Mason, E, LT 2nd: oh shit
Mason, E, LT 2nd: can you find another one? look for munitions locker. jimmy’s card should open them
ByteMe: it is CRAWLING with them down there
ByteMe: i can make most of the way through vents. i can’t shoot someone again. i can’t
Mason, E, LT 2nd: why not?
ByteMe: because it was the worst thing I’ve ever done, what’s wrong with you? i can get to you through the vents.
Mason, E, LT 2nd: kady, i told you some of them are IN the vents
Mason, E, LT 2nd: what are you going to do? sarcasm them to death?
ByteMe: fuck you
ByteMe: it was your friend, okay? i saw his fucking name badge, it was Dorian. and i shot him in the chest with the rifle and he was dead before he hit the floor, and i can’t i can’t i can’t i can’t
Mason, E, LT 2nd: kady you need a gun
Mason, E, LT 2nd: you NEED one
ByteMe: what’s WRONG with u? that’s your friend I just shot!
ByteMe: fuck, forget it. i have the pistol still
Mason, E, LT 2nd: it’s not enough. they don’t have the stopping power, you need to drop these fuckers hard
ByteMe: this is not the support i need right now, Ez.
Mason, E, LT 2nd: kady …
ByteMe: forget it. just shut up and i’ll concentrate on getting these security feeds flowing properly. whole sections keep cutting in and out, i don’t know what’s going on in the servers.
Mason, E, LT 2nd: kady this is nuts
ByteMe: I’M ON A FUCKING DERELICT WARSHIP ON THE RUN FROM THE PSYCHOTIC CREW AND AN INSANE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TRYING TO SAVE MY FUCKING BOYFRIEND.
ByteMe: goddamn right it’s nuts
ByteMe: next super helpful observation plz
Mason, E, LT 2nd: …
Mason, E, LT 2nd: ok
Mason, E, LT 2nd: ok i’m sorry
Mason, E, LT 2nd: the pistol is fine. the pistol is good
ByteMe: it’s the best i can do
ByteMe: i’m sorry too
ByteMe: u deserve a better rescue squad than me
Mason, E, LT 2nd: you’re doing great
Mason, E, LT 2nd: really
Mason, E, LT 2nd: i’m proud of you, you fucking lunatic
ByteMe: u can tell me in person soon
Mason, E, LT 2nd: i hope so
Mason, E, LT 2nd: been thinking about you a lot. stuck in here. everything that’s going on. All of it
Mason, E, LT 2nd: and you’re the only thing on my mind
Mason, E, LT 2nd: is that crazy?
ByteMe: i think it’s completely appropriate, given i am at this moment hiding in a vent mid-rescue attempt
ByteMe: the very least i should get is to occupy a very large % of your thoughts
ByteMe: i really hope i at least make it far enough to see u
Mason, E, LT 2nd: i can see you. looking at your face right now
ByteMe: ?
Mason, E, LT 2nd: made something. i send you
ByteMe: well that’s a step up from hearts and flowers
ByteMe: when did u learn to do THAT?
Mason, E, LT 2nd: not just a pretty face
ByteMe: (v romantic btw. points 4 u)
Mason, E, LT 2nd: you like?
ByteMe: course. soon u can be admiring actual face through the vis screen in my hazmat suit
ByteMe: SO ROMANTIC
ByteMe: (Kades you are SO BAD AT THIS. see i know the lines and all.)
Mason, E, LT 2nd: it’s going to be okay you know
Mason, E, LT 2nd: you’re going to make it out of here
ByteMe: hope so
ByteMe: otherwise last thought will be how short-changed i was
ByteMe: wait no i mean last thought will be your face sorry
Mason, E, LT 2nd: lol you really ARE bad at this
Mason, E, LT 2nd: but at least you’re bad at it with me
ByteMe: always
ByteMe: u wait until we’re back on the Hypatia
ByteMe: we’re safe in these hazmats, they’ll quarantine us for a while but then let us in
ByteMe: then we’ll take the hazmats off
ByteMe: work out what i AM good at. seem to recall there was something …
Mason, E, LT 2nd: 0_0
ByteMe: program’s done running, time for me to move, before something gives and the stupid thing crashes again
ByteMe: see u soon, lover ;)
Mason, E, LT 2nd: not soon enough
Mason, E, LT 2nd: be careful
Surveillance footage summary,
prepared by Illuminae Group Analyst ID 7213-0089-DN
The surveillance footage is piecemeal at this stage. The damage to AIDAN’s core is escalating, which in practical terms means that I can’t use any one intellicam feed for long before it dissolves into a snow of static. If this is disjointed, it’s because I’m leapfrogging all over the place here.
Grant is extremely cautious when approaching the server core. The facility is huge, taking up whole decks of the ship, and there are a thousand places to hide, to be safe, to die.
She’s not what you’d call well camouflaged in her bright green hazmat suit, and to compound the problem, it’s too big for her. Ms Grant is not built like the average UTA Risk Specialist, and the arms and legs are too long, so she’s forced to grab at the plastic periodically and haul it up as she walks. There’ll be no quick getaway, if it comes down to a run for it.
Lieutenant Mason gave her a server coordinate, and she’s creeping toward it, pistol in her right hand, tablet in her left. In the distance there are screams, but it’s hard to tell from so far away whether they’re predator or prey. From closer, just a few towers up, there’s a periodic crashing, and the sound of a human—or what once was one—panting with exertion. She’s wary, keeping server racks between that voice and her bright green self.