The recording started and revealed a woman with dark shoulder length hair. Though her face seemed tired, the familiar look of someone who did not appear to sleep all that well. She sat in a high back desk chair while leaning on the desk, propping up her head with an arm. She was wearing a simple white oversized shirt. The figure tapped at the camera now, indicating this was being recorded on a portable device such as a PDA.
“Huh, is this thing working? Oh. There.”
The figure folded their arms on the desk in front of the camera as they leant slightly forward.
“It has been a while since I did one of these. Hades. I even looked through my old journal and the whole thing made me cringe! Though future me if you're watching this, don't expect anything particularly smart or ground breaking. We both know I was never the type for philosophical discussions, I’m not Leviathan. Ha.”
The figure smirked a little, propping their head up once more with their right arm and leaning against the desk before the camera.
“I thought maybe talking to this thing might lay to rest some of my demons or inner ramblings. Perhaps even give me another perspective. If nothing else it will give an old and grey me something to cringe at.“
In the background a bed can be seen, the room is dimly lit but the unmistakable outline of a person laying on the bed asleep behind them can be seen. Pink hair can barely be made out, the glare from the screen causing a haze for the camera. Though what little can be seen of the bed, suggested it was not of typical basic military spec, rather more the high priced type found in an Orbital Spa and Cruise suite.
“Things have changed substantially since I last recorded one of these. For one I was less old, I mean, where have the years gone anyways? There was a time where I was carefree. Die for the cause and throwing myself into the jaws of the monster like some hero on holovision. Ugh. I was an animal back then, naïve I guess. Now I find myself stuck with commitments and conflict.”
The woman leaned back in the chair now which swung slightly to the left, clearly her gaze had shifted to that person behind them. Her face now side on to the camera, it was possible to make out even from this angle the endearing expression she wore.
“The thing is, I once thought I would go out of this world in a ball of flame and debris. For the cause, preservation of knowledge, which still means a lot to me. People change with time and things happen, people happen even. I find myself trying to balance the two as a priority, though in all honesty. One of those two means more to me now than the other.”
The figure paused for a few moments, still gazing at the person asleep behind them. A soft sigh could be heard.
“It turns out even a stubborn Libertonian like me can accept that some things are worth the fight, for they are something we cannot live without. Something we cannot leave behind. It really changes your perspective on what is actually important out of everything in your life. In my case it was not even a thing. It was one person.”
Her face returned to the camera. Brushing her dark hair to the side. A glimmer of a grin crept across her lips as if an amusing thought had crossed their mind.
“I just know at some point Naomi is going to find this thing, despite me hiding it in the depths of the data archive. Why does she have to be so smart?! She just knows how to do things. I mean, complicated things. Stuff the average idiot like me wouldn't understand. It is both frustrating and wonderful at the same time.”
The figure sighed once more, their expression returning to a resting gaze while also returning to her forward leaning position at the desk. Lighting from the display she was facing now put emphasis on her blue eyes which almost glistened.
“I am so lucky, I know that, but yet I can't escape the feeling that Naomi is out of my league. The woman could have had anybody she wanted with brains like she does and in the end she chose me. Amy Rhiannon Cromwell. A Libertonian relic from days gone whose only redeeming quality is causing death and destruction. Largely something the universe does not need more of these days. Looking at Liberty now, not much has changed there either.”
Amy shook her head softly in disbelief with a hint of frustration. The shift of her hair revealed some fading scarring on the left of her temple. Signs of a recent scuffle they had been involved in.
“I'm excited for the future of course despite Sirius' problems, two of those reasons are laying behind me. In fact when I announced all of this to Revenant and Leviathan it was certainly an event to behold. Poor Revenant, the only explanation we could offer is ‘Science bitch.’. Naomi gets credit for that one, that was all her. I think I may be a bad influence on her actually, sorta’ like it too in an irresponsible kinda way.”
She had a lingering smile on her face. Clearly picturing the scenes she was talking about in her head. Though this shortly transitioned to a quiet giggle as they shot a glance back towards the bed. Laying eyes upon the person laying there brightened her face once more.
“I think that is enough of my thoughts for one day. I have somehow wandered off down a tangent and this entry has gone on forever. Oh and Naomi; if you end up finding this. I already ate all of the cookies in your secret jar, I found it behind the wardrobe. Love you!”
