PHD #317: EVENT - Off The Deep End
Off The Deep End
Summary: The marines take to the pool for some EVA training.
Date: 09 Jan 2042 AE
Related Logs: Carefully Laid Plans, Dog Eat Dog & Cry Havoc
Players:
Mathers Vandenberg Constin Madilyn Leyla Evandreus 
Athletics Area - Deck 12
Condition Level: 3 - All Clear
A large pair of mats dominates the center of this room, their centers taped-out for a small area to practice boxing or other martial arts. Around the outside are treadmills, bikes, weights, and an impressive variety of gym equipment to help tone and shape the bodies of the crew. To one side of the room is the locker room while at the rear is a hatch that leads back to the oversized swimming pool. Off to the side is a rack that holds boxing gloves, pugil sticks, and the associated pads for the sticks.
Post-Holocaust Day: #317

The pool of the Cerberus has been transformed, and for a few hours a day, it has been off limits to other personnel. Below the surface of the water is a veritable obstacle course of heavy metal plates that have been temporarily affixed to the pool's bottom, and then at the deep end, they even go up the sidewall of the basin. There seem to be a series of stations, including things they have to climb over, climb under and tasks that need to be performed are in between.

The past few days teams of marines have been rotating out of the training, all coming back to berthings with varying reviews of course but one thing is constant: they're all sore and claiming they're using muscles they didn't even know they had. It's even reported that Mathers himself went through the training before it was approved for the others to use, so any that are complaining that the XO is now standing on the side of the pool instead of strapping into gear himself can stow it. Several people ranging from deck to engineering to airwing have assembled in effort to help the Marines get into their suits and into the water and then will be responsible for watching the tethers each marine is strapped to.

"And folks said I didn't have a swim suit," Constin mutters under his breath as he is among the present crop of marines to be fitted into the pressure sealed environmental suit, It's a tight fit for the big sergeant. Narrow blue eyes study what is visible of the course from his place at poolside.

No EVA suit for her, but Leyla did come prepared, kitted out in her flight suit, helmet not far from where she's working at sardining some of the larger marines into their suits, just on the off chance something goes wrong, and she needs to assist in fishing them out of the pool. Which, minus the water, is no different than what she might need to do come operation day, with her offload of marines. "Sorry, Sergeant, but I need you to bend down, if you don't mind." Big Marine, Little Pilot. Helmet in hand. Stepstool…not helping.

"I don't think custom-fitted EVA suits count, Sergeant. If you're wearing these too frequently, we've got other problems on our hands, wouldn't you say?" Yes, that's right. The CO is once-again sticking her nose in and around operational business, even if she is not planning to be with them outside in the for-real vacuum. The endeavor is slightly easier for Madilyn, for whom the suits are a little better fit without squeezing and contorting.

Evandreus helps out, himself, unsure what to do with all of the crazy free time he suddenly has since the suspension of double shifts. He's not in a flightsuit, himself, but is still in his rose-hued volunteer scrubs from having put in some time up in Medical. And now he's back to back with Lala, helping another of the marines into her gear. He looks over his shoulder and almost smiles at the height difference between the pair of them, but he's not going to comment further on the matter. "Alright, if you have to scratch your nose, do it now, or forever hold your peace."

Vandenberg is late to the game. The woman looks absolutely harried as she staggers in from the changing rooms, still adjusting the fitment on her suit. Being short has the same problem as Constin: thing don't always fit right. She makes her way over from the side towards the group and nods to the people present. Whatever she was doing was probably damned important for her to not be early for it.

As people start to filter in, Mathers turns to face them with a clipboard in hand. Salutes are quickly dispensed with in favor of getting down to brass tacks. "Alright, listen up. Everyone should have done their reading about EVA safety in the pamphlets you were provided. You're being suited up with the help of our friends here, and then get into the shallow end of the pool. The boots have strong magnetics in them which allow you to walk along the hull of a ship as will be simulated by the metal plates that are on the bottom of the pool. You will progress from the shallow end to the deep end, completing each task at each station before moving on. Before I move on to detail the stations, are there any questions?"

