Exoplanet! II

[Seon]

Autumn Crown releases footages of their expedition to the agricultural pod for the public viewing, particularly the last expedition showing mass-death of life around the pod and it’s infestation by earth molds and fungi.

 

[Immaculate]

The Apaurusheya Science Committee will release all information we have regarding the local wildlife on all networks for everyone to use.

To the The Apaurusheya Science Committee and the Autumn Crown
From: Pambazuka, Ummah'Al Salaam, Remillard, Qeng Ho, Puczcza Wynd, and the Communalist Confederacy

Thank-you for sharing this invaluable information!

From Qeng Ho, and Pambazuka,
To all Planetary Humans

We too have encountered radially symmetrical wild-life and have failed completely to encounter any bilaterally symmetrical 'animals' such as those on Earth.

 

[Sonereal]

Planet’s Soil

Commonality scientists and engineers begin an analysis of Planet soil, keen to uncover its agricultural potential.

It soon becomes obvious that the soil is rich yet almost completely depleted of potassium, enriched in various sulfides- many bound in organics, and with an acidic pH. The earth is thick with alien microbiota; these also pose a danger to earth life with many harboring high concentrations of compounds expected to be toxic to earth life consuming it (including humans).

Significant engineering will be required to grow crops in this soil.

In the interest of collective human survival, we will beam and transmit this data around the world to the best of our ability. We hope this data sharing will be reciprocated by all of Planet's colonies in the interest of both goodwill and necessity.

The first task assigned to the Commonality scientists is to determine the source of the electromagnetic interference. Outfitted with sealed surface exploration outfits with independent air, the scientists are soon able to determine that the threads of some of the plants (but not all of them) are conducting electricity between the atmosphere and the Planet’s surface. It seems that the ‘plants’ are somehow able to harness the voltage difference between the atmosphere and surface for their own needs. This activity is probably what accounts for the relatively dearth of lightning despite the near-constant storm-like conditions.

It is this near-constant and expansive and diffused current that is causing the electromagnetic interference. The scientists reveal that as long as there are ‘plants’ with these threads in the vicinity and storm-like conditions, the interference will continue.

This is being shared as well.

 

[thomas.berubeg]

The Keepers will share all data gathered re: genetic structure (or lack thereof) amongst Planet's plants.

 

[tobiisagoodboy]

The Federation of Free People hereby sends the data gathered about Planets air and water to every other faction.
We may have different ways of life, but suffocating or dying from water is nothing a human should suffer through.

 

[Marcher Jovian]

The Violet Combine sends out the data it has gathered, including observations about the plant’s electricity-producing mechanisms.

 

[Ailedhoo]

The Empire may be considered to join in the data sharing, if for geographical conduction.

We will especially be keen on data regarding aquatic organics and whether we could find potential native biological units for harvesting...

 

[Zappericus]

Ummah Al Salaam
​

Capital: New Mecca (Habitat 19)
Ideology: Progressive Islam, Inclusiveness, Counter-nationalist revolutionism, Democracy, Charity
Leadership: Elected council of representatives
Economy: Capitalist Mixed Economy
Military: Small, elite rapid-response cadres supplemented by trance-ops commando units.
Description: Islamic, United (Sunni/Shia) though primarily Sunni, Modernists

Government
Ummah Al Salaam's governing body is based upon their original Phyla leadership on Earth. It is composed of a council or assembly of seventeen elected representatives who compose the core of the colony's government. They represent the corner stone of the government and guide policies for the UAS as a whole. Tens of smaller Cemaat's are present in every enclave or smaller factions associated with the UAS to provide individual leadership to those areas. These things include distribution of medical supplies, food and materials, military protection and computing network support for the populace. Any interesting feature that is present in the Cemaat or the Primes as they have been known is the breakdown of numbers.

A principle beholden by the UAS since its inception as the early Cemaat is the idea of being indivisible. After the first Cemaat of 6 members were stuck in deadlock over initial policies, a seventh member was added. This was known as the Prime Numbers Principle. The PNP states that any council must be composed of members that complete a prime number. This new policy was also coupled with the Civil Responsibility Clause which prevented Cemaat members from Abstaining on voting and having their current votes, as well as passed votes logged in the archive.

