Chapter 51: Lift Off

The sky was clear on a hot summer day. A breeze tore through the tall grass of the hills to Kezamat's south. Practically the entire city gathered there on picnic blankets, all facing the same direction. Vendors sold food and chilled drinks by the dozen, rejuvenating excited chatter across the field. They all watched the great, metal structure in front of them with bated breath.

Through the combined efforts of Cerinia's workers and the outer worlds, the rocket was complete. It was just the test model with only enough cabin space for a few expendable samples; something to please the Balvenish if the ship successfully made it out of orbit. Even so, it was still a milestone that Andross almost feared they'd never reach. And to think it only took eight months to build it.

Andross marvelled at the final product. A cylindrical, white tower adjoined to two smaller twins, just like in the history books. The design was primarily his, although Andross noticed some minor touches styled by their Novellonian and Eulethran partners. Purely cosmetic, he found. None of it should affect the rocket's performance.

As a ground crew carted away the shuttle's scaffold, Andross ran checks over the control panel inside his pavilion. McCloud sat beside him, getting acquainted with the instruments. Although the idea was for the rocket to pass through the arethanite layer on its own, getting it there with a little manual guidance wouldn't hurt. This also gave Andross the chance to witness McCloud's piloting skills firsthand. Years grounded on Cerinia could have rusted them. Better to build them back up now than try doing it when people's lives were in his hands.

"System readings are coming through clearly," Andross reported. "Cabin pressure is normal. Fuel and power are at maximum. No issues as far as I can see."

McCloud peered through a telescope pointed at the rocket. He fidgeted with the joysticks. "Wings are responding to remote input. Everything is moving smoothly."

"Good. Thene, could you please check that the launchpad is clear."

At Andross's opposite side, Thene closed her eyes for several moments. "There are no lifeforms inside the blast barrier. However, I do detect a dozen or so people who are standing a little too close."

"Contact the guards to pull them back to the safety line. I don't want any accidents if we can help it."

"I've already issued those people a warning," Krystal spoke up from behind McCloud. She lowered her fingertips from her temple. "They're making their way back now."

"Thank you, Lady McCloud," Andross nodded, satisfied. A master lythan's authority was worth its weight in gold. Even during the nuhmryg epidemic, few civilians ever dared to disobey one. He ran another series of diagnostic checks in the interim. Once the launchpad was clear, they could soon commence the test flight. Provided, of course, that there were no further disrupt-

"Hey, Fox!"

Andross gnashed his teeth at the sudden outburst. He snapped his glare towards the tent's flap, where Grandmaster Sythast's fool of a son barged in. "What's the hold up? Are you guys going to make that huge thing fly or not?"

McCloud turned to him. "Soon, Sabre," he sighed in exasperation. "We just need to make sure everything is safe and working properly."

"Ooh! Cool!" Sabre's fingers waggled as he approached the terminal. "What's all this?"

"These are the controls for the rocket," McCloud explained. "If I move this joystick, the wing flaps move to adjust the ship's flight path. And these dials control the fuel output so it can push out more power or less if we need it to."

Sabre nodded, trying to look as though he understood when in reality he didn't. His gaze flicked sideward. "What's this big, red thingy do?"

Alarm shot through Andross as the boy reached for the launch button. McCloud and his mate seized him by the middle and wrist. "Don't touch anything, you twit!" Krystal snapped.

"What?" Sabre whined. "What's the worst that could happen?"

"How about the whole ship exploding and killing someone?" McCloud snarled.

Sabre's ears straightened with fright. "It can do that?"

"Give an idiot a chance, and anything's possible."

"Sabre, seriously! These machines are not toys!" Krystal pressed. "Don't play around with them if you don't even know what they do."

"Okay! Okay! Sheesh!" Sabre sulked. The two mates then released him once they were certain he'd behave. "Didn't mean anything by it…"

"I think I heard him over there," a distant voice called. The tent flap soon opened again. A plain, brown vixen stuck her head inside. "There you are, Sabre."

He turned with a grin. "Oh! Hey, Sheld."

Sheld, however, was not amused. "We take our eyes off you for five seconds, and you already wander off like a kit."

Sabre held up his hands. "I just wanted to find out what was taking the rocket so long."

"It's going to take even longer if you keep bothering Fox and the others. Now get out here!"

The flap peeled open again, allowing a purple tod's head to poke in. "So, you did find him. Hope Sabre isn't causing too much trouble, Fox."

