May 9th, 2025 - 0046
Observatory, Antarctic Research Facility 36, Antarctica

Shots ring out from the two soldiers, and Hart is clipped by one of the rounds.

Lieutenant Kernan calls down for the soldiers to stand down as the team takes cover. "U.S. Army personnel. Stand down. I repeat; lay down your arms, you are firing on friendlies. Army ranger squad gamma-five-five deployed for your assistance!"

The shots momentarily stop, but then, one of the men calls out. "Who are you trying to kid, pal? Everyone knows there haven't been ranger units for ten years, at least. Stick your head back in here, and I'll take it off for you!"

Inga doesn't say anything but she is thinking, "What are they talking about?. "No Rangers for ten years." She tries to think of the ranger history was there every a time when the Rangers were disbanded for a period. IF she has no knowledge of this then there is something screwy here.

Inga remains in covering position, rifle at the ready. Now they had even more question and still no answers. Inga remains alert to her surrounding. Not only one the opposition from the observatory but also around her as well. She was in the rear and needed to make sure nothing was coming up from behind them either. She canted her body slightly to keep watch on theie sides and rear.

As shots rang out around the observatory, Pearson was quick to get his head down. It was tricky for a big man like him to find adequete cover.

US Personel... firing on us?!? The mission was not getting any better in the private's mind. He was about to ask Lieutenant Kernan if he wanted Denes to take out the threats, but Kernan spoke first and ordered the team to hold fire.

Pearson remained coiled and alert, like a tiger ready to pounce. He remained silent, waited for the lieutenant to talk the men down.

Submitted for your approval: take one remote research facility, one irresponsible scientist and boundless amounts of money and resources. The result is a weird blue field that has no physical effect in this time, but propels you into an ALTERNATE DIMENSION, one in which the Rangers have been disbanded for a decade or more. You’re free, Blake!
Charlie shook off the amusing and highly attractive idea, knowing darn well that if the Rangers didn’t have her, CIA or NSA or some other acronym would, anyway. She also kept her little theory to herself, though she had to admit, the robot didn’t belong to any reality she knew, either.

If Charlie is close to Hart, she’ll stay under cover as best she can and help him get a pressure bandage on the bullet wound. (“Hart, you poor bugger, gotta do something about that bullseye birthmark of yours, hon!”). Otherwise, she’ll look at the medic, one penciled eyebrow raised, then motion her head meaningfully towards Hart.

Once that’s taken care of, she’ll return her attention to the puzzle of the soldiers. “Sir!” she says into the radio, keeping her voice low. “PTS and the endless night here may have been very disorienting for these boys. Who knows how long they’ve been feeding into each other’s delusions. Start with the duty roster to build on the familiar and you can maybe reach through the madness, sir.”

No fool, despite her dark jester’s garb, she stays under cover, but moves her trigger finger to alongside the trigger. This way, she won’t fire accidentally or reflexively, but will still be fast if needed.

Shots ring out from the two soldiers, and Hart is clipped by one of the rounds.

Lieutenant Kernan calls down for the soldiers to stand down as the team takes cover. "U.S. Army personnel. Stand down. I repeat; lay down your arms, you are firing on friendlies. Army ranger squad gamma-five-five deployed for your assistance!"

The shots momentarily stop, but then, one of the men calls out. "Who are you trying to kid, pal? Everyone knows there haven't been ranger units for ten years, at least. Stick your head back in here, and I'll take it off for you!"
Sgt Lee was puzzled by the soldiers statement, ‘No Rangers for 10 years?’ What were these guys smoking? He looked around and saw fresh blood on Hart’s uniform and whispers back to the others, not on the frequency, “Hart’s took a round.”

He quickly accesses the situation and doesn’t like it, keeping his gun trained on the door way he slips back a couple steps and whispers over to Sgt Kane and where the LT could also overhear, again staying off the team frequency, “Sgt, I don’t like this position. We are too exposed here in this narrow hallway. May I suggest we pull back from this doorway down the hall. It might give those guys in there time to think things through more clearly. It will also give us more room incase these guys happen to have any grenades on them and think to chuck them through that door.”

He waited for the Sgt and LT to make up their minds, he turned back to the door to watch it. He scanned around quickly trying to find something to dodge behind incase something small came sailing through the door.

"Hart. Let me take a look at that." Inga motions to Hart.

Inga steps away from the door futher so Hart could come close and be out of the line of fire. Since the situation was not secure, she would just look to see how bad it was. Then decide on what needed to be done.

Kane heard Lee’s question and could have kicked himself for his lapse of awareness.

