- A small datapad sits under a pillow, locked with a secure encryption. Inside are text logs of Vivian's personal thoughts, feelings and whatever else goes through her head. - ///////////Initializing.../////////// ///////Phonic print recognized/////// //////////Accessing data logs//////// ENTRY 01 - Shipyard, Kitchen - What a week. If there's one thing that this new Galaxy has taught me, it's that some Florans are a lot meaner and distress calls should be taken with a grain of salt. I'm settling down fine, even ran into a few friends back from Memoria. I've got a brand new shipyard up and running and a business partner to work with! I've also been shot seven times and kidnapped by a band of brutish pirates. ... You win some, you lose some I guess. Thankfully I'm not writing this from inside a slave ship; they let me go after I paid my own ransom. Viiker and I tried to get the USCM to jump the bastards, but that fell through. Not counting on marines anymore. They just get angry and storm off. Thankfully I just had a lovely chat with another Memorian; a Hylotl by the name of Ray. We talked for a bit and it looks like I'm going to be building starships again. No joining his coalition yet, I'd like to see what happens with this Apex one first. Vermai, or something. I need to actually learn how to spell her name. The SP3K-R can only do so much. Anyway, so ends the first entry. Gonna see if there's anything left in the fridge. I swear if either of those two cleared it out I will be VERY passive aggressive about it. Vivian out. ENTRY END ////////Powering down////////
///////////Initializing.../////////// ///////Phonic print recognized/////// //////////Accessing data logs//////// ENTRY 02 - Shipyard, Construction Pit - Oh my, what a day. We finally picked up a promising young Lab Assistant. She's a bit of a greenhorn, but I think she'll fit in well. Viiker and Song both like her, so I shouldn't have to worry about that. The two of them on the other hand... I shouldn't be too worried. Viiker's still... Viiker, but Song tried to extend the metaphorical olive branch. Things went poorly and I had to try to convince Song once again that Viiker isn't a total prick. He went down to apologize and... ... I worry about them, I really do. Maybe it's the cramped bunker, or maybe it's just some clashing personalities... Viiker's gone to try and patch things up, I hope. The conversation I had with Song was troubling, but I don't blame her. I'm alone in the construction pit now, with only the distant thunder to keep me company. Am I doing something wrong? No matter how much I try to help the two of them, it just seems to get worse. Father always taught me to never give up on your friends, but at this point I feel like I just need to take a step away. I need sleep; working on this prototype isn't doing anything to improve my mood. Vivian out. ////////Powering down////////
///////////Initializing.../////////// ///////Phonic print recognized/////// //////////Accessing data logs//////// ENTRY 03 - Shipyard, Construction Pit - It feels like forever since I've last made one of these. Maybe I'm just busy? Whatever the case, I've finally got some free time while the prototype's shields get back up. Let's see, what's new with Vivian... I'm going to be a maid of honour! I still can't believe Luna asked me, this is huge! ME! Of all people! No word on when the wedding is planned, but I hope they come to a decision soon. I swear if I'm not careful I might positively burst with excitement. I wonder what I'll be wearing? In equally fantastic news, I had the privilege of helping a dear friend with her egg laying. It was... Eventful, I'll admit. I'm starting to wonder if giving her those painkillers was the best idea. The egg is fine, and the baby is healthy. So that's certainly a plus. Other than that, things have been quiet. I've heard that Ray's not doing well, so I'll hopefully pay him a visit in the near future. He might like the news I'm bringing. Shields have recharged, time to get back to work. Vivian out. ////////Powering down////////
///////////Initializing.../////////// ///////Phonic print recognized/////// //////////Accessing data logs//////// ENTRY 04 - S Class Frigate "Unnamed", Stairwell - I'm going to kill her. I swear to Ape the next time I see that traitorous [REDACTED] I'm going to wrap my hands around her [REDACTED] little neck and squeeze until she can't breathe another [REDACTED] breath. ... So, change of pace from the last entry. It turns out after meeting with a charming Floran, I've come to the realization that I haven't been told the complete truth about quite a bit. Perhaps the Floran is lying to me too, but I'd like to get the complete story before I start throttling anyone. I'm too angry to work, and with the shipyard locked down I can't continue testing the stupid prototype. Short log tonight. Vivian out. ////////Powering down////////
