Day 34

Tell your loved ones where you are.

I’m strapped into a drop pod aboard Obelisk’s jumpship. The harness tightens around my chest, and the metal walls rattle as I move through the atmosphere of some planet.

Tell your loved ones about the war.

Command requests that these logs be preserved. They say it keeps our minds sharp before the fall and helps us remember what we’re fighting for. Other soldiers think the war won’t last long. I hope they’re right, and that you can go home.

I’m worried about reprinting, though. I don’t like the idea of switching bodies, no matter how perfect the transfer is guaranteed to be. But as nervous as I am about facing the North Carolina soldiers, there’s also some comfort in knowing that if you’re killed, you’ll be reprinted. It takes a lot of the fear out of the pre-battle tension. It’s also nice to know that you’ll come back in the same condition you were in when you left.

Share your favorite memories with your loved ones.

As I sit here waiting for my descent, I keep thinking about our last moments together on the tarmac. The way you smell when we hug. The way you kiss in a way that says you don’t want to let go.

Space is a cold place, but today my memories with you warm me.

Day 67

Tell your loved ones where you are.

I’m on an Obelisk jumpship, strapped to a drop pod. It’s the same type as before. This boat rocks a little more than the previous one.

Tell your loved ones about the war.

It’s been going on longer than anyone here expected. With so many planets and moons at war, wars drag on and on. What was supposed to be a quick operation turned into a slugfest.

I’ve been reprinted several times now, but it’s not as scary as I thought it would be. However, it is difficult to shake the last moments before “death”. They are with me. I still remember the feeling of the last plasma round. The heat, then the sudden silence as you slip into darkness. My last thoughts about you.

Even if you wake up in a printing factory, well and unharmed, it’s still a trauma. Sometimes, at night, whether I want to or not, I relive that moment in my head.

Share your favorite memories with your loved ones.

There are places where we often ate. I’ve forgotten the name now, but that steakhouse in your hometown was a really nice place to take you to all the time. It’s now ours. I loved the long hours we spent there talking over dinner while no one was around.

Day 103

Tell your loved ones where you are.

I’m in a jumpship, strapped to a drop pod. I think it’s the same type as before. It’s difficult to say more than that.

Tell your loved ones about the war.

I don’t know how many times I’ve fallen. I want to get out of here because I feel like this war will never end. I’m tired of killing. I’m tired of dying.

There is a problem with the transfer. I can’t quite pinpoint what it is. Our bodies always look perfect, but something is off in my heart. Details that shouldn’t be vague are starting to blur. Several of us expressed our concerns to the CO, but no resolution was reached.

Share your favorite memories with your loved ones.

I was thinking about my wedding day earlier. I don’t know what to say, but I’m having trouble remembering the details: the colors we chose and the music played by a DJ. I know it was beautiful. I remember it well.

We need to break out of this cycle. For the war to end. I want to meet you. So please help me fill in the gaps I feel.

Day 241

Tell your loved ones where you are.

I’m in a jumpship, strapped to a pod.

Tell your loved ones about the war.

One of my closest friends was reprinted yesterday, and he acted like he didn’t know me. I told him about the time I got drunk after a drop at Revulian II. He just stared at me with blank eyes, as if it was someone else.

I feel like a lot of my heart hasn’t transferred. More and more of the stupid things you should know are falling out. I’m at a loss for words sometimes. Even the name. We are asked not to take this matter further with the CO. I mean, they know it’s a problem.

I’m afraid.

Share your favorite memories with your loved ones.

I tried to remember your face today. The way you look at me, your eyes, your hair, your smile. I feel you leaving me, and I don’t want to lose you.

I’d rather die.