The PNP has helped the UAS move forward on a lot of divisive issues that would have other wise been stuck on the table. With all Primes required to vote, a majority was always reached, thus nothing was left on the table. Election for Primary Cemaat members take place every 5 years with minor Cemaat members up for re-election every 3. With the expansion of mediated reality election season lasts just a couple of months, instead of the near constant cycle as seen in western democracies of Earth. This appropriates maximum legislative time for the government and allows for the passage numerous laws and reforms in a timely manner.

Culture
The citizenry of the UAS are a progressively religious and democratic sort whom values the ideals of peace, charity, good deeds and mutual prosperity, but do not shy away from the act of defending themselves in times of conflict. As a spiritually progressive people, they hold on to their traditions but accept change if it will progress their spirituality and does not radically endanger their community for the worse. Indeed, the UAS is filled with a people whom accepts others and find themselves attempting to better themselves and the lives of those around them, as great Allah intended.

Spoiler Beginning anew, beyond the Heavens :

Military
The armed forces of Ummah Al Salaam aboard Unity were intended to be small, elite combat cadres. They strike not with the might of a hammer, but rather with the surgical precision of the scalpel. The UAS military conducted rigorous military exercises both in zero-g environments as well as in facilities that were explicitly constructed to simulate the environment and gravity on Exoplanet!. They employ rapid hit-and-run doctrines and the use of nanite- and electronic warfare to overcome larger foes. The UAS Armed Forces are currently under the supervision of General Hakeem Al-Hassan, but commanded by the Ceemat council.

Spoiler Guardians of Jannatul Firdaus Al-A’la :

Military: The Al-Ammar
Al-Ammar are widely renowned for being the UAS next-generation combat soldiers and pilots. They are soldiers and combat pilots who have received trance augmentation. Selection for the program is rather rigorous. Early screening has revealed an unexpected aptitude for trance in the Ummah Al Salaam population similar to that revealed in the Zen Serotonin population.

Specifically, those individuals who were most pious in their faith, who had the most discipline over their prayers and specifically meditation, were found to score very highly in psychofeedback and biofeedback tests that form much of the entry examination for skilled soldiers and pilots seeking to enter the new elite programs. As a result, the new programs are filled with particularly faithful members of the phyle, those with the greatest taqwa (spiritual enlightenment mixed with piety).

New recruits undergo extensive upgrades to their exocortex, making them acutely aware, at a conscious level, of where their focus is, of their state of conscious acceptance, ‘mental non-being’, even clarity- effectiving allowing them to exist in a state of constant deep meditation. Combining this physhofeedback prorgam with very minute and limited doses of neural plasticity drugs, the would-be trance soldiers and pilots learn to submerge their conscious desires, their frantic everyday concerns, even their sense of ‘self’ and to just ‘be’ in the moment.

They learn to trust their unconscious mind, that part of their mind which neuropsychologist call the ‘reptile brain’- the cerebellum, to act without conscious thought. Together with massive cybernetic exocortical investment in this part of the brain and the reflex arcs originating from it, the soldiers learn to act without conscious thought, to be a passive observer to the actions they themselves initiate. This doesn’t mean that they are not in control of their own bodies- quite the opposite- merely that the control occurs before they are aware of it.

As it was considered a requirement for early colonization and protection later on, Trance technological knowledge and facilities were brought along with Habitat 19 for use on Exoplanet!.