///////////Initializing.../////////// ///////Phonic print recognized/////// //////////Accessing data logs//////// ENTRY 05 - S Class Frigate "Unnamed", Cockpit - I love this Galaxy. I mean, don't get me wrong. Memoria was a lovely place with fantastic people. I made so many wonderful friends there, and I treasure my experiences. But days like today really make me happy that I moved here. I mean it started out fine. I heard some strange news from Edna, but what else is new? I was sitting in the Wolve's Den, when a huge storm of people entered. Some traditional Glitch noble headed in, and I took a break from it all in the Library. Then surprise, another Glitch who wasn't Astorath pops up and kidnaps me! Takes me off to some random planet in the X sector and brags about it to the entire galaxy. I'm left in a metal box in the middle of nowhere. Then, I kid you not, half the damn galaxy beams down to break me out. Okay, not actually half the galaxy, but it was a bigger rescue party than I expected. I mean... I'm nobody special. I'm just a shipbuilder, right? Well... Whatever the case, I'm humbled. Maybe it was just because I was in the Wolve's den when it happened, but I like to think that I'll expect something similar if I'm pulled from my shipyard. I told my secret again. To a crowd, this time! I didn't think I'd ever get the guts but... Well, they did help save my life. I at least owe them that. I wonder if I should tell more? Would people be okay with it? Not many folks are fine with you saying "Surprise, I've been lying to you this whole time." I don't know, I need to think about this more. I promised I'd not reveal anything until the Regiment that murdered my father was dead. Perhaps I should start actually looking in to that? Eh, another time... I need sleep. Today has been far too exciting. Vivian out. ////////Powering down////////
///////////Initializing.../////////// ///////Phonic print recognized/////// //////////Accessing data logs//////// ENTRY 06 - Shipyard, Kitchen - Kidnapped again. Same Glitch, same motives (maybe?) and new cell. I ran into the Den after I heard Darkseid was tearing up the place. Since he couldn't possibly catch me by surprise this time, I figured I'd head on over. By ape, I am such a dumbass. The Glitch plowed through Gareth and Viiker, so I turned tail and ran. I was stunned, scooped up and promptly dumped in a cage. I really don't want to go into specifics about my experience there. He tortured me, humiliated me over Starnet and tortured me again. It'll take forever for my fur to grow back... Thankfully, after switching locations the USCM was able to track Darkseid's signal and beam down to rescue me. I was rushed to a hospital and then placed under Hylotl House Arrest. Oh yes, that's a thing. The HKC seemed to believe I wasn't capable of taking care of myself, so they put me in a remote outpost and told me to wait until Darkseid was dead. I get that they're trying to protect me, but really? I'm not a [REDACTED] child anymore! Time passed, Songwing has been moved into the new Bunker, Darkseid has apparently been killed, and I've gained a new assistant. She's a service Glitch that was abandoned by her old master, and I think(?) that she's taken a bit of a liking to me. I've entrusted her with keeping watch over the shipyard, but I'd like to actually be able to give her proper work. Although I still don't want to work her too hard. She seems so nice, and I feel like if I just pile things on... I don't know, I need to actually sit down and think about things. The past few days have been weird, and I can tell it's going to get weirder. Vivian out. ////////Powering down////////
///////////Initializing.../////////// ///////Phonic print recognized/////// //////////Accessing data logs//////// ENTRY 07 - LOCATION CLASSIFIED, Bedroom - Weirder indeed. Haven't had time to update the diary lately. I know I should, but I keep pushing it to the back of my thoughts. However, since I've got a bit of proper free time... Well, here I am. I've been meeting quite a bit of new people lately. I dunno if I've just never ran into them before or if they're actually new to the sector, but hey! New people! New experiences and stuff! The majority seem to be pretty OK with me. I've gotten the usual questions of "Why do you use that to speak?", followed almost immediately by "Sorry if I offended you." Really, I don't understand why asking somebody if they're mute is apparently offensive. I mean, sure. They could've gone through some terrible accident that brings untold psychological trauma upon recounting the memory, or maybe they're secretly ashamed by their disability... Huh. Okay, perhaps I can see the point. In other news, the shipyard is active again. I've been building ships for a few people, and it's nice to get back in the swing of things. You never know how much you've missed something until you experience it again. I've even been thinking about starting something big... Not huge, just something larger than my current Frigate. Something with a crew! Whatever the case, I can't keep my blasted eyes open... I need proper sleep. Vivian out. ////////Powering down////////
