Chapter Text
Personal Message Recording System
No. 4892
Entry 105
The day has finally come. In just a few hours we will leave the Garrison and earth and be on our way. I don't have hight hopes to really find anything – I never had, despite everyone thinking I did.
It just wouldn't be logical.
If the shuttle vanished than we won't find it.
If it crashed there is nothing to find either.
To find a crew that vanished almost a year ago without even knowing were to look for them first is just too much of a gamble.
Of course I want to see your smile again...
[silent groan]
I know that I am telling myself all this to push away this small flame of hope that is still flickering inside me. As much as I try to make it go away, to reason with myself and just face the harsh reality... I just can't.
There is no way that there is a world without you...
You know... The day I got the news that you vanished... The day I lost you for good... It was like hearing every goodbye that was ever said to me all at once.
And you know, Takashi, the saddest part is, that I never even got the chance to tell you myself.
OperationHydra Mission Log
Captain Caroline Peterson
Mission Log Entry 85
Outer Space – Day 1
After almost two years at the Garrison and two months of intensive training, launch was a piece of cake for the three of us. It wasn't any different from the simulator. Maybe a little louder but overall it was very peaceful. Andy and [Y/N] were very calm which calmed my nerves a lot.
I was very nervous as all the responsibility lies on my shoulders. The pressure I feel comes from the higher-ups, not from them. They would not even think about it for a second.
The ceremony to see us off was... a little embarrassing. General Iverson gave another corny speech that reminded me of some propaganda, but I just stood there and tried not to laugh. I know, I should be proud and whatnot – especially so because I am here at the Garrison which is a military academy and base. Yet I never got a hang of these structures and bootlicking.
[laughs]
Yes.
Yes I said it.
[hums]
It is so strange... After all those years of dreaming and training I am finally here in space. I am on my way to the farthest a human has ever been. We could die out here if we make one false move.
Still, I feel nothing but calmness in my mind. I haven't felt this calm since... Hm... I can't even remember...
And finally, the strange feeling vanished as soon as we reached the atmosphere.
I am now pretty sure that everything will be alright. For all of us.
Mission Log Entry 90
Outer Space – Day 5
We've only been out here for 5 days and already I can tell that it is going to be harder than I could've ever imagined. Of course we learned about problems that could arise from living so close together for a longsome time yet experiencing it first-hand is something else entirely.
And its nobodies fault!
I can only speak for myself when I say that I get irritated easier each day if some things don't go my way. This is wrong and I know it. That's why Andy brought forward to implement meditation into our daily routines and set times when we have to be in separate parts of the shuttle.
I am very keen to try it out, so I hope for the best.
Mission Log Entry 92
Outer Space – Day 7
So far Andy's strategies seem to work. Or at least they don't do any harm. It is very relaxing to meditate for a little while in between our tasks. Because – of course – we've got a ton of them.
We were instructed to collect different asteroid-samples and to measure gravitation and temperatures. We weren't really told for what but we also couldn't refuse.
[Y/N] was very interested in our findings. If I had to guess I'd say she's mostly happy to have something to do that keeps her mind distracted. Despite her smile I know she's only pretending.
I can hear her cry at night.
There is a saying : When there's a will, there's a way.
And yet another: Be careful what you wish for.
Both entail that we as humans have the strength to keep going not matter what. Still, not everyone possesses these traits. In fact, they are as rare as gold or platinum.
And yet, we humans hold the hubris to believe that we are all special and chosen for something else. Something bigger.
It's in those moments when we lose everything, our own pride no longer sustaining us, that marks the moment of your awakening.
Or your downfall.
OperationHydra Mission Log
Captain Caroline Peterson
Mission Log Entry 99
Outer Space – Day 14
This morning [Y/N] had something interesting to tell us over breakfast. She did not go to sleep with us as she was still going through some of yesterday's findings when an unusual reading popped up on her screen. She showed them to us but both Andy and myself were at a loss. When it came to reading simple graphs I had no problem to read them, but she combined a dozen different sets of data into one, merging it into a very complex design.
As she realized that we had no idea what we were looking at, she immediately apologized and talked us through it. Honestly, I can't remember a lot of it simply because I have no idea what she was talking about. And I know I should be ashamed to not know half as much as she did, as I am the captain... But the bottom line was that she found traces of other life-forms out here which are moving faster than we did in our shuttle. And she was not talking about some bacteria.
“That's not possible.”, Andy replied, his voice shaking with fear.
The prospect of something else being out here which could hunt us down and we had no way of escaping... I felt the fear creep up too.
[Y/N] was silent for a long time after Andy's outburst before she looked at us with a sincere look on her face, washing all her pain and fatigue away, her voice sending chills down my spine.
