From: ISitInA.ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE
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Classifications: Captain's Eyes Only, Message Archival Allowed, Neural Net Upload Permissions Denied
Attachments: 4 (UEM-CE.16-F484-U.MP.S-30001-1, UEM-CE.16-F484-U.MP.S-30001-A, UEM-CE.16-F484-U.MP.S-30004-3, UEM-CE.16-F484-U.MP.S-30004-C, 52 Mb total)
Subject: C463, and F484 MIA
Captain,
You asked for more information on C463. If we are dealing with F484, then it's only fair that you know a bit more about her. I already told you how they spent time in 23 Zulu together, and how F484 took her death badly. She was, perhaps, the most important person in his life.
The planet that she was from, naturally, is something I don't feel comfortable sharing. I will say, however, that despite her birth name she was of Indian descent. Honestly, I can't blame F484 for being attracted to her; she was quite the lovely gal. An Interplanetary Olympics hopeful for gymnastics as a child, until a nasty fall on a landing and a broken leg ruined that. It wasn't that she had permanent damage, it was the fear of another one.
Her scholastic skills turned out to be above average. It was like she transferred the zeal she had once put into gymnastics into the rest of her life. By high school she had conquered her fear and was giving speeches at children's hospitals for it.
She turned out to be what we call a gazelle in the Orion program. She almost seemed to stride through everything without much difficulty, save for a mild allergy to one of the treatments. Her highest scores were in CQB, stealth, shotguns, pistols, the DRM, explosives, medical and hand-to-hand. While this all would lead her into the position of pointman on strike squads and fireteams, it was the last in that list that forged her relationship with F484.
She was, quite simply, one of the top three hand-to-hand combatants out of the G1 Orions. In fact, during training, the top three traded places quite regularly. F484, on the other hand, was in the lower end of the middle spectrum. (It should be noted that Orion standards are still much higher than normal.) However, somehow she found herself continually defeated by him.
We'll never know the whys or hows of how he beat her. Neither could ever explain it, and reviewing the videos offers no clues, either. It is known that, however, that she began to use rather quite dirty tactics in order to try and win whenever they would be matched together. While those aren't exactly discouraged, the instructors became concerned about what would happen if they were put on a mission together and arranged some team building exercises for the two of them, thinking it would put an end to what they saw as a rivalry.
Looking back, with the knowledge of the silent and almost imperceptible communication the Orion IVs developed, we know that it was exactly what the two of them wanted. During these exercises, the two had been flirting the entire time.
It was Ball who noticed this, and he decided to use it as a test. Naturally, if they were caught, they'd be punished severely. (Believe me, you don't want to know what kind of punishments they received during training. Consider that an hour-long continuous ISO push-up was considered a normal activity.) If they were able to circumvent all the security to have an illicit liaison, then they deserved it.
Let it never be said that we don't let people motivate themselves. Or that the repression of the sex drive is a perfect process.
Before the program, she'd been outgoing in an elegant, almost reserved way. After the program, she might as well have been a different person entirely. So stoic, so seemingly calm, always speaking in as few words as possible. At least, to most personnel.
It's strange watching records of C463 and F484 talking. F484 talking up a storm, chatting about this and that and the other. Her sitting there, not saying a word. If it weren't for the direct eye contact, you'd think she was ignoring him. But if you watch them closely, you'd see that she was keeping up her end. The number of times she blinked, a flare of one nostril, how far she'd purse her lips while breathing, a twitch of the finger, a muscle in her face tightening... They all said something. A very subtle language.
She retained her agility, a very fluid person. A very brutal one, too, though that could be said about all Orion IVs. She was a tool, never questioning orders, never hesitating. That's how the world saw her. Her writing and her letters to her fellow Orions paint a different woman. A woman who still had a zest for life. 24 at graduation, she still retained that youthful zest for life, buried within a harsh exterior that could break a man's bones without even trying.
I have right in front of me an image taken from the one time after graduation that we ever caught her truly smiling. It was at Christmas, naturally, and F484 pulled her onto the dance floor. (That's a bad term; most of the people "dancing" were far enough apart from each other that they were at least two arm spans away from the next person.) Instead of trying to get her to dance, he began dancing. Or, rather, not dancing. Mock dancing? I'm having difficulty describing it. No matter what you call it, within moments she was smiling, and soon after she was laughing so hard that tears were in her eyes.
And that was before they broke out the alcohol.
Sadly, we have no records of what they were like in private. It's one of those things that we desperately wish we could have learned. In 23 Zulu (always two-three Zulu, never twenty-three) they were away from our prying eyes. The closest that we have is a fleeting image from the same Christmas party of the two of them sneaking off. They weren't quite holding hands, more like she was holding his pinky finger. Oh, how we wish we could grasp the reason why she held onto that one finger.
But I'm rambling, and I have more data for you.
The news that F484 had found a way for them to finally identify where the hell they were was extremely uplifting to the spirits of everybody. Within two days, however, this turned to paranoia. F484 never returned from this mission. For a long time, everybody assumed he had died.
Until the Monitor of the station ended up contacting them. Concerned about the fact that a Guide had been constructed, but was neither present nor listed as destroyed, the “mechanical glowing eye” approached the humans on the ring directly. In the end, it lead them to the Cartographer. There they found a storage device containing all the data his suit had recorded... despite the interference that Myung caused by her very presence.
