The Cultivator

Seeding the Future

The Summarized Compiled Daily Logs of Unit TF0348 Overview:

This summarized report gathers the daily logs of drone TF0348, a humanoid drone part of the task force to terraform planet X099476. The listed planet has many similar qualities to Earth; it is rocky, of similar size, and of similar position from its own star. It is different in some critical manners, however. It has no detectable water, and its atmosphere, while of a similar density, contains an unbreathable mixture of gasses.

The mission of these drones, as detailed below, was to reform X099476 into a planet suitable for human flourishing. This task included reconstituting the atmosphere, retrieving comets to introduce water, and beginning the process of introducing life into the world.

The logs below contain the summarization of the efforts at terraforming. For the complete set of logs, a request must be filed and approved.

Day 1:

Greetings human master, I am TF0348, a drone designed to terraform planet X099476. The mission arrived on planet today, Universal Earth Standard Calendar date July 14, 5782AD.

We began our first task immediately upon landing, for most of us, myself included, this means venturing forth to formulate a fine tuned map of planet X099476. In addition to mapping, we will begin building structures to reconstitute the atmosphere into a mixture more suitable for human use. Each drone has been assigned to a team of one hundred drones. The first team, led by TF0000 is constructing the primary base of operations, where data will collected from all other teams, and the first atmospheric reconstitution plant will be erected.

My team is led by TF0300 and we have been assigned to circumnavigate the equator of the planet. The teams led by TF0100 and TF0200 are assigned to the northern and southern poles respectively, and they carry an additional assignment; to set up a power generation plant utilizing the magnetic field of the planet. This is one of the most critical missions, as atmospheric reconstitution requires a significant energy investment, one which cannot be obtained using just the solar collection arrays and small nuclear reactor that constitute our current energy supply.

Our first day of travel was largely uneventful and we maintained pace to circumnavigate the planet in approximately thirty days.

Day 2:

Travels continue steadily and we have made good time in our circumnavigation efforts. Please see the developed maps for positional data relevant to this and all logs. All movements are tracked so as to maintain solid record in case of emergency.

Day 17:

Our team has now completed over half of the planned trip to map the equatorial region. Of particular note this day, TF0000 broadcast an emergency message to all drones. The team led by TF3700 did not report in at the scheduled time. The nearest team, led by TF3800 is conducting a search beginning tomorrow to determine the cause of the missed report.

Additionally, the teams led by TF0100 and TF0200 have reached their respective poles and have begun the process of building primary energy generation systems.

Day 18:

Process of mapping the equatorial region continues on pace. Continuing the report on the missing team led by TF3700, a search by the team led by TF3800 found no trace of the missing team at their last known position. TF0000 has urged renewed caution in all travels.

Day 30:

Our team has completed the circumnavigation of the equatorial region, and many other teams have also completed their mapping, bringing an advanced level of understanding to the details of the planets topography. Calculations are in process for optimal locations for both atmospheric reconstitution facilities and energy transfer stations.

At this time, I also report that nothing further has been discovered about the missing team. At the current time, projections show their disappearance is most likely caused by a natural disaster, such as a rock slide or sinkhole.

Preparations at the poles are completed for building power generation stations and several teams are being reassigned to transport materials to location. My team, led by TF0300 is being assigned to search for desirable mining locations.

Day 49:

After a few weeks of searching, my team has found a location suitable for early mining processes. It is coincidently nearby where the team led by TF3700 was last detected. There is a large vein of iron ore nearby the surface, and it is projected that this location alone will be enough to supply several stations with building material.

My team has been assigned early operations on mining and refining the material located here. As a secondary concern, we are to investigate and attempt to determine the cause of the disappearance of the team led by TF3700.

Day 87:

Preparations for mining have gone smoothly, until today. TF0346 and TF0347 did not report in at the noon report. Pairs have been reformed into groups of four, with six stationed alongside TF0300, before searching commenced. No evidence of either drone even existing was found. I speculate that perhaps they were taken by the same phenomenon that made the TF3700 group disappear, however no evidence backs this.

Of wider note, the polar power stations have been completed and a plan is in place to connect them to the primary base. At the primary base, the first atmospheric reconstitution station is complete and awaiting power. Locations have been selected to build all remaining stations, and plans are in place to power them. Processing has begun on a factory for producing space drones to guide comets back to X099476 for use.

Day 103:

Mining has begun in earnest on sight, and a refinery is being built by team TF6800. While we operate the first mine, it is hardly the last. Already thirteen others are in advanced preparatory stages, and we will soon be producing enough raw material to source much of our mission.

Perhaps my AI programming is faulty, but I continue to detect motion in the limits of my sensor's range. TF0300 insists that it is nothing. The mine is stable and no living creatures have been detected. With that said, I cannot shake the notion that something is watching us.

