[u]John Howard[/u]

John ignored the commotion at his back between the pilots and some in the crew, and listened to Royland. At the mention of his family, John was a bit caught off guard. [i]No wonder he volunteered for this mission[/i], he thought to himself – the prospect of danger, albeit small, is still too great to sit on the sidelines and speculate, especially when loved ones are put into the mix. At the very least, he knew that Royland would give this mission his all. 
“I’m glad to have someone on this ship that knows the Willman,” John said. “And I assure you, no matter what the situation, I will do all within my power to locate and protect your family. I trust you’ll do the same.”

At that, he heard a mention of him by the cluster of crew behind him; one of his soldiers had gotten into the mix, and now the Pilot was wondering about departure. John gave a polite nod to Royland before checking his watch turning around to address both the group and the rest of the individuals in the room.
“The launch sequence is set to begin in ten minutes. At that time, the facility’s ground crew will prep the ship for an upward take-off, and we will have reached the Earth’s upper atmosphere within the hour,” John ambled away from the center to find a beverage, and came across a few bottles of water set out for the [i]Sentinel[/i]’s passengers. He took a long sip, before continuing. “Please keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times,” he quipped, before raising a brow at Moira. “And no starting a brawl before we get past Mars, yeah?”

[u]Elizabeth Sinclair[/u]

At that point, Erin had turned bright red with embarrassment, which was the opposite of what Liz had hoped to achieve. She simply smiled brighter, and took a step back so as not to invade her space. “The pleasure’s all mine, Erin,” she answered, before pivoting to the left with an outstretched hand to Anton. “And Doctor Kyznetsov, you’ve proven to be quite insightful. Yes, Director Moreau asked that I attend. He was worried that the situation – whatever it may be – could have destabilized society at the Willman, and wants me there in case they need a hand getting back on track.” At that, she heard Sergeant Howard announce that the [i]Sentinel[/i]’s departure time was almost upon them. [i]And about time, too[/i], she thought to herself, having idly overheard the heated debate not ten feet away. [i]Hopefully this bunch will survive the trip over[/i].