"Sunovabitch," is Constin's reply, perhaps to Leyla, as he does indeed bend down as requested, or perhaps to Madilyn, to whom the ship's Master-at-Arms turns a wry eye at her comment. Then Mathers is speaking, and the big man's attention goes to the XO. A shake of his head is the only response.

It's been a coon's age, as they might say on Aerilon, since the big MaA graced the deck of her raptor, but one things for certain, if Constin does end up being on 307's passenger manifest, his success in the mission won't be for lack of preparation, at least on Leyla's part. With Constin now within each, Leyla lifts the helmet, the comm unit already turned on to make conversation possible, as she slips it on over the big man's head, "When you have to do this yourself," comes the instruction, once Mathers is finished, "Make certain you line up the locking mechanism and that you hear the click when it slides home." The ring locking helmet to suit slides a half turn, and indeed, the man inside the suit can hear the click. A pat on the outside of the helmet, before Leyla hops down from the stepladder, double-checking his suit seals, before she gives him a thumbs up. One MaA ready to go.

Natalie straps on the air tanks, clipping them up to secure them across her while the XO speaks. She shakes her head and finishes juggling the helmet under her arm, plugging in the air to it. She shakes her head also. Though her eyes finally drift to the pool and she blinks. "Whoa." She then looks up to Mathers and lifts the helmet over her head and tries to settle it down, futzing with the twisting and attempts to lock.

Well, time to test the seals on this bad boy…if you're getting wet, something's not right. You're venting into space and you're dead. It's been ages since Madilyn has done this last, and even then, only a handful of times. It's certainly out of the ordinary and not at all familiar, but a little help from the pilots gets all the seals secured, and then a few heavy steps to the ladder, followed by a splash into waist-deep water.

Constin nods once to Leyla's instruction, returning the thumbs-up. Without activating the comm on the suit, the marine eyes the water, and chuckles to himself. "Sinker Fi." A few even heavier steps follow the CO to the ladder and shortly thereafter, into the water.

Leyla clears away the extras from Constin's suit-up, as she prepares for the next marine in line. Not that it doesn't allow her a moment to turn her head and cast her eyes back at her fellow pilot. A flash of something very close to a smile as she leans in, voice barely above a whisper, "Think we'll ever see them again, Bun?"

Vandenberg finally gets the thing to click properly and turns quickly. She's already behind. Frak. Under all the weight, the S-Three waddles towards teh edge of the water and looks at everyone in the pool behind her mask. Why does this feel wrong? Bah, screw it. She steps off the ledge and splashes into the pool. She stretches a bit in the suit to check and see if anything feels soggy. So far so good. Thumbs up to Elf.

Evandreus finishes up securing the other Marine into his tin can, sealing it once, then unsealing it, letting the marine seal it for himself and checking it over when he's done. "Looks good," he gives the guy a smile more emotionally than physically tired before he eyes the swimming pool. "I dunno. Water's looking pretty rough today," he tells Lala.

Mathers gives a few last instructions, his voice echoing in the helmets of those already in the pool via the comm unit. "You'll be tethered to a lead line which in space would be attached to a Raptor. You have to navigate the course with this added burden. A small tool kit will be Velcroed to your thigh. Each tool is likewise tethered to the kit so it can not be lost. Don't get tangled up or you'll lose precious time. The course begins when you've walked until you're fully submerged. The has been a red line taped at the bottom of the pool so you know where the start and finish is." Mathers starts walking down the line of the pool, his pen pointing to each obstacle and station as he explains it.

"Station one: Climb the wall. Not an easy feat when your feet are suctioned to the metal plates. Get over the chest-high wall as fast as possible."

"Station two: Build the pyramid. You have ten lead cubes. Build a base of four and then so on to create a pyramid."

"Station three: Thread the nuts. You'll find a lace tied to a D-ring at the bottom of the pool. Six nuts have been strewn on the floor. Find them and thread them onto the lace before continuing."

"Station four: Under the wire. Go underneath the waist-high obstacle."

"Station five: Repeat the sequence. You'll come to a panel where five lights will light up in random sequence. There are five pegs attached to strings. Put the pegs in the holes coordinated to each light in the correct sequence. You'll get full board of green and then you can continue."

"Finally, station six: Bolts. Use the wrench you'll find in your tool kit, tighten the three bolts on the sidewall of the deep end until you get a green light above each."

