Planet Bound

by R. A. Mejia

“Then you’ll have enough oxygen to survive for about 236 hours or on this 20-hour-a-day planet, 11.8 days’ worth of oxygen.”

  I rub my head at all the math involved in simply surviving on this stupid planet but decide that I’ll go ahead a make the seven days’ worth of rations. I activate the fabricator and watch the ship’s electricity supply drop by 1400 Amps. I open the heavy door to the fabricator, take out the seven ration bars, and store them in my room since the ship no longer has a kitchen.

  As I’m stacking the precious things in the drawer next to the bed, SAI tells me, “John, I’d like to point out that, based on the daily production of electricity by the solar panels, you should only be able to use the fabricator one more time before it impacts the ship’s systems.”

  I look back over the readout for the ship’s electricity storage, but I’m confused. “What do you mean? We still have over 3,000 Amps of electricity.”

  “Yes, but you have to remember that the solar cells don’t make electricity at night. With the current production, you only have 2,400 Amps of electricity to use for fabrication or deconstruction. That assumes you don’t use other non-essential ship functions like the med bay or charge your suit.”

  “Well, can I at least make another oxygen tank for my suit? It’s annoying that I have enough battery power for longer trips but not enough oxygen.”

  “Yes, John. You can make a new oxygen tank since it will only cost 700 Amps of electricity to make, and you have enough iron and carbon to produce it. Though, that will only leave you a daily excess of 300 Amps of electricity and 8.18 kg of Iron in storage.”

  “That doesn’t leave me a lot of spare electricity, but I can at least use it to do some exploring.”

  After another trip to the fabricator, I find myself waiting while the machine builds the small oxygen pod a layer of atoms at time. I roll my neck to try and relieve the tension that’s built up there. I consider how just a few minutes ago I was dancing a jig, happy that I won’t die today because we now have enough electricity to run the ship. But seeing how much juice it takes to make food and a simple thing like this oxygen pod makes me realize that the margin of error between living and dying is a lot thinner than I’d like.

  A beep from the fabricator tells me that it’s done, and I open the door to the machine. I take a small canister that I can hold in one hand out of the fabricator room. It takes a few minutes to fill it up with oxygen, but once I add it to my suit, it doubles my current exploration time in the space suit from three to six hours.

  I grab my suit, double-check that the batteries are fully charged, screw in the new oxygen pod into the last available port on the suit, and slip into the skin-tight suit and helmet. I turn the helmet, and it clicks into place, creating a full seal. The lights on the inside of the suit turn on, as does my helmet display, showing indicators for O2, the battery, and suit integrity.

  Sliding the suit back on is a bit weird. It almost feels like a second skin, and I certainly wish that we had the extra resources to replace the helmet with one that doesn’t have a crack running across my vision. SAI assures me that the integrity of the suit isn’t damaged severely and that, barring another crash or something attacking me, it should be fine. Suit integrity still stands at 76%. Still, I’ll feel more comfortable when I can get a new one fabricated or have this one repaired. The readout for oxygen and battery power both read 100%. Although, if I focus on their displays, they both give additional information that electricity and oxygen should last for six hours.

  I take the elevator down to exit the ship and am walking north within a few minutes. SAI’s voice speaks to me through the speakers in the helmet. “John, can you hear me?”

  “Yeah, SAI, I can hear you loud and clear. Do you have access to the suit’s sensors?”

  “I have full access to long and short range scanners. I have thermal, pressure, humidity, photo-optic, vibrational, and radiological sensors.”

  SAI applies visual filters showing off each type of sensor and what it’s picking up. Each overlay only lasts a second, and the quick transitions make my eyes twitch. I shake my head to clear the after images. “Uh, thanks, SAI, but please just let me know if you find anything we need with your scans or if there are any signs of life. It would be great to find another survivor or some civilization that could help us.”

  My vision through the helmet returns to normal. “Understood, John. I’ll handle the scanning; you handle the walking.”

  The early morning sun turns the sky an interesting shade of maroon that fades into green as time passes. I have a total of six hours of walking time. That’s three hours out and three hours back before I run out of both oxygen and electricity. I plan to head directly away from the ship and let SAI scan as I walk. Then, when I hit my three-hour limit, I will come back at a different angle so that she can scan all new territory. SAI has even worked out a way to help keep me on track by creating a map as we go that starts out with the ship in the center and everything else in black. The map is filled in as we explore and scan, and the black portions are replaced with topographical images that can be used to highlight mineral deposits and other items of interest.