“Good call Sgt your right we are in a bad spot tactically, ok take Pearson and Hatherford with you and cover the North and South doors leading to this hallway.” (Area 15 North/South doors) “First sign of trouble its your call as senior non-com how to proceed.”

Keeping on eye on the LT and the other on the Medic as the three troopers moved off as ordered, he awaited her eval of Harts wound....

Kane heard Lee’s question and could have kicked himself for his lapse of awareness.

“Good call Sgt your right we are in a bad spot tactically, ok take Pearson and Hatherford with you and cover the North and South doors leading to this hallway.” (Area 15 North/South doors)
“First sign of trouble its your call as senior non-com how to proceed.”

Keeping on eye on the LT and the other on the Medic as the three troopers moved off as ordered, he awaited her eval of Harts wound....
Lee nodded and his estimation of Kane’s leadership increased a little. Though Kane had not immediately seen the bad situation they were in, he recognized Lee appraisal as correct and acted accordingly. He had seen some superiors act irrationally when their errors were pointed out and totally ignore good suggestions when they felt slighted. Lee was glad to see Kane was not that type. “Yes Sgt!” his tone respectful now.

Turning to Pearson and Hatherford he gestured and whispered to them as he pulled them back, “Come on.” He would lead them back to the Area 15 hallway he stopped in the middle, “Pearson take the North door, Hatherford the South door and if anything attacks take cover but do not return fire unless I give the ok.”

Once they were in their positions he would remain in the middle of Area 15 so he could watch both of the men and still see up the hallway towards the observatory.

Kernan frowned at the response he'd received. He wasn't sure what he'd expected, but that certainly wasn't it. While his team made some adjustments and Inga looked into Hart's condition, the Lieutenant gave a nod of appreciation to Blake for her assessment. He'd come to the same conclusion. They were either on drugs, sleep deprived to a state of delirium, or under the influence of some other mind-altering torture. Taking a deep breath he called out again:

"You got it wrong, son. We're United States Army Rangers [repeats designation]. I'm Lt. Monty Kernan. I'm gonna list a few names now--this is from the roster of individuals we're supposed to be looking for." That said, Monty starts calling out what names he remembers, taking any suggestions from the team around him as they recall the roster as well.

"Those names ring any bells?" he tried using the most amicable tone he could to defuse the situation. "Look, we want to know what happened here. Uncle Sam wants you boys to come home. Why don't we settle this thing up, and slide those weapons on out so we can all be civilized?"

May 9th, 2025 - 0051
Observatory, Antarctic Research Facility 36, Antarctica

Kernan tries to talk the soldiers down. He calls out names on the roster in an effort to possibly diffuse the situation. His efforts do at least get a reaction.

"Eltee," one of the soldiers calls, "Corporal Mark Fields here. Most of your names do sound right, I'll give you that... but I never knew Colonel Giles was a doctor. But man, we've seen some crazy s*** here the past few days - and like I told you, sir, there ain't been any rangers in the U.S. army for at least ten years."

The voice wavers for a moment, then hardens. "Sir, we ain't layin' down our guns. If you or your team step foot back in this room, we will shoot to kill. You wanna talk, you lay down your guns, slide 'em in here, then we talk. Otherwise, get the hell outta here before we chuck a frag or two in that hallway with you. Sir."

Monty lowered his head for a moment while he considered the request. Then, with a quick nod, he switched to the radio covering his entire team.

"I'm going in. The rest of you will remain at ready. Should any shots be fired your main objective is to take these soldiers alive. Understood?"

(OOC: if any objections are sounded, and only if...)

"Look," Kernan's tone was matter-of-fact. "These are our boys out there. It don't matter if they are a bit screwed up in the head right now, or not. They are Americans, and they deserve the respect of one Lieutenant if they've been through the Hell we've witnessed here. Just make sure that they don't suffer more should they make the mistake of acting out against me."

(OOC: otherwise, and continued...)

Lt. Kernan stripped his M6A1 from his shoulder and handed it off to Sgt. Kane. He followed this up immediately with the M13. Then, without hesitation, he rose up from his crouch and called out to the men in the room.

"Corporal Fields, I've turned my weapons over to my team. I'm coming out."

With an uncovered face, hands held at shoulder level, palms towards the room, Kernan walked slowly into the room.

“Lt. Keenan, Sir. May I offer an alternative plan," Inga says over the intercom. "Offer them my services. Medics are usual seen as more neutral personal in any conflict besides I am female. Just an idea. Sir."

Having said her piece, Inga goes back to what needs to do; Hart's wound needed attention. She moves him back from the firing zone a couple of strides. "Let me tale a look at that and get it dress up quick. While you keep your eyes peeled."