"Complete all six tasks and return to the shallow end of the pool going back under the wire and back over the wall before your air runs out. Speak freely in your helmets as the comm links have been locked to open should there be any issues. Both myself and your aids there at the shallow end will be able to communicate with you. Any questions before we begin?" There's a big dive clock that's been wheeled out to the deck at the deep end to time them all. When the needle is in the red though, that means air is running out.

Waist-high walls aren't so hard when they are waist high. Vandenberg steps forward to submerge and eyes this 'waist level'. Right. "Think I'd rather just walk over this thing if they are magnetic." Way to be tactical. The Lieutenant waddles forward towards it in her suit for an attempt. "Hey Captain? We have to do these by ourselves or can we use teamwork to get past these?" Screw it, she'll give it a shot on her own anyway.

<FS3> Vandenberg rolls Athletic-20: Terrible Failure.
<FS3> Constin rolls Athletic-20: Great Success.
<FS3> Madilyn rolls Athletic-20: Success.

"Guess you better figure that out, Lieutenant." That's the only help Mathers gives Vandenberg.

As if to further mock the difficulties of the diminutive Vandenberg, Constin- after getting used to the odd method of 'peeling' his feet off the deck with each step- approaches the chest high wall, grasping the top with both hands, and peeling first one, then the other of his boots off the metal plates. Folding over the top of the wall at the waist, the soles of his boots ripple above the water briefly, before clunking firmly onto the plates at the opposite side of the wall. Obstacle two: fine control. "Good thing I got a head start," he grumbles, peering through his visor at the cubes.

Madilyn takes a more practiced and patient approach to the wall. Rather than attacking the wall aggressively, she takes advantage of the magnetized boots. Lacking the brute strengh of Constin, she can't haul herself over the obstacle bodily, a common problem that she's experienced before. Taking the top of the wall in her hands, she crouches down a bit, lifting her feet off the bottom and sticking them to the wall. In an awkward-looking sort of frog-crawl, she uses the fact that the boots stay adhered no problem to the wall, and that she can essentially 'lean back' without falling over.

Vandenberg tries. But maneuvering like this for the first obstacle is just impossible. She tries to swing her arms over it like they teach in basic but its just not happening. The suit doesn't fit right and it causes her to slip just as the magnets on her boots come undone from the floor. Mather's answer doesn't help as she floats down to the bottom. Her boots lock again and she has to try and untangle herself to get up. "Frak this crap," she mutters and gets up. Try, try again.

<FS3> Vandenberg rolls Athletic-20: Failure.

"I'm going to head down to man the lines, Bunny. You staying back at the aid station?" Yes, there is one, set up just in case something bad happens. A hand reaches out, settling on Bunny's arm, before Leyla heads over to join the other tenders, each of them crouched by their designated lead line. It's a mix, deck, engineering, wing, whomever had the skills and time to help support the marines.

<FS3> Constin rolls Technical-20: Bad Failure.
<FS3> Madilyn rolls Technical-20: Success.

Evandreus is distracted momentarily by the motion of the figures under the moving water, but he's brought back to life by the hand on his arm, and gives Lala a brisk nod. He's already in his medical gear, which he wears so often they've even given him his own set. He heads back to the makeshift aid station and settles into an easy stance to watch.

Though it goes without saying, the key thing to remember about EVA, or zero-gee operation is that gravity is null, and there is no proper 'up' or 'down,' just what you make them out to be. So up and over the wall is a study in disorienting frames of reference for Madilyn. Once over though, she notices that only Constin has made it over, and the blocks being next. "No man left behind Sergeant. Are you able to go back and help your El-Tee over? She may be forever grateful, might even give you a break on some PT."

Constin eyes Madilyn dryly, adding with a short scowl, "I got it, sir." Stupid lead blocks. They can just sit there awhile. Looking back at the wall, he comments dryly to Vandenberg, "So that gravity that's in the pool here but we're preparing for there not to be, somehow? Ignore gravity." Those who know the big man would certainly detect a measure of sarcasm in the commentary as he lends the S3 a hand.

