Mr. Schultz turned toward the NCO Club once Proteau had finished his briefing.
"I'm going in", the science officer remarked, taking a step toward the entrance.
"Ah wouldn't do that, Sar", Powell said, placing himself in the Huckster's path, "that thar robot is down raht dangerous."
Schultz gazed into the other's eyes dispassionately. "I think I'll be alright, Corporal", he replied evenly.
He waited for the corporal to remove himself before resuming his pace. Slowly, cautiously, he made his way to the doorway and peered around the corner into the room. He was amazed at the amount of damage
the area had sustained in such a short period of time, but then reminded himself what they were dealing with. From his vantage point, he could see DANA pointing toward a form near the opposite end of the
room, covered in a sticky, fibrous compound. Nearer him, he could see Corporal Broski huddled on the ground, surrounded by splintered wood, his left hand injured and bleeding.
Schultz reached into his pack and produced the canister he'd stopped for earlier. He hooked his finger into the tab on top, pulled, and tossed the cylindrical device into the room, as far away from his two
crewmen as possible.
"FAHR IN THE HOLE!!", Powell barked from the intersection, sending his Angels, and the security team running for cover.
The metallic cylinder flew into the room, lazily arcing over tables, and hitting the ground several yards to DANA's right, diverting the android's attention from its victims. DANA's programming took over
and he tracked the object's movement as it skittered across the floor. His data banks registered the item almost immediately, and DANA scurried after the container as it careened through the mass of table
and chair legs.
The moment of confusion was all Broski needed. He sprang for the door, looming only a few paces away, the beckoning promise of a future, a rectangular vortex of hope and possibilities, a...movement to his
right caught his attention. One step from freedom, he glanced over and saw Mr. Jeffy struggling to stand beneath the stringy, would-be death shroud.
"Damn...", the corporal breathed silently. He could see Mr. Schultz now, kneeling over the lifeless form of ANDA, could smell the ozone in the air and knew troops with heavy weapons waited just down
the hall, yet he could not leave the engineering officer, he could not leave his...friend. Grimacing, as though the word tasted bitter, he turned and watched DANA flounder after the evasive container.
He launched himself toward Mr. Jeffy, anticipating an attack from the robot at any second, and scooped up the engineering officer by the thick, sticky tendrils of DANA's net. Making use of his momentum, he
spurred himself forward toward the gaping hole in the enlisted women's shower wall.
Jeffy moaned softly behind him. "Hey, could you slow down a little?", he inquired miserably, "I'm getting kind of nauseous?"
Broski bit off a creative reply, the need to conserve his energy outweighing his desire to express his thoughts. He passed into the shower area, dragging Jeffy behind, and was a little disappointed to see
it deserted. Using the keen edge of his Uncle Slappy Super Survival Knife, he cut the engineering officer free of the clingy mesh.
He was just pulling off the last of the netting when someone cleared their throat behind them. Broski spun, knife in hand, as Jeffy readjusted his boxers as the days events were having an adverse effect on
the elastic waist.
They were both stunned to see Lightnin' Liz standing there. Naked, wet, and holding a splazer.
