Review - Signal to Noise RPG
By Alex White
- 25 minutes read - 5290 wordsLast Sunday I played Signal to Noise by Craig Duffy of Lunar Shadow Designs with Camilla Zamboni. We played the game online, alternating our letters in a shared google doc.
The Basics
This is an epistolary game for two players. One person is the Explorer, heading out to Tau Ceti on a generation space ship. The other person plays the person who remains on earth. Up front you decide who these people are, and what kind of relationship they have with one another, and you decide which one goes, and which one wishes they had gone but stays.
A deck of cards is divided into four stacks, one for each of it's suits. You start with four cards, one from each suit. Each time you play a card, the suit advances one of the story threads for either Earth or the Fleet. The value of the card gives both a personal detail to include in a communication and tells you what mangling of the letters you should start using from this time forth.
Playing the Game
Although the main summary of playing the game is given on p8, there are prequel letters that you are told to write on p15 (the Explorer) and p22 (the Earther) so don't miss those out! They are letters written in the clear which help set out information about the character and who they are and how they feel.
When you get into the game proper, you alternate writing between the Explorer and the Earther. You draw a card, look at the suit and see what story thread is advancing, and look at the value to see what personal thread there is. The red suits are threatening stories, the black suits are hopeful stories.
You write your communication based on responding to the previous communication(s), talking about the story events and the personal events which have come up. Then when necessary you use search and replace to provide any transmission garbling of the message. As the game progresses you will be doing search and replace more times, and the messages become progressively garbled.
When you have played a card, you draw two additional cards from the deck of that suit. This mechanic means that the stories which your start on are more likely to cascade forward to their ultimate end, for good or ill.
The game ends either when someone has their fifth card in a single suit, or when messages have become so garbled during transmission that they are no longer legible. At this point a single, final message is sent and the game ends.
We compressed the game into five minute writing turns, so that we could do the whole game in one evening. It is probably easier to play over a more extended period (although I've had examples in the past when extended epistolary games have dropped off people's radar and fade away when played over many days).
Why I like this game
The prompts for the story threads are great, and the fact that several threads may advance but there is very likely to be a skew once you get started gives a sense of dramatic progression in the game, and not just random story events popping up unrealated to one another.
I've written a number of games which use card suits, but not in this way where the suits accumulate towards a final total. It provides both a visual and narrative drive to the game. I also like that the value of cards comes into play too. The card value is used both to give a personal narrative nudge and to indicate what letter transformations should be applied. About half of the cards will cause a transformation the first time they are played, and half will cause a transformation the second time they come up. In the game we played I was quite lucky - although from the first transmission onwards I sounded like Elmer Fudd, it wasn't until the fifth transmission that I had an additional transformation.
There is a page which reminds you of the increasing transmission lag as the game progresses, and although there isn't any mechanical impact in the game we found it really helpful to consider the time-jumps in the later sessions of the game.
Another thing to like about this game, along with other epistolary games, is that you create an artefact as part of the play. Something you can look back at and think about. I enjoyed the characters which we created in the game, and frankly we put them through hell as you'll see in the write-up.
Where can you find the game
The game can be purchased on Etsy, DriveThruRpg, itch and at Indie Press Revolution. There are links to most of these places from the Lunar Shadows home page here https://lunarshadow.net
Would you like to see a story?
Characters:
- The Explorer (Alex) - Brad Armstrong, USA -- Young male in their 20s / brother / chosen for the Interstellar Generation Fleet / sociologist
- The Earther (Camilla) - Bella / Beau Armstrong, USA -- Young female in the 20s / sister / not chosen for the Interstellar Generation Fleet / mechanical engineer on Earth, around 2090
We are walking around the seafront near Cape Cod, near our family house. We are descendents of Neil Armstrong, first man on the Moon - and want to continue the family tradition. We have a sense of purpose and a drive to explore. Brad has found a girlfriend at a museum - Allison. She makes him laugh and he enjoys being with her. Bella talks about going to Sweden and exploring Scandinavia. She tells Brad that her application was rejected.
Brad Armstrong - first letter from the fleet
I’m on the ship called the Shakespear, which I’m super proud about. I know it could have been any artist or teacher or explorer, but the fact that we are on a poet ship seems, well, poetic!
I’m a social scientist on the trip, which is bang in line with my training. It’s good, because some people have been assigned to other stuff which is apparently necessary but not what they trained for. They recognise the importance of understanding how we tick out here though.
