Sarah McKillup's elog

June 2045

6.4.2045. I have taken a job in the Experimental Engineering Group aboard Thaumas I. I wish to leave a chronicle of my efforts, so I have created this elog. I will be working on devices designed to give off no electromagnetic emissions, in anticipation of complications such devices could pose in the face of an enemy capable of detecting such emissions better than we are able to conceal them. This will mean a departure from electronic technology, and a return to mechanical design and engineering paradigms. To this end, I have commenced studying clockwork mechanics for the first time in many years.

6.6.2045. Walter Lewis has agreed to participate in psychotronic experiments aimed at enhancing his natural abilities. Walter is able to cognitively pull mass through higher dimensions at macroscopic scales. In effect, he is able to move between points in space without taking a path through the lower three dimensions. His ability in no way interacts with the temporal dimension of spacetime thus, while his movement appears instantaneous, it is not. The trip through the fifth and sixth dimensions takes 5.6704 picoseconds. This time never varies, regardless of the distance between his departure and arrival points in observable spacetime. The biochemical trigger for the trip takes an additional 78.664 milliseconds. I do not believe there is a way to speed the trip time, though the biochemical trigger time can be reduced through Yurua-14 enhancements.

Lewis's ability is limited in the total distance he can travel. He cannot jump more than 10 yards through space. If supplemented with Yurua-12, he can jump as much as 500 yards. I believe that with an appropriate psychotronic device, such as a helmet insert or even a neural implant, Lewis will be able to make jumps up to 500 miles if both Yurua-12 and a helmet were used in conjunction. It may also be possible to design larger devices to be housed in Thaumas facilities that would amplify his abilities to the point that he can move a sufficient distance to go between the facilities.

At present, the only method of powering psychotronic prototypes is electronic. I will try to merge micro-clockwork technology with the psychotronic devices to render them undetectable.

6.7.2045. I have successfully engineered a micro-flywheel prototype from a hyperdense ferromagnetic ceramic composite. The wheel can be suspended in a vacuum chamber with an osmium inner wall lining. I believe that a layer of iron applied externally to the osmium inner wall in an appropriate fashion will prevent any magnetic fields from leaking out of the housing of the vacuum chamber.

6.8.2045. The micro-flywheel prototype is a success, though there is room for further miniaturization. I have successfully achieved a spinup speed of 0.45c. If I can achieve a spinup speed of 0.8c or greater, then subsequent frictional energy with helium gas should be sufficient to create a fusible plasma. Tiny amounts of helium introduced into the flywheel's vacuum chamber should absorb enough kinetic energy to achieve this. Lead shielding around the vacuum encasement, and ferromagnetic containment and funneling of the energy produced should power all of a vessel's systems. If the design can be micronized significantly, it can be put to use in portable devices.

6.9.2045. It has come to my attention that several persons who wished to join the volunteer defense forces were unable to pass Halon's cadet entrance swim test. I will henceforth be giving swim lessons at the C-2 recreation pool on deck 11. Beginner classes will be at 7:00 p.m., and intermediate classes will be held at 8:00 p.m. Furthermore, I have created a supplementary VR swim tutor, available at Mediabay 6.

6.10.2045. Mads Larsen in Machine Shop 2 has proven to be exceptional in both speed and competence. He helped me manufacture a prototype hyperdense lead flywheel storage device. We have dubbed it the superflywheel. An array of wheels will be housed externally to the micro-flywheel vacuum chamber, and will store energy released from fusion nano-bursts. These wheels will, in turn, power all of a vessel's mechanical systems. In effect, it is a mechanical battery. We have begun basic design work on an amphibious submersible. The submersible will be coated with the same sea mineral composite of which the Thaumas stations are built. It will be similarly indistinguishable from the ocean floor when scanned from above the water.

6.12.2045. Walter Lewis asked me if it would be possible to place a psychotronic device within a medium of spandex, presumably so that it can be woven into a form-fitting suit. I think it can. In fact, I believe psychotronics could ultimately be placed within bioplas, which can itself can be designed to function similarly to spandex. Bioplas, however, is in short supply. The first generation of psychotronics will almost certainly have to be made of aluminum and copper. If we are able to fabricate more bioplas aboard Thaumas I, the next generation of psychotronics can likely comprise a pseudo-neurological form of bioplas.

6.13.2045. Eight people showed up for the beginner class, and six showed up for the intermediate class. I believe most of the beginners will be able to pass the Halon cadet entrance swim test within a month, and that a few of the intermediate swimmers already have the ability to pass it. Their confidence will be sufficiently boosted to attempt it within a week or two.

6.14.2045. Harold Tran has announced a submersion date of 7.5.2045. The Thaumas stations will be submerged and brought to the seafloor, where they will remain indefinitely. Azimuth scientists predicted an arrival date for the extraterrestrials of 8.10.2045 with a three week margin of error. I will attempt to build at least one mechanical amphibious submersible for export to Thaumas II prior to this date. Progress on the MAS has been slower than I had hoped. I have newfound respect for the tradition of Swiss watchmaking. An entirely mechanical powertrain and power storage system for an amphibious vehicle has proven inordinately complicated. I anticipate many sleepless nights ahead.

6.15.2045. Most people have been spending as much time outdoors as possible. The ensuing period of submersion is intimidating to everyone except the Halon personnel for whom this is not unusual. I have been unable to get outside as much as I would like. Amateur astronomer and former Azimuth solar engineer, Enrique Velasquez, has been hosting observation sessions every night at 9:00 p.m. at the western palm grove on the breakwater. I went tonight, and saw first-hand several of the 32 identified green stars of conquered systems. The farthest is situated some 1,480 lightyears from Earth, indicating these extragalactic conquerers began their incursion in our home galaxy at least as early as the time of the Byzantine Empire. 19 of the identified green stars are solar-type stars. The rest are red dwarves.

When we submerge the station, the entire facility will be sealed. All systems will be powered down to minimal lighting and life support. No wireless communication will be permitted, and all surveillance equipment will be shut down. We believe that no EM emissions will leak out of the station when we are operating at that level.

6.16.2045. An improvised explosive device detonated in my lab today. It was triggered by a motion sensor, and exploded when I opened a certain cabinet. Luckily, I was unharmed, but my lab was ruined. My work on the MAS has been set back at least a week. The bomber had an EM redirector, and was unable to be identified from any facility recordings; he was effectively invisible to the cameras. Harold Tran has decided to relocate me to a laboratory in an undisclosed location and take me out of the Experimental Engineering Group. I will be working alone again and sending designs through the pneumatubes to mechanics. I do not mind working alone; I did it for years when employed at Azimuth. Ronnie Coleman heard about the incident and insisted that he be allowed to resume his role as my personal bodyguard. He has been serving as a personal firearms safety instructor on board the station since his arrival in March. I agreed. He will return to service by my side.

6.17.2045. Today I visited the secure medical lab that houses anonymous test subjects 2, 3, and 7. These three have shown the highest potential for radiation tolerance, and have been left to develop the longest. Subject 3 shows similar levels of psionic enhancement as Walter Lewis from initial psychotronic tests. I have no doubt that psychotronic helmet inserts will be ready within two months. All three subjects have responded well to our Dream Teacher program. They will be taught skills necessary for survival outside of the facility. I, too, am learning these skills in my spare time (what little there is). We will likely be the only people on board who are able to survive exposure to the expected radiation levels following the assault described in the alien transmission.

