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[Noxes]

Mars has gigantic extinct volcanoes and lava once flowed on its surface, and there is every reason to believe that it is a volcanically dead planet.

more accurate.

http://www.astronomynow.com/news/n1202/21geology/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volcanology_of_Mars

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tharsis

There is nothing definitive pointing to Mars being geologically dead. There is not enough information to make such an assumption.

Actually, quite the opposite. Given the localized nature of the semi-seasonal methane outgassing observed, we are either looking at sometimes active geothermal features (serpentinization) or some small scale methanogen colonies. In my opinion the latter would tend to implicate the former, but thats getting off-topic. We cannot say for certain how crystallized Mars' core actually is as the conditions under which geomagnetic fields are formed is still rather poorly understood, so trying to infer anything of conditions in the interior of the planet from said lack of geomagnetic field is highly speculative. Also, we still have no information regarding the incidence of 'Mars Quakes', which is exactly why we'll be flying InSight soon.   

Point is, there hasn't been an eruption for half a million years.

Also true, whatever activity is still happening there has got to fairly low-scale or we would have seen more of it by now. Speaking from pure speculation on my part, I'd say Mars isn't Dead, but I wouldn't expect the Human colonists to have much in the way of seismic detection kit away from deep mining sites as there would be little call for it outside mining safety.

[Noxes]

And I just derped on myself; the one exception to my previous statement concerning seismic detection kit excepted the scientists who would be studying said very low scale activity still occurring in the present era. So there's that to be concerned about.

[Ross Vernal]

As the most adept digger among the hive, You decide to extend the hive and spend the night tending to the needs of You and the young. You tunnel out a distance and dig a Queen's Chamber, extending the size of the room with a gentle downward slope to allow for a Nursery and a garden of Flowers  around the bottom in a circular pattern,

With this task being done, You set about planting one of the Flowers while one of the Tech Drones begins to run wire and manufacture lightbulbs. The process of adding warmth and light is going to take a while, so You simply plant Your Flower at the top of the chamber and lay a dozen Digging Drone eggs, as well as eight Bore Worm eggs to facilitate resource gathering. With this being done, You take a presence in front of the Flower and begin to commune with it.

In the meantime, the remaining Tech Drones begin to repair the Stasis Chamber and Biorecycler, and connect them to the Fusion Plant. With these being complete, they attempt to look up the design for a Food Synthesizer, but find themselves incapable of assembling the device, wasting one of the Units of Universal Parts. The rest of the night is spent fashioning crude digging bars and shovels from scrap metal.

Lastly, the remaining Drones and Soldiers continue to expand the mining tunnels out, finding not only a deposit of ice, but a silicate deposit high in lithium and aluminum ore.

The sun rises.

Now what?

[Numbers/inventory come later. As far as Mars goes, we will operate on the assumption that it is dormant, and no, we cannot manufacture a really big bomb to set off nearby magma reserves.]

[10ebbor10]

((Besides, that wouldn't work, What you really need is several slightly smaller big bombs, and set those of in a timed cycle around various tectonics.))

[Noxes]

((Besides, that wouldn't work, What you really need is several slightly smaller big bombs, and set those of in a timed cycle around various tectonics.))

Or better yet, the Mother of All Induction Cooktops, that would do the trick nicely.

[Ukrainian Ranger]

I think soldiers should just go in stasis. BTW how  does LVL2 soldier looks and what abilities it has?

I think we should abandon idea of making a food synthesizer and try to learn to eat electricity directly. While lack of Royal jelly limits our options, but we still may try some things. I'd say reduce larvae diet  to the half, but link them to our electricity system (Try using low voltage ) and use our queens guidance to teach them to partially fill their food needs by consuming electricity

Our tech drones should concentrate on providing more light and heat to our non queen flowers

[10ebbor10]

I think we should abandon idea of making a food synthesizer and try to learn to eat electricity directly.

That doesn't work. At all.

Electricity will result in heat, and a fried larvae. There's no way we can make that work.

[Ukrainian Ranger]

Low voltage shouldn't fry Larvae, especially if Queen and Nurse will monitor the process

[10ebbor10]

Point is, there's no way to turn the energy to a good use. Bodies don't do electrical power conversion. (Note, following is based on Kai having a somewhat comparable physology)

First of all, power will interfere with nervous systems.
Secondly while it is true that a small part of cellular breathing relies on voltage differences, we can't plug power into that. (It's hard to add power wires to every single mitochondria)
Last, electricity lacks an energy carrier, and also adds no biomass.

Photosynthesis is much, much easier.

Low voltage shouldn't fry Larvae, especially if Queen and Nurse will monitor the process

As long as the wattage is high enough, they die. Amperes are important too. (And in fact, much, much more deadly than voltage)

[Ukrainian Ranger]

I think, in theory, electricity may be used to run some chemical transformation, turning less energetic food into more energetic. Basically what you want to do by tech, but inside the body by the organ. Note that I not propose full feeding on electricity as that does has a problem of lack of biomass

But let's look what can such experimental feeding do
a) give minor electricity resistance, not very useful but not bad either
b) Give it ability to store electricity turning it into alive battery
c) Let it partially feed on electricity

We are of body and should try wilder things on that front

[10ebbor10]

I prefer some realism.

[Noxes]

Actually, while we are on the topic of feeding, we should perhaps be determining whether the flowers of life implanted in the hybrids are feeding them or feeding on them, as if it turn out to be the former we DO have a way of indirectly turning our abundant electricity into food (for those that are converted into hybrids anyway). Determining the degree to which the effect is occurring will determine what direction we take that in as well.

[Noxes]

Also, another important detail we should determine regarding the hybrids is to what degree the flowers follow their normal life cycle and what effect that will have on the hybrids, but that will become apparent in a few days I suppose.

[kopout]

Actually, while we are on the topic of feeding, we should perhaps be determining whether the flowers of life implanted in the hybrids are feeding them or feeding on them, as if it turn out to be the former we DO have a way of indirectly turning our abundant electricity into food (for those that are converted into hybrids anyway). Determining the degree to which the effect is occurring will determine what direction we take that in as well.

Also, another important detail we should determine regarding the hybrids is to what degree the flowers follow their normal life cycle and what effect that will have on the hybrids, but that will become apparent in a few days I suppose.

Also, and perhaps most importantly, is the hybridization permenent?

[RAM]

I prefer some realism.

I rather suspect that realism left the building we developed the ability to genetically evolve to environmental stimuli within the span of a single larval stage. Clearly our physiology is, well, alien... A large part of food is energy, electricity provides energy, it doesn't seem that far fetched that a system the reduces the need for combustible food by exploiting an electrical intake. Of course, we are not of the mind, so we may not want to be overly reliant on electricity, but I am voting for electrical stimuli anyway. Because it will be hilarious when we are resistant to bug zappers and having weapons that rely upon electrical stimuli could be advantageous if we lose equipment.