<div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/f/fa/Mars_test.jpg)</div><table class="bbc_table"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Character name:</strong></td><td>Wing Commander Louise Cotter</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Location:</strong> </td><td>Mission Commander's Office</td></tr><tr><td><strong>With:</strong> </td><td> Laura Hicks, Stefan Versatile</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Doing:</strong> </td><td>Getting down to business</td></tr></tbody></table><br/><hr/><br/>I had half expected that response from Laura regarding the threat of a spanking and read the reply without so much as a twitch.<br/><br/>When Stefan addressed my security chief and asked if she had anything to report, I turned to her too, interested.<br/><br/>When she finished talking I was about to speak when a pic that was almost pornographic slid past my firewall (purely because of the address of origin) and I almost choked. Bright red suddenly I grinned and, no longer caring that we had company, I stood, walked around my desk, grabbed the cute little minx by the hair pulling back gently. "For that, you get punished here and now!" I told her, and shoved my tongue into her mouth.<br/><br/>After a few seconds I straightened up again, still blushing, and looked to the MarsCorp rep. "Sorry about that, Stefan. I'm sure you know we have ... uh... yeah, well, this little bitch PMed me a very naughty pic of herself, which I am thinking about posting on the base bulletin board!" I winked at him so Laura couldn't see, then sat on the edge of my desk.<br/><br/>"SAR exercises are definitely a good idea. Recommendation approved. I don't think we need to put that past council as it's a purely military matter." I paused, thinking. "As for letting people wander about outside.... I agree in principal, but ..."<br/><br/>I was interrupted by a call on my desk intercom<em>"Commander? This is T-Rex... uh Sgt Bollam, in ECC. We are showing green lights across the board, recommendation is EmCon5"</em><br/><br/>"Thank fuck for that. Thank you, T-Rex. Set EmCon5 and stand down."<br/><br/>I grinned, and with a sigh of relief, popped the neck ring on my suit. "Where was I, Oh yes... I agree in principle, but only if they are properly supervised. I don't want anyone falling down holes or disappearing into dust filled crevasses.And I certainly don't want anyone going out without their suit done up properly.<br/><br/>"Excuse me a moment I need to make an announcement."<br/><br/>I flipped the PA on again and spoke. "Ladies and gentlemen, the base is secure. We are at Emergency Condition Five, Code All Clear. You may<em>NOW</em>take your suits off. Don't loose them, you'll need them for the little trips to the surface that Major Hicks is organising!<br/><br/>"Repeat, get out of those sweaty suits and get on wit the job. That is all!"<br/><br/>I grinned and said "Race you..." I was wriggling out of the suit even before the other two had figured what I meant.<br/><br/>Laura still beat me by half a second.<em>Getting slow,</em>I thought.<em>Getting old. But I'll die <span class="bbc_u">here!</span></em>I grinned as I sat back on the corder of my desk, wearing a pare of utilitarian RAAF-issue boxers and similar sleeveless tee. The scar on my leg stood out vivid and red with a horrid white stripe in the middle. Frostbite had saved my life that day, when the edge of the crushed cockpit had sliced through my suit and into my leg. The internal seal had slowed the escaping air to a dribble, but as I pulled the metal out of the wound, blood gushed out...<br/><br/>...And froze. My femoral artery had been severed. If it hadn't been for the temperature I would have bled out in minutes...<br/><br/>I shook the memory off and looked at my companions. "I suppose we ought to do an inspection tour. Care to get dressed first?"