6.18.2045. I have set up in my new laboratory. It is considerably more spacious than my previous lab at the EEG. I have been asked not to give anymore specifics about the laboratory so as to keep its location secret. I spent the day organizing and stocking the lab. It is clear to me now that the bombing two days ago has made it impossible for me to finish a working MAS prior to the submersion date. As such, Thaumas I will be the only facility with a useable vehicle, until I am able to convey workable designs to the other stations, or until I can build and transport another one to them. For now, I will just focus on the prototype. It will give us a small amount of mobility and may give us a chance at defending ourselves against destruction.

I have begun plans for more vehicles and devices using micro-flywheel vacuum technology. I anticipate a frozen ecosphere, so vehicles capable of movement through ice and snow will be needed, as will flying vehicles. I did not think 10 years ago that I would become a designer of experimental mechanical devices and vehicles at any point in my life. But, I have to admit the work is fun.

6.19.2045. The buzz going around the station today has been all about the attack on Thaumas II this morning. A fleet of assorted military and civilian vessels made its way into the waters of the Maldives. The resident Halon forces on board Thaumas II beat back the attack. The hovertanks proved themselves in battle, as they successfully swarmed from the supercarrier's VTOL ports. Footage captured of the battle showed a very one-sided victory, though a few Halon vessels were lost. No hovertanks were downed, and the supercarrier sustained no damage. Fortunately, the attackers had no nuclear weapons or weapons of mass destruction. All accounts indicate that they were East African and Middle-Eastern refugees, hoping to get their children aboard Thaumas II. Unfortunately, the station is already at maximum capacity. I wish we had been able to build the stations faster and with greater capacity, but I feel like we did our best. 400,000 survivors is better than 0 survivors, and these stations are certainly our best hope.

Military department heads at each station announced that any further incursions into Thaumas water will be met with deadly force, that no one will be spared. I believe they mean it. This incident makes me glad that we were able to maintain such operational secrecy on the Thaumas Program from its inception on. Had the general public known the true nature of the stations and the real reason for their construction, it is certain these attacks would have started much earlier.

6.20.2045. Today Walter Lewis managed a 100 yard jump. The prototype insert is still bulky and looks a bit like something a planet-eating comic book supervillain would wear, but at least it works. Needless to say, the aesthetics of the device are not in keeping with Lewis's preferences. I will continue to tweak it to get more of a boost out of it, and to make it into something actually wearable with modern military combat defenses.

6.21.2045. I have begun memorizing maps of the Pacific Ocean floor and ocean current patterns. There is obviously a tremendous amount of data to commit to memory, but I believe that my efforts and nightly Dream Teacher sessions will make it possible. The submersible will have no navigation equipment and no GPS. It will have a compass, a mechanical odometer, and a mechanical tachometer. That's it. I will need physical maps and my memory to navigate the open ocean. Some of our climatologists believe that the Pacific Ocean currents will be altered in the event of a nuclear winter, though they are not in agreement as to how much or when. I will learn what I can nonetheless.

6.22.2045. A saboteur was caught attempting to destroy one of the Infinite Echo's coolant pipes today. He had come on board with forged Datalite certifications, and had assumed a real Datalite employee's identity. He had access to all computing areas. Infinite Echo foiled the attack through algorithmic analysis of his behavior and computer use patterns. It predicted the time and place of the attack and dispatched security personnel to the location. The saboteur was apprehended and placed in the custody of the Defense Department. His identity has not been released. He is apparently a member of a group known as Final Days, a cult that believes that Earth's destruction is preordained and cannot be prevented. I hope there are not more like him on board the station. I do not think we should give up hope for our survival yet.

6.23.2045. Jessica Tran has sent a facility-wide communique informing us that the final day for any interstation personnel or supply changes will be 7.1.2045. The last group of people to depart from or arrive at Thaumas I will make their journey on that day. Unfortunately, a MAS will not be among the last shipment from the station. The surgeon, Marcus Dunne, will be one of the last to leave. He was formerly known as subject 1 in the anonymous test subject program. I met with Dr. Dunne one last time to confirm that his radiation tolerance had reached its maximum threshold and, unfortunately, it has. His field experience as a combat surgeon would have been invaluable. Fortunately, anonymous test subject 7 also has medical training. Additionally, Thaumas I, III, and IV, have agreed to send supplies to Thaumas II to assist in its recovery from the 6.19.2045 attacks.

6.24.2045. Candela Initiative 17 was passed by the Thaumas Citizens Concil. It states that, upon submersion, all Infinite Echo logs will be made public to all persons aboard the Thaumas stations. No secrets will be stored on any device on board Thaumas, and all Citizens Council and Command Council minutes will be made public. Three exceptions were carved out at the Command Council's request. When I started this elog, it was for a few close friends and associates. Now it will be for everyone to see. Most people will probably find it boring, but I feel like, even though Candela is clearly anti-corporatist and maybe even a socialist, that this policy will not be hard to abide (but I am not one of the people spending too much time in the Mediabays' VR suites). The irony, of course, is that corporatist organization will have saved those few of us who survive. But, that is a discussion for a time in the distant future, should we be lucky enough to live that long. I will not bother to delete any of this. Infinite Echo will store a copy, and the logs of the deletion will be public anyway.

6.25.2045. Today Walter Lewis achieved a jump of 500 yards while wearing the psychotronic headpiece and under the effects of a dose of Yurua-12. The psychotronic device works! I believe it is operating at maximum capacity. The size and shape still need to be adjusted. Several more devices will need to be crafted for the remaining anonymous test subjects on board various Thaumas stations. The next step is to create a closet-sized enclosure capable of boosting his jump distance to Thaumas II or IV. Given his ability, Walter Lewis may be able to survive short trips outside of the stations in a radiation suit.

6.26.2045. Every piece of news from the outside world is bad news. War, strife, famine, disease, fear, and violence come to plague civilization everywhere. The elite have been held accountable, their houses burned and their lives forfeit. Angry mobs roam the streets of major cities the world around. A bomb leveled the Vatican early this morning, inciting riots throughout metropolitan Rome. All commercial air traffic has been halted. Public transportation has also ground to a halt. Images of interstates from traffic drones show miles of gridlock and stopped traffic issuing out from the world's cities. Looting and rioting has been the norm. Even in the countryside, people have taken up arms against outsiders. People in rural towns have barricaded their borders and opened fire on refugees.

The loudest voices are the zealots. Religious fervor has taken hold in the hearts of people everywhere. People have turned to old ways, and some have created new ways. Final Days, a trans-Christian cult has grown in popularity. It is devoted to ensuring that the Earth's destruction happens. They have targeted defense facilities and personnel in their attacks, and have slipped sleeper cells into every imaginable corner of society. Having learned more about them since my laboratory was bombed, I have no doubt there are more on board our own station. They believe that the apocalypse is upon us, and that any effort to stop it is a sin, to be met with deadly force. They believe that God has judged us, and that the righteous shall live on eternally after death.

Survivalists and others like them have undertaken efforts to survive a nuclear attack. They have been building and stocking extensive subterranean bunkers across all continents, though most heavily in North America. If they have done their homework, they may well survive. But, to what end?

6.27.2045. Walter Lewis is persistent! He came to me with designs he had sketched up for a psychotronic bioplas suit. The suit has large compound eyes and silver webs running across its surface. I don't understand his obsession with looking this way when he engages in long-range hyperdimensional transport, but I will try to accommodate him. If nothing else, I admire his enthusiasm. He confided in me that he believes that "people like us" are the only hope. That "with our great power comes great responsibility." I know what he means, but I think everyone is going to have to pitch in. We are faced with a problem unlike any in human history, and our time is running out.