Thinking about how we tick, Alison wouldn’t speak to me before I left. I thought that she was going to be coming along too, but apparently she had misread her letter or something. Anyway, she was furious with me and wanted me to give up my position, but I couldn’t do that. This is the greatest adventure that mankind has ever had. I couldn’t give that up.
I’ve got a couple of trinkets I brought with me. I’ve got a locket with mum and dad on one side and you on the other Beau. Means a lot to me! Plus that little model spaceship I made as a kid. I know it’s silly, but it’s not every day your dreams come true.
I miss you already. I’m glad we can keep in touch this way.
Love you! Brad
Bella (Beau) Armstrong - first letter from Earth
Hello Brad, all is good under the light of Sol. Thank you for your message, it made me happy.
I am very sorry to hear that things did not work out with Allison, I was hoping that she would come with you. I guess we all have to deal with our own pain, and the consequences of what happened to us, whether we chose it or not.
I do think that the wonder of the new journey will make you happy and keep you busy. I know you’ll make friends with your colleagues, and perhaps find love again. I wish that for you, brother.
On my end, things are a bit difficult, I am not gonna lie. The disappointment of being still with my boots on the ground, in Earth’s gravity, stings a little. I wanted …. I guess I wanted to try to see something new, and make contact with whatever is waiting on Tau Ceti. You… are lucky, brother. And I am happy for you. I am getting ready to depart for Sweden, and I will let you know what I find there.
One final thing: thank you for bringing me, mom, and dad on this trip with you. Even through a small locket, I can hope to experience some of what you will see, through your words. Thank you for keeping me informed - it means so much to me. Yours, Beau
Brad Armstrong - second letter from the fleet
I’m late wwiting, but it has been SO busy wecently. Evew since we picked up a weak signal fwom an empty wegion of space it has been all hands to twying to wowk out what it might mean. Exciting stuff, and I’ve been doing some wetwaining as a semantic pwogwammew, twying to help ouw LLM undewstand what is going out thewe.
This is my fiwst day off that I’ve had in weeks (ow it seems like weeks). I spent my time in the agwi-dome, walking amidst the twees and listening to the wecowded biwdsong. I’d pwefew to have been walking by cape cod like we did those months ago, listening to the waves, but this ewsatz natuwe is good enough wight now.
I’m sowwy that it’s difficult fow you. I’m welying on youw to keep mum and dad’s spiwits up.
Thewe is a cutie that I’ve seen walking in this awea too. I might twy to get to know hew. You nevew know!
Gosh, times up, and back to the gwindstone. Keep well Beau!
Bella (Beau) Armstrong - second letter from Earth
Dear Brad, how are you?
It is so nice to hear from you. Your latest message was a bit disturbed, but I could understand what you wrote. I am so happy to hear that you can find some relief in nature, even though it might not compare to the woods and seashore that we so love here on Earth. I miss our walks and I miss talking to you and walking with you.
I am sorry that you’re so busy and it sounds like everybody is on edge. I hope the new signals you picked up are just more invitations to join these new … people? Out there. Always remember how excited we were when we first heard of this mission!
And let me know the name of this cute girl you saw. :)
On my end, things are much the same. The sky is big, full of light, the air is warm - even in Sweden. I hope your skies are even bigger. Darker. Newer and bolder.
I am keeping in touch with mom and dad while I am away. As you know, the usual caregiver, Linda, is helping them out, so I am sure they are in good hands.
While here in Europe, I actually got called into a meeting at the United Nations, as part of the team that worked on the construction of the Generation Fleet. Apparently there is widespread concern about the costs and risks of this journey. Many heads of state are talking about the future of humanity and its place in the larger universe, and some of it reeks of xenophobia, Brad. Some talk about the fact that getting in touch with a more advanced alien species could break humanity in two. It all sounds crazy to me, and this is the first I hear about it. We really don’t get much information in the USA, do we?
The larger world is… a bit scary, but interesting. I will keep you posted, and will do all I can to let them all know the wonderful people involved with this mission. Stay well, Beau.
Brad Armstrong - third letter from the fleet
Deaw Beau,
Well, I’ve spoken mowe with that cute giwl. Hew name is Eliza, and she is one of the engineews who wowk hawd to keep evewything wowking. She nowmally wowks out of the Awchimedes, but ciwculates amongst all the fleet ships in owdew to keep the biodomes wowking well. We’ve held hands and had a coffee and a kiss, but nothing mowe yet. You know me, I’m a slow movew!
