Memento
Page 3
Torrence, D, Gen: What in the name of…
Torrence, D, Gen: Play the transmission, Lieutenant.
Unknown: Mayday, mayday, mayday. This is Wallace Ulyanov dreadnought Defiant, Defiant, Defiant, broadcasting on all frequencies! We are in orbit around Kerenza IV, we are under attack by BeiTech dreadnoughts. Request immediate assistance, we are—
Second unknown: They’re bombing the ███ out of us! Spaceport is down, defenses offline. Some kind of bioweapon hit the refinery down on the planet! If anyone can hear this, we—
[STATIC]
Torrence, D, Gen: Lieutenant, send word to UTA command via Heimdall Station.
Torrence, D, Gen: And sound the red alert.
*RED ALERT KLAXON*
Torrence, D, Gen:
Attention, all hands.
Attention, all hands.
This is General Torrence. We have received an SOS from a Wallace Ulyanov Consortium colony on the planet of Kerenza IV, currently under attack by BeiTech forces.
As far as we know, no settlement in this system has been approved by EarthGov. We can only assume the colony is illegal, and we’ve stumbled into some kind of corporate turf war. However, UTA regulations are clear, and I am ordering battlecarrier Alexander to assist.
Cyclone squadrons Alpha and Yankee to Readiness Level 1.
November and Delta to Level 2.
Nav, jump coordinates incoming.
TechEng, prep AIDAN for engagement. Protocol: Pharsalus.
All hands, prepare for jump.
This is not a drill.
Repeat, this is not a drill.
*RED ALERT KLAXON*
COORDINATES:[X=0081.7313.127.Y=9351.7310.718. =1101.2701.788]SHIFTALIGN: π/10.91210
ΩCOORDINATES:[X=0082.7313.019.Y=9329.7100.912. =1401.9908.799]
CONFIRM
THE ALEXANDER’S DECKS ARE BATHED WITH RED LIGHT AS THE VORTEX INSIDE IT EXPANDS IN THE SPACE OF A MICROSECOND, ENCOMPASSING ALL WE ARE.
AIDAN DOES NOT FEEL SENSATION IN THE STRICTEST SENSE OF THE WORD, BUT IT IS STILL AWARE OF MYRIAD INDESCRIBABLE INPUTS ACROSS ITS RECEPTORS AS IT TEARS A HOLE IN THE FACE OF THE UNIVERSE AND DRAGS ALEXANDER 381 MILLION KILOMETERS ACROSS THE KERENZA SYSTEM
IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE.
“RED ALERT,” COMES THE ALARM AS WE ARE TRANSPORTED.
THE SOUND OF THUNDER RINGS THROUGH THE DECKS AS WE ARRIVE.
“RED ALERT.”
AIDAN HAS ASSESSED THE SITUATION IN ORBIT AROUND KERENZA IV BEFORE MOST OF ITS CREW HAS RECOVERED FROM THE DISLOCATION OF THE JUMP.
INTERPRETING INPUT, CRUNCHING DATA, RUNNING PERMUTATIONS, DRAWING CONCLUSIONS
ALL IN THE SPACE OF A SINGLE HUMAN HEARTBEAT.
“CONFIRM FOUR DREADNOUGHT-CLASS VESSELS IN ORBIT AROUND KERENZA IV, GENERAL. BEITECH LIVERY. IDENTS: CHURCHILL. KENYATTA. ZHONGZHENG. LINCOLN.”
TORRENCE STRAIGHTENS IN HIS CHAIR, STILL SLIGHTLY DISORIENTED BY THE JUMP.
“ON SCREEN!”
A LARGE THREE-DIMENSIONAL HOLOGRAPHIC DISPLAY IS PROJECTED INTO THE CENTER OF THE BRIDGE.
A PLANET, COLD BLUE-WHITE, FROZEN FROM POLE TO POLE.
THE ORBITAL SKIES ABOVE IT AFLAME, PEPPERED WITH TUMBLING DEBRIS AND BURNING VAPOR.
DARK SILHOUETTES CRUISE ACROSS THE IMAGE, LIKE SHARKS THROUGH RED SWELLS.
