Rumors and Gossips

Crynn POV

We walked into the 01 assembly hall where multiple people are already seated down on the chairs facing multiple whiteboards, holographic projections and a podium. Hearing the doors' open, the crew members seated down turned their heads on us showing absolutely no expressions as they tilted back to their original positions, creepy.

We found our seats in place and sat down, placing the duffel bag each of us is carrying under the chairs as we waited silently for anything to happen. It was a long wait yet not very boring either as for the next 10 minutes, people are starting to come in, people with different 'features' from one another.

Metal arm, partly metal head, a cyclops, a 4 eyed man, a lot of unique sets flying about. The place is finally full with a couple of seats still empty but I presume no one is going to come because the rear admiral himself has arrived and marched perfectly onto the podium accompanied by none other than our previous target and a woman.

"So, good afternoon ladies and gentleman, I'm sure everyone knows who I am, Morgan Blackhand, acting special rear admiral for the MS-69 Super-submarine. As you can see, I'm accompanied by my left and right hand, your two captains for this mission, Jennifer Blight and Thompson Maresh. One's a keeper the other a killer," he joked as everyone laughed.

I might understand the killer reference on Thompson Maresh but not quite the keeper but I'm sure that's for Jennifer Blight. "Killer? really boss?" Thompson argued in mirth, when he's not constipated, his aura is really dazzling, I can see why girls like the dude, certainly quite the... "Ladykiller, aren't you that, Maresh?" Well, the rear admiral stole my words as everyone laughed aloud once more.

"Anyway, to the main topic, this time's mission, we'll be cruising to the Antarctic! The word doesn't mean there's no polar bears but it does mean that it's opposite to the North so we'll be going down South. This will be a normal mission, there won't be much of a briefing as we're not going to enter combat or go to war with anyone but if it does by any extremely small and unlucky chance it happens, we'll crush them. Any questions?"

To be honest, I was expecting a lot more, not this brief, they did not even use the whiteboards and holograms, a shame really concerning I have never followed a military briefing ever, only've seen them in movies. But the next thing I knew was following the crews up onto a military truck being driven of to somewhere? I was separated from the rest into this den of no offense, weird looking men and women, mostly men.

"Never seen you around here, how are you? My name's Smith," a crew sitting opposite to me announced with a Southern accent and a stretched hand. "Avter, nice to meet you and for the record I'm fine, I was urgently transferred here to fill the missing spots on the crew," I replie, taking his hand, silently measuring him.

This man, Smith has a few metal fingers, some plates of metal installed on his neck and one red eye, I don't just mean iris red, he's got pupil red as well which makes him look extra spooky, like a high school bully, the bad kid every girl loves and part of a biker's gang, if only he'd realize that the 'skin fashion' he's got going on doesn't really suit to heighten attraction so to speak but of course, I'm not going to say that to his face.

"Urgently transferred, huh? Yeah, Quite a few people went missing, Jared my friend's one, replaced by some unfamiliar faces, you're one of them, look the capable man as well, pleasure to make your acquaintance," well, never judge a book by it's cover because this man sounds nice and would make a lot of friends.

"Janice isn't here as well, heard she got into trouble with the N-Up Gang, killed a bunch of their dudes and got shot herself, still alive and kicking though," a female crew spoke up from another section of the military truck as everyone joined into the conversation as I learned more and more on useless but entertaining talks as well some actual information.

It seems that there are rumors on a certain pair, frankly the special rear admiral, Morgan Blackhand and his captain, Jennifer Blight. Now, Morgan looks like a totally okay fellow, he's handsome, don't got those freaky augmentations and cybernetics. Jennifer Blight as well, pretty girl sporting muscles by the looks of it and her hands are callous, an experienced bladed weaponry practitioner and a definite expert in projectile weaponry as well.

Now this gossip everyone's talking about right now is forward towards the fact that Morgan Blackhand and Thompson Maresh have some 'dealings' in the back. Very... romantic dealings. Easily spoken, they may be a couple which explains the 'keeper' reference given by the rear admiral back at the 01 Assembly Hall, 'keeper' meaning a valuable person to be cherished, interesting, interesting indeed.

Welp, enough for the thoughts because we are slowly approaching a giant storage lift that would fit a private jet. After all the remaining military trucks have arrived, the spacious elevator starts to descend starting from a slow to fast dive. I counted my seconds, 1... 2... 3... 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9... 10. 10 seconds into the deep.

The truck started moving once more as we entered through a tunnel and I can only say, "Wow!" I whispered as I looked outside, this place is huge, an underground super-submarine hanger, intricate. Yes, I said it, it was intricate. Standing or perhaps levitating in the center of this gigantic hangar is our MS-69 Super-submarine in all its glory.

The MS-69 Super-submarine is held up by two very large clamps, one holding it by the front, the other by the bag. The big question is, "How is that thing going to be pushed out into the waters?"