Survivors

Missing

The next morning, I get news on what happened when I was missing. As in, there's literal documents on the events in everyone's lives.

So I dig in.

***

"Video blog. Pink season, second cramalli, third opralium." Xavier states, looking into the camera. "The Black Star ship took off with Rowan. I don't know what's going on. Regeit isn't letting us go, though. He says it's too dangerous." He rolls his eyes. "Wessa guesses we have one time we can go out, and then the defences would be up. We're saving that. Maggie's trying to hack into the main Gorfonian computer system."

The screen goes black, then features him again.

"Video blog. Pink season, second cramalli, fourth opralium. Rowan hasn't come back yet. Wessa's here."

"Hello!" Calls Wessa. She appears on the screen.

"I'm starting to get worried. Mostly because of Rowan, but also Regeit. He's acting... weird. Like he doesn't want to act on the whole missing cadet situation." Xavier narrows his eyes.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say he didn't want Rowan to be found!" Wessa agrees.

"For your convenience, here is a compilation of Regeit being an asshole."

True to Xavier's word, a ton of videos are compiled of Regeit denying requests to go looking for me. Brutal training, extreme curfews, and shouting.

The next blog comes on.

"Video blog. Pink season, second cramalli, fifth opralium." Xavier has bags under his eyes. "Regeit is extremely apathetic. He says that if Rowan can't get himself out of his situation, he isn't strong enough to be an Astralis Cadet. I never slept last night. Wessa's a bit worried. We binged Kartraean chick flicks yesterday to try to make me feel better. I made ice cream. I never shared it. Regeit says I'm not strong enough for Astralis, either. Says I need to get over myself and be useful. I've been working as hard as I can. He complains about the others, too. Apparently he wants to surrender Astralis to Gorfon. Maggie cut communications because of that." He yawns. "See you all later."

Next video.

"Video log- I don't care anymore. I stabbed him. I dakking stabbed Rowan. I thought he was Gorfonian. I attacked him. He's in healing now. Regeit's back to normal after Rowan ripped something out of him. After examining it, Maggie identified it as some sort of mind control device. I'm really too stressed to talk right now."

Why Xavier would send these videos to me, I don't know.

"Video log. Pink season, second cramalli, day seven. I'm going to stop recording these for a while. If you've noticed, I am wearing Rowan's jacket. Unironically. It's because it smells like him. I know I've called it eau de loser before, but but lavender and vargile isn't a bad combo. Regeit has formally apologized for being a prick." The videos end.

I move onto Jade's document. It's a digital journal.

Hey, dearest of the diaries. I'm having a blast in lonerville. Rowan went in for testing and never came back. Astralis is more so a cheap excuse to be abducted by aliens again and again. Maggie has been helping me with trying to find my family. All we've found so far is that Cass apparently got sucked through an airlock. There's no video feed, so I don't know if she's alive or not. Maggie seems to be working the most. Hacking into Gorfonian servers, Regeit's files, and Rowan's technology. And she doesn't know much about the technology aside from Regeit's and Rowan's tablet.

Day two without Rowan. Wessa is basically mothering Xavier. Whenever I go into her room, they're watching cheesy movies and eating junk food. Maggie had to cut communications after Regeit contemplated surrendering to Gorfon. We're the last Astralis fleet left. AKA the busiest people alive. The Kartraeans have been contacting us, but we can't do contact anymore because- y'know- Regeit

Day three without Rowan. Maggie ran off today. She told me it was to check on her home planet. Not a very convenient time for her to leave, to be honest. Regeit's a dickwad. Xavier's depressed and tired. Wessa's busy helping him cope with that. And I seem to be getting a lot of blame for it all. Apparently the Blue Cadet is supposed to be a fighter.

Day four. Technically without Rowan. He's comatose. Maggie came back last night. She's not talking about what happened. Wessa's not staying around Xavier as much. I think he kinda wants to be alone after stabbing Rowan. I know I've mentioned it about a million times, but they're dating. I still can't get over that. Regeit is like he was before again.

Day five. If you talk to someone, they will either start crying or screaming at you. Irritable as dak.

Day six. Nothing happened.

Day seven. Rowan's out of his coma thing. He is also Regeit's adopted son or something.

I close the journal and take out Maggie's. She writes like her life is an epic saga. Some pages are filled with notes on how to get into systems, or random facts. I skip those parts.

Rowan had been missing for a while then. I'd been trying to keep up to date on my planet's news, but it was shut down. I decided to go back. I got in my ship and got my weapon. Two of them. The first was the one I don't know the name of. I call it a stabip. It has two pointy ends- one is a single point, the other is two-pronged. I you pull it apart, it becomes an electric whip. The other weapon was my trusty scissors. The ones that helped me escape my home planet alive. The ones with which I cut my long, blonde hair to become short as it is today. As I approached the planet, a feeling of dread grew in my stomach. My suspicions were soon confirmed when the IGPS spoke:

"IPN-T46." That was the name. Nothing strange until the next sentence. "Gorfonian Colony."

I landed as quick as I could. Gorfonian flags were hanging from every building, painted onto the landing square. I immediately ran to my residence. There was a notice. It stated that the family who inhabited the complex had been arrested for insurgence. I still feel like they wouldn't have done it if it weren't for me. The Gorfonians surrounded the house. It was a difficult moment at first. But then, I remembered that the floors in and around the apartment were made of a conductive alloy. I put two and two together and separated the two ends of my stabip. I hopped onto a couch and held the weapon to the floor. The Gorfonians dropped. It was a minor colony, not well established. I easily won it back. But my parents had been imported off of the planet. I know how Jade feels now. All her family taken by Gorfon. She doesn't know if they're dead or alive.

I close the story. Wessa made me an abstract piece of art to represent the events while I was missing. I don't understand it.

All in all, the summary of what I missed seems less that joyous.

I head to the control room.

On top of those events, I feel comfortable to say it.

"Guys, it's time I came clean with you." I admit.

"I know you're not the straightest crayon in the box." Laughs Jade.

"It's not that." I say with frustration. "I'm Gorfonian."