Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“This week on Buzzfeed Unsolved, we discuss one of the most famous disappearance cases in recent history: the case of the missing NASA Galaxy Garrison cadets. Its fame is due to the mysterious circumstances under which it happened and — its possible connection to another famous disappearance.”

If his facial expression wasn’t enough, the delighted noise he emitted was enough evidence that Shane was intrigued. “Ooh — I remember this. It was all everyone was talking about until it just died out.”

“It’s definitely interesting.” Ryan drummed his fingers onto the folder. “Most have labelled it as an incredible cover up by the Garrison organization; others have sighted….different explanations. Either way; it was highly publicized and two years later — people are still wondering what could have happened.”

“But a mystery within a mystery? Oh boy,” his co-host leaned back into his chair. “Let’s hear it.”

Ryan eyed him for a good moment. “You…you look way too excited about this. You do know that there’s the possibility that something horrible happened to these kids, right?"

“Oh, I’m not excited —especially not about that. There are just some things about this case that I’ve actually heard about. I just wanna see what you got for us.” Shane defended himself. “I just hope that, given the fact that this involves an organization that does space-exploration stuff, there’s no funny hoo-ha about aliens.”

“Funny —” Ryan said, before wheezing a laugh. “Oh god, let’s just get into it.”

“Okay.”

And with that, the video transitioned with Ryan’s narration playing in the background. Three images appeared on the screen to illustrate his words, all above an animated timeline: The first depicted the picture of a young boy, dressed in a green, hoodie jacket over a blue shirt with a grin on his lips. The second showed another young boy — his lips were tilted in a small smile as he stared at the camera. There was a strip of cloth tied around his forehead, seemingly to keep the hair out of his face, yet some fell to frame his face. The last to appear, was a picture of a young child. Their hair was short and disheveled, and they donned thin, wire-framed glasses.

“In early June 2016 — located in Arizona, the NASA Galaxy Garrison Academy experienced a complete lockdown due to the impact of a comet in the nearby desert. After checking the presence of every student in each faculty, three fighter pilots trainees and Garrison cadets were discovered missing. They were: Lance McClain — seventeen years old, Hunk Garrett — seventeen years old, and Pidge Gunderson — sixteen years old.”

this was in Arizona right? a bunch of weird shit always happens in Arizona

yeah, there’s always some appearances of ghosts, ufo’s happen like night and day over there – actually the Phoenix Lights happened in Arizona

Arizona’s weird. like, no disrespect to people that live in Arizona, but — it’s fucking weird. not Florida weird but—

(wheeze) yeah Florida’s pretty weird alright. you have to be extremely batshit crazy to beat Florida

yep

“According to the official report; The three cadets were last seen to be leaving with another person on a red hover-bike — and were subsequently chased by the Garrison security officials. They eventually lost sight of them when they escaped into the desert —and they were also picked up by surveillance stationed fifty miles in the dessert. However, after that, they were never seen again.”

wait wait wait

so there’s like…four people in this? how did they just get on a hover-bike and just leave? who just goes with a complete stranger into the desert?

who said that it was a stranger?

well did they know him? does anybody know who that person was?

well, I’m gonna get into that

“The person identified to have been the driver of the hover-bike is eighteen year old Keith Kogane — a former, top Garrison Academy student who was expelled due to a violent incident.”

how…how violent are we talking?

oh, it’s nothing — like — horrible. I’ll get into it later, but the reason for his expulsion was actually kind of funny and…kind of sad at the same time?

hmm interesting

“The morning after their disappearance, Garrison Security officials combed the desert and came upon a small shack. The described red hover-bike was parked outside the hovel, and when officials searched; they found nothing except a conspiracy-type board tacked on with pictures, and other numerous papers containing information concerning the Garrison and Kogane’s handwriting. All of this confirms that that was Kogane’s residence. However, there was absolutely no sign of the other Garrison cadets.”

so we have a kid who’s practically a hermit, seems to be interested in conspiracies – frankly this guy reminds me of what you could be in another universe

I’d be a conspiracy-loving hermit living in the desert?

absolutely. you’re not that far off actually

also how the fuck did this even happen? isn’t this a heavily guarded, government training school? how’d they let four teenagers get away?

actually, there’s a possibility that he may have been planning this for a while

oooooh

“Just two days before the disappearance, an unidentifiable figure was spotted past the Garrison’s marked off boundaries. According to Tyler S. Labine — a high-ranking Garrison Security officer, quote; “They seemed to be analyzing and scoping out the area. Numerous times, they kept watching the sky with a device, and making notes. Just when I was about to report it to my commander, they sped off on a red hover-bike. I just thought it was another person interested in the Academy, so I didn’t bother.”  End-quote. This figure, is believed by the Garrison to have been Kogane.”

so….you see someone watching the area. they have some sort of looking device — binoculars?

it wasn’t a binoculars, or a telescope. he couldn’t identify what it was

whatever. but you have a guy like that….acting completely suspicious…and you don’t report it?

I know right? you see a shady person doing shady shit near a government facility — fucking report it

we’ve only just gotten into this and I’ve already come to the conclusion that the security for this place is horrible

“Jump to after the crash; multiple explosives were discharged near the Garrison’s impromptu base designated to analyzing and investigate the comet. Multiple guards went to check out the source of the explosions, when Kogane is seen on released video footage attacking and knocking out the remaining guards stationed at the base before entering it. Three figures — identified to be the missing cadets also enter the tent. While there’s no video showcasing this, all four individuals are said to have exited before boarding the hover-bike and disappearing into the desert.”

The video brings Shane into view, who gains a confused and skeptical expression on his face. After noticing the silence that comes from his co-host, Ryan promptly raises a questioning eyebrow.

“Did the surveillance camera suddenly stop working? Why doesn't it show them leaving the tent?”

“That’s the same question I asked. Also — the video that apparently shows them in the desert? It’s not released to the public either.”

The man makes a discontented noise, and Ryan’s lips tilt into a grin. “Is there something wrong, Shane?”

His eyes are focused onto nothing, but his pen rapidly raps against the table’s edge. “Something stinks, Ryan.”

“Are you casting suspicion onto a reputable, high-class government facility?” His tone was of obvious mock-surprise, “Are you now looking at them with suspicious lens?” At Shane’s quick affirmative murmur, Ryan continues. “Well, that’s fair. You’d be right to do that.”

“It’s a little bit suspect for the cameras to just up and not show footage. And then they just don’t show the public what happened.”

“I mean — I hear you man. Like I’ve said before: If that’s where your detective brain is currently leading you; maybe you should follow the instinct.”

“The Garrison’s Official report concludes that the sole reason for the three missing cadets lies with Kogane. Commander M. Iverson notes quote; “Due to the multiple issues of disciplinary means, and the evidence gathered during and after the incident, Keith A. Kogane is definitely a person of interest, as well as a possible suspect.” End-quote. And while he, and the majority of the Galaxy Garrison commanders stand by this – other Garrison officials and students say something different.”  

