“Pearson, Johannsen grab him and start moving towards the comp center, I’ll follow and provide cover.”
As both of them looked to him after his order it quickly became apparent that Kane himself had underestimated in his assessment the true nature of Johannsen and Pearson’s "injured but able to function" status. The big man and the medic were both barely able to stand, much less pick up or drag the injured Sergeant Lee. Kane knew it was going to up to him to be the one to move the dying ranger.

The SAW to his back and reaching to pick up Lee he nearly dropped the unconscious man as severe nausea overtook him, forcing him to throw up all over the floor of the cave. Humiliatingly, his face red, Kane realized that he too was far from over the effects of the room’s stench.

Soon enough through sheer force of will he was able to drag the unconscious form of Lee out of the cave and back into the hallway, where the stench was noticeably less. Here Johannsen motioned to him to place Lee back to ground and upon the SSgt’s doing so began to treat him.

With the arrival of the Lt and Blake and declaration of Lee’s being able to move Kane bent to pick up the wounded Ranger and now with the Lt’s help proceeded to carry him back to the communications center.

With the door locked, his SAW at ready Kane awaited the Lt’s next move thinking to himself they needed to abandon the facility and call for pick up, but knowing with the injuries to Lee, Johannsen and Pearson leaving could mean the death of them in the cold outside. It was up to Blake it seemed to figure a way out for them all.....

Monty didn't like the response he'd received from Blake, but he couldn't come up with a better one, so he gave her a curt nod and turned back to the doc.

"Take what time you need to get everyone stabilized, including yourself." Turning to Kane he dipped his head towards the door. "Make sure nothin' comes through that, Sarge.

"Blake, it looks like our lives are in your hands for the moment. See if you can't get all tender with that machine again, and we'll sit back and pray that what happened to our fellows in the Observatory doesn't happen to us in the interim."

Orders given, Kernan drops to his knees next to the medic, ready to provide what help he can in the stabilizing process.

Sgt Lee groaned slightly but made no other side of regaining consciousness due to the extent of his internal injuries. If anyone looked at his closed eyes they might notice that the eyeballs appeared to be moving slightly under the lids as if he were dreaming in his unconscious state.

Actually Lee was having a strange dream, it were eerily similar to the situation they had found themselves in when he had gained his serious injuries. He was a character in a bad ‘B” rated movie he recalled seeing some late night on one of the retro entertainment channels. He couldn’t remember the name of it, and right now he didn’t care.

He was some high school jock who needed a great science project for his senior final otherwise he might fail to graduate. He and some friends had snuck into a military junkyard hoping to find something he could pass off as his project and they had found some strange gizmo and brought it back to the high school. While cleaning up the gizmo he had accidentally activated it and it demonstrated strange powers, such as absorbing electricity from any nearby electronic devices.

After they decide to give it some more ‘juice’ to see what it can do, it begins to material objects from other times and dimensions. When he shows it to his crazy ‘aging hipster’ science teacher the man plugs it into the main power and it starts a chain reaction that begins to twist dimensions and warp time around the school. Past, present and future collide and Lee and his friends wind up battling all kinds of creatures and people, even gladiators from Ancient Rome, to try and get to the device to stop it.

While Lee lay on the floor being tended to by Johannsen and the Lt, he was in a ‘battle’ against some post-apocalyptic mutants from a time yet to have happened. During the battle, in what once was the school gymnasium but was now some mixture of different time periods both past and future, Lee was stuck hard by one of the large mutants and knocked across room to fall unconscious and lay bleeding in serious need of medical attention.

(OOC: Hey I had to post something, bored waiting on something to save him. )

Inge made it back with the others by dint using the wall to prop herself up. Mast Sgt Kane with the aid of the Lt and the W/O got Sgt Lee up on a cleared table top so it made it easier for her to treat him.

