kirabug's idea files

Day 516:

Found a cache of diamonds. They were buried under some dirt under a seam of diorite under the water flow from the spring, just to the side of the lava lake.

Some day I’d like them to be, I don’t know, just, like, on the surface? I mean if there’s any geological activity here (and the lava lakes point to yes) then theoretically some of the diamond caches would have gotten pushed to the surface occasionally.

Then again, they might be difficult to find under all the trees.

But still. This “down into the depths of the planetesimal just to grab some shiny rocks” thing is a bit old even for an experienced miner like me.

Day 515:

Good news, I was able to refill my water skeins using an underground spring down here.

(Bad news: it tried to wash me off my feet into a lava lake. Good news: I didn’t let it. Tying one’s to a secure stalactite is always a good idea when exploring unusual places.)

So I don’t have any burn cream but I do have all the appears-fresh-and-clean flowing water I want. And that’s a good thing any day of the week.

Day 514:

I’ve been mostly eating dried fish while I’ve been doing this current set of diamond hunting because it’s more convenient than traveling back to my main base for fresh vegetables.

But I’m starting to dream at night about carrots, and craving carrots. I look at the stalactites and stalagmites and think, wow, I wish they were parsnips.

I think that’s a sign that my diet’s a bit off.

Maybe it’s time to head back to base soon and count my current diamonds and decide what to do next.

Or at least go back and make a good hearty carrot stew with fresh ducken. That might be nice too.

(I bet it ends up raining and I eat dried fish again.)

Day 513:

It’s easy to get lost in a mine, even if you’re the only one digging it.

For every major bit of progress that you make, you redefine the landscape and change the visible landmarks.

So I got lost today in my own mine and almost dug up and through a very large lava lake.

I’m quite grateful I didn’t succeed, but there was a minute or two that my life was in my hands – and my hands were in a bucket of water because I’d gotten splashed with lava and, well, don’t let that happen to you.

I miss my mining suit.

Day 512:

Lots of rock rats are attacking lately, and I’ve found no diamonds.

I’d much prefer no rock rats were attacking and I had found lots of diamonds.

But since that’s not the case, I’m going to at least wish the rock rats were, like, pooping diamonds or something. They don’t provide meat, they don’t provide bones, they just bite my ankles and get stabbed for doing so.

Rock rats are not useful.