>> Now playing Mission Log #7(.5)
The camera turns on to an extreme close-shot of one green eye, the lens struggling to focus. Alison pulls back, then leans in again to check the other eye. In the brief time that the rest of her surroundings are visible, it’s clear she’s still on the lochsled, tucked into one corner of it. She seems to have propped the camera up on some of the supplies, reaching forward to adjust it just before it falls.
Her injured arm has been returned to its sling, held close to her body.
As she leans back from checking her other eye, Solena settles down heavily next to her, finishing slotting a new O2 tank into place. “Feels good to be breathing fresh air again. I swear it starts to get stale towards bottom of the canister, am I right or am I right?”
Her attempt at lightheartedness is met with no laughter and little response besides a short “Oh. Uh. Yeah.”
Solena’s eyes settle on the camera, pursing her lips and raising her eyebrow. “So. What’s… going on here?”
Alison clears her throat. “Right — I was uh. I was just getting ready to give the mission log debrief-thing. That I’ve been doing? With… with the camera, and talking to the… yeah.”
“…I’ve got a habit of walking in on those, I guess.”
“…Yeah.”
Solena’s gaze turns from the camera, addressing her directly. “…Are you sure you want to do this one right now? Allie, we haven’t even made it back to Piket Rock.”
“I know, I know, I just…” Alison’s words fail her, her mouth moving but nothing coming out. She shakes her head. “I don’t know.”
A pause passes between them.
The camera picks up some shuffling around and small conversations around other places on the sled.
Solena shifts, sitting up. “What Mission Log are we on?”
“…Seven, I think?”
“Okay. So. Mission Log Seven.”
“Mission Log… Seven. I don’t… know where to start.”
Solena pats her on the shoulder, awkwardly addressing the camera. “Well, we made it to the repeater station. But things… didn’t go as planned.”
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