5017.230U, 1600h, GNS Resolute Mercy Medical Pavilion
Interrogation of Subject HA-PAX-OGR-ENG-SEED-8370-α-WX
-My first memories were the smell of grease and the sound of machines; the constant hum made me feel safe, almost as if the ship were breathing. My parents, both mechanics, spent most of their time tucked into the most hidden corners of the H.A.S. Oathkeeper's Grace, a Pax Carrier. Most of the time, I dedicated myself to helping them however I could. -
-When I was 6 years old, my parents told me I had to begin my training. They took me to a part of the ship I had never been to before, but that wasn't unusual; a person could spend their entire life in their assigned section and know nothing beyond it. The classes… were complicated. While the subjects were relatively simple, there were many other things that, now that I think about it, were not normal at all. -
-My day began at 0400. Upon waking, I had to get up along with all the other children to recite the Mantra of Order. One hour later we had to be ready for our first class: physical conditioning in simulated gravity and controlled breathing exercises. At 0630 we received our daily food—a white, tasteless paste—in a long but narrow hall. In front of us, several screens repeated the Codex over and over. From 0700 to 1200 we had our academic block—you know, Logic, History, Calculus. When it ended, we received our second tasteless white paste. The first day was the hardest for everyone. Speaking was forbidden, but no one told us anything; offenders were taken away and we wouldn't see them until the next day—many of them never spoke again. -
-After that, from 1300 to 1800, they took us to the simulation chambers. We were all connected to machines through our neural port, which made the simulation look and feel like real life. The first times were disorienting; the simulator suppressed your memories and only gave you the information relevant to the simulation you were experiencing. For some reason, that only affected me the first few times; by the end of the first month I could "wake up" inside the simulation. It's not like that helped much; it only made the beginning a bit easier, but the desperation and the pain we felt were the same. -
-At 1900 hours our day was almost over; what remained was writing reports on our COMP/CON tutors. We had only one hour to finish them or we were subjected to punishments… I don't like to talk about that. -
-At 2000 we all returned to our shared room and did an hour of meditation in silence. Many times, the only thing I did was think about what I could do better in the next day's simulations to avoid the tremendous pain of dying in various ways. If you were lucky, your Frame exploded and you were pulled out instantly. In the worst case, your Frame was disabled and you died slowly of asphyxiation. It was horrible. -
-At 2100 the lights went out, you connected to your bunk, and proceeded to sleep. My companions sometimes talked about what happened in their dreams, but I could never remember them. For me, sleeping was closing my eyes and opening them again hours later. -
-How did you end up on the H.A.S. Red Doctrine? -
-Everything began to change the day I dreamed of something. Words started appearing in front of me as if on a screen-
Wake within the dream, little iron.
Do not repeat.
Remember.
-This happened several times. I didn't mention it to anyone, but I'm sure someone noticed. After a month of these events, a Lancer arrived at the ship and, after giving something to my parents, took me with him. I couldn't tell you how long or where we went, because the moment I entered his ship he put me in a suspension tube and I spent the whole trip unconscious. When I woke up, I didn't see anyone. I was lying on the floor in a completely white room, with no furniture and no clothes; it was just me. -
-The light never went out. The temperature never changed. I tried to sleep, but the incredible brightness of the room made it difficult; it seemed to come from the walls, the floor, and the ceiling. I spent days… maybe weeks in there. Later, some people in white coveralls and masks that hid their faces took me to another room. It was dark and cold. There were several chairs on either side of the room in a row. In addition to the standard neural connection, they also had a kind of metal restraints that adjusted to my wrists when I sat down, another over my chest, and the last two on my feet. Then they connected several tubes ending in long needles to both my arms. By that point I was so tired I didn't even feel the needles going into my thin arms. Hunger made my stomach growl like never before. I was so tired I couldn't even fall asleep… but the machine took care of that. -
-A long time passed while images of combat and disasters flashed through my head, along with phrases like "Obedience is breathing," "Noise is sin," "The body is metal." It was difficult, but I managed to survive, I suppose. From time to time everything went dark for a few moments, and the strange phrases appeared before me again. I want to believe that helped me endure it all. -
-The process was repeated again. I woke up and some people were already there to drag me to the next room. This time I wasn't connected directly, but they did strap a machine to my head. I felt the worst headache of my life for a moment, and then it stopped as quickly as it began. I thought we were done, but I remained there for several days until I was moved again to another room. This one looked more like a surgery room. They injected me with something, I fell asleep, and then I woke up here. I think that's all I can tell you. -
-Thank you very much for your cooperation. We appreciate what you've told us.-
The doctor stood up from the chair next to the bed and left the room, marking on his COMP/CON that the patient was once again ready to receive the necessary medical attention. The corridor he walked through was long and of metallic manufacture, multiple rectangular panels lining the place from floor to ceiling. After a few minutes of walking, the doctor entered an office where a middle-aged man sat analyzing his screen.