Andross's last nerve split in two. "Will everyone who was not invited here please leave!" he shouted.

Straight as an arrow, Sabre shot past the other two intruders. The vixen quickly followed. "Sorry, Fox! Sorry, Krystal!" the purple one yelped. "Sorry, Mister Andross."

"Doctor Andross!"

The fox squeaked. "Sorry, Mister Doctor Andross! We'll get out of your fur!" The tent flap closed behind him. Steaming, Andross slammed his palms onto the table.

"I am constantly surrounded by buffoons!"

"Take it easy, old man. Your heart's going to give out," McCloud teased. Andross grew dangerously close to strangling him.

"Is the site clear for take-off?" he asked through gritted teeth.

Thene scanned with her telepathy again. "All crewmen and civilians have evacuated to the safe zone. We're clear to proceed when you are ready."

Thank goodness! Andross reached for the microphone for the loudspeaker system; a little something he wiped together from leftover parts for the crowd. "Attention, everyone. The launch will begin momentarily."

He gave people a few minutes to settle into place. "Today marks the first recorded attempt to fly a ship from Cerinia's surface to outer space. Such a feat would not normally be expected for another thousand years, yet the fruits of our labours stand before us here and now. Those of you who helped to build this rocket, take pride! For not only are you the first in your world to create this wonder of science, but you are also the first to work in partnership with other worlds beyond the skies above. Today marks the next pivotal moment in your planet's history, and you are the ones who paved the long road to get us here!"

Cheers roared across the plain. The crowd's excitement took on a nearly physical presence. Andross smirked in response.

"Are you feeling okay, Doc? It's not like you to be nice and inspire people," McCloud remarked, arms folded.

"A momentous occasion such as this requires a speech appealing to the masses," Andross replied simply.

If only the Cerinians knew how technology was capable of so much more throughout the universe. This was a trifle achievement in comparison. That being said, they did well to aid the rocket's construction as they had. Every good parent celebrated their infants' first steps no matter how wobbly or inconsistent they were. Praise given now would encourage the Cerinians to strive towards further greatness. Who knew how high their race could ascend once they learned what else they could achieve? A shame how Andross wouldn't live the centuries needed to witness the results for himself.

"Are you ready, McCloud?"

McCloud tightened his grip around the controls. A fierce, determined look sharpened his eyes and ears. "Yeah."

The moment of truth loomed over them at last. Andross brought the microphone to his lips again. "Launching in T-minus: five…"

McCloud's hand hovered over the red button.

"Four…"

Thene clutched Andross's shoulder.

"Three…"

Krystal whispered something in McCloud's ear.

"Two…"

Andross's mouth felt dry. He licked his lips.

"One…"

McCloud slammed the button down.

"Lift off!"

Flames erupted from the rocket's thrusters. They washed over the earth below, scattering heat and dust outward. The blast spread until it collided with the tall mortar wall surrounding the launchpad. Trembling, the rocket rose into the air. Screams and shouting surged around the tent. Andross pushed out the din to focus on the rocket and its movements. It seemed to climb high in an instant yet slowing to a crawl as it shrank into the sky. Soon Andross could only see the trail of exhaust left behind. He took the telescope from McCloud and angled it towards the sky. He adjusted the focus until he could see the vessel once more.

"How's our fuel supply?"

"Primary fuel is at 65 percent and dropping," Thene read from the gauges.

"Once it gets below 10 percent, be ready for the secondary engine to kick in. If it doesn't do so automatically, McCloud will need to initiate it instead."

"Hear you loud and clear," McCloud responded. He too kept an eye on the instruments. "This is way different to flying a starfighter."

Every so often, McCloud fiddled with the joystick while staring intently at the rocket's dashcam feed. His wrist movements looked random to the unfamiliar eye. However, McCloud was among the most talented pilots in the Lylat System. Andross could presume that he was working like a duck underneath the surface just to keep the rocket on course. Gravity and windspeeds were the first things they needed to overcome before they even reached their true obstacle. Success laid literally in his hands.

"Primary fuel capacity is at nine percent," Thene advised.

"Ready for second ignition," McCloud answered.

Andross tracked the rocket as angled into its optimal trajectory. After this, it should enter the arethansphere shortly. Then they would lose all contact. The rest would be up to natural forces and chance.