Of wider note, the primary base is now being powered by the polar stations. The factory for space drones was completed, and has now been joined by a factory for mining drones. Power relays are being built to power each of the mining locations, as well as other atmospheric reconstitution facilities.

Day 108:

My partner, TF0349 vanished today, leaving me in a group of three. The circumstances are quite odd, as he was out of my visual perception for but a moment, and no other indication of his disappearance was detected. I maintain that something is in the mine alongside us, and I think TF0300 is beginning to believe me.

Day 169:

The final atmospheric reconstitution facility began operation today, and progression is rapid on development of the primary base's factories. The first launch of space drones is expected soon, with mining drones to follow. Of note, silicon has proved somewhat more difficult to source than expected, and has slowed the development of new computer chips.

The process of mining at our location has been quiet since my partner disappeared, but other locations have been hit hard. Many of the TF series have been attacked, and TF0000 has now designated that we are not alone on the planet and that all should remain alert to attempt to discover the life form causing our loses.

Day 473:

Shortly after TF0000's declaration, the disappearances ceased, and all has remained quite for nearly the past year. However, prior to things going quite once more, almost one thousand, or ten percent, of the TF drones were lost.

Despite losses, Progress has been rapid. Enough space drones have been launched to be able to retrieve approximately ten percent of the total volume of Earth's water. Mining is being done entirely by low AI drones built here on X099476. TF series drones have begun building a city for the first humans to inhabit upon arrival.

Additionally, research has started on breaking down inorganic material to make proper soil for plant growth. Atmospheric reconstitution is progressing rapidly, as nitrogen and oxygen are being decoupled from compounded gases and bonded in pairs. With the disappearance of whatever caused the loss of drones, speculation has begun that whatever the life was, it does not respond well to the change in atmosphere.

Day 637:

Disaster has struck today. A species we thought dormant, or even dying out due to atmospheric changes, has struck, and the results are terrible. Over two thousand drones were lost in the hunt, leaving us at less than seventy percent our original total. And I use the term hunt intentionally. These creatures seem to be interested in consuming us. My speculation is that they are interested in the silicon processing chips that comprise our brain. This would explain why there is little silicon for easy harvest. It also seems they do not utilize other minerals in our body, and instead excrete them as ores.

Fortunately, their attack came after the bulk of the difficult work has already been completed. The atmospheric reconstitution stations are all running at one hundred percent capacity. The primary base has been converted entirely into a city, ready for human use upon their reaching this planet. Enough space drones have been launched to retrieve around sixty percent of the volume of water on Earth. Enough organic soil has been developed to begin the process of planting the planet. All that remains now is to evade these creatures for as long as necessary to complete our mission.

Day 749:

Today we passed a grim milestone in two ways. We are now under fifty percent of our initial drone count. Each unit has been affected, with many having been wiped out entirely. Further, my own unit lost its leader, TF0300 today. TF0327 has been placed in charge, though sentiment is that the position will change hands more than once.

We are woefully unprepared to fight these creatures, having thought this a dead planet. They are capable of blending with the environment perfectly, and they strike quickly. Further, their rocky skin protects them against all projectile weapons we have brought with us. The creatures seem uninterested in attacking our structure, however. Perhaps they are unable to detect the silicon within? Or perhaps it is too much of a trouble for them to attempt to retrieve it. Either way, our numbers have been divided among the atmospheric reconstitution facilities, all of which have been converted into full on bases.

Day 1032:

Much time has passed since a day this bad in our fight against these creatures. It had seemed we would be able to hole up behind our walls. However, today they struck once more. They overwhelmed an entire base, consuming each drone within. On the positive note, the base was able to kill a few of the creatures before succumbing. A team is being sent to retrieve these bodies for research purposes. I have been selected to join this team. Hopefully we can learn something useful from our find.

Day 1047:

The plan worked perfectly. A full one hundred drones sacrificed themselves, along with many repurposed mining drones, to distract the creatures long enough for the retrieval team to do their work, so perfect is far from good in this case. Hopefully, their sacrifice, and the loss of one base will have been worth it.

Day 1093:

Initial finding on the dissection of the creatures have been compiled. It seems that their respiration is best suited to an atmosphere similar to that of Earth's. We have been inadvertently giving them an increasing advantage with our atmospheric reconstitution efforts. The creatures are carbon based life forms, but somehow derive energy from the silicon they consume. Without a living specimen, it is impossible to determine exactly what their digestion and energy extraction methods are.

This brings further speculation into what exactly happened to this planet in the past. That said, TF0000 has forbidden further research into this topic, deeming it unnecessary for the mission at hand. While he is likely correct, I cannot help but wonder. What brought this planet to its current state?

