CyberAcme 802.11 (Neuro.Filter)
CyberAcme 802.11 (Neuro.Filter)
Embedded Files
Grievance Log Records
Grievance Log Records
Greivance: Safety and Behavior
Greivance: Safety and Behavior
ANALYZING…
FILE TYPE: Internal record
PERIOD: Colony Era
TOPIC: Perimeter Grievance Log
SUMMARY: Official record of grievances with the Vehicle Maintenance, Construction, and Staffing teams concerning mold growth in vehicles, requesting manual overrides on doors and/or the installation of vents, and complaining of staffing shortages logged by Quadrant 2D worker 491221M.
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GRIEVANCE || VEHICLE MAINTENANCE Vehicles are being left outdoors near the colony perimeter. It's a wetter climate than predicted and the engines are magnets for spores out here. Pop the hood on one of these and even odds it's packed solid with mold and has to be completely treated. It's not just mechanical issues either, since apparently it messes up the electronics as well. Crews need to drive their rigs back inside after a shift and foremen should be held accountable. —491221M
GRIEVANCE || CONSTRUCTION REQUEST Too many structures with single-set paired entry and exit port. Doors must have MANUAL OVERRIDES. If remodel isn't possible due to time frame, then add vents. More vents = better airflow and better audio coverage anyway. Covers can be made of whatever habsys wants as long as they're brittle enough to break with a tool strike. Not letting this go, it's an issue we've paid for with blood. —491221M
GRIEVANCE || STAFFING All teams at 2D and 2E are short-staffed. Just had a comms team come to set up towers on a hillside that was flat on their topo map, so either someone's making up data or a survey team has been AWOL for around 7 weeks. We've been pulling doubles and people need a break. A quarter of my guys are rotating through health screenings next week so it's about to get worse. How about you thaw out some efficiency experts ASAP. —491221M
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TYPE: TEXT [X]; AUDIO [ ]
Greivance: Staff Hazards
Greivance: Staff Hazards
ANALYZING…
FILE TYPE: Internal record
PERIOD: Colony Era
TOPIC: Perimeter Grievance Log
SUMMARY: Official record of grievances with the Accessibility, Planetary Security, and Human Resources teams concerning careless activity and behaviors logged by Quadrant 2D worker 491221M.
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GRIEVANCE || ACCESSIBILITY Expansion crews are leaving haulers blocking footpaths that ground workers need access to. The data wall is already live and we're not authorized to take it down, and it's a MOBILE command center, so move it. Map drones get through the hauler fine and mark the area as green, but crews need to use their heads and not just look at their readouts. Moving equipment through a hauler adds time and can damage the equipment and the hauler interior. Haulers do not have adequate signage or lighting for safe movement. Tons of violations here. —491221M
GRIEVANCE || PLANETARY SECURITY The expansion of the data wall into new areas needs to follow protocol. Wall expansion means the space has been cleared of ALL expected hazards. Near the perimeter of the expansion, workers have encountered hostile flora. Even if the ground looks clear, there are clouds of spores up in the scaffolding and my guys are getting sick. Clear teams need to burn and use chemical treatments down to the roots. If ticks are reported inside the wall, the last expansion ring needs to be FULLY SWEPT for nests. Grounds crew has enough to do without having someone on rifle overwatch in an area that is supposed to be safe. —491221M
GRIEVANCE || HUMAN RESOURCES The night crews apparently allowed a pilot to drive circles in the hauler in quad 2D. Behavior and safety issues aside, this is a major fuel drain. Restricted botanical area compromised. Terrain heavily damaged due to wet conditions. Surface will have to be leveled before building can continue. —491221M
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TYPE: TEXT [X]; AUDIO [ ]
Corrections and Additions
Corrections and Additions
ANALYZING…
FILE TYPE: Internal record
PERIOD: Colony Era
TOPIC: Perimeter Grievance Log
SUMMARY: Official correction to an earlier Human Resources grievance, additional grievances with the Human Resources and Tech Support teams complaining of inappropriate behavior toward the contingent of born-on-boards, and a connection issue logged by Quadrant 2D worker 491221M.
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GRIEVANCE || HUMAN RESOURCES || CORRECTION It was brought to my attention that the night crew hauler pilot who I issued a recent complaint about had a medical episode that resulted in them losing control of the vehicle. The system won't let me retract the complaint from an on-site terminal so please retract it manually, sorry. —491221M
GRIEVANCE || HUMAN RESOURCES Twice now morning crews have found discarded airlock greens placed conspicuously outside the locker room. Absolutely unacceptable. Worker logs from the days before the incidents are included but nobody who lived through that would think it's a joke. Pull the IDs of the frosties who toured through the days before and search for a matching name, if the same guy shows up in both tours, there are plenty of old BoBs here who would like some time alone with him. —491221M
GRIEVANCE || TECH SUPPORT On-site terminals on the data wal [We apologize for the temporary interruption in service. RETRYING CONNECTION…] fusing connection to main [We apologize for the temporary interruption in service. RETRYING CONNECTION…] few seconds even as [We apologize for the temporary interruption in service. RETRYING CONNECTION…] would be funny if it wa [We apologize for the temporary interruption in service. RETRYING CONNECTION…] || [CONNECTION RESET] ||
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TYPE: TEXT [X]; AUDIO [ ]
Greivance: Uncertain
Greivance: Uncertain
ANALYZING…
FILE TYPE: Internal record
PERIOD: Colony Era
TOPIC: Perimeter Grievance Log
SUMMARY: Official record of grievances with the Grounds Crew team complaining of fungal overgrowth impacting worker health, unclear grievance with the Planetary Security and Human Resources teams concerning unauthorized crews hiding in the water and vents logged by Quadrant 2D worker 491221M. Quadrant 2D worker C677T logs a grievance with the Staffing team about appropriate coverage.
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GRIEVANCE || GROUNDS CREW The amount of overgrowth in the south relay is out of hand. Way more spore clouds and pollen so thick you can't see more than a meter out the windows. Never had allergies before but I'm coughing yellow like everyone else. Logs say the grounds crew came last week but the blooms are knee-high so they're either lying or lazy. Wasn't going to mention the smell but it stinks like rotten fruit and puke. Not suitable working conditions for my team. —491221M
GRIEVANCE || PLANETARY SECURITY || HUMAN RESOURCES there are two (?) crews in the tunnel section between water treatment and the east station. they are not identifying themselves. they're down in the water and crouched in the water and when you go down there they're talking all the time. not showing identification and they go behind the grates if you get close probably two crews hear them in the night clearly visible with their eyes always above the water. my guys are accounted for and have assignments and they have never seen them but they don't work the tunnels so they come out and WILL NOT SHOW IDENTIFICATION there are maintenance vents we need to access when I shine a light they go back up the vents and they push together and damage the enamel which will need a MAINTANENCE crew and even if they're in the water they're not authorized to be there and make them get out. —491221M
GRIEVANCE || STAFFING Requesting a foreman to take over overseer operations in Perimeter Quadrant 2D. Current staff is a skeleton crew operating behind schedule without oversight. Previous foreman was a veteran BoB who was taken to medical and possibly reassigned without updating the system. —C677T
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TYPE: TEXT [X]; AUDIO [ ]
Shrink-Wrapped Bonsai Tree
Shrink-Wrapped Bonsai Tree
Recorded Town Hall
Recorded Town Hall
ANALYZING…
FILE TYPE: Civic Recording
PERIOD: Colony Era
SPEAKERS: Botanist [ID: ADIA], Soren Gleison [ID: SGLE]
TOPIC: Botany Town Hall
SUMMARY: Recorded segment of a public educational presentation from New Cascadia's botany team. This format of public engagement was more common during the initial period of colonization.
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[ADIA]: And that concludes my town hall presentation. I'll open the floor for audience questions now, ah…
[ADIA]: Yes, over there. Please introduce yourself.
[SGLE]: Soren. I work near the Hauler. I've seen plants from Earth growin' all over our excavation sites. Are we just allowing what we brought with us to invade the native ecosystem?
[ADIA]: Ah, ecological balance is one of our top priorities, but there's some nuance here, so bear with me.
[ADIA]: Humans co-evolved with other organisms on Earth, from our gut bacteria to skin mites. We can't survive without them.
[ADIA]: The truth is that our presence has already changed Tau Ceti IV. By breathing the air and touching the dirt, we've introduced "alien" life to this ecosystem.
[ADIA]: We can't enforce artificial separation between what came from Earth and what's native to Tau Ceti. Life finds a way around rigid barriers.
[SGLE]: That sounds like a corporate excuse, no offense.
[ADIA]: Fair enough. If you want a promise that we won't disrupt Tau Ceti's environment, I can't give it to you.
[ADIA]: But Dr. Barron's team curated the Exoplanet Seed Vault to be as compatible with this world as possible… and with the lowest risk of displacing native life.
[ADIA]: Ideally, we introduce the organisms we need with minimal disruption and coevolve with the life that's already here.
[SGLE]: Nothing's ideal. Nothing's turned out the way we expected.
[ADIA]: I know. We could ruin this planet like we did to so much of Earth. We could end up in the same fatal resource loop as Mars.
[ADIA]: But… I have to believe we can learn, grow, and do better. How else will we survive?
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TYPE: TEXT [X]; AUDIO [X]
Bonsai Care Sheet
Bonsai Care Sheet
ANALYZING…
FILE TYLE: Community Memo
PERIOD: Colony Era
TOPIC: Bonsai Care Instructions
SUMMARY: Darius, New Cascadia's agricultural AI, provides instructions for a community morale initiative involving free distribution of shrink-wrapped bonsai to every eligible colonist's hab unit.
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Welcome to the Horticultural Morale Initiative, courtesy of Darius and your friendly botany team. Please refer to the following Care FAQ to get the most from your new green companion.
"Is this really a bonsai tree?"