///////////Initializing.../////////// ///////Phonic print recognized/////// //////////Accessing data logs//////// ENTRY 08 - L Class Frigate "Bastion", Bridge - Oh Ape... The past few weeks have been a terrible mix of wonderful and tragic. Guess I'll start with the bad. I think the Holy Fleet has their eyes on me. Some poncy Avian overheard my conversation about Crystal Forging with a human and started chewing me out. Crystals are sacred, and some heathen shouldn't be allowed to research them. To hell with that! I'm Apex, damnit! I'll research what I want to research, even if I have to get some stupid agreement from the Fleet to do it. Viiker and I have been going through a bit of a tough time. Kinda started after I joined the Armored Wolves. He was worried I'd get myself hurt... Although it doesn't look like I'll be engaged in any actual combat missions. I was told I've been hired based off my Engineering experience. Fitting in with them has been easy enough. Already built them a Ship Dock, and Mars was happy. Oh, and I guess it's worth mentioning. I've retired my old Frigate. Never gave her a name, but I've got a brand new model now. No idea what to actually CALL the model, but what matters is I've got a new ship. The Bastion. Big, tough and actually something I'm proud of. I'm hesitant to add weapons, but if the Galaxy is as brutal as I think it's going to be, I'm going to need a way to defend myself. That's all I'm writing for now. I'm absolutely exhausted and dwelling on my problems isn't going to fix anything. Vivian out. ////////Powering down////////
///////////Initializing.../////////// ///////Phonic print recognized/////// //////////Accessing data logs//////// ENTRY 09 - L Class Frigate "Bastion", Cargo Bay - Finally, Gareth and Luna are married! The reception was so beautiful, Luna looked absolutely fantastic and I don't think I've ever seen Gareth happier than today. Granted, there was a little bit where I slapped Viiker... I need to remember to avoid letting him try to resolve conflicts. Wave found me and we had a little talk. From all of my friends, I never expected she would be the one to tell me to stick with Viiker. Onyx seems unhappy about my decision. It was nice to see Cath again... After the wedding, I met with Songwing. She's doing... well enough. Poor girl doesn't to know what to do. The situation with Crooner is undesirable, certainly, but it's clear she's doing all she can. I hope things work out for her. Never thought I'd be such good friends with somebody of her past. Ape be damned if she's raising that child on her own though. Think I'll pop by the Den for a bit. Might give that training course another run-through. Vivian out. ////////Powering down////////
///////////Initializing.../////////// ///////Phonic print recognized/////// //////////Accessing data logs//////// ENTRY 10 - L Class Frigate "Bastion", Bridge - Funny how things can go from so great to so terrible in a matter of days. Might as well get the bad over with. Kitty's dead. She was speaking with Corson in the Den, and some Floran walked up to them with a chip on her shoulder. I heard them arguing, and next thing I know there's a gunshot. I open the door to see Kitty lying motionless with a bullet wound in her back. Straight through the heart. At least she died quickly... In other news, I've officially broken up with Viiker. After weeks of telling myself I'd do it, I finally did it. Poor boy... I still worry about him. But, this is for the best. For both of us. Other than that, I've been having a lovely time getting to know some of my friends a bit closer. I was trusted with Onyx's secret, and in turn I trusted Onyx with mine. My biggest worry right now is Asa. I've let her become rather close to me, and I think she's getting a bit jealous... She reacted rather poorly to Mani's affection... I need to sit down and have a talk with that girl. Vivian out. ////////Powering down////////
///////////Initializing.../////////// ///////Phonic print recognized/////// //////////Accessing data logs//////// ENTRY 11 - LOCATION CLASSIFIED, Lab - Mani has shut down. My little service Glitch; the adorable, friendly girl I rescued from a lonely planet after she was abandoned by her former owner... She's gone. I found her in the Shipyard this morning, lying flat on the floor of my Office. She must have collapsed while dusting. I knew this would happen eventually... She needed to be updated. I didn't have the tech to fix her... I'm so sorry, Mani. //////Idle - 10 minutes////// ///Auto-Shutdown Activated/// ////////Powering down////////