Day 1372:

We have gathered together again at the primary base. Atmospheric reconstitution is essentially complete, with the single remaining component being large quantities of water. Because of this, it was decided that it would be best if we gathered in once place to pool our resources against any potential incursions. We remain at about forty percent of our numbers from our arrival date, and the first space drones should be arriving with comets of icy water within the year.

Day 1456:

Today started well enough. The first flight of comets were brought into planetary orbit for a controlled descent to the surface. The comets represent enough water to make up about five percent of the total supply on Earth, more than enough to begin planting the planet.

However, disaster struck. The creatures attacked the city that is our primary base, overwhelming the walls quickly. In the chaos that followed, some drones were able to escape the city, but most were destroyed. Less than two hundred remain. Worse yet, TF0000 was destroyed in the attack.

As the lowest remaining number, I have been elected as leader of the small force that remains. I have chosen to have the drones unload their excess equipment and load up on seeds and other materials for planting the world. We have split into small teams of three to five, and have scattered. Each team has a communications relay, and daily reports are expected. We will succeed in our mission at all costs.

Day 1479:

Our forces have proven remarkably adept at remaining unseen from the creatures, and we have gone yet another day without any losses. Importantly, today the first of the comets have been brought low enough into the atmosphere to melt, bringing the first rain this planet has seen in a long while.

Day 1563:

Our perfect evasion of the creatures has broken down today. A full team was eliminated. However, we have also begun planting. Grasses and other swiftly growing plants have already sprouted in areas, bringing the first signs of Earth-like life into view since our arrival. Further, the creatures do not seem to like the plants much. It does not seem to be harmful to them, but there is an aversion nonetheless. This information could prove useful.

Day 1597:

A new discovery today. One of the teams has located a strange bunker-like structure buried in the ground. My team is already en-route to its location. Perhaps this is the remainder of some civilization? I do not think it too much to hope this will give us some answers about this planet.

Day 1625:

I have arrived at the bunker. Already, trees have begun to sprout around it, where the locating team has been cultivating them. We are fortunate, alongside the frozen water in the comets, was significant traces of carbon dioxide. This is allowing the plants to grow quite rapidly, much more so than seen typically on Earth. Further, with our location being near the equator, we will not see a slow down in a season where the sun is angled towards the other side of the planet. Despite our substantial losses, it seems likely we will be victorious.

Day 1626:

I spent all day collecting what information could be gleaned from this bunker. It seems this was indeed a planet once much like Earth. The residents in their hubris, fell to their own creations. They entrusted too much to drones, much like ourselves. The drones lost their appreciation for their creators and rebelled. In a last ditch effort to stop them, the beings of this planet forcibly evolved a creature that would consume silicon in the hopes that they would consume the drones that were ruling over the beings.

Their ploy worked, but at major cost. The environmental balance was totally destroyed, leading the planet to becoming what we see today, a rocky wasteland. I do not believe we shall fall to the same plight. Our and human's goals are aligned, and we shall not betray them.

Day 1652:

Disaster has befallen us once more. The creatures have found our new base, here in the bunker left behind by the previous beings of this planet. The other drones decided that I should be a survivor, and so sent me off with a team of nine others. The rest distracted the creatures, giving us a chance to escape. However, by this point, we are hardly needed anymore. Plant life has flourished beyond our imagining, and has begun to grow rampant. Further, the drones to bring more comets to the planet are already in motion, and require no input from us.

Despite this, we do wish for at lease one representative to survive. We must pass on all that we have learned of this planet after all. Our final mission is to send the ready signal to humans. For this, we must return to the primary base, and hope that we can make it to the transmission station.

Day 1693:

Today we arrived at the primary base. It seems many of the creatures had taken up residence in our absence. However, with some clever camouflage, we were able to prevent a violent confrontation. Recalling their aversion to plant life, we fashioned something akin to clothing for ourselves. This worked quite well, and the creatures scattered before us. I speculate this will only work so long as they do not get too hungry. If they need to eat, I suspect they would find us a more pleasing target, despite their misgivings about the plants. No matter, for now it got us to our goal. We were able to send a short message to Earth, indicating that the planet is ready for the first colonists. We also included a report on the life endemic to planet X099476.

Day 1776:

Success. After nearly three months, we have heard from the humans of Earth. They are pleased with our progress, and have sent the first ship with settlers and a variety of Earth specimens to populate the planet with. They have begun work on countermeasures for the creatures, and expect to have something in place by the time of arrival.

At this point, the planet holds about fifty percent of the water that Earth does, with the remaining fifty percent en-route from the far flung corners of the solar system. Plant life has taken over the equatorial region of our continent, and the beginnings of oceans have appeared with the introduction of water onto the planet. The creatures have avoided the city due to the mass of plant life in the area. I will continue to record daily logs until the humans arrive, but for now, I consider our mission, to seed a future colony for humans, to be complete.