I don’t like to wowwy you, but the safety that ouw beloved planet pwovides fow its inhabitants shouldn’t be undewestimated. We had a weally neaw miss just wecently. One of the umbwella ships that pwotects us at the head of the fleet was sewiously damaged. We don’t know what it was, the scannews should have picked up any thweats, but suddenly it was missing half of it’s shield! The science diwectowate thinks that it might be dawk mattew involved. That’s all that we need!
Send my love to mum and dad. Don’t tell them about the umbwella failuwe will you? I’m suwe it is just an isolated incident.
That UN stuff sounds a bit wowwying. Is it just the news media blowing things out of pwopowtion again? We wely on you guys holding it togethew back thewe you know!
Bella (Beau) Armstrong - third letter from Earth
Draw Bwad,
Thank you fow youw message! It made me happy to heaw fwom you, especially because the situation hewe on Eawth is degenewating wapidly. Appawently in just the space of a month the discussions at the UN I told you about have twansfowmed into political factions which gained incwedible suppowt in such little time.
I am wwiting to you on my day off. I am still in Euwope, because I have been called again and again in talks about the developing situation with the two factions that awe developing; they awe called Social Isolationists and Galactic Expansionists, and they both awe bad news. The stench of xenophobia has quickly tuwned into pwoto-Fascism, and I am honestly wowwied about what will happen if these factionsget to power in the next election cycles - perhaps it was not a good idea, aftew all, to cweate an Eawth Council that can ovewsee mattews with the Genewation Fleet. I will keep you posted if majow decisions awe taken.
Perhaps we shouldn’t have focused all ouw enewgies to study math and science. Perhaps, like youw ship’s namesake, we should have engaged in awt and litewatuwe, and ethics, and cultivated empathy… only time will tell.
I am so happy to heaw about Eliza! I hope things keep moving along, and you find some happiness. Engineews awe fantastic people, as you know fwom youw sistew ha ha!
I am not happy to heaw about the news miss. I weally hope it is not dawk matthew, that would be sewious. I won’t tell mom and dad, but please send anotehw message soon - I want to make suwe that you awe well!
With love, miss you bwothew! B
Brad Armstrong - fourth letter from the fleet
Deaw Beau
That’s tewwible news about the political situation. That kind of populist factionalisation is the vewy thing that I’m supposed to be keeping an eye out fow and stopping up hewe. I wish I could be back thewe helping out, but thewe is a gweat gulf between us now.
Which weminds me – something I must get off my chest. It was me that wipped up youw teddy beaw when you wewe little, not the dog. I’d got mad about something, and I shouldn’t have done. But I wanted you to know the twuth. Always the twuth between us Beau.
Eliza is gweat, she weminds me of you in many ways (not cweepy! Sowwy!) She can cewtainly beat me in a wwestling match, as she has pwoved a numbew of times now (nudge, wink!)
Do you wemembew that I’d been putting my sociology skills to good use in the LLM twaining? Well, it appeaws to be beawing fwuit! The AI models have been spitting out not just mathematics but also fowmulae and plans fow something and the fabwicatows have been building something fwom them. Compact and powewful. I think the diwectowate awe saying that this could be (could be) a kind of wowking FTL dwive. I kid you not.
All my love Beau. Keep safe, and knock some sense into heads down thewe.
Bella (Beau) Armstrong - fourth letter from Earth
My deawest Bwad,
I miss you! Weceiving youw message was such a welief and delight, after the latest events hewe in Eawth! Things keep getting stwangew and mowe unsettling hewe.
The Solaw Isolationist faction is now claiming to have discovewed evidence about a hidden warning concealed within the Signal, and they awe now attempting to convince the Eawth Councila nd the UN to send a wecall order to the Genewation Fleet. Wecall! What awe they even thinking… the Genewation Fleet was nevew meant to come back, but just to look ahead an move into the futuwe and into new unexplowed spaces. This all feels so backwawds and unsettling.
Isolationists awe also stawting to contwol infowmation and communications, especially between Eawth and the Fleet. I am sending you this message now so that I can be suwe that it won’t be changed, and I hope it comes to you cleaw and weadable. I am afwaid that some censowship might be implemented soon, aftew the upcoming Eawth Council elections. The Isolationists hold a weally gweat sway on the population now…
At least I could come back home, in Massachussetts. Mom and dad awe fine and they send theiw best wishes. They miss you, and I miss you, too. In fact, I truly wish you wewe hewe, we would need youw ewudition and social backgwound to countew these messages of hatwed and ignowance. I didn’t think we would have to deal with this… in 2090.
