Logbook Entry #0006: Come Home, Krynesur.
06 Aug 2022Krynesur
System Location: HIP 22711Date: August 5th, 3308
Time: 01:13
Previous Logbook Entry: #0005
The following has been recorded by Commander Ikena Krynesur. An addendum has been added:
What you are about to listen here is my experience of an accidental dosage of Onionhead, Gamma Strain through consumption by drinks. This experience happened just as I was investigating an active Thargoid structure alongside First Archon Fallharbor. I would like to let you know that I have never taken any drugs, let alone hallucinogens, in my life. Upon review, I decided it was best to record this down. I will warn you, it is heavy. It is a view inside of the thoughts in my head, and what dark moments of my past the Onionhead has made me see once more. But, had this accident had not happened, I would not have my next direction.
You will see, if you choose to listen.
As I have listened to the recording, I have added addendums at the bottom of this page, to recount what I have been seeing at certain moments.
The sound of boots crunching onto ice and stone are overheard the communication systems. The sound of Ikena's laughter sounds through, followed by the sound of a quiet whirring, which gives a Doppler effect, "Drones! I haven't seen them in years... Ah, and I can still touch them, too! It's so good to see them again."
Vidal's voice was heard next. They would chuckle and say, "Yeah, just don't shoot 'em or we're all mulch!"[0.1]
In the background was the chugging of two smaller engines of SRVs. The footsteps continued, and the engines grew smaller, while the sound of the strange mechanical whirring grew louder. "This one is stuck! I got it!" With a grunt and the sound of rubble being pushed, the whirring had taken off to another direction. With a content sigh, Ikena's voice spoke again, a smile evident in her tone, "There." [0.2]
The audio began to malfunction, followed by the ambient noise of movement. Soft, steady panting was next. "It has been... a long time since I have seen something like this. Vidal, have you-"
A pause. The sound of engines still chugging in the background, but was fainter. "Vidal?" [1]
There was another voice on the comms, yet Ikena didn't respond. Her panting only turned rapid, followed by running footsteps. The sound of stones dragging, as though she were moving underneath something. There were moments of silence, then her hyperventilating. This silence passed for several moments, before her voice whispered. "The Imperials... They found them. They found them, and they took them." [2]
She scooted back further, frightened by the loud malfunctions over the audio. A broken whimper left her. "Don't let them find me, too. They'll take my eyes if they find me. Ef þeir taka augun á okkur, þá er ég dáinn." [3]
More stones dragged against stone, before the running of footsteps. A voice shouted for her name in the comms, but was too distorted for her to respond. The panting had steadied, winds buffering against her. This moment had passed, Ikena falling into a period of silence. "Við urðum að fara. Þeir meiða Stjörnùblóm." [4]
When she heard her name, she finally responded, asking. "Are they gone?" She sniffled, quieting down. "I thought you left. Something's wrong. Could we get home? It's safe there, right?" More stones dragging about, before the sound of footsteps again. [5]
The majority of the audio had been white noise, with the occasional glitch of interference. But, there were metallic footsteps, followed by the sound of a Krait Mk. II's engines. The Frame Shift Drive had charged, before jumping. Ikena's breath went from rapid, to a steady, calm pace. [6]
"I see now. We're surrounded." The engines continued their jump, having to shift once more before ending. "It's beautiful." [7]
"Home is calling. Pleiades. Heimili. Garðurinn. Heimkallar til mín." [7.1]
The sound of approaching carrier engines started, followed by docking, announced by the Spanish-speaking COVAS system. Ambient movement began once more. A deep, masculine voice was clear over her microphone, "Let's get you to the medbay, see what's going on." [8]
Ikena's voice didn't sound so distant as it did previously. Commotion sounded through the audio, the sound of footsteps on metal flooring. "How did I get here?" [8.1]
The recording ends.
[0.1]: I had witnessed three Thargoid Scavengers fly about. These were a fond memory of my time back in my colony. They never proved a threat, and were great indicators of areas we could hide in. Not many knew they were harmless, unless provoked, despite their intimidating nature.
[0.2]: Such are the predicaments of being on the low-tier aspects of a hivemind. At least, that's what I assume. A Scavenger had managed to fly itself into a tight spot in a stony alcove. I had pushed it aside, happy to have aided the small creature, and let it return back to its task.
[1]: This is where the hallucinations began. What I pictured was no equipment, no ship, and no Vidal. For all intents and purposes, I was alone in my eyes, left in this Thargoid site.
[2]: Having the feeling that I was left alone, this caused me to hallucinate back to the colony. For context, my people were enslaved by the Empire, ones who were with House Torval. They were cruel people, subjugating my people and I to strenuous labor hours. We escaped to a Thargoid site for sanctuary, as we thought the Empire wouldn't try to traverse on xeno territory. As a fear response, I found the closest alcove to hide in.
[3]: Again, the cruelty of the Empire has bore its mark onto my mind. A sightless human is a "useless" one, as we rely a lot of our sight to do our jobs. Not only that, but they knew we looked at the Thargoids in high regard. If they took away our gift on seeing them again, it caused us great distress. I have seen such treatments. They, too, have threatened me like this before.
[4]: The sound glitches from the electromagnetic interference had startled me, pushing me to hide further into this stone alcove. I thought it was our captors that were trying to find us. I remember the tensions that day, when the captors attacked the Thargoids. This attack provided an opportunity for my people to flee. I found an opening in the alcove and escaped out of Vidal's view, running into the open of the Thargoid site.
[5]: A moment of clarity. Vidal managed to catch my attention when he spoke my name, rushing up to me, and I remembered they were someone I could trust during my relapse of memory. I knew something was wrong and expressed it.
[6]:This was when I was escorted back onto the Arbmos. Vidal had been my escort during this sudden turn of events for me. They kept me calm, flying back home and redirecting me to the medical bay aboard Hecate's Rest. I was kept in the co-pilot seats to make sure no harm was done, with my co-pilot permissions restricted.
[7]:This is where I remembered where home was. I remember hearing this chattering call in the distance, I remember where my colony once was. I saw it before on some flight logs of a ship I stowed away on.
[8]:Vidal had been guiding me to the medical bay when I was incoherent, lost in the hallucinations.
[8.1]:This is when things became coherent for me again. One moment, I was seeing Witch-Space. The next, I am suddenly back in the main bay of Hecate's Rest. It was startling, to be in a different area when it felt like I was somewhere else.