"RESCUE & RECOVERY"|Aegis Research|14.08.3304
14 Aug 2018Gale Harte
________________________Gale Harte
Aegis Research
Science Division
Pleiades Sector IR-W d1-55
Donar's Oak
14 August 3304
________________________
Waking up from a coma isn't usually on everyone's bucket list, though I think it should be. I always said if I was ever to fall into a coma I would certainly like to wake up from it, but I always presumed it was unlikely to happen to me.
Ironically, I've been in the medical wing for the past month recovering from an encounter with the Thargoids. Two other scientist and myself were conducting Thargoid field research in the system, which means collecting scan data, tissue samples, and other behavioral observations. Getting the chance to study the Thargoids up close was a thrilling experience to say the very least. Every encounter we had with them was peaceful, if not a little nerve racking. Each encounter, the subject approached our ship and halted within close proximity to scan us before resuming their normal activities. The only time the Thargoids became aggressive was whenever we had to take a tissue sample. Quite frankly, I don't blame them. I'd probably be irritable too if some alien probe started tearing off pieces of our ship's hull without our permission.
I'm not saying that justifies destroying our ship, because that's not what happened. We were out in the system collecting Thargoid tissue samples of each Thargoid variant for cross examination back in the lab. Collecting samples is a delicate process, one that required us to complete Aegis' training program for Thargoid encounters. Combat with Thargoids was (and still is) to be avoided at all costs because the little Adder that Aegis supplied us with wouldn't stand a chance, but it was nimble enough for us to take a sample and make a hasty retreat.
This time was different. Everything was running smoothly. We dropped onto an non-human signal source, Identified the situation, and traded scans with the Thargoid Basilisk that was present. We were preparing to collect a tissue sample, when another ship dropped out of super cruise into our vicinity.
It was a Fer-De-Lance.
We soon received a hail from the ship telling us to leave the area immediately. We tried to hail them to tell them we were on a research mission, but by that time they had already engaged the Thargoid. We quickly took evasive action to try and warp out, but three Thargoid scouts dropped into the system as we were boosting away.
The last things I remember were bright, flashing red lights, and the shouting from my colleagues....
The nurse said my escape pod was picked up by a short range salvage team along the outer rim of the system drifting along with a few bits of wreckage from the Adder.
The salvage team also found my colleges... Melanie Conti and Simon Palmer... still strapped in in their seats on the bridge when the ship...
The salvage team also found the corpse of the Thargoid we encountered along with the remnants of the scouts. No trace of the Fer-De-Lance.
I guess the noble and valiant Thargoid Hunters were successful.
It should have been me... I should have gone down with the ship. It was my project! I'm the one who brought those two out there! Why didn't they use the escape pods?! There apparently was enough time to stuff my unconscious rear in one, so why didn't they leave too?! Why did they have to die!?!
...
... Everything was fine. All was peaceful until those hunters showed up, guns blazing, determined to be the heroes of humanity.
This war is destroying us... This stupid, stupid war....
________________________
. . . End of Recording . . .
. . . File Saved . . .