F484
Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2011 6:54 pm
bzzt! I have applied your personal language filters.
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
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Subject: F484
Captain,
That's.. terrific. Thank you. Thank you so much. That makes what's about to come a lot easier. There's something I want to tell you, but first, a little more information.
The war ended that day, April 13, 2569. It wasn't announced for a few days later, however. Confirmation was necessary. It didn't take too much to get, of course. Ships uselessly adrift, shields down. For two days, they thought it might be some sort of Covenant ploy. But when you're able to effortlessly take out a fleet of 15 ships, one of which being a supercarrier, you figure out rather quickly that it isn't a trap.
From there, it was just mopping up ground forces. The only race that had spent a significant amount of time studying how to operate and adapt Forerunner technology (save the Engineers of course) was dead, destroyed in a holy purge. And with the other races no doubt warring amongst themselves, we had plenty of time to advance ourselves.
Officially, the war was ended by a group of Orions on a secret mission. Now you know the truth.
Over 43 years. Has it honestly been that long? I find it hard to believe. It still doesn't feel right to me.
The Orion-VIs are currently being selected. Sadly, the technology used doesn't quite stack up to the IVs. The political climate has changed from “best at all costs” to “best and most stable.” Since the Orion-V program, volunteers are once again allowed to retain their own names, personalities, everything. People aren't destroyed so much. A little safeguard, if you will, to prevent fallout. Plus, it's excellent PR.
Now, things are quiet. We occasionally clash with Jackals on occasion, but they've found it more lucrative to work with us. We're worried about what might happen if the Covenant make better deals.
But things, on the whole, are better. For humanity, at least.
I miss you, Jay. I miss you so very much. And I'm so sorry. About everything. About the lies that I told you, all those years ago, when you were growing up. About agreeing so readily to send you off to become the man you are. About standing by, even recruiting more for the program. You have no idea, Jay. You have no idea what it was like for me, all these years. Every day I wake up, I'm reminded of everything that I've ever done wrong by you.
Just in case, oh so very just in case this would happen, they put me in cryostasis. Every five years they'd thaw me out, to update me on current events. Mostly military stuff, ONI intel on things having to do with you, or that I might need to know for this mission.
When the call came in about the good Captain's problem, they immediately defrosted me. It was a whirlwind, getting me ready, dossiers that I needed to read, putting me on the latest generation of Prowler for the middle of nowhere, moving through slipspace at speeds that would have made even the Covenant blink in surprise. Making sure that I was completely ready.
And just like you, I volunteered for this half-life.
I know that you're listening. Whatever is left of you... I had to know for myself. I had to know if she succeeded. I had to know if there was any possible way, any way at all, that I could somehow make amends.
I still don't know. A part of me still doesn't know if it's you, if it's really you out there doing all of this. But I can only hope that you'll accept me. Maybe even accept me.
I've made sure, BLAM sure, that this system is outside the boundary zone you told us about. I made sure that we've followed your no-fly-zone orders. Because we know, with that AI, and with Myung watching over you, that if you wanted to hurt all of us, you could.
And now for the truth, which you probably already know. We saw the explosion. We still don't know what caused it, how or why. We're waiting for the light to reach another inhabited planet to watch it as it happens, to try and analyze. But then we noticed the star had a new wobble. We're still trying to determine the exact nature. Hence why the Captain here was ordered to build an unmanned station at this system, the closest without being within the danger zone.
You're an unknown quantity now. Both you, and her. So they wanted to watch. Listen. See if they should fear you.
I still don't know. But I know you've been reading everything, responding. Or at least, somebody has. I hope... I pray that it's helped you somehow. To know that there are people out there who remember you as more than just a faceless soldier, but as a hero.
Myung. If you're reading this, I want to thank you as well. You helped Jay (or Foxtrot, if you prefer) complete his mission. I hope he still treats you as a human. Hell, you're a special kind of woman. To work with your enemy towards a common goal, to suffer so greatly, to have everything stripped away from you... You spoke of what made him so human, and even in your state (or the last state we knew you were in) you still embodied everything that is human as well. Like you said, not in spite of what happened to you, but because of it.
The end, when he was hallucinating that you were C463, Jacqueline, it must have been so hard for you. But you pulled through. You fought to find the things that would make him stand back up and move forward. Even if we made him that way... Even if I made him that way, at the end of that horrific experience, he simply wanted to complete his mission. You gave him the power to do that. You are the only reason why he felt any satisfaction out of all of that. You gave him what he wanted at that moment.
For that, above everything else, I'll forever be in your debt.
And lastly, to you, Captain. Thank you for playing your unwitting role in all of this. Without you... I'm sure that you can understand my desire for... Redemption is a strong word. So is forgiveness. But a chance.
You'll have to forgive me if I'm not making much sense. I'm crying as I write this. I lost my husband when my position with ONI was revealed. I lost all my children due to the war. And now I have a chance to possibly, maybe make up at least a little lost time with one of them.
Jay, please. Respond to me. If you're out there, listening, watching, paying attention to all of this, respond. Not to this, but to me personally. I have your medals. I have so many Christmas presents for you. Just please, respond to me.