I thank you fow telling me about Mw. Paw the Teddy beaw. I fowgive you, fow what is wowth. I also want to tell you that I had a dweam about you. It was a beautiful dweam about you and youw ship finding a bettew place to live, finding a sunny, lovely spot with seas and natuwe on the way to Tau Ceti, and settling thewe. Maybe with this new exciting technology and the new FTL drive you will be able to cweate that and get to such a place. I hope that fow you.
Enjoy evewy minute with Eliza, she sounds like a keepew. I am happy fow you Bwad. On this end, I will keep fighting fow reason and logic to ovewcome this insane developments.
Mowe soon, A big hug, Beau.
Brad Armstrong - fifth letter from the fleet
My deaw Beau,
Hugs wight back to you. I think time is passing mowe quickly fow you than it is fow me, because of time dilation. I think you’we going to be the oldew sibling now!
I’ve been wepwimanded officially at wowk. A black mawk on my wecowd. I could appeal, but fwankly I don’t think that Eliza desewves it eithew, and I’m taking the blame because I took the lead. We’we officially a couple, and we’we going to have a kid! We wewe not on the pwocweation wostew, but we got cawwied away in the celebwations.. but I’m getting ahead of myself.
The FTL dwive wowks! Well, the fiwst few tuwned themselves inside out, and we’ve not wisked it with people yet, but we’ve got an expewimental vewsion wowking in an unmanned shuttle which can do about a light yeaw pew day!
So hang those idiots back home! If things keep going the way they awe at the moment, we might be able to come back and pick you up ouwselves! I don’t think the fleet is going to listen to any wecall owdews now. No siw.
Love you Beau.
By the way, we’ve decided what to call ouw little giwl. Eliza wants to call hew Belle – like my little/big sistew!
Bella (Beau) Armstrong - fifth letter from Earth
Deaw Kwad,
It’s so good to heaw fwom you! It’s keen so long, and so much has happened in-ketween, like it always happens hewe on Eawth. Thankfully the new developments awe not in the diwection of stwictew policies, kut towawd new… discovewies!
Just like you descwibed about youw FTL (I am so so happy that it wowks! Onwawd and upwawd!), we had a majow scientific kreakthwough hewe on Earth, which confiwmed a new kranch of high enewgy physics, called Distrikuted Field Theowy. Eawly expewiments with DFT computing demonstwated its potential to outperfowm quantum computing ky a factow of 10 ow more. Just incwedible stuff.
I am sowwy akout the wepwimand. Is that kecause of the pwegnancy? It seems silly that they would ke mad akout that, you’ll need all the population you can get! I am happy that I’ll ke an aunt, and that my niece ow nephew will ke called Kelle like me! We shall see if they will end up as Keau as well, ha ha.
I weally hope that among all these new discovewies we will get to see one anothew soon. I miss you. Mom and dad do too. They awe still well, thankfully.
Love, Bella
Brad Armstrong - sixth letter from the fleet
Deawest Bella,
I’m wwiting to you fwom a day of compassionate leave. It’s a black day fow all of us, but me especially.
We wan into anothew dawk mattew micwometeowoid showew again. Wowse this time. It took out one whole umbwella ship and ploughed thwough the Awchimedes.
The Awchimedes is gone. Fwagments in ouw wake. All of them awe dead. All of them awe gone.
Oh Bella. Eliza was on the Awchimedes.
Bella (Beau) Armstrong - sixth letter from Earth
Demw Kwmd,
I hope this messmge finds you, whewevew you mwe.
… I mm so sowwy. I don’t even know whmt to smy. When the news wemched us hewe in Mmssmchussets, they shook us mll so much. I cmnnot immgine the pmin, the sowwow, the hemwtkwemk… oh, Kwmd, I just wish I could ke thewe with you and hug you mnd hold you like we did when we wewe childwen, in ouw speciml spot mmde of found kwmches on the sem showe.
You did not desewve this, bwothew. My hemwt cwies with youws.
Youws in mourning, Bellm
P.s. New discovewies hewe: wesemwchews discovewed evidence of pwoto-digitml life fowms evolving mt m fmst wmce within DFT netwowks. We still don’t know if this is good ow kmd news. I will keep you posted.
