264 lines
5.2 KiB
Plaintext
264 lines
5.2 KiB
Plaintext
Message Incoming...
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Source Melchizedek.0294
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β Hyi, 4th Planet
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Ascension 00h 25m 45.07037s
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Declination –77° 15′ 15.2860″
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Distance 24.37ly
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Equinox J2000.0 SOL
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Year 3782, QEC adjusted
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[Autotranslator enabled...]
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[Voice recording initialize...ON]
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[Crew autodetection...ON]
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[Narrative mode...ON]
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[Autodisconnect after 5 minute silence...ON]
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:::
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[Voice detected: Hildar Simms, Sergeant]
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Simms:
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Mm. Time-stamp. Command init.
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[Mission date: β Hyi 4:124. Year 3782, QEC adjusted.]
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Log entry:
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No change in my breathing. The heart stutter happened again this
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morning right when I rolled out of the rack. Maybe something to
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do with sitting up? Dunno. Command note for doctor.
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[Issue logged for Doctor Spinelli.]
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More of the same otherwise. The light sensitivity isn't getting
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any worse. The eczema rashes continue to spread, mostly on
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exposed skin. The cream isn't doing shit. Mm. There's not much
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else.
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Oh, PT schedules are going fine. The sit-ups rub the skin which
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is annoying, but not a problem. My run times are down a bit,
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actually. I haven't felt any weakness or atrophy, but the mass
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tests will show for sure.
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Mm. I hope we're just about done with this.
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Med-log end. Command init.
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[Mission log, medical update complete.]
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[Retroactive transmission of work-log enabled. System encryption
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enabled. Relaying audio transcription to Melchizedek.0294 base
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station.]
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What the hell?
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[Voice detected: Eva Hämäläinen, Navigator]
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Hämäläinen:
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Simms.
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Simms:
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Fucking Christ!
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Hämäläinen:
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Sorry. I--
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Simms:
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Gave me a heart--
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Hämäläinen:
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didn't mean to--
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Simms:
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Christ on a cracker. How long have you. Were you in my ceiling?
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Hämäläinen:
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Uh, just on the other side of the vent plating. We need to talk.
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Simms:
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On the other side of.. What are.. how did you get back here.
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You're on three. You WERE on three. How--
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Hämäläinen:
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It's not important. You need to come with me, quickly.
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Simms:
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Okay, sure. I mean, where? Mm. I'm gonna need pants.
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Hämäläinen:
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Oh, yes. I didn't notice, sorry.
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Simms:
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Didn't notice [sotta voce] my ass.
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[Silence recorded for 0:25]
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You can keep talking while I do this. And turn around, will ya?
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Hämäläinen:
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Sorry. Sorry.
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We need to get on the ship, and we need to move quietly.
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Simms:
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A shuttle? Where are we going?
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Hämäläinen:
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The Melchizedek. We're going back.
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Simms:
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I'm sorry, what?! On the--
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Hämäläinen:
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Please, keep your voice down. No one can know I'm here. Stop
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a moment. I'll explain.
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Your DNA was pulled out and patched onto our plants in flight.
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Something like the reverse happened to you.
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Simms:
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I'm aware. I was in isolation long enough. I'm still doing these
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fucking med reports.
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Hämäläinen:
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Yes. Well, we're going back.
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Simms:
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To... you don't mean to the anomaly. Right?
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Hämäläinen:
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We're going to get Sandy and Jerome. And we need you.
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Simms:
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You need a head doctor. I'm not going anywhere near there ever
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again. I'm lucky to be alive. Look at my arms, for fuck sake.
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Hämäläinen:
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Is that? What is that? A rash?
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Simms:
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Nguyen calls it eczema.
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Hämäläinen:
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That's not eczema. It looks almost like…
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Simms:
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Yeah, exactly.
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Hämäläinen:
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But that's not possible. Even with the DNA splicing your body
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can't produce chloroplasts. You can't just turn that on.
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Simms:
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My skin disagrees. And it's spreading.
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Hämäläinen:
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Is it functional? Are you actually getting energy from light?
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What else changed? How is this not bigger news?
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Simms:
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The Seriph, may her logic and honor protect us, felt it was
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a distraction from the primary mission. The good doctors are,
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mm, "working on the situation."
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I feel fine. They aren't cutting me open or anything, Eva. I'm
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fine just a bit messed up.
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And now I have pants. Why do I have pants on again?
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Hämäläinen:
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Are you okay? Wait, no. We need to go first. Tell me later when
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we're safe.
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Simms:
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Safe? What does that mean? What did you--
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[System error. Critical infrastructure disruption detected. Fire
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suppression activated. Communications relay damaged. Security
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monitoring interrupted. Encryption offline.]
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[End of encrypted envelope.]
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[Damage reported in habitat A.]
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[Damage reported in habitat B.]
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[Damage reported in habitat C.]
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[Damage reported in materials processing A.]
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[Damage reported in materials processing B.]
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[Damage reported in materials processing C.]
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[Damage reported in biological engineering.]
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[Damage reported in seed processing.]
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[Damage reported in manufacturing.]
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[All systems critical.]
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Simms:
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What the fuck did you do, Eva? What the fuck was that?
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Hämäläinen:
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Come, and be quick.
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Simms:
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I'm not going-- what the ACTUAL FUCK. Is that a gun? How the--
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Hämäläinen:
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We don't have time, Hildar. Come now, please. Be quiet. Comms
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will be disrupted, but the crew have eyes. We need the head
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start.
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Simms:
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Eva, please.
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Hämäläinen:
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Now! We. Don't. Have. Time.
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[Gunshot detected, habitat D. Security have been notified.
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Security monitoring disabled. Alarm signal disrupted.]
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Simms:
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Jesus! You almost--
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Hämäläinen:
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NOW!
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[Silence recorded for 5:00. Automatic disconnect triggered.]
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[Voice recording terminated]
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