  The first hour, I find myself engrossed by the newness of the alien world. As the sun continues to rise, it starts to reflect off the pink sand, giving it a kind of sparkling look. A scan reveals the sand is made of nitrogen, hydrogen, and carbon with minor amounts of oxygen. According to SAI, it would take a metric ton of sand to produce one hour’s worth of oxygen. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that it would likely take me more than an hour to move the sand by hand, thus ending up in a net loss of oxygen.

  I continue the walking and scanning, but as far as I can see, there’s not much around here. Off in the distance are some mountains and something blue that I only hope is water. Once I hit my three-hour limit, I make the walk back, taking care not to walk over the area that SAI has already scanned. The return starts to get tedious since all I have to look at is the sand and the broken-up part of the ship that is my new home.

  The next day, I continue my plan to map the area around the ship. I clear about a third of the blacked-out area on the map but only find a few green rocks made up of lots of nitrogen, iron, magnesium, and calcium. I take the handful back to the ship that day and deconstruct them. I could use some calcium in my food rations.

  It’s not until the third day that I find something interesting. I’ve already circled the ship and am about to head back towards the ship when something catches my attention. Motion. Something moved at the very edge of my peripheral vision. Yet, when I turn my head to double-check, I don’t see anything other than a rocky hill that sticks up a few meters from me. A gentle breeze kicks up pink sand as I stare at the hill, and I wonder if I was just imagining it. It could have just been a falling rock or something else just as mundane. But I find myself taking at first one step, then another towards the hill. What if it wasn’t my imagination?

  As I continue walking, SAI’s voice comes on over the comms. “John, where are you going? Your suit is almost at its exploration limit. Please turn around, or your oxygen level will soon reach the point of no return.”

  “I know, SAI. I just want to take a climb up here to get a better view.”

  The climb up the green rocks is a little challenging, and I have to make a couple jumps to get to the top. But the view is worth it. From this vantage, I can see down right into a valley. The ground is covered in shadow, but I can make out a field of black objects protruding from the ground like some branchless, rectangular, obsidian trees. More importantly, my neural implant highlights movement. It’s hard to make out from here, but something is moving among the black pillars.

  My heart starts to pound. Movement. I didn’t imagine it. Something down there is moving. I was right. My mind races excitedly through the possibilities. It could be a survivor, or an alien, or some unknown creature. “Do you see that, SAI? Something is down there is alive!”

  “Yes, John. Though, I’m not sure
why you are so excited. Life has been found on many worlds. I should also caution you that we don’t know anything about this life form and that it may be hostile. Further study is recommended.”

  Quest: Obtain specimen for study or scan unknown life form.

  Reward: The advancement of science! And a possible new source of food.

  I chuckle at the quest reward. I’m not that enthusiastic about the science part, but I could sure go for something other than those bland rations. A beep catches my attention, and I see that it’s my time to return. I reluctantly climb down, sorry to leave the only other living things I’ve found on this planet behind. But I’m confident that I’ll be back to study them soon. Maybe they’ll lead me to something interesting.

  The trip back to the ship is one of introspection. What were those big pillars? What were those things moving down there? Are they sentient? Could they help me contact someone? I’m brought out of my reverie by warning flashes on my helmet screen.

  Warning: Oxygen levels have reached 5%. Please replace oxygen pod.

  I look past the warning on the screen and see the ship. For some reason, it seems to be farther away than it should. My heart starts pumping faster, and I begin breathing harder. I increase my pace and start to jog towards the ship.

  “John. Please try to calm yourself. You have just enough oxygen left to make it to the ship, but only if you continue to walk normally and not hyperventilate. Don’t run: that uses more oxygen.”

  I recall the suffocating feeling the last time that I ran out of oxygen on the ship, and it’s one that I’m determined not to experience again. It’s a struggle to slow down and to control my breathing. Deep breath in, deep breath out.

  “SAI, could you plot the most efficient path to the ship for me and display it on my helmet screen?”