The screen switched to black — a single picture materializing, depicting a woman, the top half of her face concealed, as Ryan continues his voice over. “Kimberly D. Brooks — a Garrison commander has stated quote; “The report says that only four individuals left that investigating station. That report is filled with lies. Five people exited that station that day.” End-quote. Lieutenant Commander J. Shada, head of the Montgomery faculty said quote; “I don’t know for what reason they’re lying about how many people went missing, but five people disappeared from the Garrison’s clutches. Five people are currently missing.” End-quote. It should be noted that after these statements were said, both officials were subsequently released from their jobs.”

whoa what?! that’s weird!

“oh yeah, nobody will suspect anything if we just suddenly fire two commanding officers who say different things from what we’ve released to the public. it’ll all be fine”

…are those people — are they like, alive?

hahaha — oh my god—

no, cause if they said something like that — this is the government, Ryan. what if they murked them for saying that?

I can assure you that they did not murder them. they’re both currently residing in…California I think.

oh good

“But if five people were noted to have left the Garrison that day; who was the fifth person? And why would the Garrison want to cover up this fact? The answer truly lies in who the reported person is. Someone, who wished to be unidentified, told the Washington Post quote; “The reason the Garrison are so hush-hush about the incident is because they know they’re lying. Five people exited that tent, and the fifth is Takashi Shirogane.” End-quote.”

wait what? the garrison pilot from that one space expedition thing? didn’t he die with his crew?

remember when I said the cadets’ disappearance is probably connected to another case?

this is that case

The timeline appeared again, this time showcasing three pictures of men in Galaxy Garrison uniforms. “Takashi Shirogane — a renowned Garrison pilot, manned the 2015 Kerberos Expedition along with Samuel Holt — Science Officer, and Matthew Holt — a Junior Science Officer. This mission was only set to last six months, test samples of the planet’s surface and core, and then return home. However, according to the official report given by the Galaxy Garrison, the ship apparently crashed during its descent to Kerberos due to the pilot error of Shirogane.”

The graphics changed, transitioning to a single picture of Shiro. “However, there are numerous questionable things with this report — mostly with the person being blamed. Shirogane was a well-known and incredibly experienced pilot — he had completed numerous missions of this caliber, not to mention that he was well-practiced for this specific mission. Upon the release of Shirogane’s ‘pilot error’, the Garrison community were incensed at the report, and many were incredibly skeptical at the very idea that he would make such a tremendous error that would result in the deaths of everyone.”

“To additionally add to the skepticism of many; besides the initial take-off, the Galaxy Garrison has never released the back and forth audio and video transmissions of the mission. Photos that the ship would have taken as corresponding mission evidence; were also not released to the public.

this man is clearly experienced. he — he knows his shit, everyone has said so. so for him of all people to just have a tragic pilot error? I don’t buy it

I mean — pilot error can be plausible here. maybe he couldn’t stabilize the ship while landing….how long were they travelling for again?

the mission was six months, but they got there in three

maybe his mind got a bit wonky. I know mine would be while being stuck in a tin can for three months.

yeah but you’re not a trained, fighter pilot who’s trained how many years for this sort of thing. you’re just Shane Madej

hmmm

at least agree with me that them hiding all of the information is weird.

yeah i’ll agree with you on that. I don’t know what happened to those pilots, but this academy — I’m seeing a pattern of  constantly hiding things from the public

“Many have posited that this report was just the Garrison’s way of covering up the actual reason for the Kerberos crew’s disappearances. But even if they did cover it up — and even if the fifth person on that suspicious evening in June was Takashi Shirogane, what connection do those teenagers have to him? The answer: a big one.”

It shifts to a picture of Keith Kogane, as Ryan’s voice narrates. “While Lance McClain and Hunk Garett don’t have any connection to the pilot, the other two teenagers do. Shirogane, according to reports, was the adoptive guardian of Keith Kogane. Kogane’s father sadly passed away while he was eight years old. However, even with the report that Shirogane had died during the mission, Kogane had never believed it — strongly believing that he was still alive. Additionally, he was also so upset at the slander of Shirogane that he physically assaulted Commander M. Iverson – the commander who announced the tragic news, and was subsequently expelled.”

ahahahaha — (wheeze) did he really?

yeah, he punched him in the face

(wheeze)

oh god, I shouldn’t be laughing because it is a pretty tragic situation.

yeah,  this kid’s probably not in a great place at the time. lost his dad, then his mentor went missing…

i just — (wheeze) is that why he only had one eye open in that photo you showed me?

oh. oh shit, i didn’t even notice that — (wheeze)

look — if the Garrison was completely lying about everything, then he totally deserved that punch to the face.

“Additionally, an interesting connection was made by online forums —"

ugh, you gotta stay off those forums man

“– concerning Pidge Gunderson in the early stages of the investigation. Many noted the eerie resemblance that they held to Matthew Holt – Shirogane’s Junior Science Officer. The Garrison and many others initially dismissed the claims, but Holt’s mother — Dr. Colleen Holt, came forward to announce that Pidge Gunderson was actually her daughter: Katie Holt — who was actually fifteen years old.

what is going on Ryan? how did she even — a fifteen — what??

don’t worry, I’ll explain

A picture of Pidge’s past look while going by “Katie” appeared on screen – it’s remarkably different: Her hair is much longer, and she’s wearing a lilac dress. Ryan continues, “Upon hearing the released report of the deaths of her brother, and her father, Katie also refused to believe it. She somehow snuck into the Galaxy Garrison multiple times while trying to find out more information about the crash."

she snuck past a highly guarded military training school? she hacked into the Garrison database??

this kid was incredibly smart. what the hell were you doing at fifteen?

 ....i don't remember everything about high school , but i vaguely remember being surrounded by a lot of pumpkins 

....what?

w-why were you doing around pumpkins?

i don't know! i was just around a lot of pumpkins!

 what do you have to be doing to be around pumpkins of all things?!

i can't remember, Ryan! high school was a crazy time for me and i'm sure everyone

it wasn't weird for me

eh whatever — let's get back to it

.....you're a weird dude

"She was eventually publicly kicked out and banned, but she never stayed silent as she condemned the academy for covering up the true reason the Kerberos pilots were gone. She noted quote; “The Garrison knows more than they say.  Takashi Shirogane would never succumb to a simple pilot error. The Garrison even refuses to say what exactly that pilot error is. They refuse to release the transmissions. Whatever happened out there, they’re trying to pin it on someone who doesn’t deserve it….My family’s not dead. And until the day I die, or until I find them, I will never stop searching for the truth.” End-quote. After that, she changed her entire appearance and hacked into the Garrison database to enroll herself into the academy as Galaxy Garrison student Pidge Gunderson - a sixteen year old boy." 

this kid was something holy shit

i know right? this kid is the type to only exist in action movies and gravity falls-esque tv shows

she's fucking badass 

god, i was just reminded of the fact that she went missing with those other kids. i don’t want to think about the fact that she did stop searching for the truth

….because she might be dead?

yeah

that poor woman — her husband and her two children are missing and…possibly dead. this entire story is awful. i hate all of this, Ryan.

“But even though there’s an actual connection between two of the missing teenagers and Takashi Shirogane, there’s no video-graphic or photographic evidence placing him at the Garrison crash site or anywhere in the dessert. There's still the mystery of what exactly happened to the Garrison cadets. So let’s get into the theories.”