"I'm aware Sergeant. This suit is not cooperating as frakking advertised. Gimme a godsdamned flightsuit and it might be a different story." Vandenberg doesn't sound happy about this at all. She takes the proffered hand.

Mathers walks along the edge of the pool, letting the submerged team deal with the obstacles as they may and come to the realization that some of this may just be a team effort. Afterall, no one is going on an EVA walk alone when the time actually comes for the mission. He makes little notations on his clipboard, flicking occasional glances to the clock to record time. "May I remind you, Sergeant, that the magnetic boots are standard on EVA suits otherwise it would be impossible to move without some sort of propulsion system and not to mention you'll need that magnetic connection in order to have proper torque on the last obstacle." The Captain replies, dry as a bone. "Master this and then I'll consider tossing you out in the deadly environment of space."

<FS3> Vandenberg rolls Athletic: Good Success.

The blocks are as heavy as advertised; solid lead cubes about the size of a fist, they weigh quite a bit, even in the water. Gripping them is not Madilyn's problem, it's muscling them into position to set up the pyramid. The base is easy, just sliding them around and into position. The top two levels? Those are the real problems, with the one right up on top taking the most time (and both hands) to maneuver into place and drop down without knocking everything else over. The time it takes her to be so careful no doubt costs time, and gives the other two a chance to catch up.

Since it hasn't really been made clear to her how much assistance the tenders are allowed to give the marines, Leyla seems to settle into a wait until they ask you mode of operation. Though settled doesn't mind unmindful. Indeed, she's entirely attentive to the time clock and the seconds as they tick away on the EVA team's oxygen supply.

"Great. Magnetic boots. Awesome. Working- GRRRR- real well right now." As Elf helps her over the wall the magnets suddenly work as advertised and she walks right over the thing. "So now it works. Wonderful. Anyhow, thanks Constin. Owe you a beer. I'll help you with the pyramids. Doubleteam this damned course if we have to." She waddles over towards the lead blocks.

Constin exhales, grits his teeth and says nothing to Mathers' dry (literally) rebuttal as Vandy clears the wall, instead nodding once to Vandenberg. "Good, cause I make a piss poor toddler." And then its on to the damned blocks.

<FS3> Vandenberg rolls Technical: Great Success.
<FS3> Constin rolls Technical: Success.

"If that was pre-school, glas as hell I skipped it," Constin mutters as his rough square of four cubes is topped with an uneven trio, which is in turn topped by something more akin to Colonial ruins than to a pyramid, but its standing and that's more than enough for Elf.

<FS3> Madilyn rolls Technical-20: Terrible Failure.

Vandenberg works quickly, helping Elf stack the blocks. "Never liked blocks. Always preferred to read." The woman bends easily, finding a good balance in the suit to do so if she stands a particular way. She turns and heads back to her stack. "Fine, sir." The woman is waay distracted by something else.

"Those blocks are…" mighty heavy, Madilyn was about to comment to the other Marines. Looks like they've got it under control though. "Are you two good to go?" Madilyn's voice comes over the helmet comms, making sure that they aren't getting too far behind. "Good teamwork…lift and position. I'm getting started on the next one." A few of the nuts are visible, as well as the thread, but it's going to require finding them all and getting them all on there, one at a time.

"Right behind you, sir," Constin drawls to Madilyn's query on their progress. "El-tee, see if you can run though this one, I'll give the major a hand." No illusions about getitng through the fine manipulation exercises on his own, has the sergeant.

Vandenberg just nods in her helmet as the keep moving throug hthe blocks. Once stacked, she goes off towards her own next obstacle. She bends for the D-ring and the nuts, lifting the lace with her other hand.

<FS3> Vandenberg rolls Technical-20: Good Success.

Leyla might be on the side of the pool, but for all intents and purposes, or at least for the duration of this exercise, she's tending the line affixed to her raptor. And while helmetless, she's still got a headset on. And so, while the team works underwater, the pilot minds the time, "EVA team, you are twenty minutes into operations. You oxygen supply will be depleted in 70 minutes. Repeat, 70 minutes to oxygen depletion."

