"Control, this is six actual, transport is complete. Beginning search for the crew." Said Major Alicia Hammer as the transport beam disappeared. Switching to her team channel she spoke again. "Alright you jokers listen up, break off by pairs and find the crew. People just don't vanish out here in deep space. Three, find the central core and get me an Intel dump yesterday." She paused in her commands to her team long enough to hear the double click that told her Joker 3 was already ahead of her. "Five and Nine find the weapons lockers and let me know if any have been issued. Two find me a body alive or dead, there were 10 personnel assigned to this ship I want them accounted for ASAP. I am headed for life support and the Bridge. Remember people this is a rescue mission so don’t start lighting up everything that moves. Remember, they don’t call us unless things are really screwed up, so stay frosty and watch your backs.” Switching on her exterior helmet sound receptors, she started moving down the corridor in the direction the map on her HUD pointed to the Bridge. She knew this was a serious issue if they called her unit up, they may be called the Jokers, but their SPECOPS performance reviews proved them to be anything but that. They were arguably the best unit on 3 worlds with the exception of those blast Martians that could bend light rendering them invisible. Her eyes caught a color change in the carpet at her feet and she knelt down to check it out. Placing her hand on the spot, making sure that her palm sensors were over the stain. Almost instantly it came back with an answer that chilled her blood and confirmed that this was indeed a mission right up their alley. Before she come open her comm. Channel a burst of weapons fires and a scream told her it was already to late. She looked at her HUD in horror as 5 of the 7 identifiers that told her the status of her unit simply vanished, no flat line just complete telemetry failure. “Three, Report.” Static filled her speakers, “Four, Seven, Two Report” “Six this is Five, we found scorch marks on the walls in the lab. This is not a natural event…Hold one, we have company. Six we have a single red levitating robot entering the lab. NINE.. GET DOWN!! SIX, THE ROBOT JUST VAPED NINE!!! GET SOME GET SO….” “Five report!” she yelled into her helmet as she watched his telemetry vanish from her HUD as well, leaving only her. “Computer link me into the central mainframe of the ship.” Link established “Computer establish voice recognition protocols” Protocol established “Computer, establish identity Alicia Hammer, Major Space Command 5th Special Forces Detachment Joker. Authorization Zulu 185 November Alpha niner.” Identity Confirmed Major. How may I help you? “Computer identify all non-assigned personnel and cybernetic lifeforms on board.” 1 biological lifeform identified as Alicia Hammer, Major Space Command 5th Special Forces Detachment Joker. 15 Cybernetic lifeforms, type unknown in 2 in engineering, 4 in medical, 1 in berthing, 5 on the bridge and 3 roaming corridors. “Computer, link a ships layout on my HUD and display all lifeforms.” For a second time in as many minutes her blood chilled as she watched 3 red dots all moving in her direction. Her only chance of survival was escape and she would not live with the stigma of losing her team without firing a shot. “Computer, set auto distruct Space Command verification Joker Six Actual Zed Omega Niner Seven Zulu. Set timer for five seconds upon verification. Disable override and relay countdown to my HUD. Confirmed Major. 5 4 “At least I will” 3 “Go out with a” 2 “Bang!” She thought to herself as the robots rounded the corners simultaneously in front and behind her. 1 “Get some F………..” Yeah not quite a happy ending but at least this isn’t a brooding piece like the last one. As promised here is a Sci-Fi piece that I had laying around. Now if I could just find that other one I did.