"A Laughing Failure"

Posted on Thu Feb 17th, 2011 @ 8:28pm by Petty Officer 2nd Class Wally Ruiz

Mission: Hippocratic Hijacking
Location: LP/OP, Planet-side

ON


The situation in this colony was dire, and was deteriorating with each passing day. Ru felt more than he knew that the slightest thing, no matter how insignificant, could set in motion actions which he, the Executive Officer, or anybody on the colony could control.

Ru laughed softly, not wanting to be too loud, at his friend, who was sitting on post with him. The joke, while not exactly a joke at all, but more of disparaging comments made about those few individuals who were placed in certain leadership positions, had tickled Ru. Johnny Brady, who was Ru's junior by one rank, had somehow imitated the laugh of the Captain of the Arizona, the high-pitched squeal that passed for a voice of the Executive Officer and the gait and mannerisms of the Chief of Security into one person at the same time, and it was more than a little funny.

"Shhh!" Brady admonished. "If the Ex-oh hears you, no doubt he would come scampering up to wave his finger at you!" He then did a little jig and jive, mimicking the scampering in place, of what the Executive Officer would do exactly.

Ru's ribs were hurting, and it was all he could do from guffawing out loud, and in the dead of the night, sound carried very well. Between the muffled laughs, "You....need.....to....stop! I'm....dying....here!"

"Oh no you don't! You know better than to volunteer for things! Hell, the Major would volun-tell you to die. No need to volunteer for it, Ru!"

More laughter. Tears were starting to spill over Ru's eyes. He knew he was going to lose it before much longer.

"Now now, no need to cry," Brady said smiling, "I'm sure if you talk to her about it, something can be worked out."

During their laughing and joking, both failed to notice the group of four individuals move across the road and into the ditch on the other side, disappearing from view. They also failed to notice the satchels they were carrying. Further, they failed to notice the rifles. And they failed to notice they were headed straight for the shuttles which harbored the medical supplies so desperately desired.




OFF

Petty Officer 2nd Class Wally 'Ru' Ruiz
Security
USS Arizona