Amy smiles in a smug way before reaching over to the camera, the recording terminating within that instant.
Time: 0200 Date: 13/08/835 A.S
Location: ACV Titania - Inverness
Entry: 02 - Questions of the Universe
Begin Recording
The recording began. Amy lay on what looked to be a dark shaded couch. This time the camera appeared unsteady and her exposed arm indicated she was holding her PDA while making this recording. The familiar white shirt presumably her sleep-wear remained the same as before. The occasional beep could be heard in the background and again the room was dimly lit with the exception of the glow that radiated inside the ship from the distant star. The vessel was not directly facing, hence the dimmer than usual atmosphere.
“I couldn't sleep. I decided to wander up to the bridge and now I find I'm talking to myself. Great. Anyway we're currently standing by in the western nebula of Inverness. I've sneaked up here while Desmond is away for his break, usually he does the night watches but sometimes I'll come up here and think about stuff. Gaze into the stars beyond. Not really dressed for this but we've worked together that long he's used to it. An advantage to having an AI running the majority of tasks, I suppose.”
Amy tugged at the loosely fitting shirt to illustrate to the camera before panning it over the empty bridge. The only real illumination being from the various control panels and displays still lit up with critical vessel functions. A railing can be seen between her and the bridge windows showing a command platform where she would typically stand. A placard above that railing with the vessel name “Titania II”. The camera returned to her now.
“Stars. I've seen some interesting things in my life. Seen some scary stuff too and it only ever seems to bring more questions in my mind of what exactly we are in the Universe. Are we in some kind of paradox? I hear Leviathan talking about how ‘Earhart’ and the Uncharted systems are the fabric of the universe. What does that even mean? Does it mean if we pull a string the whole mess unravels and we find ourselves on the brink of destruction?”
The figure rubbed her brow as she was talking and her expression signalled she was in deep thought over this topic. Though this simply paled by comparison to the fatigue in her eyes. Amy sighed now, resting her head on the arm of the couch and gazed towards the windows while still holding the PDA.
“We were there a few days ago. Earhart I mean. That place gives me the creeps, everything about it just feels wrong, unnatural even. I still find it hard to believe it is even real. Worse still is Earhart is one of those places Phoenix has issues with. The general electromagnetic interference from the anchor leaves her both deaf and blind. Not exactly the sorta’ situation you want to find yourself in when your golden guardian is unable to protect you from the monsters that live out there. Oh yeah! That place has living evils as well as dead ones in it, by the way. ”
Amy fell quiet for a few moments, her concluding tone was filled with frustration. An eerie silence taking over. Though with another sigh she pulled the PDA close and turned herself to lay on her side. The camera was not really pointing at her face at this stage, mostly just showcasing the classic warship steel wall behind the couch.
“Recent chatter concerning the mysteries we find ourselves entangled in have shifted to direct action rather than observation, I guess. I need to cast a vote soon on whether to go ahead with it or not. I can't be too specific talking about this but all I can say is it imposes a hell of a risk. The type of risk that could badly hurt us in the end… or it might not? This is the thing with science. It seems to be a well funded guessing game, at least from where I sit as a relative simpleton. Nobody seems to know for sure. If Revenant thinks it'll benefit us to some extent, then I trust her, as much as I hate to admit it. The woman seems to achieve the impossible and flying into nothing but peril chasing a scientific discovery is nothing short of admirable.”
Amy shuffled again sort of half propping herself up closer to the camera. Her gaze transitioned to the window. She tilted the camera a little to the left to show the starry backdrop. This was followed by a deep sigh. The camera eventually re centering on her as she was rubbing her eyes. The apparent tiredness was clearly starting to have an impact.
“It is beautiful. Even a fool like me can see it, the attention people give to the mysteries that make the wonders outside the window exist, it makes sense to me why they do it. No wonder the founder goes chasing after answers to it all, I feel almost drawn? Is that the right word?. I think if Revenant wants to chase this thing then I've got her six. Should something emerge from this experiment I'll give it my everything to drive whatever monster appears back to where it came from. I have done it before, as I've been reminded recently. My rank more or less came from stopping some monster alien or person causing damage to the cause. I will not fail. I made that promise to everybody and especially Naomi. I can't let them all down now. I won't, even.”