The video transitioned to a title screen: Theory #1

"The first Theory, is essentially the official story given by the Galaxy Garrison: The three cadets unwillingly left with Keith Kogane on his hover-bike, and subsequently disappeared into the desert. From there, he either murdered them, or simply just abducted them to transport them to a secondary location. Some teachers who knew Kogane said he was prone to outbursts, Commander M. Iverson even said that he was quote; "An overwhelming basket-case of disciplinary issues." End-quote. Another Garrison student, James Griffin, noted that Kogane was incredibly hard-headed and at one point, had punched him in the face after saying something incredibly small."

hey, whoa whoa. just because he punched a couple of faces doesn't mean that he's capable of murder

i don't believe that he murdered them either

because really, whose to say that that other kid didn't say something completely horrible?

exactly. that Iverson guy blamed the whole crash onto his mentor/brother - of course he's gonna punch him in the face

what if that kid said something about his dead parents and brother figure?

i don't know why, i just feel like that Iverson dude is pining this on him simply because he doesn't like the kid.

and because it's the easy way out

"However, this theory does have some tiny facts that can correspond to it. Garett — according to his mother, was said to be quote; "a careful child. He would never willingly go straight into danger unless it was important, if he was forced to or — Lance was going to be with him...." End-quote. In addition to that, according to numerous students — Lance McClain reportedly had an intense dislike towards Kogane before his expulsion. If this is true, then it would be hard to believe that the seventeen year old would willingly go anywhere with Kogane."

man everybody has an issue with this kid!

i know right?

i just - when you say 'intense dislike' ....?  

 according to the Garrison students, it was the basic dislike founded on nothing.

(wheeze) every time Kogane just breathed in, McClain just told him to shut the fuck up

ahahahahahaha

 his friend just asks him why he's so upset

"w-what did he do?" "he's just — he's just existing — i hate it."

 "just look at him sitting there...mocking me."

hahahahahaha

"However, Shirogane's ex-fiance — Adam Wright noted that even though Kogane could be quote; "Loud and easy to anger, he could never be capable of such a thing." End-quote. Not to mention — there is absolutely nothing linking the cadets with Kogane after the crash and at his desert shack."

...maybe — (laughs)

maybe they went on a little desert walk

(wheeze) after all that, one of them just goes "hey, how's about we experience the beauty of the desert? forget the Garrison."

"stretch  the ol' bones a bit, that'll do us some good"

i don't know.

this theory is the least likely one to me, simply because i just don't think Kogane would intentionally take them anywhere

yeah i can see that  explanation

Kogane seems like the loner type — hell, he lives in the fucking desert surrounded by conspiracy boards

 i — heh — exactly.

if he's going for something important - why would he leave with three other people? that's three people he doesn't need connected to him. 

that's true

wait wait i just realized something that the official report doesn't even attempt to explain

why was Kogane even there in the first place?

....to...i dunno — maybe get some secret government information?

that officer did see someone watching like what — two days before the crash? what if that was him? and he planned that?

 ....i'm pretty sure that that was him two days before but—

are you saying that this kid — an eighteen year old, planned the crash of something to Earth that has been verified by NASA and the Garrison to have originated from space?

.....well okay - when you put it like that

okay, there's this crash that does indeed happen. there's released footage of him entering that tent, as well as those kids

there's no footage of them leaving that tent — if kogane did go there, and he did really leave, was there a check of anything he might've stolen?

Ryan...it's the government. this is a part of the government that deals with space

you really think that they're gonna say what exactly he took? what if it was some kind of super-weapon that they were working on

that's what i'm getting at

they're working on a super-weapon immediately after the crash of a comet? like right after? this organization is that fast?

.....i mean....sure? 

ahahahahaha

there's absolutely no reason for him to be there. those kids? you can say they just followed him in

but him? if he truly was going for information, the Garrison wouldn't have brought so much information in an impromptu analysis station  especially since he appeared a good , like - five minutes after. nobody's that fast

look, i don't know man

"Which brings us to Theory number two —" A change to a different title screen, this time, with Theory #2 on it. " — which is in my opinion, is complete horseshit."

(wheeze) i — hahahahaha

what? this theory is completely ridiculous! 

you just — oh god, just tell tell the theory

(laughs) okay okay

"This theory is believed by a small number, and notes that Kogane had nothing to do with the three teenagers disappearance at all. Instead, the three cadets were subsequently locked out of the academy after the comet crashed near the Garrison. From there, they essentially left to go find shelter somewhere else, only to disappear."

....that's it?

that's it

hahahahahaha  what?

i told you this theory is horseshit!

i just....okay so this theory is completely disregarding the official report

after everything you just heard, do you believe that bullshit?

i — hmph....

i don't know, they seem really eager to pin it all on this Kogane kid but i just don't buy it

me either 

"I mean, there's no released video evidence suggesting that he — or those three kids even left that station at all. All we have is the word and report of the Garrison." Ryan reminded him.

He points his red pen at him, "Right. But even if they were locked out and just...ran away, wouldn't they have returned to the Garrison eventually?"

"Not to mention —they're the fucking military. If one of their cadets goes missing, just like they did in the actual investigation, they'd go search for them."

"Right, no kids can hide that good. Especially if they're not even hiding from anyone and just want shelter."

"This theory is bullshit."

"I agree with your calling of bullshit."

The screen then changed to Theory #3, while Ryan narrated. "Which brings us to Theory three, in which the comet that crashed to earth wasn't a comet at all."

"No, no no no no no." Shane softly whispered, making Ryan snicker.

"What?"

"We were doing so well —please don't bring aliens into this."

"This one isn't about aliens, calm down." He rolled his eyes, an amused quirk to his lips.

"Oh, thank god."

"The comet was actually one of the return ships from the Kerberos mission, or another getaway aircraft, piloted by Takashi Shirogane. Due to the fact that someone who was declared dead suddenly dropped back to Earth, the Galaxy Garrison quickly set up an investigation station to either question him, or do other things."

other things?

what are you suggesting here?

these people think that they were possibly going to silence him

oh shit

right because they said he wasn't alive....if people do find out he's alive, that's gonna cause some issues

"However, Kogane - who is believed to have been observing the Garrison two days before the actual crash, set up a diversion to distract the Garrison officials and retrieve Shirogane. Based on the footage, McClain, Garrett and Holt entered the station after Kogane. However, following the words of those two ex-Garrison officials; they would have all exited along with Shirogane. Then all would have then escaped on Kogane's hover-bike - where they were chased by Garrison officials, and disappeared into the desert - never to be seen again. If Shirogane was there that evening, then that would explain why the Garrison refuses to show footage of the teenagers leaving the station, as well as in the desert. It would also prove the possibility of the Garrison covering up the events of the Kerberos mission."

to me....this seems most likely

oh wow really? this is the one you're going with? i thought for sure that you were either going with theory number one or two

nah — i don't buy that kogane did something to those kids. i —(wheeze) i know i'm speaking from a perspective where i have absolutely no relation to this kid —

right

i don't know him, but i don't feel like he would do something like that.  and like you said, i wouldn't want the burden of three people being linked to me in case i eventually become found. ...and theory two is just dumb

....i - did we agree on something here?

