The Amber Project

Chapter 5

Archer's Personal Logs

Play Audio File 43

Subtitled: A Possible Solution

Recorded March 22, 2318

ARCHER: How luck seems to be on my side! After months of trying alternatives, I finally managed to stabilize one of the cells for more than a few minutes. Variant took a full three and a half minutes to destroy the cell, beating out the previous record of two minutes and thirteen seconds. The increase is remarkable, and it proves I'm on the right track. Soon enough, I'll have all the proof I need...and there'll be nothing Doctor Mayhew can do to silence me.

Speaking of which, the old fool gave me an order last week to attend the status briefings we give the military each week. I suspect he's simply trying to get rid of me, but the joke's on him. If I hadn't been at the briefing, I never would have met Captain Bishop or the other officers. They all sounded rather displeased with the lack of progress we've been making, which is exactly the kind of talk I need right now.

After the briefing, Bishop approached me with questions. He seemed very interested in Variant and the progress we were making. It was the first time a member of the military ever asked about my work. Naturally, I answered every question with great interest. I didn't detail all of my thoughts, of course, because that would be stupid, but when he asked how I felt about the lack of viable solutions thus far, I couldn't help but dig into it. I said I felt the project was meandering, possibly due to poor leadership and a lack of new ideas.

Innovation, he said to me. That's what we need around here. A little outside the box thinking!

End Audio File

August 05, 2343

The Maternity District

Mara took another sip from her drink. She wasn't drunk, but her face was warm, and her fingers tingled, which meant she was well on her way.

Ava Long sat before her. She slouched, crossing her legs, a calmness in her eyes. "You know," said the old woman. "I don't recall you being much of a drinker."

Mara swirled the glass in her hand, reflecting the dim light of the nearby lamp. "I suppose I never was," she said, taking another sip. She flinched at the taste of it but swallowed anyway. "God," she gasped. "Disgusting."

"Why drink it, dear?" asked Ava.

"There's a payoff at the end."

"There are better tasting drinks, you know. I see two bottles of synth wine right over there in the corner. Expensive stuff. What you're drinking here is about as cheap as it comes." She paused. "Well, unless you count the toilet stuff they make in the slums."

"It's sentimental."

"How so?"

"One of my early sponsors gave me this bottle when I was still a new mother. He didn't have the money for the quality wine, but I didn't care. He was sweet, attractive, and he knew how to wear that uniform." She giggled at the thought.

"How nice of him," said Ava.

"We couldn't keep seeing each other once the contract was over, of course, and he knew that. So he bought me this bottle and promised one day, when I retired, we'd drink it and be together. Would you ever believe such a thing?"

Ava smiled. "Sounds like love."

"Maybe. But here I am, retired, drinking this awful bottle like I said I would, and where is he?" She snorted into the brim of her cup. "So much for happy endings."