  “Of course, John.”

  There’s a pause, and then green dots that lead to the ship appear on the pink sand. I take one step and then another, walking through the green dots. As I do, they flash slightly, and there’s a popping sound in my helmet. I focus on just that small goal. Pop the next green dot. One step after another. It’s just a game. No need to panic.

  The tightness in my chest loosens as I continue, and it’s easier to suppress the urge to run. Before I know it, the elevator is descending from under the ship, and I’m stepping onto it. As the doors of the elevator close, I see my oxygen levels reach 0.13%. The air in the elevator cycles through its scans and cleaning procedures to make sure I haven’t brought anything back into the ship with me. The elevator stops, but it’s not done with its biological safety protocols, and I do my best to remain calm. I’d never noticed how long this takes. Just as my oxygen level reaches 0%, the lights in the elevator turn green and the door opens. I quickly step out and remove my helmet, grateful to breathe in the fresh, clean air.

  “Take deep breaths, John. You’re fine now,” SAI says, her voice much clearer on the ship.

  I feel better after a few controlled breaths, and I walk over to one of the few remaining chairs on the ship and sit down. “SAI, how far do you estimate those black pillars are from us?”

  “From our scans, I estimate that the objects you refer to are 29 km away from the ship.”

  “And how long would it take for me to walk there?”

  “If you could walk a direct path, I’d say that it would take five hours to get there. But, accounting for delays and a non-linear path, a better estimate would be six hours.”

  A sigh escapes my lips. “That would hit the limit of my suit’s oxygen supply, and I’d be stuck out there.”

  “That is correct. But I should also like to point out that you cannot walk down into the valley directly. You would have to find some way to either scale the cliff face or locate an alternate path. Those options will consume more time, electricity, and oxygen.”

  “I hadn’t thought about that. Does that mean that I’ll have to make more oxygen tanks and more batteries for the suit?”

  “Unfortunately, the model you are currently using only has a port for a single battery and two oxygen pods. Additionally, I don’t believe your current suit could withstand the rigors of a cliff-side decent. I’d recommend either upgrading your current suit or fabricating an entirely new one.”

  “Then we’ll have to upgrade the suit. You mentioned before that the fabricator has schematics for other suits and upgrades. Are any of those capable of getting me to the black pillars to investigate what’s moving down there?”

  “The Scout 1 unit does have integrated ports for up to four oxygen pods and two standard batteries. In addition, it has light armor that should survive a climb down that cliff. However, you’d lose the ability to do in-field spectral analysis.”

  I shake my head, not understanding that last part. “What does that mean in English?”

  “I wouldn’t be able to tell you what stuff is made of while you’re out there. You’d have to bring back samples and have them analyzed on the ship. I’ll list the options for upgrades and new suits.”

  Scout Space Suit Level 1

  Oxygen: 280 liters

  Energy: Battery 2 - 1500 Amp Hours

  Suit Integrity: 150/150

  Life Support: LSS 1 - 100 Amp/hour

  Motors: Enhanced Movement 1 - 25 Amps/hour

  Tools: Enhanced Vision 1

  Radar 1

  Camouflage 1

  Sensors: Scanners 1

  Upgrades: Magnetic Boots, Light Armor 1, Enhanced Movement 1

  Cost: 1,000 Amps, H (Hydrogen):30.61 kg, C (Carbon): 12.95 kg, N (Nitrogen): 0.561 kg, Fe (iron): 14.76 kg, Al (Aluminum): 0.0001 kg, Cu (Copper): 0.04 kg, O (Oxygen): 17.39 kg, Si (Silicon): 0.392 kg, Li (Lithium): 6.4 kg, Ni (Nickel): 4 kg, Co (Cobalt): 4 kg, P (Phosphorus): 0.28 kg

  Upgrades Available to Engineering Suit 1:

  Light Armor 1- Suit is layered with polycarbonate material providing a flexible and tough outer layer.

  Cost: 200 Amps, H (Hydrogen):3.12 kg, C (Carbon): 1.95 kg, O (Oxygen): 1.73 kg

  Enhanced Movement 1 - Advanced nanites are embedded into the lining of the suit, providing artificial flexibility and range. Increases general movement speed by 10%.