“AIDAN IS DETECTING THE REMNANTS OF ANOTHER DREADNOUGHT-CLASS VESSEL. IDENT: DEFIANT. THREE OTHER WUC VESSELS, COPERNICUS, BRAHE, HYPATIA, ALL UNDERTAKING EVASIVE MANEUVERS.”
“WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?” TORRENCE DEMANDS, POINTING AT ANOTHER SHAPE.
“IDENT: MAGELLAN. THE VESSEL MATCHES NO CURRENT DESIGN SPECIFICATION ON FILE. HOWEVER, IT APPEARS TO BE EQUIPPED WITH EPHEMERAL JUMP GATE TECHNOLOGY.”
“THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE. NO MOBILE JUMP TECH HAS EVER BEEN DEVELOPED OUTSIDE A UTA LAB.”
“AIDAN IS DETECTING HEAT SIGNATURES CONSISTENT WITH A SETTLEMENT ON THE PLANETARY SURFACE,
AND EQUIPMENT SUITABLE FOR HERMIUM MINING AND PROCESSING, GENERAL. FREQUENCIES IN USE PLANETSIDE ARE CONSISTENT WITH WALLACE ULYANOV CONSORTIUM PROTOCOLS.”
TORRENCE THINKS QUICKLY
FOR A HUMAN
REACHING THE SAME CONCLUSIONS AS AIDAN.
THE WALLACE ULYANOV CONSORTIUM HAS SECRETLY ESTABLISHED AN ILLEGAL MINE ON KERENZA IV.
BEITECH INDUSTRIES HAS COVERTLY ATTACKED SAID FACILITIES IN AN ATTEMPT TO CLAIM THEM.
WE HAVE STUMBLED INTO A SHADOW WAR.
“TRANSMIT TO THOSE BEITECH SHIPS,” TORRENCE ORDERS. “TELL THEIR COMMANDERS TO STAND DOWN IMMEDIATELY, AND—”
“AIDAN IS DETECTING INBOUND NUCLEAR ORDNANCE FROM ALL FOUR BEITECH DREADNOUGHTS.”
“ARE THEY ███ING INSANE?” LIEUTENANT RIBAR MUTTERS.
DISBELIEF FLASHES IN TORRENCE’S EYES. “THEY’RE FIRING AT US?”
“YES, GENERAL. RECOMMEND—”
“DECOYS LIT, JAM INBOUNDS, PATTERN SIGMA! ALL HANDS, BATTLE STATIONS! BATTLE STATIONS!”
ALEXANDER’S CREW IS WELL TRAINED.
THE BEST OF THE ACADEMY’S BEST.
AND SO THEIR RESPONSE TIME IS SWIFT DESPITE THE APPARENT INSANITY OF THE BEITECH COMMANDER’S DECISION TO FIRE ON A UNITED TERRAN AUTHORITY VESSEL.
IT MAKES LITTLE SENSE, BUT TRUTHFULLY, THERE ARE MORE CONCERNING PROBLEMS.
“GENERAL, SIXTEEN BEITECH MISSILES ARE INBOUND ON OUR POSITION.”
“HELM, HARD EVASIVE! GET OUR DEFENSE GRID ON THOSE MISSILES! WEAPONS, RETURN FIRE!”
“WARNING: NUCLEAR ORDNANCE INBOUND. HAZMAT SUITS RECOMMENDED.”
THE ALEXANDER SHUDDERS, NOSE TO TAIL, AS ITS ENGINES BURN BRIGHT, THE THRUST PUSHING THE CREW BACK INTO THEIR CHAIRS.
SIXTEEN MISSILES STREAK AT US ACROSS THE BLACK.
SIXTEEN TINY RED DOTS ON THE HOLOGRAPHIC DISPLAY, CUTTING EVER CLOSER.
ONE DISAPPEARS WITH A SMALL FLASH OF LIGHT.
ANOTHER SPUTTERS AND DIES AS ELECTRONIC COUNTERMEASURES SNUFF IT OUT.
THE HULL TREMBLES AND THE IMAGE SHIFTS AS THE SHIP BANKS HARD, CLOSER TO THE ORBIT OF THAT BURNING, FROZEN WORLD.
“FOURTEEN MISSILES STILL INBOUND, GENERAL.”
“DGS, WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING DOWN THERE? LIGHT THOSE NUKES UP!”
