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Personal Log, Lt. Adele Mundy, TSN Eagle, 2nd Flt. 4th Lt. Div.
First, the good news, as Braddock and Vaj were promoted to full Ensign rank.
Then, the bad news, as we were reminded at the duty briefing that the Hegemony has declared war. Stellar cartography is being updated with the latest known positions of forces on both sides; as always, records are necessarily a little behind the current situation. Hegemony forces are in Sierra System, TSN battle divisions are in Atlantis system. We were tasked to prevent enemy access to Atlantis through WayPoint 52, so we were to delay the Hegemony fleet while setting up safeguards to the WP so that it could be shut down from Atlantis Sector if necessary. Retreat from Volantis Sector, we were told, would be a last option, but if necessary we would have to fight a retreating defensive action.
There was a systems update too. It did not go smoothly.
After a sims and a live fire exercise, we received confirmation from Command that the new Apollo and Valkyrie class ships would be waiting for us in Atlantis. Montgomery‘s officers would transfer to Apollo, Eagle‘s officers to Valkyrie, then we would return to Promethean through Volantis. Meanwhile, Eagle‘s officers were to report to Hunter.
On the way to Atlantis Command, we found the wreckage of a Hegemony station in Volantis, proving that the enemy forces have been attempting to set up advanced bases in TSN space. We also found a damaged TSN ship in sector 2, further proof of hostilities taking place.
We reached Atlantis Command, docked at Shipyard 230 and transferred to the Valkyrie class ship – as yet unnamed, so I’ll refer to her as Valkyrie.
Command and Control announced a full scale Hegemony attack, and the evacuation started. DS 53 evacuated onto Raven and a number of transport ships; DS 17 onto Apollo and transports, DS 53 onto Phoenix and more transports. The orders were to make their way out to Atlantis System.
Further orders signalled retreat to Promethean Gate as Volantis was under a full scale attack; and to defend the transport vessels while retreating to Promethean System.
Valkyrie‘s orders were to delay the enemy vessels, attacking the rear of their fleet. Raven gave us the time to refuel and restock ordnance.
Then Command and Control announced that Volantis Sector had been taken by the enemy, and that our fleet would rendez-vous in Promethean for a counterattack, so were to go through Promethean Gate to Promethean Command.
Promethean Gate was not responding – probably hacked by Hegemony forces. We split forces to look for the control buoy and the sensor relay, destroyed them though they were heavily defended, and made it through the gate.
Our efforts did allow Command to lock down WayPoint 52, so the Hegemony will need to come through Promethean and Cerberus to reach Atlantis.
We prepare to hold Promethean to give the main fleet time to muster.
And I shall indulge in some reminiscing now. I find it soothing. I shall continue my description of the G.I.F.T. office from where I left off: returning to the centre of the room, where Antonio Nash stands in his grey suit, wearing sunglasses indoors.
We return to the Memory Palace for a more subjective and unbalanced view of events, which the ever-vigilant nursing staff won’t be able to hear me dictate. Dammit, I miss Dr. Chen.Behind Nash are two wooden desks, each one with a computer on it, and behind the desks, against the North wall, are old fashioned filing cabinets, whiteboards, and more bookshelves.
Events, as I recall, were as stated in my personal log. What I didn’t state was the pounding headache, the vision blackouts, and the (literally) blind fury I felt at being unable to perform my duties adequately at the time the TSN needed all of her officers. So here I am again, with scans and sensors and blood tests and look up, look down, to the right, to the left, how many fingers am I holding up? How many now? And now?There
Are
Four
Lights!By the bookshelves stands Prince Kiros Nandelu in a sober grey suit. I remember being told he was a Prince, but nobody ever told me where he was a Prince of. I would like to look that up now, but I fear all records may have been destroyed with Paragon.
Every time one of the staff picks up the data pad with my records and the latest test results, I see their eyes dart to the place on the screen where I know it says:
Place of Birth: Chatsworth House, Salamanca, Paragon.
I can imagine what they’re thinking:
“Ah. Paragon. Well, that would explain it then. Bunch of weirdos on Paragon. Weren’t the first settlers on Paragon back in the 21st century refugees from Earth with all sorts of crazy belief systems? Wasn’t there a higher than normal incidence of mutation on Paragon? Did you read that article…?”The whole East side of the room is a cross between a conference room and a study, with two long library-style ranks of desks, complete with brass and green glass desk lamps; and two ranks of computer work stations; and another whiteboard on the wall.
