224th Entry

June 10^th, 2037

1030

Dear Earth Diary

CLOMP, CLOMP, CLOMP

So I can I ask a question.

“Silence, prisoner.”

CLOMP, CLOMP, CLOMP

What happened to the other guards? The nice ones?

“They quit.”

When?

“’Bout an hour ago.”

…Oh.

CLOMP, CLOMP, CLOMP

So what happens now?

“You die.”

Not for another 4 hours and 15 minutes.

“Maybe it just takes that long.”

I’m going to stop asking questions now.

“That was the idea.”

CLOMP, CLOMP, CLOMP

1045

“Sit there.”

That’s a cardboard box.

SLAP

“Sit there.”

Yes, sir.

“Better.”

BEEP, BEEP, BEEP

What are you doing?

“Calling the boss.”

The boss?

SLAP

“Yes.”

…Ow.

“Hello? We’re here. Okay.”

CLICK

CLOMP, CLOMP, CLOMP

Nice working with you.

“You’ll be dead soon.”

SLAM

Charming guy.

“Stay calm. It’s all going to be okay.”

Providing I can talk nonsense for 4 and a half hours.

“You’ve managed five months so far.”

Hey!

“Sorry, you made it too easy.”

Any chance you can fill me in on what the plan is before… whoever… gets here?

“I don’t want you to accidentally give it away.”

What about if you accidentally give it away?

“I don’t give things away.”

I admire your confidence.

“I admire your… thank you.”

Hey.

“Again. Too easy.”

Give me a hint.

“Astronomy.”

…Nope, not getting it.

“Hopefully your stars are aligned.”

Still nothing.

“It’ll hit you sooner or later.”

You’re not helping.

“I really am.”

Listen, just tell me what –

FWEEEEEET

“Well hello.”

Who are you?

“Hm. Let’s go with Smith, shall we?”

Is that your actual name?

“No. Pleasure to meet you.”

Somehow I doubt that.

“Oh no it is. When I sent you out there, you were just a name in a pre-typed obituary.”

Er.

“But to actually meet you is something I never thought would happen. We were so… going to abandon you in space, and yet here you are!”

I’m so pleased.

“Me too! I’m so glad you’re back.”

…You are?

“I’m back too.”

Yes, Mary, you are! But we were always going to bring you back.

“I know you were going to leave me on Mars.”

Only for a few years. But once the clones were all ready to go we were totally going to bring you back with them!

“Oh?”

And then after, we’d kill you.

“There it is.”

But you. You I never thought I’d see. But now I get to tell you about everything! You have no idea how much I’ve wanted to tell someone.

“But I’m going to die anyway.”

“Exactly! But everyone else, if I tell them, I’d have to kill them. And I like everyone else. But you, you’re going to die. So it doesn’t matter if I brag a little.”

Charming.

“I thought about maybe going to find someone in jail, but this is so much easier.”

Please stop talking.

“What, you don’t want to know why you went through what you did?”

…Go on then. Tell me about it. In as much detail as possible.

“Use long words.”