[center][color=silver][h3]The Gray Dynasty: Reika Saigyo[/h3][/color]

[color=silver]Current Deployment:[/color] Venus[/center]

Reika had been pressing various buttons on the console of the ship she was going to be piloting as the rest of the crew talked amongst themselves First thing she noticed was how beautiful it was. Sleek, high-tech, compact and easy on the eyes, all the pertinent information was there ready to be digested with easy to notice symbols that correlated with important features. When she touched the wheel that resembled two parenthesis connected by a circle, she felt the electricity of excitement stand her hairs on end. There was the window infront of her that for now only showed the boring port on Venus, but soon would show the inky blackness of space. All around her were various monitors that showed the outside of the ship, with radars and detection devices that divulged the Wight's surroundings to her.

Ugh! Reika hadn't been able to pilot a ship in too damn long. Being taxi'd around because she didn't have a ship to pilot was the worst. It was like she was rubbing the sleep from her eyes, or shaking the cobwebs from her brain. There were sundry buttons of all kinds all around her, things that might overwhelm the unexperienced but for Reika it was the most comprehensive user interface she'd ever seen.

The pilot's chair was large, adjustable and had four straps that created an X across her chest. She could move it up, down, forward and backwards slightly to get into the most comfortable position possible. It was bolted hard to the floor so she could pilot upside down if she wanted too. 

Victor then appeared in what looked like full command mode. [i]'Now',[/i] he demanded. Reika, excited, smiled wide. "Aye-aye!" She gave a exaggerated, slacking salute as he vanished from her view. She then turned back to the Wight's interface. The thrusters began to warm and the entire Wight began to give an awesome whistle. A flick of a switch retracted the boarding ramp into the body of the ship. The reactor began supplying power to the engines, weapons, and shields. Reika giggled to herself when she saw the interface come to life.

Victor's voice came over the radio, they were behind schedule and needed to move.

She began to taxi the ship out of the port and to the runway. At about 10 miles per hour it was slow moving, and Reika just wanted to sail this baby in space. The way was clear infront of her as they were one of the only crafts confirmed to to take-off around this time thanks to the Gray's.

Eventually there was nothing but the dome above them and the large steel runway. The runway lead into a large, triple layered airlock. The first door-portal opened around them, all the parts receding from the center of the door. It took about 30 seconds for the door to open. The Wight hummed past the first airlock, and for 30 seconds the door closed behind them.

"Come on, come on!" Reika rapidly and impatiantly tapped her foot, biting her lower lip. One and a half minutes later, the final airlock door began to open into the crushing atmosphere of Venus. Before her stretched the vast green emptiness of pure poison and the remainder of the runway that was exposed to the cruel elements outside the safe dome of Aphrodite.

She flicked on the intercom and her voice filled the ship.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the Wight, this is your pilot speaking. We're about to take off, so I'm gonna activate the artificial gravity, but I'd recommend taking a seat anyway unless you wanna fall flat on your ass or worse." She paused, looking at the atmosphere, and turned a lever to activated the artificial gravity. Immediately everyone could feel themselves get about twice as heavy because of the compounded gravity of the ship and Venus. Still moveable, but it was a little uncomfortable to have 2 G's pressing down.

"Okay, here comes the countdown," she spoke into the intercom again. "Five...four...three-two-one!" The Wight sped up quickly as the now warmed up thrusters kicked on, the pilot having lost her patience. Reika felt herself get pushed back into her seat as it picked up velocity. The ship was zooming down the runway. She pulled up, and the G's pulled harder. One would hope everyone was strapped in or else they'd be hard pressed into the corner of some room.

The wheels retracted into the ship, causing the drag to reduce. They were now officially in the air! Soon the floating city of Aphrodite was well behind them, and anyone watching from the port would see them be submerged in green fog.

"Okay, okay, we're up! Fucking [i]nice![/i]" She said to herself, though the intercom was still on. Hearing her own voice echo throughout the ship, Reika realized her mistake. "Oops," her voice rang throughout the ship one last time as she turned off her intercom. Quickly putting the mishap behind her Reika glared, grinning, at Venus's sky, vessel ascending towards the currently unseen heavens above.

Regardless of any crew comments, conversations or criticisms that happened in the meantime, the Wight would be in space in about ten minutes.