On Krieg's person, virtually at all times is a small, hardened data storage device. On it is a small label that has printed upon it "Deliver to-" with "Anne Krieg" and an address to the Tau Ceti system listed after. When plugged into nearly any device, a series of text files are organised by date and time. 10.12.2416 13:25 GST I can't find a good way to dodge the cliche, so I'll just start off by saying it. If you've got this device mom, then I've died out here in the fringe. I knew you'd want this, to know what went on out here, more than I can say in our brief calls across the galaxy. It's probably been my brush with mortality, which we've been in touch over quite a bit. I'm still in disbelief about your lab pooling for the shipping, but I'm sure your own gratitude is more than I could ever send their way. Lady Primfeather, the owner of the colony I mentioned spent the time for a personal visit. We ended up talking a little business anyways, with the big part being the offer to more or less settle the IG on the colony. Scheffler seemed a little hesitant on it, but he's also recovering so I haven't thought much of it. I hadn't had the chance to tell you about Lyra yet, with everything going on. I think all this free time I have is making me obsess a little, but I do really hope she finds the time to stop by. We met at Fernbrook, incidentally as I was simply tagging along on a trip with Lady Primfeather and company. Of all things to bond over, it was the gruesome tale of reclaiming the lab. You'd like her, I think. She's a weapons designer from Earth, worked for the Royal Navy. A little taller than me, though I don't find it an issue really...though the new legs might change that around a little. Anyways, she's incredibly inquisitive, and sort of unfiltered like mom. We had a first date a few days ago, which in my mind went pretty well. It ended in a fairly innocuous hug, though that wasn't a disappointment. There hasn't been much time to make many other friends, what with my work in the IG. Not that I don't get along with the other soldiers, but there just hasn't been a connection. Probably for the best though, given the circumstance. It's a little more dire than I admitted to you. There's an enemy that seems to want nothing but the destruction of our force, and we don't even have a face to put to them. I have my own suspicions, but they're only that. Iolanta Decius owns the Caelestis Station here, and leads some military group called "The Unforgotten", from which our enemy splintered from. I'm not entirely convinced she isn't involved somehow, but I don't have anything solid. Once I can walk, I'm definitely going for a more in depth investigation. That's about all I have, there's a lot still developing and my head is still a little fogged. I'll be sure to keep this up though. Love you mom, I hope I never have to show you this.
14.12.2416 8:34 GST It's been a little more than two weeks since I came out to the fringe. It feels like half that, and I've had enough happen here than two months of excitement back home. All told, except for one little flub things have been going really well. This time it is the sort of trouble I'd think you'd expect: women. Almost immediately after a wrote the last log, I met this girl named Cerrie. It was a lot like Abi from high school, if you remember her. Well, except add some minor abandonment issues with tortured by Florans until stricken with avid masochism along with an incredibly absent sense of self worth. Sprinkle in some schizo and BP, and it's a perfect recipe for someone to nurture. At first I was just being nice but things got sort of flirty. Oh, right- if everything I listed above wasn't enough, she was barely legal. Yeah mom, she was 18 (if you share this with Lara and Sofi, we'll high five here). I'm blaming it on the narcotics, my restraint has gone right out the window. I might have been missing Lyra too, but more on that later. In the end, after getting some advice and coming to my senses I broke reality to her. She was crushed, and considering I was the first person to show her that sort of kindness, to make her feel worth something, it's about what I expected. I'm still not proud, but it was the best way to correct the mistake. But you know me, it didn't stop there. In a less disastrous turn I lined up another date with someone much more age appropriate (not that 18 is so far out, but for what I want it's a bit much). She was one of the first people I met out here, and I rang her up...or did I just run into her? I can't remember. Either way I worked the magic again, earning those blushing smiles that I've neared a patent on. It wasn't but minutes from setting the date that a familiar number gives my phone a buzz. It's Lyra, and she's returned from whatever hole she vanished down for three days (and yes, I got up to this much trouble in only three days). And so I politely excused myself from one woman to another, though this time with a sense of relief. I haven't exactly let Rayne know that my availability has sort of changed, but it's not like we were any more committed than that first date. I let Lyra know a bit about what I had gotten in to with her absence, partly for guilt but also partly as a test of character. She passed, laughing it away with a smile. That reunion housed our first kiss, and it was everything I had been pining away for. We met up against yesterday (and I know this is getting long, but bare with me), she had to help me down the stairs at another colony. I was actually ready to wife her right there, I share your affinity for strong women. We talked about my new legs a little, and she mentioned she at one point had a bunch of cybernetics. There's no way I could tell now, though maybe there are some scars I haven't seen yet (soon, hopefully). She didn't want to say much more, and I didn't push her. After some talking, we both sort of stalled out as we got sort of doe-eyed. The adorable part was how she manifested it. She was so nervous, or anxious that she more or less froze up. It wasn't hard to swing her out of though, light humour -> some physical contact -> an incredibly inspired speech did the trick. We're officially in the "I 'like' like you" phase, which honestly seems really natural despite it's rapidity. There's just something about her, that even if maybe this doesn't work out I'd love to have her around just to laugh with. I'll cut it here, getting a bit rambley but I know you love this stuff. Love you mom, I was happy out here.
