Like being ripped from the womb into a cold harsh reality is the way the LARC decides to wake me on this particular day. The first thought that forms at the sound of an emergency alert is paperwork, all of the reports that will need to be filed. Why do we still refer to it as paperwork when paper is such an uncommon substance these days? When was the last time I put pen to paper? My thoughts go quiet as a migraine begins to form. Seizure inducing lights, deafening sirens, and the constant chatter of systems analysis informs me that there must be something wrong. Overkill would be the term I'd use to describe the way our first alert systems were designed. Reaching for my glasses on the platform beside my bunk I can barely focus my vision with the flashing amber lights causing my eyes to continuously change dilation.

After donning my glasses I notice the HUD informing me of a habitat breach in Sector 4 and illuminating a bright red path across the floor of the main corridor leading me to where the elevators are located. I slide my boots on, wrap up in a robe , and grab the pot of coffee out of the warmer on my way down the hall. I see Ashley frantically throwing a robe on while she stumbles into the hall rushing towards me as I try sipping the scalding hot coffee.

“What's going on?! What's Mother saying about a habitat breach?!” Ashley shouts over the cacophony of noise.

Mother is what our engineering team jokingly started calling the colony's computer system and it happened to catch on.

“Can't quite make out what she's saying but my HUD is leading me to Sector 4,” I shouted.

I don't know what I would do without the heads up display constantly feeding info across the lenses of my glasses. I get a read out of the LARC's vital systems, relevant information based on what I am looking at, or I can watch movies while doing mundane jobs. One of the best inventions of the 21st century that I feel goes grossly unappreciated by the masses. As of now the LARC informs me that the Hive's current atmospheric levels are 101 kPa / 76% N2 / 22% O2 / 2% H2O and a comfortable temperature of 22.2 ºC . As we enter the elevator I barely avoid kicking Unit 1812, the utility droid that zips around the Hive performing various tasks.

The ride up is a welcomed reprieve from the alarms as I draw attention towards Ashley's nipple slipping from her robe.

“You know other people need to drink from that pot as well right? Some of us like coffee too. There's dishes supplied for one hundred people, there are only 21 of us here and yet you still can't seem to find a cup,” Ashley playfully jabs at me.

“What can I say, I need to remain focused on a level that 12 ounces of black gold just can't supply,” I jest while taking another sip. “I wouldn't worry too much about the alarms Ash. Don't you remember the last time a hab breach warning woke us up, it was because the pressure sensor in Sector 2 malfunctioned. You just wait and see, Mother got us out of bed for nothing,” I reassured Ashley with a smile.

I can never understand how she wanders about with just the lower half of her moon suit on. We wear a magnetic operations suit at all times that not only makes us look cool but helps us interface with other devices and more importantly can be programmed to create a sense of false gravity by adjusting the magnetic pull to different parts of our body.

“I can't stand to go topless for the few moments it takes to put my suit on without feeling like the upper half of my body is stuck in a rogue floating blob of water. It has to be the most disorienting feeling aside from walking on the surface of the ORB.” (That's the Orbital Relay Station that hangs out in orbit around the Moon.)

“You'd be surprised what you can get used to. Besides, I find it freeing to let the ladies float. It gives me a sense of perkiness that's unmatched by any other force in nature.” she says with a wink.

As the doors parted, no amount of caffeine could have prepared me for the sight that laid in wait before me. “Fuck my life...”

I feel as though I should elaborate on a few details for those of you who may be just skipping ahead to the good parts what with all that's been going on lately. Not that reading through years of endless updates on plant growth, cosmic radiation levels, Mark's snoring, and my endless boredom haven't been exciting but given recent events people may actually decide to take notice of our records.

This is the log of New Horizons Technician William R. Winston at the Malapert site of the Lunar Agricultural Research Colony. I have been keeping a record of all things going on here since the day we arrived through live recordings, journal entries, and recounting various events that occur. Also, I have made it a hobby of mine to splice various audio/video recordings from the LARC security monitors into my video logs to create a more entertaining recount of what goes on here each day. My vlog has gotten a fair amount of subscribers lately with all that's been happening.

We are part of the New Horizons group that formed after the now defunct New Frontiers project ended along with the closure of all national space programs. That of course lead to former NASA members being snatched up by every corporation with even a minor interest in a space program. I happened to get lucky being hired on as a maintenance technician for one of the older lunar colonies as everyone who was the best of the best is always redirected into the Aldrin Initiative. They are at the forefront of space exploration and as of now are currently preparing to setup a colony on Mars. Nobody really wants to watch plants grow on the moon or be a glorified space janitor, as my brother calls it. I feel he's just a jealous prick if you ask me, but I feel I may be diverting from the topic.

