The Cardinal Directive: Mission Log #26

Last ditch effort

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>> ...
>> ...
>> ERROR: You no longer have clearance to view footage from PIKET ROCK SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM
>> No available Mission Logs for the requested time period
>> No available Mission Logs for the requested time period
>> ...
>> Mission Log found
>> ERROR: Due to prior CATASTROPHIC SYSTEM FAILURE, this file has suffered some amount of CORRUPTION with files of an UNKNOWN SOURCE
>> System still in process of restoration 
>> Play anyway?
>> ...
>> Confirmed. Now playing Mission Log #26

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After some amount of glitching and flickering, the image resolves to the sight of red dust in the air, blowing past the lochsled in slow, rolling waves for several minutes before dying down enough to see better.

“I think that’s the longest one yet,” Patrick commented idly, swinging the camera around at the scene. They’re on open ground, nothing but them and sand for miles around. The winds haven’t fully died down — only come to enough of a lull that the dust isn’t getting picked up as much here. More dust trails behind them, disturbed by the freighter dragons’ passing. “Those gusts are getting bigger every time.”

The ranger nodded gruffly. “Won’t be long now.”

“And you said this happens every four years?”

“Mhm. Storm season.” A massive huff came from the man. “We’re due for it, I suppose.”

After a few more moments of surveying the desert, the camera turns, Patrick holding it in an outstretched hand to get his face in the frame. He takes a heavy breath, not quite his usual energy as he speaks. “What’s up everyone, welcome back to... welcome back. Uh. Hunger’s really starting to settle in by now, but the ration stamps are keeping us on our feet. We all agreed to turn off our cameras to save batteries about two days ago, but you didn’t miss much. Just a ranger supply cache that had some more radios.”

He turned the camera around to face Aret and Charlie, the two girls crowding a handheld radio in Aret’s grasp.

“Anything yet?”

Charlie shook her head, gnawing at the inside of her cheek and lip. “Shouldn’t we be in range of hailing North Marden by now?”

“Made it out of the deadzone last night,” the ranger nodded in confirmation. “Weren’t no small feat, that.”

“Oh, yeah.” Patrick yawned, turning the camera back on himself. “We’ve been taking watch shifts at night instead of stopping the sled. Keeps us mobile, and keeps the dead off our tail. It’d be pretty cool if it didn’t mean sitting around by myself for like two hours. With no camera. But in theory, it’s pretty cool.”

“And now we should be in range of North Marden’s Tower,” Charlie added, trying to steer him back on track. “But nobody’s responding.”