Author: kirabug

Day 550:

Found another seam of coal close to that last one, so I’ve got fuel for a while, which is good.

The biggest challenge is that the coal dust gets on everything, and it’s surprisingly flammable for a rock, so I have to scrub myself down whenever I’ve been near the stuff… because everything I do for lighting is open flame, and coal dust can explode in the right mix of air, and I don’t feel like being blown to smithereens.

But when it’s wet, coal is much more like chalk than I’d like, and it smears on everything.

I have no idea how to make soap but I’m guessing I should figure it out.

Day 549:

Remember ages ago when I climbed the tall hill to the south so that I could get a good look around, and I discovered a huge mountain to the east, which is where I’m heading now?

Turns out there was a huuuuuuuge cache of coal under the “stairs” I carved into the big hill so it was easier to climb.

So that’s a little embarrassing. I could’ve used that coal a couple of times before now.

But I have it now, which beats not having it at all.

Day 548:

While we’re on the subject of transportation, it would be nice to have a boat that would let me move all these supplies around from one location to another without drowning.

Even with the lower density of the stone here as compared to a rocky planet like Old Earth, these ore collections don’t float. And that means a lot of walking around from one bridge to another.

I could build more bridges, I suppose, but I feel like a boat might have more flexibility.

On the other hand, building boats is no piece of cake either and I am not exactly a sailor.

I’m thinking about it, a lot, but haven’t made any decisions yet.

Day 547:

I have things stored all over the place, since I figured out how to build relatively stable chest or crate type containers that the monsters can’t get into.

(I wasn’t worried about the monsters so much as the duckens, since they get into everything, but making it monster-proof is a good idea too.)

I like the crates, and I wish that I could figure out a way to make pneumatic tires so I could roll them around the way the mine carts that we had from the company would hover over the ground.

The mine carts I’ve made are nice but they’re soo heavy. Then again, they’re extremely difficult to blow up. That wasn’t even an issue when I was a professional miner instead of a professional survivalist.

Day 546:

Darkness is still the most dangerous situation on this rock. Whether it’s outside because the sun has gone down or deep in a cave, the worst of the worst things seem to come out of the shadows.

(This does not discount the eight skeletons I shot because they were swimming up the river this morning.)

I got caught outside today after dark, which was scary. I’m still trying not to make my presence super-well-known but if the monsters continue to be horrible I figure the only way to survive will be to light this place up so you can see it from space.

And if The Company objects, well, they’re going to be speaking to my lawyer and my union rep after this either way.

Ugh, I’ve been here so long I’d even welcome both of them and the Company HR rep in for tea.

If I had tea.