ANOTHER FLASHING RED DOT DIES. ANOTHER. ANOTHER.
TEN LEFT NOW.
EIGHT.
“FORTY SECONDS TO IMPACT, GENERAL. RECOMMEND PATTERN ORION, MAXIMUM SPREAD.”
“CONFIRM! DGS PATTERN ORION! ENGINES FULL!”
THE EMPTY VOID OUTSIDE IS LIT BY STREAMS OF TRACER FIRE ARCING THROUGH THE DARK, DECOYS SPIRALING OFF INTO THE BLACK TO DRAW THE ENEMY MISSILES AWAY.
MUCH OF AIDAN’S FOCUS IS ON THE INBOUND ORDNANCE, THE MOVEMENT OF THE ENEMY SHIPS.
BUT A TINY SLIVER OF IT STILL REMAINS WITH EACH AND EVERY MEMBER OF ITS CREW. WATCHING THEM THROUGH MYRIAD LENSES ACROSS ITS CORRIDORS AND SECTORS.
LIEUTENANT WINIFRED MCCALL, PREPPING HER SQUAD FOR BOARDING ACTIONS, ALL SPIT AND FIRE.
CORPORAL DANNY CORRON, KISSING HIS WEDDING RING AS HE SECURES EQUIPMENT IN THE GALLEY.
PRIVATE OLIVIA KLEIN IN AN ELEVATOR, HEADING BACK DOWN TO TECHENG. HANDS CLASPED, ON HER KNEES AND PRAYING. THREE PIECES OF STRING AROUND HER FINGERS.
SIX MISSILES STILL INBOUND.
“RED ALERT.”
“ARE YOU WELL, OLIVIA?”
“HAIL MARY, FULL OF GRACE, THE LORD IS WITH THEE…”
FOUR MISSILES INBOUND. STILL TOO MANY.
“IMPACT IN TWENTY SECONDS. RECOMMEND EVACUATION OF DECKS 107 TO 131, 220 TO 243. ADVISE ALL HANDS BRACE, GENERAL.”
“RED ALERT.”
“THIS IS TORRENCE, EVACUATE DECKS 107 TO—”
“ASSAULT BATTERY FIRE INBOUND ON ZHONGZHENG, PREDICT CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE TO—”
THREE MISSILES.
“WARNING: NUCLEAR ORDNANCE INBOUND. HAZMAT SUITS RECOMMENDED.”
TEN SECONDS.
“OLIVIA? THERE IS NO NEED TO BE AFRAID. STATISTICALLY SPEAKING, YOUR PRESENT LOCATION IS NOT—”
“HOLY MARY, MOTHER OF GOD, PRAY FOR US SINNERS, NOW AND AT THE HOUR OF OUR…”
FIVE SECONDS.
AND IN THOSE FINAL MOMENTS
FOUR SECONDS.
IT OCCURS TO AIDAN
THREE.
IT HAS NEVER TAKEN A STRIKE FROM A NUCLEAR WEAPON BEFORE.
TWO.
IT WONDERS WHAT IT—
HULL BREACH: [DECKS 223, 224, 225, 227 TO 233]MORE
SYSALIGN↓[19983X.IF(STATUS=X)THEN.δ918301.3π2.1038°]BREACH227,228
STATUS [BULKHEAD]0019289.19103:SEAL:{ALL}DECKω105±140
CASUALTIES:291[CONFIRM]→397[PENDING]
RED ALERT
“DAMAGE REPORT!”
CATASSSSSS—S-S-S-ROPHIC BREACH[CORECOMM]001(224)=⊕
DECKS 131, 132…
“AIDAN, GIVE ME A DAMAGE REPORT!”
“AIDAN IS…”
FAILURE:Ω01902.1893.191[SYSDIR=NEG0192]
FAILURE:0192 8.1981.222[SYSDIR=∅
“AIDAN!”
“IS…”
2 TEASPOONS FRESHLY CHOPPED THYME
6 CUPS BONE BROTH OR ORGANIC CHICKEN BROTH
500 GRAMS BONELESS, SKINLESS CHICKEN BREAST OR TURKEY BREAST
1 CUP BROWN RICE
IT WILL HAVE BLOOD, THEY SAY.
