Late last night, I finally heard back from Dr. Stone, who sent the following message;

Andrew –

With Warmest Regards,
Dr. Jeremy Stone

I’ve thought about what he said, and I’ve decided that he is right. Nash may have gotten the facts about Andromeda, but I don’t think he got the whole story.

He never knew my parents, or the Ritters, or any of the other families who lived and worked in Piedmont. I did, and this is their story as much as anyone’s. For what it’s worth, I want this site to remain as a sort of marker, a memorial to honor all of Andromeda’s victims. But for my part, I have nothing left to say.

This is going to be the last time that I write on this site.

If you want to leave your final thoughts in the comments, it would mean a lot to me. And to everyone who has visited since I began writing: thank you.

I don’t know what to say. Too much has been revealed in the last 48 hours for me to even relate all of it, and at any rate, if you’ve been watching the news on NNT then you already know what’s going on.

If you haven’t, Nash was able to get an interview with Stone to discuss what has happened over the past several weeks. Everything we’ve found out here turned out to be right, and most of the pieces make more sense now.

According to Nash, an extraterrestrial virus called “Andromeda” killed everyone in Piedmont with only two exceptions: the Ritter’s new baby, Sylvie, and my Uncle Kyle, both of whom are now being treated in the Wildfire Lab. And if there were any other survivors, they’re gone now… obliterated by the nuclear warhead that was accidentally released over Piedmont after a technical malfunction. The town where I grew up has been wiped clean off the map, as if it were never there.

The military blockade that kept me and others from getting into Piedmont to find more information, it seems, may also have saved our lives. If we had managed to get past them, and andromeda was still present, we would probably have died instantly… or worse.

Maybe it would be better if I had. My parents, Sam, my neighbors… everyone from home is gone now, except for my uncle, who I still haven’t been able to talk to. I sent Stone another email, asking if he’ll be okay, and when I’ll be able to see him. After everything that has happened, Stone probably has a lot to worry about, but Uncle Kyle is all I have left.

I don’t need answers anymore. I just need this to be over.

Looks like we’re closing in on an answer: new files just turned up on the Wildfire Intranet that give me a clear look at this “superdisease” that Stone’s team is referring to as Andromeda.

An anonymous email that I just received has provided a series of several working access codes that unlock what appear to be diagnostic screens from within the Wildfire lab. I assume each of these contains some sort of important information about Andromeda, or how to keep it from spreading, but it’s all way beyond my comprehension. Maybe they’ll make more sense to one of you.

Try the following access codes:

ANDROMEDA_GENSCAN

ANDROMEDA_RADIUV

I can’t tell if these are important or not, but something about them makes me incredibly uncomfortable. Is it really possible that everything happening in Piedmont can be explained by these images…?

I’m trying to make sense of all of the emails, comments and messages I received this morning, but as far as I can tell, there’s been some major breakthrough in confirming most of the information I’ve received over the past month.

Most significant among the new leads I’ve received are a set of three new access codes for the Wildfire Intranet:

CORRUPTION TORN SECT

HECTIC MASS

and

MALICE CAN HARM

Using these codes provides access to what appear to be a construction report for the Wildfire facilities, a set of schematics for the lab, and a blueprint for some sort of mechanical robot tool. I don’t know where all of this is coming from, or even whether it can be trusted… but since all of these documents are from the Wildfire Intranet, I’m guessing they’re authentic.

Another breakthrough at the Wildfire intranet, this time unlocking a file titled “DEATHMATCH,” which seems to have the text of an upsetting recent article from some newswire service. Visit the Wildfire site and check it out; the access code is

MAD HATCHET

The thing is, I don’t know what this article has to do with Wildfire, or whatever is going on. It didn’t take place in Piedmont… and if that police officer had been in Piedmont, it doesn’t seem like he’d have been able to make it as far as Millstown. But he did say he was having a headache…

What interest would Stone’s team have in this article, that makes it important enough to include in the Wildfire database?

Also, a few more of the files Wheezer and Frohz3n passed along turned up in the Wildfire site using additional access codes:

CAPER ONE

and

PROTECT DISSENT

The first loads the video footage of the soldiers who were sent into Piedmont, and the second unlocks Stone’s letter to President Scott with the initial proposal for the Wildfire Project. Still trying other combinations, but I’m running out of ideas…