Log 0061—Day Cycle 38
On the way back we found another wreck about two hundred meters down, I think part of the same Alterra ship we found to the north in the Blood Kelp Zone. More of the same, but there were two new things we found. Plans for adding a new structural support to the Cyclops to increase its maximum depth, and automated repair modules for a docking mechanism for a smaller ship.
Interesting, but not useful at the moment.
Log 0062—Day Cycle 39
It used up all our supplies, but the base is built. We even deconstructed the Grassy Plateau Base, stripping it for parts and hauling it all the way back. Our new base, which Amanda insists on calling the Grand Reef Base, consists of several stacked Multi-Purpose rooms.
The first level is the living area, with a chair and desk for planning and a bed for sleeping. The second is the hydroponics area. Yesterday I made a run back up to the island. It was storming so badly I could barely avoid being blown away, but I managed to make my way to the semi-sheltered narrow area between the hills where the Degasi crew built their base and harvest some plants for growing in the Grow Beds. There were a couple of plants that survived the trip.
First, what the Degasi folks called the marblemelon. It's fairly similar to an old terran watermelon, with similar striping and shape, but it's yellow with dark brown stripes instead of green. It also has large, dark-green leaves similar to palm leaves on the top. It pulls in water from the air rather than having roots, which I guess makes sense given the constant storms. I have to water them a lot, though.
Second is the Lantern Tree. It's not actually a tree – more a conglomeration of individual vines which grow up twisting around each other for structural support. Each vines grows orange, lantern-shaped fruits.
And finally, some real, actual, human food—the Chinese Potato Plant. It must have been brought by the Degasi because it definitely didn't come from the Aurora. Unlike Alterra, the China Territories aren't fans of synthetic foods, and they've genetically designed the ancient potato to be highly adaptable to different environments and forms a staple for colonies across the galaxy. And they don't taste like salt.
The rest of the second level has just enough space to squeeze in two Water Filtration Machines – one for me, one for the plants.
The third level is for work. There's a Fabricator, a Modification Station, Battery and Power Cell Chargers, and storage for the few resources I have left.
The fourth level is for power – I've built a Nuclear Reactor there. But because I'm not an idiot, I didn't just shove uranite in there and call it a day. No, first I carefully made some reactor rods to stabilize the rate of the reaction. So power shouldn't be an issue.
Which is good, because off the first level for quick access I built two Moonpools and docked the Seamoth in one of them. The other is for the Prawn Suit, once I make it. The Vehicle Upgrade system I installed is currently changing out the Glass for Enameled Glass using ground up Stalker teeth to further strengthen the Seamoth. That should get me up to roughly five hundred meters of depth.
In anticipation of becoming more debilitated as time goes on, I also built some exterior growbeds just beneath the base and planted a number of Gel Sacks.
…
That's not too far into the future—I am getting worn out with frightening speed. The sickness is getting worse, and my energy levels are dropping. I need to take tomorrow off to sleep and recover, but with each day it's getting noticeably worse. I can't wait much longer.
Log 0063—Day Cycle 40
Today was supposed to be a rest day, but I heard something in the water outside the base. Something big… very, very big. It might be a Reaper. I turned off all the lights and huddled in the dark, too terrified to go to sleep. So instead I tinkered at the Modification Station, working on the blueprints I've found. I upgraded my Fins to Ultra Glide Fins, which are extremely long and unwieldy to walk in, but should work well while swimming. And I'll need them, because I also made an Ultra Capacity Oxygen Tank, which cuts down my hydrodynamics pretty substantially.