The Journal (audio version)
Do you remember this creepy story about UMC technician Ivan Kim? At last we deciphered the whole story, new details help us to truly understand those terrible events. Besides one of the players helped us to voice this story. So let's hear this story!
Um... is his thing working? Ahem... Ivan Kim, junior UMC technician speaking. I am recording an audio log on the orders of expedition. First entry. Today... is October 30, year 4023. We have arrived in Ydra system and have set into orbit. The complex three-nine-two is now right beneath our feet. And what a sight it is! Snow caps on collapsed rocks and lava flowing through the cracks down below. Somewhere between the cold and the heat, the intricate structures of the plant stand still. It shimmers with lights. The automatics must be still working after the evacuation. Kramer, our engineer, reports that the magmatic power station is running, and complex, as they say, is ‘live’. Launching scout drones. Preparing the descent.
Second entry. Carrying out a visual inspection of the complex corridors. Scout drones have already been here... everything’s clear... only in terms of danger. The floor and walls are covered with dust. The air purification system is offline and everything that used to be collected by the filters is now settled on the walls. It seems my colleagues are already jealous that I grabbed a life support suit from New Eden. We’re deploying our HQ in the mess hall.
Third entry. It’s easy to get lost here. The corridors and tunnels stretch for tens of kilometers, going deep into the rock. Today, I spent two hours trying to get back to HQ. Chief staff initiated a roll-call. There were thirty-seven people. Four were missing. Kramer was among them.
Fourth entry. Ventilation system is back on. Air samples are within the norm. Some have already shed their suits. I'll wait. More than a hundred chemicals are used in the production of the fuselage alone. We have not yet checked the shipyard itself for spills. Hopefully soon I can get to the remaining ships in the hangar and get to work.
Entry number... five, I think. It is difficult to follow the numbering with so many things going on. Kramer is back. It was he who started up the ventilation system. But now there isn’t enough energy for the lights. There are blackouts across the whole complex. We spend ten minutes each hour sitting in the dark. The children suffer more than anyone else. Someone said They saw some kind of monster. Others complain about sounds in the walls. Like claws scraping metal. It’s all nonsense of course. Yet the command has put up guard posts. Good thing we took a couple of soldiers with us. With them, people should be calmer. The three people who got lost along with Kramer never returned.
Um... so... this is an emergency message. How do I send it? Communications are offline. We don’t know where the comms room is, and our transport ship has been downed in orbit. We were attacked by unidentified ships. I repeat: we were attacked! This is Naberia-392, Ydra system. This is UMC Recon Squad, junior technician Ivan Kim. Requesting fire support. Damn you all to Xenos, how do I send it?
Seventh entry... nah, what does it matter anyway. The attackers couldn’t break through the defence of the station. The entire structure is designed to sustain a volcanic eruption or a direct hit by a meteor. We are looking at the enemies installing anti-ship turrets. Inside, not everything is going to smooth. Seven more people disappeared. I plan to leave the HQ and start drilling the hangar gates. If we’re lucky, we’re going to find at least some ship to leave this damn station.
Two more killed.... I never even knew their names. One of the soldiers completely lost his mind, they tried to calm him down... then I heard the sound of the hand phaser. I'm back drilling the door to the hangar. There is progress, but it’s still too early to speak of a result. I may have to blow it up. Also, today, I noticed one of the missing scientists. At first it looked like he was busy with the hatch on the floor, but when I call out to him, he set off like crazy. And the spot where he’d been sitting, it had a red spot... that’s stupid but... it looked like he’d been eating raw meat.
(Sounds of heavy breathing)... he attacked me! Jumped me from behind! I didn’t know what to do! It was self-defense! Damn... damn... I hid in a cabinet... gonna peek outside... Looks like there’s no one here... streaks of blood on the floor. He’s gone. I stuck a drill into his neck... He’s still alive. He was wearing a scientist’s uniform... he still had his glasses, but his skin was grey, swollen with blisters, and the eyes... I’m going back to HQ. I have to get out of here.
There was a slaughter in the HQ. Nobody survived. Something was ACTUALLY screeching in the ventilation. And I already know what that is. It’s the three people who got lost on the first day with Kramer. Good thing I did not take off the suit. Even better that I left the HQ. Those who breathed this air attacked the others. There was some mutation or... something else... it does not matter. I picked up the phaser and explosives. Going back to the hangar, the light are almost always off. In the dark, something is creping. I keep a phaser at the ready, but I’m not sure that it’s going help me.
If someone can hear me. Stay away from the shipyard of Naberia! The station is infected. Those who were part of our expedition are either dead or turned into biomorphs. Engineer Kramer is a traitor. He sprayed Liu virus through ventilation! Damn. This is the second message that I can’t send. Kramer changed the access codes to the comms room after sending the signal to raiders and then UMC. I’m getting back to the hangar gate.
This is UMC technician Ivan Kim. My legs are shattered from the explosion, ribs are broken too. But it's better than being devoured alive. The creatures were mere meters from me, and the phaser is dead from overheating. My suit seems to be intact. I don’t think I’m infected. But if I am — kill me before I turn into one of these creatures. Before the explosion, I saw Kramer. He walked among them, as if a prophet or a messiah... the shepherd of this terrible flock. He was without a spacesuit, his pale skin covered with ancient runes. Miraculously, I crawled to the ship. Let’s hope the autopilot can get me out of this damned place. This is the final message.
Sincerely,
Star Conflict Team