...i think we did

holy shit

i'm going with this one since two of those kids knew Shirogane — which is really circumstantial at first  but then those two Garrison officials say "oh yeah, five people left that station instead of four." i wouldn't have taken their word for it had they not immediately been fired right after saying that. that's fishy. the Garrison is extremely fishy

not to mention that they refuse to release the supposed footage of only four of them leaving the station

or in the desert

right. also it was in The Washington Post? i just like the idea that the unnamed source that gave them that information was one of the Garrison commanders or students who wanted to expose their lies. hell - maybe it was one of the children's family members

i love the idea of these kids just — finding someone who's supposed to be dead, rescuing him, makin' a getaway into the night and running from the government

that's great, i love it 

i —heh heh —that would make a great tv plot

right?

so....you don't believe this one huh?

oh no i do, but up to a point

oh

i just think that something else happened to them after they left with Shirogane

i don't think they just vanished into thin air

"Which brings us to our fourth and final theory," The screen transitions to Theory #4. "This theory begins exactly like the previous theory outlines: The comet that crashes isn't a comet at all — but a ship with Shirogane, Kogane rigs explosives to distract guards and rescue Shirogane, the three cadets follow him in the station and then they all exit into the desert on the hover-bike — while being chased by Garrison officials who eventually lost sight of them. However, what if they didn't just disappear? What if there was some sort of explanation on where exactly they went?"

"This brings us to a conclusion that almost everyone believes, as do I — "

if you fucking say aliens i swear to god, i'm getting up and walking out

" — that Kogane, Shirogane and the three cadets disappeared as a result of an extraterrestrial abduction."

"Nope." Shane starts to move his chair back, but Ryan stops it with a hand placed on the back, a huge grin on his face.

"I'm not done."

"Well, I am. Fucking aliens? You said that there were no aliens in this case!"

"I wasn't lying — when I said that there were no aliens in this case, I was referring to Theory number three."

Shane eyes the shorter man incredulously. "There's absolutely nothing that connects aliens to this!"

"Actually, there's a considerable amount of evidence that points to this theory."

He lets out a disbelieving laugh. "Well, I would like to see it."

"The morning after the crash — after the teenagers and possibly Shirogane would have made their escape, and during the time the Garrison would have been doing the morning search, there are reports of a giant, flying metal cat appearing from the desert before it flies off into the sky and disappears."

what. the. fuck are you — a fucking what?

cat. these reports say it more resembles a lion actually

 ....do — do you hear yourself right now?! this is what you're presenting?! a fucking robot lion that flew off into space with those kids and that pilot in it? this is the one that people mostly believe?!

oh i'm not done

you're never fucking done

"Many Garrison students reported seeing the flying cat-like object while waiting for orders in their hangers. One student, by the name of B. Taylor-Klaus said quote; "I couldn't believe what the fuck I was seeing. It just — came out from the desert. It was blue, it looked metallic— it looked like a fucking cat of all things. I don't know where that thing came from." End-quote. Ryan Kinkade, a fighter pilot trainee said quote; "Look, I'm going to very honest. In our field of work, you have to be open to anything that can possibly happen. However, you also have to approach things with a certain amount of skepticism. But that — I have no idea what that was. Nobody there that day knew what that was. We all know what it looked like, as ridiculous as it is to say - a flying, robot lion. It could possibly be a new weapon they're testing but...i just don't think that." End-quote. Videos of the object were taken by most of the Garrison cadets that day."

(sighs)

do you have the videos?

there were multiple videos of the flying machine, however most of them were somehow taken down by someone

convenient 

or suspicious

there is one video that still remains, and i do have it  

It shifts to a grainy video taken by a Garrison student. A pixelated blob constantly moves in the air, circling, and suddenly dropping to the ground. The surprised gasps of other surrounding Garrison students are heard amongst the audio.

what the fuck am i even looking at

(pointing) that's the lion

..............

don't look at me like that! you can make out that it's cat-like

this is something that i have with people recording things....why is it - that when there's a camera locked dead onto something, the footage looks like it came from pac-man? get better phones people

okay but look at how it's moving

....yeah okay that's interesting

sadly all those other videos of this in better quality were taken down "under mysterious circumstances"

i honestly think the Garrison had something to do with it

uh-huh, sure 

"Additionally, the UFO Identification Program of U.S Department of Defense captured record of something leaving the atmosphere in a video titled "Sonic." This video was taken by a F/A-18 Super Hornet, just above the Desert area many miles away from where Kogane's shack is located —at the exact same time the Garrison students reported seeing the flying lion. It in, conversation between two commanders — A. J. Locascio and J. D. Santos can be heard as they try to analyse what exactly they're experiencing."

The screen switches to video of the F/A-18 Super Hornet's radar; where the object is seen circling the area a few times, flying up in the air before dropping back to the ground in a rotation at a quick speed. Their voices sound off in clear excitement:

"What the [expletive] is that man?" Santos' voice has a hint of disbelief, but is mostly giddy.

"I don't know but holy [expletive] is it amazing - look at that flying!" Locascio laughs loudly. When the object is shown to quickly drop from the sky, his voice picks up again. "Oh my god, what is that?"

It transitions back to Ryan and Shane — Shane's head is tilted downwards, preventing his eyes being seen and is incredibly silent. A triumphant grin starts to form on Ryan's lips, before it gets wide and his eyes contain clear giddiness. "You have absolutely nothing to counteract this!"

"Don't get too hasty, Bergara." Shane picks his head up, eyes defiant. Grumbling incomprehensibly under his breath, he sighed before continuing. "I'l admit, if you had just left it at that grainy video from the Garrison student, I would have disregarded completely. With actual military evidence...I'm considering it a bit." 

The lack-luster response didn't deter the man, as he grinned towards the camera. "I'll take it."

"That doesn't mean I think that it has any connection to those kids and Shirogane, or that it's a fucking lion."

"Well, you'll be changing your tune in a moment."

"Locascio reported quote; "It flew in countless circles, it rotated multiple times and it had irregular bursts of speed during its flight. It traveled at a speed faster than any known US aircraft, and it performed aerial feats at supersonic speeds in a matter of seconds. Whatever that technology was, it could certainly be beneficial to Earth and mankind." End-quote. When the object stayed at a pause — hovering over the ground, Locascio, as well as Santos flew down closer to it. However, before they were even 50 feet to it, it sped off. Santos said quote; " It accelerated like nothing I've ever seen." End-quote."

"To validate the pilots' story and the footage, officers were deployed to carry out a search along with the Galaxy Garrison examining the Dessert area, as well as the surrounding areas. Evidence of a blast zone was found in the desert along where the object had been hovering, as well as a disturbance of sand — a disturbance that could not be caused by the wind, or any other weather elements. A sample was taken of the surrounding sand, minerals and igneous rocks, and it was found that it had somehow progressed 20 years faster than it should have. In addition, upon surveying Hualapai Hilltop in Supai, a giant, irregular-shaped hole was formed at the top of a crater— and no one has any idea what could have made the shape."

now, we've tangled with the UFO Identification Program before —

we've tangled with them, yes

they're capable people —

sure

what do you think about what they found?

i mean....it's pretty weird 

i —that's all you have to say?!

look — you're introducing the possibility of these kids and that pilot being abducted which, with this information, is actually plausible.

it's not what i'm leaning towards, but it's plausible. and interesting

......so then what the fuck's your hold-up?!

what's the — a fucking, metal lion, Ryan!

it's what was reported!

well, all those people who reported seeing a giant cat are nuts!

