The Cardinal Directive: Mission Log #43

Season Two returns!

[Start of Season 2]
[Previous (Midseason Finale)]

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>> ...
>> Supplemental Audio #?? -- This file includes transmissions on a ?MK2 ?????? /??// 01000001 01010010 01001110 01000101 01001110 // ??/
>> Due to PRIOR CATASTROPHIC SYSTEM FAILURE, this file has suffered some amount of CORRUPTION, including supplemental audio #///.>? and its contents.
>> It is recommended that any audio disturbances are timestamped and sent for review
>> ...
>> Confirmed.
>> Now Playing Mission Log #43...

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For the first few seconds of the recording, the world is silent.

The footage is from Solena’s camera without a doubt. The back of Oreo’s feathered skunk stripe takes up a large portion of the frame, with Outrider and Wendy taking up the rest just ahead of them.

They walk through a strange, charblack forest of sorts. Trunks extend from moss-covered roots into the air, spindly limbs disappearing beyond sight. Each step lights the moss to a bright gold underfoot, lingering in a long trail behind them.

The air is suffused with a heavy fog, obscuring the world in all directions. Small, fine bits of red sand litter the nooks and crannies of the roots.

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But before anything of note can happen, there’s a CLICK.

As the visual shutters and the feed comes into clarity, the silence breaks, giving way to the dull but pervasive chatter of a building full of people.

Several cameras watch from on high while body cameras catch snippets of conversation, gossip, and laughter. Between the scrap metal walls and black suits, it’s immediately obvious where the footage has returned to.

From a clock on the wall, it appears to be lunchtime in the Olympica canteen. Several groups cluster around the men and women serving their food, but the majority have already sat down with their trays. Though most of the cluttered first tables seem to be partaking in some sort of rehydrated food-mash ration, a select few towards the other end of the canteen have the luxury of recognizable food. Meats, fruits, vegetables.

Amongst these lucky few are Olympica Crews Four and Five, most of the way through their lunch and beginning to chatter amongst themselves. Two of Cassidy’s boys have struck up an arm-wrestling contest, things getting rowdy on the right side of the table as the others of her team and Wendy’s cheer on their favored competitor.

The left side of the table is more muted. Alison sits on the far end of the table, tray and food nearly untouched. She prods at a small pile of carrots idly, but doesn’t seem interested. Wendy was sat next to her, with Cassidy across.

The two final tables beyond them are conspicuously empty.