They took their places in the airlock as Jack had told them hours before hand. Once they floated out of the airlock on her mark everyone had a job to do and there would be no screw ups! Jack hated it when things went wrong for her and she intended to make this mission go as smooth as possible. Tugging on the suit one last time, it hugged her so tightly and smashed her wings to her back. It would only take a couple of hours for them to start cramping and aching. For a brief moment her mind wandered to the idea of building a hot tub of some sort with the excess power from her modified engines, but that would have to wait. Glowing green eyes closed for a moment as everything played out. The list of gasses, names, places, projects and the time frame, it was like a clock started in her head as soon as the words drifted out from between her lips. "Mark, repair and collection team good to go."

On her mark the air was removed from the room and the doorway opened into space. Hunter watched the crew heading out. This would be the first mission where the new engineer was personally involved. There seemed to be a bit of an adjustment issue going on between the juniors and her. He remembered how difficult it could be to have people not trust you implicitly. "Engineer Absinthe has the ball. Command control reverting to her on my mark." As the last of the crew exited the ship. He called it off. "Mark! Start countdown clock"

Jack was off. Her head set a buzz with replies to her questions as she swam more or less through space to get to the gas clouds. A belt of collection jars around her waist. Her voice didn't show it and in the suit it was hard to see her face, but this whole ordeal was a touch unnerving. Working in gravity was one thing, but in space......Her arms flailed and feet kicked like a kid splashing in the pool. Her body twisting and turning till she caught sight of the others using their propulsion packs. Well at least that would get her closer than all this flailing. Wait a sec! "Crap...." she mumbled and wiggled head to toe trying to flail about closer to the gas cloud. Can't use the pack or it will ignite the gas and it was suddenly clear that she had never learned to swim.

"Well done and thank you! Samples 2 of 7 collected. Estimated time of return currently is one hour. Please compensate the current air allotted with spare tanks for swap out. Hey now! I heard that sigh! One hour is doable if you quit staring at the backside of the woman next to you! Don't make me get the wrench!" It was a good thing the poor boy was in the EVA suit or everyone would have seen those scarlet cheeks. "Strike that at least another hour and a half if I have to keep correcting the horn dog over there."

There was a fit of laughter on the bridge then. Lacha's laugh was nearly infectious. Hunter simply stared at the screen controlling his breathing or risking snorting all over the place. In the background he heard Lacha engage the computer. "Call sign change computer. Ensign Troxus' call sign is now Horndog..." The decidedly feminine voice of the computer cut across the deck. Acknowledged. Hunter just shook his head, his own call sign had been Iceburg. He had asked if it was because there was more buried beneath the surface than above. He was informed it was because under fire he was one cold mother. The operations station rang out next. Synchronized oxygen swap out in ten nine...The numbers descended and there was a flurry of activity . "Mark!" The word hit them all at the same moment. As one they expelled their empty tanks and inserted the new ones. Hunter gave a nod of approval. "Nicely done "

"Why thank you, chief." Jack chuckled and swam over to her 6th collection. "Well done team, even you Horndog. Still tempted to hit you upside the head though." Crossing her arms to show her disapproval from above you could watch the poor man shrink. "I'll tell you what guys if we can wrap this up in the next ten minutes we will have a little fun with our spare oxygen. Do we have a deal" Agree on check in go!" The echoes of okays flooded her com in cool order. "Well you guys at command might want to pop some popcorn or ready to bust a gut laughing. Mark in ten minutes let the fun begin." Cackling as she swam for her final collection.

Hunter stepped back from the screen when she called him chief. No one laughed at that, probably because he was in the room at the time. He too was having issues not laughing like a banshee but only a few would be able to tell that by looking at him. Lacha snorted then and Hunter had to go to his ready room. The door swung shut behind him and he collapsed onto the couch burying his face in his hands. His laughs were smothered by whatever he could find. When he regained his composure he rejoined the crew, and took up his spot once again looking for the entire world as though nothing had happened. The time in the room gave the bridge crew a needed break from him as well. Finally they laughed at the chief.

The next track came on and Jack was still filled with laughter. "Alright guys let's head back in or shall I say dance in. Bridge enjoy the last track and we will account for ourselves once it's over. Job's well done! Couldn't have done it without you." The mood seemed so much lighter than when they had started. Each of them spinning, dancing, flipping and wiggling their way into the air lock. The last notes of the song lingered in the air as Jack's voice came through. "All bodies accounted for and jobs. Returning control of the bridge to Admiral K'lar. Thank you, Chief. The data will be in momentarily. You...." Glowing green eyes narrowed. "Why is my magnetic self adjusting wrench....." The com cut off before everyone lost it again. Needless to say Horndog was soon put to work building Jack a hot tub.

(Lights ~ Ellie Goulding)

He watched them all the way in, he kept the monitor on the group, seeing the morale raise quite a bit on the bridge as well as down in engineering, except for Eight of course because she didn't know any better. He clicked off the connection as the airlock closed and the oxygen was pumped in. "This trip is going to be something very interesting Miss Absinthe." That the coms were closed spoke to his gut feeling trusting that where his facts were wrong he would be informed.

Hunter sent a message to Lacha that he was going back to his quarters, but would be available if he were needed. The route to the turbo lift was on the same wall as his ready room. He gave instructions to the lift to let him off at the crew deck. He passed by the new engineer and gave a nod to those returning and to one in particular.