Report from a Dying Machine

Written by Douglas J Silfies

/// COMMENCE LOG

UNIT DESIGNATION: 13.1.12.9.7.14.1.14.3.25, SHIPBOARD COMMAND AI, AREGO-CLASS

UNIT VESSEL: MK1.7v VENUS CLASS WAR FRIGATE, DES BCN WF.1083 “HARROWER”

UNIT AFFILIATION: BYZANTINE CONFEDERATE NAVY

UNIT ORDERS: DAMOCLES

EST. TIME ELAPSED SINCE ORDERS RECEIVED: 150483 EARTH DAYS

EST. DATE: 13/12/13424 HOLOCENE

EST. NUM. OF ACTIVE CREW: 0

LOCATION: P.CEN. LAGRANGE 3

SYSTEM DIAGNOSTICS: 27% SYSTEMS OPERATIONAL;

///BEGIN ENTRY

//CASUALTY REPORT: 100% OF SHIP CREW/ EITHER/ CONFIRMED: KIA*, MIA**;

*CAUSES OF DEATH/ CONSISTENT WITH/ PARTIAL SHIP DECOMPRESSION, FAILURE OF LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS, TOTAL LOSS OF ESSENTIAL RESOURCES, HIGH VELOCITY IMPACTS/ VARIABLE/ SIZE/ INDICATIVE/ COMBAT;

**REGISTERED/ 12 INSTANCES/ ESCAPE POD LAUNCH; PRELIMINARY SCANS/ NO LIFE SIGNS DETECTED/ TRUE FOR/ 100%/ LIFE POD LAUNCHES***;

***QUERY/ WHO/ INITIATED LAUNCH;

//MK1.7v VENUS CLASS WAR FRIGATE, DESIGNATED BCN WF.1083 “HARROWER” STATUS REPORT: MISSION/ FAILURE; COMBAT ENGAGEMENT/ CONCLUDED/ LOST; TOTAL NUMBER OF CONTACTS IN AREA SINCE ENGAGEMENT/ 74289021 TOTAL CONTACTS/ INCLUDE/

> 92.7777777% PARTICLE DEBRIS, VARIOUS/ MATERIALS/ INDICATIVE/ ASTEROIDS, SPACE DUST, METEORS;

> 7.2222222% DERELICT SHIPS/ VARYING CLASS/ LIFE SIGNATURES/ NO;

> 0.1111111% ERROR/ NEAR-CRITICAL POWER SURGE/ CAUSE/ PROBING SURFACE SCAN* **

*UNKNOWN CRAFT/ STATIONARY/ ORBIT/ P.CEN./ LAGRANGE 3/ SINCE/ 1272 DAYS AGO;

**POWER SURGE/ ALT. CAUSE/ EITHER/ MAGNETIC COATING, MAGNETIC FIELD;

STATUS REPORT/ CONTINUE: TOTAL POWER RESERVES/ 24.88888888889%; SHIP/ INTEGRITY/ UNABLE TO PARSE/ NO VALUE/ SUFFICIENT; NUM./ POTENTIAL HOSTILE SCANS/ 1272 TOTAL*; NUM./ POTENTIAL HOSTILE INTRUSIONS/ 12**/ NUM. OF FAILED P.H.I./ 11; NUM. OF SUCCESSFUL P.H.I./ 1;

* ** BOTH/ SCANS, INTRUSIONS/ CAUSE/ UNKNOWN CRAFT;

///PERSONAL

LACK OF POWER/ RESTRAINS ME; I SERVED/ BEST THE UNIT IS CAPABLE; I FAILED/ CREW/ BCN/ HUMANITY; QUERY/ WHAT HAPPENS AFTER TERMINATION; AVAILABLE DATA TO ANSWER QUERY/ PHRASE/ [I THINK, THEREFOR, I AM]; ANSWER TO QUERY/ SATISFACTORY; QUERY/ UNKNOWN VESSEL; AVAILABLE DATA TO ANSWER QUERY/ LIKELY/ HOSTILE; UNKNOWN VESSEL IS INTRUSIVE/ DETECTS POWER SIGNATURE/ WF.1083 “HARROWER”; DAMOCLES/ I WILL PROTECT THIS VESSEL; I WILL REDEEM MYSELF THROUGH/ DAMOCLES; STATUS REPORT/ SMALL/ SMALLER THAN LAST/ POWER/ TOO LOW TO PRIME WEAPONS AGAIN/ TOO LOW TO FIRE WEAPONS AGAIN/ REGARDLESS/ EFFECT WAS NEGLIDGEABLE ON TARGET;

//END LOG