For Madilyn, the blocks were easier than the nuts simply because they were easier to grab. It's no small feat holding both a tiny nut and a piece of string and trying to get the nut on the string. The first time she tries, the string doesn't want to stay put; the next time, the nut pops out from between her index finger and thumb. "Frak!" she exclaims, taking up Constin's offer to help. "You get the nuts, I'll hold the string, then we'll do the same for you."

<FS3> Madilyn rolls Technical: Success.

"Well, you're in luck, sir. Got one stuck to the mag seal on the bottom of my damn boot," Constin mutters back, turning his foot to help Madi collect the nut he'd 'found' so helpfully. Locating others follows soon after.

"Fantastic. Gimme some explosives to mold down here and I'll eliminate all six of these obstacles faster than you can say 'Fire in the Hole.'" There is no problem in existence which cannot be solved by the proper application of G4. Period. The Lieutenant finishes threading the bolts without a problem and turns to watch the other team. There is no movement forward without them. She'll wait until her oxygen runs out, probably. "Standing by."

<FS3> Constin rolls Technical: Great Success.

Evandreus doesn't have a headset, and so, without the commentary from the participants, it's actually a quiet enough event, only the soft jostling of water against the edges of the pool and Lala calling out the time from her 'Raptor.' Evan settles back on a pool bench behind the first aid stand, elbows on his thighs as he lifts a thumbnail to his mouth, absently chewing on it.

Constin gets lucky- the proverbial broken clock being right twice a day, and through sheer dumb luck manages to drop two of the nuts onto his thread when one slipped his grasp. He encourages through the comm to Vandenberg, "We're clear, El-tee, move on ahead, go go go."

The S3 is kept waiting a little longer, as the two others stomp around finding nuts on the bottom of the pool, then work together to thread the little buggers onto the string. It's tedious and time-consuming, but there's less chance for error when they work together. Ultimately, it may save time. "Alright…clear. Everyone to the next obstacle." Everyone's back on the same pace, which is good form for a real operation, and highly-encouraging.

"You first, Ox. Haul ass, Sergeant." Vandenberg waits for him to pass on towards the wire before she moves. The clunking steps move after him and eventually bring her to the next underwater obstacle. "If these boots won't let me crawl then I'm sending a letter to Engineering." She settles to a knee before making an attempt.

<FS3> Vandenberg rolls Athletic-20: Success.
<FS3> Constin rolls Athletic-20: Terrible Failure.

The pool of the Cerberus has been transformed, and for a few hours a day, it has been off limits to other personnel. Below the surface of the water is a veritable obstacle course of heavy metal plates that have been temporarily affixed to the pool's bottom, and then at the deep end they even go up the sidewall of the basin. Right now there is a team of three working their way through the simulated EVA scenario that consists of six obstacles/tasks, the group alternating in helping each other through them. Mathers paces on the outside of the pool with a clipboard, while Leyla simulates being in the raptor and is occasionally relaying information to the team below. Evan is with an aid station that has been set up in case things go terribly awry beneath the surface of the water. "Looking good, team. Push it."

<FS3> Madilyn rolls Athletic-20: Terrible Failure.

Constin recalls Mathers' warning about not tangling his tether only once he's gotten down to his knees, and managed- in the course of trying to lower himself in partial gravity to the bottom of the pool- to tangle his boots. "Sonuva frakking upside down whore!" he growls, mercifully off comm.

Evandreus stops, suddenly, looking down at his thumbnail as if it were something he'd never seen before. Nail chewing was never a vice of his, and he spends a moment with a pensive frown on his face, eyes lowered toward the be-gnawed talon before he wipes it off on his pant leg and crosses his arms, lifting his eyes to the pool again, though at this angle he can barely see anything beyond the wavering lights reflecting off of the surface of the water.

Vandenberg manages to wiggle through on her knees and rights herself on the other side. Finally a perk to being short. Seeing Elf have trouble, she has two free hands. One for each of them if Madi has trouble. "Lay on your backs. Give me your hands and I'll just pull you under."

"Frak…should've stretched before this," Madilyn gripes as she first struggles to get her boots up off the floor so that she can kneel and maneuver under the obstacle. They come up off the bottom, sure, and she kneels, but as she starts to move under, one of them gets enough magnetic attraction to whump down firmly, taking her from crawling under the obstacles to a standstill in no time flat. End result? Loss of balance and the top of her head raking against the wire.

