💾 Archived View for cosmic.voyage › Melchizedek › 003.txt captured on 2024-06-16 at 12:50:28.
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Message Incoming... Source Melchizedek.0294 Approach β Hyi Ascension 00h 25m 45.07036s Declination –77° 15′ 15.2860″ Distance 24.33ly Equinox J2000.0 SOL Year 3781, QEC adjusted [Autotranslator enabled...] Jerome Somerset Pasani, Warrant Master ::: I can report with some satisfaction that all conscious crew have regained enough muscle mass to return to full duty. This is no small feat so soon after abbreviated cryo and it reflects the excellent personal character of each of our officers. Adeyemi, in particular, deserves special acknowledgement. I previously remarked that her own specialty does not provide appropriate experience for our present circumstance; which, as it seems, only belies my own ignorance of her training. Prezzi Adeyemi is an accomplished chef--a byproduct of her training for the Rhetorical Ecclesia--which has helped us to identify our fungal infestation in the cryo bay. Having a fully trained exo-mycologist could not have helped us any more. The stow-away is a form of acrasidae, a slime mold. Our best guess is that a few spores found their way through decontamination procedures at launch. The lengthy darkness, ambient heat, and condensation on the surface of the pods created a fertile environment for it to flourish. The best news of all is that the slime is harmless and should be easily cleaned away in short order. Adeyemi is consulting our database to see if there's any use for the biomass before we eject it. Perhaps we can salvage it for nutrient use in our hydroponics. Speaking of hydroponics, here Dr. Idjani has more concerning news. Our systems are automated and the harvesting of organic matter from the botany systems should be relatively straight forward. These systems have been used commercially planet-side and in long-distance relativistic travel for centuries even prior to our own launch. What we're experiencing is, to use the doctor's words, "unique." Of our dominant crops, arabidopsis and radishles (a fruiting hybrid) have both shown unexpected mutation. There is an abundance of nitrogen in our atmosphere as a result of whatever processes they have undergone; we haven't pinned down exactly what that is yet. The ventilation systems need to be purged and oxygen recycled back in a more appropriate mix. I had failed to mention the crew's experience of headaches in my last message having assumed it related to early thawing from cryo, but now it seems suspect. We're all taking in extra oxygen during rest to avoid additional issues. The doctor says it's good that the full crew were not brought out at once. The oxygen levels would have been dangerous for that many conscious crew at once. We got lucky. The food that arabidopsis and radishles would normally produce is suspect as well. We're on rations already since we shouldn't be awake yet, but this will be an added complication and something to address. Finally, the mutation was not caused by replication error as in normal mutation. It seems that several specific protein readers were adjusted in similar ways across the genome of both plants. We've also found similar markers affecting four other species which did not result in a visible mutation. Whatever happened to our greens was done en mass and with precision. We haven't ruled out human interference, possibly by some saboteur before launch. Honestly, I hope that's the cause. I don't want to think of what it could mean otherwise. In terms of navigation, Hämäläinen and Janssen have plotted a gentle course correction that will have us back on track over the next three weeks with only minimal impact on our energy reserves. The reserves are precise; however, and the energy must be balanced elsewhere. As much as it pains me, I've placed orders across the ship that habitat lighting and heating be kept to a minimum. We will have to use personal heating and lighting equipment for the next three weeks. Solar lamp time is mandatory for all five of us to avoid psychological impact, and Idjani has distributed a vitamin mix to help augment our diet. The cold and dark are nothing new, but such an extended period may cause feelings of isolation and depression. The crew is paired up for the duration at my order: Hämäläinen & Janssen, Idjani & Adeyemi. As warrant officer, I'll be treating the QEC as my own confidant. May the stars see us through this safely. .