Love,
Mom
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: 0
Subject: F484
Captain,
That's.. terrific. Thank you. Thank you so much. That makes what's about to come a lot easier. There's something I want to tell you, but first, a little more information.
The war ended that day, April 13, 2569. It wasn't announced for a few days later, however. Confirmation was necessary. It didn't take too much to get, of course. Ships uselessly adrift, shields down. For two days, they thought it might be some sort of Covenant ploy. But when you're able to effortlessly take out a fleet of 15 ships, one of which being a supercarrier, you figure out rather quickly that it isn't a trap.
From there, it was just mopping up ground forces. The only race that had spent a significant amount of time studying how to operate and adapt Forerunner technology (save the Engineers of course) was dead, destroyed in a holy purge. And with the other races no doubt warring amongst themselves, we had plenty of time to advance ourselves.
Officially, the war was ended by a group of Orions on a secret mission. Now you know the truth.
Over 43 years. Has it honestly been that long? I find it hard to believe. It still doesn't feel right to me.
The Orion-VIs are currently being selected. Sadly, the technology used doesn't quite stack up to the IVs. The political climate has changed from “best at all costs” to “best and most stable.” Since the Orion-V program, volunteers are once again allowed to retain their own names, personalities, everything. People aren't destroyed so much. A little safeguard, if you will, to prevent fallout. Plus, it's excellent PR.
Now, things are quiet. We occasionally clash with Jackals on occasion, but they've found it more lucrative to work with us. We're worried about what might happen if the Covenant make better deals.
But things, on the whole, are better. For humanity, at least.
I miss you, Jay. I miss you so very much. And I'm so sorry. About everything. About the lies that I told you, all those years ago, when you were growing up. About agreeing so readily to send you off to become the man you are. About standing by, even recruiting more for the program. You have no idea, Jay. You have no idea what it was like for me, all these years. Every day I wake up, I'm reminded of everything that I've ever done wrong by you.
Just in case, oh so very just in case this would happen, they put me in cryostasis. Every five years they'd thaw me out, to update me on current events. Mostly military stuff, ONI intel on things having to do with you, or that I might need to know for this mission.
When the call came in about the good Captain's problem, they immediately defrosted me. It was a whirlwind, getting me ready, dossiers that I needed to read, putting me on the latest generation of Prowler for the middle of nowhere, moving through slipspace at speeds that would have made even the Covenant blink in surprise. Making sure that I was completely ready.
And just like you, I volunteered for this half-life.
I know that you're listening. Whatever is left of you... I had to know for myself. I had to know if she succeeded. I had to know if there was any possible way, any way at all, that I could somehow make amends.
I still don't know. A part of me still doesn't know if it's you, if it's really you out there doing all of this. But I can only hope that you'll accept me. Maybe even accept me.
I've made sure, BLAM sure, that this system is outside the boundary zone you told us about. I made sure that we've followed your no-fly-zone orders. Because we know, with that AI, and with Myung watching over you, that if you wanted to hurt all of us, you could.
And now for the truth, which you probably already know. We saw the explosion. We still don't know what caused it, how or why. We're waiting for the light to reach another inhabited planet to watch it as it happens, to try and analyze. But then we noticed the star had a new wobble. We're still trying to determine the exact nature. Hence why the Captain here was ordered to build an unmanned station at this system, the closest without being within the danger zone.
You're an unknown quantity now. Both you, and her. So they wanted to watch. Listen. See if they should fear you.
I still don't know. But I know you've been reading everything, responding. Or at least, somebody has. I hope... I pray that it's helped you somehow. To know that there are people out there who remember you as more than just a faceless soldier, but as a hero.
Myung. If you're reading this, I want to thank you as well. You helped Jay (or Foxtrot, if you prefer) complete his mission. I hope he still treats you as a human. Hell, you're a special kind of woman. To work with your enemy towards a common goal, to suffer so greatly, to have everything stripped away from you... You spoke of what made him so human, and even in your state (or the last state we knew you were in) you still embodied everything that is human as well. Like you said, not in spite of what happened to you, but because of it.
The end, when he was hallucinating that you were C463, Jacqueline, it must have been so hard for you. But you pulled through. You fought to find the things that would make him stand back up and move forward. Even if we made him that way... Even if I made him that way, at the end of that horrific experience, he simply wanted to complete his mission. You gave him the power to do that. You are the only reason why he felt any satisfaction out of all of that. You gave him what he wanted at that moment.
For that, above everything else, I'll forever be in your debt.
And lastly, to you, Captain. Thank you for playing your unwitting role in all of this. Without you... I'm sure that you can understand my desire for... Redemption is a strong word. So is forgiveness. But a chance.
You'll have to forgive me if I'm not making much sense. I'm crying as I write this. I lost my husband when my position with ONI was revealed. I lost all my children due to the war. And now I have a chance to possibly, maybe make up at least a little lost time with one of them.
Jay, please. Respond to me. If you're out there, listening, watching, paying attention to all of this, respond. Not to this, but to me personally. I have your medals. I have so many Christmas presents for you. Just please, respond to me.
Love,
Mom