Go!

== Revised text ==
Date/Timing: 9 January 2019
Setting: outside The Shed; Vaucluse, NSW, Australia
.
Thomas runs through his list: 
Doctor Lightcap, awake, ready to go, outside? Check. 
Doctor Lightcap's gear, packed, outside, being loaded into the taxi? Check. 
Addendum: thank Officer Martin for that. 
Doctor Lightcap's people, awake, ready to go, outside?
Ranger D'onofrio cradles a black chunk of plastic the size of a shoebox. "I remembered the backup," he reports.
"Monkey?" asks Doctor Lightcap.
D'onofrio blinks, closes his eyes. "I forgot Monkey."
"Who forgot Monkey?" asks Officer Darling.
Lightcap and D'onofrio beam.
"May I ...?" asks the latter, hefting the hard drive.
Darling hands over her duffel.
"Thanks."
"Let's put it with everything else, shall we?" suggests Thomas.
D'onofrio's wondering how to do this because ...?
Lightcap continues, "Anyway, Hermann, the potential benefits to this—"
""Hey, Rapunzel!"" calls Ranger Jones (the older).
Aha! D'onofrio's out of hands.
""Th' hell you want, Jones.""
Thomas leaves Lightcap for a moment—car-bound, please please please—and offers a hand—
Ranger Jones says, ""'s good to, uh ... see you. Again.""
—except D'onofrio's tucked the hard drive just inside and holds the bag like he would a child so that's good. Now Officer Darling—
""Good to see you, too, mostly. Bye.""
Oh. Okay. Thomas can focus on Lightcap but, oh, Telly, where are you?
""I mean—!""
Darling stops mid-step—
"Officer Darling, if you would report to the taxi." 
"Yea." She turns back around anyway.
Nguyen looks frustrated—dashes off.
Jones says, "It's nice to see ye happy again."
"'scuse me?"
"Back, uh, when you transferred from Hong Kong, you were really prickly. Angry—and you should've been—and then Chuckles graduated, started following you around, and you seemed happy. Hopeful. I dunno." He rubs the back of his neck. "It's nice to see you smile again."
"Oh. Uh, thank—aaah. Thank you, Jackson, that's, uh, really nice to hear. I think."
"Eh, you're welcome. Whatever. Hope you don't freeze to death or something; wouldn't do to save you twice."
"You think I need saving?"
"You've gone all soft hanging with those scientist types."
"/You're gonna try that now?"
He shrugs. "'s true."
Hands on her hips. "And which one of us is sporting a black eye this morning?"
"That was a lucky shot! Er—" Hands in pockets, shoulders back. "I'd come with you and keep you warm but it's not really my thing."
"I can take care of myself, asswipe."
"Well, you know, heard you're missing brain matter, wanted to make sure you made it back alright."
"Since I still clobbered your ass /and Logan's by myself at the same time, clearly I'm not as gone as previously thought."
"You sucker-punched him and landed a blind hit on me—"
Chuck steps closer.
"—but rumors of your death've been greatly exaggerated. Skill? Maybe not." He smirks, starts back inside. "Lemme know if you need someone to take care of you."
"Hey, Eugenie?"
"Cute, Rapunzel."
"Thought it was apt, actually—"
He turns.
"It's so cold that close to the pole, and your balls are so small—"
Jackson glares.
"—you might just lose 'em." She smirks. "We could be princesses together."
He lunges—"Oh, that's it!"—and grabs her by the jumpsuit.
Chuck gets a fistful of his jumper; next, take out an elbow, stun the solar plexus, neck, spine—
"For goodness' sake!" Nguyen pulls them apart. "You couldn't not fight for five minutes? Five minutes, that's it! They'd be gone!" He glances back at the car—where D'onofrio's looking rather confused and there's no Lightcap in sight.
Because a youngest Hansen's appeared and she's talking at Vos.
"You," he tells Jones, "Shatterdome." Turns to Darling. "Would you lend Ranger D'onofrio a hand, please?"
Darling nods and plods off.
Thomas hurries to across the tarmac, not missing the dirty look Darling tosses over her shoulder at Jones, and takes Lightcap's arm. "Doctor," he sighs. "I'm sure Cadet Vos will be happy to arrange a teleconference once you're back on the ground."
"But—"
"Marshal," warns Gottlieb.
Hansen rushes past, snarling "Why the fuck're you wearing /that?"
Darling snaps, "'cause it's clean."
D'onofrio you were right there .... Even Officer Martin?
"You shouldn't be. It's not yours."
Vos hurries by and Jones—no, just get in the 'Dome—
"Then I'll mail it back."
"Don't bother. I don't want whatever's wrong with—!"
"You fuckin' /prick!" Jackson roars, hauling him—
"/OI!"
