Work Text:
Far-Field Team 90833
Report on USBSS-3217-3c "Marble"
Key Operatives
Dr Riya Patel (she/her) - Head Zoologist/Botanist
Dr Leo Akpan (he/they) - Head Meteorologist
Dr Ailbhe Ó Muireagáin (they/them) - Head Climatologist
Dr Xiaoyan Yuen (she/her) - Head Geologist
Guillaume Charpentier (he/him)- Head Technician
Peter Antony (he/him)- Lead Lab Assistant, Technician
Gwendolyn Hayes (she/they) - Human Pilot, Technician
Audo Ole (he/him) - Head Engineer, Licensed LL3 Mechanized Chassis Operator
Callsign: "Sandy"
Chassis: GMS Everest "White Sand Beaches"
HORUS Kobold 2, HORUS Goblin 1
HULL:2 AGI:0 SYS:0 ENGI:3
MAIN MOUNT: Slag Cannon
FLEX MOUNT: Assault Rifle
HEAVY MOUNT: Heavy Machine Gun
SYSTEMS: H0R_OS System Upgrade I, Forge Clamps, Pattern-A Jericho Deployable Cover, Personalizations, Rapid Burst Jump Jet System
Christina Eun (she/her) - NHP Specialist
Ranger-Class Vessel Onboard NHP - Verdigris ("Verdi")
Mission Reports
Briefing
USB Star Search 3217 confirmed and labeled K-type star USBSS-3217-3 based on large-batch survey data received from Voladores. USBSS-3217 also indicated presence of seven planets (a-h) in orbit. Only USBSS-3217-3c orbits within the habitable zone, and USBSS-3217 imaging indicated presence of large, planet-spanning oceans with possible reef-like structures in the shallows, warranting deployment of the closest-stationed Far-Field team for investigation of human habitability.
[resumen-del-estudio-de-sistemas-solares.omif]
[USBSS-3217-Survey-Summary.omif]
Report 01
[Patel]: Ookay, everybody! I'm gonna start the log!
[Background chatter and shouting quiets down, bumping noises as someone fiddles with a recording device.]
[Patel]: Shit, it's already on. Well, whatever. Uh, this is Dr. Riya Patel with Union Science Bureau Far-Field Team 90833 on our expedition to USBSS-3217-3c. We're here to verify signs of extraterrestrial life and determine whether this world would be suitable for human habitation, with or without possible terraforming.
[Hayes], whispering: Is it my turn now?
[From other crew, whispered responses of "Yes!", "Go, go!", etc.]
[Hayes clears her throat.]
[Hayes]: Alright, so, we've got the sterilized sample-collection drone planet-side now as part of the, uh, "pre-landing data collection procedure," and we're waiting on analysis of atmosphere, water, and soil samples before we bring it back up. So, as secondary drone operator, I'm going to walk us through what it's seen so far.
[Hayes], contd.: Marble is a little closer to its sun than Cradle, so it's warmer and more tropical overall. There's lots of small islands and volcanoes from high tectonic activity, and that's where the drone is right now—one of those islands. We knew Marble was mostly ocean just from looking at it. And as we thought, what little surface soil there is has shown itself to be pretty barren.
[Yuen], from background: Then it's not soil, it's sediment!
[Hayes]: Sediment, schmediment. It's dirt! Dirt and sand. And there's no plants in it. Well, from what we've seen so far. But if we look at the ocean…
[Brief pause.]
[Hayes]: Oh, uh. I had a photo pulled up, but the audio transmission gets there before the video, right?
[Patel], eager: I can describe it! It's a reef, possibly! We haven't gotten the chance to go down there and look at the organisms, but this has all the makings of a reef! I would say a coral reef, but it's not technically coral, so just a "reef" for now. There's shallow water, these rocklike structures (and they do look a lot like coral, but anyway). There's so many types of creatures I've lost count! I'm seeing lots of little guys with shells and spines, and it reminds me a little bit of Cradle's Cambrian period. We'll have to wait for the sample analysis to come back to be sure, but if the conditions were similar, I wouldn't be surprised.
[Patel], contd.: We're probably going to find a good landing site to take some organism samples and get a good look at their morphology. I'm looking forward to possibly establishing some taxonomic groups.
[There is a bright chime, followed by much shuffling.]
[Eun], distant: Verdi's analysis is done!
[Yuen], shouting to the others: I'm turning off the log! We can come back to it later!
[Report-01.omvf]
Report 02
[Akpan]: This is USB Far-Field Team 90833 regarding USBSS-3217-3c "Marble." We are planet-side investigating organic life. Sterilization procedures prior to de-orbiting were followed without issue. All crew member environment isolation suits were found to be at full integrity. Weather on the surface is clear for the moment, but slightly cloudy, with high humidity. Temperature is around 28°C. Full surface weather data will be included with this report.
[Charpentier], in background: What are they doing…?
[Akpan]: Cameras were set up underwater to monitor organism behavior. The large majority of creatures we have seen look to be invertebrate, and the water and air are both high in carbon dioxide. The concentration of oxygen is lower in the water than on Cradle, and atmospheric oxygen levels are similarly lower. Supporting human life would require atmospheric adjustments in terraforming, but this would likely kill many extant organisms with the rapid change.
[Ole], in background: Wait, is that, like, a rock? Why is it holdin' a rock?
[Footsteps approach.]
[Ó Muireagáin], excited: Leo, you're going to want to see this!
[Akpan]: Oh, um, I'm working on the log right now, love. Can it wait?
[Ó Muireagáin]: Bring the log!
[Shuffling noises move toward background chatter.]
[Antony], eager: Is that tool use? Can we call that tool use?
[Footsteps as patel runs up and grabs the recording device.]
[Patel], exuberant: This is Dr. Riya Patel and I am making my formal recommendation against terraforming and colonization of Marble! We've got tool use!! The creatures here are clearly intelligent and should be left to develop on their own!
[Patel hands the recording device back to Akpan and can be heard cheering.]
[Patel], in background: We'll have to keep an eye on this one in a couple million years!
[Akpan], somewhat baffled: Well, uh, we have cephalopod-like invertebrate creatures involved in tool use, specifically indicated by the use of rocks to break hard-shelled prey and sticks fashioned as probes to get prey out of tunnels in the reef. As such, I'm inclined to agree with Dr. Patel's… uh…. assessment.
[Akpan coughs.]
[Akpan]: While instances of complex multicellular life have been found on other planets which were successfully colonized, Marble does not present much of any viable land for human habitation without excessive terraforming activity, and therefore could be left alone with few to no downsides. The effort would be best spent on other, more promising colonization candidates. There's plenty of other planets out there, after all.
[Report-02.omvf]
[Marble-Weather-Data.omif]