The Narrative Archives

Mission Log Author: Captain Nathan C. Jackson Mission 5, Entry 2: We have been warned. Asteri sent us the warning to expect possible contact within two hours. That was a while ago. The first thing we did was to set up all the turrets. Then we deactivated the drills and stored all collected resources into the core for take-off. We were not leaving anything behind, except for the turrets and ammo fabricator. They will probably be destroyed by the shock wave during launch anyway. As it turned out, the warning was for the worst-case scenario. There is still time. I keep telling myself 'This is not a drill, this is not a drill.' The first mission was the first time I had ever been on the receiving end of live fire. Thinking back on it terrifies me. But it makes no difference. I am a soldier, this is the nature of conflict. This is the nature of war. ----------------------------------------------------- Audio/Video Transcript Location: Pod 472, Sector 36 Time: Mission Day 12, 1847 (B...

Hi, I’m coming to do this now, I think I’m ready to learn just how This show is run. Show me the ropes, Everything we hope To get done. I’m new, I’m bold, One day, I will lead. But today, I’m a mould, And your word I will heed. Tell me what to do, I want to help you. Have I misunderstood? Am I no good? I’m new, unpolished, Waiting to shine. For now, I’ll need your help, I hope you don’t mind. You may see my gall, But I don’t mean to be rough, I’m just committed to the plan. I’ll give you my all But if it isn’t enough, I’m sorry, but that’s the best I can.

The morning rays shine, Tickling my eyes, I realise I'm not sleeping right And groan as I sit up straight. I drag myself to the shower Knowing full well to be quick, If I'm not then nothing will be right Because then I'm going to be late. I pack my bag, spick and span, Then hurry along to eat, I seat myself dead centre, And scrutinize every morsel I eat. School is always hard, Desks here and there, I try focusing on my spot While my hands twitch in despair. The ride back home Through the dusty roads, I cough and wheeze As they pass by the lorries with loads. Coming home I adjust the doormat square, Then head inward quickly Straight to my lair. I open the door, Turn on the light, This view I like the best Everything placed just right.

Journal Entry Captain Nathan C. Jackson Day 11 Well, tomorrow will be round two. If this does not work, this colony will never see the light of day. Still, the odds are definitely better now. The Sentinels were built to hold off armoured regiments and low-flying air threats. We still have no idea what kind of threat to expect, as far as the ground radar contacts are concerned. I had some concerns as to how we were going to make ammunition. We were not expecting any kinds of hostile forces on the worlds we were going to colonise, so Transcender had no ammunition on board. But the answer turned out to be simple, we could manufacture our own ammunition right on the surface, there were plenty of raw materials after all. Asteri and Tara had already finished designing and testing a small-scale 3-D printing factory, and the rate at which it's able to produce anti-tank rounds is, frankly, terrifying. Each turret has a capacity of 300 rounds. A single factory can produce that amount in thre...

I shifted in my seat as a pleasant dream came to my mind. Then in the distance, I could hear someone calling my name. My subconscious braced itself. The next second my forehead got flicked. I yelped and shot up massaging my temple. I looked up and simply said, "Why?" "You tell me if you're supposed to be dosing off like that," Manas said with a stern look on his face. "It's lunchtime..." I began to protest. "So why aren’t you eating lunch?” he pressed on. “Manas, nobody wants to have a micromanager in their lives,” I said trying to get him off my back. “Well, some of us need one, don’t we?” Dropping my head in defeat, I asked him “Must you have an answer to everything?” “Trust me, it’s harder than I make it look,” “I wouldn’t be so sure,” Manas let out a sigh as he sat down beside me. “How has this month’s issue been coming along?” “Going good, just need to place the artwork and then send it to the teacher for proofreading,” “Great, you’re sle...