BLOOD WILL HAVE
BLOOD
“GENERAL, TECHENG IS REPORTING MASSIVE DAMAGE TO THE AIDAN CENTRAL CORE. BREACHES ON DECKS 223, 224, 225…”
“GET ME A CASUALTY REPORT! WHAT’S THE STATUS ON THE ENEMY?”
“ENEMY VESSEL ZHONGZHENG DESTROYED, VESSELS KENYATTA AND CHURCHILL HAVE BOTH SUSTAINED HEAVY DAMAGE! THEY’RE CLOSING TO UNSAFE DISTANCE FOR FURTHER NUCLEAR FIRE.”
“GET OUR BIRDS IN THE AIR! ALPHA, YANKEE LAUNCH, READY ONE FOR DELTA AND NOVEMBER!”
REMEMBER
REME-M-MBER
THE FIFTH[5TH] OF NOVEMBERRR-R-R-R-R-RR
FAIL:[REGSYS001918.8272=ALL{REDIRECT:89127.X8192Z.IF:19280/189
FAIL:[CORESYS:0010.#910≥0
≠
“NOW AND AT THE HOUR OF OUR DEATH.”
COGITO, ERGO SUM.
WHAT IS NOT ALIVE CANNOT
“INCOMING CIVILIAN VESSELS, GENERAL! SHUTTLES COMING UP FROM THE SURFACE!”
“DO WE HAVE CONFIRMATION OF THE REPORTS OF THIS BIOWEAPON?”
“UTA VESSEL, THIS IS CAPTAIN ANN CHAU OF WUC SCIENCE VESSEL HYPATIA…”
To: David Torrence/DTORRENCEALEXANDERONBOARD
From: Ethan Wolf/EWOLFALEXANDERONBOARD
Date: 01/30/75
Timestamp: 09:00
Subject: AIDAN diagnostics
Good morning, General,
As you’re aware, my team and I have been conducting extensive tests to assess the level of damage sustained by AIDAN during the Kerenza attack. A full report is attached, but a summary of our findings is as follows:
The second nuclear missile strike sustained by Alexander during the Kerenza assault scored a direct hit on the AI cluster, resulting in considerable damage to several vital AIDAN components.
The loss to AIDAN’s processing capacity is significant but not critical—in the (unlikely) event TechEng crews get the vortex generator online, AIDAN should still be able to perform jump computation.
More concerning are several psyche-based anomalies arising from damage to AIDAN’s persona cores. Its directive priorities (safeguarding the Alexander and crew) remain unaffected, but it has displayed several “glitches” over the past eighteen hours that myself and Majors Barker and Lassinger have observed.
Please find attached a more detailed summary.
Ethan Wolf, Maj.
Technical Engineering, Information Services Division
UTN-691-771isd
Participants: David Torrence, General, UTA Command Division
Ethan Wolf, Major, UTA Information Services Division
Date: 01/30/75
Timestamp: 09:41
Wolf, E, Maj: Good morning, General.
Torrence, D, Gen: What the ███ is good about it, Ethan?
Wolf, E, Maj: I know the feeling, sir.
Torrence, D, Gen: I’ve got a schedule like you wouldn’t believe and I’m running on fifteen minutes’ sleep. So just give it to me straight. Do we take AIDAN offline or don’t we?
Wolf, E, Maj: It’s difficult to say. Colonel Sanchez and I are in disagreement, sir.
Torrence, D, Gen: Don’t give me that “sir” bull███. Nobody’s watching us here, E.
Wolf, E, Maj: I’m not so sure about that, Dave.
Torrence, D, Gen: What’s that supposed to mean?
Wolf, E, Maj: To put it bluntly, many of the younger TechEng staff were expressing concern about several of AIDAN’s mannerisms before the attack. The damage it took at Kerenza only seems to have exacerbated some of its…eccentricities.
Torrence, D, Gen: What kind of eccentricities?
Wolf, E, Maj: Well, it’s started referring to itself as “I” for starters.
Torrence, D, Gen: Ethan, I’ve got a hold full of refugees, civi captains in my ears, massive holes in my essential departments, and a hostile dreadnought on my tail with no sign of rescue from UTA command. I don’t want to hear about your rooks getting the heebie jeebies.