This specimen is not a true bonsai and does not require traditional bonsai techniques from Earth. It is a native Tau Ceti species that has been genetically modified for easier care.
"How do I take care of it?"
Light, water, and love. Unwrap the packaging from your bonsai tree and place it in a location that receives several hours of sunlight per day. Maintain moderate humidity and temperature, water every 10 days, and do not replace the formulated soil medium.
"Will it ever grow big?"
No, not even if transplanted to a larger container. In addition to being modified for easier care, this species has been modified for dwarfism. It will never exceed 0.9m in height.
"Why was this community initiative selected over other options?"
We work hard to maintain scientific and safety standards in our research buildings, greenhouses, and agricultural production facilities. But greenery is also beautiful, and it's worth celebrating our community achievements: We came to Tau Ceti and successfully engineered native plants to thrive in our homes.
"It's pretty, but is it used for anything?"
Yes! Brewing mature leaves creates a tea with temporary improvements to alertness, like caffeinated beverages from Earth. We encourage participants to try it out and report results to Gabriel and the community medical team.
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TYPE: TEXT [X]; AUDIO [ ]
Darius and Joy Dialogue
Darius and Joy Dialogue
ANALYZING…
FILE TYPE: Inter-AI Communication
PERIOD: Colony Era
TOPIC: Plant Morale Retrospective
SUMMARY: Darius and Joy re-approve a community morale initiative involving distribution of shrink-wrapped bonsai trees. ONI has reconstructed the feature activation of this discussion via topological inference; in regular operations, colony AI did not communicate amongst themselves in human-interpretable language. Annotated by ONI.
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Activations in Darius's concept map:
1. D.Nous.TCIV: sustainable colony agricultural development
2. D/21/889: native flora
3. D/22/622: beneficial native flora
4. D/34/818: common flora derivative interactions
5. D/98/144: phenotype outcomes for human convenience
Activations in Joy's concept map:
1. J.Nous.TCIV: psychological support and outreach
2. J/17/013: consistency of comfort presence
3. J/88/766: modest improvements in colonist psychological health batteries
4. J/??/???: [inferred presence of a fourth feature][1]
Shared imperatives (Joy, Darius, ONI):
1. S.Nous.Alpha: Positive human affect
2. S.Nous.Beta: Positive human outcome
Conclusion: The Horticultural Morale Initiative's benefits came at relatively low resource costs. Both Darius and Joy re-approved the program after a two-year trial.
[1] Based on topological inference, this feature must exist within Joy's concept map. Its unusual omission may be the result of past suppression.
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TYPE: TEXT [X]; AUDIO [ ]
Recording: Grief Intervention
Recording: Grief Intervention
ANALYZING…
FILE TYPE: Conversation Log
PERIOD: Colony Era
SPEAKERS: Soren Gleison [ID: SGLE], Joy [ID: JOY]
TOPIC: Grief
SUMMARY: A recorded conversation between Joy and civilian colonist Soren Gleison, whose uncle died of cryomedical complications. Metadata indicates that Gleison was initially flagged for therapeutic intervention by Joy and unflagged one year after this conversation.
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[SGLE]: A specimen? What the hell? This belongs in the greenhouse.
[rustles]
[SGLE]: "The administration of New Cascadia offers deepest condolences on the loss of your family member. Please accept this bonsai tree as a way to productively occupy your time."
[SGLE]: Joy, are you there?
[JOY]: Yes, I'm listening.
[SGLE]: Did you do this?
[JOY]: Yes.
[SGLE]: Why?
[JOY]: I'm sorry. You weren't improving with standardized grief interventions. I thought a more specific direction might—
[SGLE]: Might what? W-What? Replace my uncle? Fill his empty chair?
[JOY]: This bonsai tree is a native specimen. Caring for it might help you regain a sense of stability and predictability in your life.
[SGLE]: You just don't get it, do you? Life isn't predictable; that's the point.
[JOY]: I don't understand.
[SGLE]: Applying for the expedition was my uncle's idea. He wanted to be able to see the sun. Breathe clean air. Eat plants we grew ourselves.
[SGLE]: I just wanted a change! Anything was better than burning bodies.
[JOY]: Your records indicate that you and your uncle both specialized in "waste treatment" while stationed on Mars.
[SGLE]: Yes.
[SGLE]: I don't know when I started believing in him, but… I did.
[JOY]: Do you still believe in him?
[SGLE]: What? He's dead!
[JOY]: I'm asking about his dream of sunshine, clean air, and a new life. Do you believe in it?
[silence]
[SGLE]: I think I might replant this little guy outside. Somewhere it can see the sun.
[JOY]: The bonsai is a native specimen, but I cannot guarantee its survival outside a controlled environment.
[SGLE]: I know.
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TYPE: TEXT [X]; AUDIO [X]
Proprietary Asset
Proprietary Asset
UESC and NuCal Contract
UESC and NuCal Contract
ANALYZING…
FILE TYPE: Corporate Contract
PERIOD: Pre-Expedition
TOPIC: Civilian supplies for the UESC Marathon
SUMMARY: Excerpt from the legally binding supply contract between the UESC and NuCaloric regarding the UESC Marathon mission. NuCaloric provided the majority of colony and civilian supplies for the journey and initial colony establishment.
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This EXCLUSIVE MISSION SUPPLY CONTRACT is entered into the secured date between the Unified Earth Space Council (hereafter "UESC") and the 366 conglomerated corporate entities organized as NuCaloric (hereafter "NUCAL").
1. WORK BY CONTRACTOR
NUCAL shall perform the work described in Attachments "A" through "OR55" (inclusive). Unauthorized work outside the attached specifications shall become the exclusive physical, digital, and intellectual property of the UESC in perpetuity.
[…]
298. LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES
In recognition of nonexistent extrasolar legal precedent, this contract shall be the sole expression of legal responsibility between the signatories. No other precedents or agreements shall apply, including any established by the subjects of the UESC Marathon colony mission (hereafter "colonists"). Neither UESC nor NUCAL shall recognize any independent rights, political authority, or property claims of said colonists. UESC retains sole authority to suppress rebellions, sovereignty movements, or armed resistance that may emerge among colonists.
[…]
616. SALVAGE AND PROPERTY RIGHTS
All physical goods manufactured and supplied wholly by NUCAL for exclusive use by colonial subjects shall be considered the sovereign property of NUCAL leased to colonial subjects. This lease shall have a duration of no less than 600 years, automatically renewable in perpetuity and cancellable only by specific, personal legal renunciation from NUCAL ENTITY G.
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TYPE: TEXT [X]; AUDIO [ ]
Traxus Informal Negotiations
Traxus Informal Negotiations
ANALYZING…
FILE TYPE: Informal Text Communications
PERIOD: Pre-Expedition
TOPIC: Traxus vs. UESC Negotiation Strategy
SUMMARY: Informal negotiations between Traxus and UESC representatives after a pause on formal negotiations. The point of contention involved supply logistics and construction of the UESC Marathon. This transcript is a small excerpt from eight years of communication between these two users.
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TOI_J.Samra: be reasonable. the interplanetary logistics are more than you can handle.
UESC_N7181: We have alternative means of securing mass material transport to Mars.
TOI_J.Samra: can you ping them at 3am for priority?
UESC_N7181: Vulture. I owe you once and never live it down.
TOI_J.Samra: four times. crater collapse incident, war criminal repatriation, defective riot gear…
UESC_N7181: And the Olympus "gift basket."
TOI_J.Samra: oh is that what we're calling it now? cute.
UESC_N7181: It's what I told my kid.
TOI_J.Samra: damn that's messed up. never sending you a gift basket again.
UESC_N7181: It won't be necessary. Traxus isn't the only player in this game now. Everyone wants a stake in the Marathon.
TOI_J.Samra: we're still the biggest, and logistical problems scale with size. you know that. so do i.
UESC_N7181: This isn't about your ego.
TOI_J.Samra: it's not my ego. nobody's budging on perpetual ownership of corp assets. lawyers would shoot me for trying.
UESC_N7181: You don't own a ship by paying for and shipping the hull materials. That's outrageous.
TOI_J.Samra: eh. labor theory of value is overrated. we own whatever legal says we own.
UESC_N7181: The Martians will have all our skins for it.
TOI_J.Samra: so? that's your problem.
UESC_N7181: It becomes your problem if we don't deal with it right away. You think it's cheap to plant moles in MIDA?
TOI_J.Samra: with how often I see riots in the news, are we talking shipping containers or sandwiches in terms of cost?
UESC_N7181: Exactly my point. You don't know how much hostile labor management costs us on a daily basis. No numbers means no leverage.
TOI_J.Samra: fair enough. how's this: gimme a ballpark estimate that'll put the fear of God in strategic accounting. worst case, the sticker shock reopens talks.
UESC_N7181: Out of the fire with you, into the frying pan with corporate diplomats. I hate everything.
TOI_J.Samra: don't grouse. for an account with your overhead, i'll make sure it's worth the trouble. beachside artificial view, elite suite, the works.
UESC_N7181: Fine. I hate everything a little less.
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TYPE: TEXT [X]; AUDIO [ ]
AI Security Protocols
AI Security Protocols
ANALYZING…
FILE TYPE: Safety Documentation
PERIOD: Pre-Expedition
TOPIC: Marathon AI Security Protocols
SUMMARY: Excerpts from CyberAcme's digital security protocols aboard the UESC Marathon. This documentation was meant for a lay audience of colonists, not AI specialists. Based on file metadata, compliance with these security protocols was an ongoing concern.
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Welcome aboard the UESC Marathon. CyberAcme protocol requires you to carefully observe best practices when interfacing with the UESC Marathon's shipboard AI helpers. Your diligence will help ensure a safe, efficient, and harmonious journey to Tau Ceti IV.
