"Please walk with us."

Posted on Mon Jan 27th, 2020 @ 12:36pm by Executive Officer Kenneth McTigue

Mission: Port In A Storm
Location: Advanced Security Screening
Timeline: During the check

"Excuse me, sir." One of two heavily armed Martian marines said as Ken stepped out the bathroom. "Are you a Staff Sergeant Kenneth McTigue, UNMC?" Both men were clad in heavy duty combat armor, painted Martian red. One had his faceplate down, making his face unreadable. The marine that spoke, a younger man of Indian descent had his faceplate up.

Ken stood in the dooropening of the bathrooms, judging the situation for a long moment. Neither marine had their hand on a weapon, the fellow that spoke was even smiling friendly. "In a past life, aye. Though only my mum and da call me Kenneth."

"You've been randomly selected for an advanced screening. You need to come with us sir." The one without the faceplate said. He turned and gestured back into the arrival hall.

"Two marines for a random selection..." Ken mused out loud. "I don't think I can reject such an invitation." And he stepped forward. As he did his eyes caught the nametags, the speaker was called 'Sujeet', while faceplate was called Carter'

Sujeet took the lead, stepping ahead of Ken, while the one tagged Carter took up the rear. This started an itch on the back of Ken's neck he couldn't scratch. He didn't like armed Martian Marines at his back, a deeply ingrained bit of training told him that that was profoundly wrong. Ken's hand felt at his thigh, where he used to have his drop holster. Instead he just felt the thick material of his jumpsuit.

The walk was swift, and the three men arrived at the secured checkpoint. Both Sujeet and Carter took positions at either side of the door. Behind the desk stood a talk man who looked in his late fourties. He was dressed in a MCRN officer's duty uniform. "Please put your feet on the footprints on the ground. Spread your arms out wide. This will only take a moment." As the officer spoke he was handed Ken's data by a third marine that walked between Sujeet and the officer.

Ken eyed the situation but finally shrugged and complied. With his arms wide the light on his body changed and the hum of the sensors filled the room. And as swiftly as that it was shifted back to normal. "We're registering traces of lubricants, metal shavings, and minute traces of different firearm propellants."

Ken shrugged, confirming he had heard the officer speaking. "I'm our ship's engineer, so that makes a lot of sense."

"How would you explain the firearm propellants?" The officer asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"That I'm also our ship's master at arms. I verified the status of our weapons and the ammunition. All in a day's work." Ken shrugged again.

On a display out of sight of Ken the officer noted something down and nodded to the exit. "Please walk him out." And with that, Ken was handed his papers and escorted out again.