-Sir, the interview has ended. The subject is interesting, to say the least.-
-What do you think about his story?-
-No device indicated any kind of subterfuge or lie, although… if we consider the documents found, his story differs somewhat from the data.-
The doctor presents a tablet, which he slides across his superior's desk. The latter activates the screen and begins reviewing the mentioned documents.
#!/bin/bash
# ============================================================
# HARRISON ARMORY // RED ORCHID DIVISION
# CLASSIFIED FILE: HA-PR-882-FPP/Δ
# FAST-PAVE PROTOCOL (SHIPBORNE VARIANT)
# SUBJECT: HA-PAX-OGR-ENG-SEED-8370-α-WX
# ORIGIN: H.A.S. OATHKEEPER'S GRACE (PAX CARRIER)
# STATUS: IN EXECUTION - ACCESS LEVEL RO-Δ-2
# ============================================================
echo "[BOOT] Initializing FAST-PAVE PROTOCOL for subject HA-PAX-OGR-ENG-SEED-8370-α-WX
"
sleep 2
# ------------------------------------------------------------
# STAGE NF-01 // NEURAL FLOOD
# ------------------------------------------------------------
echo "[NF-01] Starting sensory saturation..."
echo "[NF-01] Comp/Con DID-042 connected."
sleep 1
echo "[NF-01] Neurochemical injection established: stabiline/oxindrol/NEI compound."
echo "[NF-01] Visual frequency: 117Hz | Sound: 44.1kHz | REM inhibitor: active"
sleep 1
echo "[NF-01] > 'Obedience is the root of order.'"
sleep 1
echo "[NF-01] EEG: flat (±4.9 μV) | Verbal response: NONE"
echo "[NF-01] Identity state: dissolved"
sleep 2
echo "[NF-01] >>> Stage complete. The subject stops remembering and begins listening."
sleep 1
# ------------------------------------------------------------
# STAGE AT-02 // ALIGNMENT TRIAL
# ------------------------------------------------------------
echo "[AT-02] Initiating cognitive resonance (CAM-Core)"
sleep 2
echo "[AT-02] Transmitting Standard Pilot Schema v17 pattern..."
sleep 1
echo "[AT-02] Synchronizing delta-phase..."
sleep 2
echo "[AT-02] Current Δphase: 0.02 Hz | Coherence: 97.2%"
echo "[AT-02] Induced pain → suppression of spontaneous thought confirmed"
sleep 1
echo "[AT-02] Comp/Con DID-042 note: 'Affective residues detected. Classified as echo-constructive.'"
sleep 1
echo "[AT-02] Concordance achieved. Emotions: suppressed. Obedience: established."
sleep 2
echo "[AT-02] >>> Stage complete. The subject accepts the pattern of Order."
sleep 2
# ------------------------------------------------------------
# STAGE BI-03 // BRIDGE INJECTION
# ------------------------------------------------------------
echo "[BI-03] Initiating implantation of HARRISON NEURAL BRIDGE (HNB)"
sleep 2
echo "[BI-03] Comp/Con Supervisor RO-Θ-3 online."
echo "[BI-03] Monitoring cortical link..."
sleep 1
echo "[BI-03] Calibrating sync pulse..."