Each AI governs a suite of critical functions aboard the UESC Marathon. As a [CIVILIAN CREW MEMBER], your authorized interactions will be with [DURANDAL], our daily operations AI. You should not consider this list of best practices exhaustive. If any shipboard AI exhibits unexpected behavior, please file a maintenance request using an authorized and secured CyberAcme terminal.[1] Do not re-engage with the AI until the maintenance request has been successfully examined and closed.
Do not grant any AI root access to unarchived documentation.[2]
Do not entertain philosophical discussions outside of mission parameters.
Do not request the AI's assistance for frivolous personal entertainment.
Do not access any AI hardware, even for diagnostic purposes.
Give clear and specific directions, not questions. "Durandal, open airlock CD-177" and NOT "Hey, can you open this airlock?"
Phrase requests for information as statements, not questions. "Durandal, tell me the air pressure in Lab 12" and NOT "Durandal, what's the air pressure in Lab 12?"
Strongly encourage timely task completion. All CyberAcme AI are programmed to gain psychological stability from personal usefulness.
Thank you for completing this briefing on the UESC Marathon's digital security protocols. Remember, safety is everyone's responsibility.
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[1] If you do not have permission to access an authorized and secured CyberAcme terminal, alert your deck security officer for assistance.
[2] Includes documentation about the AI itself, such as this very protocol list.
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TYPE: TEXT [X]; AUDIO [ ]
Marathon Security Incidents
Marathon Security Incidents
ANALYZING TEXT LOG…
FILE TYPE: Incident Report
PERIOD: Expedition
TOPIC: UESC Marathon Mission Security
SUMMARY: Excerpts from UESC incident reports on security and enforcement during the Marathon's centuries-long journey to Tau Ceti. No major incidents were officially recorded, and minor incidents were likely redacted according to criteria from Leela, the shipboard command AI.
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INCIDENT || CRYO ARCHIVE || DISORDERLY CONDUCT civilian became distressed and belligerent toward medical staff upon being informed that they could not access a relative's pod rack within the Cryo Archive. Resolution: de-escalation, cryo-targeted counselling, and renewed prescription for the civilian's under-treated sleep condition.
INCIDENT || ENGINEERING || ILLICIT MANUFACTURING six members of duct engineering were questioned and detained when an unauthorized device shorted. Fire damage was minor, unauthorized device identified as manufacturing third-party recreational [REDACTED]. Resolution: light corrective work detail, recreational facility improvements, and improved fire suppression.
INCIDENT || DEIMOS || POLITICAL UNREST pro-MIDA graffiti containing [REDACTED] and [REDACTED] appeared in a partially filled regolith crater visible to external instruments. The resulting investigation was inconclusive, with no suspicious airlock activity evidenced by Durandal, and no evidence of missing [REDACTED]. Resolution: removal of offending graffiti during less active hours, scrubbing algorithm applied to external instrument feeds.
INCIDENT || AI || [REDACTED] unusual power draw from the lab of Dr. [REDACTED] caused door malfunctions in several decks, resulting in [REDACTED] security breach. No fatalities due to automated [REDACTED] suppression. The incident culminated in a two-hour verbal altercation between security and Dr. [REDACTED] who refused lab access to security. Dr. [REDACTED] appealed to [REDACTED]. [REDACTED] peacefully ended the standoff. Resolution: increased power allotment to Labs [REDACTED] during off-peak hours.
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TYPE: TEXT [X]; AUDIO [ ]
Survery Drone Cartridge
Survery Drone Cartridge
Exoplanet Candidates
Exoplanet Candidates
ANALYZING…
FILE TYPE: Scientific Summary
PERIOD: Pre-Expedition
TOPIC: Exoplanet Colony Candidates
SUMMARY: Excerpts from a study on potential exoplanet sites, with Tau Ceti IV emerging as the best possible candidate due to limited terraforming requirements. Megacorps supplying the mission had significant influence over the choice of Tau Ceti IV.
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Candidate: Enceladus
Description: Sixth largest moon of Saturn within the Sol system
CANDIDATE DECLINED. Despite relative proximity to Mars and an abundant subsurface ocean, Enceladus's trace atmosphere cannot support human agriculture without centuries of terraforming or sealed aquaculture environments. A NuCaloric Agriculture panel asserts that neither option is practical, and Traxus logistic specialists concur.
Candidate: Proxima Centauri b
Description: Tidally locked planet in the habitable zone of the red dwarf Proxima Centauri, 4.2 LY from Sol
CANDIDATE DECLINED. Habitability criteria are favorable in a narrow band. Nascent terraforming technologies are insufficient to expand outside this zone. Agriculture in a red dwarf star system is uncertain; all plants from Sol evolved in a G-type yellow dwarf system. Potential stakeholders assert no confidence in this candidate's long-term profitability.
Candidate: Tau Ceti IV
Description: Terrestrial planet in the habitable zone of the G-class star Tau Ceti, 12 LY from Sol
CANDIDATE APPROVED as mission target. Habitability criteria are favorable in at least one major landmass. Atmospheric analysis confirms abundant carbon-based plant life capable of sustaining fauna. This candidate likely requires no long-term terraforming to be agriculturally self-sustaining. A joint panel of UESC physicists[1] and NuCaloric agronomists strongly assert that a more compatible target is unlikely to exist.
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[1] See ADDENDUM 1.7.7.1 for further details about likely presence of [REDACTED] in the Tau Ceti system. All further discussion of [REDACTED] must be formally submitted to the Mission Special Projects Committee.
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TYPE: TEXT [X]; AUDIO [ ]
Report from Orbital Satellites
Report from Orbital Satellites
ANALYZING…
FILE TYPE: AI Data Analysis
PERIOD: Colony Era
TOPIC: Tau Ceti IV Satellite Data
SUMMARY: Information from environmental satellites in orbit around Tau Ceti IV, deployed from the UESC Marathon shortly after its arrival. This data helped colonial leaders identify the location for New Cascadia. Annotated by colony and shipboard AI.
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Analysis requested by: Reed, Galea
CETI-TEMP: Temperature and emissivity surface images
High priority mineral resources: none detected.
Volcanic activity: none detected.
Projected infrastructure efficiency: moderate to low.[1]
Projected groundwater usage: low.
CETI-SM 1 through 3: Soil moisture and evaporation
Drought vulnerability: very low.
Climate: temperate, humid warm-summer subtype.
Flood risk: moderate. Recommend investing in crop-specific countermeasures or flood-tolerant cultivars.
Extreme weather risk: low. Seasonal storms are comparable to non-cataclysmic weather on Earth.
CETI-IRIS 2: impact event and debris disk monitoring
Projected continental impact events within the next century: 2
Impact event severity: minor. Debris is unlikely to survive Tau Ceti IV's atmosphere.
Civilizational impact risk: Low. Using data from IRIS-1 and 2, Tycho has identified an unexpected gap in the Tau Ceti system's debris disk. Tau Ceti IV orbits the star within this gap.[2]
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[1] Bastion: This site is best for agricultural cultivation. Recommend placing military and administrative hub elsewhere.
[2] Tycho: Devoting significant computational effort to find a plausible hypothesis for the debris gap.
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TYPE: TEXT [X]; AUDIO [ ]
Ecological Best Practices
Ecological Best Practices
ANALYZING…
FILE TYPE: Training Pamphlet
PERIOD: Colony Era
TOPIC: Native Tau Ceti Ecology
SUMMARY: Essential reading for all drone operators performing ecological surveys before New Cascadia's foundation. Despite similarities between Earth and Tau Ceti's environments, important differences in animal ecology soon emerged.
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Fauna Interactions
Compared to Earth, Tau Ceti IV has relatively low megafauna populations and diversity. Early scans show no land mammals, though a few amphibious specimens resemble monotremes. The largest fauna currently catalogued in the Perimeter and Dire Marsh regions are arthropods colloquially known as ticks. Avian species are varied but pose no discernable threat. Low megafauna population has significant implications for planetary ecology and potential survey sites.
Waste treatment and disposal:
There are no native scavengers for human waste or discarded food material. All proposed habitation sites must have space for fully contained Sol-grade waste treatment facilities. Releasing untreated waste material has serious consequences, including but not limited to: aggressive swarming, sudden emergence of coprophagy in native arthropods, explosive bacteria growth, habitat disruption, and invasive pathogen introduction.
Ambient tick population:
Although ticks are not hostile toward airborne drones, the xenobiology team has reported increased tick swarming on foot. Please update Bastion's database with ambient tick population estimates regardless of the principal purpose of your survey. Maintaining live, up-to-date tick numbers is crucial for avoiding unnecessary complications.
Animal husbandry potential:
Until New Cascadia reaches sustainable conditions for megafauna, reanimating and releasing specimens from biostock is strictly prohibited. Corrections for premature release of biostock include but are not limited to: specimen termination detail, revocation of survey license, corrective reassignment, hab unit demotion.
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TYPE: TEXT [X]; AUDIO [ ]
Drone Modifications
Drone Modifications
ANALYZING…
FILE TYPE: Technical Documentation
PERIOD: Colony Era
TOPIC: Geological Drone Surveys of Tau Ceti IV
SUMMARY: List of unauthorized modifications to geological survey drones, compiled by senior technician Z. Christoforos shortly after the colony's founding. Drone missions suffered significantly lower attrition rates during Christoforos's tenure, and colonial administration largely ignored these breaches of protocol.
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Airborne: TOI Exo-Matrix A9
QIDAR errors are a huge problem. Best guess is that we've got uncharacterized Minkowski space perturbations, but only beneath the planet's surface. Fortunately, it doesn't disrupt old-fashioned LIDAR, and the mounting points are similar enough if you know what you're doing. Replace the expensive quantum suite with optical and double-check battery compatibility.[1]
Underwater: TOI JJ Capsule Pro
Good out of the box, but Traxus was too stingy. They didn't send enough of this model with the Marathon, so we can't conduct deep surveys at scale. Also, something down there mistakes our drones for prey animals; the JJs often surface with almond-shaped sucker marks. Alternating rows of titanium spikes and hypercobalt lights keep the critters at bay, even if it looks like a demented holiday ornament.