28.12.2416 18:20 GST I've been sort of neglectful of this log, but it's taken a while for things to come to a stop so I could write about them. The IG is gone, vanished in a matter of minutes when Scheffler gave the order out of the blue. It was a rough ride, trying to figure out what to do with myself, but I think I've finally gotten a coherent plan together. I'm staying in Refract Valley, and I'm going to try and make it as safe as possible. The head of security seems to think fairly highly of me, and I still have Raybina's attention so I think I've got a chance at making some real change. From there, I'm hoping a line to securing peace in more colonies opens up, but it is an effort that has to be taken one at a time. I'm still with Lyra, and for now there's no end in sight. The "I love you's" were exchanged yesterday, she did the delightful accidentally saying it in an outburst while I was searching for a way to line it up. I'm glad we're in about the same place with that, though I'm still trying to keep things slow...or at least slower than I feel ready for. I'm spending more and more nights in her bed, and it sounds weird to say but I'm looking forward to the night where there's no sex, just peace next to me. She's a pretty big part of why I'm committed to Refract, since her home is there. I don't think she's the sort to have a problem moving if we really have to, but still it'd be nice to keep that safe. I don't know how I'd be handling all of this without her support. I just hope I manage to make her feel the same. The dissolution of the IG also sort of took my friend network away, and repairing that is proving a little difficult. There's a few people that are alright, but not the sort I could rely on so soon. Glen especially will be missed, was a good compatriot. Going to try and give Rayne a ring, see what she's been up to. There's also this nineteen year old that I screeched in, though it wasn't anything Lara would have been proud of. I'm way too out of practice on the accent. She's one of those that's matured past her years though, and I think as I get to know her more I might trust that she has something to teach me instead of it all being the other way around. This seems like it ran way too short for what it's felt like, but I guess that's because there's still so much that needs to be done. Love you mom, I'm starting to really understand why you did it.
31.12.2416 9:37 GST I know it hasn't been long since my last log, but given the date I think the last post of the year deserved to be a little more pointed. I've been out here about a month, I think. It's honestly so difficult to keep track of time. Living out here is just done day-by-day, there's hardly enough time to plan for the future given how much happens in the present. I'm definitely ending the year in a very different place than I started it. From arranging data printouts to organising and leading and operation to remove a terror element from the sector...a bit of a gap. To top it off I've fallen in love, have more or less moved in with her at this point. I'll be sure she meets you and Lara soon, I just hope you don't end up giving her too hard of a time. After the IG dissolved, I probably would have ended up heading home if not for her. She's determined to make a home on Refract, and I'm just foolish and lovestricken enough to stay and make it happen. The love has hit me bad, mom. She's smart, beautiful, playful, and deviant enough to keep up with me just fine. She's quite a bit less...present in the moment than I am, but that's hardly a bad thing. A few times now she's lifted my head from only seeing the ground under my feet, glancing off to that horizon. With everything she does for me, the real struggle is to make sure she feels appreciated, and to watch for when she needs me. It seems dangerous to say she's become my whole life out here...but really outside of the work I do there aren't any other strong attachments. I'm trying to slow down and not fall too deep, but I've never been the most disciplined when it comes to relationships. I know you technically celebrated a new year already (or Lara and the kindred did at least), but all the same- happy new year's mom.
