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Chapter 6

What do you do?!

Something crazy of course!

Glancing down at the piloting console, you rapidly input a series of commands into the auto-pilot, your fingers blazing over the screen. Finishing that, you leap from the captain's chair and race down to the cargo hold and jumping into the emergency shuttle. Firing the engine up in record time, you blast out of the barely opened bay door, hurtling towards the warehouse at top speed. You can see that warehouse's shell has almost been completely destroyed; already sections of the roof are beginning to cave in. Opening up your comm, you send a call out to Isabella.
"Isabella do you read me?!"
"I read you Halloway; what's the situation?"
"Totally fucked! Tell your people to get to the lower east level and keep away from the middle cargo door! I'm coming in hot!"
"Got it!" She instantly pulls up an image on another screen to her right "'Cuda, get our people to the lower east level! Keep 'em away from the middle door!" As she talks, you begin to twist the control stick from left to right, sending the shuttle into a barrel roll...
"On our way Izz!" You just manage to hear over the bombing sounds echoing through the other screen "Okay we're down on the level. Whatever shit you're gonna do, do it now! This place has got about three more hits before it's coming down!" The sound of an explosion comes out of the monitor "Make that two!"
"You heard him Halloway; get my people out of there!"
"On it!" You flick the green and amber switches above your head, arming the mini turrets on the underside of the cockpit and begin firing into the middle door. Your barrel roll quickly begins to pick up speed and you can barely keep the shuttle under control and in a reasonably straight line, pushing the capabilities of the shuttle to its limits. With seconds to go till impact, you slam yourself forward, locking the seat harness so you won't get thrown forward and-

CCCRASH!!!!

You tear through the door like it was made of aluminium. Twisting the control stick in reverse, you barely manage to straighten out and slam the brakes on before you go into the wall and the shuttle slams down onto the ground, jolting your body and throwing it around in your chair harness like a rag doll. Shaking your head and stumbling from the chair, you bang your fist on the control panel and the shuttle door swooshes open and you take in the sight of seven gobsmacked gang members "Everybody get in, sit down and strap up!"
Snapping into action; they dash forward and leap into the shuttle while you return to the cockpit and restart the engines, slamming them into high gear as the last of the cutlass crew dives into the shuttle, closing the door behind as they throw themselves into the seats, buckling up and grabbing for anything else that they can hold onto for stability. Gunning the engines, you blast out of your entry hole as a final salvo hits the warehouse, setting off a chain reaction of explosions that the shuttle barely keeps ahead of, a massive blast of fire chasing after and briefly engulfing the shuttle before you rocket out into the open sky, racing back to your ship. Checking the reading on your screen, you see that none of the attacks shuttles are in pursuit and you pray that they didn’t spot your dramatic exit.

Soon your ship is in sight, the pre-programmed auto-pilot beginning its ascent into the stratosphere and you race your shuttle into the cargo bay, remotely closing the cargo door behind your shuttle, landing it as gently as possible. Finally safe, you lean back in your chair, close your eyes and take a deep shuddering breath, barely able to comprehend the absolute insanity of your plan and its shocking success.
Finally, you turn your seat around and manage to say "Everyone alive? If you're dead, say nothing! You'll just make it worse!"

Time to meet your temporary crew/cargo. How do you decide to treat them while they're on the ship?

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