New Horizons was a subsidiary of the Poppacola corporation which started their space program when they decided to be the first advertiser on the moon by putting a satellite into orbit that during a new moon would project their logo onto the surface for all of America to see. That was only the beginning of what became one of the largest space programs of all time. They and other groups funded the research for planetary colonization so that we may understand how to populate the rest of our solar system and hopefully find new ways to exploit the abundant resources the universe has to offer. Also, it was a great excuse to have their scientists explore new and unconventional ways to further their food and beverage offerings by genetically engineering new plants for human consumption.

I can't really complain about the privatization of space exploration for profit I suppose, since it's the sole reason I'm living on the Moon instead of fixing computers for geriatrics back home. I assume the real goal is to name the first Earth-like planet after whichever company colonizes it first.

Let me tell you a little about the hub of humanity we spend day in and day out trying to keep from going to hell as the harsh lunar environment tries to scrape off our unwelcome existence. Keeping up with repairs can be a daunting task with what little supplies that arrive from the automated delivery system. Does anyone at the company even pay attention to what goes on here? If it weren't for my family keeping me updated on their lives I wouldn't even know if Earth was still inhabited by anything other than droids. We are left to our own devices.

The LARC is a massive structure stretching over 100 meters below the lunar surface with various facilities, labs, and 8 recreated terrestrial habitats domed in on the surface for maintaining plant and animal life. There are numerous solar arrays perched throughout the area in strategic points of which receive near constant solar exposure along with a small nuclear reactor supplying power to the LARC. Beneath each layer of the LARC we have built a number of different large super conducting magnetic field generators, some of which that have been modulated in the RF range enabling them to provide wireless power via rectennas built into the equipment used throughout the colony. Other generators provide an electromagnetic field that helps to protect the base from high z radiation and to create an artificial sense of gravity to most objects and staff who wear magnetically sensitive suits.

Water is processed from the ice that has built up in the craters receiving little or no sunlight and oxygen is slowly extracted from the lunar surface for emergency use as we have yet to properly create a means to use solely lunar soil for this purpose. Initially, the plan was to convert lunar soil as a means to sustain inhabitants of lunar colonies but it takes far too much lunar soil just to sustain one person for a single day. Not exactly an efficient means of sustaining life on the moon. If someone had bothered to develop it further it would have been a viable solution.

Now, before I get too far off into a technobabble tangent, lets get back to the event that changed life here as I know it. What laid before me was pure horror unlike anything I have yet to see in life.

“The amount of paperwork involved will be substantial.”

Automated droids frantically moved about the center of the Sector 4 eco-dome almost as if confused by the situation they were never programmed to handle. A large smoldering hole laid mere meters from the entrance to the dome. The emergency capsule was closed around the dome protecting it from the vacuum of space that seemed to claw at the structure above.

“Caesar!” Ashley cried out, “Are the animals okay?!”

The crew has little shame in just how unabashedly nerdy they really were. Caesar, one of the chimps living in section 4 when it breached, was Ashley's favorite among her furry friends.

“Let me in there, I have to make sure the animals are okay!” Ashley frantically pounds at the terminal before us trying to gain access to the dome.

“Don't worry Ash, he's fine. Mother reports 26 lifeforms in sector 4, that's the 24 animals inside and the 2 of us out here. You know the dome won't open until the engineers deem it safe for us to enter.” I reassure her while trying to make sense of all the reports now flooding in from Mother.

“Your heart rates appear to be elevated beyond normal levels, do you need assistance? Should I notify medical of any physical or mental trauma you may be enduring?” The sound of Autonomous Networked Droid #1 behind us yields a short scream from Ashley.

“No, Andi we don't need medical assistance, we just need to know what the hell is..”

“I have been notified of physical or mental trauma that you might have sustained. Please, tell me which type of trauma you have sustained, then specify your affliction.” Our Medical Assistance Droid immediately interrupts me.

“Damnit Madi, we really don't have time for you right now!” I bark in annoyance before again being cut off.

“I do not recognize the type of ailment you have described. Please, choose on the display which part of you is afflicted.” The image of an illustrated person appeared on Madi's chest.

“Just kill me. Ash, can you get a grip and find out why nobody else has shown up yet?” Ashley nods and heads back into the elevator.

“That is not part of my programmed treatments. Based on your responses you may be experiencing mental trauma, anxiety, or depression with thoughts of suicide. I will notify a doctor of your ailment for further diagnosis.”

I sighed as Madi turned and headed back down the hall from which it came.

“This is going to be one hell of a day...”