The woman, too.

I can’t do this. I can’t pretend this is what I signed up for. I brought them back, just like I was told. Both Hypatia commtechs, delivered to General Torrence, hog-tied and just a little bloodied for their troubles. I did what a good soldier is supposed to do. But now I’m done.

Lock me in the hole. Fuck, space me. I don’t care anymore. I’ll keep your secrets. Shut my mouth. But I can’t shut my eyes.

I am hereby formerly resigning my commission as a Lieutenant of the United Terran Authority, effective immediately.

I’m sorry.

I just can’t do this anymore.

Winifred McCall

Former 1st Lieutenant

UTA Marine Division

Battlecarrier Alexander

Mason, E, LT 2nd: dorian

Mason, E, LT 2nd: DOOOORRRRIIIAAAAAANNNNNN

Dorian, C, Corp: Go away, Mason

Mason, E, LT 2nd: I’ll be quick

Mason, E, LT 2nd: Rumors you may have heard to that effect are all lies, btw

Mason, E, LT 2nd: *crickets*

Mason, E, LT 2nd: You heard anything on Jimmy?

Dorian, C, Corp: Mason I have more important things on my mind than James right now.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: chum, our friend is still stuck in that airlock, don’t you think we should find out if command are at least gonna TRY to get him out?

Dorian, C, Corp: Mason, the personnel aboard this ship dont’ amount to a bucket of shit as far as Torrence and his officers are concerned. WAKE UP.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: dorian, that’s the first time I’ve ever seen you swear. Or botch an apostrophe for that matter

Mason, E, LT 2nd: like, EVER

Mason, E, LT 2nd: u ok?

Dorian, C, Corp: No. I am not. A friend of mine just got locked in the hole.

Dorian, C, Corp: Stephanie LeFevre. She’s a commtech.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: ya I know Steph. Chill fem. Smart. What’d they brig her for?

Dorian, C, Corp: Aiding and abetting the enemy. They have records of her log-in being used to access memory files out of AIDAN. Details about the Copernicus attack, Kerenza refugee files, things like that. They say she gave the gen to Hypatia command about AIDAN.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: shit. that was … not so smart

Dorian, C, Corp: Except she didn’t do it.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: how u so sure?

Dorian, C, Corp: Because she was with me at the time, Mason.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: like

Mason, E, LT 2nd: “with you” in a biblical sense?

Dorian, C, Corp: Yes, Mason. “Biblically.”

Mason, E, LT 2nd: holy SHIT, little Charlie D with ALL THE MOVES!!!

Mason, E, LT 2nd: chum no offence but I had you picked as a Neo-Abstinent, dead cert’

Dorian, C, Corp: My god, you’re an infant.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: chum, I’m HAPPY for you. Steph is a queen

Dorian, C, Corp: Yes, well, my “queen” is now locked in SOLITARY for WARTIME ESPIONAGE, Mason. Awaiting court martial. And a possible firing squad.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: right. fuck

Dorian, C, Corp: Three quarters of TechEng are now on some kind of “watch list” for suspicious behavior. Torrence has completely lost the plot. He’s had two commtechs dragged over from Hypatia. Set them up on the bridge so he could “keep an eye on them.” The pair of them literally have bruisers with guns looming over them while they work.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: and there’s no way steph could have logged in to access the info?

Dorian, C, Corp: I think I’d have noticed. Give me some credit, please.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: so just tell command she was with you. Case closed.

Dorian, C, Corp: Yes, brilliant. Because Private LeFevre engaging in intimate relations with her reporting Corporal is so much better.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: chum, it’s better than being shot for espionage

Dorian, C, Corp: It’s still a court-martialing offense. And the way Torrence is acting lately, he might just have us both shot. He’ll brig me at the very least, that much is certain.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: chum, you have to tell them

Dorian, C, Corp: GOD IN HEAVEN, I ALREADY SENT THE EMAIL TO MY C.O.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: oh

Mason, E, LT 2nd: well. Good for u, chum. Proud of you

Dorian, C, Corp: Oh, shut up.

Dorian, C, Corp: All this means is two more people in the hole. Two more people not working on us not all getting killed when the Lincoln arrives

Mason, E, LT 2nd: double negative, wow, u really upset

Dorian, C, Corp: And of course, there actually IS someone hacking into AIDAN and accessing classified files. Locking Stephanie and I in the hole won’t change that at all.

Dorian, C, Corp: I swear, the people in command are drooling simpletons. Why on earth would Stephanie be accessing Kerenza refugee files?

Mason, E, LT 2nd: wait this hacker was accessing kerenza refugee files?

Dorian, C, Corp: Yes, Mason, I believe I said that already. Twice.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: shit

Dorian, C, Corp: Mason, do you remember when I said you were smarter than you look?

Dorian, C, Corp: Well, I’m officially taking it back. You’re slower than German opera.

Dorian, C, Corp: Mason.

Dorian, C, Corp: … Mason?

Mason, E, LT 2nd: Please tell me this wasn’t you

ByteMe: ??? u ok?

Mason, E, LT 2nd: This hacker who broke into AIDAN’s memory and told Hypatia command about Copernicus.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: Tell me it wasn’t you, Kady.

ByteMe: they don’t even know I can hack. Otherwise I’d have been brutalized and hauled over to the Alexander like the others

Mason, E, LT 2nd: jesus, it was you