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Maps depicting the Lobby and the layout of the Skeld, including the vents.
The First Month
If I had known what was to transpire, I would have never gone on that cursed spaceship. I would've told them not to go. My friends would still be alive. Those thoughts consume me. Burn me with regret.
To those who cannot cope with grief as I have for the past year, haunted by the memories of my travels aboard the Skeld, I must warn you. Only death accompanies this tale.
And although writing this renews the memories with a fierce intensity, I shall continue for the sake of the fallen.
A beloved author wrote something that sticks with me even now, "Dead women tell no tales, sad men write them down." So here I am, a sad man writing the tale of how everyone I cared for died. All but one.
Nine cadets stood at attention beside me, each in a different color. In front of us paced Commander Romero, the dark bags of his eyes sunken with lack of sleep, likely from preparing the seniors' class expeditions. It must have been tiring to manage thirty students back to back.
"Everyone attended the assignment briefing, correct? Then you know, as seniors, that you will have only your crew mates to rely on, and a radio to access in case of an emergency. The duration of this assignment is five months, in which we will determine if you are suitable to be a part of an aircraft’s crew. The twelve of you have each been assigned a color and a list of tasks to complete on the ship. This will be your code name and your daily chores. Your hair and clothes will be dyed to match the allotted color. Anyone who is unhappy with this information, or what you have been issued, can talk to me or the other teachers after today's class. However, I strongly advise against doing so. The teachers are all busy preparing for this expedition, but will take time for you if needed. Understood?" We nodded. "In front of you is a folder. Within it are lists of necessary items each of you need to have, an inventory booklet for the ship’s stations, and information about your crewmates along with their assigned colors."
