- Hammerdog's Audio Log #1 - *click* In the background, the sound of fabric flapping in heavy winds is prominent. The soft crunch of sand being tread upon can also be heard, making it obvious that this was recorded on the move. "Well-" he's immediately cut off and the sound of spitting and muffled curses can be heard. After a few seconds the voice returns, but from the sound of it, it seems he covered his mouth with some cloth. "Openin' my mouth during a sandstorm hasn't really been one of my brightest ideas..." "Anyhow, I decided to start a runnin' an audio log since I'm workin' for- er, with Vivian. Scored a job as a salvage contractor and figured this would be a nice little reminder of my stock and fuel usage." There are a few seconds of silence as the wind picks up and the gust of air blasts into the recorder deafeningly. The wind dies down and he continues. "Currently salvagin' fairly close to Asani at the moment, but I'm wrapping up and getting ready to head for more promisin' waters- so to speak. If I'm lucky, I should have a pretty hefty haul to show of to my new partners down at Triton. On a side note, I really need to look into gettin' myself gear for excavatin' those asteroid fields. Tons of ship debris- ripe for the takin'. That'll be quite expensive though, so I might have to put it off till I get a a decent pay runnin'. But for now I think I-" "HEY! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING HERE?" "Oh shi-" *click*
- Hammerdog's Audio Log #2 - *click* The sound of twigs snapping under the heat of a flame are accompanied by a faint dripping of water. Judging by the ambient creaking of wood, this was most likely recorded somewhere in an abandoned structure. The shuffling of boots against a dirt floor cuts into the peaceful background. "Just finished the salvaging run. Not exactly my greatest, but definitely wasn't a let down. In total I got... Let's see..." The sound of crumpled paper being unraveled filled the audio. "Two hundred n' thirty six pounds of scrap metal, two medium sized ship engine coolant modules, and my biggest catch, a god damn pristine Auto-Adjustment Weapons Assist. I remember these things back when they were still being talked about as prototypes. They were rumored to be able to calculate trajectories to up to ten kilometers with guaranteed pinpoint accuracy- perfect for the more agile fighters. It even has calibration to compensate any sort of projectile drop." There was a slight pause in his speech, and a small sigh could be heard. "Granted, although I said pristine, I have no idea if this thing is even usable. The ship I stripped it from was completely wrecked. Guess his advanced technology didn't help much..." "That's all for Triton though. I did find a few things for myself. The most interesting came from that ship with the Weapons Assist. Looks like some sort of AI-chip, and I'm pretty excited. I'll have to go and install it sometime when I get back home, see if it's still workin'. Havin' a little assistant wouldn't be so bad." He laughs lightly, but his voice seems to have faded slightly. "Man, all this talkin' is gettin' to me. Not used to the whole audio log thing yet, but hey- I think it'll be good for me once I get into the rhythm. For now though, I'm headed to bed. Gotta move all this junk up to the cargo hold tomorrow and make an appointment with Vivian to designate a DZ." "Dog, out." *click*
- Hammerdog's Audio Log #3 - *click* "Auto-routing to, Piece of Shit." The voice is a little mechanical, but still life-like for the most part. "NO! CANCEL! GET THE HELL OFF MY PDA." The familiar voice is the owner of the audio logs. Reducing to a lower volume, he mumbles under his breath. "I should've known better to install that stupid thing..." "Finding nearest Elementary School for further education." "Ha. Ha. So the virus can make jokes too? Whoever made you is a real piece of work, y'know that?" "Inferior life-form detected. Scanning. Terminating scan. It appears to have just been you." "Shut your trap before I toss you back into the garbage where you belong." "You shut up." "Wha-" "Ending recording." "WAIT-" *click*
- Hammerdog's Audio Log #4 - *click* There is a constant noise of what seems to be salvage being rummaged through. Someone began to clear their throat. "So this log might be a little delayed- was having a few issues with that AI I installed. Everything's... fine, now though-" before he could continue, someone else chimed in. "Agreed. I'm pleased that you came to your senses and allowed me to remain your master." While appearing to be the voice from the previous audio log, it sounds a bit different- using a more sophisticated tone. Even through the change, it doesn't seem his personality has altered. "I told you a thousand times before, you're not my master. If anything you're just a tool- a tool I can throw out at anytime, mind you." Although annoyed, he seems to have adjusted to dealing with the snide remarks. "Dully noted. But may I remind you that we found this place thanks to me? If anything, you should be praising me." "Yeah, yeah... So you found a half-raided shipyard, so what? I've found plenty better in my trav-" "I beg of you, please don't start rambling about your ever-so successful life as a garbage collector." "I am NOT a garbage collector! It's salvage- relics! I mean, I pulled you up too! Are you calling yourself trash?" "Even a primitive monkey would pick up a piece of gold if he saw it lying on the ground- you aren't special. But if you insist- GOOD BOY, UNDERLING! I AM SO PROUD OF YOU." "That's it." Suddenly, there is a sound of air rushing into the mic. "Doooon't throoooooow meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!" *click*