Oddly, nobody was doubting his reports anymore.
Within a week, they had found a way to crack the “static” of his records. This revealed, much to their surprise, that they could extract audio logs. Some of these logs I have provided for you. Though limited visual reconstruction has been achieved in the passing years, most of it is through other sensors than the cameras. This creates a very CGI look that is more reminiscent of late 20th century entertainment than proper intel.
That said, some staff members have cleaned it up to make it look more realistic, but I haven't gotten to see it yet.
As much as I'd like to say that the rest is a mystery, the actual mystery doesn't pop up until later. Because while this was the last “official” communication, that isn't to say that we haven't been able to secure more intel. Once again, taken from his own suit.
If you thought the parts you didn't want to know were done with, I'm sorry. It only gets worse from here.
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. Below is the unencrypted message.
*************
This always pains me the most. To think of what you survived. Do you remember?
*************
UEM-CE.16-F484-U.MP.S-30001-1 wrote: Unknown Male 1 (U.M. 1): (BARKING) Halt!
Myung: (STARTLED) Mapsosa! Relax, would you. It's just me.
Unknown Male 2 (U.M. 2): (SURPRISED) Oh, Myung. We thought you were dead.
Myung: I almost was. See the holes? If I wouldn't have been wearing this, some Elite would be munching on me right now.
U.M. 1: It has been so long. (PAUSE, 1.8 SECONDS) Elite? It is not safe through that?
Myung: Not exactly. Where is Lee? I have to discuss what I saw with him.
U.M. 2: Remove your armor first.
U.M. 1: It's her. Why-(INTERRUPTED)
U.M. 2: Because of the... (TRAILS OFF)
(PAUSE, 1.1 SECONDS)
Myung: (SMUGLY) You mean you're afraid of the nuke built into this thing you people didn't bother to tell me about?
U.M. 1: What? How did you know?
F484: (FLATLY) I told her.
(SOUND OF BLOW, U.M. 1)
(SOUND OF BLOW, U.M. 2)
(SOUND OF IMPACT WITH GROUND)
(SOUND OF IMPACT WITH WALL)
(SOUND OF IMPACT WITH GROUND)
F484: Start it.
Myung: I started trying to get through the moment I stepped on rock. (PAUSE, 1.2 SECONDS) It's so easy. Their encryption... Even the UNSC encryption, it's all so-
F484: (SOUNDS OF GAGGING)
Myung: Foxtrot?
(PAUSE, 3.2 SECONDS)
(SOUND OF HELMET BEING REMOVED)
F484: (SOUND OF VOMITING)
F484: (SOUND OF DEEP BREATH)
F484: (SOUND OF VOMITING)
Myung: (WORRIED) Oh, god. Are you... Oh god!
F484: (SHAKY) That isn't right...
Myung: Are you okay?
F484: I haven't crammed. There shouldn't be any blood...
UEM-CE.16-F484-U.MP.S-30001-A wrote: Myung: Foxtrot?
F484: (CURT) Still here, ma'am.
(PAUSE, 4.3 SECONDS)
Myung: They've agreed to send a Pelican to pick us up.
F484: Have they agreed to take us there?
Myung: Yes. (PAUSE, 0.9 SECONDS) Affirmative. (PAUSE, 3.3 SECONDS) Are you okay?
F484: I'm a little winded, but I can complete the mission, ma'am.
(PAUSE, 5.3 SECONDS)
Myung: (CONCERNED) We'll have to sneak up to the surface. Can you do that?
F484: Affirmative, ma'am.
UEM-CE.16-F484-U.MP.S-30004-3 wrote: UNKNOWN FEMALE 1: Why's she sending a-
(SOUND OF BLOW)
UNKNOWN FEMALE 1: (GROANS)
(SOUND OF IMPACT WITH GROUND)
(PAUSE, 4.4 SECONDS)
Myung: Do you have to knock them out?
F484: (FLATLY) Mission parameters include less than lethal use of force, ma'am.
Myung: (UNNERVED) Right.
UEM-CE.16-F484-U.MP.S-30004-C wrote: (SOUND OF MUFFLED THRUSTERS IN THE BACKGROUND)
(PAUSE, 18.2 SECONDS)
Myung: (QUIETLY) Do you have it?
(PAUSE, 7.7 SECONDS)
Myung: (AUTHORITATIVELY) Foxtrot.
F484: Ma'am?
Myung: You've shown signs of illness. I want to inject you with some antibiotics. (PAUSE, 2.8 SECONDS) This is so that we can make sure that you're in top shape for the next phase of the mission.
F484: My suit has plenty of antibiotics, ma'am.
Myung: This is focused for the symptoms you were showing. You will take them. That's an order.
F484: (UNHAPPILY) Yes, ma'am.
(SOUND OF HELMET BEING REMOVED)
(PAUSE, 3 MINUTES 17 SECONDS)
Myung: (WORRIED) You're sure this will keep him down?
UNKNOWN MALE 3: For a while, at least. I have no idea how this stuff interacts with Orions. (PAUSE, 3.7 SECONDS) Should I stow his weapon?
(PAUSE, 9.3 SECONDS)
Myung: No. (PAUSE, 1.2 SECONDS) No, it's as much a part of him as his skin.