In Engineering it was all hands on deck, and an absolute clamor rang out as the docking clamps released. As Chief of Engineering, Xaith felt it his duty to address the restless crowd that was his entire department as the final pre-flight procedures got underway. With too many chefs in the kitchen it was his job to ensure none ruined the broth.

Using the central imaging projector, and pushing its capabilities to its limits, Chief Calhound brought up a real-time image of the Earth that filled nearly the entirety of Main Engineering. From catwalk to catwalk there was not a soul whom couldn't see it hovering over him. "Attention." The word need only be spoken once as all were looking for some assurances that they had made the right decision joining the Arks. 

"I know everyone here has mixed feelings about living, whilst all those around us... all those on this planet we're fleeing, are not afforded the same opportunity." His tone was serious as he spread both arms far and wide to emphasize the enormity of the number of people being left behind. "Allow me to put your concerns to rest, as that notion is simply not true." His tone sharpened and with it his demeanor turned hard. "We do not live," he said, "We survive. By tooth and nail—[i]claw and fang[/i]—we fight." With the words he drew in his hands to two clinched fists at his sizes in an action that empowers one with a sense of dominance. "We fight not a losing battle against an enemy we cannot yet hope to understand, but of one against ourselves, and our own weaknesses." Xaith then turned to face the planet's image, inviting all to do so. "We survive, so that our children's children may [i]live[/i]. We ourselves do not live. We stave off death."

With that and knowing that the hard work had been done, as to afford his staff two minutes of silent contemplation, Xaith punched a button on the Engineering's main internal comm directory, and a song rang out over the somber and quelled hearts in the belly of the beast.

[center][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWabGQBnzKo[/youtube][/center]

The ice-cold grip of space. The planet held in the "devil's" grasp, and all the wealth and ruin—let alone those souls—left behind. It was all too surreal, as the entered the door beyond their world those who could hear the hum of the drive cores couldn't help but feel a specter on their tail as they broke free of the platform.

In the minutes that followed orders came through to run diagnostics on the jump drive. Orders that were automatically countermanded by a standing order from the Chief of Engineering, which resulted in NO4H reporting an all-clear status to the bridge and opening a comm channel on Xaith's behalf.

After his first act as Chief of Engineering was to assign NO4H an avatar, he used the apparent embarrassment to justify assigning the entire department to top-to-bottom preparation of the whole Jump Drive and related systems, to ensure all were ready for use for the [i]every[/i] possible outcome. Though his staff may simply have thought him to be punishing them, he hoped they could see the necessity for being ready for anything.

"Captain..." SFC Calhoun shouted into the comm lines as to be heard over the murmur that was his over-stocked, and overloaded department now brimming with mixed emotion. As an army man it was his first instinct to say 'Admiral' but it was navy tradition to address the C.O. of a ship as 'the captain' regardless of their actual rank. He shrugged, as who was he to argue with naval tradition, and went on: "I hope you do intend to give me [I]some[/i] credit during this journey. The jump core is already aligned, charged, and standing by." He paused to shout over to his team before continuing, "It was the first thing we did when I came aboard. You and I both know it's not good to leave these types of things to the last minute, and running a new diagnostic now may result in tripping the whole system off-line."

With all systems at the ready, and NO4H taking control of most flow regulation and operational details at the behest of the helm Xaith saw no more reason to keep the Main Engineering overstaffed, and dismissed all but the first scheduled shift. As his staff filed out, he added as an afterthought, "While we may be the second to launch, I assure you. There isn't a finer group of Engineers leaving earth today."