"Arizona has been home to many interesting phenomena. The New Mexico and Colorado border has been cited for numerous UFO sightings, moving lights, and other unexplained sights. If aliens were indeed the cause of the cadets — and possibly Shirogane's disappearance, the Garrison would make immediately move to classify it as something else; due to the possibility of not wanting anyone startled with the existence of aliens. In addition to that, aliens could be an explanation for the events of the Kerberos mission, and why they classed it as a measly "pilot error". If the crash of the supposed comet was actually that of Shirogane's ship, it makes sense that they apprehended him — they would want to get rid of any such evidence that aliens had come into contact with them."

what if they just fell?

.....what?

like, okay — i 'm piggybacking on what i said before about them leaving the morning after their getaway chase

all of them — Shirogane included, went off into the desert... what if they did go on a lil' adventure? they were just frolicking around - probably not wanting to go back to the garrison, probably went up a little hike trail and they all just fell in?

 ......that's more likely than aliens?

yes, actually

what about all that evidence?!

not for a fucking robot lion, Ryan

no, not [sputtering] okay okay you know what — ignore the reports from the students of a giant, cat machine

i can't even take you seriously with those words

 they went off into the desert with the pilot...you don't think that it's possible that they could have been abducted?! even with the evidence provided by the Department of Security? you said earlier that "no kids can hide that good."

....i did say that

admit to me that it is at least plausible — you cannot definitively say that they weren't taken into space.

look — i like that theory. it would be cool if that did happen like — wow, what a friday!

oh my god...

you rescue a supposed-to-be dead guy, drive off, and then get abducted by aliens?  holy shit! especially for those two kids that had no connection with Shirogane — they were just dragged into it

....they were just dragged into it — oh god

i do think....i do think it's possible.... (sighs) i can't definitively say that they weren't taken up into space

thank you!

i still think that they just escaped with Shirogane and simply disappeared 

"After the official declaration from the Galaxy Garrison, the families of the missing cadets refuse to believe what they were told. Angela McClain-Sanchez, Lance's mother has said quote; "After all this time, we don't know what to think about all this, we still don't know how to feel. But my family agrees on one thing — the Garrison knows more than what they've told us. All we want to know is what truly happened to them." End-quote."

"In the end, no one can agree conclusively on what happened to the three cadets on that faithful day in June: Were they kidnapped by Keith Kogane? Did they just run away? Was there really a fifth person along with them? Were the events of the Kerberos mission covered up and does it have any significance to the disappearances? If Shirogane did come back, was that what led Kogane there that faithful day? And is it possible, that this case could have ended in extraterrestrial means? Hopefully, for the sake of the families tangled up in this, the answers for those questions will come to light. But for now, this case remains — Unsolved.

 (After the End Card)

Shane exhales, a laugh escaping with it. "A giant, robot lion, huh?"

"Hey now — we haven't seen everything the universe has to offer." Ryan argues, leaning back into his chair. "It's not out of the realm of possibility."

His co-host stares off into space for a moment, before raising an eyebrow at Ryan, "How likely is it that we get sued or murdered by these people? Because we both agree that they're shady and that what probably happened wasn't what they said, but will they kill us for it? Since, y'know — they're the government?"

The man thought about it for a second, before shrugging and closing his folder. "If we do end up dead, then that proves that we were completely right." 

"....yeah, you're probably right." 

Chapter Text

"Hello and welcome, to another edition of Buzzfeed Unsolved: Postmortem," Ryan starts the video off with Shane seated beside him — who gives the camera a grin, before their library backdrop and their imposing Holly Horsley Horse Bust. However, as Ryan continues his opening spiel, his co-host's face morphs to a look of complete terror to whatever the fuck was in the corner of the room this time. "A show where we answer your most pressing question about the most recent episode of Buzzfeed Unsolved — which was: The Disappearance of the Garrison Cadets."

The video switches to the image of a foot sticking out from a white sheet that conceals the top half of the body from being seen. The tag attached on the big toe reads: Postmortem. The Garrison Cadets. The show's name is displayed in the top right hand corner.

It shifts back to the two men, Ryan continuing his narration while Shane points below to where their social media links would be displayed. "All of the questions we're answering today came from you guys via our Buzzfeed Unsolved Facebook page, our Buzzfeed Unsolved Instagram page and from the video directly on B.U.N."

Shane chimes in on the last word a half-second too late, with about as much enthusiasm he could muster after filming so many things that day. "Make sure you're subscribed." He adds, punctuating his command with a swing of coffee mug (displaying the show's merch as subtly as he possibly could).

Ryan chuckles in amusement, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "I think they would have subscribed by now - we're like, seven seasons in."

"Yeah, you'd think so." Shane eyes him from the rim of his glasses, before pointing a finger at him. "But there's someone out there who probably still hasn't clicked that good ol' subscribe button yet."

A snort escaped him, "You think they're just like — "Well, I just don't want to commit yet."

"It's a lot, okay!" Shane exclaims loudly, bringing his friend to the brink of laughter. "I want to go at my own pace!"

Ryan's still in the midst of laughing, sending a tired yet fond look at his best friend. "Oh god, let's get into the questions!"

"Yeah - let's take a look at them questions."

"Let's start with Facebook from....Darnell Perry." The question is displayed below the two hosts, while Ryan begins talking. "Loved this episode guys! However, I'm surprised that you didn't go into the theory of how the Garrison  could have murdered them — which is why there's no footage of them leaving the station or in the desert. If true - it would be horrible for their families. #ThisCaseIsJustSad."  He heavily sighs, eyeing the taller man. "This case is sad."

Shane nods, tracing the rim of his mug. "Yeah — I think I touched on how horrible it must be for Dr. Holt, the woman who lost her husband, her son and now her daughter. And then you have the families of those two kids who just got dragged into it." Ryan nods his head. "And — does that pilot have surviving family members? I know Kogane's an orphan so..." 

"Shirogane? He does have a fiance - well, ex-fiance since the announcement of his death." His eyes drift upwards thoughtfully. "I'm unsure about anyone else..."

"God, this case is awful." Ryan makes a noise which somehow conveys just how both of them feel about it.

"About the probability of the Garrison murdering them....it was a theory I did see, but everyone more believed the theories presented in the episode."

Shane snorts, "Ah, yes. The wonderful theory about the flying, robotic lion."

A glare was sent his way - whether it was ignored or actually unseen, the man still continued. "It's possible - if not more horrific."

".....I guess if Kogane came across something he wasn't supposed to see? And then those kids did the same, so they murdered all of them?" Ryan gained a highly contemplative expression on his features. "But, then why not have them — or at least Kogane arrested instead of just...getting rid of him? That's a lot of work having all that blood on your hands."

Shane raised his eyebrows, "More work than covering up the true reason for the disappearances of five people? Sorry - seven, if you count the two Holt guys. Plus, didn't we agree that they were probably gonna murk Shirogane if he was there?"

"Well, yeah - but...we don't know. Maybe they were just gonna do tests on him or — "

The taller man simply leveled a knowing, straight-faced look at the camera. "They were gonna murk him."