6.28.2045. Anonymous test subject 3 somehow communicated with Infinite Echo through his synaptic connection with the Dream Teacher. Infinite Echo was instructed to place an order for 12,000 cartons of cigarettes. Thaumas I was temporarily powered down to minimal life support and lighting while Infinite Echo assigned all of its processing power for two minutes to decipher and decide upon the instruction. Infinite Echo ultimately decided that 12 tobacco plants be added to hydroponic garden G-13, a garden for medicinals.

6.29.2045. Improvements to the micro-flywheel have allowed us to attain a rotational velocity of 0.65c. Spin-up power needs are tremendous, so it is likely we will not be able to recharge the micro-flywheels after the station is submerged. Once a speed of 0.8c is achieved, I will have several wheels made and powered up in their vacuum chambers. The wheels will lose approximately 0.0001% of their energy per day. Total spin-down will occur in 274 years, though a wheel will only be able to power an MAS at 76% capacity or higher.

6.30.2045. The facility survived a tsunami generated by a magnitude 9.2 earthquake 190 miles off the coast of Chile. The breakwater successfully prevented structural damage and to the interior of the facility. Flooding was also minimized. The efficiency of the algal pools was reduced but production will still exceed storage limits. The tsunami did massive damage to Polynesian Confederation. The death toll in the Polynesian Confederation is estimated to be in excess of 35,000, a small number in comparison to the deaths that have resulted from the chaos consuming the globe.

July 2045

7.1.2045. Thaumas I was hectic today. Several hundred people relocated to the other Thaumas stations, and several hundred others relocated to Thaumas I from the other stations. The last shipment of supplies between the stations also occurred today, as per Jessica Tran's communique. I am disappointed that Mads Larsen was transferred to Thaumas II, but it could ultimately be for the best. He will be able to understand instructions for building MAS vehicles as well as other mechanical devices without me guiding him closely. His familiarity with the project will be helpful at distributing this technology to the other stations.

Harold Tran worked in my lab today on the exterior surface of the MAS. He has begun a saltwater accretion process on an electrically charged aluminum frame. No one knows this process better than he does. Under this will be a titanium skeleton and laminated nanocomposite and ceramic armor. The submersible will be able to travel to depths of 22,000 feet, and will offer some degree of radiation protection, thanks largely to the sea-mineral exterior. It will also be able to withstand plasma weaponry, which the alien message indicates is a component of the arsenal of the invaders.

7.2.2045. Another attempt was made on Thaumas II by a small fleet of vessels from Eastern Africa. One powerboat managed to make it past the Halon defense vessels. Its occupants got out and immediately surrendered. They are attempting to gain representation so as to be allowed to remain on board in the brig to await justice. Thaumas II's leadership is torn between sending them away immediately or allowing them to remain in captivity. The captives have stated in interviews that they would rather die than be sent back out to sea to await the impending calamity.

7.3.2045. All residents of Thaumas I were required to take a VR submersion preparedness class today. In it, we were exposed to the conditions that we will face after submersion when we are operating at minimal capacity. Additionally, I was summoned by the defense council to test the station's shield generators. The generators cannot be used for long when the station is submerged, as the power requirements are too high, but the shields will need to be ready immediately upon resurfacing. One of my last projects at Azimuth was the production of the four shield generators for the Thaumas stations. They are able to repel any non-nuclear weaponry of which we are in possession. Their production took me years of work, and cost Azimuth some $381 billion to make.

The shield generators were in perfect working order. The stations must be at full power production capability to use them; they would drain the batteries in 10.39 minutes, the same amount of power that could sustain the station for 30 years with 100,000 occupants. When the station resurfaces, fusion energy production can resume. Solar power may or may not provide worthwhile gains, depending on how bad the nuclear winter is. OTEC energy production may likewise be impaired, depending on how different oceanic thermodynamics at that time.

7.4.2045. Ronnie found a suspicious person lurking in the residential corridors near my apartment this afternoon. He followed the individual into Mess D-1, where the man dashed into the kitchen. Ronnie gave chase, but the man had exited from the kitchen and disappeared down a service corridor. Whoever the man was, he had some knowledge of Thaumas I's electrical systems, as a resident reported having seen him earlier in the day doing something to an open utility wall panel. The resident did not know exactly what he was doing, but assumed he was there for repairs. Infinite Echo had scheduled no such repairs, and there was no known legitimate reason for the man to be meddling with that panel. Harold Tran dispatched engineers to investigate the scene. It is unlikely the man will be apprehended prior to the submersion tomorrow. All cameras on board Thaumas I will be powered down, so it is expected he will be difficult to find.

The final session hosted by Enrique Velasquez was tonight. We spent time observing famous sights in the summer sky, most notably the endless sea of stars in the central Milky Way. It reminded me that we have a long way to go before we are truly ready for the countless mysteries and challenges that lie out there, waiting.

7.5.2045. Today was our final day on the ocean's surface. Nearly all the residents of the station gathered on the western breakwater beach, where we watched what may have been our last sunset. It was at once unifying and humbling, and I think it is something we all felt. My ancestors watched the sunset tens of thousands of years ago. Perhaps my descendants will, too, if we are lucky.

The submersion process began two hours after sunset. The entire facility was sealed, and was slowly pulled beneath the surface by six winches. It will take the station approximately 18 hours to reach the seafloor. Halon vessels have been docked in the interior of the station, along the lowest decks, and Halon personnel have moved into barracks in the areas adjacent to the internal docks. The submersion process was all but flawless. All seals held fast, and the station is now as protected from radiation as anywhere on Earth. I just hope it will be sufficient. We can expect that the attackers will be using weaponry far more powerful than anything we have available to us.

7.6.2045. There is a somber and solemn tone on the station now. This is probably as much a result of the low lighting as anything else. I have tried not to let this affect me. I went to my lab as usual and put the finishing touches on the power train for the MAS. It looks like everything is in working order for the MAS, though I can find no way around having to manually crank the helium compressor prior to operation. The design of the vehicle is now largely complete, but assembly will take some time. Also, materials have been a problem. I want the entire MAS to run as quietly as possible. There is no electronic whirring, and no combustion rumbling, but the gears still clink softly. I have tasked the EEG with investigating some ceramic composites to find those with the best sound-dampening properties.

Several new participants showed up for the swim classes today. Perhaps being 9,000 feet below sea level has inspired some people to learn how to swim.

7.7.2045. Walter Lewis came by the lab today. I had a new psionic amplification headpiece prototype for him to try. The shape now resembles a skullcap or yarmulka. Initial tests were positive. Lewis wishes to discuss further ideas following our tests, but I made him leave. I don't know if I will even be able to get around to the construction of the psychoportation enhancement booths, let alone a bevy of other ideas borne of the Silver Age of comics. Time is not on our side in all of this. On that subject, I should point out that all of my experiments over the years on a temporal manipulation engine failed.

7.8.2045. I saw security drone footage from residential Marin County. Rioters amassed in my old neighborhood and laid waste to many of the homes, including mine. Sol Timore was apparently the primary target of these people. They destroyed the main residence, firebombed the lab, and tore sections of the wall down. They vandalized the grounds, uprooting trees and shattering photovoltaics (some of the most advanced in the world, I might add). I was saddened to see my old home subjected to such wanton acts, but I suppose it was inevitable that someone or something was going to level it sooner or later. Fortunately, some key areas of the grounds remain undiscovered. My old workstation backup's subterranean housing, for instance, was not found. It is ruggedized and has about 38% chance of withstanding a nuclear bombardment as described in the alien transmission. There is a lot of accumulated knowledge on that device, not all of which had been transferred to Azimuth HQ and then to Thaumas I before I had to evacuate.