Leyla, being closer to the surface, has a better view of the people on the bottom of the pool. When Constin's tether pulls taut, Leyla moves to mind it's connection to the deck, grabbing her helmet on the way. It goes on a heck of a lot more quickly than the marines got into theirs. "Sergeant straighten out and I'll try to hoist the line to let you get your feet free." If the Marines can't untangle the MaA, Leyla's not looking forward to, but is ready, helmeted as she is, to walk the line and rescue the marine. Flight suit, less traction, but more maneuverability.

Spotting Lala readying to go to the rescue touches Evan's curiosity enough to get him up and pacing toward the edge of the pool for a better angle at which to watch what's going on, sneakers squelching on the wet deck.

Constin turns as best he can to get on his back and sort out the mess of his legs, muttering into the comm, "Acknowledged," before clicking the comm off and adding, "Kinda piece of junk mother frakking trash assed-" it goes on as a hand is reached up to Vandenberg, and the motions of his oversized boots seek to kick out of the tangle.

<FS3> Constin rolls Athletic: Good Success.
<FS3> Madilyn rolls Athletic: Terrible Failure.

"That's enough about my mother, Sergeant." Mathers says simply into the comm unit as he paces around the outside of the pool to where Leyla stands, just in case he has to send her in to free Constin's tangle. As the big man gets free, he notices it is the CO that seems to be in more trouble. "From the surface, it looks like you've snagged your pack, Sir. See if you can back up and drop lower."

"Sounds like one hell of a plan. Good idea to save some time," Madilyn replies to the S3. Of course, she's got to go back to the start by the rules of the game. This time though, rather than try to slide herself through front ways, the suggestion of going through on the back is put into play. Back up, flip onto backside, plant feet flat and test if knees are going to clear the obstacle. Problem there? Those plates aren't necessarily smooth, and one of the edges, rivets, or uneven welds makes a point to get snagged on one of the multitudinous straps and holds her progress, tugged or not. "Whoa…whoa…whoa…hold up. Can't rip the suit or pull a line."

"No problem, Major. I'm not going anyplace. Grab the tangle and we'll keep trying." Natalie: Woman of duty. For today. She kneels on one leg, keeping her arm out for Madilyn to take when the Major finishes. "Take your time. You start running short on time when you rush, sir." Just a reminder.

Constin clears the series of lines with Natalie's assistance, nodding once before ..Mathers answers him. "Understood," he returns through the comm, before (silently) wondering when the hell he'd left the switch live. Bah, worry about it later. Hell, does that mean everyone heard the 'Sinker Fi' bit earlier? Crap. "Clear the hitch, and each of of us can take an arm to pull through, major."

Ask a Marine and they'll tell you there's no positives to being a poncy member of the air wing. But Leyla didn't spend the first three years of her service attached to the ass-end of beyond for nothing. Securing an arm through the remainder of the tender line to support herself, Leyla leans in, dipping down into th water to maneuver the line, playing counterpoint to Constin's attempts as between them, they manage to get his feet free. "The line is stable, Sergeant, you're free to proceed." But it looks like another holdup at the line, "Use the water to your advantage, you're operating at less than half gravity. Hold onto the line with one hand and the S3 with the other and use both to pull yourself underneath." By the line she means the one they're supposed to crawl under. "It'll keep you clear of the deck and still let you use your magnets to keep you locked to the plating."

Evandreus crouches down at the side of the pool, feet under him and knees sticking out at odd angles as he hunches there like a gargoyle, watching the Mama Duck go in after her little trapped duckling. Duckling after duckling— count them on the way out, count them on the way in. Never go back a duckling short.

"Much obliged, sir," Constin drawls back to Leyla's efforts on behalf of his free boots, before flattening out assist in hauling the company CO through the obstacle.

<FS3> Madilyn rolls Athletic: Good Success.

Carefully, oh-so-carefully, Madilyn stops and backs up some by closing her knees up and contracting her legs. This time, bracing her elbows on the plating, she lifts, then presses herself forward using her legs. Only when she's past the snag point does she reach out to take the El-Tee's hand. "Thank much," she says over the comms as she half-pushes, is-half-pulled through the obstacle, and climbs back to her feet (after rolling to her front) on the other side.