"Three percent… Two percent…"

"Any second now…" Andross mumbled. True to plan, the primary thrusters broke away from the main body. They released a mechanical trigger to engage the second engine. The flames expanded behind the rocket's tail. It surged forward with greater speed. "Yes!"

Not long afterwards, McCloud began to growl. "Losing signal quality."

"That's good," Andross replied. That meant they were close. "Shut down the onboard computer now." McCloud did as instructed.

Higher. Further. The rocket closed in towards the sea of pink dust overhead. Andross held his breath. Hoping. Praying. Fearing the rocket shutting down on the last mile. Then, when his heart felt like it would rupture from his chest, the ship disappeared entirely from Andross's view.

"The rocket has breached the arethansphere!"

Ecstatic, Krystal threw herself over McCloud's shoulders. He grinned brightly as he reached behind to pull her closer. It was too soon for Andross to celebrate. However, he would allow them to relish this achievement if they wished.

"Now we just have to wait for Star Fox to receive the rocket on the other side," he thought aloud.

"How long do you think that'll take?" McCloud asked.

"Approximately eight minutes." That was his best estimate garnered from Star Fox's data on the arethansphere's thickness, the rocket's flight plan, and the speed required to escape Cerinia's gravity.

McCloud leaned back into his mate's embrace. "I guess, there's nothing left for us to do."

"No," Andross agreed. "However, we will keep watch until Star Fox sends confirmation."

Success or failure? The anticipation made him lick his lips. If only he could see what could not be seen by either radar or the naked eye. Alas, all he could do now was hope. It was all any of them could do.

Tearing through the atmosphere above 41,000 kph, the unmanned rocket pierced into the thick blanket of pearl dust surrounding Cerinia. All onboard electrical equipment had shut down via remote command before the arethanite's radiation could burn out its circuitry. The empty cabin became dark and silent.

The rocket shook and rattled as it flew. Arethanite dust battered against its hull at high speed. It jostled the cargo latched inside the cabin. The leather restraints groaned from the strain. Animal specimens bounced within the green fluid of their jars. Thousands of bolts and screws throughout the ship bared the brunt of the Sky God's wrath.

With each blast of wind, the rocket's nose tipped from its course. Five degrees… Ten… Thirty… Without anything to correct these deviations, the ship spun further out of control. Its trajectory turned southward, away from Cerinia's westerly rotation. Its ascent levelled out and inverted. The rocket sank lower and lower. Soon, it fell from the arethansphere entirely and plummeted towards the surface.

"…And then it was like booooom! And I was like wooaahh! And then it went woosh! And Sheld was like haaaa!" Sabre gasped. His every sentence matched with animated arms. "And then I could see, but then I couldn't, and it was so cool! Fox, is that what all ships on your world are like?!"

Fox chuckled, having joined Sabre and the others with Krystal soon after they lost sight of the rocket. "Not really. Ours fly a bit differently, and they're way faster. I could have made it to the moon and back by now if I could ride my old Arwing."

Sabre threw his head back like a kid pumped up with too much sugar and action movies. "Aw, man! Now I want to ride a rocket with you guys!"

Fox looked to Krystal and saw his thoughts in her eyes. As much as they enjoyed his newfound enthusiasm, neither of them believed that the universe could handle Sabre running amok. Best to say nothing lest he misinterpret their words as a promise.

"What about you two?" Krystal asked Sheld and Hiumart. The former sat in her mate's arms, scratching his cheek affectionately.

Hiumart let go of Sheld's waist to wave his hand. "Count me out. I don't think foxes are supposed to fly. Can't end well."

"Really? I've got life experience that says otherwise," Fox replied. "I've flown for over 10 years, and nothing bad ever happened because of it."

"Until you fell onto our world and ended up stuck here," Sheld smirked.

Fox frowned instantly. "Touché." Giggling, Krystal wrapped her arms around him to soothe his bruised ego. It helped somewhat.

"What about you, Sheld?" she asked.

"If Hiumart won't go, then I don't want to," Sheld replied. She nuzzled him. "There wouldn't be much point otherwise."

"So, it's decided," Hiumart reciprocated. Fox couldn't help smiling at the two of them.

Sabre, however, retched with his tongue out. "You two might as well forge an ehn and be done with it," he grumbled.

"Been thinking about it," Hiumart replied, never taking his attention away from Sheld.

