PS2 Historical Archive - Thomas Connery's Holovid Diary: January 6th, 2642

From the Holovid Diary of Thomas Connery, Terran Republic Commander, Discovery-1. January 6, 2642.

         Perhaps I should have known it was a pipe-dream. If I had, I wouldn’t have all this blood on my hands. If I had, seventy-five thousand men, women and children would be safe in their bedrooms on Earth, and not wherever here is, on the other side of the universe, lost and with no hope of ever returning home. 

         There is no way back. Starmaps are useless. Our scanners haven’t detected even a single oxygen based planet anywhere near us. And as awful as our plight is, there are rumors that there’s been talk of armed insurrection. I hope for all our sakes that talk is all it is. I’m afraid if that sort of rebellion begins I won’t be able to hold back the Military who’s been begging me for weeks to let them deal with the “mess” as they call it. As much as it goes against everything I believe I may not have any choice.

         Despite it all, and I’m probably an idiot for saying this, I still have confidence. Perhaps not as much as I had on May 13, four years ago, when we launched our fleet. But I believed then and I believe now:

         We will find a planet.

         We will find extraterrestrial life.

         And we will do more than survive… We will thrive.

         Unfortunately, I worry I may be one of the only few who does believe.

         Rich is another who hasn‘t given up on us. Then again, he and I have been friends for so long we think alike. He thinks today’s meeting will reset our course. We’ve had two hundred years of peace and prosperity and he’s certain people won’t want to go back to the old days. I hope he’s right.

         Thomas Connery, signing off.