Down Memory Lane - Voltron

Chapter 4 - Pidge

/* I'm surprised you got this far in my trash writing - kudos to you!  TW: Bullying, blood, death  */

Pidge's POV

Pidge reckons it's her turn, since she is the only one able to venture to the middle of the cavern. She turns to see her friends trapped behind the clear partition, just like the one that kept her from Hunk. Whatever is about to happen, she is prepared. It's all fake.

She sits down and closes her eyes. If she doesn't move or look, then this place can't mess with her emotions, right? The lights flicker behind her lids. A flat something is pressing against her chest when she leans forward slightly, and there is a buzz in the air.

"Alright, class, calm down. Today we will be discussing databases and Big Data. Are there any questions before we start?" a female voice says. Sounds like one of Pidge's old teachers from the Garrison.

"Yes, Katie?" the voice asks. The buzzing voices quiet, and Pidge feels the weight of many pairs of eyes landing on her. Why is the teacher calling her out? Oh, she has her hand raised. When did she do that? She opens her eyes to stare at the teacher, who is waiting patiently for her to speak. What is she supposed to say...?

"Did you know that scientists are currently working on ways to save data like our bodies save information in genes? It's really interesting, if you look into it," Katie says, her voice tainted with self-pride.

"What a nerd!" a boy calls from her right. She whips her head towards him as the rest of the class breaks out in giggles and snickers. The boy, a brunet, sneers at her and flicks her off. She feels the telltale burn of tears in her eyes as she turns her attention back to her desk. This is supposed to be fake, right? Why again? Katie can't remember, but her gut tells her this is wrong. Her senses tell her this is real.

Why are they making fun of her? The teacher ignores the situation and continues teaching the class.

She closes her eyes determined not to let the tears fall. When she opens them, she is back home on the couch with her mom and Bae-Bae. The TV is tuned to the news, where the cast is delivering breaking news.

"We just learned that the Kerberos mission, manned by Takashi Shirogane, Samuel Holt, and Matthew Holt, is lost. Here's a statement from General Sanda, the leader of the Garrison," the lady with bright red lips says in false sadness. Katie's heart stops as she realizes what this is.

"Hello everyone. This is a sad day indeed. Takashi Shirogane, Samuel Holt, and Matthew Holt will be greatly missed. A piloting error occurred which caused the ship to crash onto the surface of Kerberos. We have not heard from any of the astronauts, and they have been declared deceased. We are currently working on what went wrong to fix it for the next mission," General Sanda declares in an even voice. She has never cared about Katie or her family, that much is obvious.

Tears run down her face, and she grasps her mom and dog close, as if they can make reality change. Her mother is sobbing too, clutching desperately at her last piece of family. Shiro, Matt, and Dad are excellent pilots, did they really crash due to pilot error? Or is it just a cover story? Even as she cries, Katie feels a determination rise in her to find out the truth.

When she looks up, she is sitting behind a computer situated at a large desk in a small office. Iverson's office, she realizes. How did she get here? Doesn't matter, she knows what she needs to do. Katie pulls up the command line and begins typing speedily. She catches sight of some classified footage, and she clicks on the one denoted Kerberos Mission. An image of three men in astronaut suits successfully landed on the small moon of Pluto pops up. The Garrison was lying. They didn't crash; they made it safely to their destination; what really happened?