Chapter Text
Year 2130
The edge of our Solar System, around Pluto.
HEINRICH LIEBERMANN POV
"Okay, I'm where I'm supposed to be. Eh, I'm still not sure..."
"Relax ! It's just a simple mission, you'll be fine."
I sat in the pilot's seat, watching the constellations in front of me. To the left shimmered Pluto, clearly visible from this distance. To the right, the sun flashed by, virtually unnoticeable.
The engines buzzed quietly, and the ship glided slowly through nothingness straight into the maw of darkness of unknown star systems. The long, bulky ship, labeled UNSC-512, gave a large shadow to the surface of the dwarf planet.
"The mission is to test the transport capabilities of our standard ship during interstellar travel, as well as to launch a satellite in an undiscovered system - all you have to do is press ONE only button ! Easy money, I'd say !"
"You only say that because you have experience in this ! I was just an office worker - and a hard working one !"
"You were WASTING AWAY in that place ! You are my friend, AND I take care of my friends ! The fact that I am your commander is just a secondary thing."
"..."
"Listen - take it easy. This job is like a vacation for you - well paid, if reports are to be believed. So... Relax ! I even packed you a pair of those fancy MRE's that our official ambassadors use ! I hear they're ... marvelous..."
"Okay, okay, I'll do what you say."
I looked behind me, deep into the ship. It was a small vessel, but a cozy one. Usually it could accommodate four people, but yet I was alone. The largest element was the cargo space - it took up three-quarters of the ship.
"Say... How did you even load the ship for this „experiment” ? I heard you guys are having financial problems."
"Financial problems" is an understatement - we have almost no funding. The „big fishes” of United Nations coordination have decided that the latest development policy will focus on developing our current interstellar colonies rather than discovering the secrets of the galaxy. It's like a death sentence to us !"
The voice behind the speaker seemed to be angry. Go figure.
"Okay, okay, jeez.... I bet that cuts off your partying time, eh ?"
"...Nah. I party as always ! I fuck as always too - can't have enough of that."
"Yeah, you and your decadent lifestyle .... I'm kinda envious, yet kinda not."
"It's better than you think ! Back to your question... We just bought the entire contents of some Amazon warehouse and packed it in there !"
I deadpanned.
"Really ?"
"It was cheaper than you'd expect !"
The voice began to slowly glitch.
"It seems you're getting out of the range. Remember - after the jump, send the satellite. Oknotimetolosegoodluckbye."
SHIP OUT OF RANGE
The audio abruptly cut off, leaving me with my thoughts. Damn... Such are the charms when you have friends in high places....
I really wanna go back to my office, but I'm kinda stuck on this. One quick job, and I'm gone.... If he allowed me, that is....
I pressed the right buttons and buckled up, preparing to jump into hyperspace.... I hope everything will go alright...
Sginalis star system, Leng Planet, S-24 „ZYGALSKI” Station
FALKE POV
I woke up from my dream. I was breathing heavily, something uncommon for me. I was supposed to be a leader of our people – a shining beacon of the Revolution in our glorious country. Our Wunderwaffe...
I have to keep this appearance. Thankfully, I have my staff by my side. I'm positive about our productivity for the Nation.
Yet this dream...
I can feel something coming. My bioresonance is tingling in a manner of speaking. I can guarantee that my KLBR units can feel it as well.
Things are yet to change, but I have to be wary. I better inform Adler about it – he might have some insight.
Edge of Signalis System
HEINRICH POV
The ship came out of hyperspace, allowing me to see my surroundings....
Pretty nice ! I like that glimmering on some of the planets, it really makes a-.
Wait...
Glimmering ?
I leaned back in my chair. It's not natural - it's too repetitive. Too flashy. I can always be delusional and just imagining things, but I still have to report this phenomenon to the Commander.... It can mean something. Maybe... finally a sapient life ?
It is a posi- FUCK FUCK FUCK
A large metallic object was rapidly towards me.
FUCK, WHERE IS IT - DODGE SYSTEMS ONLINE ? Maybe this ...
I pressed a few buttons. Nothing happened.
Just my luck... Eh, eh, BRACE FOR IMPACT !
The object bonked my ship, setting it off course.
...
..
.
I'm alive ?
I'M ALIVE !
Fuck, the navigation systems've fried. I'm slowly pulled by this white planet nearby .... Well, time for an emergency landing. But for now...
SATELLITE DEPLOYED
That should do it. For now.
Ehh... Time for some highly dangerous and insanely boring moments !
A hour later.
The ship was slowly losing attitude, somehow holding itself together. No doubt if this ship lands, it will not take off again. A miracle of Earth's engineering, they said. You'll be safe, they said.