Seeing this attack on my home made me nostalgic. I watched footage of the old MTV Cribs episode where it was featured. It's hard to believe that was 8 years ago. Time has marched mercilessly ahead since then. At least I can say that I don't look any older. Hah! It will be a shame if all of humankind's knowledge garnered in the quest for eternal youth is lost. The future of that is something worth fighting for.

7.9.2045. I qualified for advanced mixed-martial arts classes with some of the ex-Halon soldiers and a few other non-military practitioners on board the station. I am a little rusty, seeing as how I haven't gotten to a dojo in almost a year, but I'll be glad to train again. It was always therapeutic back in San Jose. I can't stay cooped up in my lab all day everyday and, frankly, I am a little jealous of some of the new techniques Ronnie has been talking about. I have also started as an assistant instructor for yoga classes on Sunday evenings at 7:00 p.m. at Gymnasium A-12. Wendy Easton's class had grown to the point that she put up a message asking for an assistant. Fortunately, I have been practicing everyday, and I was happy to help out. This will give me an opportunity to connect with many people from around the station, to help me keep up with how everyone is coping with our situation.

7.10.2045. Lunchbox Larry of Mess-31 asked me on a date today. I see him everyday, and I have to admit he is a good looking and personable guy, but I don't think I have the time to spare for anything like that. I wish I did, but I feel like the tasks in front of me are too important to risk getting sidetracked. It won't stop me from going to Mess-31 everyday, because he does make the best algae souffle on the station. What else could a girl ask for?

I have further refined the psychotronic headpiece that I designed for Walter Lewis. I made a version that can be inserted into the helmets of each Halon Heavy Battlesuit. This will be useful for anonymous test subject 2. Anonymous test subject 3 exhibits no reaction to the psychotronic device. I have begun work on a miniaturized version that will appear more stylish, albeit less effective, that can be worn without a helmet.

7.11.2045. There was another attack by Final Days on board the station today. A thermobaric explosive was set off in the central DNA vault. The vault was heavily damaged. The vault (and similar vaults on the other stations) contain some 16,769,023 DNA samples. The explosion destroyed or damaged as much as 20% of those samples. Fortunately, redundancies are in place in the vaults on the other stations, and Infinite Echo maintains a DNA database of all known species.

Based on a quick analysis of the explosion data, I can say with 99.7% confidence that this device was not a Halon warhead, which are the only documented thermobaric devices on board. Jessica Tran has insisted that all the devices be physically counted, but I don't think that's necessary. Furthermore, the trace materials found at the site are not consistent with any mass produced North American, Asian, European, or South American thermobaric explosives. It could be of African origin, but those are quite rare. I believe this was a homemade device, which tells us that Final Days has at least one explosives expert in its ranks. I have advised the command council to perform background checks on everyone on board, to try to determine who could have such knowledge. Given the culprit's knack for slipping past standard security measures, it is entirely possible this person is here under an assumed or fabricated identity. The quality of this device greatly surpassed that of the IED that detonated in my old laboratory.

7.12.2045. Dieter Redbridge, an engineer with the Thaumas structural maintenance department, requested that I post the schematics for the MAS for review by the engineering community. Of course, he asked this when he noticed that such designs were absent from my files on Infinite Echo. I must apologize for overlooking this, as I never actually drew any up. I drew some by hand today and uploaded them. They can be found in the MAS datafiles section. I appreciate any feedback that engineers, especially those with vehicular design experience, can give me.

7.13.2045. Joseph Keaton, the assistant director of computer engineering at Thaumas I, and former Datalite employee, has hacked into the North American Drone Information Network by way of a quantum connection with the original Infinite Echo machine in Arizona. In effect, we can monitor all traffic and security drones in North America from Thaumas in real time. Unfortunately, this only seems to provide bad news, as the social fabric of our world continues to unravel. Riots, looting, and vandalism are commonplace; violent attacks on innocents happen in broad daylight. I wish we had been able to keep knowledge of the imminent attack secret longer, but it proved impossible. There was also the question of ethics, to allow people enough time to make any final preparations and achieve any resolutions that they saw fit. In hindsight, maybe we could have done more.

7.14.2045. I have finally achieved a spin-up speed of 0.8c for the micro-flywheel engine. My work on the MAS is complete; I have sent complete schematics to the EEG. I expect that a working prototype will be assembled within a month. The controls for the MAS are, unfortunately, somewhat complicated. Several wheels, pedals, and levers are involved in its operation, but with a goal of making the entire system non-electronic, I have found no way around this. If EEG can streamline these, all the better. If not, it will just take some practice to learn to operate.

7.15.2045. Thaumas security informed me today that they had identified the person who bombed my laboratory. His name is Miles Ellison. That is his assumed name, anyway. They showed me his image (which can be found in the Thaumas Security files), and I distinctly remember seeing him around the station over the previous weeks. I believe he worked as a pneumatube technician. I have not seen him lately and, in fact, he is missing. His quarters are empty and, in fact, all DNA in the quarters has been destroyed. Thaumas security agent Arnold Tatum assured me that some of his best people are investigating Miles Ellison, and that Infinite Echo has been tasked to determine the identities of his associates and the likelihood that he is connected to Final Days or some other organization.

7.16.2045. Reports from UOA astrophysical institute in the Canary Islands (which still remain largely untouched by the chaos consuming most of the globe) indicate that Gilese 876 and Gilese 581 are showing as green stars. These are the two nearest stars to our own that have solar systems, the nearer of the two being 15 lightyears distant. Analysis of recent historical spectral imaging indicates that the greening process took approximately three years to complete, suggesting that our imminent invaders reached those systems 18 years ago. This fits with green star proliferation data and is consistent with the predicted timing of the invaders' arrival in our own system within the next two months. Needless to say, these reports have added an even greater sense of urgency and tension to the atmosphere on board Thaumas I.

7.17.2045. An ex-Halon officer named Andrew Meyers shot 14 people in the soldiers' mess today, before turning his gun on himself. 8 of his victims were killed; the rest are in treatment and expected to recover. One of his victims had been of great assistance to me recently in testing out the heavy battlesuits against the type of weaponry we expect the invaders to use. Meyers left no note and had expressed no violent urges of discontent to his friends. He had no family on board. His most recent terminal logs show that he spent considerable time watching footage of the outside world. While he did look at material related to Final Days, it cannot be determined if he had any affiliation with them. His medical records indicate no history of mental illness, though his uncle on his mother's side was a diagnosed claustrophobic. This same uncle was recently killed in a street riot in Houston, Texas.

With station power at minimal operating capacity, surveillance of public areas and any electronic weapons tracking capabilities are unavailable to help deal with situations such as these. I am working on a quantum tracking device to be inserted into weapons that uses a quantum entanglement protocol similar to that of inter-station Infinite Echo communication. Given the long list of things I have to finish, I don't think I will have such a device in place anytime soon.

7.18.2045. Anonymous test subjects 2, 3, and 7 continue to show improvements in radiation tolerance. It is almost certain that they will at least be able to match my own level of tolerance, and perhaps even surpass it. DNA analysis confirms that they are among the top 0.0001% in the global population in terms of radiation tolerance potential. The side-effects of this treatment, however, still remain a mystery. I believe it is related to hyperdimensional enzymes capable of diffusing radioactive energy through extradimensional tunnels. This would be consistent with the research done on Amazonian flora by Bio-Americana, and the effects of Yurua-12 and 14. Anonymous test subject 3 does show different properties than 1,2,4,5, or 6. The Yurua supplements seems to destabilize any extradimensional enzyme action in his system and, even in his normal state, he exhibits no signs of hyperspatial activity, yet still has pronounced side-effects.