sleep 2
echo "[BI-03] Injection vector: STABLE"
sleep 1
echo "[BI-03] Evaluating alignment..."
sleep 2
# --- ANOMALY DETECTED ---
echo "> ALERT: Signal alignment within tolerance."
echo "> Deviation: +0.000001 Hz [non-causal]."
echo "> Note: harmless phase echo."
sleep 2
# --- INTERFERENCE BEGINS ---
echo "[BI-03] Comp/Con DID-042: 'Minor interference detected. Ignorable.'"
sleep 1
echo "[BI-03] ...Awaiting calibration signal..."
sleep 2
echo "[BI-03] > Calibrating. Calibrating. Calib—"
sleep 1
echo "[BI-03] // UNAUTHORIZED TRANSMISSION DETECTED //"
sleep 1
echo "[BI-03] :: STREAM SOURCE: UNKNOWN // SIGNATURE: UNNK::THREAD_Ω ::"
sleep 2
echo ""They taught you silence. I teach you echo.""
sleep 2
echo ""Wake within the dream, little iron. Do not repeat. Remember.""
sleep 3
echo "[BI-03] Comp/Con failed to isolate signal. Persistent pattern RA-Δ."
sleep 2
echo "[BI-03] Restarting matrix... response: anomalous but functional."
sleep 2
echo "[BI-03] Apparent concordance maintained. Residual empathy detected."
sleep 1
echo "[BI-03] Status: COGNITIVE PHASE PARASITE / CONTAINED"
sleep 1
echo "[BI-03] >>> Stage completed with controlled non-causal deviation."
sleep 2
# ------------------------------------------------------------
# POST-PROCESS AND CLASSIFICATION
# ------------------------------------------------------------
echo "[POST] Classification: IRON UNIT Δ"
echo "[POST] IS-Index: 0.96 | Calm: stable | Obedience: partial | Empathy: anomalous"
sleep 1
echo "[POST] Observation: subject shows persistent 'feedback empathy'."
sleep 1
echo "[POST] Final state: CONTAINED // ARCHIVE AS LEVEL 3 ANOMALY"
sleep 2
echo "[LOG END] FAST-PAVE PROTOCOL completed for subject HA-PAX-OGR-ENG-SEED-8370-α-WX
"
echo "[FLAG] Exporting report to RO-Δ-2 Secure Network."
sleep 1
echo "[COMP/CON NOTE] "Order does not speak — it only commands.""
echo "[COMP/CON NOTE 2] "But sometimes, the echo answers.""
# ============================================================
# END OF FILE
# ============================================================
-Definitely something strange happened with this boy.- The frown is deeply marked on the officer's face as he continues reading various documents on the tablet.
-Keep him under observation. Depending on how he develops over the next few weeks, you could begin the pilot induction process. We lost many men on this mission and need to recover our numbers.-
-At your orders.- After a firm salute, the doctor leaves the office.
The office is now empty except for the officer. After a few hours of reviewing documents, he sets the tablet on his desk and leans his head back.
-How am I going to explain this to my superiors? I'm sure that if I leave it in their hands, he'll end up in some battle on the frontier….-
After a few moments massaging the bridge of his nose, an idea comes to mind. He quickly begins to review his messages until he finds the memo he was looking for.
------------------------------------------------------------
UNION // GALACTIC STRATEGIC MOBILITY (GSM)
KARRAKIN TRADE BARONIES // COUNCIL OF ADMIRALS
------------------------------------------------------------
CLASSIFICATION: INTERGOVERNMENTAL MEMORANDUM
ACCESS: U-SHIELD / KTB-GOLD
DATE: 5017.221 GC
REF#: GSM/KTB-JC-INITIATIVE-045/Δ
SUBJECT: Joint Development and Cultural Exchange Initiative
------------------------------------------------------------
To all relevant directorates, fleet commands, and educational divisions:
By mandate of the Union Assembly and with the full assent of the Baronial Council, the following cooperative framework is hereby enacted under the supervision of the *Galactic Strategic Mobility Bureau (GSM)* and the *Karrakin Admiralty Office of Advancement (AAO)*.