Vos thanks Jones, plucks Hansen back—
"The fuck're you doin'?!"
"Really?" Darling growls.
"Didn't need to hear his crap."
"You're /my copilot!"
Vos glares.
"After all that?" Darling spits.
"Well, it's—it's your stupid brain, is all."
"You're supposed to be on /my side!"
.::You're being mean.::
"Oh, right, poor little broken Chuck—"
Telly calls, "I have breakfast!"
"Officer!" cries Thomas. "I said /half past!"
She holds up a lunchbox. "Break. Fast." Digs through her bag, balancing the kit on her hip—
Vos takes it away.
"Thank you~!" Offers Hansen two crumpled pastry bags. "/Lady Danger doughnut for you; Pietr, same; Jackson, this is for you, whenever I find it ...."
D'onofrio emerges from behind the car with a tire. "Flat's fixed. Where ...?"
"I'll take that," says Officer Martin and she rolls it away.
The driver thanks them, gets in the car and starts it.
"Can ye give that to ...?"
"Ranger Jones," calls Thomas. "If you would get the door for Doctor Gottlieb, please."
Vos hands off the lunchbox.
Gottlieb raises an eyebrow.
Jones grumbles, "Yes, Marshal." Scowls at Telly. "I'll see you inside, /Officer." 
"What's this?" asks D'onofrio.
"Snack for the ride," explains Telly. "Wait. What?"
"Thank you, Marshal," says Gottlieb. "Safe travels, Caitlin," and calls, "Good day, Ranger."
"Well, this's awkward," cringes Telly. "I'm sorry, Doctor, I didn't know you'd be here."
"That's fine, Officer," smiles Doctor Gottlieb. "Ranger Jones?"
"Bye, Hermann!" calls Doctor Lightcap.
Chantell smiles broadly at Older Chuck, "Didn't forget about you, promise."
"Cait?"
She offers Dad a hand. "It's good to see you, Marshal."
He shakes it. "Likewise, Doctor. Have a safe flight."
"Thank you. Sergio, where are we going?"
"Sydney, Eleven."
"Aha!" Chantell presses a paper bag into Chuck's hands. 
"But you're /in Sydney," says Chuck-the-Hansen.
Older Chuck meeps.
"Right! Hypothetical!" Lightcap spins around. "Pietr—"
"/NO!"
D'onofrio scoops up Lightcap and Dad tucks her head down and gets the door.
Chuck's eyes reflect far too much light. "You got me Vegemite?" she breathes, holding the jar reverently.
Chantell swallows a coo, goes on tiptoe, and cradles her head.
Chuck squeezes her back.
Chantell blinks rapidly. "Let's get you in the car," she suggests, taking her arm. "Straight outta production. Better than spiders, ay?"
Pietr gives his best affronted pout.
"Aw, someone wants in," grins Chantell.
Chuck smiles weakly.
"He's my—!"
"Oh for goodness' sake, Chuck!" Chantell snaps. "It's not a proposal!"
Pietr enfolds Darling in a warm hug.
"Seriously, Chuck. Quit. It."
Chuck presses her head to his shoulder.
"Eat your stupid doughnut or wait for your copilot, but give 'em a moment!"
Pietr strokes her hair.
"Officer," Dad says gently. "It's time to go."
Chuck shivers, pulls away. "Right." Swallows. "Uh—" Wipes her hands—clutches her Vegemite." "Bye, guys."
Pietr squeezes her shoulder, elbows Chuck-the-Hansen.
He grumbles, "Bye."
Chantell beams.
Pietr waves.
Dad offers the door.
Chuck hesitates.
"Officer?"
One last wave; she ducks in.
The taxi peels off in a cloud of dust.
"Coffee?" offers Chantell.
"You're a godsend."
"You know it."
Category:Ficlet
Category:Go, Team DriftSci! arc
Category:Skeleton Key
Category:Sydney Shatterdome (setting)
Category:Nguyen
Category:Nguyen (ficlet)
Category:Sergio
Category:Sergio (ficlet)
Category:Caitlin
Category:Caitlin (ficlet)
Category:Chuck D
Category:Chuck D (ficlet)
Category:Hermann
Category:Hermann (ficlet)
Category:Jackson
Category:Jackson (ficlet)
Category:Chuck D has Drift damage
Category:Logan (mention)
Category:Chuck H
Category:Chuck H (ficlet)
Category:Pietr
Category:Pietr (ficlet)
Category:Chantell
Category:Chantell (ficlet)
Category:Food
Category:Indiana Darling fails to set sail in a spectacular fashion
Category:Shatterdome Product Testing (successes)
Category:Alice
Category:Alice (ficlet)
Category:Ficlets with images