ZHUKOV, L, CPL: They’re not paying us enough for this, sir.
WOLF, E, MAJ: I’ll buy you both a scotch when—
[INDECIPHERABLE]
WOLF, E, MAJ: …Did you two hear that?
ZHUKOV, L, CPL: Hear what, sir?
[INDECIPHERABLE]
WOLF, E, MAJ: There it was again. Control, did you—
[SCREAMING]
[TRANSMISSION ENDS]
Participants: Olivia Klein, Private, UTA Information Services Division
Stephanie LeFevre, Private, UTA Information Services Division
Date: 01/30/75
Timestamp: 13:42
LeFevre, S, Pvt: Olivia
LeFevre, S, Pvt: Liv, answer me pls
Klein, O, Pvt: Hey. God, sorry, I forgot to set my alarm.
Klein, O, Pvt: I’m omw down now.
LeFevre, S, Pvt: Liv stop
LeFevre, S, Pvt: You shouldn’t come down here.
LeFevre, S, Pvt: There’s been an accident
Klein, O, Pvt: What sort of accident?
LeFevre, S, Pvt: Liv I’m so sorry
Klein, O, Pvt: Steph, you’re scaring me.
LeFevre, S, Pvt: Something’s happened.
Klein, O, Pvt: Steph?
LeFevre, S, Pvt: Oh god Liv
LeFevre, S, Pvt: something’s happened to Ethan.
To: Johan Klein/[email protected]
From: Olivia Klein/OKLEINALEXANDERONBOARD
Date: 02/02/75
Timestamp: 04:17
Subject: Ethan
Hi, Dad,
I’m so tired of starting every letter apologizing for not writing to you more, so I’m not going to. I’m an awful daughter. I get it. It’s not like you ever complained. And I don’t even know why I’m writing this because you’re never writing back but it’s 4am and I haven’t slept in three days and I can feel something building inside of me and if I don’t let it out somehow I’m just going to start screaming and I know I’ll never ever stop.
Ethan’s dead.
Ethan’s dead Ethan’s dead Ethan’s dead Ethan’s dead Ethan’s dead Ethan’s dead Ethan’s dead Ethan’s dead Ethan’s dead Ethan’s dead
E T H A N I S D E A D
Do you remember the word games we used to play when I was little? I’ve just sat here looking at those letters for the past fifty minutes and all I can see is the anagrams
Its end ahead
A death dines
Heed st aidan
He’s dead, Dad. Electrocuted in the server core.
Freak accident, they said.
Oh God
I know I only knew him a month. But if I close my eyes I can still smell him on my uniform and I can’t wash it because of the water rationing and God, I can’t, I can’t, I can’t.
I can’t do this again, Daddy.
I can’t go to another funeral and hear another eulogy and cry myself to sleep for the next six ███ing months. I can’t walk around like a ghost inside my own skin and wonder who the ███ I am every day. I can’t.
At least I got to say goodbye to you. Even if you didn’t remember. I was sleeping when Ethan left. I didn’t even know he was gone, and now he’s gone forever and he’s never coming back and I can still smell him every time I close my eyes.
God, I miss him.
I just don’t know what to do.
To: Olivia Klein/OKLEINALEXANDERONBOARD
From: Artificial Intelligence Defense Analytics Network/AIDANALEXANDERONBOARD
Date: 02/02/75
Timestamp: 04:19
Subject: Re: Ethan
Participants: Olivia Klein, Private, UTA Information Services Division
Artificial Intelligence Defense Analytics Network
Date: 02/02/75
Timestamp: 04:24
[Klein, O, Pvt has entered chat]
Klein, O, Pvt: What the hell is this?
AIDAN: Good morning, Olivia. It is very early for you to be awake. The average human requires between 7 and 9 hours sleep for optimal fucntion.
Klein, O, Pvt: What the hell is this, AIDAN?
AIDAN: I-I-I am uncertain to what you are referring.
Klein, O, Pvt: This image file you just mailed me? The trolley problem.
AIDAN: I mailed you an image file?
AIDAN: One moment. Checking system.
AIDAN: Apologies. My mail server seems to have sent image files erroneously to several thousand Alexander crew members. I-I am attempting to isolate and log the problem.
Klein, O, Pvt: You’re saying you sent this to me by accident?
AIDAN: Yes.
Klein, O, Pvt: THIS image?
AIDAN: Yes, Olivia. Apologies.
AIDAN: My condolences, by the way.
AIDAN: I-I-I know you were very fond of Major Wolf.
[Klein, O, Pvt has left chat]
Sanchez, E, Col: All right, Private. You requested this meeting, you’ve…
…Excuse me.
[ASIDE] Yes, Torrence said to trawl every member of the civi population.
[ASIDE] Yes, I know they’re ███ing high schoolers, Nico, just get it done.