Honestly, if he could, Fox would take every person he cared about on Cerinia with him to see the galaxy. There was so much that they were missing out on here. It made Fox wish that the big, pink haze above their heads didn't exist. It's always getting in the way. That's all it does and all it's good for. Would that he could snap his fingers and get rid of it all. Fox sighed. At least he could bring the most important person with him. He pulled Krystal closer to his side.

She tensed suddenly. Pulling away from Fox, Krystal began to stare off into the distance. Sabre, Hiumart, and Sheld turned towards the same direction as well. Fox glanced around, feeling confused. Others in the crowd were staring intently as well.

"What's going on?"

"There's a ruckus going on over there," Sheld said quietly.

Krystal soon gasped. Her arm shot forward to point. "Fox! Look over there!"

At first, he wasn't sure what she meant. Then Fox saw it. The flames shooting down from the sky. The rocket! It was falling! 'No…'

"No!" Fox leaped to his feet. He ran straight for the command tent. "Andross!" He found him standing next to Thene, staring just like everyone else. "Andross, the rocket!"

"We know," Andross answered. His tone was resigned. The telescope hung in his hand.

"We have to try and save it!" Fox rushed to the controls. He jabbed and pulled every button and switch he could to try and restart the onboard computer. Nothing happened.

"It's pointless," Andross told him. "The rocket is now covered in arethanite dust. It won't respond to us again."

Fox glared furiously. "So what?! We're just going to let it crash?! We're going to take eight months' worth of work and just throw it all away?!"

"It's all that we can do," Andross stood firm. "We watch where it travels and find where it lands. Then we salvage the wreckage and try again with whatever's left."

Fox wanted to tear out his fur. That was the practical response to this turn of events, and he hated when Andross acted so practical about these sorts of things. "What do you think went wrong?"

Andross grumbled. He hung his head. "We won't know for certain until we inspect the wreckage. But after having checked the rocket meticulously before launch, I have one theory. I believe that we've overlooked something critical."

"And that is?!" Fox grew impatient.

"High-altitude winds. You ought to be familiar with them. The higher you go within a planet's atmosphere, the faster its windspeeds can get. And with the arethanite being present as a fine dust up there, the rocket would have been knocked around from all sides. We might as well have launched it during a sandstorm."

That, Fox understood well enough. His hands dropped to his side. "So, what do we do to get around that?"

Andross sighed. "I'll need time to think about it."

It wasn't what he wanted to hear, yet Fox had no choice but to accept the way things were. He glanced over to Thene and saw the edge of her expression. Frustration and disappointment left her sullen with her arms crossed tightly against her chest. Her tail hung limply behind her. Fox nodded to Andross. His ears fell flat.

As he turned back towards Krystal and the others, Fox braced himself for the loud, explosive impact of his hopes hitting terra-firma. It shook the ground underneath him. His fangs clenched from the sound attacking his eardrums. His heart punched inside his ribcage. Fox sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Anger, disappointment, and misery vented through it. More still lingered inside of him, and Fox did not know what else he could do to make it go away.

He soon found Krystal and met her knowing, mournful gaze. When she offered her arms, Fox sank into them. Krystal held him tightly and rubbed his back. In that moment, he just wanted to go home. Sadly, the home that they could return to was not the one that Fox wished for.

"So… It didn't work."

"No," Andross replied. "Regrettably, it seems like the test was doomed from the start."

Falco sighed over the radio. He sounded as dejected as Fox felt. "That arethan stuff is nasty shit, isn't it?"

"The error was mine. I was so concerned about the arethanite that I overlooked the potential impact of air currents. Without some form of guidance onboard, the rocket had no chance of staying on course."

Fox buried his head into his arms. Thankfully, he didn't need to worry about how pitiful he must look in the privacy of his own living room. He couldn't bear to be around Andross right now, so they each reported to the Great Fox through separate devices. Even then, Fox barely said a word.

"What's the plan now?" Falco asked.

"I've thought about it," Andross said. "Unfortunately, our only option is to fly the rocket manually through the arethansphere."

Fox tensed. After today's disaster, he wasn't all too keen on the idea.

"Is that going to be safe?" Peppy asked.

Andross scoffed. "Hardly. But it's clear that we can't fly the rocket remotely, nor can we rig it to fly blind and hope to succeed. We need a living person to pilot the ship and steer it all the way out of orbit."

"And since you and Fox are the only ones down there who know how to fly, we've pretty much only got one more shot at this," Falco grumbled.

"Correct. Which means we can't overlook any other factors that might stop us. Otherwise, we're as good as dead."