- Hammerdog's Audio Log #5 - *click* A howling gale screams in the distance, separated by the walls of shelter. Occasionally small sparks can be heard flying off something electrical. "... Here?" "No, you baboon, the one above it- NO! The one on the- stop. STOP. Look, don't move. Take your hand and move one wire to the right." "..." "Okay, good. Now see the little switch there? Yes, that one. Go ahead and shut that one off." "Isn't that the heating system?" "Would you rather be warm when you fall off another railing, or do you actually want to be able to see what's two feet in front of you?" "..." "Alright last thing. Reset that circuit breaker so the whole place doesn't burn down when you activate it." With a final click, the background comes to life. The sounds of lights flickering on, generators powering up, and loud rusted metal struggling to break free of its binds all stand superior to the now minuscule breeze outside. "I'll be damned..." "Now let's really see what this 'half-raided' ship yard has to offer." *click*
- Hammerdog's Audio Log #6 - *click* "I just don't see what the problem is. She's only been gone for a day- not like it's the end of the world." "That's not the point..." His voice was gruff, and there was a hint of worry- but he masked it for the most part. "Look, just... can you do it or not?" "Of course I can do it, it's a matter of will I. I see no point in wasting resources on this. We have enough on our plate as it." He seems to be referencing the shipyard from before, but for some reason, it seems the AI has adjusted to working with Dog. He now sounds more like a partner rather than a cynical jerk. There's silence, as if Dog's thinking of a reasonable response. "Alright look, she's our employer. She goes missing, we don't get paid. We don't paid, I go broke. If I go broke, I'm selling you for drinking money." He's remains quiet, weighing the situation. "... Fine. I'll access your payment transfer from your first shipment and track the device she used to make the transaction with." "Thank you..." He sighs in relief upon convincing the AI. There's some extra white noise, with a few bleeps and bloops in between. After a few minutes, it speaks up again. "Well..." Almost excited, his words are a little rushed. "You found her?!" "I'm afraid not..." "Wha-? What's wrong?" "It seems your friend isn't near any sort of major city or establishment." "Huh? So that means..." His voice trailed off, dropping into the back of his throat. "It is virtually impossible for anyone to pinpoint her location. She's in the shadows." *click*
- Hammerdog's Audio Log #7 - *click* The drone of air vents provide a subtle white noise, and are accompanied by a rather tired voice. "It's strange being able to do one of these alone... The AI- or Roger as he's started insisting I call him... I dunno, guess he's making a pirate joke. Anyhow, Roger is doing self-maintenance at the moment. He said it will take a few hours to finish, so I'm taking the time to finally relax and get some personal things done." He's speaking as if he hasn't had any sleep, completely worn down. "Vivian came back. I should be happy, really, but... I know she's not telling me everything. To each their own though, I suppose. Said she was caught in an accident while 'camping' with an intern." There's an audible sigh before continuing. "Putting that aside, I truly was relieved to see she was okay. I don't know what came over me... I never thought I'd be worried for another person like that again." "It's not just Vivian, either- Dynyl too. Hell, I would feel the same way if that happened to anyone down at Triton. I just... I never imagined I'd be working directly with people once more. I requested my contract to be altered- and now I'm a fully-fledged employee. Hopefully this way I can keep a better eye on things. Thought I had put it all behind me, but I'm not going to let my crew fall apart again. I swear on my own grave that things will be different." The entire speech was melancholic, and their was a long pause. "But I have work to do now- can't disappoint the new boss." *click*
- Hammerdog's Audio Log #8 - *click* The log starts off with the sound of liquid being poured into a glass. "Well, Merry Christmas Roger." "Indeed. I'm actually quite eager to gather information on this holiday. The decorations are very pleasing." "Hate to break it to you bud, but we won't have time for anything like that." "Oh. Is there something of importance we must do first?" "We got some graves to visit." "When will we get back?" "No clue." *click*
_/-----------------------------\_ * AUTOMATED * * DISTRESS * * SIGNAL * _/------------------------------\_ "Attempting to contact main server. Processing..." "Failed." --- "Attempting to re-establish connection with sub server 001. Processing..." "Failed." --- "Attempting to locate coordinates. Processing..." "Failed." --- "Automated Distress Signal rerouting to localized radio wave procedure." "Error." "Major Interference." \___/ ((Look guys, I made it into a Christmas tree.))