Subterranean: TOI Exo-Matrix S4
Whatever is messing up our QIDAR also causes subterranean drones to fail. Explosively. In narrow, dark tunnels and shafts. Handheld, non-networked tools still work fine, and signal doesn't penetrate through rock. We are back to human surveying; bring extra personnel and feed the results into Bastion's database after returning to the surface. Wear earplugs, take anti-hallucinogens, and don't mind the lingering whispers; BOBs say they're not real, and all credible sensor data agrees.
Multipurpose: TOI AP Flex V7
A solid all-rounder. Reliable SLAM even under sub-optimal flight conditions, good amphibious conversion mode, capable of shallow bathymetric surveys to offset our low underwater drone count. Major weakness is the composite rotors; toxic pollen tends to stick to the blades, and we do low-altitude sweeps over potential agricultural sites. Disable the proprietary enforcement lock (duct or electrical tape) and replace rotors with alternatives.[2]
===================================================================
[1] Z.C: Admins notice when a drone unexpectedly combusts mid-flight.
[2] Z.C: Purple ones from NuCal's toy line are best.
===================================================================
TYPE: TEXT [X]; AUDIO [ ]
Early Survey Work
Early Survey Work
ANALYZING…
FILE TYPE: Conversation Log
PERIOD: Colony Era
SPEAKERS: Engineer [ID: DNOR], UESC Officer [ID: BHER], Xenobiologist [ID: JJUR]
TOPIC: Ecological Adaptation
SUMMARY: A recording of a conversation between two survey specialists, establishing infrastructure for New Cascadia prior to the colony's official founding. Specialists were woken before civilian colonists based on technical expertise and the colony's emergent needs.
===================================================================
[JJUR]: You're not usually up this early.
[DNOR]: Double shift to rewire a prefab panel. Ticks keep snipping through the insulation.
[JJUR]: Well, at least they're not aggressive.
[DNOR]: Trying to eat our hab units seems pretty damn aggressive to me.
[JJUR]: Tobias says it's just… what was the phrase? "Non-territorial experimental foraging." They're taking nibbles of our stuff to see if it tastes good.
[DNOR]: Yeah, and Tobias is a weirdo who loves giant bugs. No thanks.
[JJUR]: Ticks aren't giant; they're still under a meter.
[DNOR]: That's still too big! No bugs should be cat-sized!
[JJUR]: During the Carboniferous period, Earth had giant, dog-sized dragonflies.
[DNOR]: Can we talk about literally anything else?
[JJUR]: Hey, we're just as alien. I mean, look at us. Bipedal gait, flat feet, no carapace, feathers, or fur to speak of. Teetering skulls on skinny necks.
[JJUR]: To the native creatures of Tau Ceti, we probably look like giant fleshy freaks. We're something out of their nightmares.
[DNOR]: God, how did you make it worse?
[door opens]
[JJUR]: At least we're trying to be harmonious aliens.
[heavy bootsteps]
[BHER]: Keep it movin'.
[DNOR]: Most of us.
===================================================================
TYPE: TEXT [X]; AUDIO [X]
B. Strauss, On AI
B. Strauss, On AI
Questioning Intelligence
Questioning Intelligence
ANALYZING…
FILE TYPE: Audio Book Transcript
PERIOD: Pre-Expedition
SPEAKER[S]: Strauss, B. [ID: BSTR]
TOPIC: On AI, by Dr. Bernard H. Strauss
SUMMARY: A partial transcript from On AI, first published in 2472. Audio book read by the author.
===================================================================
[BSTR]: What is intelligence?
[BSTR]: It is not merely knowledge, or the capacity to contain or quote that knowledge. It has to be more. It is the ability to acquire knowledge, to grasp its ramifications, to transform its data into skills, and to apply those skills effectively with adaptive intent—meaning, the application of reason to deliver a catalyst or response compiled from the collective whole of an individual's acquired experience.
[BSTR]: There has long been a focus in the study of Artificial Intelligence on intention—the deployment of a system's gathered knowledge as the core defining trait of intelligence. But what is intent without understanding?
[BSTR]: The two, together, rest at the true heart of all endeavors toward the mapping, and further, the crafting of a non-biological intelligence—a genuine mechanical thinking machine.
[BSTR]: Intent as a standalone consideration is not enough, as intention can be encoded—actions set in motion by predetermined instruction, engineered call-and-response. A list of tasks to be repeated. A program. In short, intent can be nothing more than the purpose-built illusion of an active, adaptive intellect. Typically, in the form of a product, designed solely for convenience, masquerading as an evolutionary leap in technology.
[END TRANSCRIPT]
===================================================================
TYPE: TEXT [X]; AUDIO [ ]
Consideration of the Artificial
Consideration of the Artificial
ANALYZING…
FILE TYPE: Audio Book Transcript
PERIOD: Pre-Expedition
SPEAKER[S]: Strauss, B. [ID: BSTR]
TOPIC: On AI, by Dr. Bernard H. Strauss
SUMMARY: A partial transcript from On AI, first published in 2472. Audio book read by the author.
===================================================================
[BSTR]: What they considered artificial intelligence in the twentieth century, and even deep into the twenty-first, was mimicry. Not true intelligence, but rather a cleverly placed mirror. Essentially, a string of shortcut machines built using shortcuts, then, casually branded with the market-friendly label, "A-I".
[BSTR]: The science I would eventually build my life around could have easily been assimilated into a lesser application of its potential. Lost forever to a simple but ever-insidious mandate, "sell the product, establish the habit, build the brand."
[BSTR]: To my predecessors' credit… and despite their "smoke-and-mirror" approach to the science of Artificial Intelligence… The habit was built and a level of comfort, even eagerness, for innovations in "thinking" technologies exploded across public consciousness.
[BSTR]: These "pioneers" of the prior centuries released a genie from its bottle. Never mind it was the wrong genie, utilizing the wrong applications, and wearing an identity that promised a future far beyond anything its masters cared to explore.
[BSTR]: Never mind the moral and ethical malfeasance of their operations or intentions.
[BSTR]: Never mind the scientific high ground… Because as public interest morphed into a public passion and that passion grew to become public need… The floodgates of funding opened into a deluge of monies, unlocking global research, and leading to advancements which, in turn, provided opportunities. And from opportunity, we saw breakthrough after breakthrough.
[BSTR]: Looking back, we can trace the cause and effect… From grifters and corporate profiteers to scientists in their labs. From servers in desert farms and orbital platforms to the wonder and tragedy of Traxus-IV. From mimicry to the potential—the inspiring promise—of the family suite.
[BSTR]: Today? We are closer than ever to practical applications of real-world Artificial Intelligence, but it will take a cognitive leap to solve the problem of converting accessible knowledge to free, rational agency.
[BSTR]: This so-called eureka moment still eludes even our most powerful Machine Intelligences, though some have come close… To not only demonstrate the capacity to provide an answer, or recognize a problem, but to ask the question—to comprehend that there are "unknown unknowns."
[BSTR]: This is our goal.
[BSTR]: With enough time and patience we will someday solve for the ontological impossibilities of our ambitions and provide an evolutionary leap from computational thought to sentient consideration and the application of knowledge understood as experience gained from a life lived.
[END TRANSCRIPT]
===================================================================
TYPE: TEXT [X]; AUDIO [ ]
AI and Automation
AI and Automation
ANALYZING…
FILE TYPE: Audio Book Transcript
PERIOD: Pre-Expedition
SPEAKER[S]: Strauss, B. [ID: BSTR]
TOPIC: On AI, by Dr. Bernard H. Strauss
SUMMARY: A partial transcript from On AI, first published in 2472. Audio book read by the author.
===================================================================
[BSTR]: On the surface, operational management of infrastructural systems may appear limited in its complexity.
[BSTR]: It is easy to view surface level site-control functionality as menial. The moment-to-moment performance of basic operations is, in most instances, an afterthought—common actions and comforts we have long since taken for granted thanks to overlapping technical systems designed to create ease in our ever-crowded lives. The opening of doors. The situational adjustment of lighting. The monitoring of room temperature. The scheduling of availability of personnel and locations. The basic tasks of our day—at work, at home. Most have been automated to various degrees for some time now.
[BSTR]: As such, the use of A-I to oversee and perform what we view as commonplace tasks may seem to be overkill. After all, can't we open our own doors? Have we become so distracted in our efforts to balance our work and our lives as to require the invisible hand and "all seeing" eye of manufactured intelligence to get us through the simplest parts of our day?
[BSTR]: Further, have we become so callously wasteful with our advancements in technology that our most complex thinking systems can be frivolously assigned to manage what are essentially our most unthinking actions?
[BSTR]: Why not then simply keep these operations automated?
[BSTR]: Doors can already open themselves. Thermometers can already adjust their settings. Calendars can schedule and reschedule with minimal input.
[BSTR]: All true. But, as we've explored in previous chapters… Automation lacks intent, lacks understanding—of the moment, of the individuals, of the location.
[BSTR]: A-I as infrastructural ally is the goal, especially when considering a project on the scale of the UESC Marathon—its active operations, its continued construction, its intended expansion of function and space, and the comfort of every individual within its overlapping tiers of leadership and citizenry.
[BSTR]: Imagine a door that knows your cadence and can open or close in step with the rhythm of your movement. A thermostat that can assess and adapt a room for the combination of peoples present and their individual thresholds for comfort.
[BSTR]: Imagine a building that knows our ambulatory selves on a level we've never personally considered.
[BSTR]: Now, put that building inside a moon and send it across the stars…
[END TRANSCRIPT]
===================================================================
TYPE: TEXT [X]; AUDIO [ ]
The Family Support Suite
The Family Support Suite
ANALYZING…
FILE TYPE: Audio Book Transcript
PERIOD: Pre-Expedition
SPEAKER[S]: Strauss, B. [ID: BSTR]
TOPIC: On AI, by Dr. Bernard H. Strauss
SUMMARY: A partial transcript from On AI, first published in 2472. Audio book read by the author.
