Lia Malanez- The Pilot's story

--//>>1st Lt. Lia Malanez>>-The Pilot's story

Entry Log #432
Terminal User: 15H670-L. Malanez

(WAIT 3 SECONDS…)-->

Right now, I have time..

(gasps)

..Glad that I'm okay..for now. A little tired due to the drills here to keep fit, but going on fine…

(coughs, breath)

Wow…(says far away)

….Just a looong time since I made an entry…and in the weirdest places, too!

(noises in the background, faint sound of people)

I'll make an entry….to remind myself..what happened during the few months of this…"transfer" thing… the UNSC marine…officer assigned to my group…told me..
Lora…..has access to delete this recording….so…..I'm safe..to say anything..

[Lora: If anything happens, I have to say I deleted something, Lia]

I…..am in charge,,,,of you..Lora. Can't you…just delete it and not say…anything?

(coughs, sucks in air)

[Lora: fine then, lieutenant. Understood, but just in case- I followed orders]

Fine by me… I suppose… Anyways….why not? I have a few more minutes before I hit the sack…..and for another drill test with…. the vehicles…

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A good 20 minutes later…

  
Glad to be on break….jeez, I've been at this with the rest of the marines for a good 6 hours….probably 8. Dunno, don't care. It's good excerise. Been up since 6 o' clock am! I earned this!

(sits on bed)

[VISUAL CAMERA STATUS----ONLINE]

Wow, I look like a mess!

(fixes hair)

  So, getting on to what I was saying…last time…I can say it started right when I accidentally talked back to my superior. Not that I'm mean, I've been working in Section One for a good year now…but I normally respect people and they respect me. I get things done, and they don't say a word. I decided to go against orders, and she wasn't happy. It was on a specific asset, that for the sake of the promise I made with ONI when I got the job and for fear of what they might do if this falls in wrong hands..

[Lora: better not be clumsy! With your state, and how you are, that's a possibility I don't want to see happen.]

I get it, I get it! I have you on my wrist, don't I? Whose gonna rip off my wrist to get to you?

[Lora: Murders. Black Market people. Homeless. Anybody who is money-thirsty, actually.]

Thanks….thanks… I feel hurt now.

[Lora: you're welcome. I was being blunt]

-sighs
Anyways….If it falls in the wrong hands, I'm screwed. So, getting back to the story, I also accidentally deleted off a file that the ONI spooks in Section 3 were asking for, and I had to go all "RECOVERY" on the computer system for that. I was HOPING no one would notice, but now I know there's a SNITCH in the office! Someone tipped me off to Dr Petosky, and she found out and got mad. I can say that this is what was the powder keg of the gun, because 4 days later I found my ass stuck and transferred to the FREELANCER project, as a selection.

Haha…I can laugh about it right now, but I can still imagine Dr. Petosky, when she smiled that "fake" plastic smile of hers and said that it was orders from HIGHCOM, and that ONI wasn't going to argue. Pu-leeze! I bet in fact they were happy about that project…. I think. She told me that they chose me due to my profile, and I can tell she was really happy to see me go as she gave me a pat in the back and told me I was her best worker and all that lovey stuff!

(she's a liar, everything that she says is a lie)

We both don't get along, and I have no idea why. I remember when I first walked into the room, signing more paperwork and stuff about my position, and Captain Sanchez pulled me over to tell me that the AI would be ready and I should see it soon. I remember also being led to a room where I met Dr. Yolanda Petosky, and she seemed so friendly then! What happened?

Anyways, we were constantly at each other's throats, and she was picky on how I took down certain notes and categorized things! (She likes things done in a certain way I hate) Captain Sanchez told me to wait her out, that she'll feel comfortable later having another assistant helping her, and I remember the look in her face when Sanchez had shown me my AI Lora, explaining something about Flash cloning and how it produced Lora. She was so mad….maybe because she wanted one?

(but how did sanchez get authorization…? Bet it was from ONI…asking for it..)

Anyways, this could also be because of her demeanor. She gets ticked off real easy. I can blame her because of all those reasons I mentioned, but now I know that lady was telling the truth. It wasn't her, but of my own self. My files. Here's why:

I took a test when I applied to ONI.

[Lora: really? I didn't know you take tests, what with your type, I can see you not really caring!]

I do things too, Lora…sometimes…Anyways that's not the point. It was a written portion and a mathematical part as well. Nothing really important, just about knowledge. Or to see how much I learned and how fast. I kept thinking this was the reason, but then, why hire me? Isn't being selected as a FREELANCER Spartan also about fighting?