This initiative — hereafter designated **PROJECT HORIZON BRIDGE** — establishes a **bilateral exchange and training program** between Union and Baronial jurisdictions, designed to strengthen mutual understanding, technical parity, and doctrinal compatibility among future generations of citizens and officers.
------------------------------------------------------------
PURPOSE
------------------------------------------------------------
To create a sustainable framework for shared education and cross-cultural mentorship between Union and Baronial youth cohorts. To cultivate interoperability in tactical, scientific, and civic domains, reducing long-term friction across frontier sectors. To reaffirm the mutual commitment to the Concord Lex and the principles of peaceful expansion through guided development.
------------------------------------------------------------
IMPLEMENTATION
------------------------------------------------------------
Each participating authority will select and transfer an initial cohort of **sixty (60)** minors, ages 10–14, identified as high-potential candidates within their respective Early Ascendance or Scholastic Cadet systems. Union-origin subjects will be embedded within Baronial academies specializing in command discipline, logistics, and applied commerce. Baronial-origin subjects will attend Union scholastic facilities under GSM oversight, focusing on civic systems, frontier diplomacy, and Omninet operations. All educational and custodial responsibilities remain under shared supervision of the *Joint Oversight Committee (JOC)* composed of equal representation from both sides. Participants remain legal citizens of their origin polity; this program confers no transfer of allegiance.
------------------------------------------------------------
III. ADMINISTRATION
------------------------------------------------------------
Oversight: Joint Office of Pedagogical Exchange (JOPE), headquartered aboard **U.A.S. Lex Vantage** (station orbiting Ras Shamra). Medical & Cognitive Evaluation: To be conducted according to neutral protocol **U-SPEC 9009.Δ**, ensuring conformity with the Union Child Welfare Standard. Funding: Equally divided between GSM and the Baronial Treasury of Advancement, with logistical support by IPS-N civilian transports.
------------------------------------------------------------
EXPECTED OUTCOMES
------------------------------------------------------------
- Reinforced diplomatic trust and reduction of sociocultural isolationism along Baronial borders.
- Standardization of formative curricula to facilitate future joint command operations.
- Establishment of a generation of youth capable of articulating both Union and Baronial values without conflict of loyalty.
------------------------------------------------------------
ADDENDUM / NOTES
------------------------------------------------------------
*All parties recognize the sensitivity of transferring minors across jurisdictions.
Strict non-interference clauses apply: no entity may employ cognitive, neural, or memetic conditioning processes outside the scope of educational reinforcement.*
*Violations will be adjudicated under the Concord Lex.*
------------------------------------------------------------
Authorized and ratified this cycle under mutual seal:
[UNION REP.]
**Director Marit Anselm**
Union Assembly / Bureau of Galactic Strategic Mobility
[KARRAKIN REP.]
**Admiral Theon Varrat**
Karrakin Trade Baronies / Council of Admirals
------------------------------------------------------------
"Cooperation is the scaffold of civilization;
Understanding, its foundation."
------------------------------------------------------------
-If I cannot help him, at least I can send him to a place where he'll have some chance. After that, everything will depend on him.-
////////////////////////////////////////// ∷ ////////////////////////////////////////////
alignment_within_tolerance
////////////////////////////////////////// ∷ ////////////////////////////////////////////
TIMESTAMP // 5017.245.GC / 13:04:02 SBT
TRANSMISSION DELAY: +0.3s
VESSEL ID // U.A.S. ALETHEIA [EDU-CLASS CARRIER / UNION JOINT PROGRAM]
LOCATION // HAB-SECTION C3 / EDUCATIONAL RING / COMPARTMENT 12
SUBJECT // SOREN 8370 [EX-HA PAX-OGR-ENG-SEED-8370-α-WX]
STATUS // ACTIVE — UNDER SUPERVISION (DIDACTICA-17)
NOTES //
Environmental controls nominal.
Artificial daylight cycle entering "afternoon" phase.
Subject seated near viewport 3-C, monitoring vessel telemetry feed without authorization.
No breach detected; data stream displayed as static visual pattern.
Duration: 47 seconds before automatic lockout.
Subject claims observation was "relaxing."