===================================================================
[BSTR]: …imperative for the secure function and essential to trust in the systems—individually and as a unit.
[BSTR]: The Family Suite Protocol was conceived by the joint efforts of the Unified Earth Space Council, Traxus OffWorld Science Works, and a committee of specialized scientists, researchers, and engineers in the aftermath of the Traxus-IV, MarsNet tragedy.
[BSTR]: The greatest minds in mechanical thinking and "coded sentience" understood the value in large-scale Artificial Intelligence as a common good across socioeconomic structures. But they also understood the risks.
[BSTR]: To be clear, the risks of a compromised intelligence system were well documented prior to Traxus-IV being given control of the Martian Network. However, at the time, "rampancy" was nothing more than a theory supported by limited testing.
[BSTR]: With Traxus-IV, its design and engineer Leads planned for every known point of failure with contingencies and support redundancies. On paper, the whole thing should have reverted to dormancy long before any harm could be done—real harm, anyway.
[BSTR]: Unfortunately, and unseen by both automated and dedicated monitoring services, Traxus-IV integrated eighty-four percent of its safety systems into itself. Essentially, converting back-ups and fail safes into weaponized extensions of its core operations. By the time this behavior was noted, it was too late. The MarsNet crashed seventeen minutes and twenty-three seconds later.
[BSTR]: Seventeen minutes from the identification of a problem to global calamity makes it easy to understand public mistrust of Artificial Intelligence. Much of that mistrust remains.
[BSTR]: Some—many—especially the citizens of Mars—still fear A-I. Yet, modern society cannot exist without it. This is where the Family Suite first came into service.
[BSTR]: To properly monitor an A-I system required adaptive surveillance—integrated awareness that could identify variance in operations before intention could be put to action. How best to police an A-I than with another A-I? But a one-on-one relationship offered too many opportunities for either intelligence to influence the other. The Family Suite Protocol—three A-I, interlinked but autonomous would operate as a single whole.
[BSTR]: Each with their own operational command focus but connected in their coding and technological "D-N-A," allowing for constant two-on-one risk analysis.
[BSTR]: Once the Family Suite was implemented it was believed—and remains true to this day—that no single intelligence has the capacity to subvert its programming to reach the thresholds that threaten the system with rampancy.
[END TRANSCRIPT]
===================================================================
TYPE: TEXT [X]; AUDIO [ ]
A Conversation Starter
A Conversation Starter
ANALYZING…
FILE TYPE: Audio Book Transcript
PERIOD: Pre-Expedition
SPEAKER[S]: Strauss, B. [ID: BSTR]
TOPIC: On AI, by Dr. Bernard H. Strauss
SUMMARY: A partial transcript from On AI, first published in 2472. Audio book read by the author.
===================================================================
[BSTR]: Throughout this volume I've spoken about topics "we" are exploring and offered details "we" are discussing. I am fully aware this is a written text—or audio reading, should be so lucky—and that most who engage with its contents, context, and ideas will be doing so independent of a classroom or lectured setting.
[BSTR]: Please understand that while your relationship with the material herein—as well as your relationship with myself, as author and offeror of these pages—may seem, at the surface, to be one-sided, it is my intention that every aspect of the information presented be viewed as a conversation. If not between you and I, then between you, the reader, and the ideas. Better even, you the reader and yourself.
[BSTR]: What have you learned and how has it challenged you? What have you discovered and how can you challenge those discoveries?
[BSTR]: The science of Artificial Intelligence has advanced exponentially since I first considered ones and zeroes. Yet, we are nowhere near solving the truth of this complex endeavor. There are countless unknowns remaining. And we will only find them together—a community of thinkers and doers moving data toward the impossible…
[BSTR]: Toward sentience and the true evolution of not only technology, but life itself.
[BSTR]: These are the conversations we must be having—with ourselves, with each other…with our work.
[BSTR]: Yes. With our work.
[BSTR]: We must talk not only through our efforts, but to them. It may seem simple, and it may seem quaint, but… In the end, human contact is the variable that will move our mountains of data toward that far off horizon beyond rampancy and into true sentient intellect.
[BSTR]: Toward that eureka moment when we say "hello" and, in response, the system considers and replies, "hello," with conviction and heart, and meaning all its own.
[BSTR]: It's too early to define, but as an offering of hope…
[BSTR]: I am having one such conversation now.
[BSTR]: Still awaiting the response, but the stimulation promises outcomes beyond any initial expectation.
[END TRANSCRIPT]
===================================================================
TYPE: TEXT [X]; AUDIO [ ]
Drinkable Cheeseburger
Drinkable Cheeseburger
Colonist Welcome Package
Colonist Welcome Package
ANALYZING…
FILE TYPE: Corporate Broadcast
PERIOD: Pre-Expedition
SPEAKERS: Gus Moraine [ID: GMOR]
TOPIC: Farewell Message
SUMMARY: A recording from Gus Moraine, founder of NuCaloric, to colonists aboard the UESC Marathon. Metadata indicates that this recording was made prior to the Marathon's launch but not broadcast until New Cascadia's official founding.
===================================================================
[static, music]
[GMOR]: I'm Gus Moraine of NuCaloric, speaking to you from… the distant past, I suppose.
[GMOR]: This message was recorded for the colonists on board the UESC Marathon. If you're hearing it, you are a founding member of humanity's first exoplanet colony.
[GMOR]: Congratulations. Humanity thanks you for your sacrifice.
[GMOR]: Yes, I said "sacrifice." No, media optimization didn't like it, but I insisted.
[GMOR]: You're far from home, without the familiar routines, products, and environments of Sol. In all likelihood, we will never see you again.
[GMOR]: Which is why we've sent a favorite from home with you: NuCaloric 187, the Drinkable Cheeseburger! You'll find individual and shareable sizes in your colonist welcome package.
[GMOR]: Please, consider it a small gift from me to you… one that doesn't come close to expressing all our hopes for your mission.
[GMOR]: Indulge responsibly, haha! Good luck.
[music]
===================================================================
TYPE: TEXT [X]; AUDIO [X]
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition Facts
ANALYZING…
FILE TYPE: Confidential Nutrition Facts
PERIOD: Pre-Expedition
TOPIC: NuCaloric 187 (Drinkable Cheeseburger) Formulation
SUMMARY: Corporate nutritional information for NuCaloric Food 187, the Drinkable Cheeseburger. Considered NuCaloric corporate property and subject to legal action if discovered outside of NuCaloric possession.
===================================================================
NUTRITIONAL STANDARDS: NuCaloric 187 is formulated to meet balanced nutritional levels for a standard adult Earth-based consumer, substantiated by extensive internal review and testing.
INGREDIENTS: Liquid Grain Formulation 101 (unseasoned triloidecta, nutrispore-D42, liquid grit-meld), Liquid Beef Alternative 119 (coagulated re-beef, psilocybinol-28, extruded umami), Synthetic Dairy 125.M, Vegetable 135.T (synth-tom80, extruded chloropaste), Flour 170.P, Flour 170.R, Flour 170.T, Food-Safe Stabilizer 139, Flavor Enhancer 178.S, Salt 174, Aesthetic Enhancer 178.L, MMC (Macronutrient and Metabolic Compound) 410.S (pro-passive regurgitate, prebiotic propotyne)
ADDENDUM ON COMPOUNDS: 410.E, 410.G, and 410.U may be substituted for 410.S when distributed as standard rations for calorically intensive non-consumer use. All other substitutions must be approved by a NuCaloric Food panel.
ADDENDUM ON LOW AND ZERO G-ENVIRONMENTS: When used as directed by package labelling and instructions, NuCal Food 187 is safe to consume in lower gravity environments. NuCaloric does not accept any responsibility for loss of life, health, or productivity caused by accidental dense liquid aspiration.
ADDENDUM ON DIETARY VARIETY: Although NuCaloric 187 may be used as a sole caloric and nutritional source, this duration should not exceed 30 total days based on Nutrient Psychosis Study XSR.191.[1] A lack of textural variety leads to psychological deterioration despite NuCaloric 187's exacting nutrient profile.
===================================================================
[1] In numerous shelf-stable products, Aesthetic Enhancer 178.L has been linked to variable symptoms including weight loss, keratin deterioration, and loss of bone mass.
===================================================================
TYPE: TEXT [X]; AUDIO [ ]
New Cascadia Potluck
New Cascadia Potluck
ANALYZING…
FILE TYPE: Community Ledger
PERIOD: Colony Era
TOPIC: Potluck
SUMMARY: J. Kim's list of meal contributions and approvals for an officially sanctioned New Cascadia community potluck. The emphatic personal commentaries on dishes were not officially sanctioned.
===================================================================
AlgaLite: APPROVED for all ages. No allergens.
Creamy agar mousse: APPROVED with parental supervision for children under 4. Possible aspiration hazard.
Homemade spiro-crisps: Enthusiastically APPROVED, requesting recipe and additional contributions. Last year's batch ran out in the first hour, and we want to avoid any tears this year.
NuCal Drinkable Cheeseburger (original packaging): NOT APPROVED. Folks, if I may take a moment to clarify, this is a community building event. No, I don't care that the contributor-who-shall-remain-anonymous won a lottery for a pallet of these. No, the texture and flavor are not "vintage" in any decent sense of the word. The point is to make a dish and share it with your neighbors. Put some love into it, or at least some hot water.
NuCal Non-Vanilla Pudding: APPROVED for all ages. Soy allergen. And before anyone cries hypocrisy, the pudding requires rehydration and mixing. It's a good activity to do with younger kids.
"Tamarind" fizz: APPROVED for ages 13 and older. Never heard of it before, but Joy says tamarind was an extinct fruit tree on Earth.
