Illuminae (The Illuminae Files #1)(59)
Carlin, M, 2nd Lt: Sounds like a real chucklefest.
Boll, S, Capt: It’s very sad. But beautiful.
Carlin, M, 2nd Lt: I’ll have to read it once we get out of here.
Boll, S, Capt: I can loan it to you.
Boll, S, Capt: If you’d like.
Carlin, M, 2nd Lt: Yeah. I’d like that a lot.
Boll, S, Capt: Well. Was there any particular reason you radioed in, Mikael, or did you just feel like an impromptu poetry lesson?
Boll, S, Capt: Lieutenant. I meant Lieutenant.
Boll, S, Capt: Goddammit.
Carlin, M, 2nd Lt: Um, yeah there was. You said to report anyone showing any Phobos symptoms so you can initiate further quarantine procedures.
Boll, S, Capt: Yes.
Boll, S, Capt: Yes, I did.
Carlin, M, 2nd Lt: Now look, it’s probably nothing. But one of our Cyclone drones has come down shaking. He’s a Kerenza recruit like me. Now, I think it’s just PTSD. His wife is still on the Alexander, and they lost their son on Kerenza. He’s always been—
Boll, S, Capt: Describe the symptoms please, Lieutenant.
Carlin, M, 2nd Lt: Well. The usual shit, you know. He’s shaking. Scared. Semi-catatonic. But like I say, I don’t think it’s anything—
Boll, S, Capt: Has he been in contact with the rest of the Alexander personnel?
Carlin, M, 2nd Lt: Well, yeah. I mean, the guys who came across in the shuttles are in Bay Three, so he hasn’t been in contact with any of them. But yeah, the pilots are all jammed in here in Bay Two like ration packs. It’s getting a little fragrant, if you—
Boll, S, Capt: Lieutenant.
Carlin, M, 2nd Lt: Yeah?
Boll, S, Capt: Lieutenant, I’m so sorry.
Carlin, M, 2nd Lt: Um. Okay.
Carlin, M, 2nd Lt: What are you sorry for?
Carlin, M, 2nd Lt: … Syra?
SYSTEM MESSAGE: COMMAND CHANNEL HYPATIA
07/30/75 15:37:14—Hangar Bay 2 system check complete.
07/30/75 15:42:42—Airlock seal integrity confirmed 100%.
07/30/75 15:45:10—Command override received.
< Acting Captain Syra Boll ident confirmed. >
07/30/75 15:46:17—Core command PR-001.ID#2 acknowledged.
<purging>
<purging>
<purging>
07/30/75 15:48:10—<purge complete>
Mason, E, LT 2nd: Kady?
ByteMe: Ez
ByteMe: where r u? u ok?
Mason, E, LT 2nd: they’re dead
Mason, E, LT 2nd: jesus christ
ByteMe: who?
Mason, E, LT 2nd: sanderson, griggs. bodie. maybe all of them, i don’t know.
ByteMe: tell me where you are. are you secure?
Mason, E, LT 2nd: i don’t know
Mason, E, LT 2nd: f*ck
ByteMe: are you behind a locked door?
Mason, E, LT 2nd: yeah. jammed shut. vents too
Mason, E, LT 2nd: f*ckers came in through the airshafts, Kady. stole right up on us.
Mason, E, LT 2nd: i couldn’t do anything. f*ck, i tried. there were just too many.
Mason, E, LT 2nd: they snatched griggs right out of my arms. sanderson’s blood is still all over my suit. i can’t get it off. its all over my f*cking hands all over the console
Mason, E, LT 2nd: those f*cking BASTARDS
ByteMe: I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry.
ByteMe: we have to keep you safe. that’s what’s left to do. we have to find you somewhere you can hole up until command realizes they can still save people
Mason, E, LT 2nd: f*ck, i cant get this BLOOD OFF
ByteMe: Ezra, listen to me. you have to keep your head, you have to focus. you’re still alive, we have to keep u that way. don’t you dare lose your shit now, you hear me? focus.
Mason, E, LT 2nd: my hands r shakingso bad i can hardly type
Mason, E, LT 2nd: oh god
Mason, E, LT 2nd: ok
Mason, E, LT 2nd: im ok
ByteMe: whole shuttles of people made it over here
ByteMe: they let them on board and everything
Mason, E, LT 2nd: jesus i’mscared
ByteMe: it’s going to be okay. u just have to hang on.
ByteMe: how much power do u have? i need to work out where you are, whether I can show them an access route in to you. if there’s a way in, then all i need is an offer they can’t refuse.
ByteMe: and i’m the only one left in the fleet now who knows how to hack the Hypatia
Mason, E, LT 2nd: i dunno where i am. somewhere below deck 40
Mason, E, LT 2nd: i’m trying to make it to one of the server rooms.
ByteMe: thats good.
ByteMe: if AIDAN is protecting itself, they’ll be the safest places on the ship
Mason, E, LT 2nd: i can hear them outside
Mason, E, LT 2nd: f*ck i can hear them screaming
ByteMe: don’t listen
ByteMe: think of me, think of home.
ByteMe: i dont have a lot of time, i think we’re going to leave the Alexander behind soon, AIDAN or no AIDAN. i have to try and talk to the captain. slow the hypatia down, shut her down if i have to. they won’t be able to fix her if I take her down.
Mason, E, LT 2nd: kady u cant come here
Mason, E, LT 2nd: you’ll die too
ByteMe: well i’m not leaving u, so thats really the end of that discussion
ByteMe: what do u think, i’m just going to sail off into the sunset and leave you to be eaten by the mob out there or blown up by the Lincoln?