SENJO<br/><br/>Once more the well-practised task of dismantling the guns; locking down B Gun, powering them both off and stowing the command consoles, removing the ammunition cylinders and swapping full ones over into slot one of the cargo bags, the partly depleted cylinders being placed in slot four, collapsing the tripods and packing them and the guns away in their carry-drums. I could do this with my eyes shut and within 90 seconds was ready to move.<br/><br/><strong>"If we secure a base of ops, Sir, and we have the opportunity, I wish to return and take one of these corpses to study."</strong>This was primarily a military operation, if the decision came down to it, a clean up team of scientists could be called in to run a full biopsy and biometric study. Science took a secondary role to protecting the colonists - or those who were left.<br/><br/>I took up a post near the Leftenant and waited to move out. As the squad got ready to advance I studied the upper Hab block tier again. Something caught my eye.<br/><br/><strong>"Sergeant O'Shay,"</strong>I pointed up. Above where the second tier walkway was melted by alien blood and in the ceiling high above us was a maintenance duct of some kind, a two foot square aperture closed by a lightweight grille. Two of the grille's slats were distorted, as though someone had gripped it with some strength to pull it free - or pull it back into position. I turned back to the Sergeant.<strong>"A full blueprint construction schematic of the colony would be useful. Tracing the roof space ducting is on my tasks to do."</strong><br/><br/>A computer terminal was becoming more than important, it was paramount.