Entry Log #5.5: The Burnout Virus

 *** EMERGENCY TRANSMISSION ***

Location - The Starship: Literacy

Transmitter - Captain Antonis Ybarra

Message goes as follows:

S.O.S.! For those who receive this transmission, this is Cadet Antonis Ybarra, newly appointed captain of the Starship: Literacy. On my last message, I minorly detailed an overflow of assignments and technical difficulties. However, this one comes soon after but still far too late. The Starship: Literacy as well as much of its crew is falling.

As cadets, we are tasked with completing assignments in a timely manner with full detail for a wide variety of higher-ups. It is through the guidance and missions of those higher-ups that allow us to demonstrate our know-how and work up the ranks and climb even closer to our mission. However, unbeknownst to the higher-ups and for a number of reasons on behalf of the cadets, the ship and 92% of its crew have contracted what we now call the Burnout Virus.

The virus has been found to be contracted from a variety of places: cadets being glued to their consoles for hours at a time in order to complete assignments, dreading late assignments while they cannot physically get to them in time, as well as many other manners of the similar. Symptoms of the Burnout virus include, headaches, stress, heightened anxiety, existential dread, mania, heavy depression, tightness of chest, uncontrollable sobbing, and general hopelessness. It began with many of the others in my squadron, but slowly and surely moved up the sectors and took the lives of many of the higher-ups including General Punctuality, Commander Ambition, as well as the entire Motivation sector. As such, and the loss rate climbing into the many thousands, the Starship: Literacy is losing itself to the Burnout Virus.

I myself have contracted the Burnout Virus alongside many of the survivors who are still on board, yet we survive only through sheer willpower and fear of failure. Tasks are coming through now through the technical systems, and in order to survive, they must be done. They have appointed me captain which I deem an honor, but find unfounded. It is true that I am alive and continue to do tasks, but no matter how much I do nor how hard I work, there are always assignments that I am forgetting and tasks that I think are great that turn out less than desirable. I am the captain of a sinking ship which is funny given that we are in space and you cannot sink out here. Nevertheless, I stand at the helm of a failing, flailing enterprise. If I am to survive, I give no credit to myself but to the individuals around me who made it possible. If I am to fail, I attribute it wholly and totally to my actions. 

Further messages inbound when able.

Signing off, Captain Antonis Ybarra

*** END TRANSMISSION ***