[i]The alarms blared[/i]. 

5 minutes until dispatch.  

Raddek's hands were still full of food, and so he stuffed what he could in his pack again and zipped it up, making sure it was sealed air-tight. The changes in gravity and air pressure could have unforeseen consequences on any perishables when exposed, and he didn't want to find out what it could be regardless. Hefting the sack, he gave Vashti a nod and made his way over to the next corridor, where there was a huge windowed hatch that slowly opened even as he approached, pressurized air seeping out and leaving a telltale [i]hiss[/i]. 

Triple checking his own suit, he reached into the equipment window just beside the door and began to latch on his parachute and magnetic beacon.. Unlike the bulky versions of centuries past, this orbital parachute used nanolaminate fiber, a very thin but immensely strong weave of materials that could catch anything from air winds to solar winds if faced properly. At its center was the magnetic beacon, which 'guided' the user via a magnetic pull to whatever frequency it was aligned to on the ground, which gave very little margin of error when dropping. If their intel was right, the 'hook' to the beacon was at the rendezvous point ten miles below them. It would be a bumpy flight down, with winds likely flying in excess of a hundred MPH at the calmest of times before they hit the one mile mark. Were it not for the beacon, they could end up on separate continents. 

"Alright guys and gals, strap yourself in and ready up. The launch door will open in four minutes flat." The pilot relayed to them. Raddek pressed an 'acknowledgement' button installed on his helm, stepping into the launch bay. He kept one foot on the outside to keep it open for Vashti to get strapped and then enter, before it would close permanently and they would be launched out at the appointed time. 

"All good?" He asked her.