An explosion of subroutine activity threatens to overwhelm the processors during the final month of the first year in-system. However, thanks to some summarizing programs, the majority of the suggestions are captured and implemented.
The air on Aries continues to move in the right direction. The chemical balance can definitely support simple plant lifeforms, and the terraformer suggests that a few hundred plant types be seeded, in order to see what will be able to survive and accelerate the changes. Construction is painfully slow, and only 100 more citizens are brought down this month.
Film and music is found in an old database, and distributed to the populace. This helps somewhat, but they still seem to desire wide open spaces. The cramped living conditions are difficult, and several small brawls break out. The culprits are given some time to cool off in a jail, but no real consequences develop.
The UV light coming from the moon seems to be switching on and off at an hourly interval. The scientist suggest that sending a comparable signal back would be interesting, but he leaves the final decision up to the AI.
The ship moves into orbit around Aquarius, and fabricates an orbital lens for this planet. It will be ready to implement the detailed algae containment plan beginning next month. Walling off 6% of the planets surface, however, is still beyond the capabilities of the ship and basic industry in system.
Several small floating refineries are built, and they seem to work wonderfully, producing biofuels an plastic, as designed. Weakened strains that are introduced, unfortunately, are seemingly unable to cope with the virus mean to kill the plankton and algae, and fail to catch on. Several alien fish are caught, but the bioengineering teams are overwhelmed by the attempts to convert them to plankton eaters.
Defense systems are constructed for the colony, based on the simple mass drivers used to defend the shipyard. They should be able to protect against most kinetic attacks for the time being. Nuclear warheads are designed, much to the delight of the general and chagrin of the scientist, and a small mining operation is begun on Planet B.
Despite the acidic atmosphere, a subterranean mining complex is developed to avoid the difficult conditions. With a very minimal refining operation up and running, the first warheards should be available in three months. More advanced systems using directed radiation are much further off.
Research begins into energy weapons, and progress is slow. The tech and industrial base simply is not available at this point in time.
A small celebration takes place on the anniversary of the ship's arrival. The captain raises a glass and toasts the AI, thanking it for guiding the colony to prosperity. "This next year, we need to get the rest of our people off this ship. And I'm still very concerned about those moons... but we'll see what the new year brings."
Time lapsed in system: 1 year, 0 Months- In orbit of Aquarius
- Militarized Shipyard
- 2 Nano Factories
- 2,300 hibernating men
- 2,300 hibernating women
- 200 men on Aries
- 200 women on Aries
- Bank of animal and plants
Note: if no location is given, resource is
on ship- 2,000 space suits
- Small defensive fleet
- Mass drivers (orbital)
- Mass drivers (planetary)
- Sensor Probes
- Construction and miner bots
- Planet A: abundant minerals, inhospitable
- Planet B: ash, acidic atmosphere, radioactive, small mining operation
- Planet C "Class.2224" "Aquarius": aquatic world, savage aquatic life, pack-like nomadic intelligent avians, virulent bacteria, plankton and algae infestation: 6% of surface, small harvesting operation
- Planet D "Class.1111" "Aries": some minerals, Mars-like, small mining operation, 400 person outpost, small industrial base
- Planet E: abundant minerals, inhospitable
- Abundant Asteroids
- Gas Giant A: mysterious interference, detected radio
- Gas Giant B: mysterious interference, detected radio
- Pack dwelling
- Near-human intelligence
- Nomadic
- Capable of tool use
- Quick breeding rate