Hey guys, sorry about the delay. I rolled out the turn a while back before the quake-event, then had a busy week... then could not find my saved draft with the turn. I was going to reroll it but I just found it so here you go.
Turn 10 Dec 2110
* Create meat vat from plans (84+30) 84/250
Work begins on the new meat vats, a large and difficult project requiring cloning systems, life support and all the difficulties of processing those things. Chicken, shark and alligator are chosen by a quick poll for the first meats, although it seems like it will take quite a while.
The closest equipment available for reuse are a few unused cryo pods, but even these need to be completely disassembled by the factory, in addition the plans have a dedicated expert system for life support monitoring. It becomes clear that waste from the ship and the algae tanks can be fed into the system, but without a dedicated system breaking it down into nutrients, like the chemical processor, output will be reduced.
While production was halted for a few days, the planet-quake did not significantly hurt production this week.
The system will end up taking up most of a large dome, although there would be room for the bio bank if it needs to be moved.
Water processing and Algae tank waste material can be fed into the meat vat for a 50% reduction in output. With a dedicated organic waste processing plant this would go away.
To be clear the Algae Tank does produce non-food organic waste, it is just completely inedible simple organic molecules and lack anything but HCON. Nitrogen fixing is included and would in theory be something you would need to pump in as well, but the planet is good for that.
* Complete the domes (90+10-10) Completed, rollover to the mineral processor
The existing domes are checked over for structural faults due to the quake, but they look to be undamaged. More complex equipment might be able to better diagnose any damage and revised protocols for structural maintenance are look at by the crews as a worthy idea.
With assurance that no modification need to be made the remaining two domes are quickly put together from the already manufactured components. They look significantly less well polished then the first three domes, clearly they are chunks of the ship refashioned into plating and girders, but they work just as well as the precision crafted parts. The remaining top sand and rock (it is clearly not soil) is rolled over on top and the two new domes are protected from the surface and ready for action.
While power, air, water and water removal are all connected to the domes the corridors between them have been reinforced as well as the domes. It becomes clear that this was not in the original plans and was not accounted for in time and material costs, the exoskeleton crew was just so efficient this time around they had some extra labor for the work.
Last 2 large domes completed and ready for construction/installation.
Adapted maintenance protocols can now be researched at (-20).
* Finish the mineral processor (30+5-5+30) 185/200 > Rollover from domes > Completed
Spare advanced parts are pulled out of storage to cover the last remaining systems and the heavy bot and remaining exosuit get to the process of actually assembling the machines. The heavy bot automated system have a hard time dealing with the unexpected actions of the exosuit so the bot needs to be manually controlled for most of the month which reduces the work completed. Once the dome construction is finished the additional two exosuits pick up the remaining workload and the who complex is finished before the year rolls around.
Mineral processor completed, details will be in actions section. -.2 advanced and basic parts.
* Continue work on central access (50+10) Large entrance cavern completed, 20/250 main spiral access completed.
The last of the vehicle holding large cavern is finished and work begins on the spiral access tunnel which will go deeper into the ground. It was originally going to meet up with the already dug out large cavern deep below, although even with the collapse the tunnels will end up there. Work concentrates on the tunnel itself with little attention paid to the small and medium caves this month.
Main spiral access will include 4 small and 4 medium cave spaces. Work will need to be done to reinforce, isolate and ventilate the area. No new materials are found this month.
* Continue Cryo Research (12+15-30) No Progress
While the symptoms of what is now termed Morpheus Syndrome are well understood the underlying causes are not. Progress on this front is frustratingly slow and the doctor in charge is reluctant to even begin designing a treatment without a better understanding of what is going on. The wrong actions during cryogenic suspension or the wake-up procedure could dramatically reduce survival for little or no benefit, and so nothing of substance is done this month.
* Continue Geothermal power design (59+10+35) Completed
With a better understanding of the underground resources final plans are put together for the power stations. Three designs are created for specific needs along with a modular and mobile deep drilling platform which will need to be built as well, but can be reused.
The first design is a large scale traditional system which can be deployed at the western mountain range. It will uses several deep wells spread out over an area and make efficient use of the underground heat. A huge sized dome or cavern will need to be constructed however.
Ideal spacing for the system can be achieved to prevent too rapid of cooling of the rock layers, the smaller system will not be usable nearby for fear of irreversible damage to the geothermal rock layer.
The second smaller design is far less efficient but could be built into any sized dome to provide local power. It would take up a tiny space and use a double well system to draw out nearby heat.
Both system will require a source of fresh and relatively clean water, while the small system might be able to work with rainwater collection, the larger one will need pipes or trucks delivering a regular water source.
