V – The Diary of Jonathan Flynn
"Its hard to explain how it felt on that first recon rover. The damn thing was all metal bars and restraining harnases. A gangly metallic hamster on wheels. Fit only really for charging around in circles as you tried to get in under control. "Unsafe at any speed" had quickly become the slogan." Still there was something romantic about setting off from the perimiter fence into the wild unknown.
My driver in those days had been Richard Baxter, a celebrity in his own right and together we'd had quiet a few adventures. Fought off the worms stumbled across dozens of life giving survey pods and even made a discovery or two about Chiron which all these years later its still not quite safe to write about.
Despite the trials of planetfall i have come to miss those simple days, where Richard and I simply survived, and considered nothing else."
Tom
Tom screamed and bellowed and gave frantic orders but nothing got him into the room. He scratched at the door and at last managed to collar another security officer dressed in black. "You there, here now, open this door at once!" The man tapped obediently at the door controls, "It's been overridden, I think they're processing that drone sir." Tom roared in helpless rage, "overridden! We're the security service, bloody override the override now!" The man obediently went to work on the panel, Tom paced, he looked up to the piping above the door, he'd smash his way through like before if he had to!
Suddenly there was a bright flash of red light and the door slid open of its own accord. Tom rushed through and forced his way passed the men inside. Yang was stood over the table, despite the risk he rushed past him too and stared down at Earl.
Yang ignored him, "the sentence has been carried out, note it in the log." He turned to the soldiers, "where is Santiago, we need to round up the other officers quickly to ensure they do not use this reactor crisis to flee, we're dangerously close to Chiron as it is."
The same officer Tom had been screaming at moments before spoke up, "she disabled two security staff and has disappeared sir!" Yang cursed, "well we do this without her then." He muttered, "Men, secure the ship, ensure no one leaves their quarters and send someone to ascertain how long we have before the reactor goes critical. And clear the bridge!" The men saluted and rushed from the room.
Tom had his hands on Earls head. Earl wasn't moving his eyes fixed on the ceiling, his mouth forming a small o as though his last experience was one of mild surprise. "It can be a shock to the young to see nerve stapling first hand." Yang's voice drifted to him. "He will recover, have no doubt. At the same time we strip away the nerves, we also imbed standardised programming. Of course I added a little extra in the subroutines for loyalty. A cocktail that all the drones bound for my pods will receive." Tom felt a tear running down his cheek and anger coursing through his veins. Yang seemed oblivious, "You were the one who found Morgan, excellent work. I need you to utilise your skills at capture and find Santiago, she is the only threat to my plans, find her and stop her do you understand."
Tom looked up, cold anger written on his face, "Perfectly sir." Yang smiled cruelly, "I see a lot of myself in you solider, our revolution is beginning!" He marched from the room as Tom's fists clenched. Already he could see the storage room, the arms locker and the rifle inside, already he could see his revenge coming.
He stalked from the room in a black rage, he didn't notice Earl stir, it wouldn't have mattered if he did, his eyes showed no recognition, they hadn't been programed to yet.
With deliberate speed he rushed to the security storage lockers. Using his security pass he entered then tapped his access card against the gun locker. His access was denied: Insufficient rank. He bellowed at the locker and kicked it hard. Then in a sudden burst of inspiration pulled the ID machine from his waist. Taking it up he placed his hand inside and quickly created a new identity, Captain Matson could access the locker.
The machine whirred and buzzed then promptly denied him. He threw it to the floor and slammed his hand against the locker. "A good plan… here." Santiago rushed in and took up the machine. Tapping quickly she entered details and placed it over his hand. "By my authority as Colonel, newly promoted" she smiled, "I promote you to the rank of captain and update your ID accordingly." The machine beeped and flashed green.
Tom said nothing but turned and ripped open the now "access granted" locker door. He pulled out a rifle and cartridge. "I saw you rush to stop Yang, he is a fanatic, I understand, but revenge will only get you killed and you haven't the time."
Tom looked at her coldly, "I am going to go back there and I'm getting my friend and I'm going to shoot anyone that tries to stop me." Santiago placed a hand on his shoulder, "don't throw away your life, we are armed and Yang will be by now too. He will have seen that he can't secure the ship without it, people aren't doing what they're told." She drew level with him meeting his angry gaze, "I saw you were a survivor the first time I met you, you weren't afraid but you were angry." Tom threw off her shoulder and marched to the door. "That anger should have got you killed, I should have taken your life then but I didn't, you owe me that." Tom stopped his hand instinctively moving to his throat and tracing the raised skin of the knife mark.
"Do you know what nerve stapling is?" She asked quietly, "they strip away everything except the part that serves and the part that obeys. Your friend is gone. We have all lost friends but this new world is our chance to prove they cannot crush us too. This ship will fall apart soon and with it Yang's plans for dominance. If you truly wish to honour your friend, take the fight to him in the new world, destroy the reason your friend was made to suffer, destroy Yang's profit from it."
Tom was shaking, the gun pointing ever lower to the floor. The ship shook again and a low thunder of distant exploding metal echoed through the room. "We don't have much time, and truthfully I need you much less than you need me."