  Cost: 200 Amps, H (Hydrogen):8.12 kg, C (Carbon): 6.95 kg, O (Oxygen): 1.54 kg

  Enhanced Movement 2 - Requires Enhanced Movement 1

  Cost: 400 Amps, H (Hydrogen):16.12 kg, C (Carbon): 12.95 kg, O (Oxygen): 3.73 kg

  Enhanced Strength 1 - Advanced nanites are embedded into the lining of the suit, providing mechanically assisted power when moving. Provides increased carrying capacity and increased power. May be boosted at the cost of electrical usage.

  Cost: 200 Amps, H (Hydrogen):5.12 kg, C (Carbon): 8.95 kg, O (Oxygen): 4.73 kg

  Enhanced Strength 2 - Requires Enhanced Strength 1

  Cost: 400 Amps, H (Hydrogen):10.12 kg, C (Carbon): 16.95 kg, O (Oxygen): 8.73 kg

  Additional Oxygen Slot

  Cost: 50 Amps, H (Hydrogen): 0.353 kg, C (Carbon): 0.355 kg, N (Nitrogen): 0.0207 kg, Fe (iron): 1.253 kg, Cu (Copper): 0.02 kg, O (Oxygen): 0.098 kg, Si (Silicon): 0.196 kg.

  Additional Battery Slot

  Cost: 50 Amps, H (Hydrogen): 0.233 kg, C (Carbon): 0.552 kg, N (Nitrogen): 0.0298 kg, Fe (iron): 1.541 kg, Cu (Copper): 0.031 kg, O (Oxygen): 0.068 kg, Si (Silicon): 0.177 kg.

  Sonic Toolset - Sonic power tools are the lowest cost regarding electrical use. They provide all the benefits of normal tools but use sonic waves to manipulate stuff. Sonic Screwdriver, Sonic Hammer, Sonic Wrench, all in one. (Cost assumes deconstructing existing tools)

  Cost: 50 Amps, H (Hydrogen): 0.115 kg, C (Carbon): 0.204 kg, N (Nitrogen): 0.0241 kg, Fe (iron): 0.598 kg, Cu (Copper): 0.061 kg, O (Oxygen): 0.078 kg, Si (Silicon): 0.187 kg.

  Gravity Beam - A tool that is used to change the local gravity around where the beam hits. It can be used to either increase or decrease the gravity. Used to lift heavy loads or secure objects in space. The cost per second of the unit usually means it is plugged into a steady supply of electri
city. (Cost assumes deconstructing existing tools)

  Cost: 50 Amps, H (Hydrogen): 0.105 kg, C (Carbon): 0.213 kg, N (Nitrogen): 0.0219 kg, Fe (iron): 0.641 kg, Cu (Copper): 0.062 kg, O (Oxygen): 0.061 kg, Si (Silicon): 0.171 kg.

  Laser Cutter - A handheld a device that projects a single laser beam like a blade on an ax or hacksaw. It can be used to slowly cut through most objects, though the denser an object, the longer it will take. (Cost assumes deconstructing existing tools)

  Cost: 50 Amps, H (Hydrogen): 0.121 kg, C (Carbon): 0.215 kg, N (Nitrogen): 0.0279 kg, Fe (iron): 0.542 kg, Cu (Copper): 0.071 kg, O (Oxygen): 0.066 kg, Si (Silicon): 0.160 kg.

  Medium Armor 1 - Requires Enhanced Movement 2, Enhanced Strength 2. Tough, armor capable of sustaining significant damage.

  Cost: 1000 Amps, H (Hydrogen):30.12 kg, C (Carbon): 10.95 kg, Nitrogen: 5.14 kg, O (Oxygen): 10.73 kg

  “Wow. Those upgrades are a lot cheaper than a whole new suit. I can get almost all of them except heavy armor for the price of just the scout suit. Especially those tools. Why are they so cheap?”

  “Well, you are upgrading your existing suit instead of printing out a whole new one. As for the tools, we already have those on the ship, so we don’t have to fabricate them from scratch. All we’re doing is integrating them into the engineering suit--which has hard points for added functionality like this--so there is no extra design work. You couldn’t add those same tools to a scout or soldier model suit. Unfortunately, no matter what you choose, we have a problem.”