Mikael Carlin, 2nd Lieutenant, Alexander

Date: 07/30/75

Timestamp: 12:23 (16 minutes later)

Boll, S, Capt: Lieutenant Carlin, this is Captain Syra Boll of the WUC Hypatia. Over.

Carlin, M, 2nd Lt: Captain, I read you, what—

Boll, S, Capt: Lieutenant, the Alexander Cyclone group will proceed to Hypatia Landing Bay Two. All shuttles will land in Bay Three. We’ll tow your pods there, too. Acknowledge?

Carlin, M, 2nd Lt: Thank god. Roger that. Bays Two and Three. Thank you, Cap—

Boll, S, Capt: Lieutenant, I’m sorry, but you and your group will be placed in quarantine.

Carlin, M, 2nd Lt: Quarantine?

Boll, S, Capt: Affirmative. You will not be permitted to leave Hypatia’s hangar bays.

Carlin, M, 2nd Lt: But we have wounded! I have friends on those shuttles, and they’re hurt!

Boll, S, Capt: I understand, Lieutenant. Your wounded will be treated by Hypatia medical personnel in full hazmat gear, accompanied by Hypatia security forces. But I CANNOT allow them to leave the hangar bays. I’m sorry. I can’t take the risk you’ll spread the infection to Hypatia personnel until the quarantine period is complete.

Carlin, M, 2nd Lt: Right. Right, I get it. I understand. Acknowledged. But we need to get the hell away from the Alexander. The AI has—

Boll, S, Capt: Furthermore, I must request all Alexander military personnel relinquish their sidearms and other munitions upon arrival. The power cores of your Cylones will be deactivated and their weapons disarmed.

Carlin, M, 2nd Lt: Captain, we’re on the same side here …

Boll, S, Capt: Lieutenant, I apologize, but these terms are not negotiable. Furthermore, you will report any outbreak of the Shakes or other Phobos-like symptoms among your people immediately.

Carlin, M, 2nd Lt: What? Why?

Boll, S, Capt: Lieutenant, I take it you’re a Kerenza conscript?

Carlin, M, 2nd Lt: Yes, ma’am. I used to fly loaders at the spaceport, if you believe that.

Boll, S, Capt: Lieutenant, if one of your people has contracted the virus, we need to get them separated from the rest of you before the infection spreads. Is this understood?

Carlin, M, 2nd Lt: But what ab—

Boll, S, Capt: Lieutenant! I am NOT playing fucking games here! We’re talking about the lives of thousands of people. Non-compliance with these orders or any attempt to impede my staff will be interpreted as a hostile act. Do you acknowledge, Lieutenant?

Boll, S, Capt: Lieutenant Carlin! Acknowledge!

Carlin, M, 2nd Lt: … Acknowledged, Hypatia.

Boll, S, Capt: When you land, power down your ships, toss your sidearms from your portside and exit your cockpits on starboard. Then await further instructions. Over.

Carlin, M, 2nd Lt: Okay. I mean … roger. Sorry. Christ … it’s just …

Carlin, M, 2nd Lt: It’s just that I knew some of … some of them …

Boll, S, Capt: It’s all right, Lieutenant. It’s going to be okay. We want to help you.

Carlin, M, 2nd Lt: Okay … Yeah, okay.

Carlin, M, 2nd Lt: Hey, Captain?

Boll, S, Capt: Yes, Lieutenant?

Carlin, M, 2nd Lt: Thanks.

Boll, S, Capt: Don’t thank me yet, Lieutenant. We’re a long way from Heimdall.

Boll, S, Capt: Hypatia out.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: so i have good news and bad news

Mason, E, LT 2nd: oh, and worse news

ByteMe: go

Mason, E, LT 2nd: good news is we found some hazmat suits and didn’t get fucking murdered by a roaming pack of psychotics armed with fire axes and lead pipes

Mason, E, LT 2nd: which i guess is excellent news, now i think about it

ByteMe: best all day, keep talking, don’t waste time.

ByteMe: tho i’m glad you’re alive <3

Mason, E, LT 2nd: me too :P

ByteMe: and the bad news?

Mason, E, LT 2nd: bad news is we made it to some escape pods

ByteMe: … wait how is that bad news?

Mason, E, LT 2nd: coz every single one we’ve found has been dead. no override. the AI must have freaked out when people started abandoning ship. It’s disabled all the pods.

ByteMe: shit

Mason, E, LT 2nd: yyyyyyep

ByteMe: okay so what’s the worse news?

Mason, E, LT 2nd: i really need to use the little cyclone pilot’s room.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: and there’s no zipper on this fucking suit

ByteMe: >_>

ByteMe: are u somewhere secure for now? do you have a power source for the hand unit?

Mason, E, LT 2nd: yeah, juicing it through the wall socket. but power is intermittent. one minute we got lights, next we in pitch black. gravity keeps dropping in and out too.

ByteMe: look at you, using big words like intermittent. did the army teach you that?

Mason, E, LT 2nd: you wound me, madam

ByteMe: :P

Mason, E, LT 2nd: can’t stay in one place long. have to keep moving or else they find us.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: when we were crawling through the vents, i saw this little girl roaming the corridor below us. dragging something wet along the floor behind her

Mason, E, LT 2nd: at first i thought it was a teddybear or something. and then i realize its a heart.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: like, she’s dragging around a fucking human heart

Mason, E, LT 2nd: and all of a sudden she looks up at the vent. like RIGHT AT ME. and she just starts screaming at the top of her lungs

Mason, E, LT 2nd: don’t look at me

Mason, E, LT 2nd: don’t look at me

Mason, E, LT 2nd: FUCKED up

ByteMe: yes. yes it is.

ByteMe: u should probably not look at her