Inga was thankful, right now that she knew where everything was in her medical kit because she was working nowhere near peak efficiency, her hands were not as steady as she could wish. But routine helped and the careful preparations she had made helped her to get the job done. Right now that was treating the wounded. Lee first in priority, Pearson and she a close second

Inga had stabilized Sgt. Lee enough to move him out of danger zone but she had more work ahead of her. Lee he had taken three slamming blows by the creature. which had slung him "about as if he was a rag doll. Now she quickly, but carefully checks Lee's vital stats; heart rate, breathing, were movement and temp, then out came antibiotics, and other indicated medications and pain killers though she used those latter meds cautiously. pain kept one quiet when you needed to be. Shots given she sets up a a saline drip. Inga goes to pick up a chair but stops before she got too far bent over. Pain was an excellent indicator of what not to try.



"Lt. Keenan, Sir, could you put that chair on this table so I can hang up this drip and get his ribs taped ."

Lifting up Lee's shirt she can tape his ribs from side to side but she does not want to roll him over to wrap him up all around his torso. So she does the very best she can under the circumstances. the wide tape will give him some support to his damaged ribs. she them closed he jacket over him and used a space blanket around his torso to keep him as warm as possible.

Taking a moment she turns to sit down next to him, though she is not done yet. Two more to go, both Pearson and she had taken some pretty brutal damage. She takes up another round of shots and medications for both of them out of her kit.

Inga moves over slowly but steadily to where Pearson is and goes through her procedure again sticking to each phase as she had been taught careful to follow each step and double checking all medication. The routine helped her to stay focused. After checking him out she administers the shots and hands him the medication.

"Get this down with the equivalent of a full glass of water.

"How are your ribs and are you having trouble breathing."

Inga checks his ribcage though she is quite sure he must have fractured ribs if not broken ones. Finding the tenderness and flex that should not be if they were intact. She was going to need help though to tape his ribs and hers.
She turns Lt. Keenan again for help.

"Lt. Keenan, Sir. I could use your help with taping up Pearson's ribs and mine, Sir."

When at last the treatments were finished, Inga sat down and pulls out her log book and entered in all the medical information of what she had done and what medications she had administer, when and to whom.

Finally her work done for the moment, she sits close to Lee so she can monitor his condition. She needed to note any changes whether positive or negative. She hoped for positive but to hedge her hopes she prayed for them all.

After she is finished with the paper work Inga just sits quietly monitoring Sgt Lee's vitl signs. It gives her some time to think about what has happen thus far, sort of putting two and two together and getting sixes and sevens. Still they had already had some indication that the area of the observatory had undergone at least two changes just while they were there. First was finding to Soldiers that knew nothing about Rangers still being in this world and then when it turn into a cave with that monster inside it. Perhaps it would switch again.

"SSGT Kane," Inga calls out to him as he stands guard near the door.

"I just thought that the area of the observatory keeps switching about and different times and places keep popping up there. Perhaps you could keep trying to call the others and if they return, tell them to get out of that area."

Through the haze of pain, Pearson wondered if any bones were broken. Sure felt like it! That f@(#ing monster had picked him up, gear and all, and threw him like a cow-chip! Then he heard, or thought he did, the Corp'ral calling Sargeant Kane.

"I just thought that the area of the observatory keeps switching about and different times and places keep popping up there. Perhaps you could keep trying to call the others and if they return, tell them to get out of that area."
Without sitting up or even turning his head (it hurt!), he spoke, painfully, "Corp'ral? I don't think ... they're there anymore ... If they were in ... the cave, that thing ... would'a got them too ... an' they weren't there ... that I saw, but ... they might be where ... the 'servat'ry went ..." Here, Pearson was wracked with coughing from the effort to get his idea across. The coughing subsided relatively quickly, leaving the private weak and breathing raggedly, grimacing in pain but silent except for an occasional soft grunt.

Corporal Johannsen looked over worriedly when Cpl. Pearson began coughing. The grimace of pain was clearly evident as the spasm wracked his bruised, batter, and most likely broken body.

Inga had taped his ribs up as best she could with the Lieutenant's help but at best iit only would help him a bit. He needed medical attention, something more than she could provide here.

