[center][color=gray][h2][i][b]M[/b]in-jae [b]J[/b]eong[/i][/h2][/color]
[IMG]http://i63.tinypic.com/27y07k3.png[/IMG]
[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSh4WhTzUaw]No-no, post themesong.[/url][/center]
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[i]“Action stations, all hands prepare for lift-off.”[/i] They were the memorable words spoken by the rear admiral, sir William Locke. The man might not have realized, nor intended, but his words were perhaps the most inspiring of all words he could have said. Despite whatever the admiral might have been feeling, his words came across as if he knew exactly where they were headed, the exact coordinates where they'd appear, and the exact thing they'd see when they arrived there. 

And perhaps the young man wished to believe that, too. But a voice in the back of his head made Min-jae question the decision he'd made. There were people on Mars, dying now to give them the chance to escape. And in a few hours there would no doubt be the same people on Earth, doing the exact same thing, clinging to life, knowing it is futile. [i]Including his parents.[/i] No, despite the admirals words, Min-jae did not feel any better about the situation. They were abandoning their own people in a bid for their own lives. They were choosing the cowards way out.

[i]“Min-jae, sergeant, sir. Staff-sergeant Morris asked me to give you these,”[/i] a voice spoke from behind Min-jae. The voice was younger than that of Min-jae, and he did not recognize it. Only when he turned around he realized he was looking at a corporal he'd seen earlier that day. The boy had introduced himself then, but Min-jae had already forgotten. [color=gray][i]“Ah, thank you corporal.”[/i][/color] Min-jae politely said when he received a clipboard with some notes on it. It had several layers of paper on it, clipped tightly so the papers wouldn't get scrambled. They were neatly organized and numbered. In short - nothing could go wrong if you had these papers. On top of the papers the title of the documents revealed what they were. [b]Patrol Routes Sector 1B; AA levels.[/b] That would be the [i]simplified[/i] code for the [b]Hub[/b]. Min-jae briefly rummaged through the papers, before looking up at the young corporal again. [color=gray][i]“Anything else, corporal?”[/i][/color] The corporal understood the hint and saluted, after which he disappeared again.

For a moment Min-jae turned to the large window he was standing near to. Now that the 'prepare for liftoff' command had been given,t his was perhaps the last glance of Earth he would get. For a moment he thought back to those weeks prior to this event. When read admiral Constatine had given the order for all military units to prepare for combat. Not a single man had deserted it's position, that much he had heard. But it didn't feel that way. It felt as if [i]he[/i] had abandoned his position. 

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His dufflebag made increasingly more noise the longer Min-jae shook it around, looking to see if he had packed a certain item. When he found it, he quickly stuffed it back into the dufflebag and ran towards a nearby closet, pulling out two green-grey shirt and then rushed back, pushing them into the dufflebag. It was full now, and he zipped it up, before pulling out a 2nd bag from under his bed. He was going to continue stuffing stuff in it, but while he was hunched over the dufflebag, he heard footsteps behind him, before an older voice spoke up.

[i]“Sergeant Jeong, are you leaving?”[/i]

Min-jae's eyes looked back, and from the corner of his eye he made out the old figure that was the commanding officer in the small base of operations they maintained not far from the Vitae. The man deserved respect, as he was certainly a good officer. He was not ambitious enough to make it any further though, and seemed more concerned with the well being of his troops than the incoming threat. Perhaps because he knew these boys that were under his command were essentially just carrying the seed of humanity. They needed to be protected, it seemed. Silence controlled the room, holding the breath inside Min-jae's body hostage for a moment. A moment of courage took control back of Min-jae's body, and he quickly grabbed a nearby holster with a pistol in it and stuffed it into the empty dufflebag. [color=gray][i]“Yes. I'm going to travel North, find a unit that is staying on Earth. I'm going to help them defend Earth. What use is this ship if we can never return to our home. Admiral Constatine called on me to stay and fight and that is what I intend to do.”[/i][/color] His answer was met with a soft chuckle. Not a friendly one, one that reeked of mockery. For a moment Min-jae felt as if the officer wasn't as nice as he seemed to be.

[i]“Sergeant Jeong, what do you [b]really[/b] know of project Genesis? Do you think admiral Constatine didn't know of project Genesis? He was the one that basically created it when he defended Mars against those things. He heads the entire operation. And now you're saying all servicemen should abandon their posts and go fight with him? That's not what he wants.”[/i]

Anger took a hold of Min-jae, or perhaps it was pride. Perhaps it was both, a vengeful cocktail of bottled up annoyance with the entire situation. The following words left his mouth in an angry slur of bitterness, revealing how Min-jae had been feeling for the past year. [color=gray][i]“I'm not saying [b]anything[/b] like that. I am saying [b]I[/b] am going to go north and fight for Earth. Because I am a soldier, and we do [b]not[/b] run from battle.”[/i][/color] His breathing became heavier as he stopped grabbing stuff and stuffing it into the dufflebag. The officer behind him remained silent. Once more silence grasped at the room, tearing at the walls, making the air thicker and heavier to breathe.

[color=gray][i]“You need a shield to cover this sorry ship while you cowards escape from this battle? Fine. I will be your shield. I've been a shield ever since I joined the military. Protected my superiors. It's what I am good at -- hell, it's why these bastards chose me to get on to the Vitae [b]in the first place.[/b] It's what I know. If I am so good to be allowed on the Vitae, then surely I can make a difference on Earth.”[/i][/color]

[i]“Min-jae, you are 23 correct?”[/i] 

A deep breath. A sigh from Min-jae. And then an answer. [color=gray][i]“Yes sir.”[/i][/color]

[i]“You weren't there the first time these creatures attacked us. Admiral Constatine was. Trust me, when he says it's over, it's over. Admiral Constatine's people chose you because you are the seed of humanity. Where ever that ship takes you, you can start over. And then, perhaps, one day you can take back earth. If that is what you want.”[/i] 

[color=gray][i]“Yes sir,”[/i][/color] Min-jae answered, his voice calming down as he listened to the officer. It was always a sore spot for Min-jae that he hadn't been there all those years ago. If he was old enough then, then perhaps.. It seemed the officer had convinced Min-jae. [color=gray][i]“.. the seed of humanity?”[/i][/color]

[i]“Yes, sergeant Jeong. There's a reason we're in the Cradle of Humanity, after all.”[/i]

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Min-jae glanced at earth, one final time, before turning on his heels. Did he make the right call then? Perhaps not. But there was no time to worry about that. He had to organize the first patrol to ever take place on the Vitae. Best get to that right away. He proceeded on his way through a long hallway, headed for the transport hub. While he passed the doors that lead to some other areas, he mumbled to himself, [color=gray][i]“No turning back now.”[/i][/color]