///////////Initializing.../////////// ///////Phonic print unrecognized/////// ///////Manual Override Provided/////// //////////Accessing data logs//////// ENTRY 12 - LOCATION CLASSIFIED, Study - I don't know what to write about. It's been so long since I've done one of these, I worry that there's just too much to record... Well, these logs have gotten a bit depressing lately... I suppose I can try focusing on the good bits for once. Mani is alive. She was in dire need of a software update, and Mute was kind enough to save the poor girl's life. I can't thank her enough... I don't know what I would have done if Mani was gone, but thankfully she's still with us. Once she learned what Ashford had done, she was so worried about me... I had to sit her down and convince her that she wasn't a miserable failure. I know she's a Service Glitch, but I wish she'd stop being so critical of herself. I'm so thankful to have her around, and she depends on me for... everything. If only she knew how much I really need her... I need to do something nice. Show her my appreciation. Wave... asked me to marry her. I fainted on the spot. After what happened, I never thought she actually wanted to take that step with me. But, here we are... I'm going to marry a Hylotl with a much darker past than I originally thought. Oh Father... If only you could see this. I can almost imagine the speech you'd be giving me. I really do love her, though. She's been so supportive and loving, and she's taken rather well to the crap I go through. We've got a lovely little Hylotl homestead in the X sector, and our friends seem to like it. That hot spring works wonders, I tell you. Storm and Akane are frequent visitors as well, although at this point they practically live with us. Storm, aside from being one of the nicest Florans I have ever met, is my live-in Doctor. Besides offering emotional support and keeping me healthy, she's keeping me sane. I hope we don't lose contact after she moves out... I'll miss her dearly... Akane, on the other hand, has been the best damn friend I could ask for. Poor girl's going through her own issues, and I've done my best to support. She just needs a friend, and I'm happy she's letting me fill that role. This is getting a bit long, but I feel like I've got everything down that I needed to. Until next time, I suppose. Vivian out. ////////Powering down////////
///////////Initializing.../////////// ///////Phonic print unrecognized/////// ///////Manual Override Provided/////// //////////Accessing data logs//////// ENTRY 13 - Shipyard, Office - Funny how things change... When I started writing these journals, I had to ask myself why. Why bother keeping track of my life? So somebody can find this rusted datapad in the future and learn all about me? No. It's so I realize how much people can change. When I started off in this galaxy, I was a happy little Apex without a care in the world. Bad things happened, but there was always this little voice in my head that told me everything was going to be all right. I was wrong, and stupid to think like that. Granted, things haven't exactly been "awful", but Antares isn't what it used to be. The Outcasts, an anarchist group of humans, and a Floran tribe known as the Blackfang have been rampaging through the sector. The Order has been crippled, the Wolves have disbanded, New Chicago is a wasteland, the USAF are gone... It seems the RA is the only faction that's actually trying to hold some amount of power. The only place I feel truly safe is the shipyard, which has been severely renovated since my last log. I've got a good crew of capable starship engineers and an AI running the facility, but the only thing stopping me from going public is the Blackfang. You may notice I left out the Outcasts. As it turns out, their leader has become... Infatuated with me. I figure as long as I stay on Danny's good side, we just have to worry about the Blackfang. Flirting with disaster... Almost literally in this case. I need to end this here. This is getting so long that I worry even future-me will get bored of it, Now that I've found this stupid datapad, entries should be a little more frequent. Expect another update in the next few days. Vivian out. ////////Powering down////////
///////////Initializing.../////////// ///////Phonic print unrecognized/////// ///////Manual Override Provided/////// //////////Accessing data logs//////// ENTRY 14 - Shipyard, Office - Another log so soon? I'm as shocked as you are, future Vivian. Regardless, I had some spare time while I wait for the system sweep to finish, so I figured I should keep this updated. I'm going to be twenty-two in about two hours. Keeping track of your age is hard when each planet has different day lengths, but thanks to my father I have a clock for that. I should be happy, but as I get closer and closer to my birthday I only feel... worse. Tomorrow is the day my mother died, and another reminder of how little family I have left. With Wave gone, I don't even have anybody in the sector