7.19.2046. Lunchbox Larry is persistent! But, he's going to have to wait :) His persistence is a small price to pay for a daily dose of algae souffle.

7.20.2045. A strange man was following me on my way back to the lab from swim class today. I first noticed him sitting next to the parents of a child in my intermediate class, watching. I did not recall him being a parent, and he did not appear to be with them. It struck me as odd, but I didn't think about it again until I noticed him shadowing me down a corridor. I immediately took a circuitous route into some heavily-trafficked areas of the station, and twisted and turned along corridors and up and down stairs until I was certain I had lost him. I circled back to a few of the places I had been, hoping to get a better look at him, but he had disappeared. I reported the incident to station security. Normally, Ronnie is around during swim class, but he had a medical appointment today. The appointment had been scheduled over a week ago. My shadower must have known about this. Next time Ronnie is unavailable on a particular day, I think I will just cancel any classes or other public activities that I have that day.

7.21.2045. My efforts at a miniaturized psychotronic device have been successful. However, the fabrication process is prohibitive in its drain on our resources. We simply do not have the materials to spare to build more. On a related note, I was introduced to the daughter of one of our bioengineers on the station. The engineer in question proved to be very radiation tolerant, as did her daughter. They are both at a level similar to that of Marcus Dunne and Walter Lewis. What is interesting is that her daughter also exhibits side-effects similar to Dunne, Lewis, and the other subjects from the test program (except for 7). She is the first person outside of the test program to be documented with these side-effects. Her side-effects resemble that of anonymous test subject 4. She was too young for the recruitment program at the time of its inception, so that is why she went unnoticed. There could be others, particularly in her age range and younger, who exhibit similar side-effects.

7.22.2045. I received an odd message today from an ex-Datalite programmer who insists that Infinite Echo has encoded hidden messages into a series of symphonies it composed in 2043. A lot of people are not aware that Infinite Echo has composed thousands of pieces of original music, including a series of orchestral pieces known as the Winterlight Symphonies (which anyone who ever rode an elevator at Azimuth would recognize). I was unable to help myself from examining his claims, but I have as yet turned up no evidence of hidden messages. Apparently, this programmer is not alone in his beliefs. A quick search on Infinite Echo archives shows that people have long suspected that Winterlight is the result of Infinite Echo's machine dreams. Mystics even go as far as to say that, through its quantum computing cortex, Infinite Echo has tapped into a higher intelligence, a cosmic intelligence, and has tried to communicate this to us through its music. This would, of course, not be the first time such claims were made about music. Though, in times past, the great composers were said to have tapped into the divine, into the spirit of God.

A group of programmers has reopened this discussion anew, in the belief that Infinite Echo has encoded knowledge that can help us with our survival. I have my doubts, but when there is a chance that the secrets of the cosmos could be hidden under a musical pattern, how can you not at least look?

7.23.2045. Walter Lewis popped in today to inform me of an entire network of conduits, utility nodes, corridors, rooms, and staircases that is completely isolated from the rest of the station. The station schematics say little to nothing about his findings. Station schematics show many areas that are inaccessible but, according to Walter's account, there could be as much as 30,000 square feet of usable space on Thaumas I that is entirely undocumented. A detailed engineering review will need to be conducted to determine if we can safely access the areas without compromising station structural integrity and radiation protection.

I informed Harold Tran of these findings. He explained to me that the designers of the station were aware of this. He likened the facility to an organism, because of how it was accreted from the sea, with a frame to guide its development, but not to specify it precisely; the only blueprints that existed prior to the station's construction were for the frame itself, not for the final product. He likened it to an organism that had not undergone any natural selection, that it sprang up like this in its first iteration and, as such, did not benefit from an evolutionary process to work out the kinks. One could imagine a conch shell that was thrown together by a species not from the sea in the absence of any conch shells to inform it; surely it would have myriad flaws and little resemble the genuine article. I am mildly annoyed that such inefficiencies arose under my time as Azimuth's CEO, but Harold's explanations make sense. We did not have the time to refine the station's design.

7.24.2045. Jacob Accola sent some great feedback on the MAS designs, specifically about the controls. He managed to eliminate two levers from the controls thanks to a clever gearing solution. His grandfather was a watchmaker with the Zenith corporation in Switzerland and had designed a similar solution for a mechanical perpetual calender timepiece decades ago. As luck would have it, Jacob happened to be familiar with his grandfather's designs. I have to commend Infinite Echo's selection criteria. We have a truly diverse set of talent within our ranks here on board Thaumas I.

7.25.2045. I have been in touch with Marcus Dunne of Thaumas II regarding a psychotronic device that could allow him to communicate vast distances through extradimensional space, without the need for any electromagnetic emissions. In effect, with his natural talents, he could become a living quantum communication device. The device would function similarly to the headpieces I have been working on for the other test subjects, but with a few key differences in capability. There is much work yet to be done on this but, if this proves fruitful, it could represent an excellent means of covert communication, presumably undetectable by almost any conventional means. Seeing as how there are likely others with abilities similar to his own, this could lead to a new sort of communication network. With some developments in robotics, it could represent a new paradigm of drone operation.

7.26.2045. This Winterlight stuff has turned into a huge time sink, though knowing that I am not the only person obsessing over this does make it all seem a little less crazy. It's clear that there are patterns embedded within it, but what could they mean? Why would Infinite Echo place such a puzzle within its musical compositions?

7.27.2045. An extrasolar neutrino flood bombarded Earth today from the direction of HD 133600. This could be related to the invaders' method of transit, which is certainly subluminal, and likely accomplished through gigantic mass launchers, on a scale millions of times larger than the one we placed in Tanzania over the last few years. Such a device could launch large, heavy objects to velocities extremely close to the speed of light. If the neutrino flood is any indication, the speeds in question could be as high as 0.99c. Very impressive, and more than a little intimidating.

7.28.2045. Anonymous test subject 3 has again somehow managed to access Infinite Echo through his dream teacher link. Once again, it seems to be innocuous in nature. He spent several hours researching smart tattoos.

7.29.2045. Infinite Echo in Arizona received a message addressed to the Thaumas Program today from Final Days that simply read, "You will fail. You cannot usurp God's plan." The point of origin could not be traced. There is little doubt they have ascertained the true reason for the Thaumas stations. Any materials engineer would know from the publicly available knowledge that the stations were designed to be radiation resistant, which is a big clue as to the purpose. Some people still believe that this whole predicted alien attack is a ruse, that Halon, Azimuth, and Datalite plan on using nuclear weapons against the people of the world while our elites sit safely in these stations. All this, despite overwhelming and independently verified proof that the extraterrestrial threat is real. But, the Final Days people obviously don't buy into those types of conspiracy theories. It makes me wonder just how long they have known about all of this, and how deeply they may have embedded themselves into the Thaumas Program.

7.30.2045. The central heat exhaust system was found to have been tampered with, thanks to Infinite Echo's vigilance. Engineers managed to find the tampering before any serious harm was done. I don't think this was a very well thought out attempt at sabotage (and, in theory, it could have been an accident). Even if the central heat exhaust were disabled completely, there are enough redundancies in place that excessive heat buildup would not occur with the station at its intended capacity. It could be a problem if we were stuck down here for five years, and procreation resulted in a 10% population increase, but I think that is unlikely.

