JUNE3/5:01PM

Elsie, er, I mean, Dr. Bray just arrived with some bad news: the Clovis AI is sending the Vex off-world. She's got a plan to stop it but won't pull the trigger until we're all safe. I admire her.

We had some bad news of our own to give in return. We tried to evacuate everyone in the Bunker E15, but it was too late. Vex had killed everyone in there. It was… horrific. RIP, friends…

Dr. Bray says she's forming a plan to reach the evac ships, but she's been sitting in silence for the last five minutes. I think she's feeling guilty. For not getting back to the bunker in time. Or maybe she's thinking about how this whole Vex takeover is partly her fault in the first place. Facilitating the forages to Volantis. Killing countless Vex.

If only she knew the truth. What Clovis did to her. I've been dying to tell her. But I haven't. Because, well, I didn't want to end up like her. But I can barely stand it. We were friends. Good friends. Now she only knows me as Reba-3.

Oh, here she goes.

"Listen up, everyone. The Vex have to be in the tunnels by now. So we're going by foot in the snow to get to the ship. Our destination is 55°52 N, 44°11 W, in case you get lost. I want every Exo to turn their Infrasensors on and ensure their weapons are loaded and ready. We will get all of you off-world. I promise."

Dr. Bray has always been eagerly empathetic, but she's never been in a place to act it. Until now.

She takes the lead position, with that new Exo at her side. Here we go.

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It's dark. And windy. The Infrasensors help us see Vex every few meters through this snowstorm. We get the drop each time, but for how long?

*GUNFIRE*

Spoke too soon. I've got two on my left.

*GUNFIRE*

Got 'em.

*GUNFIRE*

Got me.

"Reba's down!"

*GUNFIRE*

Thanks for the cover, new Exo. But you're about 10 seconds too late. And I can't move anymore.

Dr. Bray kneels next to me. "Reba… I'm sorry."

"It's what we signed up for, isn't it?" I say. Not really, though. We signed up to live forever. I'm just trying to be supportive of others as I lay dying. This damn empathy protocol. It's what made Elsie and I such good friends.

"I'll recover your Memory Bank from the Archives. I promise," she says. I doubt it. But if she does manage to get back into the lab…

"Elsie. Bank E1-815. It's in his office."

That's the best I can do for her. Because it…s a…ll….fadi…….ng……to……em…ptine….ss…no……w…………………………………………………………………