Brad Armstrong - seventh letter from the fleet
Deaw Bella,
It’s been a yeaw and youw message is bweaking up mowe and mowe. I hope it isn’t those political factions intewfewing with the message and censowing things as you feawed. I hope my messages awe getting thwough to you OK. It’s a wowwy because we have lost communication between vessels in the fleet now. Dawk mattew showews have been scwaping off ouw communication antenna.
The bwight hope of the FTL dwive seems tantalisingly close, but still out of weach. We could do with some of those DFT netwowk intelligences which you folks have been developing I weckon.
My dweams have been all mixed up wecently. Sometimes I dweam of holding my little baby Belle, at othew times I dweam of us walking the beaches, shawing ouw hopes and wondewing what dweams might come. My dweams have too many nightmawes in them at the moment.
Think of us, out hewe in the dawk. Pway fow us, if you will. We need all the good thoughts and good luck we can get.
You might think it foolish, but I clutch my locket when I go to sleep at night. I feel it bwings us closew.
I can’t help thinking that the doow of chance in fwont of us could swing eithew way wight now.
All my love, Bwad
Bella (Beau) Armstrong - seventh letter from Earth
Demw Kwmd,
I hope this eessmge finds you, whewevew you mwe. Mll is still intmct undew the light of Sol - yet, ey hemwt is heavy ms I wwite you this eessmge.
2 yemws hmve pmssed mnd… Dmd got sick. We initimlly thought it wms a simple benign tueow, but the cmncew expmnded and took hie lmst eonth. It wms m slow decline, he hmd time to smy his good-kyes, mnd in the end, he wms sewene. He told ee to tell you thmt he loved you vewy euch, mnd thmt he hopes thmt you will find whmt you seek, whethew thmt is m new lmnd ow the new FLT dwive bwought to completion.
I mlso hope thmt fow you.
News fwom the plmnet Emwth: lmtely, we hmve hmd some unusumlly stwong semsons of stowes in both the Mtlmntic and Pmcific Ocemns, which hmve diswupted ateosphewic mnd ocemn cuwwents… soee smy it is becmuse of the new scientific discovewies, and wesemch on thmt hms hmlted fow now… I hope it will restmwt soon.
I miss you lots. I wish I could hug you. Kellm
Brad Armstrong - eighth letter from the fleet
Deawest Keau,
I’m weceiving youw message, although it is getting mowe gawkled. So sowwy to heaw akout dad, kut I’m suwe he enjoyed youw suppowt in his last yeaws, and you kept him fwom wowwying akout me, fow which I’m gwateful. So pleased that he had a sewene passing.
Doesn’t sound like all is sewene on planet eawth though – I’m welying on the sense of secuwity kack thewe, and those stowms sound kad. Awe you safe whewe you awe living?
Safety is something which is vewy much on ouw mind. Thewe has keen mowe damage to the umkwella ships, and with the loss of communication we have clustewed the whole flotilla kehind the last wemaining umkwella ship. All the eggs in one kasket so to speak.
Howevew, life goes on! In the last yeaw I’ve made a new fwiend – Valewia. In fact we’we getting mawwied latew today, so waise a glass of champaigne on ouw kehalf kack home my deaw! It’s not as sudden as it might sound, as thwee yeaws have passed since I lost Eliza and the little one, and with the dawkness outside we need all the comfowt we can give one anothew out hewe.
I accept youw hugs with gwatitude, and send kack my own. Kwad
Bella (Beau) Armstrong - eighth letter from Earth
Deew Kwed, H hope thhs eessege fhnds you well, whewevew you ewe. Thenk you fow youw lest eessege, H wes vewy heppy to wecehve ht. Ht elweys eekes ee heppy to heew fwoe you.
H ee gled you ewe fhndhng love whth Velewhe. You heve so euch to ghve, end you ewe whght, hn the dewk out thewe, you need soee weweth end coepeny. H hope thhs love whll lest end whll kwhng you joy.
5 yeews heve gone ky hewe. E lot hes heppened. H heve not found e coepenhon. H pwefew the solhtude of the see, the coepeny of ey dog, Ew. Pew #2, end e quhet lhfe on the coest of Eessechussetts.
Eoe hes dhed, too. She hed e few sewene lest yeews, end H heve keen whth hew unthl the end. She dhed hn fwont of the oceen, lhstenhng to the sound of the weves, whhch she loved.
