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FFM 2013, July 19 - Collaboration challenge

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<Start of autotranscription (© 2205 WordlessBook)>
<New file name: “Captain's Log”>
<New tag: “Audiolog # 1562”>
<File type: audio recording>
<Recording initated at 1936h, SDQ2, September 27, 2230, Anno Domini>

This is Captain Basil Nicaeae, of the SS Manuel I Comnenus. We are currently in orbit around an unnamed class two star just outside quadrant two, in uncharted space, rough estimate relative to 1WR-Wolfram: 16 hours 45 minutes Right Ascension and -15 degrees 12 minutes declination. We are currently attached by airlock to the SS Prester John, who was at the time in a deteriorating orbit. Orbit now stabilized.

<deep sigh>

When we started tracking the radio signal trace left by the SS Prester John over two years ago, in the year of our lord 2228, we never expected to find her like this. The ship itself, once the envy of the entire Missionary Fleet, appeared largely undamaged until we circled it once: its blast shielding had broken up facing the sun, causing severe damage to the hull. There were no life signs, and no signs of what had caused the damage when viewed from the outside. After a short discussion with the First Officer, we decided to dock and explore the ship in our suits. We brought blow-torches and...

<pause>

The SS Prester John is...was...one of the largest ships commissioned by the Archidiocese when it went missing two decades ago, the pride of its captain, Methodius Komnenus. Exploring the interior of the ship safely took the better part of two days, working in double shifts and in pairs. The hull breach was contained by blast doors to the bridge and the officers quarters, which also meant practically all the logs were lost. Lack of power and solar flares had nulled most of the other recordings still extant, but what little we have been able to piece together...Lord help us...it seems the crew of the SS Prester John had truly and finally abandoned the Lord's teachings in this forgotten and empty quadrant of space. There were videos of...debauchery, gluttony...only short and distorted clips, thankfully, but enough. We are still working on the corrupted data on what we have been able to recover which will hopefully shed some more light on this. Especially a log by the doctor, Ignacius Laskaris, seems like it might be in good shape, as well as an unsent personal message by a Sergeant Dalassen. The final logs by the captain are, at this stage, still unreadable, but our technology officer is hopeful.

During our explorations we found several desiccated bodies in...various forms of undress. Most of the crew was missing, perhaps buried in space; there were several coffins missing; and we are not sure what the remaining ones died of - potentially simply asphyxiation or hunger, although none of them show any signs of having struggled or died painfully. Perhaps the Lord showed some mercy on their souls before they died.

<pause>

During the last day of exploration we came across what seemed like...it pains me to say this...a Pagan shrine in the cargo hold. Most of the reliquiaries the Prester John was carrying had been jettisoned into space or possible burnt, and what remained had been piled in a most unholy manner upon the...object. The surviving ship logs do not suggest when or where the Prester John collected it, nor do the original manifests show that any such thing was a part of the ship's stores. I struggle to describe it...but the way they had placed the holy things upon it and the way they had positioned it, it looked like...like a Throne of God. Seated upon it, still dressed in his captain's regalia, was Methodius Komnenus himself, dead.

<long pause>

I have ordered two of the sailors to remove the holy reliquaires from the object, and to take care of the body of the captain. They are not to touch it in any other way. The moment I lay my eyes upon it I began to have my doubts, and I wonder if it may not be the best to simply drop it into the sun. I have --

<unidentified sound>

Something's happening - the airlock? Dammit, computer, stop recording, I --

<Recording ended at 2005h SDQ2, September 27, 2230>
<Automatic transcript generated>
<Files encrypted: AAES-2056x2056>
FFM for July 19. Read the rest of the entries here: fav.me/d6e19oa


Day 19 Nasty Ass Collaboration Challenge. Collaborated with ~joe-wright, ~The-Inkling, and ~distortified

The story is divided into four sections, to be read in the following order:

Part 1: fav.me/d6e84d9 by ~joe-wright
Part 2: fav.me/d6e6iyr by ~The-Inkling
Part 3: fav.me/d6e9x0r by ~distortified
Part 4: (You are here)

The challenge criteria was as follows:

:bulletblue:Epistolary You need to write your piece (or pieces) in an Epistolary style. That is, they must be in the form of letters, diary entries, newspaper clippings, emails or similar.
:bulletpurple:Incarcerated character One of your characters must be incarcerated e.g. in a prison, jail, dungeon or cellar OR they must be in exile.
:bulletred:Seven deadly sins Your story must feature the seven deadly sins (wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, and gluttony).
© 2013 - 2024 Wolfrug
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LoboDiabloLoneWolf's avatar
Nuuuuu! It's starting again! The Doom3, DeadSpace, Warhamme40K lovechild lives! Amazingly done, just like the previous parts, which together form an incredible whole. Really great work.