Emergency Takeoff - Diana

Orion’s Belt, this all went sideways. How could I have known that so much would go wrong - I failed my crew. No, I don’t fail; I didn’t get into this position by being a failure. It’s this desolate land, frigid and cursed. Between these tunneling creatures and the strange sickness that a few of the crew are showing symptoms of... we have to leave at first light tomorrow. We are prepping for a rapid takeoff. We can’t take chances with the vibrations drawing the tunnelers, so we’re skipping the systems check. Risky, but I have faith in myself and the crew of the Mercury. Landing this thing was practically a miracle though...but we have to get out of here. Maybe the weapon is to keep people away, but if we leave...it’ll let us go. ...I have to leave the quarantined crew in the cave behind. We will be back for them, but we can’t risk an unknown infection spreading through the Mercury. We’re packing survival kits for them, but there’s only enough surplus for about two weeks. I’m telling them that we will come back, but I don’t think I can land here safely... twice. I hate this, but I have to leave them behind. I can’t risk the entirety of the Mercury.