The personal log entry of Jonas Ballard.

The search for the truth has many paths. It is imperative that one must find the right path within oneself or they shall forever wander in the maze of lies and subterfuge. . – Ming Tzu, Philosopher, and political writer on Osiris.

Forty-eight hours have passed since the downing of shuttle 1138, and Reavers took the lives of Dr Sanders and our security detail. There is that word again – Reavers. It is a gorram miracle that I am still alive. There has been no correspondence from nearby vessels thus far, and that is disconcerting. The bleak horizon is of no comfort to me. The blackened clouds hang low across the valley, like the misery that has befallen on us. Therefore, I shall continue to report any findings in the hope that one day these logs will be discovered. There is sufficient power in my PDA to record data for several weeks. The afternoon breeze carries the smell of rotting flesh and burnt hull plating to my nostrils. The stench is overpowering. The emergency c-rations from the wreckage lay scattered to the wind. I have recovered enough supplies to last a full month. I hope to scavenge the area for the remaining supplies. From my initial observations, there appears to be no natural sustenance in the immediate vicinity. The shuttle came down in the middle of a valley. The surrounding landscape is barren, and punctuated by sandy hillsides. I also believe that our shuttle came down a few days walk from our intended landing zone. The public location of the reported Reaver attack may still hold some vital supplies. I do not have sufficient information on Reavers. From reported cases, and firsthand experience, they appear to be like savage animals completely focused on live human prey. Our supply of c- rations did not appear to be a priority to them. Food supplies will be untouched and fresh to consume at the abandoned location. The prospect of moving further out into the open is as foreboding as it is frightening, but I may have to venture far from the confines of this crash site in order to survive. This is hardly suitable material for even the most casual reader, but it is the harsh reality of which I now find myself in - the nightmarish aftermath of my own investigation. An investigation that has left me abandoned to nature. Not unlike the bodies of those who fought to protect us. As I sit in the burnt out frame of the passenger section, I never imagined that anything of this magnitude could happen to me. It is the price that I have paid for my unwaivered curiosity, and bull headed search for the truth. A truth so potent, that our proud Alliance Government has unceremoniously swept it under the rug. The Anglo Sino alliance knows that we are no longer safe in the black, especially with such creatures on the loose. They will do everything in their power to quell this knowledge. When I first embarked on this journey, I wanted to witness first hand, the destructive nature of Reaver attacks. I hoped that it would have been a safe process, where I could receive some answers to this so-called piece of folklore. I now reckon that I have found these answers, all of which will be outlined in the following paragraphs. The information below is startling to say the least. Ten hours ago, I set out to find the bodies of the security detail and that of Doctor Sanders. The screams of savaged men and their futile gunfire still ring in my ears yet. Vivid memories of which still haunt my most recent dreams. At first, I was apprehensive to perform such a task, but realised that these men deserved a proper burial for their selfless actions. The first body that I discovered belonged to a young security officer named Brookes. His body lay face down in the bloodied dirt. The standard issue Alliance body armour had been ripped open at the spine by powerful hands. Clotted blood caked the exposed pieces of armour and flesh. Reluctantly, I dipped a hand into the gasping wound. The spinal cord had been partially removed, and the surrounding muscle and tissue devoured. Quickly, I retracted my hand, and moved to the front of the corpse. My inspection of this body has proven that Reavers are indeed powerful creatures. A consistent factor in all Reaver cases over the years is the manner in which they deal with their victims. The young man lay frozen in a state of helpless agony. His eyes remained wide open, staring up into the atmosphere, calling for support, and perhaps wishing to see his home world once again. I surmised that his attacker must have taken him unaware; an understandable notion given the chaos of our descent. Carefully, I removed the pulse gun from his rigor mortised fingers. The officer had a solid grip on his gun until his last dying moments. The weapon felt lightweight in my hands. I removed the magazine to check the ammo cell. A solitary round remained. I checked the ground at my feet and close to the body. I forget why I did such a thing at that moment in time, although my attention was soon drawn to a glistening piece of metal in the dirt. I stood up, and paced over to the mystery