Except from *An Expanded History of the Angstrom Colony*
Ch. 45: First Contact with the Gammas
Of course, the peace was not to last. In the evening hours of 10/05/2250, only a few months after the conflict, Angstrom was once again faced with an existential threat. The stars were blotted out, and what looked like meteors started raining down across the planet.
What follows is a transcript of an interview with Second Lieutenant Ryan Craxbowe, conducted 10/05/2300. (!)
INTERVIEWER: Is this thing on?
I: Okay, it's on.
I: Apologies for the technical difficulties, everyone. This is Judy Hill, interviewing Ryan Craxbowe as part of our first contact anniversary programming.
I: First of all, thank you for agreeing to come on, Mr. Craxbowe.
RYAN: I assure you, the pleasure is all mine.
I: Well then, let's get right to it. (!)
I: Would you mind telling us about what happened on the night of ten oh-five fifty? (!)
R: It had been a pretty normal evening, honestly. I was on my way home from the garrison, when everything started happening.
R: Instantly, it was chaos in the streets. People were still on-edge from the wolves, and this was more than reason enough to panic.
R: I took cover in a... bakery, I think it was?
I: According to our records, it was a bakery.
R: Thank you. When you reach my age, you don't hold onto everything.
R: Now, where was I?
I: You had just ducked into the bakery.
R: Oh, yes, right. I was in there, taking cover with a few civilians, when the first gamma walked into the city.
R: You have to understand, these weren't the gammas you see nowadays. These were V1s, big nasty bug looking things.
I: Would you mind describing them in more detail?
R: They were big round pill-shaped things, about as wide as you are tall. They had 8 nasty pneumatic leg things, a turret mounted on the top, and a camera on each edge.
I: Each edge?
R: if you think of the top of them like an old-fashioned clock, there was a camera at twelve, three, six, and nine o'clock.
I: Ah, that makes sense.
R: Anyways, one of these guys had crawled into the streets, and started revving it's gun.
R: I knew someone had to do something, so I jumped out and started firing my pistol.
R: The shots all bounced off, but it got the robot's attention.
R: It turned to me and just... stared.
R: I know now what it was thinking, but at the time I was terrified.
R: Anyways, after what felt like an hour of it's staring, it started walking towards me.
R: I was still acting on instinct more than anything, so I shouted "DON'T COME ANY CLOSER! I'LL SHOOT!"
R: I was pretty surprised when it actually stopped.
R: Hey, I'm sorry to stop halfway through the interview, but could I get some water? My mouth's feeling pretty dry.
I: Sure thing.
I: This has been Judy Hill, interviewing Ryan Craxbowe. We'll be right back, after this break.
[...]
R: Sorry about that.
I: It's quite alright.
R: What part was I on before that?
I: You had just told the gamma to stop, and were surprised it actually stopped.
R: Ah, right. It stopped dead in it's tracks, and said in this big booming voice:
R: "QUERY: IS THIS SPECIES 'HOMO SAPIENS SAPIENS'?"
R: It was in really archaic english too, it was really weird.
R: Anyways, I said "Yes."
R: Well, I stunmbled [sic] over my words, but that was basically what I said.
R: The big guy froze up again for another few minutes, then went "REQUEST: BRING THIS UNIT TO YOUR GENERAL."
R: Now, I'd left my radio at the base, so I had to take it there on foot.
R: Let me tell you, that was the tensest walk of my life.
R: Had to explain the situation what felt like a million time to different soldiers on the way, but we eventually got to HQ.
R: The gamma couldn't fit through any of the interior doors, so we had to get the general down to the lobby.
R: Nobody really knew what to do with me, so I was just left standing around during the meeting.
R: I'm sure the minutes are public record by now, so I won't bother you with the whole story, but let me tell you:
R: Seeing the general's jaw drop lower and lower was priceless!
R: The gamma didn't seem to care, either.
R: It just kept dropping bomb after bomb.
R: Earth had achieved sentient AI! Earth had been destroyed! The warbot AIs survived! Half the galaxy has been taken over in the name of humanity!
R: Though, I can't laugh at the general too much.
R: My jaw was almost touching the floor by the end of it, too!
R: Anyways, that's where I stopped being important.
R: Do you have anything else you wanted to ask?
*End of excerpt.*