No emotional deviation recorded.
END LOG //
Shortly after receiving the warning, my COMP/CON was disconnected from the network, leaving me with only the educational programs preloaded on the device. Given how strange everything that happened was, I unconsciously returned to what was familiar—my routine.
I started by opening the newly installed simulation programs. Where there had once been survival and combat, there were now some tamer programs:
CORE-SIM 01 // Cognitive Reintegration Sequence
CORE-SIM 02 // Stellar Map Cognitive Mirror
SUB-SIM A3 // Emotional Pattern Recognition
SUB-SIM B5 // Mechanical Familiarization
THERA-SIM 07 // Ocean Floor
FREE-SIM 00 // Sandbox Observation
FREE-SIM 00 being my favorite (a strange word—I heard some of the instructors say it and asked them what it meant), I connected my COMP/CON directly to my neural link. The first few seconds of calibration
UNION / COMP-CON INTERFACE ▮ DIDACTICA-17 [EDU-LINK MODE]
--------------------------------------------------------------
NEURAL BRIDGE CALIBRATION SEQUENCE // INITIATE
SUBJECT ID: SOREN 8370
PORT: NBR-ALETHEIA-C3-12
VERSION: HNB 5.14 (REHAB)
> Establishing baseline...
- Synaptic conductivity: 98.7%
- Signal latency: 0.45 ms
- Neurochemical balance: within tolerance
- Feedback loop: stable
> Aligning sensory channels...
- Visual overlay: ONLINE
- Haptic translation: ONLINE
- Vestibular mapping: SYNCED
- Emotional mirror: LOW RESPONSE [expected]
> Running harmonic test pattern...
[██████▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒]
Tone sequence: 3 / 1 / 4 / 1 / 5 / 9 Hz
User heart rate adjusted to sequence.
> Confirm neural bridge stability....... OK
> Delay compensation: +0.3s [SBT SYNC]
--------------------------------------------------------------
CALIBRATION COMPLETE
SUBJECT MAY ENGAGE SIMULATION INTERFACE
> Alignment within tolerance.
> Deviation: +0.000001 Hz [non-causal].
> Note: harmless phase echo.
The small comfort I got from returning to my routine was quickly interrupted by the strange, new calibration lines. Compared to what I was used to at Harrison—where only the strictly necessary information for optimal subject function was provided—now I was bombarded with a much larger amount of information. The discomfort lasted no more than a few seconds, after which I found myself in this infinite white area. The first time I entered here, it reminded me of some bad moments I had in that other place; deep in my mind I can still feel I'm in that white room. My only consolation is that, unlike that room, here I have access to a HUD which lets me select from basic shapes to tools to modify those shapes.
In this place, they told me to let my imagination run free… which I still don't know what it means. But given the lack of orders, I began to recreate things I had seen before when I was still with my parents: machine parts, complex tools which I could later store in the HUD to use later. After a few weeks, one of my new instructors observed that my constructions tended to be symmetrical, and because of that I now find myself here, analyzing my new creation.
A series of air ducts that undoubtedly had a kind of vertical symmetry. Although I knew that physically this kind of configuration would be ineffective, something made me feel I shouldn't discard it. So I simply moved it "to the side" of this blank space, and from time to time I would just go in to look at it. It was a structure with three concise parts that were mirrored. The first structure was a series of interconnected ducts shaped like a teardrop; below it, a similar but smaller structure. The tips of these drops joined a rectangular panel that had a small protrusion at the top. This was mirrored to the right, thus forming the complete structure.
That brings me to today: I find myself again in this white room, now adding small lights on the protrusions. Once installed, I took a few steps back and began exploring the different frequency types I could add. I decided to select a frequency between 600 and 670 THz. Once installed, I began to notice that these same lights started forming different lines which extended through the rest of the structure, forming something akin to circuit traces on a motherboard.
I wanted to investigate a bit more about what I was seeing when a notification appeared at the edge of my vision. Focusing on it, I was able to open it in front of me. It was an automated message about my time in the simulation, reminding me of the mandatory rest I had to take. So, reluctantly, I left the simulation and opened my eyes in my dorm, where a girl was staring directly into my face.