Ryan shook his head, "I don't think that the Garrison murdered them. Sure — they were shifty on what happened to everyone — "

"Oh, they were so shifty." Shane frowned, "I think we can all agree that the Garrison is a shifty as fuck organization."

"But, I don't think they would murder those cadets. Especially since we have those two ex-Garrison commanders who let everyone know that they did all leave that station with someone else."

Shane shrugged, "I think that if it wasn't for those ex-Garrison people, I would've thought that it could be possible, that those kids could've gotten murked."

"Here's from Mikelsyse Theyers," Shane reads. "Guys, this is like - the fourth time you have tangled into something that someone can come after you for. Calm the fuck down a bit." Ryan bursts into laughter, his co-host chuckling. "#Loveyouboysbutterrifiedforyousometimes. This is the fourth time, huh? We did Litvinenko, Charles C. Morgan, good ol' Hoffa - "

"Yeah, I mean —  look," Ryan aims a serious look towards the camera, trying his best to come off as sincere as possible as to not piss off any powers that be into murdering them in the near future. "We're just the messengers guys. We're just presenting the information as is — "

Of course, his friend just had to ruin it. "It's not our faults that you guys did some weird, shady shit."

"Jesus Christ, Shane!"

A disbelieving look was sent his way, "What? We're all thinking the same thing! Those kids most likely went off with Shirogane — "

"For fucks' sake — "

" — and the Garrison couldn't let everyone know the fact that he was actually not dead — especially since they possibly covered up his death, so they hid all of that and put all the blame on Kogane. Or if we're going with what Darnell said, maybe they murdered those kids and still blamed it on Kogane. Either way, they're crafty." His lips were tilted upwards, extremely amused as he spoke over Ryan's alarmed squawking. "You know it, I know it — " He gestured a hand towards Ryan, who now even looked more terrified. "Ryan here knows it —  "

"Stop putting me in your shit!"

"Hell — all of our viewers know it! And if we suddenly end up dead after this Postmortem, then everyone will know that we we're right — you said it yourself in the episode, Ryan — and you'll even more guilty! And I'm pretty sure you don't want that." Shane leans back, the epitome of smug and satisfied as he takes another swig of his coffee. Despite the now tepid flavor of his beverage, somehow the taste doesn't faze him.

However, Ryan sits deflated beside the taller man, pinching the bridge of his nose all the while muttering something under his breath. The microphone attached to his red shirt can pick up the weary edge of " — I swear to Christ."

There's a hasty cut to the next question, as Ryan scrolls through his phone.

"Let's head on over to YouTube! Samantha Monahay says: "Honestly, I just feel for Keith in the whole case. Sure, he had a troubled past, but like Shane said — that doesn't mean he's capable of murdering someone. His guardian died, and was blamed for his own death —  hell, I'd punch the face of the person who said that too." Shane releases a chuckle. "If he didn't murder them — which I don't think he did, can you imagine being blamed for the death of three people and being wanted by the fucking FBI? #IHopeThoseKidsAreSafe #EspeciallyKeith" Ryan glances towards the taller man, "This is exactly my entire problem with the case."

"He's wanted by the FBI ?!" Shane's voice is clearly incredulous.

"Yep, I forgot to include that in the episode — but he is wanted by the FBI since the Garrison has him as the Number one suspect in the disappearance and possible murder of those kids."

"Jesus Christ!"

Ryan glanced down at his phone, "That actually links with this from CynicalNick: "I'm surprised that you guys didn't stay that long on the "he murdered them" theory. It's pretty plausible when you think about it. He could have just been someone dumb enough to kill them even if they led a trail to him. Well, you do live up to your name, Nick."

Drumming his fingers on the table's top, Shane sighs heavily. "Again, we don't know this kid. Never met him — can't even remember what he looks like — wait no, he has like weird fucking hair right? Like, like a weird mullet type haircut? He looks like a complete anime character, holy shit — "

Ryan raises an eyebrow, before casting a look towards the camera, and essentially the audience — facial expression conveying that he wondered where the hell Shane's words were going.

"But I just — personally, I don't think he murdered them. He seems smart —  "

"He was the top student of the Garrison before he got expelled."

" — For an understandable reason! A smart person wouldn't want any trace of their existence somewhere as serious as three dead bodies." Shane wildly gestures, "In another case, I probably would've gone with "Yeah, he totally murdered them dead!" Here, I just...I don't know. I don't like the idea of blaming a child for something when they aren't even here to defend themselves, or when there's absolutely no evidence. All we have is the Garrison's say - and we all know how trustworthy they are...."

Ryan clears his throat, "Again, on this show, we try not to put Hard Opinions out there. We can't really say what theory can, or cannot be ruled out. We weren't there that evening. But I think this is one of those cases where, again — I can say "That's not it." to the official ruling."

"I can definitely, confidently say," the other man starts. "With my popped blazer collar and lukewarm coffee — " Ryan eyes the coffee mug in slight disgust. "That that bullshit official report — is not it."

"For one, the Garrison absolutely refuses to release those tapes. If they weren't hiding something or didn't want to give off the impression that they were, maybe they shouldn't have done that." Ryan sends half-lidded eyes to the camera. "They also shouldn't have immediately — I'm talking like the day after, fired those two commanders who know what they saw. Also, there is absolutely nothing linking those kids, whether it be their blood or their general existence, at Kogane's shack — nada, zilch. He was there at that station, and so were those cadets - but there's nothing showing his last movements. Every. Single. Thing is circumstantial."

"You can charge him with breaking and entering, but murder? Give me some evidence first."

"Commander Iverson — he just seems like he absolutely hates this kid. The Garrison seems like they just want someone to pin this on. Everyone else — there were some people, like Shirogane's fiance and other teachers who said that "Okay yeah, he was hot-tempered" but absolutely drew the line of him possibly murdering someone. He's just an emo kid who lost a bunch of people —  that doesn't make him a murderer." Ryan continued. "What also indicates to me that he wasn't so violent is the way he attacked those guards."

Remembrance flashed in Shane's eyes. "Right. He just knocked them out to sleep town."

"He knocked them to sleep town. He didn't kill them — which I would've done if was going for something important and wanted to make sure that no person could identify me....excluding those cameras of course."

"But then, you could make the argument that he maybe didn't care though." In typical manner, Shane's eyebrows bunch together. "Like — "Oh, there're cameras? Ah fuck it, it's not like they'll find me anyway." Something like that."

Ryan pauses, "But those guards though. If he truly didn't care, why not take it up to eleven? Kill a couple of guards, make a quick getaway..."

"Drive off into the night with three kids and your mentor slash possible father figure...." Chuckles from Ryan immediately follow that. 

"Either way —  " Shane fishes for his phone on the table. "I'm pretty sure he didn't murder them."

"Same here."

"Solange Perry asks, "I do like the idea of the Kerberos Mission being connected to the Cadets' disappearance — and I'm part of the majority that believe it, given that the Garrison remains quiet on the demise/disappearance on both of those cases. And while I do love what was given in the episode, would you guys ever go into the case fully but separate from this one?" Shane glanced towards his co-host, "How's about it, Ryan?"

"I mean — if there are any more developments, sure. But, what I summarized in the episode is basically what happened: The team went up in space, something happened and the Garrison labelled the pilots' not being back as death by pilot error. Every student from that time who came forward said that Shirogane would never cause the deaths of his teammates — and Katie Holt says the same."