A man suddenly appeared at the door, "Colonel its time to leave!" He said with a panicked smile. "Alright Ulrik," Santiago hefted her weapon and walked past Tom to the doorway. "We've all had our hand forced by Yang, we all want to get him back for that. That makes us the same, we've survived that, we've survived everything life has thrown at us, we're survivors. It's your last chance."
Tom slung the rifle. Grimly he made up his mind, I'll see you later Yang, you'll pay for this.
Jonathan
As the ship shook Jonathan tried to calm the people around him. In the panic and confusion of the shaking ship and half the pods in the place just up and moving he'd found waking Morgan's minions fairly easy. They'd been the first to identify why the pods were moving. Those in control were ensuring their chosen disciples were on their escape pod before the automated system kicked in and just assigned them to the nearest station.
It had been a tough choice to actually act out Morgan's instructions but Jonathan's mind was made up. Crawling in his pipes he'd found Liz in tow with her savour, Earl was content to wait it out in jail and Tom. Well last he'd seen of Tom he was dressed to kill and storming round the ship. It seemed everyone had a plan but him. He'd felt stupid, he'd felt scared and suddenly he remembered he had a plan. He had a savour too. His little pad had provided him with enough evidence on Morgan. He really had funded the Unity project and the people he wanted weren't just friends and family, they were engineers, scientists.
Jonathan had collected them together and led them all to Morgan's Pod. The crew quarters and tight control cabin were surprisingly well furnished, he'd expected an escape pod to be more, well Spartan but it seemed Morgan liked to travel in style.
At the insistence of the gathered personal, all who seemed to think he was some kind of PA for Mr Morgan, Jonathan was waiting outside the pod doors hopping up and down in anticipation. Where was he?!
Suddenly the man appeared hurrying down the corridor. His eye was bloodied and bruises were clear on his face. "What the hell…" He waved Jonathan aside, "bigger problems now, is everyone aboard?" Jonathan nodded, "supplied loaded?" He nodded again, "everything's ready like you said." Morgan smiled, "excellent, so nice to have all the preparations made."
He turned and with surprising agility leap at Jonathan. With a great swipe he struck him down then leapt back behind pod bay doors. "It's absolutely nothing personal young man it's just I really don't know a thing about you, my little bugging device says you've no ID chip at all which means you really are much too much of a risk, good day."
With an evil smile Morgan hit a button on his side of the door and as Jonathans head still swam the pod doors closed. The compartment he was in began to flash red and an emergency horn blared loudly. Stumbling to his feet he staggered back to the outer doors just as they descended and watched through the tiny porthole in stunned silence and the first of the Unity's pods broke free of its restraints and roared for the planet surface he could now see opening before him.
Jonathan stared at it, somehow, though he couldn't imagine why, he'd expected to see earth out there. But the ever expanding view past the shrinking pod showed a red and angry planet. A mix of ochre, blood red, and the occasional flash of blue ocean.
An explosion far behind him brought his attention back to the now. He heard rushing footsteps away up the corridor and fled towards them. He didn't care if he was captured, he had to get off this ship, now! He left one corridor, through another and turned back to reach the next pod. He raced down the corridor towards the red flashing lights and hit the hatchway as it closed, though the small window pane at its top he saw the pod doors secure and behind its tiny porthole the long blonde hair he'd come to recognise so well. Liz!
Once again he was forced to watch as another escape pod flew from the ship's hull. As he watched he noticed other plumes of flame from other pods, everyone was leaving!
Not knowing where else to turn he raced along the central corridor. He had left Morgan's pad in the escape pod with the crew and had no idea where he was running too. He charged up stairways and along corridors as the ship shuddered and creaked amid sounds of tearing metal. He saw people rushing through doors and out of compartments but never got close enough to grab them. He emerged suddenly into a large circular room, similar in shape to the room he'd lost Earl in hours before.
Three men stood in this room, the tallest in the middle was shouting orders and franticly jabbing at controls. He turned as Jonathan raced into the room, skidding to a stop, "third panel, tell me what the reactor readout is!" Jonathan tried to turn to run back out, determined to find a pod, "now, now now!" The man screamed and despite himself Jonathan ran to the panel. An angry red graph proclaimed 68. "sixty eight!" Jonathan shouted, "what?!" The man bellowed back, "sixty eigh…" The man raced over, "That's impossible its…. Jesus." He strode back to his console. "How many more?" He asked one of the other men. "Showing all but one pod launched, it seems some launched automatically, there's some kind of virus in the system I've no control." "Yang!" The man cursed. "What about the remaining pod?" The man examined his screens, "docking malfunction, seems the doors were obstructed, it abandoned the launch rather than expose the interior of the ship to vacuum."
