Thank you for this opportunity!

Your facial symmetry is exquisite.

The crew were preparing to leave. Lindberg checked the list again. He needed twenty people but there was somebody missing. He double checked the list. There was a name already crossed off that he didn't remember crossing.

"Elias? Elias Baines?"

The group looked around but there was nobody responding. Lindberg sighed. They had to leave within the hour. Waiting around was not an option or it'd already be too late. The X4 wasn't THAT fast.

"Well we can't wait for him. We have to board."

The crew began to make their way into the shuttle. It was small and considerably cramped. Most likely it was going to be an unpleasant ride. Percy was looking around and checking out the equipment.

"This is a nice ship!" She offered as she traced her hand along the pipes that covered the walls. Where were these ones too? She peeked her head into a side room which contained three stasis pods.

"Only three stasis pods? That's a bit...useless." She offered.

Lindberg glanced over. "This ship works on rotational stasis. People sleep in shifts."

Percy ran her hand along the stasis pods and stopped suddenly.

"Well somebody has already taken their first shift!"

The crew gathered in the cramped booth and looked down. Sure enough, there was a man laying face up in the stasis pod, looking up with cold dead eyes.

"Is he alive?" Asked Sam nervously.

Izza walked over and investigated. "Stasis is just hibernation. He's alive, just frozen to a state where he almost isn't."

Lindberg frowned. That would be their twentieth. When had he come aboard? It didn't matter really. It was a tad annoying that he had decided to skip all pre-flight operations.

"Maybe he was just tired?" Suggested Felicity.

Elias stared up silently, a slight smile on his face. He looked relatively happy.

Would I be correct in assuming you know him, Sam?

Lindberg picked up the communicator once more. Finally sound came through.

"Watts, we are about to depart. Within the hour we will approach your shuttle and board."

There was a little static before a response came back.

"Sure thing Mikey. Gonna bring us back home?"

Lindberg shuddered.

"No. The mission is pre-ordained. I don't have the authority to override it. We are merely going to provide the backup that your crew so sorely needs."

There was silence but faint noises could be heard in the background. Sounded like some kind of argument was going on. Then there was something that sent Lindberg cold.

It sounded like a crying baby.

"I-Is there an infant aboard that ship?!" He asked in horror. The rest of the crew gathered around. That was ridiculous.

"Could be." Said Watts awkwardly. "Haven't really checked. Err gotta go. There's some pressing business to attend to here. See you soon pal!"

The comm clicked off but not before the noise came back through. It was clearly a baby crying.

Lindberg looked down solemnly. This could be worse than they'd imagined.

"Okay hold on tight. Percy, sit up front. I need somebody who knows how a shuttle works."

She saluted and climbed next to the officer.

"Everybody else buckle in or at the very least hold on tight. This is a fast craft."

He wasn't kidding. The launch rocked the ship and everybody on board it to their core. Izza fell backwards and scowled. That was very unprofessional. Sam looked like he'd seen a ghost as the turbulence hit home.

Still, they were on their way.