They Don't Pay Enough

[Bladeron]

Once everybody grabs their essential gear the moment of truth lies before them! Through another door lies another room, although this one holds only one thing different: the powered armors. Inside of five chambers are each a platform to stand on, plus all the components of the armor. Of course, every marine is first and foremost going to need to don their soft armor before they can enter their chamber, but all the same. The doors can be opened with a numeric combination (which every marine knows their own) and, assuming the soft armor is on, they can step inside.

Once everybody puts on their soft armor and then enters their respective chambers I'll describe the armor equipping process.

[Rodney]

(( Double post, sorry ))

[Rodney]

After fumbling through the various grenades, high density C4 packs and triggering devices, Roberts picks his usual gear, making sure to have all of those in water-tight packages.

He then picks a couple of pistols and the lightest assault riffle available.

Stepping his right feet first into the suit as he always does. He dons the soft armor, types in his code and enters his chamber.

[Shadell]

Sam carefully sets his weapons and gear down as he likewise dons his soft armor. He carefully picks up the pile of weapons, enters the code and steps into the chamber.

[Mystic Mina]

After taking a short breather to regain his energy, Endo goes to his locker to take out his soft armor and put it on. Once he's done, he picks up his usual gear, punches his personal code into his armor pod, and steps into it.

[Just some lady]

Jack frowned, his heartbeat speeding up a bit in anticipatory nervousness of his first actual mission. taking a few deep, but guarded breaths, not wanting to reveal his jitter to the group, Jack pauses, ans sets his firearms aside for a moment, putting on the soft armor. This made him feel a little better. Opening his chamber, he enters, ready for the harder equipment...

[muffinstud]

Satisfied that he has enough sharp pointy things to hide under his armor, Sal quickly and efficiently dons his soft armor. He had positioned the blades just so as to leave them still available after putting the armor on. Sure, he wouldn't be able to use them once the power armor was on, but he figured they were for a last resort anyways.
Sal gives himself a quick check to make sure everything is evenly displaced and punches in his code. He steps into the power armor chamber and smiles to himself. "Gotta love this part."

[Bladeron]

With the soft armor donned and the Marines in their chambers, the equipping of the powered armor went underway.

The chamber was "controlled" by several mechanical arms that grasped the various pieces and put them on as necessary. It began by working with the feet and legs, requiring the marines to take little steps so their soft-armored feet would fit perfectly within the soles of the boots. When they were stepping properly the arms released and wound several screws and bindings to tighten and reinforce the metallic exterior while the plates beneath it worked to create an airtight seal. This process continues on for the shins, which likewise tightened the metallic plates while the inside materials worked to seal it in.

The greaves of the armor took more effort, as they were both larger and required heavier manipulation to properly seal. One could note that two sidearms and a combat knife could be stored in the sides of the greaves, which added time to remove the filling that occupied them during stasis. Soon was added the pelvic plating, followed by the waist and soon the breastplate itself. While every part was being secured each marine could feel the arms adjusting it successfully to fit the shape of the wearer. The armor appeared to be malleable enough under the conditions of the chamber. Not long afterwards the hands, forearms, biceps, and shoulders were all fitted to perfection, and soon the neck and back frame for the helmets were placed. The helmets proper, however, were placed afterwards and in a manner that suggested it could be removed manually later on, should the need arise.

With the whole armor assembled the microfusion cells were inserted into the key location of the suit--the mid back--and the suit's systems fired up to life. Anything and everything necessary for a Marine was present on the HUD: target acquisition and assistance, topographical data, beacon receivers, visual and audio communications, and life control systems, to say the absolute least. When the systems finished booting most of the unnecessary data cleared, leaving the very clear visuals of their surroundings. Of course, there are also different visual modes as well (infrared, sonic, night vision, etc.), but right now it was functioning as a regular field of vision.

At the last the mechanical arms withdrew into the chamber and the signal was sounded to every Marine that it was clear to exit the chamber and relinquish their weapons and gear. Once again, the suit had space within itself to hold a combat knife, two sidearms, and a dozen clips of various ammunition. All other gear would require being held by hand or carried in a kit box.

