Tartarus Divers

There was a physical series of clanking movements as the Pelican touched down inside the King of Starlight. She shook slightly in her seat as the magnets embedded in the floor guided the ship into position, and then flattened her ears. She was prepared for the hissing and the louder magical reverberation of the docking sequence, having read the landing procedure. The transport door opened at the end as the plane settled.

Horizon got out of his seat in what he felt was pretty good time. As he turned around to address Hell Diver, he only caught a glimpse of her dirty yellow tail disappearing around the corner of the Pelican's ramp.

Hell was on a mission to get a mission. The adrenaline was still running high and she wanted to get back into the fray. She trotted straight across the small spacer alloy defined hangar and to the rail guided platform. As soon as she stepped onto it, it jumped into movement, lifting her up to the deck she had originally woken up from.

She tilted her head as sparklers in the ground filled the air around the lift with bright lights.

"What the..." She mumbled in amusement.

"I don't think I've ever seen Liberty dispensed with such enthusiasm, Tartarus Diver." The standing officer said as she approached, a technical pad held in hoof around a band attached to her leg. She was maneless, like all officers were, but her well groomed fur was a soft shade of dark pink, almost maroon.

Hell saluted, and she did in kind. "I'm glad you took notice, appreciation for Democracy well served is always a good thing."

"Indeed. Now, if you have a moment?" The mare inclined her head.

Hell tried to remember if there was something important she had forgotten as she spoke, "Of course ma'am."

She nodded, "First and foremost, when you exit the transport craft, the science team will normally greet you to gather any samples you retrieved while planet side. For now, I will take them." She reached out her hoof, the one with the pad on it.

Hell nodded, having forgotten about them in her rush to get... somewhere. She reached for the full sample container on her belt, near her back legs. With a -click- and a twist, it came off; Hell deposited it on the pad, which beeped once when it recognized the container.

"Thank you. That will be all for now Tartarus Diver. Good luck out there."

Hell nodded and continued on her way to the situation room. The mare from before with the bolts cutie mark waved at her as she walked past. She didn't wave back, though she felt the muscles in her leg momentarily move to do so before she reminded herself that she needed to check the Tartarus Diver manual before interacting with her staff in less than a professional manner.

"Greetings Tartarus Diver. The bugs are still swarming this planet, choose what location to clear them out from, in the name of Managed Democracy." The Ministry of Truth officer said, again very sternly as she approached the command console.

This time, Hell didn't look over the globe again, struck in awe by the technology. It rotated momentarily, then the map came down and formed a terrain scan, with the details of the mission appearing on the console.

Easy Operation
Mission, Forty Minutes
Upload Escape Pod Data
a Crashed Escape Pod in the Area Contains Valuable Data

She pressed twice on the console, and the PA system sounded off another 'coordinates locked' as the map whirled. She nodded to the Ministry of Truth Officer and approached the stairs up to the Tartarus Pod launch platform, the grating making sharp but quiet metal on metal sounds as her combat shoes made contact.

She jumped with her front hooves, and leaned back into a standing position before stepping back onto the pad. Her wings tried to ruffle, unconsciously trying to maintain her balance so she could remain upright. The pad locked, the platform fell, and she picked a location on the smog filled radar that wasn't thinly veiled in red, but still close to her objective.

She heard the PA sounding off information in pace with her button pressing, the last one being 'Tartarus Pod launch confirmed' before her world was engulfed in momentum, and Hell passed out.