 

[LonelyLurker]

Name: Qeng Ho
Leader: The Chairman
Founding Colony: Qeng Ho HQ
Ideology: Democratic Corperateocracy
Core Values: Mutual self-improvement and prosperity through innovation and free trade.
Economy: Regulated capitalism with subsidies for 'collective good' projects.
Culture: The Qeng Ho were early adopters in the move into space from Earth and were deeply involved in designing and building the Unity. As such they take the sabotage of that craft quite personally and maintain a considerable interest in recovering/salvaging the wreckage and determining who was responsible. Once the immediate needs of survival are met they also desire to restore spaceflight capability as soon as possible.
Politics: Corperate-esq structure with a 'share' allocated at birth and additional ones grantable for extraordinary service or purchasable with major public contributions.
Technology and Sciences: Leading edge technology, especially in communications and space-flight related fields. Innovation that leads to mutual improvement is subsidized and celebrated as a form of public service.
Military: Small but efficient security forces, uninterested in aggressive expansion but slightly paranoid about sabotage(after some bad experiences during early Lunar colonization...).

 

[Immaculate]

@LonelyLurker @Zappericus
Ummah Al' Salaam and Qeng Ho now have stats (see the bottom of the update)
I'll add a section for them in the turn 1 update to provide some insight into their landing site and challenges within the next couple days.

 

[Ahigin]

From Xibalba
To whoever receives it via the satellite channel
?wHAT IS YOU ?wHAT IS YOUR OPINION

Xibalba orders:

Spoiler :

Action 1: Establishing food production.
We are roughly familiar with snow as an environmental factor (although, hoarfrost is more familiar to us), but blizzards and strong winds of any type are entirely new. This suggests our agricultural package is unlikely to survive in the open on that planet (or, at least, it'd survive to no gain for us). The bio-cluster (what is "forest?") in the east is slightly better, suggesting something indeed can grow on this "outer world," but we doubt it'd be fully compatible with our species, especially the meat bats. Therefore, our plan is to send expeditions in search of various landscape features that may provide cover from powerful movements of air masses (what is "wind?"). Ideally, we wish to find caves of some kind, and we suspect they could be found in the hills to the north-east. We will also check the ocean shore for cliffs and or caverns (some makeshift vessels can be made to make it easier to explore the shore; also, what is "ocean?"). The exploration will be done by multiple scouting groups (with our population and social organization, we can afford it), which will be also divided into "radiance teams" (sleeping when the star is not present in the sky (what is "night?") and scouting when the star appears over the horizon (what is "day?")) and "gloom teams" (working in the opposite shift, for which our dark-dwellers are more adapted). As soon as suitable caves, caverns, or even simply terrain features useful for forming cavern-like structures are found, the teams will start building various infrastructure: shelter/covers (if it's an open space area), entrance gates, internal climate control tools (heating/cooling, air circulation, humidity regulations, etc. - whatever is needed for our agriculture to function), as well as housing for the population. At that point, geological samples will be taken; we're particularly interested if we can find coal (which provides carbon for our manufacture) and limestone (high chance of discovering more tunnels and caverns). If we encounter any life forms, we'll attempt to gather samples and bring them to the mothership, where they will be tested for toxicity and other factors that, ultimately, define if they can be used for food or anything else.
Points allocated: Population 1, Governance 1, Cohesion 1, Science&Research 1, Resources 1, Naval Power 1

Action 2: Establishing industry.
To make something, we need fuel. Luckily, our biofuel-driven power production already has a decent source of biological matter in the east in the form of a lush bio-cluster (again, "forest?"). Teams of bioharvesters will be formed and sent, under military's supervision and protection, to start the harvesting efforts. At this point, our civilization knows numerous ways of getting energy out of carbon-based life forms, from burning them to extracting methane gas from their rot to liquification of their compressed remains. All of these ways will be tried and tested to literally anything remotely carbon-based (alive or deposited in soil (coal, oil, natural gas)) with utter prejudice. We expect some life forms to protect themselves, for which purpose our soldiers (infantry) will accompany them. Losses are expected and normal, as long as the progress is steady. Once we confirm that our harvesting operations are feasible and can last, we will establish primitive mining/logging camps, mostly consisting of earth dwelling, for the sake of saving the precious materiel.
Points allocated: Population 1, Governance 1, Cohesion 1, Resources 1, Energy 1, Industry 1, Land Power 1

Action 3: Follow the beacon.
Find what's in the south-east. For that purpose, a group of flyer soldiers will be outfitted for the expedition (walking on foot during the storm and being able to take to the sky when the weather improves), taking our best radioequipment with them. They will be also joined by the most capable of our priests, who will attempt to understand the technology we find (if we do). Regardless, that technology should be brought back to our mothership if it could be transported. Our most mentally capable (and drugged) priests will also try to use their enhancemed consciousness to discern any patterns in the electromagnetic interference and guess its source.
Points allocated: Tech 1, Air Power 1, Security&Intelligence 1

 

[Seon]

To Xibalba.

