Turn 5 July 2110
* Install the Algae ecosystem (71+5=76) Completed 75/75
The bot makes quick work of putting together the holding tanks and support equipment for the system inside the newly built dome. Small scale water recyclers and intake fans are tested while a hookup to the ship is made using the included piping system. The line to the ship proves to be required due to the impurities in the local atmosphere, the ship systems are needed to pull out sulfur and methane contaminates and mix both the waste air intake and produced oxygenate air outlet to an acceptable level.
Long term habitation will clearly require a centralized air mixing and water purifying system, while the ship systems can make do for now a larger facility will be outside it's capacity keep air flowing smoothly and temperatures controlled. Furthermore without a source of fresh water or a larger water recycling system a larger crew will end up using up the reserve water.
The algae system will take several months to grow to full capacity, but less then a week after being filled with water both domes have a breathable atmosphere.
Algae ecosystem installed in prototype dome. 1 unit of water used up. Air life support capacity +10/50.
Heating and ventilation system needed for expansion, air quality will lower as more domes are added.
Water filtering or recycling needs to be expanded, fresh water stores will be used up and stricter rationing will be added if more people are woken up.
* Install Central Colony Computer and Project legacy (88+10+30-20-10(cramped installation)=98) Success
The algae ecosystem tanks prove to take up more room then expected and several pieces of equipment have to be shifted around to get enough space for the entire colony computer. While this is going on the factory kit is set to work looking over the optronic circuitry of the computer to make sure it was not damaged during flight. Heat sinks and the external casings are installed and the core component casings are finished by the factory and slid into place. Building high end data cables to connect to both the ship and factory prove to take the longest time and deplete some of the stored advanced parts taken apart and reprocessed by the factory.
The computer boots up, connects to it's several expert systems correctly and is run through a series of tests for the rest of the month.
Project legacy proves much more difficult to connect however. Moving the data storage to the sealed and now oxygenated dome proves simple.
Central Colony Computer installed, .2 advanced parts used.
Large Prototype dome is full.
* Repair Project Legacy (30+10) Progress 40/??
The damage on project legacy proves much worse then originally thought. The access ports are completely trashed and those systems first need to be pulled apart and rebuilt from scratch. Once done the data system is hooked up to the autopilot first to try and download some files, which proves almost impossible. The archiving and compression system seems to be a revolutionary design completely incomprehensible to the more common operating system, it seems the now ruined expert system did a lot of heavy lifting not only in searching but also decoding the data.
The rest of the month is spent trying to understand the basis of the data storage, work on a new computer to decode and search the database is not even begun. It is hoped that the central colony computer can shed some light on this once it is done with testing, although it is clear a dedicated optronic computer will still be needed as a pass-through.
The existing system is relocated to be next to the Central Colony Computer, it cna be worked on just as well there.
.1 advanced parts used. Further repairs at -40, manufacturing a new computer will be at no penalty
* Crew Psychology Research (55-20(base difficulty)=35) Weak Progress
Interviews with the crew, looking over profiles and group exercises provide little additional insight into what is wrong with crew morale. Everyone clearly understands the difficulties that must be faced but there are perceived slights and unfair treatment which seem to underlie a lot of the resentment and factionalizing that occurs. Some people are allowed to engage in work they are passionate about while others can see the same job as a necessary but grueling task.
In many cases bringing up the issues by themselves in controlled environments can help relieve some of the stress the crew is feeling.
By the end it is clear that larger semi private living spaces and more recreation options will be key to improving morale, further research may be able to provide even more effective group morale boosting activities as well as specific categories of down time that will benefit the crew.
+5 to ongoing Crew Psychology Research.
* Dome armor kit (29+20+10=59) Progress
Simulations prove that armoring the dome will be more complicated then just slapping on some reinforced materials. The interior of the dome will need to be reinforced for the added weight and the armor itself will need to be made of several layers of different materials for varying needs. Thankfully knowing the conditions it will be used under allows a simpler and more specialized armor to be designed, one which should in theory hold up under most planetary conditions. Special care is made for high impact from meteors or wind blown debris to both lessen the impact and allow faster repairs.
Armor kit can be built at -20, further prototyping can be done to make a completed design.
* Continue mining work on the expansion project (23+10=33) (84/200 Mining (1/4 done)) (53/300 Construction)
Work continues slowly as the second excavation begins, it is quickly becoming clear that the slate was an exception to the upper levels of this hillside. Thin sand or sandy rock with protrusions of harder materials continues to upset work thanks to the varying speeds and frequent, but minor slides. Sealing the tunnels connecting these semi surface domes will be a task all on it's own and the plan is changed so that any truly underground construction will be deeper then originally planned. There are only minor adjustments made to base planning, well within the simulations made during flight.
The four crew team which takes turns operating the digging vehicles have so far been impressed by tier performance under these stressful conditions and are taking real pride in their work. The machines have been nicknamed Dig and Dug.
There are frequent complaints about the odd scheduling set up by Natalia and general frustration over the slow progress of some projects. Some of that is put aside when a technician working on laying optical cable calls the rest of the crew to come outside in a hurry. Sheets of strange multicolored lights cover the sky as far as the eye can see, an Aurora Borealis on a scale rarely seen on Earth. The weather satellite confirms the phenomenon is actually occurring across the southern hemisphere, it seems the young star is a little more active then once thought. The mood on the ship lightens a little as people discuss the sky lights.
A heavy rain system moves in from the south towards the end of the month, while winds are relatively light the excavation work is quickly filling with water, overwhelming the drainage ditches put in place.
A quick pass of the survey satellite reveals two large lakes of water forming upland of the eastern canyon and the evidence is confirmed by the beginning of a trickle of water flowing through. Several small streams are also observed on the western mountains.
Outside surface actions may face a penalty of between 0 to -10
Turn 6
Power: 48/75 MW used
Decisions needed:
Heavy Rain: The excavated areas are flooding, although slowly. Opinions differ on how to handle this. Choose one or more options:
A. Bail the water out; choose the heavy bot, exo-skeletons or a manpower action to manually carry water out of the dig site. (Selected units will not be usable this turn, roll to determine possible accidents)
B. Start building the pump systems and expanding the drainage systems according to designs. (if finished it can eliminate penalties)
C. Work around the water, everything is environmentally sealed anyway. (at least -20 to construction and mining actions inside the expansion.)
D. Prohibit work in the flooded areas
E. Re-purpose the expansion area into a water holding area, will take some work to seal the area safely (100 point construction project for a small open air water reservoir)
F. Something else.
Actions:
add:
* Optronic Central Computer
Counts as 5 manpower for trivial tasks (can operate 50 trivial facilities)
Choose 1:
+30 bonus to one of virtually any construction, engineering, mining, science or maintenance action
[0/2] Engineering (design only, same as your VR project) slot : +20
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Topic: Outpost: Outcast [Heart of Sky] (Read 37907 times)