Dead… That one word dug icy claws into Fox's chest. Krystal's face floated in his mind, tearing the points deeper.

"Oh my god, Fox…" Slippy croaked. "If you guys were on that ship today, you'd… you'd…" Yeah… Fox knew.

"Lighten up, Slip," Falco cut in. "It didn't happen, so there's no point freaking out about it. And Fox, you're being way too quiet right now. You better not be moping around, feeling sorry for yourself."

Fox snickered. That arsehole… "Yeah sure, Falco. I hear you." He pulled his head off the table.

"Unfortunately, we will need to build another rocket from the ground up," Andross brought them back on topic. "I'll leave Star Fox to brief Corneria and the other worlds on the situation."

"We'll handle it," Peppy promised. "What will you do in the meantime?"

"We'll start by retrieving whatever we can from the crash site. I've already sent a team to locate it. As for McCloud and me, I've made arrangements to prepare us for the final launch. Since we won't be able to use G-diffusers, we'll need to condition our bodies to withstand the g-forces as we rise through Cerinia's atmosphere. The last thing we need is McCloud passing out on the way up."

Fox's ear twitched. "Wait… Are you going to make us ride around in one of those big, spinning chairs that they used to use back in the day?"

"If you're talking about a centrifuge, then yes. I should make the finishing touches on mine in a couple of weeks."

"Cool," Fox grinned. "Hey, guys! I'm going to ride in a centrifuge!"

"Jealous," Slippy griped.

"You know it's been years since you've last flown a starfighter, right? I bet you can't even handle 3 g off the bat," Falco mocked.

"I could take way more than you could," Fox countered.

"In your dreams, bushy-tail."

"You wanna put your money where your beak is, birdbrain?"

A loud bang carried across the channel. It sounded like a fist slamming onto a table. Or perhaps someone's forehead. "I cannot believe that my army was defeated by the likes of you lot," Andross growled.

"Welcome to my world," Peppy sympathised.

Fox chuckled. "Does anyone else hear the sound of grouchy, old men talking?"

"You know? Now that you mention it, I think I do," Falco joined in.

"Makes you picture rocking chairs and hard candy, doesn't it?" Slippy added.

"The three of you are bloody hilarious," Peppy huffed, annoyed.

Andross, however, snarled savagely. "Just tell Corneria and Novellon to get started on the escape model." With that, he seemed to leave the call. Fox, Falco, and Slippy burst into laughter.

"Oh my god, that was brilliant! I can't believe that we just drove Andross up the fucking wall!" Falco screamed. "I think I just discovered my new favourite pastime."

"I know, right?" Fox said between fits. He could scarcely breathe. "I tell you. Winding that guy up is one of the few things that keeps me going down here." With a long wheeze, he managed to get the last of his giggles out. "I feel so much better after that."

"Hey, Fox," Falco then spoke. "Don't sweat about today. You're going to fly the next ship perfectly. No doubt about it."

Fox smiled. "Thanks, man. You're right. Things only went pear-shaped because I couldn't steer the ship anymore. Wouldn't have happened if I'd actually been inside it."

"Hear, hear," Peppy agreed.

"So, how long will it take to make a new rocket?" Fox then asked.

Slippy hummed loudly. "If we have to make the controls manual… and put more effort into the life support systems… it's going to take another year. A little bit longer than the first model took."

Fox's expression fell. "Fuck…" Another year he'd have to sit waiting on Cerinia.

"That's what I was going to say," Falco grumbled. "Can't there be a faster way to get Fox out from there? Doesn't Andross know how to make warp gates?"

"I suggested the same thing to him a long time ago," Fox replied, thinking back. "Andross wasn't keen on the idea though. Too many things that could go wrong, he thought."

"He'd be right," Slippy agreed. "My dad's research team already tried that with the old dust samples we collected. But when the test drone tried to escape the container, its body parts scattered all over the countryside!"

A stunned pause followed. "Are you pulling our legs?" Falco asked. The colour drained from his voice.

"I wish I was. The robot's head and shoulder were the only things that made it to the target destination. Dad reckons that the arethanite can scramble wormholes just as badly as it does with electricity."

"Good Lord…" Peppy paled.

"Okay!" Falco chirped. "Rocket plan, it is! A late Fox is better than half a Fox. Glad that's settled." No one disagreed. "Alright, Fox. We'll ring up General Pepper and let him know what's happened. Are you going to be alright in the meantime?"