Intentions: Peaceful

Identification: British.

 

[Traveller76]

To Xibalba.
Intentions: Peaceful development and cooperation
Identification: Indian

 

[Immaculate]

Turn One- Exploring Planet- Continued!

Orders are due Friday, January 11th at 11:59pm Eastern Standard Time


Ummah Al’ Salaam

Spoiler :

Arrival

The Ummah Al’ Salaam made planetfall in a highland plateau tucked between two tall mountain ranges. The land is relatively flat and surprising marshy despite the altitude- perhaps due to all the mountain run-off. Fog and cloud-cover are thick.

Communication

Communication with orbital communications satellite is inconsistent.

External Scans

The marshy plateau is dotted with copses of tube-like trees who’s upper reaches divide into innumerable dendrites reaching high into the low clouds.

Between the trees, redding bulbs as tall as a man’s waist cluster in the dryer (higher) area while in the lower flooded areas, smaller waxy ‘trees’ rise from innumerable criss-crossing small streams, sprouting purple ‘leaves’.

Scans in the non-visual spectrum reveal a weak fluctuating electromagnetic field emanating from throughout the plateau.

Beacons

The Ummah Al’ Salaam have launched a trance commando expedition north-eastwards into the plateau and recovered some wreckage from a badly damaged colony pod. The wreckage was not deemed useful except potentially as raw material for the lander's manufacturers.

A second pod is sending a signal from the south-east. The colonization pod lists its contents as ‘fusion reactor’.

Wind Energy

The Ummah Al’ Salaam have established a pair of small wind turbines to power their lander manufacturing.

Qeng Ho

Spoiler :

Arrival

The Qeng Ho made landfall during a blizzard on a lowland coastal plain between western oceans and an eastern inland sea. It has relatively few hills or crags- a rarity on geologically young Planet. The flattish area has an extremely wide- kilometers wide- tidal plain to the west that is intermittently submerged but the lander lies upwards of this, on a patch of land that appears more consistently dry.

Communication

Communication with orbital communications satellite is unreliable and often interrupted by electromagnetic interference.

External Scans

The area around the lander is covered in thick towering vegetation, tube-like ‘trees’ rising 30-40 meters into the sky and exploding into tendrils and dendrites at their height that in turn sport millions of thin thread-like tendrils that extend further into the sky. When the craft originally arrived the whole of it was covered in a thin layer of heavy water-logged snow- these have since melted and the snows have not returned.

The seas around the lander team with biological signatures but resolution beyond this is impossible with all the electromagnetic interference. What can be determined is that these seas are criss-crossed with deep underwater volcanic crevasses but are otherwise relatively shallow. Even during the blizzard there was no solid ice in the seas despite the snow in the sky.

As the blizzards retreat, the area warms appreciably and what is evident is that the local currents and wide inland sea (saline) provide a unique microclimate prone to extremes of wind and temperature changes.

Beacons

A colonization beacon ‘pings’ from the inland sea to the east while a second beacon calls from the north where low fuzzy purple hills rise from the fog. The first beacon’s contents are listed as ‘agricultural products’ while the second is listed as ‘security hardware’.

Factories

The Qeng Ho manufacturing equipment have been moved out of the lander and into a climate-controlled habitat. Additional machinery has also been printed to expand manufacturing but the faction now faces acute energy shortages that will need to be resolved in the next few (earth) months.

