Codename Alpha: Intervention

Chapter Nine - Zombie

"Before I leave, I'd simply like to reiterate that this is not a violent transfer of command. There will be no executions, and this is simply just a measure to ensure security until we can be confident that Ibrahimov won't cause any trouble. If you'd like to requisition anything from your quarters, simply talk to one of the guards when meals are being brought in and they'll figure it out. Do you all understand?"

There were now some sporadic nods.

"Good. Within thirty minutes or so, bedding material, toiletries, and so forth will be brought down and distributed." With that, he turned around to face those of us who had joined the mutiny. "All of you, follow me," he said, motioning towards us all. Everyone else, your duties have been established. I'll be on the bridge within twenty five minutes." With that, we all began following Yashina - I didn't exactly feel like calling him Rostov - out of the shuttlebay.

I could hear sparse conversation, and eyes drilling into the back of my head, as we stopped in front of the airlock. As the airlock doors opened painfully slow, Eric stepped up to my side and began to speak quietly.

"Hey, you made the right choice," he said, worryingly having picked up on what was probably some uneasy body language. "I'm serious."

"I know you're serious," I said, trying to fake a laugh. "It's, uh..." I didn't finish my sentence.

We were both quiet after the door opened. As we all stepped into the corridor, Eric, alongside a bunch of other armed people, stepped aside and began moving down the corridor to the left, for whatever reason. Yashina continued leading us down an opposite corridor, towards what I figured was the armory, thankfully giving me some time to think more.

I'd have to be quick after Yashina finished whatever he had in mind, which was probably going to be weapons distribution and giving out tasks. The knowledge I had of our new communications system wasn't exactly sufficient to do much actual damage to keep them from contacting the Humans, but I did still have some backend knowledge. The best course of action, in that case, seemed to be to head to the secondary engineering center as soon as possible, grab a laptop with administrator access to the ship's systems, write some sort of program to disrupt it, and upload it using another computer, as to make it appear like some sort of aberrant systems error on the event viewer. Another priority, for later, would be to figure out how many mutineers there were in total, without raising suspicions.

I suddenly grew worried about David. Considering what both Yashina and Eric had been saying about Humans, I didn't exactly have high hopes that our visitors were being treated well. The same likely went for Marine and her friends.

I didn't have much more time to think about what the code would be, as we soon came around another corner, as Yashina stepped past the already-opened armory security door and motioned for us all to follow. Up to this point, I hadn't been paying much attention to them up until now, but with my thoughts in a more composed state, I examined the others who had joined in on the mutiny. They weren't anyone I was familiar with, at the very least. Then again, I wasn't really familiar with anyone at all on the ship.

"Alright... Radošević, Lončar, Gautier, Nowicki, Noel, and... Allik," he began, looking at each of us. "I'm glad to see that at least some of those now in the shuttlebay had some sense. I'm truly sorry about that whole thing with the guns and all, and I hope you all understand that it was a security measure. Now, we're not quite in a situation that warrants full military action, or anything of the sort, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared. The armory is at your full disposal, at least for now, so make full use of it. Body armor, PDWs, things of the sort... whatever you'd like, really. Do be quick, though, as there are some additional things I'd like to discuss. Try to be quick, and choose something light."

I stepped towards the racks of weaponry, and began to examine all of them closely, contemplating not just what I'd be choosing, but once more what my plans for later might be.

Even though the Valiant, and nearly every other starship, were research vessels, the ship's designers knew that it was vital to be prepared for any sort of situation that may arise. This was exemplified by the numerous emergency systems, with secondary, tertiary, and in some cases, even quaternary backups. To be unprepared for any situation that could arise would spell death, and especially so in a situation which would require the use of armed force. As such, the Valiant's armory was not something to be scoffed at.