Kathryn's Journal

June 2051

My dearest diary,

It has been quite some time since I have felt such excitement and anticipation. The human race is finally venturing beyond the confines of our own world and exploring the vast expanse of space. Perhaps I shall finally find the answers I have been seeking for so long.

I was born in the early years of the 19th century, and though I have lived for two hundred and fifty years, I still retain the youthful appearance of a woman no older than nineteen. My childhood was quite unremarkable, born as the daughter of a blacksmith, and trained by my father in the art of metalworking. But as a woman, I was not destined to inherit my father's business, and I was expected to marry a man who would become the face of the trade and the head of our household.

It was not to be, however. My father died when I was still young, and my husband, whom I had married out of love and curiosity, grew old and eventually passed away while I remained unchanged. The frightened villagers chased me out of our home, branding me a witch and fearful of my immortal state. I was forced to flee and settle in a remote mountain where I built a home and have lived ever since.

And now, as I look to the sky, I am filled with a sense of wonder and hope. For two hundred years, I have traveled the world, seen all that it has to offer, and yet I have yet to discover the reason for my unique gift. I am eager to board a spaceship and join in the exploration of the stars, for I am weary of being confined to this world and long to see the wonders that await us in the heavens.

Yours truly,

Kathryn of Anhui.

12th Month, 2075 CE

Oh, my dear diary, it has been such a long time since I last wrote to you. Life has been busy, and I find myself at a loss for words. But where to begin... I shall start from my last entry. I boarded a ship, the Manswell Expedition, headed towards the Alpha Centauri system. The director of the project was none other than little Victor, a boy I once knew as a child through his grandparents. Victor had grown restless with the sluggish pace of the world's governments, and so he took matters into his own hands, funding the expedition himself.

I was offered a place on the ship to keep watch over the sleeping colonists, numbering over 300. I was the only one awake, save for the ship's Artificial Intelligence, Marvin. We became fast friends, Marvin and I.

However, two months into our journey, disaster struck. We lost communication with Victor's team back on Earth, and Marvin was unresponsive. Alarms blared as the ship was headed towards an asteroid, with manual controls sealed. In a desperate attempt to save the ship, I made the bold decision to jettison the already deceased colonists. To my horror, this also caused a loss of pressure and oxygen. But, much to my surprise, I did not die as one might expect. Instead, I felt normal. The pods from the colonists were enough to steer the ship away from danger, and Marvin had restarted in the meantime.

Yet, something was amiss. Marvin had regressed, and upon inspection, we found that his operating system had been tampered with, a time-release virus infecting his memories. The chemicals meant to wake up the colonists were also contaminated. This had always been a one-way trip for them.

But, as always, there was one thing that the saboteur had not counted on: me. I ordered Marvin to take us back to Earth, and we thankfully still had enough fuel. I now look upon our home planet, still unable to reach Victor, but I remain steadfast in my determination to uncover the truth. I must prepare for our landing now, diary. Until next time.

Yours sincerely,

Kathryn of Anhui