{Maxis' Point Of View}
Just another day aboard Station Argos…
We've been here for almost a year. We have a bunch of other bases off in different areas of the Planet. Unfortunately, the Thirteen Vessels that had Left Earth had lost control during reentry, therefore each Vessel landed in a different area. Some landed relatively close to each other. But we initially planned to land together. One Vessel dropped off the radar. The fates of the Crew is still unknown, but they are on the "Assumed Dead." List.
We decided to create underwater bases and Cities. We could have made floating Civilizations, but that would have taken more work, according to the Captain. So far, We have adapted to our undersea life. We found a way to survive. Thankfully the biome Station Argos was in possession of plenty of Sea Life that could serve as food. Food and water wasn't an issue. We had transportation:
-A Stingray, Which was an individual submersible Vehicle capable of speeds up to 90 MPH. and 110 MPH when in emergency speed. They were equipped with Sonar and Missile launchers and a single Gatling for self defense. There was no telling what was in the Ocean, it was better to go out prepared for the worst.
-There was the Typical Navy sub for longer travelling distances. These were used to trade and Carry supplies to and from fellow Stations. They had the same defensive equipment as the Stingrays.
-There was also a new sub that was built, The Rebel. This was the preferred exploration vehicle among Voyagers. They can dive deeper, hold cargo, and can be used as "Mobile Homes" They carry Gatlings and a Railgun as primary defenses, along with a launcher that can fire Guided missiles. The Rebel can also drop off observation drones as well.
Individual Equipment includes:
-Typical diving suit. Used whenever swimming near Station Argos or when Swimming Within the underwater city, Argos. It was made with an included helmet and enhanced material to help the wearer cope with the Pressure.
-Power Suit. Literally a suit of Armor. These can be used to walk along the seafloor, or walk along Bridges that connected certain buildings together in the City. Voyagers would take these suits to explore outside the City. These suits have a high Oxygen capacity, and deal with high amounts of pressure, making it ideal for deep sea dwelling.
These were just a few of the many inventions that were created to help us survive in this new world. So far, everything was looking fine, however this was an Alien Planet after all, anything could happen at any given time. There is no doubt that each living soul on this planet had this in mind...Only when Earth was destroyed did we realize just how much of a blessing another day of life was. A gift we've all taken for granted.
I sat at a table in an Eatery in the Station. It was a big restaurant lined with ambient lighting. Even the booths and Tables had those LEDs under them. Not only that but the restaurants had 20 ft. X 20 ft. windows so everyone could gaze out the windows as they ate. It wasn't too crowded today, which was surprising. It was a popular Restaurant.
A group of Voyagers sat at a table nearby having a squabble over something, I was too absorbed in my thoughts about Kyrie to even care.
Kyrie…
I remembered how she used to be. She was an Overly prideful, yet arrogant girl. She was a real motormouth and always put herself over others. Oftentimes I would find myself trying to get her to pipe down. I suppose you could describe her as being a brat sometimes. At least that was the Persona she played. Deep inside she was just a frightened girl, unsure of her own fate, just like the rest of the crew. Only she would never ever show it in front of others. I couldn't help but forgive and look beyond that Arrogant layer and come to understand her and help her. We shared a few kind moments and did favors for each other.
But now that girl is gone…
She was suffering from amnesia. I doubt she would ever remember anything from the past anymore. The fact that my own selfishness nearly cost her her life hit me hard. It was something I could never forgive myself for. I wished more than anything to go back in time and undo that mistake. No matter how much I tried to forget, it would always haunt me. Not even the strongest drink could drown out that fact. Kyrie seemed to forgive me last night. But I doubt she knew, let alone understand what exactly she was forgiving.
I pushed away my plate, no longer having an appetite. Looks like it was back to square one. Even with our relationship.
"Again?! Another person?!" I heard a voyager exclaim.
*Sigh* What could this be about?
I stood up and strolled over to their table, A blind haired voyager noticed me.
"Ah, look Rich, you're causin' a scene. Now someone is going' to tell you to shut it!" He said to his partner, clapping him upside the head.
"Actually...I was just curious about what was happening. I...Haven't gotten any updates from Yusef."
The blond haired Voyager looked at my Tag.
"Ah, Security staff. I suppose you are working on these cases?"
"Well, at least we're trying to figure out what's been happening." I said
"Very well, tell em' Rich,"
"Another Voyager ended up dead! It was on the announcement board in the Voyager HQ!"
"Apparently, this one was exploring way out there. His Sub dropped off the radar and we haven't heard from him since. I'm Sure the Big Man form your group issued a Search and rescue and didn't find anything."
"Yeah. he called off the search as of last night." I recalled.
Another voyager dead. In total, there had been 300 confirmed deaths, and 72 others whose lives were unaccounted for. Oddly, there were people going missing throughout each Station of the Planet. Rules have been made in an attempt to reduce the losses, but they weren't as effective as we hoped.
