EarthFall

CHAP 18. Message

They all took turns reading it. He watched as Cornelius finished it first, handed the box calmly to Tucker, and then sprinted out of the cave. They could hear him puking a few moments later in the distance.

Tucker read through it. Halfway through he fainted ever so slightly, taking a knee. He finished it, handed it to Brianna, and started crying quietly. Brianna looked at Carson with concern, then proceeded to read.

When she was done, she closed her eyes and said a short prayer. She whispered it to herself quietly and quickly, so Carson only heard pieces of it. Fragments. He heard her say "--But I'm asking now--" and he thought he heard her say something about "mercy on our souls." Near the end.

He had never seen her pray before. He was surprised by how much it scared him to watch.

She handed him the unlocked military tablet and he read through it slowly. It mostly talked about the stuff he had already told Carson in the ravine yesterday. It wasn't particularly heartfelt, and it wasn't particularly long. But that was the Chief's way.

The Chief explained he was afraid there might be a self-destruct sequence possibly planted in the Phoenix. So he went off to collect the Exo-suits at the bottom of the lake. His theory was that the proximity to the other Exo-suits geo-chips would set it off.

He explained that they were clones, supposedly the last of their stock. And so it made sense politically he explained, for this to be their last mission. He said Command had betrayed them. The nuke going off early was proof of that. It was timed too perfectly. That was exactly when protocol would have dictated they be doing the 2nd round of their investigation into the Ravine and cave structures.

Then at the end, it wrapped up with a bit directed towards Carson.

So anyways if I don't come back, you'll know what it means. The Phoenix's systems were sabotaged as well. I wish agent williams was still with us to help decide whether or not that's the case. But he isn't. Hopefully I will return within a few hours. Buf If I don't, well... It's better that I should find out the hard way then all or any of you. Chief goes down with the ship, and all that.

If this timelock releases before my return, I'd like it to be known that I vote to leave Carson in charge. His wounds looked deadly... But I maintain my vote. He was right, after all. I was unable to lead. In fact, I haven't led anyone or anything my entire life. I've been following. Following Commands directives like a blind Canis.

We were meant to serve Mars. To serve humanity. But instead... In the end I don't even know whose interests I served anymore.

Maybe they will start moving people to earth in Mass, maybe we were just the last cleanup, destroying evidence of the clone program before they do. Maybe by this time next year... it will be all sunshine and candy. I don't know. I never got the clearance to find out.

I should have asked more questions. I should have turned more stones. If only I had known...

But that's neither here nor there right now.

If any of you do manage to get back home or get word out... Try to reach Doc Bowers. I always thought he was one of the good ones. Ask him about "Shipment Z". He might have some answers.

Here are my top clearance command codes. In case another ship comes. Maybe you can figure out how to hijack it and get home. Or at least, get word out. I doubt it. If it was so easy then I'm sure that Abel character would have done it long ago. But it's worth a shot I guess. Anyways. Good luck, crew.

P.S. I'm proud of each and every one of you. And don't worry, I'll make sure to say Hello to Tinker, Graff, Evangeline, and all the others for you when I meet them. We'll be watching you, so be good to each other. Or at least, be better than I was.