And beyond all that, command won’t tell us what’s happening. I’m pretty sure they’re lying to us about a lot of things that matter, though I don’t know why.

And right now, that’s just one uncertainty too many.

I don’t know my limit, but I’m scared to reach it. I don’t know what will happen if I do.

And I still can’t sleep.

ByteMe: Ezra, u there?

Mason, E, LT 2nd: Who this?

ByteMe: Kady.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: Hello, Dorian. Your timing is as shitty as your comedy

Mason, E, LT 2nd: You don’t happen to have a sister, do you?

ByteMe: It’s me, Ezra. I don’t know who Dorian is

Mason, E, LT 2nd: I can’t believe that scrub told you. McNulty’s vault has more leaks than a recycled baby baggie

ByteMe: That’s completely disgusting. We have 7 mins until I have to shut this thing down or they’ll be able to track it.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: Uh huh

ByteMe: This is not the reception I was hoping for. It’s ME.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: Prove it, he cried

ByteMe: How about … you sprained your ankle jumping out my bedroom window while I stalled my parents at the front door.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: … Kady?

ByteMe: This is what I’m saying. Yes, Kady.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: Well I feel sheepish …

ByteMe:baaaaaa

Mason, E, LT 2nd: How have you got access to IMs? Ship to ship comms are down?

ByteMe: You’re right, how is this happening??? WITCHCRAFT

Mason, E, LT 2nd: This isn’t like jacking the school system to give me a passing grade in chem. You could get into a lot of trouble

ByteMe: You did suck at chem. It’s fine, trust me. Short bursts, text only, undetectable if we keep it under 7 mins. Comms might be down, but command always leave themselves a back door open in case they want a heart to heart.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: … is that what this is? heart to heart?

ByteMe: Let’s not get carried away, I wouldn’t want to impose

ByteMe: Do you know why comms are down?

Mason, E, LT 2nd: All non essentials are offline.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: Life support and power is about all we have while the data monkeys do their thing

ByteMe: With the AI? Something’s wrong with it, isn’t it?

Mason, E, LT 2nd: probably shouldn’t be talking about it. We could both meet some serious grief.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: Like, imagine “serious” written in 40 foot high letters, set on fire with dancing girls all around it and you’re there

ByteMe: I think we are eyeball to eyeball with some serious grief already. Are you ok?

Mason, E, LT 2nd: … Why wouldn’t I be ok?

ByteMe: The comms aren’t the only thing I jacked. I saw your court martial records

Mason, E, LT 2nd: Are you dusted? That’s classified UTA intel and we’re in wartime. They can charge you with espionage if they catch u

ByteMe: you know, I hadn’t considered I’d get in trouble if I got caught. Thanks Ez.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: Kady, I’m not talking about a slap on the wrist I’m talking about them LINING YOU UP AGAINST A BULKHEAD AND SHOOTING YOU

ByteMe: There’s no way they’ll catch me.

ByteMe: Trust me

ByteMe: I saw what you said to them. That was … unexpected.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: how so

ByteMe: You do not have a long history of telling the man to go fuck himself.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: Could’ve thrown me in the hole for that. Kinda stupid, right?

ByteMe: My kind of idiocy.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: …

Mason, E, LT 2nd: maybe I should do it more often then?

ByteMe: Once is enough for now. You’re no use to anyone in the hole. Not even sure what that is but I am taking some nasty guesses.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: solitary. Water and dehydrate grub. Occasional visits from a big hairy guy called “Raoul.”

Mason, E, LT 2nd: I might be exaggerating about the Raoul part

Mason, E, LT 2nd: He’s not all that hairy

ByteMe: I saw what you said about your dad, too. I saw his name on the casualty lists after the evac.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: Oh.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: Right.

ByteMe: I’m so sorry, Ezra.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: It’s not ur fault. You got nothing to be sorry for

Mason, E, LT 2nd: how’s your mom doing over there anyway? Tell her I said hi

ByteMe: How long’s AIDAN been down? Since the Copernicus was destroyed?

Mason, E, LT 2nd: Um.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: I shouldn’t have told u that. I’m not even supposed to know. Don’t say anything, alright? people could get rolled.

ByteMe: Not planning on broadcasting this conversation. They’re lying to us tho, you know it. We should just sit here and wait to see what happens next? How’d that turn out for the Copernicus?

Mason, E, LT 2nd: There’s no danger to you guys. Nobody’s sick on Hypatia, right?

ByteMe: What’s sick got to do with it?

Mason, E, LT 2nd: If nobody’s sick, then nothing at all. Dun worry about it.

ByteMe: So because we’re safe over here we should just swallow whatever lies they want to feed us? Nobody here is saying AIDAN is down. They’re pretending the Lincoln is out there and we still have comms, but we have to stay silent to avoid detection. You want to tell me that’s true? Saw a great big BeiTech dreadnought when you were out by the Copernicus?

Mason, E, LT 2nd: they’re just trying to avoid a panic, Kades

ByteMe: I for one am not feeling super calm.