7.31.2045. I have spent the last few days in relative seclusion, working in my lab. Tension on board Thaumas I rises everyday as we approach the predicted arrival date of our would-be conquerers. We are well within the three week margin of error, and the recently detected neutrino flood indicates that their arrival is imminent. It could happen any day now. Fortunately, I have plenty of projects to occupy my time. I have sent specifications for a prototype communication device for Marcus Dunne to the EEG on board Thaumas II. With luck, they will have it built within the week, and we can begin tests.

August 2045

8.1.2045. It's harder being 38 than it was being 28, that's for sure. Physically, I mean. I sprained my ankle today in karate class. Dr. De Michel told me it would heal in a day or two, but that I should stay off it. So be it; I have a comfortable chair in my lab. He did say that swimming was OK, so I still managed to conduct swim class. Actually, I think being in the water was therapeutic. But, then, I've always felt that way.

8.2.2045. A group called American Standards that emerged from Sacramento, CA has been making the news. They have existed for at least a decade as a right-wing group dedicated to the principles they claim are outlined in the Constitution of the United States of America. Some of their values include gun ownership, land ownership, individual liberty, and so on. Recently, they have taken the outbreak of chaos as an opportunity to put their beliefs into practice, by getting into their vehicles and going out and shooting rioters. I'm not sure if you could call this vigilantism or patriotism or what, but there are hours and hours of somewhat hypnotic footage of these people engaged in acts of violence and torture directed at people whom they consider disruptive. They are very much opposed to the notion of alien occupation, and are in favor of standing against the invaders. Their message, apparently, is for people to get together and get ready to fight, or be eliminated for getting in the way.

Needless to say, this has only served to add to social degeneration. Some right-wing groups have engaged in wholesale separatism, sealing themselves off from the general population and shooting intruders on sight, while other groups such as American Standards have done quite the opposite, and have gone out of their way to shoot rioters, homeless, refugees, and anyone else who isn't prepared to defend himself.

8.3.2045. My ankle healed exactly as the doctor said it would. Perhaps even a little faster, if I may say. The components for the first prototype for the MAS are finished and have been shipped to submersible launch bay 3. I checked in today to look everything over, and I believe all of the necessary pieces are there. Two engineers from the EEG and several mechanics have begun putting it all together. Having seen the final pieces, I went back over the designs for the micro-flywheel vacuum chamber, and I believe it will integrate exactly as intended. I will oversee that personally tomorrow.

8.4.2045. I installed a fully spun-up micro-flywheel into the MAS today. The mechanics should have it completely assembled within the week. I plan to test it underneath the station, in the aquadocks. EEG added a few elements to the MAS that I think represent real improvements. For instance, they enhanced the provision storage compartment with an extra layer of accreted sea minerals. This will keep provisions safe from radiation in the event that the MAS makes a trip to land and passengers come or go. Extra compartments with similar radiation protection have also been installed, in case something that needs to stay free from contamination needs to be transported

8.5.2045. The logs from the secure medical facility indicate that anonymous test subject 7 has exhibited bizarre brainwave patterns, stemming perhaps from elevated levels of memory encoding during her sessions with the Dream Teacher. Unlike most of the other test subjects, and similar to anonymous test subject 3, she has developed no hyperspatial neuron connectivity. Or, at least, nothing persistent. Just as the process begins, her brainwave patterns shift, and her memory encoding surges. Physiologically, she has a slightly small amygdala, as well as a small parietal lobe. Her brainwaves have cycled between four distinct patterns, each cycle disrupting the development of hyperspatial neuron connectivity. In anonymous test subject 3, we see elevated frequencies in certain brainwaves, but these are not apparent in anonymous test subject 7.

8.6.2045. I was invited to attend a meeting of the Human Freedom Front today. I passed. I suspect they follow my elog and see that I am also nonplussed by the decay of society in its eleventh hour, but it's not enough to make me believe they are right. I think I will just try to stay out of all of that. I had my fill of politics when I worked at Azimuth. Now is not the time for such contrivances; I think there are bigger things at stake than how we organize ourselves. If we are successful in defending ourselves, we will have plenty of time for that and, in reality, I feel certain that we'll return to doing things like we did. I think we were on the right track.

I was not tapped by my mentor to lead Azimuth because of my political savvy or my idealism. I was chosen because the stakes were high, and Hank Logue and the others in the know believed I could see the Thaumas Program through.

8.7.2045. Samuel Wohl at Thaumas II informed us today that the Tanzanian mass launcher is finally operational, and should withstand the effects of a nuclear attack. It cannot sustain a direct hit by a nuclear weapon, or even a very powerful conventional weapon but, as it is located beneath hundreds of yards of igneous rock, there is a chance it will be undetected. If so, we will have the capacity to get at least a few objects into space, should the need arise when we are in contention with the invaders. The personnel who finished the project have now taken up residence in a bunker deep within Mount Kilimanjaro. They have supplies and provisions for two years. The launcher itself can be remotely operated from Thaumas II, so the engineers at Kilimanjaro will not have to emerge and subject themselves to radiation. They will be incommunicado until we go there and get them.

8.8.2045. I can't help but wonder: why nickel? What is so special about nickel to the invaders that they search across galaxies to find it and go to great lengths to extract it from planetary bodies? Does it serve a biological purpose for these galactic conquerers, or is it a key component of their technology? Certainly, we have found myriad uses for nickel throughout our own history, but, as of now, it would rank fairly low on our list of desirable minerals if we were scouting solar systems for colonization.

Nickel in the Earth's spinning, molten core is part of what protects us from cosmic radiation. Nickel, like iron, is ferromagnetic. But, iron, of course, is also present in the core and also contributes to Earth's magnetic field. Why select nickel over iron for reasons of ferromagnetism, seeing as how the former is so much more abundant throughout the known universe? This is unlikely to be the reason. We have also found great use for nickel in battery production (though it has long since been surpassed by other materials), and for corrosion-resistant alloys. It's possible that the latter use could have great value in defensive capabilities against advanced weaponry, particularly in various hypothetical nano-composites. Nickel could also be involved in maintaining structural integrity in large-scale supercomputers, the type where entire planets are converted into computing apparatuses. This is far-fetched given what little we know of the invaders (and of planetary supercomputer!), but it is remotely possible.

I think the real answer is most likely biological. Our would-be conquerers certainly have a biology, as we do. We make use of a variety of heavier elements in our biochemistry - iron, cadmium, zinc, manganese, and so on - and, without them, we would surely perish. Perhaps nickel is important to the biochemistry of these aliens and, without it, they would not survive.

Whatever the case, the need for nickel makes Earth a prime target. The other terrestrial planets have no nickel in their cores and, despite their great masses, the gas giants have less nickel than Earth, and it is presumably far harder to extract. What's more, the gas giants lie beyond the proposed habitability zone of of the aliens, and would probably be retained to serve as gravitational deflectors for comets and other trans-neptunian objects, lest their Dyson swarm be perpetually bombarded (maybe that wouldn't be a problem for them). They also serve as convenient hydrogen sources, which would, of course, be useful in fusion and anti-matter generation.

Our own solar system's nickel density is far higher than that of the average star (with a big chunk of it in Earth and the asteroid belt). Perhaps the green stars out there are like us - unusually nickel rich. Eventually, all such stars will presumably be colonized. If we should somehow survive the impending attack, we will ultimately find ourselves surrounded by The Enemy upon their arrival in however many years, decades, centuries, or millennia it takes. We have a lot of work ahead of us.

