I had hoped to never have to type these words yet here I am.
It wasn’t until last week that I caught the discrepancy. Purely out of chance I happened to do a random inventory check despite one not being scheduled until the end of the month. What I found was alarming.
There is a thief among us.
When I pulled open the front compartment doors a conspicuous amount of rations were gone from the stores. Based on what was missing I’ve concluded that this has been going on for at least a week if not longer.
After all the progress made last month I can’t fathom how or why anyone would do this! Such senseless greed is a blatant act of disrespect for the crew, the ship, and this command. Selfishness has no place on this ship, and I can only assume that the party responsible is actively trying to sabotage the mission. Rest assured I will find and apprehend those responsible and all available punishments are on the table as bestowed by my powers as mission commander.
I also want to make it clear that I do not shirk responsibility for my own complicity in unknowingly fostering an environment that made such abhorrent behavior conceivable. Perhaps I was a fool to think the openness could last, perhaps the perpetrator never really bought in at all and they were playing us from the start, getting us to let our guard down. Its disconcerting to think they didn’t come to me first before taking these harmful steps and I take it as a personal failing, one I aim to rectify.
This is especially troubling as there are only two people other than myself who possess the access key as indicated by the original flight manifest.
Before taking this to the crew at large I approached one of these men, the lead tech officer, and he seemed shocked at the accusation but I’m unsure if this was just a front. He vehemently denied any involvement in the theft and allowed me to inspect his locker to be sure. A thorough search turned up no sign of any of the missing items. I scoured all other frontal storage compartments, checking behind piping and wires, anywhere that might function as a suitable hiding spot.
Another fruitless day of searching later it was time to convene a crew meeting and as I levied the news many of them seemed just as angry as I was. There were pounding fists; calls for revenge, spittle laced quoting of relevant commandments, and a general atmosphere of disgust. I offered an honest chance for those responsible to come forward and confess without the threat of repercussion. All that was required was an explanation and a recognition of their wrongdoing and we could collectively put it behind us and focus on the mission. This was met by silence and shoegazing and if the thief was even among these men he hid his true nature well.
Each crew member consented to comprehensive searches of their lockers and belongings on the spot, and understood my need to quarantine them in the mess room for the duration. They had no prior warning so I had hope that we could discover the truth and wasted no time in tearing through everything with the obsessive frenzy of a man drive towards unraveling a lie.
My meticulous search of each and every storage compartment, locker, panel, anything where one could hide a cache all led to nothing. After many hours I returned to the mess room exhausted and frustrated to find the men sprawled out across the mess room. Some sat with folded hands, playing cards, faintly humming or drumming their knuckles on the table. They leapt to attention as I came in and left incredulous and muttering when I presented them only empty hands.
There is only one other man who has access: the illusive lead engineer.
Before trying to make contact with him I inspected all available documentation for information on how to gain access to the engineer controlled rear section of the ship. The ship schematics show a large rectangular section for their quarters, interspersed among the thruster coupling and power regulation components yet I could find no sign of any way to gain access to it from our side. Furthermore, the internal shape of the door is contorted in such a way that allows it to open from just one side.
After studying the schematics for several hours I am now convinced that this was a purposeful design decision but for what reason? Why hide this from me and the crew? Who are these men and what are they doing in there? Did they rob us out of necessity or malice?
I pounded in vain at the engineer’s door for several minutes before worrying that I risked drawing premature attention. I dare not bring my concerns to the crew just yet, the chance of inciting a panic is too high but with each unheeded bang I’m starting to run out of options.
Next month we will pass the halfway point to Mars, and I’m feeling increasingly agitated about all these unanswered questions. Conspiracies or not, I will root them out and expose them to the light of truth. If these fools think the oblivion of space suspends them from justice then they are sorely mistaken.
There is an unmistakable weight to the burden of keeping this all to myself and I’m beginning to see that more than anything this mission will be a test of mental and emotional willpower. The pressure rests on me to hold it together and I must for the good of the mission, the world, and everyone back home cheering us on. In the almost unthinkable event these problems compound into our undoing I fear that humanity’s place in the stars will be forsaken in favor of an eternity of stunted infighting over table scraps. We fly not just for the Red Planet but for the future of hope itself.
I’ve instructed the crew to remain on alert for any suspicious behavior, the demands of the mission will ramp up significantly the closer we get to Martian orbit and we cannot allow threats and distractions like this to linger and become festering wounds.
Some form of explanation from you would go a long way to calming my mind, at a minimum just hearing from home would come as a great relief. To shed some light on your silence I’ve ordered a comprehensive review of all communications equipment this week. I’m sure the problem is on our end and once we’ve isolated it we’ll contact you again.
When next you hear from me I hope to have this theft situation resolved and behind us. If I hear no orders to the contrary I’ll soon be forced to take the kind of drastic actions I hope you understand are necessary.
With vigilance,
E. Mattox
Mission Commander of the Melinoë
A Printed Mind 