ASAP

Date/Timing: 13 March 2020 (Friday morning)
Setting: Tokyo Shatterdome, Hakone, Japan; Anchorage Shatterdome, Anchorage, USA
Midway through heavyweight trooper class, a hand on Pietr's shoulder.
Body over the shoulder.
Corporal on the mat. Puff of dust in the air.
Pietr smiles, offers corporal a hand up.
Movement in peripheral.
Wide eyes and lots of jazz hands.
"Vos," grunts the corporal. "Marshal wan—" He wheezes. "Office. ASAP."
Pietr cringes, then tugs the corporal back to their feet. He shrugs an apology, bows to the students, and follows the corporal, who marches straight into to Marshal's office without knocking.
Pietr bows to Marshal Souma as the corporal retreats.
"Instructor Vos, I have received an emergency request to second you to Vladivostok." Souma scowls. "As a Ranger."
Pietr raises an eyebrow.
"Ranger Rautio injured herself and Marshal Kozlov doesn't wish to be caught shorthanded. He's decided to test your 'universal Compatibility.'" His jaw tightens. "Pack your necessaries. Transport leaves in twenty minutes. Dismissed."
Pietr bows, sprints back to his quarters. He fishes out his mobile as the door bangs shut behind him.
p_a_vos: Snd rngr gear 2 vladivostok plz
not_a_monkey: What?
p_a_vos: Rngr agin need gear
not_a_monkey: Since when?
p_a_vos: 10m ago
not_a_monkey: Yr kidding
p_a_vos: Nope
p_a_vos: NEED GEAR PLZ
not_a_monkey: Keep yr panties on
Snorts a laugh.
not_a_monkey: Ill be on next transport
p_a_vos: Thx g2g
Tosses aside the mobile, grabs his duffel, throws in handfuls of clothes. Picks up—frowns, nabs the mobile.
p_a_vos: W8. Yule b on trnsprt?
p_a_vos: Y?
not_a_monkey: Lightcap, yr brain, science. Usual.
p_a_vos: Gr82 c u!
Half an eye on the screen, stuffs a handful of jumpers in the duffel.
Mobile remains unmoving.
Zips his bag, takes mobile in hand.
p_a_vos: Chuck?
not_a_monkey: Sry! Yu bet!
Chuck shakes pink fluff out of her head, zips toward the storage room. "Where'd we stick Pietr's Drivesuit?"
""I thought you were keeping track of it,"" calls Caitlin, clacking away at some code. 
""Instead of puzzling over it, you could simply ask the AI which tracks inventory,"" drawls AGNIS. 
Chuck rocks to a stop beside her desk. 
""Ranger-again Vos' Drivesuit will depart storage for Vladivostok via emergency fast transit in forty-five minutes."" 
Chuck exhales. "Thanks, AGNIS. Please add—" 
"Hold on." Caitlin's fingers still on the keys. "Why are we sending Pietr's Drivesuit to Vladivostok?" 
"He just texted." Chuck hugs her jumper more tightly to herself. "Gotta Ranger again, apparently." 
"He's /what? In /Russia?" Caitlin digs under the stack of papers on her desk. "No chance he's joking?"
"Doubt it." Chuck dials and tosses over Caitlin's mobile, grabs her own, types.
"I can't believe they're sending him out. This has to be some sort of joke," she mumbles. "Marshal, what's this about you calling Pietr Vos up as a Ranger? ... You really are? ... She did what? ... /Promise me you'll get him back to me in one piece. ... That's not very reassuring, Marshal. ... Yes, I know the Kaiju have no respect for science, but Vos might be the key to understanding Drift Compatibility, even creating it. I need him back with his brain intact. ... Yes. ... Yes, Marshal. ... Thank you, sir." Caitlin disconnects.
Chuck races past.
"Where are you going?"
Chuck skids to a halt near the exit. "Duffel for me?"
"Duffel for ...? Where are you going?"
"Russia?"
"Why? You're my Lab Monkey!"
"Hypothetical, Jaeger, Vladivostok, Lab Monkey?"
"Exactly! If the Marshals are putting my Hypothetical in a Jaeger, someone's going to make sure he's as safe as possible. That's you."
"You'll be okay on your own?"
"Of course I will! Move, Monkey! Hypothetical's waiting!"
"Mobile's in your front pocket!"
Chuck sprints back to her quarters.
Category:Ficlet
Category:Pietr is a Spare
Category:Team Eden Assassin (mention)
Category:Chuck D
Category:Chuck D (ficlet)
Category:Lightcap (ficlet)
Category:Lightcap
Category:Chuck D is a Driftern
Category:Skeleton Key
Category:To Russia with Haste
Category:Pietr
Category:Pietr's POV
Category:Pietr (ficlet)
Category:Chuck D's POV
Category:Souma
Category:Souma (ficlet)
Category:Tokyo Shatterdome (setting)
Category:Anchorage Shatterdome (setting)
Category:Janna (mention)
Category:Kozlov (mention)
Category:Conversations via SMS
Category:Conversations via mobiles
Category:AGNIS
Category:AGNIS (ficlet)
Category:Ficlets with images