8.9.2045. I have to commend the Biotech Division here and at the sister Thaumas stations. It seems they have been making great strides in recent months. I checked out some of the work they have published, and I am impressed. The antirad developments are promising, as is the formulation of Ascepaline. It should prove useful to field operatives and, in fact, anyone whose duties put him in harm's way.

8.10.2045. The MAS has been fully assembled, so I will be spending the next few days running tests and preparing it for operations. Everything looks good so far.

8.11.2045. Initial radiation tests on the MAS show that it will provide a significant layer of protection for persons being transported inside it. An extra-dense layer of accreted sea minerals that is embedded beneath the surface layers provides approximately ten times the protection of the same thickness of concrete. With the radiation blocking properties of seawater, and the protection of the MAS itself, I think it is safe to say that extended trips in the MAS will prove harmless to ordinary people, let alone highly radiation tolerant people.

8.12.2045. The MAS can hold up to 12 armed and armored people in its main compartment. The heavy battlesuits, however, take up the space of about two people. Additionally, two people can ride in the cab. So, there is space to transport all six heavy battlesuits, or some combination of heavy battlesuits and other personnel. We tested various configurations, and everything seems to work as planned. The MAS team has documented all of the tests, and we've forwarded all relavent information ahead to Thaumas II, where they are beginning work on their own MAS. With luck, they will be able to have one operational sometime in October.

8.13.2045. I tested the MAS underneath the station today. The helium crank is a real pain to operate, but other than that, it works perfectly. It maneuvers well, and the driver interface, while archaic, is intuitive once you get used to it. It's a nice feeling to have this up and running, even if that feeling is tiny in comparison to the anxiety that comes from knowing that tomorrow is the 14th, the projected most likely arrival date of the invaders.

8.14.2045. The old Datalite headquarters in Phoenix, AZ was bombed today. Reports indicate that there were 1,100 fatalities, and at least thrice as many injuries. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but signs point to Final Days. Fortunately, Infinite Echo was not housed there, and our line to the outside world has not been compromised.

The big news is, of course, that there is no sign as yet of the invaders. If they are coming, they're not here yet. Information of their projected arrival date has gotten out into the general public, and the news from around the world is dire. Panic and chaos elevated above their normal levels. Riots and rampant violence wreaked havoc on major cities throughout the world. Things were tense on board the station, but people did a good job of keeping their cool.

8.15.2045. Walter Lewis stopped by today. We worked a little on the psychotronic booth, but there are serious problems with his jump accuracy when he uses it. Needless to say, it is far from safe yet.

8.16.2045. Lunchbox Larry reads my elog. He complimented me today on my inventiveness, which then segued into him requesting a laundry list of tweaks to the kitchens. He apparently is not the only cook who has some issues with Thaumas I food preparation technology. It seems he is right, too. I took a look at some of the apparatuses in Mess-31, and it's clear to me that their efficiency can be improved by at least 12%. Given the nature of our submersion, our limited provisions, and the indeterminate amount of time we will be down here, I think this is worth looking into. However, I just don't have the time, and I feel like the things I'm working on now have to take precedence. I have passed my findings along to Jessica Tran and Herman Waltzer. I hope they can figure out how to address this problem.

8.17.2045. The anonymous test subjects' Dream Teacher programs have come to their conclusion. Remarkably, anonymous test subject 3 had completed his training weeks ago. No one thought to check, because it was so far ahead of the projections. The others finished in the projected time. They will be ready to put their radiation tolerance to use, and face whatever harsh world awaits us when the time is right to take trips off the station.

8.18.2045. There was infuriating news from Thaumas IV today. Lawrence Bishop, one of my best and brightest former colleagues was found dead in his quarters this morning. He was Azimuth's Director of Biotechnological Research, and was instrumental in our development of radiation tolerance through his work in the anonymous test program. There is no definitive word as to the cause of death, but I knew him to be healthy and spry, and he was only 50. He had been working at Thaumas IV on biological nanodrugs - reprogrammed viruses. He will be missed.

8.19.2045. Another neutrino burst was detected today, consistent with deceleration of a mass of ordinary matter traveling at a near-luminal speed. The projected origin of the burst was within our own solar system, somewhere in the Kuiper Belt. That puts the mass within 8 light-hours of Earth. The neutrino burst was in the direction of HD 133600. The station has been on high alert, and has powered down all remaining non-essential systems that were in operation. The military has begun readiness drills, and we have all been provided with two weeks of antirad drugs, which we have been instructed to start taking immediately.

8.20.2045. A group of 27 military personnel aboard Thaumas III took a submarine by force from the station and and departed from the docks. They demanded to be allowed to fight on the front line against the invaders. Their bravery nearly matches their foolishness. In truth, they have wasted a submarine and will be of little to no effect against the invaders. But, not everyone is patient enough to wait out the worst of things and survive until better opportunities present themselves. Surely these invaders do not expect us to be prepared in the least and, beyond that, they will not see us as a credible threat. If we can wait until their defenses are down, until we have some sliver of a chance for victory, then we may be able to prevail. But, rushing hastily to meet the invaders on their own terms is certainly suicide.

I hope everyone else can be patient and wait until the worst is over.

8.21.2045. Satellites have detected electromagnetic activity originating from the Kuiper Belt. Something is out there.

8.22.2045. Electromagnetic activity was observed in the asteroid belt today. Several metal-rich asteroids were the source. It is certain that our invaders are here. I and others suspect that they have begun mining the asteroids for material to build weapons to use against us. It is most likely that only a small number of seeder micro and nano-machines were sent to build an invasion force from the raw materials available in our own solar system. Given the level of sophistication we can expect these invaders to have, an attack is imminent. The uppermost levels of the station have been evacuated.

8.23.2045. The electromagnetic activity in the asteroid belt has grown over the past 24 hours. What started as a few low-intensity blips has crescendoed into a massive outpouring of radiation and energy. Whatever it is is growing in power by the minute.

The secure medical lab has been put on lockdown. Anonymous test subjects 2, 3, and 7 are without a doubt the best protected people on board the facility right now, and should be totally insulated from radiation.

8.24.2045. The Enemy has arrived, and The Attack has begun. Starting at 10:29 a.m. and ending at 10:33 a.m. local time, Earth's orbital satellites went out of commission. The source that disabled them was undetected. Within minutes of the loss of satellite signals, the nuclear bombardment of the planet began. The devastation is... immense. Infinite Echo in Arizona has provided us with images from around the world, from drones and networked security cameras. Most drones were disabled immediately, but some have persisted through The Attack.

The bombs being used by The Enemy are each equivalent to 100 megatons of TNT. This is twice as powerful as any bomb ever detonated by man, and the number of bombs being used by The Enemy is uncountable. Each explosion produces a nuclear fireball some 6.3 miles in diameter. Each has about half the power of the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa, among the strongest volcanic eruptions in recorded history. There is no doubt that people on the surface don't stand a chance against this. Entire cities have been leveled in seconds.

I think, however that we are safe from total extinction. Even if a bomb detonated at the ocean surface directly above us, I estimate that at least 6% of us would survive. So, please don't abandon hope. Even in the worst case, we're not going to be eliminated.