I was right, of course, when Dr. Petosky said they looked into my military background and service records, and I just had to (le) gasp.

[Lora: seriously? Congrats on realizing it! Clap clap]

Thanks for that WONDERFUL comment, Lora. I thank you oh, so much!

[Lora:…]

Anyhow, I got my ass called off, and immediately found myself in a UNSC training desk, being told that they had selected me to be part of FREELANCER. I did my homework already, and I know that group was recently new, and is in charge by a man called "Leonard Church" I guess (if I didn't forget the name) also known as the "Director" of the project. Smart guy, kind of a normal background, the works. But something seemed off that I wasn't too sure of. I read about the project and their assigned usage of AI technology, implantations and whatnot. This made Lora uneasy..

[Lora: still does, oh, and just so you know, you have 1 hour left before the drill]

Thanks, Lora, for keeping time for me.

[Lora: welcome]

So, like I said, it made her uneasy, and she definitely showed signs of it, and I did too. Being a SPARTAN is no walk in the park, what with the perks it comes with: a possible fatigue of muscles, constant death window in every fight, mental and emotional problems…and messing with AI technology for plantations….Not something I want to be in. Not with the risks that can come with that. I can whole heartedly agree with Dr. Petosky on this one.

[Lora: you eavesdropped, didn't you?]

Look, I was walking off to take care of personal business meanwhile you were taking care of some files, It's not my fault the talks get heated.

[Lora: that's not the point. I know that too. I can say the projects ok, but I just don't trust it…although what they are doing will create progress… 35 minutes left, Lieutenant.]

Ok, ok, I'll get this to the point now. This whole thing read "NO" to me, and I didn't want to face any sort of risks that might be involved no matter how well the pay will be, so I followed my Gut feeling, and Lora and began to think of a way to get out of it. I kept thinking, How? The director agrees with the decision and its already set and ready. Then I thought, A letter!

So that's when Lora and I decided to hack into the main systems of the UNSC to send a "persuading letter" to the Director to let me go, that I'm not worth the trouble and training (and yes I learned a lot, just had to keep the charade of having small difficulties with the training to make it real, and I'm boasting to say I'm well learned in guns and fighting and such, hehe)

[Lora: -sighs…]

Wha? Can't I have a little fun, at least praise myself? Anyhow, we worked on this until 23 days later when we launched the plan, Lora making sure no one was looking or following us as we ventured into a communications room during break…..Oh, and just in case it's not clear, I managed to "get" Lora from the ONI, as she is MY AI now, created for the purpose of helping me take care of files for ONI. They found a replacement for the ONI AI worker, which Petosky was happy to undergo the procedure, and I hope she likes the migraine. I had to go with lots of paperwork before they can officially hand her over, and they did something to Lora afterwards.

[Lora: Blocked off certain information I have stored on ONI]

But it was for a good cause. They thought it can help me with the SPARTAN tthing…and because I had to pay a big deal for it. Actually, I dunno why Captain Jude decided to chip in. Surprised he found out. He's soo nice to me now…

[Lora: 10 minutes]

Anyways, Lora sent an email to the Director, and we managed to get some ONI people on our side, and to make the long story short, I found myself placed into a Pilot's class. All thanks to Lora.

[Lora: so? Or did you prefer the Spartan thing?]

Thank you Lora.

Not that I'm whining and all, I'm happier here. In the military, I use to look up and think, I wish I flew an aircraft like those, and whoopee, I have knowledge now. And the training and stuff, I feel like I'm the king!

[Lora: 4 minutes, get ready now.]

Ok then. Anyhow, I guess that's the end. Today's the last day before we get assigned to our jobs! I can't wait to see where I'll be placed! Although... I still work for ONI though…except not too directly, as now I am a pilot. Hooray!

[VISUAL CAMERA--OFFLINE]

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Hour later, nighttime:

"You're not going to like this, Lieutenant." Lora said with a worried voice that alarmed her creator.
    
   Lia looked at her wristband module, wondering why Lora seemed worried about. Al she could think was that today was a great day, and that she would be looking forward for the terminals to check her placement.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

"Well, I just got access to the network for placement, and you're not going to like this."

"Where did I get placed?"

   Lora paused for a minute before responding, to make sure she was right. "Somewhere, she began, "we've been making sure we didn't get placed in the first place. Guess."

   Lia stopped for a second. The one place she wouldn't want to be in was…in Freelancer…

"Aww…man……."Lia said, her hand covering her face in a small gesture of despair. "I can already picture it…!"

Lora analyzed Lia's voice and sighed in agreement.

"Yep. And as a pelican flyer, too. What irony."