She checks how Kane is doing first and then moves over to Pearson to check him out. The one thing she hopes not to see is any blood around his mouth or nose.

"How are you doing Corporal Pearson?" Inga asks with her best bedside manner and she checks him out thoroughly, pulse, breath rate, temperature, dialation of his eyes. Pearson was currently stabilized and she would do her best to keep him that way.

"I want to get you into a reclining position and not on your back but I don't want you to do anything but lie there." Inga tells Pearson

Normally Inga could have gotten him up without help but not in her current condition, and if she had needed help she would not have asked their ranking offier. but her was the only one she had to ask. They were a team though and in this mess so she did not hesitate to ask for needed help.

"Lt. Keenan, Sir I need you assistance. I need something to prop Col. Pearson up on so he is not on his back like this and I need a hand getting him up into a reclining position."

"Lt. Kernan, Sir, could you put that chair on this table so I can hang up this drip and get his ribs taped ."

Monty sets his rifle down on the top of one of the desks and silently proceeds to comply with the field medic’s request. Once the table is in position he locates anything he can to give the drip elevation, and something to secure it with while Johannsen proceeded to address Lee’s wounds.

"Get this down with the equivalent of a full glass of water.” Johannsen’s instructions were soft as she spoke with her patients. Kernan shifted about her to make sure he was providing what assistance he could while Blake worked her magic on the computer and Kane watched the door.

"How are your ribs and are you having trouble breathing?” Inga checked his ribcage even while she asked the question.

"Lt. Kernan, Sir. I could use your help with taping up Pearson's ribs and mine, Sir."

Monty silently moved to her side and proceeded to offer what assistance he could with the patient, and then with Inga. It was all business with the man, straight forward, dour business.

When Inga sat down and pulled out her log book to take note of all she’d done, Monty moved back to his weapon and settled into a chair. He was feeling fatigued despite their rest. A good portion of it, he knew, was the results of adrenaline leaving his system. Rubbing his eyes, the Lieutenant’s gaze fell on Blake as she worked and he wondered if she’d be able to live up to the expectation. They were all relying on her to get through those damnable computer defenses and show them just what they were dealing with. If she failed…Monty took a deep breath. What would he do then? How would he get these people out alive, and find those that were MIA? He’d be the one to brave the cold and get that satellite link set up if it came down to it. It would have to be him, or Kane. The others were too specialized in their fields, too important to the mission. No, he’d get the message out if it killed him.

"SSGT Kane," Inga’s voice broke the Lieutenant’s contemplative silence. "I just thought that the area of the observatory keeps switching about and different times and places keep popping up there. Perhaps you could keep trying to call the others and if they return, tell them to get out of that area."

Without sitting up or even turning his head Pearson spoke, painfully, "Corp'ral? I don't think ... they're there anymore ... If they were in ... the cave, that thing ... would'a got them too ... an' they weren't there ... that I saw, but ... they might be where ... the 'servat'ry went ..." Here, Pearson was wracked with coughing. The coughing subsided relatively quickly, leaving the private weak and breathing raggedly, grimacing in pain but silent except for an occasional soft grunt.

Corporal Johannsen looked over worriedly when Cpl. Pearson began coughing. While Kernan watched she quickly checked on Lee and then moved over to Pearson to help him out.

"How are you doing Corporal Pearson?" Inga asked while taking up his wrist to check his pulse. "I want to get you into a reclining position and not on your back but I don't want you to do anything but lie there.

"Lt. Kernan, Sir I need you assistance. I need something to prop Col. Pearson up on so he is not on his back like this and I need a hand getting him up into a reclining position."

“Sit back and take some time to rest, Corporal,” Monty ordered Johannsen. “I’ve got it.”

That said, Kernan snatched up Pearson’s pack and moved to position it underneath the grenadier in such a way as to receive Inga’s nod of approval. “Hold tight, Ranger,” Monty said in a low tone to Pearson as he gave the man’s should a soft pat. “We’re all getting’ the hell outta here as soon as we can.”

