Chapter 5: Into the Darkness

Cucco enters a depressive spell. Tofleson becomes a quiet leader. Foley remains missing, causing many of the crew to grow increasingly concerned about their mental and physical safety. Boldt begins her redesign of the electrical and water systems to accommodate Tolfeson’s farming expansion. Li confesses that she hears whistling from somewhere inside Okulous-10. The crew decides HoneyB will remain behind to continue studying Wasp-12 as new navigational targets are discussed. Rodriguez reviews terrifying data from the HoneyB probe. Cora recovers missing files from the navigation database, revealing the horror of Okulous-10’s timeline in the void.


E5R Log 141: Rodriguez

Scientifically, we’re not sure what the absence of Wasp-12b means. Serinath asked Staff Scientist Cora Rodriguez to step in as Chief Scientist, tasked with investigating the current state of the missing exoplanet. Boden demoted to Staff Scientist.


E5R Log 142: Commentary

Boden expressed intense frustration at Serniath’s promotion of Rodriguez to Chief Scientist. Serinath referenced Boden’s previous observations of Anders, mental instability and strange commentary about trying to escape Hell. Boden didn’t remember these occurrences.


E5R Log 143: Depression

Schmidt noted Cucco may be experiencing early signs of depression or disengagement. Potential delayed side effects of our sleeping cycles, in combination with the absent Wasp-12b.


E5R Log 144: Next

All-Staff meeting held to determine our next actions. Quiet meeting. Not many were open to talking. I could see concern in many of the crew. We only discussed Wasp-12b. We did not address the other issue: that we still don’t know what happened to Foley.


E5R Log 145: HoneyB

Rodriguez intends to leave behind one of our orbital satellites, HoneyB, to gather more information about Wasp-12, but also to leave a trace of ourselves. At the meeting last night, she stated: “Someday, someone will want to know where we’ve been, or that we were here.” Serinath, 2nd Officer Tzuljan, and 3rd Officer Aquino approved.


E5R Log 146: Amiss

I spoke with Cucco alone. He feels he failed in navigating us. Failed in being the first humans to explore an exoplanet. He wasn’t in tears, but sad in his own way. He doesn’t want anyone to think he’s incompetent. I reminded him of our situation: alone in the darkness, and that this was out of his control. That something else is deeply amiss in the void beyond Okulous-10.


E5R Log 147: Backup

While researching power feeds for farming expansion, I didn’t find any primary backup systems. If we ever lose power, that’s it - we’re dead. I need to redesign the electrical distribution system. Another time when I wish Anders survived. He would have known more about Okulous-10 than anyone.


E5R Log 148: Analog

I reviewed our time logs. After waking and reactivating our nav systems, our Primary Clock was E5R1205:1346:xxxx. Current reading is E5R1205:0148:0046. No idea what these numbers mean. We are still using our analog watches to track time. (middle section is log days).


E5R Log 149: Cycles

Still no signals from E5R. Last database update was after our launch date and before our waking cycle. Will keep investigating. Schmidt concerned about Cucco. He’s entered a severe depressive state. Tofleson offered to spend time with him.


E5R Log 150: Former

Orbital satellite HoneyB is ready. Will launch tomorrow. Our Low Voltage Systems Engineer, Anthony Pai, approached me today, indicating she has experience in telecommunications and programming, something much beyond my expertise. She asked about E5R, if we’ve heard anything. Still nothing to date.


E5R Log 151: Launch

We’ve launched the first orbital satellite beyond our solar system. We still made history, if not for the absence of Wasp-12b. Now that data is coming in from Wasp-12, Rodriguez’s team - Boden and Odie - will be much busier. They’ve been anxious to get to work.


E5R Log 152: Improvements

Cucco seems brighter today. Outwardly, back to his previous demeanor. I can still see something different in his eyes, but at least he’s up and about.


E5R Log 153: Redesign

I still need to finalize farm expansion plans. Have to confirm we have available materials to expand water and electrical systems. After I finish mapping the electrical distribution system, I’ll map the water flow. The existing schematics are diagrammatic only.


E5R Log 154: Vulnerabilities

Tofleson spoke with me alone during the last shift. I asked her what she did to bring Cucco back around. She said that she’s excellent at reading people. She told Cucco that even though we didn’t find Wasp-12b, that his analytical approach and attention to detail made him still the best navigator humanity could ask for.


E5R Log 155: Mute

Mishings started pushing Boden and Bismark again, asking about their interactions with Foley during quarantine. They were the last two to have contact with Foley, who is still missing. Both confirmed again Foley was mute during their time together in quarantine. I personally don't believe they are involved in her disappearance. I may try to talk with Mishings separately.