Amy lay her head against the arm of the couch, reverting from the half propped up pose she was maintaining up until now. Her closing statement was almost shaken with fear but the determination was rising to the surface as she spoke.
“Though there is another question I’m starting to wonder about, speaking of Naomi. I keep waking up with these nightmares, we’ll call them. Are they visions even?. I spend half of the day feeling like I’ve been kicked in the head by Hunt to then fall asleep to whatever these nightmares are about. Then I find myself shaken awake in pure panic because whatever it is, be it an alien, a person even, is trying to consume me. I even dreamed that thing they were playing with was trying to find its way down my throat!. Eugh. They are getting worse and vast periods of time seem to be going unaccounted for, for instance the other day I found myself in the middle of Inverness. I had no idea why I was there, I simply couldn’t remember.“
There was a brief pause before they carried on. She had since closed her eyes part way through her account of the last few days.
“The worst thing is that my love is going to worry. I can feel those beautiful eyes staring at the back of my head in the evenings and I can tell she knows there is something wrong. I will figure it out, my love. I promise. For us. I wish I could simply blame it all on the booze but I don’t think I can this time around. I guess I'm grateful, she loves me like I love her. Makes me kinda' fuzzy when I think about it, her nagging would have annoyed me in a past life. Now it is just a reminder that I am special to someone. Never change, Naomi. "
Amy displayed a faint smile with her still closed eyes. Clearly she was thinking about her lover.
"Well.. I guess I’ve rambled on enough at this point. Till next time, me.”
The recording lingered on for a few moments in silence, Amy eventually opened her eyes, let out a sleepy yawn and tapped the PDA to terminate the recording.
The recording began and the dark haired woman appeared once more. She was sitting in a command chair on the bridge of a vessel though its interior did not match the one from before. The PDA appeared to be propped up on a console and it clearly displayed the armor she was wearing on this occasion rather than previous casual attire. The Armor appeared to match the Technocracy theme suggesting it had been designed in house by them.
“Kinda lonely aboard this thing. I thought I'd talk to myself about recent events again, hopefully it'll bring me some sort of perspective on just what in the name of Hades is going on. Also hey, like my new gear? A little gift from Hunt after the syndicate decided to riddle my old stuff with armor piercing rounds. Even has a helmet to match! I feel like a proper bad bitch now. Ha!.”
Amy twerked her torso a little to show off the flanks of the armor she was wearing with a teasing smile, although it was all acted out in a deliberately comedic way. Finishing her display with a shake of her head to sway her hair which draped around the neck of the chest piece.
“So!. I had to summon the Titania to the militant station in Pennsylvania. Massive Navy assault and we needed every ounce of firepower we could muster. The fight for those guys is gonna be tough, I know this much. The Navy were driven off eventually but we took damage along the port beam and it highlighted to me something that saddens me. I think the grand old lady has lost her sparkle. Phoenix, my pride and joy, she simply couldn't deal with that volume of targets in that environment. We found out rapidly that the power output necessary was overloading the generators and several times we had to override the circuit breakers to keep the ship in the fight. I had to send Desmond down to engineering to direct the guys down there. Just.. what a mess it was.”
The woman sighed in a defeated way. Shaking her head at the thought. Her gaze seemed distant as she spoke although this soon softened to her usual tone once more. Though the expression on her face was a mixture of frustration and conflict. Clearly she didn’t like the thoughts going through her mind.
“Maybe Titania is just getting too old for this type of war. Maybe we both are. Phoenix is upset as she thinks she somehow failed us at that moment. What was she supposed to do!? The Navy sent everything. We had two Overlords basically on top of us at one point and if it wasn't for her they would have torn us right in half. It reminds me of the final fight we had together in the Omegas all those years ago. I saw her push Warhammer beyond its design limits to buy us time and I get the overwhelming feeling that we are now getting to that point again. I miss that beautiful ship… not a day goes by where I don't think about her. Rest easy my faithful warrior..”
Amy leaned back in the chair. A flash of a mournful gaze illustrated a sadness there in that moment, of a great loss within. This seemed to linger for a few moments as she had fallen silent, this was to the backdrop of the machinery and systems in the background. The faint hum of the vessel beneath her took over the setting for a moment before she finally spoke again.