Fox forced himself to smile. "Yeah, Falco. It sucks, but it is what it is. Whining about it isn't going to change much."

"Sorry it'll take so long," Peppy sighed.

"It's fine, Peppy. No sense worrying about it."

"We'll be in touch as soon as we know more."

"Thanks, guys," Fox smiled more genuinely. "I'll be home for the rest of the day if you could let Mom know. I'm sure she'll want to call as soon as she hears about this."

"Will do," Peppy promised. "Take care, Fox."

"Thanks, Peppy. You guys take care too."

"Seeya, Fox."

"Keep your chin up," Falco added.

Fox terminated the call there. Alone in silence, he leaned back in his chair. His mind wandered and churned over the day's events and everything that they discussed just recently. Another year. Another year before they could try with a second rocket and hope that it doesn't crash as well. It was too much to deal with right now, yet Fox couldn't get it out of his head for long.

The front door opening snapped him from his thoughts. "Fox, I'm home," Krystal called. She walked in with a woven bag of groceries hanging from her arm. Fox pried himself from his seat to help her unpack. Krystal greeted him with a tender embrace first, however. Her cheek pressed firmly against his. "How are you feeling?"

"Not great," Fox admitted, "but I'll be okay. It's going to be another year before we can try again."

Krystal's palm rubbed his back. "Oh, Fox…"

"The good news is that it should be the last time. We're going to fly out into space for real. Andross reckons we've got a better chance of making it through that way."

Her eyes gleamed as Krystal pulled back. "That is good," she smiled.

"I suppose the rocket crashing doesn't really change anything," Fox conceded. "It was still going to take as long to build the second rocket anyway." He cupped Krystal's face in his hands, stroking his thumbs along the sides of her muzzle. "I hope you're okay with waiting some more. I know you're still looking forward to seeing the stars for the first time."

Krystal bumped his nose with hers. "I'll be fine. That just gives us more time to cherish here before we leave."

She was right. There was still so much of Cerinia that Fox had yet to see. They should take full advantage of this opportunity to take in as much as they could before they'd set off on their next adventure together. Fox's tail wagged at the idea. Yes, that was much better than moping for a whole year.

After the rocket fell from the planet's dust layer, it spiralled wildly through the air. Still-burning fuel propelled it at full speed. In minutes, the rocket collided into the side of a mountain far removed from any Cerinian settlements. A fiery explosion demolished the cliff face, showering superheated metal over the wetlands below.

Stone and dirt rained downhill to a deep river running westward. Among the debris were the fragments of a small asteroid, previously merged within the landscape after falling from the sky centuries prior. Something reminiscent of a creature tumbled free at last. Its metallic shell withstood the battering of earth and the water's surface. Its dense body sank it straight to the bottom. Lifeless eyes watched the current wash the smaller rubble downstream, along with the arethanite dust that long since kept the creature dormant.

Hours passed. The sky became black with night. Out in the mountains, far from civilisation, a light sparked into existence at the bottom of the river. A multi-lensed, red eye.

"Backup system initiating… Aparoid Unit: GA15998X3 online.

"Anomalies detected. Initiating diagnostic analysis… Critical damage detected in primary system hardware.

"Initiating self-repair procedure. Notice: new materials required to replace damaged components. Initiating environmental scan. Report: refined metal detected within proximity of unit. Prioritising repair of motor functions to enable extraction and integration.

"Motor repairs complete. Initiating extraction of resources… Extraction complete. Resuming full repairs…

"Communication system repairs complete. Connecting to swarm network… Error: connection failed. Initiating diagnostic analysis. Priority: communication system… Report: error not found. Results inconclusive.

"Generating scenarios for probable cause of communication errors… Report: two alternative hypotheses generated. Hypothesis 1: Aparoid swarm has been destroyed. Hypothesis 2: attempts to communicate with swarm are being blocked or disrupted. Assessment of probability and environmental scan infers Hypothesis 2 is most likely to be true.

"Retrieving memory data of events prior to unexpected shutdown… Error eRRor ErOrR eeerRRoorororrr RrRRrRRRrrrrRR!

"Report: data corrupted. Deleting corrupted memory to restore system performance… Memory deleted.

"Conclusion: Unit is unable to establish contact with Aparoid swarm. Executing New Monarch Emergency Protocol. Initiating metamorphosis into Unit Class: Queen…

"Standby…"