"So we should go!" The three men turned, Jonathan hadn't even realised he had shouted. "Go? This is the United Nations Ship Unity, I will not abandon her!" Jonathan looked out at the multiple viewscreens that covered one wall of the room, "everyone else is!" The man turned and scowled at the screens. "No, we have to rescue her." One of the other men glanced nervously at Jonathan, "I think he's right Previn, we can't stay! Perhaps we can program the ship to set down using autopilot?" Lal slammed his palms into the control panel. His head hung low, he sighed, "she was never meant to land, if we can't arrest her fall she'll disintegrate and all our hopes with her." The third man spoke suddenly, "sir, most of the pods have launched taking a significant amount of supplies with them. All together we could easily hope to build a stable settlement." "All together?" Lal almost laughed, "a beautiful dream, I was here when Yang crushed it." Jonathan put his hands out to stabilise himself as the ship rocked again, "what's wrong with you people, you have to survive, there's a pod and the reactors at…. Seventy one now! Launch the damn pod!" Lal looked up at him then toward the other two men, something seemed to change suddenly in him. "Your right, launch all remaining survey pods, set them for random dispersal, we don't know where those pods will land but they'll need every bit of help they can get. Have a Unity chopper placed into the remaining pod and come with me, we'll get that pod unblocked and pray we make it to land." He Placed a hand on Jonathans shoulder as they prepared to leave, "perhaps we can save the Unity yet, once we're together on Chiron."
Jonathan glanced over to the man whose words he seemed to be getting credit for but said nothing, as the ship lurched once more he was just glad to be getting out.
Liz
The gee force was incredible; it was like every teacup ride in the world rolled into one. Liz was sure she was going to throw up. All around her were thick soft chairs encasing equally queasy drones and technicians who had fled with her, some more singed than others from the flames.
Despite their abrupt flight Deirdre had regained her centre of calm. She tapped the controls of the pod with assured strokes. Liz watched the thin blue lines arching out on the screen and their own green line piloting a course between them.
When at last nothing stood between their line and the large purple sphere that was the planet Liz felt the engines slow and Deirdre turned in her seat to rest next to Liz. "Do you know what it is you carry?" She asked Liz gently. Liz looked down at the case she still clutched in her hands, no one had been able to force it out of her grip since Deirdre had thrust it upon her. "Pines?" Liz asked more than answered. Deirdre smiled, "White Pine, my favourite tree and the only luxury I permitted myself." Liz looked questioningly, "every seed we carry, every animal embryo, was selected for a purpose: To be hardy, to supply food, and yet to react as little as possible with native flora and fauna: To be controllable, not pests. The pines were never on that list, but they were beautiful, and I had to have them." Liz almost felt herself smiling, Deirdre's calm kind demeanour was so infectious. Deirdre smiled warmly and placed a gentle hand on her wrist, "we have everything we need here, industrial modules, terreformers, evac suits, modular housing and sensor arrays, everything to setup a fledgling colony. It was never meant to be used to build such a small settlement but it will do." She addressed the rest of the technicians and drones around her, "each one of you has brought a piece of the heart of our new lives, each has something valuable to bring." She turned and with another warm smile whispered to Liz, "but you alone have brought us beauty."
Liz smiled but faltered as she thought of the planet below, "but there's only," she looked round, "seven of us!" Deirdre's smiled was unwavering, "hidden in the depths of this pod are hundreds of souls, all frozen and ready to awaken on a new world. All loyal to principles that will see verdant forests grow and peace reign." Deirdre brought up a plan of the pod and Liz suddenly realised how huge it was, "so many people, they can't all want what you want?" She whispered whilst staring at the plan. "I gathered most of my followers during our convalescence." Liz turned from the screen confused. Deirdre laughed, "my dear you really are lost in space aren't you! Perhaps as you were not plugged in with the rest of us you missed the experience, it would explain your forgetfulness. The brain was never meant to stay in cryogenic sleep for long. The convalescence was our solution. Our minds would be woken whilst our bodies slept. We spent some years connected to each other in a ship wide network, able to work and socialise. It kept us active but also allowed me to gather supporters for something very important." "For what?" Liz asked breathless and rapt in attention, "I wanted friends who believed as I do, that nature should be treated as a friend not an adversary, that we should grow only what we need and not try to confront planet as an enemy. There were many who agreed with me and they all reside in the pods below us now." Her face darkened slightly as she looked back to the control panel, a multitude of blue lines still blinking htie rway to the planets surface, "It seems I was not alone in my thinking. Though I had always imagined my supporters would gather around me in our one city and we would talk others to our cause, it seems Yang was intent on destroying Unity and all those opposed to him. I fear for all of us on Chiron if he makes the landing.
Liz shuddered as she remembered the angry man form the bridge. She suddenly remembered Tom's face, she missed Jonathan, what had become of him and poor Earl, god how she hoped Tom had rescued him in time. What if she never saw them again? Instinctively she clutched at Deirdre's hand, with a smile the gentle woman pressed back and together they watched the new world approach them.
Earl
/ Drone activity level 1
/ Cortex function nominal
/ Class 3 damage to support structure, healing under way
/\/ Orders received: Assist Chairman Yang in escape of Unity.
\/ Manual labour process 1 – a to b with established load.
\/ Complete.
\/ New program initiated:
H - Parameters upgraded, operation profile = The Hive.
