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.