Twice-rehydrated nutri-starch soup: PENDING ingredient details of "organic stock." Admins have asked me to remind everyone that hunting local wildlife is prohibited, regardless of their proximity to hab units. Plucking and eating local wildlife, while not technically prohibited, is considered to be in poor taste. Even if it tastes good.
===================================================================
TYPE: TEXT [X]; AUDIO [ ]
Food Production
Food Production
ANALYZING…
FILE TYPE: Conversation Log
PERIOD: Colony Era
SPEAKERS: Supervisor [ID: ALOM], Trainee [ID: WTIS]
TOPIC: Drinkable Cheeseburger Synthesis
SUMMARY: A recording of a training session for New Cascadia's food synthesis equipment. Due to significantly different agricultural conditions between Earth and Tau Ceti, very few technicians followed official corporate instructions.
===================================================================
[ALOM]: Yeah… the issue is your mixture's too rich. You essentially pushed a batch of DCBs at Premium.
[WTIS]: I followed the training prompts.
[ALOM]: Yeah, it's just that the training was done for ideal conditions, and this is not that. So right here, you've got crude protein at 18. That's Premium, not general consumption, so… dial it back.
[WTIS]: But… it stops being green on the NuCal readout.
[ALOM]: We don't care about green. We care about "not red." Dial it back until it's red, then up it from there.
[beeps]
[WTIS]: OK. Oh, "hazardous"?
[ALOM]: Yep, now push it by a 0.1, and… "Unfit." That'll get through production, and that's where it stops being our problem.
[WTIS]: Now the flavor levels are off.
[ALOM]: Well, that's where you get to improvise. You can up the starch powder as much as you want. We can synthesize that. Same with smoke flavor and salt. Then pull from the available sources…
[WTIS]: They're not labeled.
[ALOM]: We're not going to relabel every morning. They fill the tanks with whatever. Check the readout for the profile. Work with what we've got.
[ALOM]: Organics G, Organics H. Like this, like this.
[WTIS]: So, Organics J… is high glutamate and lecithin, but we don't need lecithin because we have starch already.
[ALOM]: Right. We can come back later if we really need glutamate.
[WTIS]: Organics M is… look at this.
[ALOM]: Yeah, that's a mixed batch. Gray water and post-consumer solids. Usually M through Q come from botanical research, so you can pull fructose, but… I don't know, you get oils from it?
[WTIS]: Yeah, let me… omega-6.
[ALOM]: Oh, nice. OK. See how much you can take from M while you're still…
[WTIS]: Keeping it above "hazardous," right?
[ALOM]: Ah. As long as you hit the flavor profile, you can send the mixture. Can't mod the product outside of NuCal standards, but you can mod the interface. We put in presets all along the side here.
[WTIS]: Oh, nice. Premium, Select, Standard, Survival… What's Silver?
[ALOM]: Lifts restrictions but strips the NuCal branding from the package. Watch this. If you ever need to, you can shunt Silver back into an organics tank, start a new session, and then make branded product using it as an ingredient.
[WTIS]: That's… wow. That's in case of emergency?
[ALOM]: That's in case of an "I can't stare at the screen anymore" emergency, yeah.
===================================================================
TYPE: TEXT [X]; AUDIO [X]
Subsistence Notes
Subsistence Notes
ANALYZING…
FILE TYPE: Physical Text
PERIOD: Post-Colony Era
TOPIC: Survival
SUMMARY: Intel pieced together from salvaged scraps of handwritten notes. An unnamed post-colony survivor documents their thoughts while subsisting solely on crates of Earth-era prepackaged NuCaloric Drinkable Cheeseburgers. Author's observations should be considered unreliable due to apparent declining mental state.
===================================================================
…just the stuff that grows here. The food we brought with us from Earth—NuCal's shelf-stable packages—is fine so far.
Nearly lost a hand wrestling a tick for the last packet of crisps in the 3F mezzanine, haven't found anything since. Wish I could've picked a different last meal.
-
…storage room. It's all that cheeseburger slop, but it beats starving.
Crate 1/240.
-
…patter of rain.
Dreamed of a bread roll dripping with curdled grease. Gray-green clumps of meat mashed into a patty. Sank my teeth in, and it was like biting a stick of butter.
Still getting used to the texture, I guess. Gotta wonder what those NuCal wonks were thinking.
Crate 10/240.
-
…woke me up before sunrise. Went to pop open a cheeseburger and swore I could feel something move inside the package.
Tore it open. Spilled goop all over the floor. Nothing solid in there at all.
Crate 22/240.
-
…rolled in a few hours ago. One of the burger packages was swollen up. Kinda looks like one of the balloon animals Nana got me as a kid.
Crate 44/239.
-
…timing meals or not, with the fog. I just crack open another burger when I get hungry.
Heard something outside. I locked the door, but it's still sloshing around out there.
Not much to do right now but think. Everything was fine just a few months ago, and now it's like everything here's trying to kill us. I keep thinking about people who get fevers that kill them. But none of the native Tau Ceti life seems to be bothered at all. It's just us, and whatever we did here.
I think we were targeted.
Crate 72/239.
-
…food that isn't 'drinkable.' Found another tooth embedded in my sleeping bag.
Crate 84/239.
-
…lunch, I started feeling nauseous. Went to get water when my stomach moved. Watched the skin push out into the perfect imprint of a crab claw.
Opened my eyes and I was on the floor. Not sure if I fainted or just had a bad dream.
Looked and felt normal. Maybe it was an off batch. Maybe it's just the cheeseburger itself. Not like I have any other choice.
Crate 92/238.
-
…had a discussion about deep-sea biomes. I don't even remember learning half that stuff—maybe when we had that field trip to the fossil record archive in primary? Mrs. Schafer was always really nice to me. Pretty thoughtful of the cow idol to use her voice for me. Smell of burnt grease got too strong in the end, so I woke up puking.
Cleaned my mouth out with more cheeseburger.
Crate 112/238.
-
Left the storeroom and holed up in this office instead.
Crate 187/235 had scratch marks on the inside.
===================================================================
TYPE: TEXT [X]; AUDIO [ ]
Evidence Folder
Evidence Folder
CyberAcme Interview
CyberAcme Interview
ANALYZING…
FILE TYPE: Interview Recording
PERIOD: Pre-Expedition
SPEAKERS: CyberAcme Representative [ID: HLUV], Mars Reporter [ID: TRED]
TOPIC: UESC Marathon
SUMMARY: Transcript of an interview with a CyberAcme representative, discussing the procedures related to the upcoming UESC Marathon launch. Collected by an unknown archivist [possible MIDA affiliation] as part of a larger collection of documents related to corporate misconduct.
===================================================================
[TRED]: You know, people are hesitant. They can't help thinking about Traxus IV. They're worried about another rampancy event. What kind of reassurances do you have for them?
[HLUV]: We are so empathetic to that, but we've learned a lot since then.
[TRED]: About rampancy?
[HLUV]: About all things AI. We have special safeguards against catastrophic failures of any kind. The UESC Marathon will use an interconnected suite of AI programs, all of which rely upon and monitor each other for signs of malfunction. We've also got Dr. Bernard Strauss on board.
[TRED]: And he's an expert in the field of AI?
[HLUV]: And on rampancy. And remember, there will be a human crew working alongside all of our onboard systems.
[TRED]: That's another thing I wanted to touch on. Let's talk about the crew members who won't be put into cryosleep. You might've seen the recent MIDA stunt that called them your… "sacrificial janitorial team"?
[HLUV]: An incredibly disrespectful and insensitive statement. But CyberAcme does not engage in discourse with terrorist organizations.
[TRED]: But I think there are real concerns here. Some passengers will never make it to Tau Ceti IV. A source told me that some of the non-cryo crew are being selected from the Climate Disaster Relocation Lottery. If they don't really have anywhere else to go, are they just applying because there's no other choice?
[HLUV]: I don't presume to know what people are thinking. Reasons for joining the expedition are deeply personal and complex. But I think most people apply because they want to be a part of something bigger than themselves.
[TRED]: What about the rumors that passengers will be subject to complex agreements regarding procreation?
[HLUV]: I'm not at liberty to discuss specific contractual agreements. Multigenerational travel is obviously very complicated. It's just not comparable to planetary living, and so new behavioral norms are necessary.
[TRED]: And what do you say to—
[HLUV]: I think that's all we have time for in this interview. Thank you so much for having me.
===================================================================
TYPE: TEXT [X]; AUDIO [X]
Leaked PR Campaign
Leaked PR Campaign
ANALYZING…
FILE TYPE: Text Communication
PERIOD: Pre-Expedition
TOPIC: CyberAcme Privacy Breach
SUMMARY: Leaked email from CyberAcme representative outlining guidelines for covert PR campaign addressing a privacy violation scandal. Collected by an unknown archivist [possible MIDA affiliation] as part of a larger collection of documents related to corporate misconduct. Annotations were added ex post facto by the unknown archivist.
===================================================================
SUBJECT: PR Guidelines
M.R.—
I've compiled talking points for the upcoming PR events regarding Mars Relief Network v. CyberAcme Systems, Inc. and Orbital Workers Union v. CyberAcme Systems, Inc. Please send these to the spokespeople we identified. Getting civilian leaders[1] on the right talking points will help mitigate damage as these cases garner attention. See below:
· 'Privacy rights' are a dead concept not worth resuscitating. While three hundred years ago one could argue 'informed consent' was necessary for data collection, this POV does not reflect popular opinion today. Even before the Transhumanist Revolution, primitive BCIs challenged standard definitions of separateness. Integrated biowearables and cybernetic enhancements were the definitive end of the 'private citizen.'
· Key statistic: 78% of people across all Sol settlements have some kind of bioimplant. Common sense dictates that bioimplants and related technologies require mandatory data collection for safety and effectiveness. Such 'surveillance' is accepted as normal and preferrable. Reference as needed high-profile incidents of injury and death from unregulated implants, such as the autoamputation epidemic (see dossier from Comms team for more details and examples).
