Continuity

I am Columbus

Ren sat on the bridge, his soldiers waiting in the vehicle bay to be taken planetside. He has been eating his rations, potatoes and sausage, when his radio went off.
"Captain, report to the bridge ASAP." At least it gave him an excuse to leave the mess hall and his tiresome meal behind.
Anxiousness filled him as Admiral Jon walked in, followed by one of the head scientists.
"Good afternoon Captain." The admiral always had a gravelly voice, fitting his gruff features.
Ren snapped a sharp salute, even with humanity almost gone, the army always maintained its structure, it gave them all a sense of purpose, order.
  Admiral Jon continued "This is Dr. Cassandra paisly, she will be briefing you on what you might find down there. I don't need to reiterate how important this is Ren."
"No Sir! I understand fully, Good to meet you Mrs. Paisly" Ren waived to a chair beside a table for the doctor to sit down. She was pretty, long flowing brown hair, green eyes, angular features fit her bright smile as she shook Ren' s hand. She was tall for a woman, coming just up to Ren' s chin.
"So what do we know Dr.?" Ren asked her, trying not to stare.
"Well Captain, we don't know much, but we have an idea of what you might find. Gravity here is stronger than Earth's was, the atmosphere is thicker."
"But it is breathable?" Ren had to know every last detail, every life that they loose is one step closer to extinction. He couldn't let that happen.
Cassandra nodded quickly, Ren could see how enthusiastic she was about this. "It's perfect for life, we can adapt to the gravity and atmosphere, but for now you and your men will have to take things slow." Cassandra pulled out some notes she had stuffed in her pocket. "As far as potential life already existing, if it does, it will be big simply put. The stronger gravity and thicker atmosphere will have made any creatures much bigger than what earth had."
Ren nodded his understanding. "Don't worry Doctor, that's why they are sending us down first." He had confidence in his soldiers.
"Typical jarhead, shoot everything is your solution. That's why I'm coming down with you."
"No way. Admiral I wasn't told about this!" Ren shouted across the bridge.
"Captain, in case of first contact I thought it prudent to send our best scientist. It's not up for debate, she's going." Admiral Jon knew Ren didn't want to babysit.
"Yes sir. Well Doctor, might aswell come brief the rest of the team." Sighing his dissatisfaction with the situation, Ren stood up and saluted the Admiral, who waived him out. The whole way to the vehicle bay was an argument.
"Know how to use a gun?" Ren asked sarcastically.
"Yes, I was giving a run through. Do you know how to use your brain, marine?" Cassandra fired back equally sarcastic, she already didn't like him.
"Listen," Ren stopped, getting serious. "One mistake down there could cost lives and maybe you havnt noticed, but we don't exactly have alot allot of those. You will listen to every word I say, if you don't, I'll cuff you to the shuttle and that's where you will stay. Understood?"
"Yes sir." Cassandra gave Ren a mocking salute as she turned and marched on. 
"Civilians" Ren muttered under his breath.
"Assholes" he heard the reply, he hadn't meant for her to hear him.
"What you got ears  in the back of your head?"
"Eyes too Captain, enjoying the view?" Ren s face went red, hopefully she wouldn't see that.
The rest of the walk was in silence, she schooled him in an argument he didn't even realise he was having. Normally he said jump people said how high.
Cassandra made it to the elevator first, she quickly pushed the button to close the doors and gave Ren a mischievous wave as the elevator doors slid shut in his face.
'This woman will be the death of me' Ren thought as he boarded another elevator. He debated calling in an elevator malfunction on Cassandra's elevator, they'd shut it down immediately. 'Better not' He decided.
The elevator came to a slow stop, doors opening to reveal a massive open room, full of shuttles, hummers, even a few tanks. Everywhere humanity went it would seem machines of war followed.
Soldiers rushed back and forth, preping Ren's shuttle, alarms rang out as the shuttle was lifted up into the air on a massive crane and out put in place for takeoff.
Ren made his way to where his soldiers had been waiting, as he approached he could hear Jenkins being Jenkins.
"Hey Doc how can I make an appointment with you?" Jenkins yelled out, the other marines laughed, a couple told him to shut up.
Ren finally caught up to them to see Cassandra scowling in his direction. "Your soldiers are disgusting." She remarked as Ren  walked up beside her.
"Oh Doc, they just like you!" Ren laughed at her, "better get used to it, your coming with us remember?"
Cassandra seemed to not like the idea as much now.
"Fall in men! This is Doctor Cassandra Paisly, since the brass thinks we only know how to shoot shit, she will be accompanying us on the way down!" The marines all snapped to attention as Ren began.
"Hey sir, some of us dont have a brain, just ask Jenkins over there." Jacob, one of Ren's sergeants blurted out.
"That's why Jenkins gets rubber bullets sergeant!" Ren's reply got a few laughs. "Now, the doctor here is going to brief you all on what we can expect going forward, I expect you all to study up and get prepared, we lift off in 60 Mike's."
"Yes sir!" The unanimous reply rang out.
Ren turned and walked away with that, heading to get geared up himself. 'I am colombus' was his thought as the final preparations where made.