“I wonder if it is maybe time to finally retire Titania from the fleet. Hades, she’s been doing this for long enough. We can't really up the firepower beyond what it is, there simply isn't enough space for more weapons on the hull. Plus the gaps in the point defense leave us open to fast ships like gunships or similar. Despite Phoenix and her abilities, she can't change the basic characteristics of it. If she calls for a gun to swing around and target an enemy and it falls into a blind spot, you can't do anything, you rely on your escorts or pray the shield holds. Which.. several times in that engagement the generator quit on us, again due to a serious power shortage. I just simply don't know what to do. Not great as a commander and a Venator, huh? That I don't know? I feel so useless sometimes, almost like I am a passenger in some of these situations. I can bark orders all I like but it doesn’t change the fact she’s an aging vessel in a very modern and dangerous universe.”
There was a brief pause. A hint of frustration combined with disappointment in her voice in her trailing words. Amy flicked her hair back. Her gaze re-aligning on the camera.
“I am sitting on the Eidolon Wraith at the moment and I can only begin to imagine the stuff that went on aboard this ship. Ugh. Actually.. let's scratch that thought. I don't even wanna know what Hunt and Raven got up to on this thing, have enough trouble sleeping as it is!. Though, that horrific image aside, this is a relic too. It seems to be keeping with the times better than the Titania. I see it has the usual refinements and flair going on in that almost nothing in here seems original. In fact.. a lot of things aboard this ship are automated. The result is I feel weirdly alone and the whole place has a cold clinical feel to it. Maybe the ship does have a heart and I just don't see it yet? Who knows. Maybe I can learn a thing or two from this ship. I’ll need to look at this thing a bit more closely in the coming days and see what I can make of it.”
Amy shifted herself in the chair and leaned in closer to the camera while simultaneously reaching over for a drink that was just out of shot. Staring squarely at the camera as she blinked a moment or two. The tiredness showed in her face. It was clear she was exhausted both physically and mentally. Though with that she took a sip of her drink, pursing her lips after swallowing a mouthful.
“I am soooo tired. You know? Naomi is getting closer to her due date and that is yet another elephant edging its way into the room. Imagine it. The whole legacy I fought for hinges on me, a relic, and a relic of a ship. I wouldn't bet on those odds and yet.. Naomi seems to. It keeps me going, you know? Despite it all. Though, speaking of which, I need to talk to Hans soon, too. He's our magical medical friend from Med Force. Before whatever is happening to me gets much worse and I actually die from whatever this is.. or from Naomi for not asking him.”
The room gradually changed from brightly lit to dull and murky. Suggesting the vessel was moving and had since moved into a solar shadow. She had a drink glass resting on the arm of the chair she was sitting in and simply steadied it with the fingertips of her right hand. A smirk crept across her face as she finished her train of thought.
“Mm. I get the impression from her that some days she wants to smack me over the head with something blunt, the only thing saving me from her wrath is she’s really fat and sleepy at the moment. Though, I'm pretty sure I live on caffeine supplements and coffee at this point, sleep is just a distant memory for me and I yet watch her pass out for hours at time soaking it up! Ugh. Why am I the way I am, I’m ranting about nothing. I uh. Crap. I’m definitely dead if she ever watches this and what I’ve just said.“
Amy sighed with a soft smile returning as she downed the remaining contents of her glass.
“Anyway. Enough of my insanity for one day. Till next time, future me! Or uh. Naomi. Bye!”
Amy reached over with her left hand to tap the screen, ending the recording.
Time: 17:35 Date: 11/09/835 A.S //EDIT: 18:43 on 11/09/835 A.S.
Location: ACV Titania - Cayman System
Entry: 04 - Shades of Orange
Begin Recording
The recording opened initially showing a still image of the exterior of the carrier before it faded to the face of Amy appearing on the screen, pursing her lips as she awaited the recording to indicate it had started. Although this time she appeared to be back on the Titania based on the people going about behind her and the distinct faint rumble of the carrier's generators in the background. The hue from the bridge windows appeared to be causing an orange glow on her face.