"I mean — I said it in the episode: Pilot error is possible." Shane drew his eyes up from his phone. "I like the theory of Shirogane being there on that day because, y'know - there's no death." Ryan made an agreeing noise. "Also him, his brother or mentee or whatever — "

"Mentee — what the fuck?"

"Isn't that the term for the student of a mentor?"

"...Wouldn't protégé be better?"

"I like my word better —  " Ryan shook his head. "Anyway — I like the idea of him, his mentee, and those three kids just riding off into obscurity. Alive, of course."

Ryan frowns, "Yeah but — Lance was described by his family members as a family guy. So was Pidge — or Katie. Her mother said that she always conversed with her about what she was doing. I think that all of the cadets would at least try to let their families know that they were okay."

"What if they just can't?"

".....yeah, I suppose."

"The next question — actually this isn't a question, it's a statement from Rachel McClain-Sanchez." Shane notes, as Ryan makes a noise of surprise. "My little brother, Marco brought this recent episode to my attention the same day it aired - and, from my entire family, especially my mother, we would all like to thank you guys so much for bringing the case back into public light. You two presented some information that we already knew, and some information that we had never heard of. We're still unsure what we believe - all we can collectively agree on is that they're missing and not dead. We're still waiting for some sort of closure about it all, some sort of closure about what happened to Lance, Hunk and everyone else tangled up in this, but maybe your episode will bring it forward."  He clears his throat, "You're welcome.  The situation isn't a happy one - as is the case with...all of the cases we've done so far, but we try to help in anyway we can. Even if it's just by simply talking about it."

Ryan nods, "Absolutely. Even though we usually aren't...that...professional."

"Oh god, no. The fact that we discussed aliens with this case should be a testament to how non-professional we are."

The shorter man rolls his eyes, "But truly, thank you for that. We always don't think that we're doing much, but it's nice when a family member reaches out to us to tell us 'thanks'. " Shane sends the camera a small smile. "And...we really do hope that your family, and the other families - the Garrett's, Mrs. Holt and those close to Shirogane and Kogane - get the closure they need."

"Carrisse Buchemi said; "Okay — Kogane definitely planned to infiltrate the Garrison. Those explosives, being there two days before - he planned that. However, like Ryan said, he wan't there for information. For one, if he truly wanted Information, he could have snuck in just like Pidge/Katie did, changed his appearance and taken what he needed. Also, the Garrison would never transfer their information to that little station, any information needed to extracting and testing something is little - and definitely would not all be transferred in only five minutes. And it's not like he went to the main Garrison base, he went straight to that analyzing station. I honestly think he went there for Shirogane — that's the only logically explanation I can come up with. Why else would he be there?"

Ryan exhaled, "See — I do agree with you, I definitely believe that Shirogane was there on that day. But the question then becomes, how could Kogane have known that he was going to be there?" At Shane's questioning eyebrow, he elaborated. "That comet or — " He attempts quick air quotes, " — 'comet' crashed the same night they all went missing. Unless the Garrison knew beforehand and he had overheard...because he was snooping around before the crash happened."

His co-host grew thoughtful for a moment, tapping the top of the table. "I saw a few comments about how he might have gone there to get whatever samples they collected to build his own weapons but — wouldn't they have taken the chance to immediately expose him for going in to steal samples?"

"Yeah, they checked everything in his shack — if he was planning to build his own weapon, there was nothing that showed even a hint of that possibility. So in my mind — he totally didn't go there for weapons."

"Maybe he didn't go there for Shirogane at first." Shane murmured, "Maybe he went there for...something and was surprised to see Shirogane and planned to save him from them. And those kids...they also went in there because they probably saw him go in and escaped with him."

Ryan thought about it for a moment, drumming his fingers in thought. Eventually though, he could only muster a shrug of the shoulders, clear confusion on his features. "This case....is filled with a lot a clear theories. But then, there are some things that we just don't know. Why did Kogane go there in the first place?"

"There are a lot of pieces of this puzzle that fit together, but in-between those pieces — there are like tinier pieces that need to be found. Like, a bunch of Hawaiian pizza slices that are separated and then you bring 'em together, but two slices are missing and then there's two Veggie slices that exist but you're wondering if to eat all of them together..." Shane adds profoundly, waving his hand to somehow help his explanation. 

The shorter man simply stares at the enigma that is his best friend, ".....are your words just a testament to how hungry you are right now?"

"Yeah, I'm fucking starving." Ryan bursts into laughter.

There's a quick cut — the camera focused on Ryan. "Either way, the most agreed theory before them disappearing is that Shirogane was there and he tried to rescue him — regardless of the reason he went to the Garrison in the first place."

"It's just sounds like a movie plot — or a TV pilot." Shane chimes in, "God, I love it."  

 "Alright, let's head on over to 'Gram Town!" Shane eyes his phone for a moment before reading. " — michellecollins asks "I just want to know why those kids were even out there that night. Sure, you can say that Kogane was there for Shirogane, or whatever reason but what about those kids? There was an big lock-down of the Academy, did they all just sneak past the officials? Was one just missing and the other two tried to look for them and found them outside? Why would they even follow Kogane into the tent once they saw him go in it? Did they recognize him immediately? I am just incredibly confused."  A snort escapes him, "Yeah, you sound like it."

 Ryan hummed, eyes wide in thought. "Those are some good questions."

 "I told you that there are some tiny puzzle pieces in this case." Shane slammed his hand on the desk, startling his co-host, who aimed an incredulous look at him. "Those Veggie pizza slices keep popping up, man." He aims his index finger at the shorter man, who only shakes his head bemusedly. 

"Pizza metaphors aside — why did those kids go outside?" Ryan drummed his fingers on the table, while the taller man shrugged.

"I mean — I'm not discrediting them, but they are teenagers. They were probably curious as to why there was a lock-down in the first place, it's human nature. And it was most likely a piece of cake getting past security officials — if there even were any."

"I guess....following what the families said of their kids, they wouldn't just go out there. Mrs. Holt said that Pidge, or Katie, would go out there if she thought something was off. So, maybe she went out first and Lance and Hunk followed? Or maybe Lance sensed that it wasn't a lock-down and Hunk and Katie followed him? God, there's so many questions with this case."

"Do you think they recognized him though? Maybe that's why they followed him in?"

"I mean — he didn't try to disguise himself that much. Once I saw what Kogane looked like, I immediately picked him out on that surveillance footage. Much less if I went to school with him. He didn't change that much."

"True. But they immediately followed him in though...why?"

Ryan thought about it for a moment. "What if they knew what was going on in that tent?"

".....how would they even know that?"

"I don't know! This is a technologically advanced school. Maybe — Katie was a hacker right? What if she hacked into....the video feed of the tent? Shit — I don't know...."

"Your theory is crumbling."

"Well — "

"Shambles. Nothingness — you're done."

"I —  "

"You're done, Ryan."

Ryan's eyes scanned whatever question was on his phone, and he let a small chuckle escape him before he read it. "nycjalissa says "Okay. You sold me at the Garrison hiding what actually happened that night and just blaming Kogane. They're incredibly shifty and there's a lot of things that suggest they did. You sold me at the possibility of Shirogane being there - I can't definitively say that he wasn't. But you absolutely, thoroughly lost me at the suggestion that they got abducted by a giant, robot lion. #Shaniac #LoveYouStillRyanButIt'sGonnaTakeALotToConvinceMeofThat" 

Shane laughs. "I love how she worded that: your theory is absolute bullshit — still love ya' man, you're good."