“What if they were responsible for the Kerberos-Mission to fail?”
MissionHydra
Communication Log
Peterson: What do you mean, the readings are off the chart?
[L/N]: As I said it. There is nothing known to us that moves with this speed and produces such big gravitational shifts.
Peterson: So what does it mean then?
McGriever: Don't tell me again it's aliens. If there really were intelligent life-forms we would've discovered them by now.
[L/N]: I... I don't know. All I am saying is that we have a lot of readings I cannot place into anything we know. Wether it's aliens or a meteor-shower or just some good old debris... I don't know. I haven't seen anything other than my computer-readings so far.
Peterson: So what do you suggest that we're doing?
[L/N]: I have no idea. As long as we don't see anything I would say that we continue the mission as planned. If we find anything in closer proximity we'd have to return to earth.
Peterson: You would give up this whole mission for a few strange readings?! Maybe our instruments are just broken?
[L/N]: Of course that's a possibility... I will check them and have them running on full capacity by tomorrow.
McGriever: Guys..?
Peterson: That would be very advisable. We will discuss this further tomorrow after a full nights rest.
McGriever: I am sorry to interrupt but...
[L/N]: Yes... Captain.
McGriever: GUYS! How do I know what closer proximityis if you just talk over me?!
Peterson: What do you mean?
[L/N]: Oh no...
Peterson: What is it? Another spike on your readings? I told you, we will see if the instruments-
McGriever: Caroline, that will not be necessary...
Peterson: What... What is this?
McGriever: It looks like a... Flat iron?
[L/N]: It's a ship... It's a space-ship.
Peterson: Wait... What does that mean?
[L/N]: It means that they have found us.
Garrison Military Base
Post-hearing memorandum of cadet No. 4892
[Y/N][L/N]
on the topic of
The disappearance of Operation Hydra Crew-members Caroline Peterson and Andrew McGriever and the failure of said rescue mission
Cadet No. 4892 [Y/N][L/N] was appointed as engineer and scientist for the Hydra rescue-mission as of the Memorandum for Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Garrison Military Base dated 14thMarch 20xx. Her duties consisted of repairing the engines as well as evaluate the data which was gathered throughout the mission.
Furthermore she was instructed to continue the research started by Professor Holt who was aboard the Kerberos-Mission and to rescue the crew members – if alive, or retrieve their bodies – if deceised – and gather the gear that was lost.
According to her did everything go according to plan up until day 15 of the mission when a sudden complication occurred in the main engines which caused them to overheat. Despite her warnings did Captain Peterson refuse to turn around and head back to earth immediately.
The situation got worse when the air-lock became unstable.
On captains orders did cadet No. 4892 and Co-Pilot McGriever go outside to start external emergency-repairs on the engines and the air-lock while Captain Peterson started to turn the shuttle around.
Cadet No. 4892 reported that the emergency-measures where not fast enough and did not provided as much overall stability as was necessary in such a situation.
This was seen as critique against military measures.
The science-department on the other hand backed that up by the data cadet No. 4892 provided. Her report concluded with the evacuation of the shuttle after the emergency-measures were not sufficient but only caused the main-engines to overheat even more. The cause for this could only be guessed. Cadet No. 4892 voiced the suspicion that it might be a bug in the programming which might have also played a role in the Kerberos-Mission's failure.
The final – and most pondering – question was posed by General Iverson who wanted to know why cadet No. 4892 was the only one who returned to earth in an escape-pod which was clearly made for up to six people. Her silence was noticed by the whole auditorium as a sign if regret and shame.
She answered honestly that she had only acted according to Captain Peterson's orders who instructed her to return home.
Cadet No. 4892 then started to cry – as is expected after such traumatic events – as she continued to talk about the circumstances aboard the shuttle. By the time she and Co-Pilot McGriever were back inside it was clear that the ship had to be abandoned in order to safe their lives. Captain Peterson ordered her two subordinates to leave the ship and her at once. For reasons cadet No. 4892 did not understand, Co-Pilot McGriever decided to stay as well.
As she protested and refused to leave her comrades (“friends” as she called them) she was knocked unconscious and placed in the pod which returned to the base according to his programming.
After this final statement the hearing was concluded with the following verdict:
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Cadet No. 4892 did everything she was instructed and ordered to her best capability.
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Despite the desperate circumstances the crew found themselves in, cadet No. 4892 did everything possible to secure the lives of her comrades and secure the mission.
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Therefore she will be awarded with a medal of honour after she had completed a rehabilitation to work through the loss of her comrades under the most dire circumstances.
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There will no mission succeeding Operation Kerberos and Operation Hydra in the near future.
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The search for any crew-members lost in space is discontinued for the time being.