Pina Colada Pining

The pillars, he’d noticed the pillars.
He sighed - pillars would suggest that the sand he was lying on was not from a nearby restful tropical beach complete with pina coladas, hammocks, and exotic girls in coconut-shell bikinis. In fact he had a nasty feeling that big ole pillars meant he was somewhere dangerous. He scowled his disapproval at the universe. Smegsake. He was sick of all this… All this… Smeggin’ nonsense. When the opportunity arose he was going to have a word with Cass about the long-forgotten-by-everyone-except-him-due-to-constant-adventure time drive. Sure he and the angry young woman were currently not communicating in anything other than disapproving grunts, but perhaps she’d understand. He knew that there was part of Cass – as shrouded in protective barbed wire as it was – which was not only vulnerable, but decent.

He sat up and shook the sand out of his hair, blinking at the scene which greeted him. What were they doing in a desert anyway? He scratched at his cheek, dimly noting he needed a shave, and, confused, stared out into the hot sands. His mind tried to fill in the details, briefly attempting to process what had happened in the Roo warrens but it was all a bit muddled, mixed in with his flashbacks and currently combined with the temporary mind-soothing effect of the interdimensional membrane.

Bloody hell he ached. What he wouldn't do for his old bath right now. Why was he wasting his time out here? If the timedrive was still functional - and provided it sent them to the right place this time - he could be back with his family, making amends. And having a bath. He just wanted to go home and be normal.
With a back clicking grumbled groan he realised he was getting confused and being selfish - they weren’t out here to solve his issues, there were supposed to be saving Jay. They were here to save… They were here… to save Jay. Yeah, to save Jay. To… save Jay-cob.
Save Jacob.
Hang on.

Where was Jacob?

“Where is Jacob?” He asked the air, wounded mind slipping back into a more addled state, and certainly not firing on all cylinders.
Where were McReady and the corporal… Er, was that the corporal being manhandled by those weird animal headed people? What the- He'd better help him. He made to stand but stopped and frowned as another thought hit him: Where on Titan were Cass and White Wolf?

Before he could gather anything resembling wits, a duck shaped rowing boat appeared nearby, containing a young man and an oversized rodent of some sort, sending all thoughts of bounding after the corporal skittering from his mind.

"Whoo!" Exclaimed the rodent.

Alex wasn’t entirely sure what was going on, but by now, one thing was crystal clear in his mind - he needed a drink. As the new arrivals mumbled on about something he scrabbled in his rucksack for a vessel far larger than his hipflask (though filled with the same stuff), located it, and drank deeply.
He wiped his mouth and offered the flask to Rowing Boat Boy.
“No thanks. You look like crap” responded the mysterious newcomer, jogging Alex’s memory...
Ah, Jacky of course. Jacky… Who was obviously still having a bit of trouble with his internal dialogue.

Hey! There was that tall Master Chief guy. McReady'd said he was okay. Oh, and there was his armoured friend, and McReady! And Katrina!

Solvay got up and waved.
“MASTER CHIEF!” He shouted, muddled mind not currently bothering to alert him that yelling and drawing attention to himself was probably a pretty bad idea right about then.
A moment later and he was yanked behind one of the pillars by Artemis, who'd not only hauled him in, but clapped a hand over his mouth.
There was someone else, too, behind the other pillar. It was an older man with a calm aura and a splendid beard.

"Keep your voice down, son" hissed Plisken, at a wide-eyed, mouth-covered Solvay.

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