The armor is modeled after this pattern.

[muffinstud]

Sal stretches a bit and smiles to himself behind his mask. "Ahhh, now this is what I'm talkin' about." He walks back over to his locker and adds a boot knife and a large caliber version of the standard issue pistol to his personal armory. His second holster he stuffs with pistol ammo and tapes closed. His regular ammo pockets soon are stuffed with ammo for his assault rifle. Rifle in hand and feeling like he could crush a man's skull at a whim, Sal is feeling pretty good.

[Rodney]

(( Sorry about the delay GM, you add so much background that I always feel a bit ashamed to contribute by short paragraphs, so I keep on postponing my posts, hoping I'll find something great to write about ))

Slowly, deliberatly, Roberts took the time to feel the inertia the armor gave his body. With that second skin, he felt the unusual impression to be more naked than he had ever been. He never expected anyone to shoot at him while off duty. But wearing this armor meant someone or something would be going after his comrad's and his very own life. The layers around him served as a reminder that he was going to get exposed to potential enemy fire.

He tried to focus his mind on some nice shinny explosions. Explosion never killed on purpose, only when you were on their way.

[Just some lady]

Jack took a moment to marvel--not at the feel of the suit, so much as the visuals--the sight that it gave him, even of a rather mundane room such as this one.
He wasn't, of course--he reminded himself as he stashed away an auxiliary 'emergency' knife, along with several extra clips of ammo for his pistols--looking forward to going out, perhaps...but the systems of the armor gave him delighted shivers--this was the part of the job that he was here for--the part that he was gaining experience in for when he could go back to Earth...

[muffinstud]

So... Is anyone gonna post any time soon? I don't want this to die out before it even starts...

Sal gives Roberts a slap on the back, with enough force to potentially cause a stumble despite the powered armor. "Back in the saddle, eh? You gotta love these things. I remember the first time I got in one, I accidentally ripped the door off my locker."

[Mystic Mina]

((I'm sorry that I'm not as active as I should be. I really can't explain why I haven't been posting.... It's something like shame. Embarrassment. I don't know.))

Endo felt something akin to relief once he was safely encased within the power armor. He didn't know why, but there was something comforting about the fact that layers upon layers of one of man's strongest synthetic materials was protecting him from the terrors of the world outside the suit.

"Are we all set to go?" He asked the rest of the marines after he ran a quick diagnosis of his armor systems to ensure it was working at peak capacity. "I think the captain will start chewing us out if we don't get out soon...."

[Shadell]

((Sorry, could have sworn I posted.))

Sam stepped out of the room, practically bouncing with nervous energy. The suit made the impending mission seem all that more real, and dangerous. At the same time it was a chance to prove himself. Despite his nervousness, or perhaps because of it, Sam couldn't help but smile even as his mind went to work, thinking of just what he would need to do to run the mission. His neurons twitching with the beginning to dozens of plans, Sam quickly stowed a combat knife, several clips of ammunition, and twin pistols. He then grabbed an assault rifle. He could drop it should the need to use both hands arise.

"If everyone's ready, it's time to move out. If not, hurry up and get everything you need to function. Be overcautious people. We really have no clue what we're going to be up against and the tech is worth less than anyone's life or the mission's success."

[Bladeron]

If shame/embarrassment is your primary reason for not posting, don't worry about it! Just post and I'll sort it all out.

When everybody is ready, they will need to head to the launch bay. It's down some corridors, then down the ship's lifts, and through some more corridors!

The Launch Bay itself hosts eight small fighter craft--interceptors, every one of them--and one larger craft clearly meant for shuttling. It resembled a block with engines and some tiny maneuvering wings, but it was large enough for more than a dozen individuals to comfortably fit in, plus room for cargo. The shuttle appears to require two pilots, both of which are thankfully provided by the ship's crew. "Whenever you're ready, sirs," one of them says as he climbs into the cockpit.