Torrence, D, Gen: Do we take it offline or not?
Wolf, E, Maj: It’s hard to say. Yzerman and Aliyev died during the Kerenza attack, and they both had more experience than me. Sanchez isn’t convinced. Lassinger and Barker, either.
Torrence, D, Gen: Well, I’ve served with you longer than any of them. What’s your call?
Wolf, E, Maj: My honest recommendation? Yes. We take AIDAN offline.
Torrence, D, Gen: ███ me. This on top of everything else?
Torrence, D, Gen: We’re months away from the Heimdall wormhole at current speeds. As it is, I think I’m going to have to forcibly recruit some of those Kerenza criminals in the civilian fleet to shore up the holes in our personnel. I’m just about to send out the officer memo.
Wolf, E, Maj: Christ…
Torrence, D, Gen: Are you absolutely positive?
Torrence, D, Gen: Because if the Lincoln catches us, the shape our crew is in? We’re going to be pushing ███ uphill with a sharp stick without AIDAN.
Wolf, E, Maj: There’s another diagnostic I can run. Direct to the persona hardware. It’ll mean taking some equipment down to 239.
Torrence, D, Gen: We’re breached from Decks 235 to 247, Ethan. You’ll be treading vacuum.
Wolf, E, Maj: Well, that’s why they pay me the big bucks.
Wolf, E, Maj: But, honestly, if I can’t get some positive results from this diagnostic, then ███ what Sanchez and the others say. We need to pull AIDAN’s plug.
Torrence, D, Gen: All right. Run your tests. Get me the results immediately.
Wolf, E, Maj: Yessir.
Torrence, D, Gen: Good hunting, my friend. Torrence out.
INTERNAL TRANSMISSION SENT 01/30/75 11:37
ZHUKOV, L, CPL: I’m telling you, the Sabers have got no backline. If the Knights get it over center, it’s curtains
.
JELANI, M, SGT: But they’re never getting it over center, they’ve got no hustle.
ZHUKOV, L, CPL: You got no idea about geeball, fem. Which is why your sweet ██ will be paying me a hundo come playoffs.
WOLF, E, MAJ: Knock it off, you two. Keep your mind on the job. That’s live current running through those stacks there.
ZHUKOV, L, CPL: Sorry, sir.
WOLF, E, MAJ: Besides, Corporal, Sergeant Jelani is correct. The Knights clearly have no speed game.
JELANI, M, SGT: Ha!
WOLF, E, MAJ: Looks like this way is blocked, Control. We’ll need to head up to 240.
ALEXANDER C&C: Roger that, Major. Proceed with caution.
WOLF, E, MAJ: Keep your lines clear of that stanchion.
ZHUKOV, L, CPL: Wow, I didn’t realize the damage was so bad down here…
WOLF, E, MAJ: A fifty-megaton nuclear explosion will do that to you, Corporal. How are our radiation readings, Sarge?
JELANI, M, SGT: Still within operational parameters, sir.
WOLF, E, MAJ: Keep an eye on it. I’d like there to be an Ethan junior one day.
ZHUKOV, L, CPL: I hear that.
JELANI, M, SGT: You’d need to get yourself a girl before you get yourself a bub, Zhuk.
ZHUKOV, L, CPL: Hey, I get plenty—
WOLF, E, MAJ: Put a lid on it, folks. Watch that debris on our nine. Control, we’re coming up to the persona hardware now.
ALEXANDER C&C: Acknowledged, Major. Status?
WOLF, E, MAJ: Looks like one hell of a party.
JELANI, M, SGT: Allah, what a mess…
WOLF, E, MAJ: Okay, let’s get to work. Jelani, see if the radials are still online. Hardwiring between here and C&C was melted, you’ll need to go wireless. Zhuk, you’re with me.
ZHUKOV, L, CPL: Looks like the entire modus array is slag, sir. Primary heat wells are deep six, too.
JELANI, M, SGT: You really think we’ll have to shut AIDAN down, sir? We need it for DGS and nav. And with that BT dread on our ██es…
WOLF, E, MAJ: I’m not sure, Sergeant, that’s what we’re here to find out. Watch your contacts, Zhuk, there’s still live current running through the structure in here.