object. Upon closer inspection, it looked strikingly similar to a PDA with Cortex access. My heart raced with uncontrollable excitement. I could finally send out a wave and contact the nearest space ship! I scooped up the PDA and accessed the main menu. The screen was badly scratched and covered in blood. A Blue Sun logo flickered onto the screen, and a message appeared before me. It appeared to be a looped message. My eyes lit up at the words displayed before me. It read: PRIORITY MESSAGE: LOCATION ACQUIRED. AWAITING PICK UP. Suddenly, the PDA crackled in my hand and the battery died. I could not believe what I had seen. A distress signal had been sent out on a priority bandwidth. It would only be a matter of time before I would be saved. I returned to the spot where I encountered my first Reaver. It took several hours to build up the courage to investigate its gruesome remains, although I knew that I needed all the available time to collect data before my rescue. I wanted to investigate the bloodied remains of this seven-foot monstrosity. It was a gruesome and important task that HAD to be completed if we are to understand more about these creatures. The findings are frightening and detailed. The landscape was littered with empty ammo cells, electronics and various body parts. Upon arriving at the spot, I looked down on the body of the thing that had wished to eviscerate me. Even in its deathly state, the Reaver still made my skin crawl. I had never seen such a being. The peaceful expression on its decomposing face made me feel unnerved. How could such creatures find peace in death? I had witnessed firsthand the destructive behaviour of Reavers, and their inhumane way. The ferocity of the attack on our shuttle is proof of this. The well-armed security team appeared to be nothing but rag dolls in the eyes of these beasts. I am still discovering severed body parts amongst the wreckage. The blood stained soil gleaned like polished marble in the sun. I had never seen the soil react in such a way. The colourisation looked unusual, like black tar. A foul stench emanated from its body, like charred rubber. Carefully, I set myself down alongside the head. The afternoon breeze lifted slavers of blood and dried skin off its face, like macabre pieces of confetti. I ripped off my sleeve and used it to cover my mouth. There was no telling what kind of diseases this thing could transmit even after death. From a safe distance, I examined the jaw line, which protruded from the left hand side of the face. The exposed gums felt unusual to the touch. I poked and prodded them with my middle finger, checking their density. My gaze shifted to the rest of its face. The creature appeared to have cut itself over and over with a sharp implement. Various scars and knife marks were etched into the skin. I believe this to be a ritualistic process. The purpose of such an inhuman act is unknown at this moment. The cutting of their own flesh may be linked to each kill that they make. Further investigation of the body led me to make some rather interesting observations. The creature seemed to have been subjected to high levels of radiation. Were they part of a radioactive accident, or is it part of their genetic makeup? I have yet to determine the truth of this issue. It is a common fact that Reavers travel in vessels without core containment. The exact purpose of this is undetermined. Do Reavers need this inhospitable environment in order to survive, or to heighten their own rage filled state? Are Reavers capable of maintaining their man made environments? Eyewitness reports are consistent with regards to their vessels. I have seen firsthand the performance and purpose of said vessels. I believe that our shuttle had been hit by a magnetic force, disabling out engines. A large portion of our rear engine pod sustained electrical fire damage. It is a classic detail from even the earliest of case files. The torso was covered in hard, thick body armour. I believe that this creature may have been a human. Despite the physical abnormalities of the face and hands, traces of standard Alliance uniform could be seen through the body armour. The phenomenon is somewhat laden with exaggerated reports and details when one looks at the topic as a whole. I am now absolutely certain that Reavers act on pure rage. They are indifferent to their victims, targeting anyone within range. The death of Doctor Sanders and security officer Brookes is proof of this. The figures on Reaver assault and abduction are varied. The age and sex of victims are dissimilar across the last decade. Several hours have passed since my discoveries on the crash site. I believe that I am not alone out here. Approximately ten minutes ago, I saw a shuttle descend at the foot of the valley. Through a military issued scope, they appear to be a rescue team consisting of two men dressed in formal attire. I am saved! I hope to draw their attention to my location. I believe that the actions of security officer Brookes have saved my life, and for that, I am eternally grateful.

JB.

Close file.