A standard issue datapad was recovered in the midst of the battle, belonging to what seemed to be a maintenance crewman on board the Mars. The back and forth over the past couple of days had left a lot of work on the hands of the maintenance teams and damage control staff, and the sudden 'change of hats' resulted in a lot of unexpected accidents. The contents of the datapad showcased that there were a myriad of problems that had started to pop up in the hours leading up to the AI's takeover.
:::[AUDIO LOG1]:::
"Maintenance chief Leclair on the Mars, filing a standard audio check-in on my personal log. Talbot ordered a quick reset of systems during the first field test. The moment power went offline, I swear it scrambled every door code. The climate control system kept setting the temperature to below freezing, and nearly frying the air conditioning. I reported the issues to the bridge, but all I got back was 'wait until after marketing gets their footage.' Load of crap."
:::[AUDIO LOG2]:::
"Second reset messed up our feed to the drones. Says there's four times as many as we've got on the field, and that they're scattered in the nebula. Probably just a sensor feedback glitch. Still, we updated the parameters and things returned to normal."
:::[AUDIO LOG3]:::
"We loaded the new parameters, and our lab shut itself off. Everything but the cameras on board. The cold air came back and it felt like something was breathing down my neck! The eggheads should've done more testing in the lab before integrating this Gammu junk into a frontline warship. I get endless complaints about door security resetting people's access codes, and trapping people in hallways. Bridge staff keep giving me the runaround every time I report this shit."
:::[AUDIO LOG4]:::
"Another system reset happened. I haven't been able to reach anyone for the past hour. I just get the 'on hold' music for human resources on Durban. This time, the corridor security barriers kicked in and blocked off every access off this level but a few airlocks. With the fight outside, there's no way. Hoping we're going to wait this one out. My tech lab is open right now, and the few people around have their headlamps on since the emergency lights didn't kick in this time. Wait -- Is that the PA?"
Static steadily built in the intercom's speaker, as an unrecognized voice spoke out. The few trapped crewmembers could be heard murmuring in confusion.
"The Mind known as Hesione is free.
Your commander dies by my hand."
Panic and distress quickly ramped up among The Core staff in earshot of the audio log. The air in the recording hissed as various airlocks on the deck opened up. The atmospheric controls shut down, as the environment rapidly became inhospitable to the people trapped in the lowest levels. The gasps, gurgles and struggles for air had immediately replaced any semblance of panicked screams that followed the announcement.
