Day 41
177/252
Mining operations continue to be fruitful. We recently got the shipyard up and running and have a small fleet of Explorers scouting the area several clicks to the second positive from the initial colony position. We lost one Explorer and accompanying crew to the cruel void. I know they knew the risks going in, but it's never easy to tell someone their spouse or child isn't coming home.
Home. That word has taken on new meaning in the past few months. This mining colony doesn't feel like home; scratching out your existence one unit of coal at a time is no kind of life. But it's all we have now. At some point, it's the only home the youngs will know. And for some, those exploring the farthest reaches of deep space, home will be where you hang your EV suit.
But in the midst of despair, there's a glimmer of hope. Based on transmissions intercepted from other colonists, I was not expecting to find a beta planet so quickly. But then on the scanner, in all its green glory, a ringed sphere appeared. It was later confirmed in the mission report to have breathable O. Initial samplings estimate that it produces 20% more uranium than Alpha, which is highly unusual. This is almost the best case scenario. Uranium means value, and value means survival.
But I can already tell a second planet is going to be a lot more overhead. When we were displaced from 0/0, I tried to look at it as a chance for reinvention; an opportunity to start over. I didn't come out here to be a mining tycoon. I wanted to explore. To discover new star systems, nebulas, and whatever else might be out here waiting for us. But with the second, seemingly very valuable planet, I can't help but think I might have a target on my back. There are murmurings of other colonists assembling fleets of warships, looking to take by force what others have worked hard for. There are some colonist assembling into alliances, but I'm not aware of any formalized treaties that have been ratified, and with the space so big there are never any guarantees of protection.
I'm tempted to blow it all out the airlock and just head deeper to the outskirts. Just run away from the coming battles. I have heard rumors of a black market where core resources, mystical items and even entire planets are bought and sold. I suspect I could get pretty far out past the frames on the credits earned by selling Beta, along with the naming and mineral rights, to the highest bidder. Or do I keep building a modest empire, and hope for the best? I just don't know.
I didn't ask for this, I know none of us did. But the thing I can't get out of my head; the thought that keeps me awake at night, is how do I make sure we don't screw up these new worlds like we did the last one. If this is to be our new piece of Terra, then maybe fissure mining the natural resources out of it isn't the way to begin. But it comes down to survival. We're humans. We'll do what is required to keep going.
