IV
The bleak, cold steel of Graveyard 1's control room reverberated as the engineers warmed up the engines. It's two piolts, Jean and Henry, sat in their stations, the status of the ship displayed on the numerous screens surrounding the cockpit-like modules that they resided in.

Henry was looking over the last orders they had received. Command wanted the ship prepared for immediate launch, a launch that wasn't scheduled for another month.

"Why'd they move it forward? Has something happened?" Henry mused in an almost frantic voice aloud. His counter part, raised one eyelid breaking the relaxed stated of napping she had maintained for the better part of an hour.

"It's about time, every moment we spend on this miserable rock, is a moment lost in my opinion." Jean replied, her voice sounding almost releived. "Besides, this is the moment we've been training for."

Giving Jean a nervous look, Henry replied "You clearly havn't talked to the engineers about this have you, or anyone else with half a brain for that matter? If something goes wrong, this things engines could render most of this 'rock' uninhabitable for the next thousand years, not to mention also leaving a nice crater where we're sitting right now."

"You worry too much Henry," Jean said as she once more resumed the guise of sleep.

"And you don't worry enough, and on top of it all, you seem happier now that death is closer than ever." Henry said, raising an accusing finger at Jean.

Sitting up, Jean laughed. "What about that time in Maine, you know when, when the invasion started? Those poor sods didn't have anything that could touch our bird. We were safe, and I was happy."

Grimicing, Henry rubbed his left shoulder. "Really? I remember that those poor sods managed to get a couple bullets through the canopy of our Helicopter. I still have scars from that you know, and anyway thats my point. We were flying through a war zone, not exactly a happy, or funny place."

Grinning Jean laughed, "They say that it's important that you enjoy your job."

Henry's eye's darkened and, turning away from her, resumed fiddling with the displays, "It's easy for you to enjoy it, Your just flying around, like a news chopper watching a story unfold. It's a lot different, mowing down people, ending their stories..."

Deep within the ship there was aloud roar and the room began to shake.

Throwing back her head and laughing Jean Shouted to Henry, "Well, we're still alive, looks like this thing works after all!"