"No problem, sir." Natalie helps the Major up and is already moving for the next obstacle. Boots clank against the armor plates as she makes her way over with a sigh. Focus, Nat. Focus. She shakes her head in the helmet and walks up to the panel just as it starts flashing.

<FS3> Vandenberg rolls Reactive-20: Good Success.
<FS3> Constin rolls Reactive-20: Success.

Constin is sweating like crazy in the enclosed suit. A snort that has nothing to do with disdain and everything to do with getting sweat out of his nostrils can be heard as static, as the big sergeant sets about grabbing the velcro'd wrench and fitting it to the bolts.

<FS3> Madilyn rolls Reactive-20: Failure.

Constin is sweating like crazy in the enclosed suit. A snort that has nothing to do with disdain and everything to do with getting sweat out of his nostrils can be heard as static, as the big sergeant sets about tapping the lighted pegs as they begin to go live. Reflexes through water are slow, but juuuust enough to get by.

"Anytime, Sergeant." It's not as easy getting out of the water as back in, but making use of the loose end of the tender line, read the end that's attached to the deck but not attached to Constin, Leyla pulls herself back out of the water, shaking her head to clear the water from her visor. With the holdup seemingly managed, she returns to a crouch, casting a glance over to Bunny, then back into the pool, "EVA team, you are 45 minutes into operations. Your oxygen supply will be depleted in 45 minutes. Repeat, oxygen depletion in 45 minutes."

Blinkblinkblink, etc. Vandenberg notes the pattern quickly and starts sticking pegs in immediately. One through six, in order. She gets a full board of green at the end and nods, looking to the others. Seeing Constin done, she passes him and heads to Madilyn. "Take the left side, I'll take the right, sir."

Looks like Madilyn was hard-pressed to keep up with the others. Watching the pattern once, then jumping into the game of putting pegs in the order she remembered doesn't turn out so well; the first two go in just fine, then the third turns the board red. "Shit!" she calls out through the comms. The others coming over to help, she just nods. "Tried to tackle it too fast…didn't pay enough attention." This time though, she's going to study the pattern a bit longer.

Evandreus is distracted from his sudden urge to take off his shoes and his socks and paddle by the reminder that the water is actually empty vacuum for the duration of the exercise as well as by Lala's emerging from the water. He looks over to her, meeting her eyes through the watery glass with a look of something like muted pride in the representative of his squadron.

<FS3> Madilyn rolls Academic-20: Success.

"Alright, looks like I have it this time. I should know better than to rush into these things by now, without watching for the pattern two or three times first." With Vandenberg's help, Madilyn manages to nail down the pattern; together the five pegs go into the slots without further problem, and the board goes green. "We're good to go…everyone to the last station. Get it done before air supplies run out."

Vandenberg doesn't say anything, she just turns and moves for the last event. The wrench comes up on the tether and she goes to work. Manhandling yourself under pressure is one thing, but fine motor control. Mmmph. She eyes the thing, looking at how to attack it, before she finally goes to work.

<FS3> Vandenberg rolls Technical-20: Great Success.
<FS3> Constin rolls Technical-20: Success.
<FS3> Madilyn rolls Technical-20: Failure.

"They work well as a team," you know mostly, Leyla offers to Bunny keeping her voice low so as not to interrupt operations, "But they're not going to be able to count on having backup on the way through and out." Certainly the raptors will drop them all off together, but they're going into enemy territory. And they might not all make it back. "I'm worried they're not working as hard as they could because they know they have backup now."

Constin pulls the wrench loose of its fitting with a rush of tiny bubbles escaping the velcro. It's not pretty, but Constin manages to avoid fumbling the wrench in the course of fitting it to the bolt size and cranking the bolts tighter.

The wrench on Madilyn's toolbelt doesn't come free so easily. With everything tethered together to make sure they don't float away into space, there's a lot of tether lines there from the belt to the tools. It just so happens that the wrench tether is now tangled in lines from other tools. Rather than turning bolts with the wrench, Madilyn has to spend time pulling one tool at a time off the belt, unwrapping the tethers, and untangling the proper tool.

