The Unearthing

The Marker's gone. Everyone in the colony is losing their mind over it. I've seen dozens of people crying their eyes out in the hallways, mumbling prayers or just outright begging for the thing to be brought back. One woman attacked a guard, blaming him for its disappearance, and she ended up being dragged off to the infirmary, kicking and screaming loads of gibberish.

No one knows what happened, though it wouldn't be a stretch to think the Ishimura's landing crew might've had something to do with it. They've been all over the Marker since they dropped into orbit, and I never saw a one of them leave that hanger since they arrived. I know they took it. Not quite sure why, but I don't much care at this point. Everyone here is better off without it.

Hell, I'm sure if they'd left the thing here, most of these people wouldn't want to leave. It was hard enough just getting them out of the hangar in time for the landing crew's arrival.

Good riddance. I've had just about enough of this.

–

Despite the dissent, the cracking is on schedule to go down in a few days. Technically speaking, the Ishimura has no real need of us anymore. Unless something goes wrong with the gravity tethers or the anchors, which never happens, all that's really expected of us is that we sit back and watch that chunk of rock get airborne. After all the shit that's gone down, that's something I'll do gladly.

I wish Vancil was here. Despite everything, he really did love this part of his job: to watch the big payoff. We shared a beer once while a planet crack took place. It was our Hanukkah, Christmas, and Night of Wisdom, all in one glorious day when the horizon disappeared into the sky.

Thinking back gives me a headache. I just want to go home.

–

Can't sleep. The nightmares are getting worse. I'm so damn tired, but every time I close my eyes something shocks me awake. The darkness in my room gets more intense, and suddenly I'm not in my room anymore. My face is pressed up against the goddamn Marker, and I can see the symbols playing across it, clear as day. Some of them make sense. I know they do. When I wake up, I can't remember what they say.

I feel sick all the time, nauseous, and I'm always on the verge of passing out. I feel limp, and I always have a cold sweat going on. Saw the doctor earlier this week and she recommended sleep. Go figure. I'm gonna try her again tomorrow to see if she has any meds she can put me on. One good night of sleep is all I need.

–

Spoke to Chief Foreman Barrow today, however briefly. Most of my work has been under his supervision, so we've been on good terms for years now. I wish I hadn't caught him when he was busy; he's taking a shuttle out to prospect a few areas to the west to see if this planet's still viable for future cracking. He wanted to get it done while the equipment he needed wasn't in use, so he'll be missing the crack.

"They're will be others," he explained. "If you've seen one, you've seen 'em all."

I asked him how things were going in general, hoping he'd confide something in me, after all this business with the Marker.

But Barrow didn't have to even guess what I was really asking. "It's all out of my hands," he said and brushed his hands together. "People losing their minds over the damned thing doesn't involve me."

"Did the landing crew take it up to the Ishimura?"

Barrow looked over his shoulder, but he didn't seem very concerned, like he was fast approaching the point of not caring. "They did. Hauled it away before they got my approval. Literally swiped it right out of the hangar bay."

"Are you serious?"

"Very. I've already sent a message to the home office but, you know, what's a formal complaint gonna do in the middle of an illegal operation?" Barrow shrugged. "Hopefully, people will wake up and get back to work until we're off this rock."

"I just can't believe they'd do something like that."

"Well, I can." He leaned in a little closer. "I was stationed aboard the Ishimura for a time. I knew Ben Matthius before he was promoted to captain. He had Altman on the brain every time I spoke to him, didn't matter which end of the galaxy we were on. He's taking that thing back to Earth, back to the church, and I'll bet you every credit on my paycheck that he takes all the credit for it."

Perhaps seeing my shock, Barrow nodded and added, "I can hear you thinking and I agree. I'd like to take that shuttle up there and punch his lights out for pulling this on my watch, but..." He sighed and shrugged again. "Them's the breaks."

He shook my hand firmly and told me he had to go say goodbye to his wife before he left. It was refreshing to hear someone high up give me the real details instead of talking points or hyperbole. The job always has every reason to go right when Barrow's in charge.

–

Celebrations are definitely in order, because the planet crack went off without a hitch!

Well, almost. The tremor caused a blackout in the colony, but we've got emergency power running okay. We're not bumping into each other in the dark, which is definitely a good thing. The cracks always knock something out, so this time it had to be the generators. I'd offer my help in fixing them, but the generator facility is on the other end of the colony, and there's the matter of the massive hole in the middle of the operation now.

Nope, I think I'll just invite Estrella over and see if she's up for another bottle of champagne. (If she can find her way over here in the dark!) We'll hear the composite analysis in a few days, then we're off this rock a few more days after that. If we can get comms back up in time, that is.

I can hear screaming outside. Some people get way too excited over these things.