The last design makes use of the deep heat found under the base itself. The entire base would be turned into part of a geothermal power station with the central facility taking up a single huge cavern. While this would provide as much electricity as the first design, it would be both more complex to build around the existing (or future) infrastructure, require a more complicated binary cycle system for the lower temperature water and require wells dug at least three times as deep as the other two designs. The primary advantages are close access to water and labor, making this a project which could conceivably be started right away.
All of the geothermal plants are relatively simple technology, the large ones would need 2 manpower while the smaller ones would be trivial work to maintain.
Large geothermal station - 400 work, distant construction, 2 manpower, 75 MW, room for about 3 in the western mountains.
Tiny geothermal station - 50 work, distant construction, trivial manpower, 8 MW, room for about 20 in the western mountains
Large base Geothermal station - 800 work, 2 manpower, 75 MW, room for one on base
Mobile drilling platform must be constructed for each simultaneous project, +100 work to first project.
Basic parts needed if manufacturing is not used, .1 part per 50 work.
Hot dry rock geothermal energy research available at -40 (Geothermal systems anywhere)
* Design a modular living space for the interior of our domes. (47+20+20) Partially Complete
Work on the living space takes up a great deal of everyone's time, and may be responsible for some of the lackluster performance this month. What constitutes acceptable living conditions is debated back and forth and the dissatisfaction with the current communal pod beds is made apparent. While a larger living space might be ideal, it is clearly a luxury that can not be afforded at this time.
Eventually small dorm style rooms are decided on as a compromise between privacy and efficiency with communal bath facilities. The large domes will allow for two community rooms in addition to bedrooms, one on the ground floor and one up an access ladder.
Making a modular system which can be fitted into any space proves troublesome, Natalia concentrates on building the parts for a single large dome and fitting them together, before moving on to a more generalized design.
The final plan will have 8 two person rooms with a bunk bed, personal storage space under the beds and a shared desk. These are partially stacked on top of each other with ladders going between the two levels. Synthetic materials are designated for the beds, mostly by dismantling the crash pods the crew currently sleeps in. Careful use of the materials should allow it to be usable for multiple domes.
Four small restrooms and a four person bathing facility are included, which for 16 people will require some scheduling but certainly beats the current single multi use facility for over 20 people.
Two multi-use community spaces are included in the large dome, one at the base level and one at the top. The top dome is designated a 'viewing room' with screens being built into the walls. Some question the extra materials and labor needed for this, the MFFK kit will need to be used, but others are thankful for an area which might give a sense of not being trapped underground. Both have metal chairs with thin cushions, movable tables and storage cabinets.
The overall design would be considered humane for prisoners or college students.
Natalia does not feel satisfied with the design. She thinks that a more generalized system that could take better advantage of space and be used in multiple sized and shaped areas could be created.
Large Habitat dome design completed. Acceptable living conditions for 16 people.
350 work, advanced materials or parts required, 2 MW required
- Central ladder access, two entrances on ground floor, moderate soundproofing, all steel design, manual non-airlock doors
- Bottom level - 4 double rooms, 4 person bathing facility, 3 toilets, curved community room (4-8 people).
- Second level - 4 double rooms, 1 toilet
- Third level - Viewing Dome (4-8 people)
Further work on modular living space at +20.
* Research Banded Iron 32+10 Progress
The banded iron is quickly identified as powdered and compressed magnetite with a layer of some form of shale, as originally thought. The system identifies aluminum, oxygen, silicon, iron and calcium with trace elements of sodium, barium, cesium and zirconium.
The origin of the formation remains unknown as work on determining exactly what the chemical formulas of the constituents are inconclusive. While the iron containing minerals should be easy to process removing the other chemicals without knowing the exact formula will take additional time and produce a lot of waste.
Penalty for removing Iron from Banded Iron removed completely.
Further research at +10
There is no rain at all this month, while the river still flows the temperature is increasing. Storm systems are detected both inland and in the ocean.
The planet passes through an area dense with stellar debris and is impacted with multiple meteors; however, it occurs in the northern hemisphere far from the base. A mineral satellite passing over the area does show several small impact craters.
Turn 11
New facilities:
2 more large domes
1 large cave (surface, unsealed)
Medium Mineral Processing Facility MPF
Electricity use 5 MW
1 manpower for general production; +5 to basic construction or +10 to advanced materials construction(these will be more difficult to make anyway) to one project or eliminate relevant material related penalties to 2 projects.
Or
2 manpower Geology and Material Sciences science slot at +0
Actions for this turn:
I will be including a complete actions and outpost status later.