Turning from the injured man, Lt. Kernan made his way slowly back to where he was sitting and hoisted his weapon. “Kane, take a seat. No use in wearing yourself out further just watching a door. And for whatever it’s worth, keep trying Hatherford and Hart on the radio…just in case.” Moving about the room, Monty contemplated what Inga had said a little further. Perhaps what had happened in the Observatory was going to happen all over the facility and perhaps it was rotating realities, just like she’d suggested. Unfortunately, there was no way to be absolutely positive until Blake broke that code, and even then it was just as likely that whatever was happening wasn’t documented. Hell, he was sure that the results weren’t what they’d planned.

All they were supposed to do was get in, determine the condition of the facility’s staff, get all of the information on the operation, and get out. Now they were trapped in some extradimensional shell where reality took a side seat to fiction. Shaking his head, Monty returned his attention to searching through the contents of the room. Perhaps he’d find something to help Blake out, to help them all out. Perhaps not.

Inga sat back down when the Lt. Kenan told her to stay put while he took care of propping up Pearson. The Lt. used Pearson's pack and wedged it behind him, taking time to look at Inga for approval. Inga gave a nod and a smile. "Yes, SIr that is just fine."

Right now she wished she was a fully fledge doctor. That is what S. Sgt. Lee needed most of all and hospital facilities. But that was not what he had. He only had her, and her med kit and her knowledge. Inga did her best and hoped fervently that that was enough to keep him alive.

Inga would have like to rest her head but sitting up straight was the best she could do right now since bending over and compressing her ribs was painful. Pain was an excellent indicator of what not to do. She did pull her riffle up and held it ready.

Pearson looked up at Cpl. Johannsen as she worked on the taping of his ribs. He tried to cooperate with her so she and the Ell-Tee didn't have to do all the work, rolling his body slightly one way and then the other to facilitate the passing ot the roll of tape from hand to hand as the rwo worked. It hurt, but hell!, everyone was hurt!. And The Coro'ral and Ell-Tee were working on him in spite of their own injuries. When they finished, he looked at both of them ans smile weakly, but genuinely, showing much relief. He reached up and ran the back of his hand across his mouth, then paused to look at it. No blood. That's a good sign. he thought. Then the corporal began checking him over, poking gently here and there, taking blood pressure and temperature, checking for any other major wounds. As she worked, she asked, "How are you doing Corporal Pearson? I want to get you into a reclining position and not on your back but I don't want you to do anything but lie there"
"Thanks, Lieutenant ... ... ... Corp'ral. It's a lot better now. I feel like the quarterback that just got sacked by a mess of gorillas from the other team. Any idea what that thing was that got us?"

The corporal called the Lt. Kernan back to help her move Pearson to a slightly-more-upright position. Lieutennt Kernan told her to take a break and he'd handle it. The Lt. used Pearson's own backpack as one of the props and, when done, Pearson was actually -- slightly -- comfortable. He smiled again at the two and nodded a silent thanks this time. Then he got a few pills and an order to drink water with them. Then the lieutenant spoke, patting pearson on the shoulder as he was gettung up from Pearson's side, "Hold tight, Ranger, We’re all getting’ the hell outta here as soon as we can."
"No problem, sir. Can do." But there was an obvious questioning look on the private's face, indicating that he had a question that he knew he shouldn't ask. Ina few seconds, even that was gone, replaced by a look of grim determination.

As Corporal Johannsen moved to a chair to sit down, she picked up her piece and took it with her. Pearson wondered if she was married. If not, she would make someone a heck of a wife, he thought. As she moved toward the chair, Pearson glanced at her left hand,looking for a ring or the tell-tale mark of one. But he was unable to see most of the hand because it was holding her rifle. He guessed he could ask her later. Then came the sudden shocking thought,"No WAY !! If I asked her that, she might think I was askin' so's I could move in on her if she wasn't. No, he'd just stay dumb and quiet, maybe keep an eye on her hands until he was able to see for himself..

Looking at the corporal, Pearson tries another attempt at humor to distract himself from the pain until the pill "kicked in", " Corp'ral Johannsen? Don't think this place would make it on the books as a quiet vacation spot, would it?"