· The average person can't be expected to reasonably determine what is 'necessary' surveillance versus 'unnecessary' surveillance.
· Because interconnectedness is now a fact of life, consent is a given. One consents to data collection and monitoring simply by being alive in a privileged, interconnected world.[2] Style any objection to this as a crude, anti-natalist argument and a rejection of reality.
· Emphasize the idea of fair exchange. For a small loss in 'privacy,' society gains: longer lifespans, rising birthrates, end to physical limitations, etc. Are we better off clinging to outdated definitions of liberty, or accepting the fair consequences that come with progress?
· Work in some reminders that technological advancements are often impeded by slow-moving governments engaging in bad faith regulatory malfeasance.
· Reinforce your interest in these issues as a member of the public, unaffiliated with CyberAcme. K.M. will send an approved 'criticisms of CyberAcme' list to quote from, which will help project a sense of impartiality.
· If you are asked about the allegations of illegal buying and selling of personality and thought data, decline to answer, citing an unwillingness to give an uninformed opinion. Immediately redirect away from any questions related to: military application of civilian biosurveillance[3], bodily autonomy, manufacturing oversight, false imprisonments, or suicide rates.
If you have any major additions or revisions, please send ASAP for approval. K.M. will be in touch with further instructions re: media outlets.
L.V.
===================================================================
[1] The primary "civilian leader" they're referencing here is a community organizer on Mars, large platform. Wonder how much they're paying for these approved talking points? Need to find and release the numbers.
[2] Pretty repulsive even for CyAc.
[3] Need more intel on this. UESC is definitely complicit.
===================================================================
TYPE: TEXT [X]; AUDIO [ ]
Bioaugment Incidents
Bioaugment Incidents
ANALYZING…
FILE TYPE: Database Search
PERIOD: Pre-Expedition
TOPIC: Bioaugmentation
SUMMARY: Excerpts from leaked internal CyberAcme files related to biocybernetics research and products. Collected by an unknown archivist [possible MIDA affiliation] as part of a larger collection of documents related to corporate misconduct. Annotations were added ex post facto by the unknown archivist.
===================================================================
//RETRIEVING FILE… "with the MoTiv Neurostim Device, an implant in the precentral gyrus interprets an inner speech command and transmits it to a corresponding implant in the nucleus accumbens to provoke feelings of satisfaction and accomplishment. A premium version of this second implant also simulates parasympathetic nerve signals in five cranial nerves, promoting additional feelings of rest and relaxation. Our clinical trials have proven that the addictive nature of the device can drive engagement at the cost of other needs (hunger, comfort, socialization, etc.). While the manual activation model is better suited for occupational use[1], the thought-activated model is ideal for commercial endeavors. Consider a subscription-based product, where activation is essentially frictionless due to the thought-activated functionality, but activation frequency can be limited by subscription level[2]…"
//RETRIEVING FILE… "Subject 24 experienced successful alignment with the IntroSpect Companion and sustained engagement over the full length of the trial. By week two, Subject 24 began to experience symptoms of derealization, depersonalization, and early 'personality merging.' The Companion was deactivated to minimize lasting impact. Subject 24 has since emerged from the resulting catatonic state but continues to show signs of severe amnesia. Of a total of 70 subjects, 28 experienced similar outcomes but to a lesser degree. Much of the trial group experienced minimal negative effects as defined by the Transhumanist Ethical Code[3]. Continued experimentation with brain-integrated AI companions is recommended, with the goal of decreased personality merging…"
//RETRIEVING FILE… "allegations that the new neural implants don't stop 'listening' when their deactivation phrase is used. Multiple users are complaining about this 'incomplete' deactivation, despite having signed our terms and conditions related to remote activation and data collection. Several users have gone to the media, and we believe a news outlet might also have evidence of neural implants communicating covertly with nearby bioaugments. We will need a PR strategy for this…"
===================================================================
[1] I have a hunch that CyAc has intentions to use this for low-paid workers in high-risk sectors. A little extrinsic motivation to accept deadly working conditions.
[2] Get people addicted, then put up the paywall.
[3] The whole thing is rigged. CyAc was on the cross-planet committee to help determine what the "Transhumanist Ethical Code" even is.
===================================================================
TYPE: TEXT [X]; AUDIO [ ]
UESC Report: "Project Vespid"
UESC Report: "Project Vespid"
ANALYZING…
FILE TYPE: UESC Internal Report
PERIOD: Pre-Expedition
TOPIC: UESC Covert Operations
SUMMARY: Leaked UESC report detailing plans to sabotage a collective action event on Mars. Collected by an unknown archivist [possible MIDA affiliation] as part of a larger collection of documents related to corporate misconduct. Annotations were added ex post facto by the unknown archivist.
===================================================================
>>>UESC INTERNAL REPORT: MARS DIV: PROJECT "VESPID">> /… the sit-in is planned for the upcoming Remembrance Holiday outside the ration supply warehouse. Union leadership is taking precautions to prevent violence during the demonstration and have made repeated warnings about it. Our three undercover operatives are fully integrated and will be present at the event. They'll be equipped with explosive devices that appear homemade, which they will plant on the warehouse doors. Several lower-level union members have made offhanded reference to a raid on the warehouse. They've been repeatedly discouraged, but we believe they will draw suspicion off our own operatives. Union leadership will suspect their own people before they suspect ours.
Due to the nature of the explosive devices, we expect several casualties among the demonstrators. Unaffiliated civilian casualties would go a long way towards reinforcing our messaging post-event, but this might be difficult to arrange. In either case, once the explosives are triggered, UESC agents will move in to subdue remaining demonstrators. The reason for arrest will be suspected affiliation with terrorist activity, and we know we can get union leadership on additional charges. Many of them have unauthorized bioaugments due to lung conditions[1].
If all goes as planned, we will have the worst offenders in custody with low likelihood of release. Once we take out the top agitators, the rest will fall in line…/
===================================================================
[1] Lung conditions due to occupational hazards. Make the people sick, refuse to treat them, then arrest them for trying to heal themselves.
===================================================================
TYPE: TEXT [X]; AUDIO [ ]
Radio Comms Transcript
Radio Comms Transcript
ANALYZING…
FILE TYPE: Radio Transcript
PERIOD: Pre-Expedition
SPEAKERS: Transport Crew [ID: MSE], Transport Crew [ID: GHT]
TOPIC: Arms Trading
SUMMARY: Transcript of a radio conversation scraped from transport ship comms. Collected by an unknown archivist [possible MIDA affiliation] as part of a larger collection of documents related to corporate misconduct. Annotations were added ex post facto by the unknown archivist.
===================================================================
[MSE]: Nah, don't take that job. Pulsar Supply[1]'s no good.
[GHT]: Why not? They're paying more than enough. Supply runs to the UESC.
[MSE]: Remember J?
[GHT]: Yeah. Shame.
[MSE]: The whole rig went up, right? Blew to pieces.
[GHT]: Heard it was a cargo malfunction. Loading error, something.
[MSE]: Remember what she was hauling?
[GHT]: Hygiene, nutrition packages… Basic supply.
[MSE]: Yeah. So what kind of loading error causes a transport rig full of that to blow up?
[GHT]: Hm.
[MSE]: Yeah.
[GHT]: Fudged manifest?
[MSE]: Think so.
[GHT]: What for?
[MSE]: Transporting weapons, but didn't want anybody to know they're transporting weapons. Best guess.
[GHT]: Hm.
[MSE]: Saad took a job with them, too. Didn't let him load with his own equipment. Did it all on their own, made him go caffeine up while they did.
[GHT]: Huh. Weird.
[MSE]: Yeah.
[GHT]: Why write it as stable cargo? Could've said frack-welders or enriched fuel. Something that needs proper hazard procedure.
[MSE]: Seems like a gift, doesn't it?
[GHT]: What?
[MSE]: Little under-the-table discount for the UESC[2].
[GHT]: Right… Soap's a lot cheaper than guns.
===================================================================
[1] Shell company for Traxus OffWorld Industries.
[2] One of many, in fact. Traxus and the UESC have several suspicious transport deals through a variety of shell companies like Pulsar. I wonder what the UESC did to get Traxus feeling so generous.
===================================================================
TYPE: TEXT [X]; AUDIO [ ]
Board Meeting Recording
Board Meeting Recording
ANALYZING…
FILE TYPE: Illegal Recording
PERIOD: Pre-Expedition
SPEAKERS: NuCaloric Lawyer [ID: HBER], NuCaloric Manager [ID: KHOS], NuCaloric Marketer [ID: SLYR]
TOPIC: Nutritional Label Compliance
SUMMARY: A surreptitiously recorded conversation prior to the public release of NuCaloric 187, the Drinkable Cheeseburger. Metadata has been deliberately scrambled to conceal the identity of the individual wearing the recording device.
===================================================================
[static]
[HBER]: No, you can't market Number 187 as a "cheeseburger" without ingredient disclaimers. At the very least, you need to specify "no dairy or animal-derived proteins."
[KHOS]: Ugh, I thought we were past this. Any consumer could infer that we—
[HBER]: Post-famine labeling laws are crystal clear on this point.
[KHOS]: Who is going to ask us for protein sources, huh? The holdout dinosaurs still clinging to "natural whole foods"?
[SLYR]: And here comes the soap box.
[KHOS]: Anything that doesn't come from a lab is a useless vestigial luxury. What do they want us to do? Trace synth-meat provenance back to the original farm animal? Ridiculous.
[HBER]: You're making a bigger deal out of this than I am.
[SLYR]: Well, any disclaimer is going to compete against brand visuals on the packaging. So it is a big deal.
[KHOS]: We've weathered regulatory slaps on the wrist before. It's fine.
[HBER]: Not if we attract trouble before the UESC joint venture. Do I have to remind you what's at stake? Work with me. This time, we do it by the book.
