The Bairon-Midley Corporation’s ghost division is divided into ranks similar to but not the same as the old US military.  Rankings are achieved with a combined score based on three different criteria.  A written assessment; a physical assessment; and years of service. With each increase in rank, an increase in pay scale is also applied.  Due to the difficult nature of achieving higher rank; pay increases are offered with each rank increase.  Note: an increase in rank does not necessarily mean a change in job placement.  The ranks are as follows: 

~excerpt from The G.E.T. Troopers Application Packet

Sergeant Norman came across the unit 38 comm line “Troopers we are going to march through the night to the rendezvous point.  There is no time for rest.  Conserve as much power on your suit as you can.  There isn’t enough battery to make it the whole way to the rendezvous point.”  Sara thought to herself, “Just great.  We are all already mentally exhausted from the ghost encounter, and now we are going to march all night with our suits in standby mode.”  She rolled her eyes at the thought of this.  “Unpleasant though this is, we have trained for this type of situation as well,” Sergeant Norman continued.  Just about that time, a private comm line opened on Sara’s visor.  It was Corporal Haroldson. 

“You holding up okay over there?” He asked.  “A little shaken but otherwise fine” she replied.  “Good to hear” Haroldson said.  “Normally our missions aren’t going this crazy," he chuckled, trying to make her laugh.  She knew he was just trying to lighten the mood, so she played along.  “Well, it looks like it is gonna be a long night.  So, what brings you to this outfit any way kiddo?”  Haroldson asked. Sara pondered his question for a moment and then answered, “I guess it is because of my father.  He was a decorated officer in the Pan-American Sphere military, Marine of the 1284th.  I always wanted to be strong like him and serve my country.  At least that is what I thought, but the war suddenly ended and there wasn’t as much of a need for troops.  Then add to that the ghosts started appearing; so despite my father’s wishes, I joined up with Bairon-Midley to try to protect the world from something worse than the Geo-Asian Combine.”  “Well, not that it makes any difference, I think your dad would be proud if he could see you now,”  Haroldson replied.  “I doubt it,” Sara said.  “He would be really sad that his daughter didn’t sign up to protect the country that he so loved.  Day in and day out, he would always talk about how great an honor it was to serve in the military.  In the end, I didn’t follow his wishes,”  Sara said with a sigh.  “Well, I am not so sure about that.  I think that he would be proud to see his pretty little girl protecting the whole world rather than just one country,” Haroldson replied.  Sara laughed, “Maybe you are right.  Guess I will never know.”

Before she realized it, several hours and many miles had passed while conversing with Corporal Haroldson.  Just as Sara had been doing, other members of the unit had been conversing with each other on private comm lines while the unit trudged through the night.  The conversations might have gone on the entire trip if not for the interruption of another message coming across the emergency Bairon-Midley channel.  Commander Faraday appeared on the screen, “The situation has changed.  Pasadena, California is gone.  Completely destroyed.  West Pan-Am base will be sending all available units to the area to help with civilian casualties; elimination of the ghost; and containment of the situation.  Reinforcements will arrive ASAP.  Units are being brought in from all bases to aid in this mission.  This ghost is considered extremely dangerous.  Continue with your current orders for those units in the field,” the message stated and then began to repeat.  

Norman, being the only one to have access to this channel listened and then opened the unit 38 comm line, “It looks as though a state of emergency has been declared for the Pasadena area.  We are to proceed on with our current orders.  It looks like the reinforcements will be coming in to take over.”  Sara immediately thought to herself, “What the hell good are reinforcements!  They are just gonna get their asses smoked like we did.  Oh well, not my call.” 

Though missing some of the details being given by Sergeant Norman, Sara’s thoughts were interrupted by Norman saying, “Also, about an hour ago, I received a direct order from Commander Faraday.  I was going to wait till we got closer to base before I told you but, I guess now is as good of a time as any.  We are all being reassigned.  As of our arrival on base, we are no longer unit 38. Each of you will be given a new assignment.” 

