Final Investigation

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[It's been about 24 hours since CT was killed. Blaze has made no other moves, and his robots are mysteriously absent.

In fact, it's almost too quiet.

But then there's a note in Pyrrha's PIP that...she didn't write.]

Comments

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[The next recording is has the same datestamp as the previous, with only a different time. It's a matter of less than two hours, between that hopeful start and this whispered conversation:]

- almost all of ‘em, Rad. The triplets, Starblaster, Clyde, all of ‘em. I saw one of ‘em shapeshift and take a bite out of Stumpy. We don’t- I have to-

They ain’t gonna stick to the code! These - who th’ fuck are they, what’s a TV studio got all this firepower for? They don’t wanna negotiate, they’re just gonna kill you, too!

You think I don’t know that, girlie? I don’t trust these bastards as far as I can throw ‘em but we’re not exactly swimmin’ in choices. I’ll go it alone, do my best to keep in touch with you and the rest, come back when it’s all over.

....almost everyone’s dead. Th’ fuck are we supposed to do if we lose you, too?

That’s why we have you, Rad. If somethin’ happens to me, they’re goin’ to need a leader and it has to be you. You’re my first mate. If I don’t come back you need to get everyone and get as far from this side of the galaxy as you can. We’ll find another way to save Flavortown. Hell, we’ll make a new Flavortown is that’s what it comes to. But if worst comes to worst I need you to take the helm. You understand me, First Mate Skullqueen?

.....read you loud and clear.

[induality]

Wh-what the...

[W h y. . . The longer this goes the worse it gets. That's why he had a problem with the shapeshifter. The person on the license plate-- it BIT them. And they were now...

Any more?]

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[It's the same young woman from before.]

Captain’s not back. Been a while.

[........]

Fuck this. I can’t leave him behind. Gonna leave orders for Sunshine to get everyone else out, but...I can’t. I’m sorry.

[There is only one more entry - the one imported from the foreign device.]

[induality]

[God. This is just. Ugh.

Just... one more...

Let's go.]

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[This is a text file. The font should be familiar. You saw it used somewhere else just this morning.]

Captain's Log, stardate 6971. Captain Blaze Dudely, Mayor of Flavortown reporting. Parlayed with that network to keep them from exterminating the rest of my crew. Agreed to be a fucking hostage in exchange for their freedom. On the bright side, the ship was gone...Guess Rad finally listened to her old Captain after all. She'll take good care of them.

As part of the agreement, had to let them put this damn thing on my arm. I can still feel it burrowed into the veins...It's got this note function, guess I might as well use it to keep up on my logs. Maybe some day it'll get back to my crew. My...old crew. I just want them to know how sorry I am. I was so desperate to find a way to save Flavortown, I...underestimated those network bastards. And now, almost all of them are...

[Several line breaks follow, and then what appears to be an additional entry.]

Captain's Log, Stardate 6971. Captain Blaze Dudely, Mayor of Flavortown reporting. Found out today what this program is that they want me to help them with as part of the parlay. They assured me it's all in some kind of computer, that there's no real risk in it, it'll be just like going to sleep.

They put the rules on this thing today, though. Told me to learn what I was gonna enforce. But this...

"Rule No. 7
A "culprit" who murders a fellow Champion will be allowed to leave the space station and return home, provided that they escape detection by their peers."

This is fucked up. This isn't right. Making people kill each other? But what choice do I have? If I don't follow through, they'll kill me and hunt down my crew next.

I'm sorry, Girlie. Hope you never have to find out what these bastards made your old Captain do.

[induality]

[Is... is this PIP font...

Fukawa's dead inside. Great, this is great. It's fine.

NO IT'S NOT]

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[It is the font used in the PIP's note-taking app!

Also, all this stuff has now been synced with the tablet Soma has, for easy access. Because you're gonna want to go through all this again, right?

With that, the bridge is clear of further evidence. Good night and good luck.]