A Utopia 3 - A Reason
By the fourth planet, it was evident to me that the system was abandoned due to a system-wide bio horror outbreak. It was not an uncommon way for an established system to end like this. What worried me more was why the Utopia Project chose this system. To find that out, I need to visit the abandoned space station, with the coordinates I’ve just retrieved from this infested building.
As soon as I engaged the landing pad of the abandoned space construct and hopped off my ship, I went straight for the trade terminal - the one thing that would likely have any remnant of data in it. And indeed I salvaged some data related to the Utopia Project in this system. The evacuation began with something about digging too deep, then Utopia Project launched to reclaim this system. Trade was resumed for a while, before it was abandoned again, and reclaimed again, and abandoned again… For over three hundred years. This system had been stuck in a loop, and I had merely joined one of its iteration.
Suddenly the terminal began to speak.
“Captain-Entity! You have found me at last.”
The Korvax voice…?
“Yes, this is Diatnins, entity of the haunted frigate. I have been trapped here for 16… Seconds? Years? Centuries? Oh it does not matter now, Captain-Entity. Diatnins is glad to be found.”
I wonder if there was anyway to rescue Diatnins and return her to her casing properly.
“Diatnins lost everything. The frigate was long destroyed. Maybe Diatnin’s casing too. Diatnins converged with the Utopia Project, with the hope that Diatnins could reach out to Captain-Entity. It worked, but Diatnins regret to inform Captain-Entity that the mission was a failure, and Diatnins can no longer serve Captain-convergence.”
Silly girl, I thought - her work for me was the least of my concern right now. What I wanted to know was how I could help. How I could… End her imprisonment, or whatever she’s suffering from right this moment.
“Diatnins is happy to see Captain-Entity. Diatnins wants rest. The memories of Captain-Entity will converge with the Atlas along with Diatnins. Take this, and let Diatnins become one with the Atlas. Please.”
The terminal produced a Korvax convergence cube that I retrieved with my hand. I had no eyes to shed a tear, but I felt a tug in my chest beneath my exosuit.
“The last planet. The last memory of Diatnins still embedded to her casing. Please go there Captain-Entity, and finish the Utopia Project for good.”