Silence fell across the whole unit at the end of Norman’s message.  There was no chatter across any private comm lines on the whole way home.  Everyone was thinking similar things about the situation.  This news even came as a shock to Sara who had only been with the unit for a few weeks.  She couldn’t help but think, “what can the upper brass be thinking?  We lose our commander, get our butts kicked, and now we are getting split up into the reinforcing units?!”  The happy times that Sara had spent with the others were about to be little more than distant memories.  “This is just normal for this type of outfit,” Sara kept telling herself.  “Still, this feels rushed.  Why would they want to break up a unit during an emergency?  I guess because we don’t have a commander anymore? Maybe,” she thought to herself.  Then a comm line opened in her visor, “You must be lost in thought back there, lass.  You are lagging behind,” Corporal Haroldson said.  She immediately replied,” Sorry Sir! It won’t happen again Sir!”  “Relax trooper, this isn’t an official thing.  I was just concerned because you are the newbie to our group.  Figured it might be harder on you seeing all that you have seen, and then being reassigned,” Haroldson said.  “No Sir!  I am perfectly okay sir! Just feeling the fatigue a bit.” she replied.  Haroldson laughed and said, “I see.  Well if you need to talk, I am here.”  “Yeah, same,” she replied.  

“It is this time I will remember the most.  I wanted to say something, anything to make it feel better for her; but, I couldn’t.  All I could do was be her commanding officer.  She was more physically fit than most of her male counterparts; had more pride in her performance than anyone I know; was more stubborn than a mule; and had a fiery temper.  For all these reasons, she made an outstanding trooper.  For all these reasons, I fell in love with her at first sight.  Sara Marie Snow, I will never forget her. 

~Excerpt from Corporal Haroldson’s Journal Entry 2153

Haroldson thought to himself, “Well, I know she won’t break, but she is definitely feeling the pressure.  I guess it can’t be helped.  I don’t like the thought of being reassigned either.  What could they be thinking back at HQ?  They need us in the field, not going in for reassignment.” 

Trying to block out the pain and fatigue, Sara found herself lost in thought for the rest of the trek back to the rendezvous point.  She kept wondering, “what could destroy a transport and then disappear without a trace that fast?  It is true it was a ghost, but no one had ever encountered one this radically different before.  Most ghosts can be tracked one way or another” she remembered.  She also remembered that “every ghost had certain abilities related to what they were.  For example, a video she had seen of a skeleton ghost was able to be fully disarticulated and could pull itself back together.  Furthermore, undead type ghosts would feed on the life of the living.  They would withstand being set on fire for a decent length of time.  They never tired, they were not affected by drowning or breathing for that matter.   Other ghosts would appear that were more familiar, often looking like beast or wild dogs.  The one thing they all had in common was that they could all be destroyed with enough fire power.  This ghost, the flame dancer, that they were chasing, was different though.  Nothing seemed to work on it.  No one had seen its actual form, only the fires left behind; and most importantly, unlike all the others, it didn’t leave any type of scannable signature to follow.  Not to mention that the destruction it was causing was FAR worse than any other reported ghost, worldwide.  Exponential magnitudes worse.  What are we really up against?”

As the sun began to rise, Unit 38 could see the clearing in a lightly wooded area where they were to be picked up.  Upon reaching the clearing the entire unit sat without a word.  Waiting for the transmission from the transport.  They were all exhausted and words wouldn’t come; yet everyone could have an unspoken conversation with the whole unit by simply looking at the other members’ faces in their visors.  Norman thought to himself, “Well, I knew this day was coming.  I was just hoping it wasn’t this soon.”  Ibara thought to himself, “Why do they want us to continue to return to base along with a couple of the other units?  Surely, they need us in the field until the reinforcements arise.”  Kono thought, “Thank God! I really didn’t want to go straight back out to face that thing again.  Shit! I didn’t sign on to fight something that crazy!”  The other members were all thinking similar thoughts.  

It was just then that the transport came across the unit 38 comm line.  “Transport Delta 247 calling unit 38.  Unit 38 respond.” Still sounding of fatigue from the long trudge through the night, Norman came across the channel, “This is Sergeant Norman.  We are in position Delta 247.”  “Roger that Sergeant Norman.  We are coming in for a landing.”  “Coming in for a landing?” Sara thought.  “Why would they send an airlift this close to the danger zone?  They must want us back at base ASAP.”  Norman came across the comm line, “unit 38, defensive formation around the landing area.  Suits on!  Load up by the numbers!”  Everyone powered their suits on and began scanning the area for potential threats.  “Sector 1 clear, Sir!” Ibara shouted.  “Sector 2 clear!” shouted Haroldson.  “Sector 3 clear Sir!” shouted Slater.  Each trooper sounded off in order of their scanning Sector.  Finally, Sara’s turn came.  Seeing nothing, Sara sounded off in turn, “Sector 8 Clear, Sir!”  The noise of the transport would have been deafening had it not been for the noise cancellation feature on the troopers battle suits.  The transport hovered over the landing area that unit 38 had made and slowly began to land.