Complete Story
This is the story of Okulous-10 in one location, up to the current completed chapter.
Chapter 1: First Transmissions
E5R LOG 00: Connect
ESTABLISHING CONNECTION....
ESTABLISHING CONNECTION....
ESTABLISHING CONNECTION....
OKULOUS-10 LINK ESTABLISHED.
CONFIRMING SITE....SITE E5 RECEIVING.
CONFIRMING SIGNAL....RECEIVING TEXT ONLY.
E5R LOG 01: Atrophy
Alexandra Boldt here, Communications Specialist for OKULOUS-10, waking from zombie sleep. Groggy. Other crew members awake before me. Muscular atrophy. Hope it goes away soon. A few hours to walk to communications. Protocol 010: Communications.
E5R LOG 02: Status
Ship Status reporting, all systems functional. Except we can't receive signals from Earth. Text broadcast only. Hopefully COMMAND is receiving this. We will broadcast daily. Update on crew tomorrow. Muscular atrophy still impeding most actions.
E5R LOG 03: Cold
More issues with ship systems. Temperature control, unable to maintain constant temperature within the ship. Too cold. All crew using blankets to keep warm. Probably due to continuing support for zombie sleep systems. Not all crew members awake yet.
E5R LOG 04: Zombie
Engine systems good, however unable to confirm our ship's location. Working on solution. Coordinates database still refreshing. Zombie sleep should be down by now, but it isn't. This worries me. Three crew still not awake. All other crew awake and healthy.
E5R LOG 05: Control
Need Anders to wake from zombie sleep to fix temperature control systems. In such cold, can't reduce muscular atrophy. Anders would know how to fix. Others and myself looked through heating, but appears too complicated. Average ship temp 54 degF.
E5R LOG 06: Mishings
Coordinates database still refreshing. Should have refreshed by now. Can't access any historical logs. Allison Mishings woke from sleep today. Two remaining, including Anders. Vitals appear normal, still concerned. They should be awake by now.
E5R LOG 07: Vitals
Heating systems connected to zombie sleep capsules. Unless Anders and Foley wake, ship stays cold. Anders' vitals failing. Worried about him. Foley's okay. Average ship temperature continues to drop, roughly half of a degree every 22 hours, now 51 degF.
E5R LOG 08: Risk
Foley's and Anders' vitals declining. Crew doctor Dirk Schmidt says wait until tomorrow. If vitals still falling we manually wake. Alarms in piloting controls, need Foley or Anders to diagnose. Crew not sleeping. Too cold, increasing risk of disease.
E5R LOG 09: Manual
Foley's and Anders' vitals now critical. Starting manual wake cycle now. Schmidt believes they will die if not taking out of zombie sleep. Crew standing by to support. Can't lose both and only engineers. Avg temp: 49 degF. Protocol 210: Manual Wake.
E5R LOG 10: Training
Foley out of zombie sleep and stable, but unconscious. Process took 8 hours. Preparing to cycle Anders out of zombie sleep. Schmidt training Allison Mishings as his medical assistant. Crew sleep deprived. Concerned about health. Protocol 210: Manual Wake.
E5R LOG 11: Anders
Anders dead. Died before Wake Protocol. Not sure what to do. Hard to deal with these emotions in a ship with no resources in the middle of space. So many questions. How do we deal with a dead body in space? Airlock doesn't feel right. Want a better way.
E5R LOG 12: Alarms
Crew count now 24. COMMAND, who should take Ander's place on the crew as lead engineer? Need to fix temp systems. Alarms in pilot controls. Foley still unresponsive. Average ship temp 50 degF. Zombie sleep heat rejection was too high.
E5R LOG 13: Location
Put Anders' body back in zombie sleep capsule after brief memorial service. Temp continues to increase, helping crew muscular atrophy. Concerned we still can't determine our location. Not sure how to fix without our engineers. Foley still unconscious.
E5R LOG 14: Promotion
I volunteered to take Anders' position as Lead Engineer. I'll also continue as communications lead. With Foley still unconscious, there's no one to fix coordinates / location database alarms. Average ship temp increasing.
E5R LOG 15: Memory
Schmidt, Mishings scheduled weekly health checks. Trying to understand main ship systems. How did Anders keep all this in his head? Think silent alarms may have something to do with our lack of location. Foley still unconscious.
E5R LOG 16: Planning
Avg ship temp 67degF. Crew catching up on sleep. Trying different shifts and managing other starting tasks, food and nutrition needs. Planning for mission objectives. Haven't established crew’s operational responsibilities.
E5R LOG 17: Silence
Unable to confirm our location, very concerning. Looked outside for the first time. Space is vast. Stars are unbelievable. Our sun is one of them, can’t tell which. Sleep improving for me. So quiet in the ship sometimes.
E5R LOG 18: Capacity
I asked for help leading the crew. Still too busy understanding OKULOUS-10’s engineering. Myself and Schmidt are now designated captains. Foley still unconscious. Vitals normal. Concerned she isn't awake. Hope to send images, but not enough signal capacity.
E5R LOG 19: Beautiful
The two alarms I found on the navigation computer could be bad sensors on ship's exterior shell. Not sure how to fix yet. Need to confirm wiring routes. Can't stop looking outside. It's beautiful. Milky Way is an incredible sight out here. So many stars.