Ryan shrugged. "Listen — I'm just reporting the events that multiple people witnessed — "

"Multiple crazy people."

"Many students said that they saw a flying, robot lion, there were numerous HD videos that somehow disappeared showing the machine during its flight — " Shane aimed a deadpanned, disbelieving look towards the camera. "This is the theory that many people believe — I'm just reporting it."

"Don't worry Jalissa, I think this theory's bullshit too." He made a spectacle of loudly whispering it behind a hand to his mouth. 

Ryan looked at him incredulously. "I thought we already discussed this — didn't you say that the possibility of them getting abducted was possible?" 

"You expect me to believe that all five of these people escaped the Garrison only to be abducted by a fucking robot lion?! It just appeared out of the sky and was like 'Hey, you guys wanna go on a roadtrip?' and just beamed 'em up there?"

"Actually, remember I said that there was an irregular, emergence hole from the Hualapai Hilltop in Supai? What if they just found it and they went up into space? It's not that far from Kogane's shack."

"....so what you're saying, is that a robot lion was...dormant in a mountain and just waiting for these kids to find it like some chosen one bullshit? That's more possible than them just disappearing and possibly just hiding?!"

Ryan bit his lip, amused at his co-host's growing frustration. "Well, we don't know. It's possible."

Shane paused, his eyes glancing towards his phone for a split-second and in that moment, his expression conveys just how much he wanted to throw the device at the smaller man. The camera picks up the slightly muffled snickers from a woman — most likely from the series' producer Devon, and Ryan aims a grin towards them, which makes the snickers rise in pitch. Shane exhaled for a moment, composing himself and narrowing his eyes at Ryan's snickers.

"You're enjoying this."

"Yeah, a bit. Usually, I'm on this end of the conversation and I want to punch you in your stupid face."

Shane continued, taking off his glasses to rub his eyes. "So, what would they be doing in space so long Ryan? Fighting aliens? Being space pirates?"

"Maybe they're defending the universe or something. Space pirates would be cool though." Ryan glances towards the taller man, who looks at him- not for the first time in their partnership, and it wouldn't be the last — as if he was absurd. "Look, the U.S Department of Defense provided some evidence that a UFO could've been there that day — you even found it interesting and said that it was possible. You liked the theory of them being abducted!"

Shane exhaled heavily, "I liked it because it would be a hell of a story to tell your grand-kids. I — I can't definitively say that they weren't abducted. But, by a flying lion? It's just more likely that they could just have disappeared into the night."

His co-host shrugged, "Maybe it is, maybe it isn't —  "

"No, it is."

" — but at the end of the day, you cannot outright say that they weren't abducted. Whether it was by a robot lion or the usual disk-shaped UFO, we don't know."

There was a moment where Ryan observed him with a raised eyebrow, a smile playing on his lips and Shane consequently grumbled, bringing his coffee to his lips. "I guess."

"brooklynwhiskey - holy shit, what a last name." Shane repeated the name akin to a trailer's narrator, "Whiskeyyy. Uh — they asked "Loved this episode guys, though I have to ask, how come you guys didn't go on location?"

Ryan answered, "We thought about it, but then realized that we might have to get allowance from the Galaxy Garrison and...yeah — telling them that we're talking about the cadets' disappearance would not get us permission, I don't think." 

"They restricted access outside the building?"

"Yeah — since the kids disappeared, numerous people kept trying to walk up to the Garrison and they increased security and said that people can't be in a 150 feet radius within the Academy."

"Oof — " Shane frowned, "Well, I guess that's that."

"s.yeun says, "I know it sounds ridiculous, but I and every other Garrison student saw what we saw. There was a fucking lion just flying around before it shot off into the sky." Ryan scrolls down and his eyes widen. "He direct messaged me some pictures too — look."

The pictures were placed on screen — it's not so visible that each and every single detail of the object can be observed, but they depicted what looked like a lion-like object. It was noticeably blue and grey everywhere, save for the red painted portions of its...neck if it could be called that. The object was captured going in a downwards motion.

Shane eyed the pictures for a moment, before eyeing the camera. "What the fuck is this, s.yeun?"

Ryan sputters, pointing at his phone, "Look me in the eye and tell me that this isn't convincing!"

The taller man stared him straight in the face, voice impassive. "This isn't convincing." At Ryan's disbelieving expression, he continued. "This happened in 2016, right? — photoshop is alive and well. This is high-key doctored — hell, he could have done this over the weekend. He probably even edited in a way to make it look like it was taken from a low-quality phone."

"What — what is it going to take for you to believe this?"

"Unless this ship that took them comes back to earth with them — or that fucking lion appears right in front of my face or is captured live in present time with those kids, then I'll never believe it."

"7fatcats said "The best part about this is: if this is real, and the UFO that was seen by the students and the US Department of Defense is the same, and the U.S has never done technology like that, then that means that some country — whether it be Russia, China, etc. or even aliens in another galaxy have built a flying object that actually resembles a cat."

Shane burst out into a wheeze. "I - I didn't even make that connection. I was so caught up in the bullshit. Can you imagine that a country calls for war, and the last thing you see before you die, is a giant fucking cat?"

"Remember that conversation we had in the Pentagon ep where the UFO's were like tic-tacs? What if UFO's were like giant cats nyooming around the sky?"

The wheezing grows into full-blown laughter with Ryan joining in with chuckles of his own. There's a moment where Ryan steadies himself, before leaning over to Shane, his eyes hinting that he's going to say something amusing. "What if, you saw a UFO invading Earth, and it was in the likeness of Obi?"

That makes the taller man cackle, falling into the back of his chair with his hand slamming on the table top. And Ryan loses himself in his wheezing — it takes a while before they can fully calm down.

Shane takes off his glasses, wiping the tears that formed from his laughter. "Oh god - thank you for that, uh, what was their name?"

"7fatcats."

"Thanks for giving us that visual to end on, 7fatcats."

Finally, there was a quick cut to Shane glancing towards his co-host, eyeing him over the rim of his glasses. "What do we got coming up this week, Ryan?"

There's a pause as he tries to figure out just how to word it without giving anyway key details. "Let's just say....it's another mystery that's more on the occult spectrum of supernatural." Shane makes a noise, as he remembers features of the episode. "But, uh — yeah. That does it for this episode of Buzzfeed Unsolved: Postmortem," The social media links pop up once more as Ryan continues. "Make sure you watch the episode this Friday and send in your questions to Buzzfeed Unsolved Facebook page, the Buzzfeed Unsolved Instagram page or — comment on the video directly and you'll be in the next postmortem."

He casts weary eyes towards the taller man, "Unfortunately — there's no Hot Daga for the time being — "

"Oh, it's coming." Shane simply says, and Ryan can't helped but be unnerved at the somewhat menacing tone of his voice.

"If you feel like doing it and you can get off your ass, sure."

Shane eyes the camera with a smirk, taking a swig from his possibly, horrendously cold coffee. "It's coming."