watched by two security squads and Security Officer (2nd Class) Evans via the observation screens

Grant rises fro out a green biohazard suit Her hands are shaking so hard she drops it twice before getting a leg in

No blown kiss this time No strut But this victory matters a thousand times more

CURRENT DEATH TOLL ABOARD BATTLECARRIER ALEXANDER SINCE ATTACK AT KERENZA:

853

PERCENTAGE OF REMAINING BATTLECARRIER ALEXANDER PERSONNEL AFFLICTED BY PHOBOS VIRUS:

22

RADIO MESSAGE: HYPATIA INITIATED--HYPATIA/SHUTTLE 49A

Participants: Syra Boll, Captain (Acting)

Kady Grant (Shuttle 49A)

Date: 07/30/75

Timestamp: 17:45

HYPATIA: Shuttle 49A, you will respond to hails in the next ten seconds or ill open fire on you

SHUTTLE 49A: Wow, Captain, you’re grumpy today