Then there’s the medical dialogue:
“So, Lt. Mundy, you say the painkillers we prescribed for your injuries last shift wear off too fast? How fast? How often have you been taking them? And the dressings are irritating? Well, some itchy skin is a natural part of the healing process… Hmm, no, it really should not be reacting that badly… I’ll make a note of that. Possible allergy. Need to run a few more tests.”And out into the hallway once more, returning towards the main entrance by following the East wall, and the first doorway I reach says D.A.T.A., Department of Advanced Technology Application. I’ve run out of jokes to make about the office names.
“Let’s switch to old-fashioned bandages. We can prescribe these painkillers instead. They should control the headache too. No, your vision is fine. No detectable damage to the optic nerve, eye pressure normal, peripheral vision is fine, everything seems to be within normal parameters.”
Because it’s the Tech department, there are a lot of computers in here. There’s one as I turn left from the door, against the North wall, partly obscuring a plaque. I don’t remember what the plaque was about. There were so many plaques scattered through Paragon.
“Have you noticed disturbed sleeping patterns recently?”
Disturbed sleeping patterns. Hallo, Doctor, what planet are you on? War has been declared. I was personally checking up on the status of a significant proportion of Eagle’s crew last shift after we blew up on a mine. Dammit, you were on duty, patching them up! We’re on rotating QRF duty. Matsiyan is staying up late fixing systems, and I hear every metallic clang and every epithet he throws at hardware and software and the [Expletive Deleted] who put them together. And you think I’m having trouble sleeping? By all the stars in the black, Doctor, you’re a genius!
Beside the first computer in its heavy steel case, with the old fashioned green text on black screen, stands Caitlin Murray-Davies, talking on the phone. She was always talking on the phone to somebody, even when she was talking to people who were standing right there, her attention was divided between them and her phone.
“Any symptoms of anxiety?”
Well now, let me see: Arvonian spies on station; my friend and fellow-officer Blaze stabbed in the back while off duty; my friend and fellow-officer Matsiyan on double duty combing the station for Arvonian devices; the ship I was on, did I mention we hit a mine? So, you know, lots of screaming and running for the life pods among explosions and stuff; and the Fleet Captain’s speech about holding the line against the approaching Hegemony fleet, being all that stands between them and human space unless we receive reinforcements. I really can’t think what I might have to be anxious about.
Against the North wall beside Caitlin is a map of Atlas Park, glowing faintly blue. I suppose it’s a large screen, I never asked myself that question when I saw it.
“Loss of appetite?”
Doctor, do you actually eat the station rations?
“Increase in alcohol consumption?”
I had a brandy last time I was in Benjamin’s…
“Drugs?”
I’ve run out of Dr. Chen’s prescription…
Further along the wall, a more up to date workstation, and another plaque. I don’t remember what this one says, either. Ironic, really, building a Memory Palace on half-remembered things.
No, I didn’t really give those answers out loud. I was calm and professional. Dammit. I would really like to go and shoot something.And so we come to the reinforced concrete wall with the blast-proof glass window in it, where some ominous cylindrical containers and armoured metal crates are stacked, not quite obscuring the view into the secure room beyond.
They’d better let me out of here before the next shift, I haven’t had a chance to see what Valkyrie’s sensors are capable of, and I’ve only heard about the beam arc…Yes, Nurse, I’ve finished my log. I’ll switch off now.
Computer, end log.//The paragraph where you proclaim the doctor to be a genius is fantastic!
Awww, friends? 😀 The “anxious” paragraph is great, as well!
And the irony of the half-remembered memory palace was not lost on me. I’ve noticed it earlier, but didn’t want to say anything. I guess Adele’s memory palace is a bit different than expected. 😉
//Thanks! I wanted to show the surface, and what’s going on underneath. And I hope we’re friends! 🙂
// Yes, Blaze said it. This was an above average log even for you; details, personality and attitudes, backstory. Really immersive.
//Thank you. I had to find a way to express my frustration at being cut off from my station – totally due to RL factors: I didn’t copy the mod into the right place, and so I couldn’t get it to work. Grrrr… But Adele has to be much better than I am with tech, so it had to be a different kind of obstacle.
It was a weird mission on Valkyrie, to be honest.
First, we lose Brenner because of RL complications. I did perceive something was off on his end, so I was already taking care of things before he officially handed over command. That left us at the limit of four officers we needed to avoid being split up, then Adele started having issues, then my connection started acting up, then I reconnected and Gebbens was on board (again, thanks for saving our butt twice), then Adele was working again, then not, then issues, then Gebbens, then I go back and Adele was handling the intership comms as requested by Assasino.
It speaks volumes of the crew we had that somehow we managed.
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