A quick examination proves it to be a graze wound. Inga deftly cleans the wound with a spray cleaner and qauze and then uses an spray coagulant and sealer for the wound. Pressing on a patch bandage and then with sealant tape tapes up where his uniform had been ripped open to finish the job for now.

"Okay, Hart you are patched up for now. I will want to take a look at later though, when we have some down time." Even as she finishes saying this she is back at her job watching and ready.

Staff Sgt Kane had been waiting for the Lt to suggest just this same thing but he had a better idea in mind already but Cpl Johannsen beat him to it in a way.

"Lt Keenan, Sir. May I offer an alternative plan offer them my services. Medic are usual seen as more neutral personal in any conflict besides I am female. Just an idea Sir."

“I have to agree sir in that we need to do a Face to Face with these soldiers but I have to point out that as unit commander your job is to stay safe as possible for as long as possible to complete the mission successfully. I have the same thought as the Cpl here that we need to send someone in that is less of a threat to them, but not the Cpl here. As our only medic she is next to you the most important member of this team, to send her in would be a bad call. So let me suggest an alternative that instead of you, myself or the Cpl entering the room we send in W/O Blake. My reason like Johannsen’s is straight forward those men in there have been here a long time and are quite possibly unhinged by whatever has happened here and seeing a women’s face right now may have a calming effect on them. Hopefully at the very least they will not feel as threatened then if you or I entered. Also she is an officer and that fact may help the men inside come forward it’s your call Sir.”

Kane hoped the Lt saw the wisdom of his idea, he’d been in many places and many fights and he had always seen what women’s face and presence could do to calm a scared and wounded soldier. He felt sure Blake could help them here...

Monty lowered his head for a moment while he considered the request. Then, with a quick nod, he switched to the radio covering his entire team.

"I'm going in. The rest of you will remain at ready. Should any shots be fired your main objective is to take these soldiers alive. Understood?"
Lee couldn’t believe the Lt was going to drop his weapons and go in there with those men; in their condition they still might kill an unarmed man. He understood what the Lt was trying to do he just didn’t think it was a good idea to go in unarmed. Not the Lt anyway; if it was Lee then he might have a chance with his bare hands to disarm the men if they got close enough. Under normal conditions he wouldn’t even try that because the two men would probably be wise enough to keep out of close range of anyone they sent in, but if they were drugged or sick with something they who knew…

Lt. Keenan, Sir. May I offer an alternative plan." Inga says over the intercom. "Offer them my services. Medica are usual seen as more neutral personal in any conflic besides I am female. Just an idea Sir."
Then Kane’s voice came on the radio…

“I have to agree sir in that we need to do a Face to Face with these soldiers but I have to point out that as unit commander your job is to stay safe as possible for as long as possible to complete the mission successfully. I have the same thought as the Cpl here that we need to send someone in that is less of a threat to them, but not the Cpl here. As our only medic she is next to you the most important member of this team, to send her in would be a bad call. So let me suggest an alternative that instead of you, myself or the Cpl entering the room we send in W/O Blake. My reason like Johannsen’s is straight forward those men in there have been here a long time and are quite possibly unhinged by whatever has happened here and seeing a women’s face right now may have a calming effect on them. Hopefully at the very least they will not feel as threatened then if you or I entered. Also she is an officer and that fact may help the men inside come forward it’s your call Sir.”
Lee nodded at Sgt Kane’s suggestion, a wise move. A woman would seem more of a threat to men and from what he had seen of W/O Blake he could imagine them thinking her no threat at all. It just might work.

He kept a close eye on Pearson and Hatherford at their stations and occasionally glanced up the passage where all the current action was taking place. He didn’t voice his opinion over the radio but he was silently hoping the Lt saw the wisdom of Sgt Kane’s idea.

Lt. Kernan continued to disarm whilst receiving suggestions from his team. There really wasn't a whole lot of time to debate the situation as far as the LT was concerned. The longer hey sat out in the hall jabbering, the more likely those soldiers were to think they were hatching a plan, and in their already delusional state, Monty couldn't risk it.

"All great suggestions, folk's," Kernan breathed into his reciever. "But as pointed out; Inga's too valued of an asset, so's Blake; seeing how she's the only one of us here who might be able to fathom what's going on. They see a private dancing into their line of sight, and they're just as likely to shoot as not. Kane...they might mistake you for one o' them yeti--look, it's a risk, but who are you more likely to trust in this situation? I'm relying on their training. When they're confronted by an officer in the flesh, they'll be more likely to respond as trained soldiers.

"The decision's been made, so stand ready."

That said, Monty proceeded as previously outlined.