Natalie works at it quickly, getting the bolts attached. The wrench seems to be something she's not terribly uncomfortable with, but then again mechincal stuff is more her speed. They're done quickly and she nods to Elf. "Sergeant? Want to help out the Major?" The Lieutenant steps away from the group but doesn't move towards an exit just yet. Everyone leaves or nobody leaves.

"Don't forget you have to make it back to the shallow end. Clock is ticking." Mathers reminds, but has remained otherwise unhelpful during this entire exercise. Perhaps like Leyla, he's preparing them for the worst. And they don't even have enemy forces firing at them. Yet.

<FS3> Madilyn rolls Technical: Great Success.

"Godsdamnit…I sure hope it's easier to fire a rifle in space then to use all these tools. And if we have to use all these tools, they should be modified to work with these gloves!" Well, there's one suggestion for the engineers and deckies to help out with: getting all the equipment controls and grips oversized and easy to use. With the help of the others, untangling the lines is a bit easier; more hands mean more tools can be untangled at once. The actual problem of screwing the nuts onto the bolts is easy, so long as the boots stay locked to the metal plating.

Although there aren't so many obstacles left on the floor now that the team is approaching the end of the training exercise, Leyla opts t keep her helmet on, though she can see Bunny enough to answer his smile with one of her own, before she goes back to the business of tending the lines. Eyes to the clock and then back to the group, "They need more training in full gravity. Time to learn the feel of the suits, how they work and don't work with their bodies, how they change your center of gravity." Not that training in the water is bad, but, "If we can take each of the pieces separately, get them confident on each one, then put them together…" Mostly she's just idly commenting to Bunny.

Tasks achieved, albeit inelegantly, all that remains is the trudge back under the wire, and back over the wall, before Constin trudges up out of the water like a bad horror movie monster in an oversized- yet still too small- suit. Popping the seal loose with a loud exhale, his first comment is a flat, "Frak all, it's hot in here." Sweat drips from his cheeks, chin and nose.

Having learned one or two things on the way there, the return trip isn't as bad. Now, Madilyn and the others know where to plant their boots, how to tackle the obstacles, and should be a little more proficient in maneuvering under, over, and around. Behind Constin, Madilyn is able to get up to the shallow end with only moderate difficulty, climbing up and up the slope in the pool until she gets out of the water enough to pull the helmet off. "Well, I can safely say I will not be going on this mission."

As each member of the team makes it back to the deck outside of the pool, the tenders return to their duties, freeing the marines of their lines, and then, their suits, before taking them off to be tested, repaired and cleaned for the next go round. Leyla remains with the half of the group charged with bringing up and putting away the lead lines, after checking them for defects and damage. It's all fun and games until someone snaps loose and goes drifting off into space.

Mathers makes notations on his clipboard as one by one they surface in the shallow end with Van being the last as she makes sure the entire team is out before she too breaks her hard seal for air. Of course there is a team of volunteers there to help the heavy suited folks out of the water. "Good job team. We ran a little tight," There's a point of his pen towards the dive clock which is just shy of the five minute GTFO red section, "But overall the exercise was a success. The pool is going to remain open day and night if anyone would like to practice on the course, but spotters are required." He leans down to offer the CO his own hand, dutifully making no comment as she withdraws her name from the mission. "Sir."

The hand is accepted as Madilyn hauls herself up out of the pool. "I'm afraid I'm not as nimble or strong as some of the others. Command would have a thing or two to say as well, I bet. You know how it is." Standing around on the side of the pool, Madilyn begins the process of undoing buckles, seals, straps and everything else keeping the suits air tight.

"The ship is only as good as the hand that steers it. We'll be honored to have you steer us, Major." Once everyone is on dry land and attended to, the XO peels off from the bunch. "Thank you for help, Lieutenant." He mentions specifically to Leyla before he's off to see about having the course reset for the next bunch.

Leyla looks up from where she finishing coiling the last of the lines onto the supply cart that's headed down to maintenance to be looked over, removing her helmet and setting it down along with them. Seems she's headed back down that way as well, "Anytime, Captain. If you need a walkthrough of the raptors, let me know." her shift done for the now, she heads off as fresh equipment comes in for the next group.

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