May 9th, 2025 - 1100
Communications Center, Antarctic Research Facility 36, Antarctica

Fortunately for the wounded, Johannsen, with a little help, is able to stabilize the wounded from the cave. There are broken ribs to tape all around, as well as a lundry list of various bumps, bruises, and contusions, but the final score is that all will live. The team is far from fighting fit, but after her initial first aid, there is little for the medic to do but prescribe rest.

As ordered, radio contact with the missing rangers is tried at regular intervals throughout the waiting period, but static is the only response ever received.

Meanwhile, Blake worries away at the stations's servers, trying one subtle attack vector after another. Eventually, the misfit-turned-ranger gets the feeling that it is no longer a matter of "if", but a matter of "when" - and eventually, she is proven correct, as she manages to force her way in and gain full root access to the entire netowrk.

Unfortunately, the fruit of the victory is not as sweet as expected. Blake has full access to all network user accounts, all personnel files, all activity logs, all shared documents. To her great frustration, she discovers that there is zero record ANYWHERE on the network of anything but the most cursory references to the station's research.

On a hunch, the techie checks the network access logs, and a lightbulb flashes on in her head. There are many records of a workstation named "agiles" being connected to various resources. However, that workstation is not currently connected. It is quite possible that the doctor may be keeping the specifics of his research on his own personal computer, rather than saving them to a network location. It's what I would do, Blake muses.

May 9th, 2025 - 1100
Communications Center, Antarctic Research Facility 36, Antarctica

Sgt Lee moans slightly as he gets to his feet a bit shakily the first time after his bout with unconsciousness. He winces from the pain of his contusions and internal injuries which would normally have him bed ridden for a while but since they are in the midst of a s*** storm of trouble he cant afford to lie about and be useless.

“Sgt?” Lee says as he hobbles over to Kane looking a bit embarrassed, “I’m sorry I let that ‘thing’ get the best of me, I let the team down and endangered the mission and our lives. It …. took me by surprise.. it .. wont happen again.”

He tries not to wince from the pain as he speaks, but the effort of speaking is evident to anyone watching. He hefts his carbine, racking the bolt to strip off a round out of the fresh magazine he installed.

“I’m ready for some payback, Sarge!” He says with a weak smile. His face is slightly pale and he is uncertain on his feet but he seems eager to do battle with something.

(Room here for response from anyone)

“Suddenly Lee reaches back with one of hands to his empty scabbard astride his back and finding the hilt of his Chinese sword absent he looks around his eyes wide.

“My sword!” He says, his voice revealing something he didn’t show when he was facing the creature that almost killed him, a hint of panic.

Not finding his sword in the room (assuming someone tells him that no one picked it up) and learning it is still in the room where they battled the unearthly beast, he looks at Sgt. Kane wide-eyed.

“I have to go back there and find it!” He says this as an absolute as if there is no question this must be done.

Hearing Sgt Lee's exclamation of wanting to go back to the cavern-room where that thing was --no scratch that -- needing to go back, Pearson sat up with a slight grunt. "Sarge? If he goes, I'll back him up, I sure will! I wanna put a grenade into that thing, whether I put it in it's mouth or up it's ... ... well, anyway, I wanna put a grenade in it! I know we need rest, but I want another crack at that thing before it goes away. We gotta show it that we don't back down just because we hurt! I wanna get a chance to see what that thing does when it gets hurt. Maybe we can tame it after all. I always wanted a wierd pet ..." He adopts a wry, crooked smile.

His returning sense of humor was a sign of healing, but the body wasn't so quick to oblige. He gets to his feet, trying for all the world to look like it takes no effort, but failing in that respect. But it shows he is willing and ready. He glances around, looking for his gear, and noted the pack where they had placed it under him and his rifle nearby. That "inventory" done, he looked at the Ssgt Kane with the same silent-but-questioning look he had displayed earlier. It seemed to say, I really want to do this, Sarge, but won't if you say so. Whaddaya say?

