70 hours: 24 minutes

ByteMe: howdy neighbor

Zhang, B: fuck me, what are you doing on this channel?

ByteMe: o now is that nice?

Zhang, B: u piggy backing?

ByteMe: doesn’t look like Corporal Boklov is using his ID right now so i thought i’d see what ur up to

Zhang, B: nothing slows u down

ByteMe: unlike u. looks weird, seeing your actual name there. ur totally CitB in my head.

ByteMe: so still don’t have this sorted? whats the hold up?

Zhang, B: it’s not that fucking easy is the hold up. u here to help?

ByteMe: affirmative, sensei

ByteMe: u getting any gen out of the military techs about how things are over there?

Zhang, B: worried about your bf?

ByteMe: yes

Zhang, B: oh

Zhang, B: well that makes the teasing a little less fun

ByteMe: answer?

Zhang, B: nope, they not feeling talkative

ByteMe: how u holding up? have u stopped to eat or drink or sleep lately?

Zhang, B: not a lot of any of those.

ByteMe: u want me to bring u something?

Zhang, B: no, don’t want any footage of u coming near me, in case they notice u

Zhang, B: it all takes a bit longer, doing it remotely from the Hypatia. Just a little delay on every command, starting to drive me nuts.

Zhang, B: not exactly volunteering to head over to the Alexander and do it in person tho

ByteMe: any of these military folks know what they’re doing?

Zhang, B: some. Guy called Dorian is on it, a couple of the others, but others trying to fill shoes not meant for them, got promotions after Kerenza.

Zhang, B: But no matter how good u are, trying to work out how to turn AIDAN back on under restraint is like trying to work out how to strap down an octopus, only u have no idea how many arms the fucker has and u have to work in the dark

ByteMe: ok, show me where i can help. we have to get moving. Lincoln isn’t waiting.

Zhang B: u holding up ok?

ByteMe: trying. let’s go to work

Syra, Kate:

I need some quiet calculations. Hypothetical only, of course, but as the senior staff, it’s appropriate for us to consider every potential step necessary to preserve the safety of the Hypatia.

Please compile a confidential report considering:

• the navigational capacity of our current staff (Syra)

• the current condition of our ship (Kate)

• our ability to increase velocity/fashion defense systems of any description (Kate)

My question, essentially, is this: if we were to leave the Alexander and strike out for safety on our own, through either choice or necessity, what are our chances?

I want a list of likely scenarios, a report on our probability of survival and ideas on any steps we can take to increase our odds. The Hypatia was never meant to brave the black without an escort, but we need to work out how our minnow can survive without her guardian shark. We need to be prepared, just in case.

Kate, please don’t include Peyak in this. I’m aware he’s still unhappy about Matt’s conscription and would not be willing to assist in compiling any plan for leaving the Alexander behind. In fact, I think he’d probably tell Matt as quick as he could, assuming comms ever come back up.

You’ve got twelve hours to put together as much data as possible for me, then we’ll meet in person to discuss your findings.

Ann

Officers of the Alexander,

This is rumor control. At 20:17, 07/25/75, Marine Squad Sigma engaged hostile Kerenza refugees afflicted with the mutated Phobos virus in Hangar Bay 4. Sigma Squad was unable to secure the area. Several marines were killed in this altercation. Sigma is now in lockdown.

I will state this as plainly as I can—there has been no quarantine breach. NO afflicted personnel have gained access to the general population of the Alexander. Any speculation to the contrary is, at best, detrimental, at worst, treason.

Short-handed as we are, and unable to guarantee our marines’ safety, I have determined to leave Bay 4 sealed and allow the afflicted within to succumb to starvation. With the main drive still offline, Lincoln is now closing to within striking distance. All pilots—even disciplinary cases—are to be reinstated to flight status. Hypatia Neurogramming staff have been assisting with the work on AIDAN. TechEng will report latest results at 07:00 tomorrow to senior staff. I trust Col. Sanchez and her team will have found a solution to our AI dilemma by then.

You all know fear is poison in battle. You, as officers, must do everything in your power to stop this situation from turning toxic.

You will explain this in no uncertain terms to your respective staff members. Conjecture and rumor-mongering serve no purpose but to degrade unit cohesion. Morale is at a flash point already—the last thing we need are people operating rashly under misinformation. And frankly, if your people have time to be playing watercooler whispers with things being what they are, they’re not working hard enough.

Over six thousand lives are on the line here, people.

We should be doing, not talking.

Centrum tenenda.

David Torrence
General, United Terran Authority
Commander, Alexander 78-V

LeFevre, S, Prv: Dorian, this install sequence still isn’t working.

Dorian, C, Corp: Damnation. Send it to me and I’ll look at it once I’m done hand-holding these civilian techs over on Hypatia.

LeFevre, S, Prv: did you just say “damnation”? god, you even swear posh. très sexy.

Dorian, C, Corp: What do you want, Stephanie?