Turns out, all machine's are shitty if you cannot operate them. I WANTED to read a manual, but my great Commander Kochanek was too loud during my training period....
He's really a headache sometimes.
BUMP SHSHSHSHHH.....
The ship plunged into the snowy ground when the landing gear "forgot" to deploy. Fucking great... Now this WILL NEVER take off. Good thing I had my seatbelt on - I'd gone flying without it.
...
What now ?
The satellite needs a few days to start working, so I have to wait to make contact. I'm left with either going outside and, perhaps, exploring my surroundings a bit, or waiting here in my cramped room watching TV series or looking for interesting items in the “luggage lock”....
...
TV series, then !
Just as I was about to get up from my chair, I noticed something - in the distance, something was faint, as if some kind of structure. Something was written there, in red paint. Some kind of ... number ?
...
Fuck it - I have to see it. Curiosity began to eat me from the inside. Time to do some exploring, then.
Nothing can go w- wait, better not jinx myself.
Twenty minutes later
Equipped with a shotgun, a couple of ammo and a modern atmospheric suit (which, fortunately, was on the ship) and with a few useful items hidden in my inner jacket, I set off towards the strange object, exiting through the airlock at the end of the vehicle. Only now did I realize how big my ship was - it was probably about two hundred meters long. Was it really a "small" ship ?
...
I was already getting closer, and the snowy fog surrounding the strange .... something ... thinned slightly. This ... something was actually a long metal platform with a black pillar at one end of it. On the pillar the word "S-24” was painted with red paint.
"Hmm... Arabic numbers and Latin letters ? Maybe this is one of the colonies and the "unknown system" is one big lie.... Well, you can get here from Earth, so maybe..."
Under the inscription, something was visible - it was.... some kind of button, flashing light at me. So this base is operational ?
...
"Ah, fuck it".
I pressed a strange yellow square, which apparently activated some system. Before I knew it, I was already moving down - all this time I was standing on the elevator pad.
I'm getting nervous.
JULE THE EULE POV
I was sitting behind the reception counter, filling out paperwork. Today was a boring day, but working for the Nation is always fulfilling. I'm good at what I'm doing, and my persona is stable. Life couldn't be better.
Sitting next to me was another EULE, whom we called Clare. We chose names for each of us - STORCHes tell us that this improves our stability.
I like talking with myself in my mind. It's soothing !
"Can you scan these documents ? Armata forgot the pass again.”
"Poor Armata ... She overworks herself with all that surface reconnaissance..."
"I bet she's fine ! Everyone's doing their share here - that makes us so productive !"
Suddenly one of the side controls flicked on. Someone is using the elevator....
"Tell me, Klara - Is Armata already outside ? It's weird..."
"No, she was here five minutes ago, then she went back to the canteen. Why are you asking ?"
"Someone's.... using the elevator."
Klara stared at me for five seconds straight.
"Should we panic ?"
"Apparently so."
...
"AAAAAAAAAAAAH"
I clicked the "Alarm" button and we both ran out of the room.
HEINRICH POV
I slowly rode the elevator down. It was pretty slow and there was no music.
Hmm... I wonder who owns this base. That elevator looks pretty old-fashioned. Like in some old movies.
After a while, the elevator stopped and the doors opened....
...
In front of me stood five women - all taller than me and good god, they were beautiful. They wore weird ... suits ? I don't know what those were. The middle one, visibly determined, was carrying a plexi-glass shield and a stun baton. The other four had revolvers in their hands.
All of them were aiming at me, being pissed off to say the least.
As soon as I noticed, the commanding voice of the middle one reached me.
"Hände hoch !"
...
Germans ?
"N-nicht schießen ?"
I should've studied more...
PERSONAL UN WORKER ACTA
Name : Heinrich
Surname : Liebermann
Age : 20
Place of birth : Stuttgard
Current Ocupation : UN Official Exploitation Unit Worker (Rank 3), Captain Kochanek Unit.
Word appearance description : Black hair, dark blue eyes, average muscularity, slim build, 190 cm tall.
UN Official Trust Opinion : The only truly professional worker of Captain's Kochanek Unit. Before working in this unit he was an office worker in which he excelled. He's probably the only reason Cap. Lover is not yet in great debt because of his decadent lifestyle.
No doubt Mr. Liebermann will accomplish great things in the future, if he doesn't fall into addiction by then.
No additional safety measures needed - the worker is trustful.
NOTE : Despite being born in Germany, Heinrich's parents emigrated to Britain shortly after his birth. Worker's German-speaking abilities are limited. Worker possess snappy language – insult discretion is advised.