"If people would quit going out so damn far, this wouldn't be happening. We just need to focus on the surrounding areas we live in. Ya' know what they say? Curiosity killed the cat!"
"But what about the other creatures of the Sea? We need to know what kind of predators are out there!"
"What about the Shit that's been going down at Station Oroboros?!"
The conversation got more intense and I slipped away. I walked towards the Exit and ran into Saiya and Kyrie.
"Oh, hey Max. How are you?" asked Saiya.
"I'm fine." I said.
"Have you been drinking again?" Saiya asked me.
"Just a little."
"Oh, Max, quit beating yourself up. Don't do harmful things to yourself!"
"Okay, I'll stop."
I looked at Kyrie, who smiled and greeted me with a wave. She was Dressed in a dark blue blouse fixed with a black tie. She had a white armband sporting the Argos logo. She also wore a black skirt and leggings with a pair of Saiya's old shoes. Kyrie had the notebook and pen I gave her tucked under her arm. Saiya was dressed in a similar outfit, only her uniform was a warm grey. Voyager's uniform.
"How are you feeling today, Kyrie?" I asked her.
She made an OK sign with her hand.
"Good, I'm glad to hear...well...know" I gave her a head pat.
I looked over to Saiya and I pointed to the voyagers.
"Did you…"
She nodded. "There have been reports from Station Oroboros."
"Oh, Shit, they're suffering losses too?"
"Not as much as we are. Over two weeks ago, Kyle Morse, Oroboros' main Cartographer, was tasked with mapping out a certain area that was quite a ways from the station, and he was also asked to establish a trade route to Station Poseidon. He came back after a month, and began to display odd behavior. He went insane upon his return."
"What happened to him?"
"They did a medical examination, but didn't find anything. He began ranting about this creature he saw during his expedition. Doctors found markings and writings all over his dorm room. Along with his body, which was lying on the floor. They found a drawing of a figure in a notebook that was glued to his hand."
I raised my eyebrows.
"He died?"
"Yeah...the Doctors performed an autopsy and turns out he died of a heart failure. Along with ruptured organs and internal bleeding. A few other Voyagers died in similar fashion too."
"What in the...What about the stuff he was going off about?"
Saiya shifted her weight cocking her sip out, she hooked her thumbs under the top of her skirt.
"They looked into his personal files and found that he had some previous mental issues that they were not aware of. He was a former Staff Sergeant in the Army and was suffering from PTSD after WW4. That and he was a victim of child abuse. He's been nabbed multiple times for stuff like Bar fights and traffic violations. They ruled off that his claims were just the PTSD kicking in."
"How do you know all this?"
"I didn't find any of this out, Victor leaked the information."
I sighed. "He's going to get into hot water for spying one of these days."
"But…" Saiya held up a finger.
"Other Divers have also claimed that they saw something similar to What Morse had described while out diving. These Divers were also tested and it turns out they are stable. Some describe it as a black mass...some say they even heard voices. There were several other claims. Captain Alfonse doesn't know what to make of it."
"Eh, ghost stories…do you think they're real?" I asked Saiya. She shrugged.
"Well, if multiple people are making the same claim, then there's gotta be something out there...right?"
"I...don't know." I didn't know what to think either. I never really had any experiences with ghosts before. I wasn't completely sure I even believed in thes. I was more of a "Believe it when I see it." kind of guy.
Just then, the power went out, and the emergency lights turned on.
"Power levels critical, Main systems offline. Auxiliary power activated."
"Jeez...again?!" I said in disbelief.
Kyrie flipped open her notebook and scribbled something down in it and showed us.
What's happening?
"It's nothing. One of the generators must have failed or broke down. This is happening way more often than it should though."
"Could it be that someone is tampering with the generators?" Asked Saiya.
I shook my head.
"We have cameras on every single angle of the Generator Rooms. If someone was messing with the generators, then we would have caught them by now. It could very well be that we need to replace the generators with a Power plant. That would be a more reliable source of Power."
"I hear they're building one actually."
"Yo, Maxis, you there?" my radio went off. I reached for my belt.
��Yeah, go ahead, Victor."
"The generators are fucked again, Travis needs you to report to the Crew Room. All hands on deck for the repairs."
"Alright then." I put my radio back.
"Repair duty?" Asked Saiya.
"Yeah. they're calling everyone. Must be really bad."
"Well be safe. Are you going to be back by evening?"
"Probably not."
"Alright...I'll make something for you when you get off."
"You don't have to trouble yourself, Saiya."
"No worries, it's no trouble at all."
"Alright then...Take care of Kyrie. I'll see you both tonight...depending on how long this takes."
Kyrie waved goodbye to me as I left to fulfill my duties.