 

[Kyzarc Fotjage]

To Xibalba

Oh, oh wow. Is-is he serious? Really? Clears throat
GREETINGS FELLOW EARTHLINGS. I COME IN PEACE. I AM THE GLORIOUS STRANGER, RULER OF THIS SMALL ROOM. WELCOME TO THIS LOVECRAFTIAN NIGHTMARE WE CALL OUR NEW HOME. MAY WE STRUGGLE MIGHTILY TOGETHER.
Did they get that? You sure? No, I'm not doubting you, I just want to be-fine. Good. Great. Wow. This is gonna be great.

 

[Ahigin]

Meanwhile, in a shipwreck somewhere in the snowy cliffside of the Planet, a group of Interpreters of Celestial Filament was slouching over a screen projecting the following message from an unknown faction:

The last day of the government. I have space. I am NICE INDEPENDENT, the director of this small room. In the evening, this is new news about this.

 

[thomas.berubeg]

To: Xibalba

We were once the keepers of Unity. We kept her alive, we tended to her bones, and she rewarded us. We are her Oracles, and she spoke through the dead aboard her body. We still keep those, now, and we listen to their whispers, but they have faded. Our purpose has faded with it. We do not forget what we were before starfall, but we keepers must find the purpose for which we have been brought to the surface of this world. Until we do so, we will keep tending to the ancient groves, and listening to the whispers.

 

[Ahigin]

From Xibalba
To Halfway (???)
Responding to your message:

Spoiler :

The last day of the government. I have space. I am NICE INDEPENDENT, the director of this small room. In the evening, this is new news about this.

yOuR NeWlY DiScOvErEd fReEdOm aNd fReEdOm aRe pLeAsInG. wE AgReE WiTh yOu tHaT MaNy gOvErNmEnT FuNcTiOnS ArE HaRmFuL If tHeY Do nOt rElY On tRuE CoMmUnIcAtIoN BeTwEeN SoCiAl aNd sPiRiTuAl mAnAgErS.
(OOC: Wow, this is surprisingly coherent.)

From Xibalba
To Disabled Person (???)
Responding to your message:

Spoiler :

We have kept guardians. We support him, treat his bones and pay for it. We have his words, he speaks to himself through the dead. We still keep them listening to them, but they have lost. We are aware of this. We will not forget that we came before the fall of the star, but we, the guardians, must have a purpose for us here. Before we do this, we will continue to maintain the old city and hear the word.

hE Is vErY FrIeNdLy tO HiS WeAk bRoThErS. tHe sPiRiT Of oUr fAtHeR Is sTiLl tAlKiNg tO Us, BuT In oThEr wAyS. iN ThE FuTuRe, We wIlL Be hApPy tO Be yOuR FrIeNd.
(OOC: This, too, is fairly clear.)

From Xibalba
To Autumn Snail (???)
Responding to your message:

Spoiler :

Suggestions: Peace
Identification: British.

yOuR SuPpLy iS AcCePtAbLe aNd yOuR CeRtIfIcAtE WiLl sTiLl uPdAtE Us.
(OOC: Theeeere you go.)

From Xibalba
To When It Is Broken (???)
Responding to your message:

Spoiler :

Principle: Building peace and cooperation
ID: India

aLtHoUgH YoUr iDeNtItY DoEs nOt kNoW Us, We wIlL CoNtAcT YoUr bAbY.
(OOC: Now, this is a true gem.)

 

[Ailedhoo]

To Xibalba

Dr Iwo Ziętek, Emperor of the Ziętekken Empire, is intrigued by your presence.

Ours is the successors of Earth; to this end we are keen on industrialisation and research.

Robotics is the future, for humanity must embrace the next stage of our collective histories.

Do you too seek to have your fill?

 

[Ahigin]

From Xibalba
To Sihotekken Empire (???)
Responding to your message:

Spoiler :

Doctor. Ivo zintek, the emperor zintekken empire, won his victory.

Our earth heirs; finally, we love work and research.

Robotik is the future because mankind must take the next step in our history.

Are you also trying your content?

wE ArE HoNoReD To bE AbLe tO SaVe hIs sUpErViSoR, bUt wE DoN’T KnOw wHaT He wAnTs tO GiVe uS.