E5R Log 156: Orbit

We’ve completed our first orbit. Wasp-12b remains absent from our onboard sensors. Final confirmation from HoneyB pending. Some debate amongst the team about our next objectives. We could remain in orbit around Wasp-12 for the rest of our lifetimes studying it.


E5R Log 157: 42

Starting design required to expand water systems and added electrical for Tofleson’s farming expansion. 42 sensors. That’s the quantity of flow sensors on the water system. For each one, the data collection interval is slightly shorter than expected. Barely noticeable, but I want to be accurate in my flow calculations.


E5R Log 158: Chemicals

Mishings to take Leave for two days, under Schmidt’s observation. Along with Cucco, per Schmidt, both are experiencing delayed emotional side effects of the zombie sleep cycle. This was not noted in previous research about the chemicals used to bring us under. This was evident in her behavior toward Boden and Bismark.


E5R Log 159: Regression

Cora and Tofleson are trying to encourage Cucco to plot future navigational targets in the system. He seems to be regressing again back into his depressive state. Schmidt will develop emotional therapies to assist. Still keeping a close eye on Mishings.


E5R Log 160: Return

Mishings back. Schmidt will move to Mid shift with Mishings to keep an eye on her. This separates Mishings from Bismark and Boden.


E5R Log 161: Happenings

Serinath called an All Hands meeting this evening. Will institute regular meetings to keep crews updated. Most are aware of happenings, but hope for more open discussion.


E5R Log 162: Friends

Never occurred to me until now how important it may be for us as a crew to build friendships with one another. We’re out here alone. Cucco is perhaps more goal oriented than making friends.


E5R Log 163: Shutdowns

Will have to shut down the water and electrical systems for a period of time to connect the new farm expansion to the existing mains. I won’t be a popular person.


E5R Log 164: Anxious

Cora reviewing information from HoneyB orbital. Cucco anxious about what the data may reveal. Serinath is still pushing Cucco for our next navigational objective. I asked Tofleson to help motivate him behind the scenes.


E5R Log 165: Li

Ling Li, our Lead Electrical Engineer, asked if I’ve heard whistling since waking up. I haven’t. She mentioned she hears it every few days.


E5R Log 166: Intensify

Review of our current objectives to follow in the next few days. Rodriguez is still reviewing HoneyB data. She didn’t seem happy with what she initially found. Serinath suggested intensifying the search for Foley.


E5R Log 167: Whistling

Li asked me again if I heard the whistling. Worry in her face like I’ve never seen. I again stated no. She said she can’t tell if it’s from inside her head or inside the ship. I mentioned this to Schmidt while encouraging Li to share it with him. We need complete trust and transparency to survive out here. We are all we have.


E5R Log 168: Absence

Cora confirmed via HoneyB data that there is no evidence of a planet ever orbiting Wasp-12. No dust or materials left behind. Yet based on our data, Wasp-12b should be here. There are no other masses orbiting Wasp-12. We are alone in this darkness. This is extremely concerning to all of us. Was our original research on Earth wrong?


E5R Log 169: Review

Command held a meeting last night - Serinath, Tzuljan, Aquino, Cucco, Rodriguez, Schmidt, Mishings, Tofleson, and myself. There are two scenarios. Either our existing database is flawed, or we were in zombie sleep for much longer than we thought.


E5R Log 170:Others

Officers to meet and discuss other missions for the Auriga System. We will see more stars other than Wasp-12 in our lifetime aboard Okulous-10. Serinath suggested leaving HoneyB behind in orbit to transmit back to us.


E5R Log 171: Remain

Confirmed that HoneyB will remain behind, orbiting Wasp-12 for now, while potentially moving on to other stars. With farming expansion, I have to find a way to merge materials without causing a spark.


E5R Log 172: Clarity

As I stood behind one of the atom drives in Propulsion, I heard it: Li’s whistling. Either we are both deteriorating in our mental state, or it’s real. Both are equally terrifying.


E5R Log 173: (3)

Cora reviewed our database again, finding new files we missed. Static data shows Wasp-12b would be consumed by its star, Wasp-12, in roughly 3 million years. If Wasp-12b is no longer here, but Wasp-12 is, that means we were asleep for 3 million years, traveling across the void.


E5R Log 174: Nothing

I have nothing to report today.


E5R Log 175: Twenty4

We are all still trying to comprehend Cora’s recent suggestion. 3 million years. What happened to humanity? Does Earth still exist? Are we the 24 humans left alive?