“Hey me. Thought I'd add a little update to my current predicament. So! We're deep in the Omega systems today. I decided to conduct a little investigation of these systems to figure out what it is we're dealing with. I always imagined returning to operating out here but what we've discovered is something quite unlike everything else. This place is pretty and once I figure out how to cut in images to this thing I'll add a few that Phoenix has captured. Quite the view.”
Amy for once had a faint smile on her face though she still had the usual fatigue in her eyes. The camera jostled a little as Desmond, the ship's XO, handed her a mug of what presumed to be coffee. She simply smiled up at him in return before he turned with a nod, going about his business. Her gaze returned to the camera, sipping her coffee twice before she spoke.
“Though the threat is out here.. threat level rather. Is critical. We've weathered attacks from just about every location we have been to so far and each one growing more nasty than the last. I'm glad I had the yard swap the main battery out for railgun, it is proving to be an exceptional asset in dealing with these heavier targets. Though I am concerned about how hard we are pushing these generators, you can probably hear them in the background, that noise is just what we have to put up with out here. Sorta’ miss the silence of the Wraith but, this is what we have to work with.
A moment or two passed in silence before Amy rose from her command chair and paced over to a railing on the bridge. She leaned upon this and spun the camera around to show off the bright orange hues outside and some planets in the far distance. The camera returned to her before she started talking once more.
“Naomi seems to like it out here, she takes an interest in the astronomy aspect of things. For instance the other day she sat there and explained the intricate detail of a blue star. She seems to know quite a lot about stars and their origins. Though I must admit I didn't understand most of it, I’m an ex military commander. The role I played concerned big guns and people we hated, not the science behind how a star came to be. Though.. I do find it incredible how she seems to know all this stuff. Even if I don't actually understand it myself. With all of that said, I can't say bringing her with me was the right call, considering her condition.”
There was a brief pause, Amy appeared to be in deep thought for a moment before she eventually let out a sigh to continue
“The pressing concern on my mind at the moment is Naomi. She is, I would guess, days from her due date. The little one could appear at any point. I can see the panic growing within her and to be quite honest I feel sorta’ similar. In fact I've ordered our course be set for Omega Forty-seven, I'll be departing the carrier and flying back into the deeper Omega systems on my own. I imagine she won't be too happy about this but I have to know what lies deeper within and taking her with me just isn't an option. I guess we’ll soon find out what the Nightjar is made of because this place is definitely hostile territory.”
Amy spun around and leaned backwards onto the railing. The backdrop of an Omega system could now be seen around her outline through the bridge windows. Desmond was visible pacing from left to right, PDA to hand as he carried out his tasks before disappearing from view.
“As you can probably see, the backdrop is stunning. Though the dangers out here are well beyond just that of the usual fodder, funny transponders and the like. A few days ago we were in a system, heavy dark matter presence and it was heavily irradiated. Similar to that of Kepler. Little did we know around the corner of the narrow passage was a massive gravitational pull, I thought it was a black hole for a second but Naomi seems to think it to be something else. Either way, we need to watch our step out here. This place is as deadly as it is jaw dropping to look at. I'll bring back some pretty images for you when I return. I'll need to remember and have them load a drone into my ship so it can take exterior captures of what I find.
The tired figure sighed softly, her gaze fixated on the screen while the camera shifted slightly while she was tapping at the screen and getting frustrated at what she saw. Before finally shaking her head and relaxing their expression.
“Hm. That is not the way to add things. Anyway besides this I suppose I should note my own condition is the same as it was last time I spoke of it. I guess I'm just managing it better, what else can I do? Must be getting used to it or something and yes before you say anything I did reach out. I've just not had a reply and with us floating around in the Omega systems I am not entirely optimistic I'll get the chance to have this issue investigated, until at least, the next time we head home for a refit. I guess the man just has better things to do than poke at my brain, can't say I blame him, I don't think I even want to know what is going on in there.”
Amy shifted her gaze to the side, the orange glow of the system now fully illuminating her face. A soft smile crept over her lips as the ambient sounds of the carrier were filling in the silence.
“Well. This was an entry of little actual substance but I wanted to just note something, anything, even, before I venture back out there. You never know, huh? Anyway, till next time, me.”
Amy tapped the screen which jostled the camera slightly before the recording ended abruptly.
