Note: This message is intended for Commander R. Silvers of Earth vessel The Infinity. If it arrives at a time that Commander Silvers is no longer in office, this message should be relayed to her successor.
We are writing to inform you that The Infinity and the transmission unit on Earth are now in the control of our noble Union of the People’s Republic. The United States of America was disbanded on 2 July 2065, and the countries of North America have been absorbed into the UPR, together with all scientific government organizations.
We would welcome you as a fresh citizen and representative of the UPR from these moments on, and have large hopes for The Infinity and The Eternity missions.
Since last contacted, the political landscape of Earth has shifted a considerable amount by the powerful UPR’s victory in the Third Global War. Regardless, we hope The Infinity had no similar disruption and is still operating smoothly.
The UPR is in the process of installing new antennas to detect messages, one of the original having been destroyed in the bombing of Europe. We look forward to receiving The Infinity communications at your pleasure in the future, and eagerly await a confirmation that The Infinity is still on course to reach the destination Planet HT 3485 c.
All hail the UPR! May the King live long and vigorously!
I don’t— I can’t— This doesn’t make sense. I can’t even – what?
Bombing of Europe?
Molly. Is she OK? Is she still alive? The message doesn’t say. Molly could be dead and I would have no idea.
This is my worst nightmare come to life. I can’t keep hold of the thoughts running through my mind. As soon as I try to focus, everything scatters out of my grasp. I make myself stop thinking about Molly, using the methods she taught me to calm down. If I carry on panicking, I’ll be destroyed completely.
I run through everything, trying to process it all objectively.
NASA have been taken over by another government. I don’t know how to feel about that. I want to be happy that I’m getting messages from Earth again at all, regardless of who is sending them.
It’s not like I’ve ever even been to Earth. I have no real investment in which ruling government is currently controlling the piece of land that one of my parents came from – or that the land the other came from has been bombed. It’s all happening on a planet I’ve never seen. But I still feel uneasy.
I read the message over and over. The words feel like a vice, clenching around my heart. It might just be the translation, making the message come out odd and unemotional. It must be hard for software to translate tone accurately. If I could read the original language, it would probably be a great message, really welcoming and friendly.
The UPR are probably nice people. The next message I get from them will be totally normal.
But if the war ended in July, then why did it take them until September to get in touch?
I drop onto the sofa and then seconds later jump up again in favour of pacing the room.
I don’t think I’m being told the whole story.
Suddenly I feel lonelier than before the message arrived.
I miss Molly.
I need to talk to J.
From: The Infinity Sent: 04/06/2067
To: The Eternity Predicted date of receipt: 10/08/2067
J,
Did you get an email from Earth? From something called the UPR?
It’s the worst message I’ve ever received – even worse than the last message from my friend Molly. I’m so scared.
I need to know what’s happening. I need to know if Molly is still alive. What can we do? Is there anything we can do? Or do we just have to sit here, waiting, like always?
I don’t trust them, J. Nothing they are saying makes any sense. They are lying to us. I’m so glad you’re here. I’m so glad there’s someone I can rely on.
R x
From: The Eternity Sent: 30/04/2066
To: The Infinity Received: 04/06/2067
Romy,
I guess by now you’ve picked up the message from the “UPR” too. As soon as I read it, I messaged you. I didn’t want you to have to deal with their email without hearing from me – but I don’t really know how I feel yet. Sorry if this sounds a bit confused.
It’s just all so strange. I want to be angry. I should be angry. This dictatorship has taken over my country. I should hate them, right? I should, but (and I would never normally admit this, especially not to a girl) I’m scared, Romy.
There’s nothing I can do about it. There’s no way that I can help my friends.
I don’t know what I’d do if you weren’t here too. Probably turn the ship around and go back to Earth like a one-man army. I’d try to save them all and get blown up in the process. I can’t believe it.
J x
DAYS UNTIL THE ETERNITY ARRIVES:
261
From: UPR Sent: 23/09/2065
To: The Infinity Received: 09/06/2067
Subject: For Attention of The Infinity
Attachment: Antenna-coordinates.txt [40 KB]
Commander Silvers,
We hope everything is well on The Infinity and there is no reason for concern with regards to the progress of the vessel. We have now fully installed the antennas ready for detection, so now hope for updates received to the UPR. If The Infinity ceased communication during the Third Global War, then expectations are no message pick-up for one year or longer. We will, however, continuously scan for transmission during that time, in the instance a message was sent during the war.
Would you kindly transmit to us the details of your vessel’s system operations to date for analysis?
The UPR wishes all the best for The Infinity and once again expresses how pleasing we find your addition to our citizenship alongside The Eternity.
All hail the UPR! May the King live long and vigorously!
The UPR have been sending me messages for days and I still don’t understand a thing. I scan every word, trying to read the truth behind the messages. Who are the UPR? What’s really happening on Earth? They keep sending me robotic messages with a lot of words but not much useful information. The UPR are obsessed with the running of their newly repossessed ships, and not at all interested in telling us what’s actually going on back on Earth.
I don’t know what to think. I just know that I don’t trust them. I can tell J doesn’t, either.
Is Molly still working at NASA or for the UPR? Is she even alive? I don’t think they are ever going to tell me.
The UPR know that their messages are our only communication with Earth, but they still treat us like computer systems they need to relay orders to. I refuse to send them any information about my ship, at least not until I know that I can definitely trust them.
The ship’s system data used to transmit to NASA, but that stopped when the antennas went down. I’m not going to start sending it to the UPR instead. Who knows what they would do with the data? I’m not an idiot.
They have no right to tell J and me what to do. They didn’t build these ships. They don’t own us.
From: The Eternity Sent: 15/05/2066
To: The Infinity Received: 09/06/2067
Romy,