Log 6

Got off my feet and went mining again this time with renewed vigour. Though it's still mostly the driller doing the work, I'm literraly just holding and pulling the trigger. So as to use my time productively (read: not get bored af) I'm reading the possible techs I could get when I start finding the minerals I need. While it would've been more efficient to just find promising deposits, I don't have a mineral detector or something, yet, but I also don't have a vehicle to begin transporting the minerals. So there's that.

I could just make a subpar version of the 3d printer which would make it closer to the 21st century tech level, but it would still be able to manufacture simple stuff I need like nuts, bolts, screws, and maybe a plastic welder, though I need to get a carbon deposit... Ugh.

Log 7

Two days of mining and I’m utterly exhausted. Mind you, I’ve never done this much walking and piling in my entire life. At most, I’ve moved a few boxes, but goddamn, having to move several dozen kilograms worth of rock, sand, and minerals is backbreaking work. I’ve got to give props to miners who probably did this with less equipment than I have.

Nevertheless, I’ve struck my first methane fountain! Thankfully, it didn’t spontaneously combust. Alice tells me there isn’t much oxygen in the non-existent atmosphere to allow a fire, anyway. Silly me for worrying about that.

Now that I’ve got methane, I can dump it into the refinery and see it work its magic. I’m hoping it’ll yield something useful. If I can refine this properly, I might be able to produce enough fuel to power the scouting rover and maybe even help run some of the equipment more efficiently. The prospect of having more resources at my disposal is very exciting.

But, I’m alone out here, and a mistake could mean disaster, so I need to be cautious. I’ve set up the refinery for a test run, carefully inputting the methane into the system. Fingers crossed, this will be a breakthrough.

Log 8

Fuck me sideways with a prickly cactus. The refinery gave me an error after I inputted the methane, trying to extract some hydrogen as a test. I asked Alice what was wrong with it, and she told me I just needed to be more specific.

--

Fuck me sideways again. How specific? I don’t know! The manual had a lot of technical jargon, and my understanding of chemical processes is a bit rudimentary at best. I tried to input simple commands, but clearly, that wasn’t enough.

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I spent the next hour poring over the refinery’s manual, trying to decipher the technical details. Turns out I need to specify the ratios for separating hydrogen from methane, and I also need to monitor the temperature settings to ensure everything runs smoothly.

Feeling a bit defeated, I took a break. I couldn’t help but wonder if I was overthinking things. I’ve seen people on YouTube whip up advanced equipment in their garages; why was this so difficult? Maybe it’s the pressure of being in a completely alien environment, or maybe I’m just not cut out for this kind of work.

Log 9

GOT THE REFINERY WORKING, BABY!!! YEAH, THAT'S MORE LIKE IT!

I just essentially told it to fuck off and separate the damn minerals from the hydrogen with oxygen. Using the refined copper oxide leftovers, I managed to create a controlled reaction. I can't believe it? I’ve produced a decent amount of hydrogen and some carbon, too.

Alice chimed in with a bit of information about how the hydrogen can be used as fuel, while the carbon could potentially be converted into other materials. I can’t help but grin; this is the progress I’ve been hoping for. With this newfound resource, I’m thinking about how I could expand my operations.

What if I could rig the refinery to process more materials simultaneously? That would be nice to have. I could create a good system, producing most of what I need to survive.

Just need to see if I can make Earth-like soil compounds and see if those seeds I found earlier worked as intended. Because it seems even future people understood the greatness of the humble potato. I'll need rice later, but potatoes are fine.

So I'll need to plot my next steps. I’ll need to gather more resources, both to feed into the refinery and to gain the possibility of enhancing my mining capabilities. With the right materials, I could create another printer, or even upgrade the mining equipment.

Real peachy right there.

Log 10

Soil is surprisingly difficult to create—go figure. I thought you just needed a few minerals, some organic matter, and voilà! You’d have a nice patch of dirt to plant things in. Turns out, it’s not that simple. I spent hours combing through the rover’s database and analyzing the components I’ve been mining. To make something resembling soil, I need a mixture of materials, including literal shit, gravel, and a bunch of other nice minerals.

Alice suggested I could use the copper oxides I’ve been mining as a base, but they alone won’t cut it. I need organic matter to stimulate microbial growth and add nutrients. Given my current situation, I’m starting to feel like Mark Watney from The Martian—just without the potatoes and the whole “being on Mars” thing. May the spirit of Watney himself guide me as I use his knowledge for my survival.

After some trial and error, I began gathering the necessary components. I knew I needed organic material, and while I can’t magically summon plant life out here, I had a thought: what if I used some of the methane I had processed along with my shit? If I can synthesize it further and combine it with what little biological matter I have, maybe I can kickstart a self-sustaining process.

I searched through the storage c ompartments for the methane supplies and found some. Now, for my shit.

Damn, I need a drink; even coffee would be great.