Under a Rebel Star

I came across an abandoned starship, floating endlessly through the starry void.

-{{ - kzzzzkt - reject their lies - kzzkttt - follow us to freedom - kzzzzzzzzt - }}-

The ship was broadcasting the same message over and over, an endless loop. Its message had decayed over time, but there were still salvageable coordinates amid the noise.

There was nothing at the source of the signal but the distress beacon of a crashed starship. There was no sign of life.

The pilot appeared to have been the victim of a sudden, overwhelming assault. Among the countless warnings and errors triggered by the flames that consumed the ship, cutting through the muffled shouts of the pilot, words rang out in a clear and powerful tone:

-{{ - kzzzzkt - resist the red - kzkt - we shall cut out its crimson eye! - kzzzzzzzzzzzzktttz - Death to the scarlet - kzzzzkt - tyrant! }}-

A navigation beacon from the wreck led to a rendezvous point in deep space. I was first confronted by hostile ships - then contacted over my starship communicator.

-{{ You wish to - kzkt - follow us, to seize your freedom, to reject the grand lies of the - kzktktkt - Atlas? We shall see if you are worthy of - kzzzzkt - the Voice of Freedom! }}-

I was led to an observatory by the mysterious voice.

-{{ Glorious survivor! Welcome! The path to liberty is - kkztzkt - shall be our own masters - kzzzktzz - rid of the crimson illusion! A sky for the strong! }}-

Its broadcast finished, the terminal began printing a secure pass. An invitation, it seemed, to meet this 'voice of freedom'...

I followed the call, and uncovered an outlaw station, a group of Atlas-rebels living outside of the machine's all-seeing eye.

-{{ Welcome glorious survivor! Here, there are no Gek, no Korvax, no Vy'keen. Here, we speak one tongue. Here, we are free! }}-

-{{ There are those who would deny us our freedom, new-face, those who would sacrifice everything to appease the Sentinels. But the Voice keeps us free! }}-

As I attempted to undock my ship from the station, I was confronted by a message:

-{{ STATION FLIGHTPATH MONITORING ALERT: Exit clearance... pending. – kzkzzt – the Voice of Freedom will not permit the Atlas-Silence. New-face carries our voice – kzkzzt – You must hide your trail. Take this document. Disrupt the traffic records at a station core. Your voice will be free in the darkness. }}-

The rebels had bonded me to their conspiracy, and demanded I keep their existence a secret. I had to disrupt the records of my visit if they were to remain hidden...

Returning to a station core within regulated space, I carefully decided what to do.

It seemed, however, that my actions had not gone entirely unnoticed.