who knows about it. Oh Ape, these are getting depressing. Happy thoughts, Vivian. Nothing wrong with spending another birthday alone. Glass of wine in front of the fire, radio switched off and a nice quiet night by yourself. I'll be damned if you don't need it. Other than that, things have been going well enough at the shipyard. I need to look into hiring more security, and maybe adding in some more defences. We're already prepared for a blackfang attack, I'd like to be able to defend from a possible Outcast raid as well. I admit, I was a bit too honest with Danny earlier. I'm pretty sure he thinks that I'm only seeing him for my own protection. Wait, isn't that what I'm doing? I mean he's a nice enough guy, but... Whatever the case, the system sweep is done. I think I'll check with Nihili once he comes back online. Vivian out. ////////Powering down////////
///////////Initializing.../////////// ///////Phonic print unrecognized/////// ///////Manual Override Provided/////// //////////Accessing data logs//////// ENTRY 15 - LOCATION CLASSIFIED, Bedroom - Ape above. I leave for two days and come back to find Port Last conquered. These Blackfang are getting stronger and stronger... Does this mean the RA have fallen as well? No, that's impossible. They've got to be hiding out somewhere. I know that whoever leads them can't be that stupid. However, this does mean I can't publicly broadcast the location of my shipyard anymore. If those Florans can take a colony, my little security team doesn't stand an ape damn chance. What do I do? I can keep selling ships, obviously, but with this growing threat... Will they find me eventually? This is that whole situation with Meat-Biter all over again, except this time the entire Frontier is at risk. ... Maybe I should leave? No big goodbye, no official resignation, just pack up and get out. Maybe tell my friends I'm going on a business trip. Where do I go, though? I've made so many friends here, it feels awful just to up and abandon them all. It was hard enough cementing myself into this frontier, I don't really want to go through all that again. But if I stay here any longer, it's going to become hazardous to my health. I need to think... ////////Powering down////////
///////////Initializing.../////////// ///////Phonic print unrecognized/////// ///////Manual Override Provided/////// //////////Accessing data logs//////// ENTRY 16 - Shipyard, Office - I need to stop turning to alcohol; I think it's only getting me more and more depressed. I have decided to remain in the Frontier. While it would be easy to pack up and leave, I doubt I'd be able to live with myself afterwards. I can't abandon my friends, and especially my business. I'll be around as long as Antares needs ships, and no band of Florans or self obsessed anarchists are going to stand in my way. I need to work on improving our defences. In the unlikely event that we ARE discovered, I want some kind of barrier between us and the aggressors. Preferably cannons. I'll see if I can get Beluga or Hartwick working on some anti-air turrets. If we can hire some more security staff, we'll be prepared for just about anything. I admit, I'm still worried about giving control of station defence over to Nihili. He tried to kill me once , but that was before I gave him a new life. He's thankful, but remarkably immature. For an AI, I'm shocked by how childish he can be. I mean he's been trading insults with Jared for the past week and a bit. When I tell then both to shut it, I'm treated to a duo of excuses. "He started it" doesn't cut it anymore. If the two of them can't be civil then I fear I'll have to remove Jared from the team. Either way, I need to get back to work. This week is starting off unbearably slow... Vivian out. ////////Powering down////////
///////////Initializing.../////////// ///////Phonic print unrecognized/////// ///////Manual Override Provided/////// //////////Accessing data logs//////// ENTRY 17 - UNREGISTERED LOCATION - *There's an audio file attatched to the entry, which would play as soon as the log is opened* Spoiler: Audio Recording The listener is greeted by the howling of wind over the PDA's microphone, accompanied by the soft footfalls of what sounds like somebody trudging through snow. crunch crunch crunch crunch crunch crunch crunch crunch ... The footsteps stop, followed by a few more seconds of nothing but the wind. ... An intake of breath is heard, but almost immediately interrupted by a violent fit of coughing. A soft thump as something hits the ground, and the coughing slowly withers away to silence. ... The recording continues for several minutes, no sound other than the whistling of the wind in the background. Eventually, it cuts out. please forgive me ////////IDLE WARNING - 5 MINUTES//////// ////////No response recieved//////// ////////Powering down////////