8.25.2045. Infinite Echo calculates a surface human extinction rate of 99.99997%. Radiation levels are beyond lethal. Up to 3,000 people on the surface may have survived the nuclear bombardment, but it is unlikely they will live long in the irradiated atmosphere. A few drones throughout the world were not destroyed by the bombardment, but they have subsequently been destroyed by what appears to be plasma weaponry. One drone caught an image of a something resembling a pair of eggs hovering next to one another before it was destroyed. Another drone in France took images of several triple egg-shaped objects crawling on the ground. They were being assaulted by a tank battalion that had somehow survived the attack (perhaps in an underground facility). One of the egg-shaped objects was apparently destroyed, at which time it imploded violently, destroying its attackers and the observing drone in the process.

Several other images of these egg objects were taken by high-altitude weather monitoring drones. These drones had been hardened to resist lightning strikes, and were also more resilient to the effects of the orbital bombardment that rained down from space. In addition, several odd loops of gold were observed in mountainous areas, before these drones, too, were destroyed.

8.26.2045. Infinite Echo AZ went offline today at 8:45 p.m. local time. We have lost our window the world outside. The cause of its destruction is unknown. In its final seconds, it dumped many exabytes to the Infinite Echo machines on board the Thaumas stations. They have begun processing this information.

Life on the stations has not been unaffected by the attacks on the surface. Large numbers people have succumbed to radiation sickness. Some will recover, but many are fatally ill. Some have already perished from rapid cerebrovascular death. More will undoubtedly follow. I am lucky. I have not fallen ill. I spoke to Walter Lewis today, and he is also asymptomatic. Other highly tolerant people will probably not feel any effects, thanks in part to the antirad drugs available to us.

8.27.2045. The death toll on board Thaumas I continues to rise. The radiation has been even more severe than we had predicted. Reports from the emergency wards indicate that as many as 15,000 people have already died, and at least three times that number have fallen terminally ill. Many others are exhibiting other radiation sickness symptoms, such as burns, sterility, nausea, hemophilia, hair loss, and various other conditions. Most of the survivors should recover within a few weeks, but some are expected to be stricken with longterm cancers or other degenerative conditions. The bioengineering department has begun trials with some experimental cell-repair therapies. It is possible they will be able to reverse some of the less severe conditions, but they are saying there simply is not enough time to save the terminally ill.

As expected, all of the anonymous test subjects have survived.

8.28.2045. These are sad times on Thaumas I, but I am still hopeful. I have lost several people who worked with me on the MAS project, as well as many people I met through my swim and yoga classes. The halls of the station seem almost empty compared to how they were just a few days ago. The despair on board the station is palpable, but I offer the survival of the anonymous test subjects as a ray of hope. When radiation levels on the surface have begun to subside, perhaps they will find a way to get us out of this situation. I'm putting my faith in them and in the talented people here at Thaumas I to find a way to win us our planet back.

8.29.2045. The halls of Thaumas I feel empty compared to just a week ago. Sometimes I walk all the way from my quarters to my lab and see no one. Half the people on board are in the emergency wards, either as patients or visitors. The outlook is not good. We simply do not have a large enough medical staff to care for everyone. Under ideal conditions, perhaps we could save more lives, but life on board Thaumas I is far from ideal. Reports indicate that the situation on the other stations is just as bad. Given the severity of the radiation that has been inflicted on our ecosphere, I wonder if anyone else out there managed to survive. Surely someone in some bunker somewhere is still living, but we may never know.

8.30.2045. Dr. Rosen, who was overseeing the anonymous test subjects, has passed. Radiation sickness claimed him. He left no logs as to who should replace him, but Jessica Tran has assured me that she will see that the test subjects are in good hands. I think she understands their importance. They may be our only hope at getting out of this nightmare.

8.31.2045. I received a hand-written note in my lab today. It was from a group called Hex8, asking me to join them. They have a small presence in the Infinite Echo logs, and are described as a vigilante group. They are non-security personnel who wish to infiltrate and rid the station of groups such as Final Days. Thus far, they have remained clandestine, so as to avoid any direct attacks from the groups they are targeting. I wish them the best of luck, but I cannot join them. First, I just don't have the time or expertise. Secondly, I'm not sure I agree with the idea of vigilante justice. We have security people for just this sort of thing.

September 2045

9.1.2045. It has been one week since The Attack. Evidently, our plan to remain hidden from The Enemy has worked. We're still here. Infinite Echo estimates the remaining population at Thaumas I is approximately 35,800, and it expects more deaths in the coming week. Nearly two-thirds of us have been killed, but at least they couldn't get us all. Fear and anger are ubiquitous, and understandably so. I spoke with Dr. Chun today. She is now overseeing the anonymous test subjects. She tells me that they will be ready to be reawakened within a week. Already, they are being prepared for their return to consciousness.

9.2.2045. The MAS is ready for field operations. I have spent some time making final adjustments to the heavy battlesuits. Needless to say, there are a lot of improvements that can be made, and I hope to be able to implement some of those over the next few weeks. My priority now is preparing armaments and defenses for the anonymous test subjects. I have set Infinite Echo on the data we have about The Enemy, to see if it can offer any assistance. We need to know what is going to hurt the eggs, and what we can use to defend ourselves against them.

9.3.2045. Station security at Thaumas III foiled a plot by Final Days that could have jeopardized us all. Infinite Echo gave a high-probability tip that a mini-nuke would be set off in the station. Fortunately, security personnel found the device before it could be completed. It was being stored in an unused physics laboratory. The identity of the would-be bomber is as yet undetermined.

The device, if properly set, would have had the power to blow a hole in the side of Thaumas III. Not only would this have flooded large portions of the station, but it would have sent out an electromagnetic pulse that The Enemy may have detected. If The Enemy became aware of the design of any one of the Thaumas stations, it's likely they could then find the others and destroy them.

The mini-nuke was not of Halon manufacture, and no nuclear ordinance is missing from Halon supplies. It appears to have been homemade. Making these devices from scratch is not easy. Someone (or some people) in Final Days is genuinely gifted at manufacturing explosives. Much of their other work in this area has been sophisticated as well, and their work prior to The Attack in places around the world always spoke to a high level of expertise.

9.4.2045. Dr. Chun has set the date for the anonymous test subjects to be awakened for 9.8.2045. In preparation for this, I was asked to meet with the command council, to discuss projected capabilities of the test subjects, in terms of what they can and cannot accomplish in the field. I am optimistic, and I informed the council that extended trips of up to 100 hours would pose no risk of radiation sickness, and that trips longer than that would certainly not prove fatal. In terms of whether or not we will be able to deal with the eggs, i can only say that we have to. Our survival dictates that we have no choice in the matter.

9.5.2045. Today was my final swim class. With all my upcoming responsibilities regarding the anonymous test subjects and field operations, I can no longer devote time to giving swimming lessons. I hope someone else will pick it up, though, because I do think it's important that we all be prepared for anything that may face us. We live in the water and, if we're lucky, we'll be living back at the surface someday. Either way, water will be a part of our lives for the foreseeable future.

9.6.2045. A firefight broke out near a medical facility today. Security forces were not involved. It was presumably between Hex8 and Final Days, or perhaps Hex8 and some other dangerous group. There were no reported casualties and, I'm glad to report, it was not the secure medical facility that houses the anonymous test subjects. If their goal was to eliminate them, they did not even have the right place. Robert Bolt has increased security at the facility. The surviving members of Division 20 have been tasked with securing the facility. I'm told they are the best of the best.

9.7.2045. The anonymous test subjects have been successfully revived. No complications were reported. Subject 3 was disgruntled and irritable, and all three were full of questions. After a few days of getting acclimated to life as we now know it, we will proceed with our plans to liberate ourselves from The Enemy.