The limits

This is where the action happens!

Moderator: Moderators

ISitInA
Data [Conditional]
Posts: 47
Joined: Fri Mar 18, 2011 9:26 pm

The limits

Unread post by ISitInA »

To: Cpt********.1465.UNSC.THESEUS
From: ISitInA.ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE
Origin: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE
Received:
Sent: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE
Classifications: Captain's Eyes Only, Message Archival Allowed, Neural Net Upload Permissions Denied
Attachments: 2 (UEM-F484-U.MP.S-227619-C, UEM-F484-U.MP.S-227619-D, 55 Mb total)
Subject: The limits

Captain,

As you can imagine, everybody was fairly on edge at this point. People hadn't really had a chance to relax in three months. Not even the civilians.

Now imagine the Orions during all of this. Science Corps or not, they'd been fighting near-constantly for three months straight, and now were being pushed to scout, analyze, and reinforce defenses. All while having to deal with the loss of their fellow Orions.

Some of them kept going by stims alone. F484 was one of them. Some of these stims have, in recent years, been shown to have negative effects on the nervous, endocrine, digestive and cardiovascular systems if taken for extended periods of time. This is besides the preservatives in some of the sadly outdated rations that had become a staple. Or the hundreds of other things that we've learned about what all they were going through. Or the obvious damage caused by prolonged periods without sleep.

By this point, F484 had gone over 112 days without sleep, using chemical aids to stave off that same damage.

I want to put some things into perspective for you. He was a G1 Orion-IV. G1 Orions arguably have the worst side effects from their treatments. He hadn't slept in almost four months. He'd been through some fairly brutal combat during this time. His body was swimming in chemicals that were designed to be used for a maximum of one week. For four months he'd survived on nothing but MREs and mealpacks served through his suit, when the recommended time frame was just a few weeks. The suits water reclamation systems had reached their due date two months ago.

At this point, two Orion-IVs had gone into a coma from these conditions. Some were being ordered to sleep for fear of them snapping. A few were in critical condition just by how hard they'd pushed themselves. Somehow, he held out a little longer than the rest. The fact that he didn't try and kill Myung is a testament to his strength of character.

The fact that his sanity didn't break when he saw her head is the true miracle.

Sincerely,

Chair

*************
Note by Hive: Captain, I have encountered additional encrypted data within this message. The encryption keys are old enough to be added to my own databanks upon my creation due to our frequent status in the outer regions of humanity's occupied zone, in case we encountered any of the number of missing ships from the war. It utilizes the second set of encryption. Below is the unencrypted message.
*************
If it is you, what makes an Orion nothing?
*************
UEM-F484-U.MP.S-227619-C wrote: F484: (SHOCKED) What... are you?
Myung: (FRUSTRATED) Why? Why did you have to do this? With all the guys in your armor who don't use codenames wandering around, how did you even know?
F484: (DISTANT) Private; due to automatic promotion in exchange for testing Kavacha armor, nobody who wears it may be a Private. Myung Park; you listed your name wrong. By the phrasing of vocal patterns and naming components, I guessed possibly Korean descent. All IFF systems are disabled. Handshake protocols given, no response. Indicative of a lack of a military-grade neural interface, amongst other things. Save for your descent, this all indicates possible capture and reuse of military hardware by Insurrectionist. Given your descent, accent, and current political climates I assumed Niflheim.
(PAUSE, 11.5 SECONDS)
Myung: That's just creepy.
F484: (QUIETLY) Look who's talking.

*************
Note by Hive: Captain, I have encountered additional encrypted data within this message. The encryption keys are old enough to be added to my own databanks upon my creation due to our frequent status in the outer regions of humanity's occupied zone, in case we encountered any of the number of missing ships from the war. It utilizes the second set of encryption. Below is the unencrypted message.
*************
There were those who believed your sociology studies would do you no good as an Orion. Who's laughing now? I hope it's you.
*************
UEM-F484-U.MP.S-227619-D wrote: F484: (INSISTENTLY) What are you?
Myung: (MEASURED) I am an artificial intelligence designed to assist you on this installation.
F484: That's a load of bull if I've ever heard one. Your body language tells me that much. Your... (PAUSE, 0.7 SECONDS) eye won't look me directly in the visor when you say that, and you position one shoulder towards me as if to ward any doubt off. You spoke normally before, but when you try to play the robot you act how you imagine a robot or AI would sound. (PAUSE, 1.1 SECONDS) I'm tired, I'm irritable, I can't remember the last time I slept, and I feel like I have a copper brick lodged in the back of my throat. If you don't...
F484: (YELLING) Hey! Wait! Where do you think you're-
(EXPLOSION)
(PAUSE, 12.4 SECONDS)
F484: (ADMIRINGLY) Clever girl. Waiting until I'm distracted to hold me back with a grenade so you can escape. Nice. Hope you survived that jump.
F484: (DISGUSTED) Ugh, they're going to think I'm scrambled.

*************
Note by Hive: Captain, I have encountered additional encrypted data within this message. The encryption keys are old enough to be added to my own databanks upon my creation due to our frequent status in the outer regions of humanity's occupied zone, in case we encountered any of the number of missing ships from the war. It utilizes the second set of encryption. Below is the unencrypted message.
*************
You always preferred both your friends and enemies to be cunning. Even as a child, you admired those who got the upper hand through their mind.
*************