Check the list, find my name, cross it off. Easy, right?

A man approached the group. He was dressed casually for a space mission, but he walked with confidence.

He reached out to give Lindberg a firm handshake which threw him a little.

"Takeshi Haruki. I'm here for the mission."

Lindberg looked down at his favourite list.

"I'm not on the list."

He reached down into his front pocket and pulled out an "active service" military badge.

"A military man. You're not dressed for it."

Takeshi shrugged.

"I'm dressed for action." He said with a smirk.

"Are you Watts? Heard a lot about you." Said a young man standing by the shuttle. He was smoking a cigar.

"I am not Watts! And put that thing out immediately!"

The man looked a little put out. This wasn't what he was expecting.

"We are going to fly out to Captain Watts' ship because he has gone too far this time."

The man put out the cigar and looked up sullenly.

"Well I'm on the pre-list anyway. Name's Stubbs."

Lindberg looked down. There it was alright. But he could tell they wouldn't see eye to eye. This young man had no respect for authority.

"The more the merrier right? We need good people. Welcome aboard Stubbs." Said Dain.

There seems to be a lot of personalities here, including the list master. Good to meet everyone, anyway.

A man walked across the busy dock towards the shuttle as people were becoming acquainted.

"Hi there. My name's Matthieu Soderbergh. I'm on the pre-flight list."

Lindberg nodded.

"You are indeed. Asteroid scientist? The Dalia never made it to an asteroid you know..."

"I'm well aware. It's a good thing really because the ship isn't equipped for it."

Lindberg looked puzzled.

"Just something my father said once." Said Matthieu with a tinge of sadness.

Another woman approached the landing area. She was also carrying a document she was scribbling notes down onto.

"Name please." Said Lindberg.

"Anna. I'm a therapist."

Lindberg frowned. "That doesn't seem like an essential skillset for a mission like this."

She wrote down another note.

"What are you writing?" He asked cautiously.

"Just an assessment of behaviour. Carry on. It's fascinating."

scribbles in note pad
oh hello everyone

"Name's Edom." Came a voice from the landing area.

And within a blur, the list was gone. Lindberg looked horrified.

"Forget the list. It's useless. What you needed was talent, and now you have some."

Dain nodded approvingly. This guy had the right idea.

He was a tallish man with sunglasses and a strange getup, full on manufactured armour a little like Garthon's.

"Now how about we take this thing and fly out? Get going on the mission already."

"We're still waiting for a full crew." He replied bluntly, snatching the list back.

"I'm all the crew you'll ever need." Edom smirked, sitting himself down near the shuttle.

A woman in a red dress approached the gathered crew.

"Hi there. It's Paige, reporting for active military duty."

This caused a bit of stir. She definitely wasn't dressed for military duty. Lindberg went down the list and ticked.

"This one has to come. Order of the courts apparently." He muttered, though he didn't particularly understand.

"Well that's just lovely." Said Paige with a sweet smile. "I do hope we can all get along."

There was quite a bit of commotion as a strangely dressed man marched towards the vessel. He was wearing a funny hat.

"You lost?" Asked Dain with a confused stare. He didn't look like he belonged.

"Not lost! Not lost at all!" Said the man, withdrawing a journal from his front pocket and checking it before placing it back neatly.

"I know exactly where I am at all times! And this is the location of the voyage is it not?!"

Lindberg sighed. He was getting tired. He wished he'd had longer to vet the crew.

"Name?"

The man cleared his throat. "Captain O'Hara, at your service!"

"You're a military Captain?" Asked Felicity curiously.

"I seriously doubt it." Said Lindberg. If this man was a captain, he would have to retire.

"No! No! I think you'll find that my name is in fact, Captain."

Anna was frantically taking notes. This was a case study in and of itself.

"We don't have time for games here. We need professionals." Said Lindberg dismissively.

"Good sir! You will find to be the most professional man! A hero, an explorer, a man of the solar system as it were! There are no plains I have not crossed, no mountains I have not climbed! Rest assured, professionalism you will find in droves here!"

"Looks good enough to me." Said Stubbs with a sneer.

"If you're an explorer. I suppose we could-" Began Lindberg exhaustedly.

"Splendid!" Said O'hara, placing his things down on the floor and promptly taking a seat. "I eagerly await the expedition!"

Howdy

I do say! This is the adventure of a life time, of course - I've been on plenty. However, this is, r-rather thrilling!

"Da Shuang."

Everybody was so taken with Captain's antics that they hadn't noticed the tall dark stranger wearing what appeared to be an outfit made entirely out of ancient computer parts.

"C-Can we help you good sir?" Asked O'Hara helpfully.

"The spirits have called to me." Said Da Shuang. "I will board this ship."

"You need to be-" Started Lindberg.

"I will board this ship." Replied Da Shuang.

"This is no ordinary mission. Have the spirits of the fallen spoken to anybody else?"

"They might have!" Said O'Hara cheerfully.

Da Shuang nodded. The spirits were not picky.

A young man was drifting around the landing area awkwardly. He had goggles on top of his head.

"Name please?" Asked Lindberg. They were getting to a point where they had to leave now and the list was almost done but there were a couple of late-comers.

"Sam! I should be down as...I'm a technician."

"We already have a technician buddy!" Said Percy cheerfully.

Sam looked awkward and shuffled his feet.

"Maybe you could use two?"

Dain nodded.

"Of course. The more the merrier! Need all the help we can get right officer?"

Lindberg nodded. He was getting tired and anxious to fly.

A woman walked towards the shuttle area as Lindberg looked down at his list. Almost there. With the extras and the names he had down he was expecting about twenty including himself. That should do it nicely. She was dressed like a soldier, very smart and very prepared, so this was a good sign.

"Name please."

"Veleriya. Here to represent great nation of Russia."

There was a touch of confusion amongst the crowd.

"Where's that...?" Asked Sam with a puzzled expression.

"Nowhere these days, only in hearts and minds of great colony of Venera Outpost. True mother Russia may be dead, but the hearts of our ancestors still burn strong."

Lindberg put a tick. This one seemed competent.