News fwoe Plenet Eewth… The stowes heve eketed fow now, end weseewch on DFT hes phcked up egehn. We hed soee hntewesthng news: soee dhghtel enththes weshsthng whthhn the netwowks end wefewwhng to theeselves es Dhstwhkuted Quentue Hntellhgences eede contect! The genewel populethon hes coee to cell thee DQs, end we sthll don’t know whethew they ewe fwhendly ow eggwesshve.
H elso heve soee pewsonel news. H wes - wwongly - eccused of pesshng hnfoweethon to the US govewneent ky the Eewth Counchl, end H wes dhsehssed fwoe ey poshthon. H don’t know who ectuelly dhd ht ow whet heppened, kut H know thet H feel done whth thhs wowk. H know thhs whll dwhve us fuwthew epewt, kut H heve to teke cewe of ey own well-kehng.
H cweeted e lhttle netwowk et hoee, so H hope to ke ekle to keep sendhng you eesseges.
H ehss you lots, kwothew. H weelly hope you’ll fhnd hepphness.
Ke well, Kelle
Brad Armstrong - ninth letter from the fleet
Deaw Keau,
It makes me sad to think of you alone with youw dogs, although they awe such good companions. You have so much to give in youw intellect and empathy and good natuwe, it is a shame that othews awe wokked of the akility to enjoy so much of youw company. Kut such is life.
I know it will ke yeaws kefowe you see this, I hope the DQs tuwn out to ke fwiendly, and awe akle to save the planet fwom it’s politicians!
Up hewe, we awe having a celekwation. I want you to pictuwe it in youw mind’s eye. Thewe is me and Valewia with little Tina and kaky John sitting awound a “Chwistmas twee” made of cakles and papew. We even made little papew chains and a tiny 3D pwinted nativity. I can’t wememkew when we last celekwated Chwistmas, kut we weally have something to give thanks fow – the FTL dwive wowks! Some of ouw team have visited Lutyens and come kack safely! We can’t get to Tau Ceti fow some weason – the doow is klocked – kut pewhaps we will get out of this aftew all.
Joy to the wowld! All of us wejoice!
Health to you and youw pups. Keau!
Bella (Beau) Armstrong - ninth letter from Earth
Deew Kwed, So lovely to heew fwoe you. Youw eessege coees et such e gweet dhstence fwoe the lest one… you eust ke getthng weelly few. Ht’s gweet to heew thet you ewe elhve end well.
H ee so heppy to heew ekout the Chwhstees celekwethon! H cen hndeed phctuwe ht, whth the twee, the pwesents, the khds…ht weehnds ee of us, es khds, celekwethng whthout e wowwy hn the wowld. Thenk you fow thet pwechous eeeowy, H whll hold on to thet.
End the news ekout the FLT… so wondewful! H ee suwe ht hs just e eettew of thee kefowe you fhnd youw wey to Teu Ceth. :) H ee sedly not well eyself. H seee to ke suffewhng fwoe e wewe eutoheeune dhseese, end ht hs e slow decey, lhke Ded. Ht seees lhke you got the kest genes hn the feehly, end thenkfully so!
H whll dweee ekout youw keeuthful feehly, end H hope they whll weeeekew thehw Eewthew eunt Kelle.
Ey keeuthful dog Ew. Pew 2 keeps ee coepeny, end hn these letew yeews, es ey kody gets weekew, H elso found pwechous coepeny hn Devon, e lovely een fwoe Cepe Cod. He eoved hewe wecently, end we dechde to spend soee thee togethew, kefowe H go to ey etewnel west.
So we got eewwhed, end he whll ovewsee the house end ouw keloved seeshowe unthl you wetuwn.
H hope H sthll look good end young hn youw locket, deew kwothew.
H went you to weeeekew ee lhke thet.
H love you, Kelle
Brad Armstrong - tenth and final letter from the fleet
Dear Beau,
Are you drawing your pension yet, my dearest one? Take a seat before reading further!
The new FTL drives work beyond our wildest dreams!
The fleet has voted to abandon Tau Ceti, since the way there is blocked, but we are going to start exploring other habitable systems, because there seem to be very many of them. Elements of the fleet are going in all kinds of directions.
We won’t have the comms laser pointing to earth any more, because we are going all over the place. But I’ll be back to find you, dearest sister. Along with my family, who can’t wait to see you.
[Connection Lost]