Inga watched Sgt. Lee stirred and then attempt to sit up. Inga bit off the less polite words that rose first to his mind as he started in about his Fricking sword.".

"Sgt. Lee, Don't undo all the work I put in on you. Besides, we dropped that creature before we left there." Inga said, though she knew there was no use to tell him he was being stupid about going back there now for his sword. Neither would she tell him he wasn't cleared for active duty just yet, in her medical opintion. He wasn't nor was Pweaon and she included herself as well but the bottom line ws that they were all Rangers and could and would work even in extremity. THey all would do what had be be done. Only, in her opinion, getting that sword back did not count high on Inga's list of necessary actions.

Pearson offered his two cents worth as well. Inga just shook her head at them both and glanced over to Lt. Kienan. Waiting for him to set them straight.

Despite her good intentions about not saying anything. she failed to keep out of Lee's and Pearson's self-proclaimed readiness to go back their and get some payback. Those two were feeding off each other.

Inga turns to look at them both with glacial blue eyes,

"Oh fine, you two just go ahead and give that a try. You might make it back there if you leaned against each other or maybe crawled there. Then I can have the joy of practicing on you yet again. All I need is you to undo all the work I put in on you and start internal bleeding all over again. Sgt. Lee how many fingers am I holding up (Inga is holding 0 fingers up)

Kernan was listening to his ranger’s dialogue with only half an ear. Blake had managed to get through the security protocols, and though she’d not given him any indication, he knew enough about computers to realize that the sudden listing of directories meant she’d breached the defenses. So, he’d positioned himself behind her and watched as she worked further magic with industrious speed. After a short time his brow furrowed—not in reference to his injured soldiers deciding that it was time to go, but in the reference to the “agiles” machine. He was about to ask Blake where that machine was located when she continued on in her queries, eventually coming up with a series of network ports on a schematic, where one was highlighted with a bold font. Further digging resulted in the schematics for the building being accessed and the port being matched to a room in the sublevel.

Monty folded his arms across his armored chest and stared at the results of Charlie’s dedicated efforts for a moment, still only half listening to the banter from his troops. Blake had theorized that it was about impossible to determine where Hatherford, Hart, and the two Army soldiers that were with them had disappeared to, and despite every bone in his body aching to go in search of his Rangers, Monty had to agree. There was just too much randomness to the appearance of that jungle cave, and what Kane’s fire team had encountered within that cave had nearly killed three highly trained soldiers! Lt. Kernan wasn’t too keen on running into another of those things, or its big brother. No, he felt strongly that the solution to their problem lay with this “agiles” machine and the data it contained. The problem with this assessment was that it meant traveling through parts of this facility that were as of yet untested, sections of the base that contained dead alien things.

Taking a deep breath, Lt. Kernan gave Blake’s should a quick pat, “Good job, Chief.”

“All right,” he said, turning to the other Rangers, his eyes scanning each of them in turn. “Chief Blake found reference to a computer that could contain the answers to our little dilemma, so that’s our next objective. I know some of you are injured—I know you want to get your sword back, Lee—but there’s a lot at stake here and I’m not about to risk it for a single weapon, no matter the sentimental value. If all works out, we’ll return for it—“ Monty held up his hand to forestall any argument from the sergeant. “I’m not leaving anyone behind again seeing how well that turned out the last time we did, so pack it all up. We’re moving out in five. Kane…” Monty motioned the big Staff Sergeant over to where he stood next to Blake. Once the man had arrived he continued. “We’re going back through that area where you found what you described as an alien. The last location we’ve got on this ‘agiles’ computer is in the administrator’s office on the sublevel. You’re going to take point so I want you to be on your game. You up to this, Ranger?”

(OOC: assuming he is…)

“Good. Then let’s get this team together and move out.”

Once everyone was ready to go, Monty arranged the marching order with Kane at point followed by Lee, then Pearson, Joannsen, Blake, and finally himself. This put the injured in the middle as well as the brain, and the two most fit on either end. With a nod, Monty set his team into motion, his stomach a lead bowl, his jaw clenched.