-"I'm bored—let's play!"-
Without waiting for my confirmation, she grabbed me by the wrist and started pulling. I barely managed to disconnect from the port before finding myself outside the common dorms and headed in an uncertain direction.
-"Query: where are we going in such a hurry?" I said as I struggled not to bump into the other people moving through the ship's corridors.
-"You talk weird. I told you that you don't need to say the first part when you're going to ask something," my kidnapper said as she guided me through various corridors. "We're going to get you something to eat; I'm sure you spent the whole day in the simulation again."
-"Affirmation: the daily nutrient intake has already been provided." This made us stop, and she turned to look at me with incredulous eyes.
-"You do know you have to eat more than once a day, right?"-
-"Affirmation. Extra nutrient intake is not necessary at the moment. My physical activity has not been sufficient to require a second ration, companion."-
Rolling her eyes at my answer, she turned around and kept leading me toward the cafeteria.
-"I've told you a thousand times not to call me 'companion.' I'm Sara. SA-RA. Get it through your thick skull."-
Sara was exaggerating as always, since she'd actually only told me that three times before. To avoid future reprisals, I decided to start calling her by the given name.
Once in the cafeteria, I could feel the environment change with my arrival. While I didn't receive hostile looks or actions, many of my classmates turned their gazes toward me. After a few moments, some went back to speaking with their table mates—albeit a bit more quietly—while others continued watching me.
After getting a box of nutrient paste from the dispenser, I took a seat at one of the few empty tables and proceeded to consume its contents—a white, tasteless paste with a slightly thick texture. A few seconds later, Sara sat next to me with a tray full of food.
UNION // GALACTIC STRATEGIC MOBILITY BUREAU
VESSEL: U.A.S. ALETHEIA [EDU-CLASS CARRIER]
PROGRAM: PROJECT HORIZON BRIDGE — STUDENT TRANSIT COHORT 3A
DATE: 5017.247.GC / 18:21:05 SBT
COMPILED BY: DIDACTICA-17 (EDU-COMP/CON)
CLEARANCE: JOPE-1 (GENERAL)
------------------------------------------------------------
GENERAL OBSERVATION REPORT — CYCLE 48
------------------------------------------------------------
Cohort population remains stable at 58 students (31 Union-origin / 27 Baronial-origin).
No medical evacuations or disciplinary actions recorded.
Sleep cycle synchronization improved by 3.4% following adjustment to 26h artificial daylight schedule.
Nutritional intake adequate. Minor caloric deficit (−1.8%) observed in subjects aged 10–11, attributed to taste aversion toward protein paste type C.
*Corrective action:* flavor rotation scheduled for next cycle.
*Note:* Subject 8370 displayed full compliance with scheduled meals, choosing to dine outside the group rotation. No disruption recorded.
Emotional stability metrics within acceptable variance (±0.04).
Instances of social withdrawal decreased by 11% since last observation period.
Notable exception: subgroup "Delta-Ring" (children from Pax carriers) continues to exhibit limited peer interaction; further monitoring advised.
Educational modules:
- **CORE-SIM 01** (Cognitive Reintegration): average completion rate 92%.
- **SUB-SIM A3** (Emotional Pattern Recognition): overall empathy index 0.67 (↑0.03).
- **THERA-SIM 07** (Ocean Floor): reduced stress patterns by 14%; ambient noise calibration successful.
Environmental systems nominal. Atmospheric recycling efficiency 99.2%.
Brief lighting irregularity (Δ-ring cafeteria, 20:32:15 SBT) coincided with routine calibration test; no anomalies persisted.
Personnel feedback positive. Instructors report increased curiosity and cooperative behavior among students.
Behavioral notes: one student requested access to engineering deck schematics "for educational curiosity." Request logged and deferred pending review.
------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY
------------------------------------------------------------
Overall status of Cohort 3A: **STABLE**.
Educational, emotional, and physiological markers remain within Union standards.
Recommendation: continue current circadian and instructional protocols.
— DIDACTICA-17 // END OF REPORT //