DUSTOFF Tango
1200 hours
Celadon, 2372

	“Stand clear of the prop wash, we’re coming in low and fast over”
The radio blared as the Ash watched the Bell UH-1D Iroquois land and the 
soldiers run out to it carrying their wounded.  Ash waited with the other 
soldiers until the UH-1Hs came to DUSTOFF them to Greene Mesa AFB.

      A wall on the side of Command Center Alpha on Greene Mesa AFB was made of 
solid marble, and in it were etched the names of soldiers who had made their 
last flights out of Greene Mesa.  Ash stood there for a while, gazing blankly at 
Brock’s name.  Then he realized he was supposed to report to the medics for 
professional care to his wounds.  He suddenly collapsed onto the gravel, and 
before he lost consciousness he saw 5 people running frantically toward him.
      
      “Damn machine!”
Ash awoke in a medical quatrain hut to see a doctor banging on the heart 
monitor, while pikachu and bulbasaur sat on the foot of his bed.
“Oh hey you’re awake!” said the doctor as he pounded on the machine some more.  
Then he opened the window and yelled “I NEED A GREASE MONKEY!”
Captain Chad Skyree walked into the room wiping his hands on a rag and glimpsed 
ash lying on the bed.  Skyree did a double take.
“Oh helllll no! OH HELLLL NO!” 
Skyree dropped his rag and ran out of the room.  Ash heard him screaming all the 
way back to the mechanical bay.  Then Team Rocket showed up.

	“Prepare to fight!” said Jessie.
“So uh… what happened to the rest of the intro?” inquired Ash.
“Well, uhh, um….”
“Budget cuts” James interjected.
“Yeah… let’s go with that…”
Ash casually drew his .45 glock and shot Jessie in the arm.
Jessie put her hand over the wound.  “Y… you shot me!”
“No, genius! What gave you that idea?”
Suddenly Jessie’s surprise turned to anger and signaled James to pull out the 
.22 he always carried in his pants pocket.  But then…
Click.
The doctor was up with a Mosin Nagant to James’s back.  And the most unexpected 
thing of the day happened.
“I’m wearing boots of escaping! I’m wearing boots of escaping!”
Jessie ran outside screaming phrases from dungeons and dragons when Ash shot her 
in the back and she fell down with a cry of anguish.  Skyree whistled.
“There’s something you don’t see every day…”

To Be Continued