///////////Initializing.../////////// ///////Phonic print unrecognized/////// ///////Manual Override Provided/////// //////////Accessing data logs//////// ENTRY 18 - Triton Mechanical Shipyard, Office - I am broken. I have a successful business, a small army of loyal staff and friends that would lay down their lives for me. But I am broken. This all my fault, too. If I had never followed his trail back to Kyber, I might still be in a sane state of mind right now. Stupid little snow planet has brought me nothing but misery and I'm no closer to finding out where he is. I almost gave up yesterday... In the middle of a snowstorm, I was ready to keel over and let frostbite take me. Would have if Nihili didn't jump into my PDA. I beamed back onto my ship, and the two of us started shouting at each other. He was mad that I'd let myself die without considering what my friends would think. I was mad that he wasn't understanding why I pull this kind of stuff. Nihili figured out who I really am, and because of my own selfish agenda, killed himself because of it. I've lost perhaps the one person that truly understood me, and I'm never going to be able to bring him back as who he was. Sure, I've got backups of him at an external site, but he wasn't a typical AI. We're going to need an Ape damn brain surgeon if we want to even hope to at least revive him. Even then, he might not be the same. He might have some crippling defect, or he might reject the memories completely and shut himself down again. Part of me is wondering if I should even try... He'd be a symbol of my failure; reminding me every day that I caused the death or disfigurement of yet another person. Can I live with that? Or am I going to hide from my problems like I always do? Why am I still in Antares? Why do I bother remaining here when my very presence seems to get people hurt? Its because I'm too stubborn to leave my friends. It's because I'm too afraid to see what the rest of the galaxy holds. It's because I am broken. ////////Powering down////////
///////////Initializing.../////////// ///////Phonic print unrecognized/////// ///////Manual Override Provided/////// //////////Accessing data logs//////// ENTRY 19 - Triton Mechanical Shipyard, Office - Ape above, Vivian. I've clearly gone a bit softer than I originally thought. Honestly, curled up on the floor with tears streaming down my face? What would father have said if he saw me like that? I'd have gotten a stern lecture about being Apex, that's for sure. Strange, I thought about Cath when I typed that. I still remember when he used to yell at me in the past. I was his "sister in freedom", and I shouldn't be acting like some pasty little human. He was so much like my Father... No, I can't be lamenting and moaning about this. This kind of thinking is what's going to get me killed someday. Nihili died because of me, and I won't sit around whining about the good times we used to have. I've got to give Viz a call. He's got some experience with human-ish Artficial Intelligences, so maybe he might be able to do something. Nihili is NOT going to slip away from me this time. Antares will chew you up and spit you out if you let it. I've been waltzing around like some fluffy little marshmallow for the time I've been here, and it's about time I pull up my socks and start getting things done. Triton needs a boss that people can look up to, not worry about. I am Vivian Rubius Latemme, and I am not a marshmallow. Vivian out. ////////Powering down////////
///////////Initializing.../////////// ///////Phonic print unrecognized/////// ///////Manual Override Provided/////// //////////Accessing data logs//////// ENTRY 20 - L Class Frigate "Bastion", Bedroom - Antares has ravaged one life, and taken another. Panzer suffered an accident in her foundry, resulting in the loss of her leg and any movement below her torso. Paralyzed, and she's not exactly in a business that's wheelchair friendly. It's hard to see an Apex like her in a state so vulnerable. When I saw her in the hospital bed, she had this look of helplessness in her eyes; as if she'd finally been beaten. Panzer is a strong girl, I have no doubt that she'll be able to push past this. She just needs to surpress her pride and accept somebody's help for once. Ximena has passed away. I haven't heard details, but I think I'd rather remain in the dark on that regard. I still remember when we first met. She had that Glitch following her around, and I'm fairly certain there was some racial bias hidden in the way she looked at me. Still, we became good friends. I'm going to miss her, and I'm sad that I wasn't able to hire her before it happened. Perhaps it could have saved her life. I've heard there's going to be a funeral for her sometime today at New Uganda. If everything works out, I'll be attending. Human funeral customs dictate that mourners should wear black, so I need to see if I can find anything in my closet. For now, I rest. Vivian out. ////////Powering down////////