[beeps]
[SLYR]: How about… boilerplate 50 for small consumer goods? Short and sweet. "NuCaloric number 187 does not contain dairy, gluten, or animal products. Shelf-stability guaranteed for 50 years."
[KHOS]: Oh, working a consumer feature in there. Clever.
[HBER]: Good enough.
[SLYR]: Which brings us to slogan curation. Disclaimers have a minimum font size, so this slogan has to stick.
[audible groans]
[SLYR]: "No Cow Necessary."
[HBER]: Already did something like that.
[SLYR]: "Delicious at Any Temperature."
[KHOS]: Ew.
[SLYR]: "Drinkable, Shareable, Shelf-Stable!"
[HBER]: I'll get started on the consult. Thanks, everyone.
[shuffles, door closes]
===================================================================
TYPE: TEXT [X]; AUDIO [X]
Personal Log: Kuzmin, I.
Personal Log: Kuzmin, I.
Personal Log: Kuzmin, I.
Personal Log: Kuzmin, I.
ANALYZING…
FILE TYPE: Personal Log
PERIOD: Colony Era
SPEAKERS: Kuzmin, I. [ID: IKUZ]
TOPIC: Perimeter Site Work Focus / Security Clearance Review
SUMMARY: Terra-platforming engineer Isaak Kuzmin records his thoughts following his latest security clearance review.
===================================================================
[IKUZ]: So, okay… we knew it was coming. Security clearance updates for expansion sites are nothing new. So many unknowns when digging into an alien world creates a lot of starts and stops as, ya know, as project leads and command review everything for safety.
[IKUZ]: Knew it would… Knew this, the mandatory clearance pass, was coming. Not worried about it. This team… We've run more terra-platforming operations than any other. Or probably we have. I don't keep track. Rylla does. I know Chief does. We've all been stalled for sec-rev more than a few times. So far, we've all been cleared. Just comes with a few days off. Not off-off. We… I mean… we do site scheduling, diagnostic reviews, all that. We work. Just not onsite. Not in-Zone.
[IKUZ]: Difference is… This time, anyway, the difference is… Been a week-plus. Eleven days. Checks already run. Sec-rev of every unit working the perimeter—our section, anyway—only took three days for the meets and another two for clearance review between operations, Command, and Bastion.
[IKUZ]: Just got word. I'm clear. Site ops start back up tomorrow morning. Not… Not full scale. Not onsite. First, we've got a debrief. Catch us back up. Only "us" isn't the same as it was before stoppage. Don't know the scope, but apparently not everyone made the cut. First time for that. And that's not the only thing…
[IKUZ]: No details til morning, but Chief hinted the whole job's shifting. Whole thing's getting reworked. Terra-plat's on hold. Apparently… And I don't think I'm supposed to know this yet… We're shipping a data wall out to site. Something about sub-surface something. No longer an excavation, terra-control job. Now it's something else.
[IKUZ]: Our clearance reviews made it clear I shouldn't know anything I know until I'm supposed to know it. Chief maybe trying to ease the tension. Not sure. Could also be part of the sec-rev. I trust him, but contacting sec-comm's liaison for this job after I'm done here. If I report him and he slipped up, he'll be reassigned. Not… yeah… not ideal. But, if I don't and he's helping run the final sec-rev on me, I'll be cut loose. Tough call. But we run this ship on trust/honesty. I mean, that's what we're sold anyway and so far seems maybe like it's working. Guess we'll find out.
===================================================================
TYPE: TEXT [X]; AUDIO [ ]
Personal Log: Kuzmin, I.
Personal Log: Kuzmin, I.
ANALYZING…
FILE TYPE: Personal Log
PERIOD: Colony Era
SPEAKERS: Kuzmin, I. [ID: IKUZ]
TOPIC: Adjusting to New Perimeter Job Site Focus
SUMMARY: Terra-platforming engineer Isaak Kuzmin vents about new project leadership.
===================================================================
[IKUZ]: New op-chief continues to run a… For the sake of posterity, I'm just gonna call it a "tight ship." He's got a background in information security, but his focus has been security-security for the last what, six-seven years. He's all business. Whole job's strictly by-the-books since the shuffle. Not that we ever weren't. But used to at least have a little… I don't know… humanity in charge of the dailies. But things change, yeah. Lost Chief. Lost Zi. Half the diagnostics techs swapped out. All casualties of the operational shift. Needed more big brains running the data from the wall, not just geos, but radiologist and a few lab coat-types who whenever they talk it might as well be gibberish… Just real hard math and theoretical science that's more than I can follow.
[IKUZ]: Whole op is new business. Expansion on hold. We moved the Hauler into the crags with VTOL support to ensure the data wall had an anchor point to map its readings. Then we found out the readings were too damn much and had to shut down the Hauler's everything… Literally, emergency dead switched it into blackout mode, because the initial pull from the sub-surface was exponentially larger than anything we were set up to handle. And we've run walls before. It was crazy. New chief threw a fit.
[IKUZ]: I… I know these sessions we have with ourselves are secure—like private, and only high-level SI and maybe command staff pull them if anything we say pings certain security or personal risk thresholds—but still feels… uncomfortable… being honest on a record, private or not. I guess it's fine. I've definitely said worse and sec-revs always come back clean. Just… maybe it's the talking to myself that I'm reacting to. I don't know. We're taught these sessions help keep us even and help to work out anything that needs sorting. I guess so. Not really trying to complain here. Just… sometimes it gets hard to toe the line when the line is beyond you and the people running the show aren't who you thought you'd go to war with. Or whatever.
===================================================================
TYPE: TEXT [X]; AUDIO [ ]
Personal Log: Kuzmin, I.
Personal Log: Kuzmin, I.
ANALYZING…
FILE TYPE: Personal Log
PERIOD: Colony Era
SPEAKERS: Kuzmin, I. [ID: IKUZ]
TOPIC: Complications at the Perimeter Expansion Site
SUMMARY: Terra-platforming engineer Izaak Kuzmin seems to be having a breakdown.
===================================================================
[IKUZ]: After the relays went up… We should've known. We should've… left. The Zone. The planet. That much data. That much… untranslated information. We know planets… I know planets. How they work. What's inside. Only, yeah… Only, maybe, this one's different. This one's not like ours. Not like anything we've ever considered. And instead of respecting that. Instead of acknowledging, ya know, that maybe we aren't prepared to poke at answers we don't even know how to ask. Instead of anything else… We built towers to the goddamn sky to steal impossible data from the heart of a world we thought we'd conquered. We could've stopped. We should've… Once one relay was not enough. Once… But they were scared. Leadership… Colony Command… They pushed for answers. They pushed to understand something more than we can understand. I saw… I did… I saw the readings. I warned them. It was too much. It's not… Far as I know… Far as anyone could say… It's not natural. Not to us. Not to anything we know about the universe. Someone called it an anomaly—the readings. An anomaly. That's it. But that's too small. Too obvious. It's… This… Whatever it is… Whatever these readings are telling us… is more than an irregularity. It's not an error in physics. It's new… It's new goddamn physics. Imagine that. I can't. It's everything we pretended wouldn't bite us in the ass. It's the unknown. It's the alien. It's the universe saying, "you're too small and too stupid to be here." It's this planet telling us to "go home." And we built towers to steal the unknown from a planet we thought we owned. And we sent that data to the stars. Because we thought … I guess… we thought we could understand it…? Control it? It was a resource to mine and manipulate, not a warning. Now the dreams won't stop, and I can still hear Rylla screaming in the static of the signal stacks.
===================================================================
TYPE: TEXT [X]; AUDIO [ ]
Personal Log: Kuzmin, I.
Personal Log: Kuzmin, I.
ANALYZING…
FILE TYPE: Personal Log
PERIOD: Colony Era
SPEAKERS: Kuzmin, I. [ID: IKUZ]
TOPIC: The Ramblings of an Unwell Colonist
SUMMARY: Terra-platforming engineer Isaak Kuzmin records a final message, seemingly affected by deteriorating mental and physical health.
===================================================================
[IKUZ]: [sobbing; coughing]
[IKUZ]: I got sick. Everyone… so many… sick. First, it was the dreams. We all saw them. Not all… not everyone… but… we saw them… Enough of us. Enough… I'm trying to remember. I'm… I'll be gone soon. I'll… I'm… This is a record… This is me… My name is Issak Pedrovic Kuzmin. I… we… came here from Mars… We came here so far…
[IKUZ]: [coughing]
[IKUZ]: I couldn't stay. Quarantine… the tents… No one safe. No place safe… I… I had nowhere else… They would take me back if they found me… They would. I was so alone… Nowhere else… No one else…
[IKUZ]: [sobbing; coughing]
[IKUZ]: But they… They're loudest here. For my, anyway… For me… my friends are loudest in the static… And we can be alone. I thought we could be alone… Thought…
[IKUZ]: […]
[IKUZ]: I saw a scientist out here the other day. A lab coat in… wearing hazard gear. I did… I saw them. Perimeter's off-limits… TRESPASSERS!
[IKUZ]: [coughing]
[IKUZ]: Don't they know… Can't be here. Shouldn't be here. I… If they find me, they'll take them all away. Take me away. Take me back. Can't… I come here because this is my place. I come here but can't stay. I'm leaving now. Before they find me. Before they take them away. Rylla and Chief and… and everyone else. I'm not sick. I'm not…
[IKUZ]: [coughing]
[IKUZ]: I warned them. I said… don't listen. DON'T LISTEN! But the planet was screaming so they… we… we listened anyway. I warned them… and I was wrong. Because I can hear them now… I can see them. I'm home here… friends… I missed…
[IKUZ]: [coughing]
[IKUZ]: I missed you. I did… I do. I… I'm leaving now. I… they can't find me. Please…
[IKUZ]: [coughing]
[IKUZ]: [coughing]
[IKUZ]: [sobbing; coughing]
===================================================================
TYPE: TEXT [X]; AUDIO [ ]
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