E5R LOG 20: Symptoms
Foley awake but not speaking. Schmidt is concerned about her health, early flu symptoms. Schmidt suggests a quarantine. I don't understand how someone could get flu out here.
E5R LOG 21: Appointments
Crew finally getting into mission objectives. More details to follow. First found of weekly health appointments tomorrow. Will send separate files with summaries when available.
E5R LOG 22: Sensors
Confirmed bad sensors are why we can't establish our location. Requires exterior trip to sensor. Have to establish procedure. A frightening thought.
E5R LOG 23: Bodies
Mishings concerned about health appointment results. One crew member seen looking at Anders' dead body. Seems strange. May not have been a good idea to keep his body on the ship.
E5R LOG 24: Isolation
Foley in medical quarantine until symptoms gone. Still not speaking. Two crew members show early signs of mental destabilization. Never know how isolation like this will impact someone.
E5R LOG 25: Maintenance
Planning for first maintenance walk to fix sensors. Other tasks being assigned. Determining primary mission objectives for crew teams.
E5R LOG 26: Boden
Charles Boden caught staring at Anders' dead body again. When asked why, he said: "He's still alive. Why hasn't he woken up?" Thinking we can't keep Anders' on board for sake of crew mental health, but doesn't feel right to send out the airlock.
E5R LOG 27: Response
Curious was signal latency is. Mishings says three crew - including Boden - are mentally unstable. Foley's flu symptoms are clearing, still not speaking.
E5R LOG 28: Objectives
Primary objectives determined: 1) Where are we? 2) Determine Foley's condition. 3) Assign leaders to: Health and Nutrition, Planning, Navigation, Sciences. Preparing for exterior walk tomorrow. I'm terrified. Still monitoring mental health of others.
E5R LOG 29: Dark
Exterior walk completed. Terrifying. Space is dark. Impossible to see anything outside the helmet light. Both exterior sensors damaged. Other damage seen to shell of OKULOUS-10, as if we went through a storm. Need to check navigation history before waking.
E5R LOG 30: Health
Health Team Objectives: Maintain plant growth cycles, ensure health and fitness of crew. Planning Team Objectives: Determine next steps in mission, act as mission historians. Navigation Team Objectives: Determine our location (after sensors repaired).
E5R LOG 31: Science
Sciences Team Objectives (lead by me): Repair exterior sensors. Review extent of exterior ship damage, verify no other critical systems are in alarm. Night and day shift for crews determined. Performing another exterior walk.
E5R LOG 32: Time
Unsure of current date. Our time indicates E5R1205:1346:seconds. Schmidt believes Boden's instability based on his observance of Anders. Other crew instabilities based on memory loss before waking, leading to other symptoms.
E5R LOG 33: Damage
Second maintenance walk. Both nav sensors inside for repair. Significant damage near sensors on ship's shell, like something hit us, denting of the shell, no breaches. Recommending no repair action at this time for shell since atmosphere is still intact.
E5R LOG 34: Decisions
Schmidt made difficult decision today: remove Ander's body from ship. Already done. Boden tried opening Ander's capsule. He is under medical watch with Mishings. If this was not part of original protocols, asking that an exception be made.
E5R LOG 35: Letum
Foley spoke today. First words: "How did we die?" Nothing else to report.
Chapter 2: Primary Objectives
E5R LOG 36: Cucco
Navigation lead by Paulo Cucco. I need to fix two light sensors to finalize our location. Navigational database won't refresh without sensors. Paulo hoping to access our location history.
E5R LOG 37: Tofleson
Simulated farming systems operational and led by Sahra Tofleson.
E5R LOG 38: Serinath
Planning Objectives to be led by Aditya Serinath. He confirmed previous three objectives are critical.
E5R LOG 39: Tests
All of us are concerned about Foley, still under quarantine. Mishings is running memory tests on her now.
E5R LOG 40: Shifts
Silence in the ship and dark space outside effecting some crew members mental health. Others miss Earth. Instituted night and day shifts, three 8-hour rotations.
E5R LOG 41: Music
Schmidt thinks music may help with mental health. He instituted a daily requirement for crew to listen to music. The two crew members with potential signs of depression don't remember their time on Earth before zombie sleep.
E5R LOG 42: One
One exterior sensor fixed. The other isn't repairable without spare parts. Need to check storage. Surprising that I haven't been down there yet. Many areas of the ship we haven't seen. Still a lot to learn about OKULOUS-10's operational systems.
E5R LOG 43: Parts
Found engineering storage room, wall panels were taken down. Tools and parts everywhere, like someone was trying to disassemble walls. Very strange. Did find spare parts to repair second light sensor. Will attempt fix on next exterior walk.
E5R LOG 44: Meals
Crew members eating their meals alone. Mishings insists on regular family-style dinners for each shift. Still no signal from Site E5R. Repaired second exterior light sensor with spare parts. Getting more comfortable with exterior ship walks.
E5R LOG 45: Sibylline
Reinstalled storage wall panels. Foley hasn't spoken for 8 days. She paces ship continuously, keeps asking how we died and insisting we call her Sibylline. Crew with memory issues starting to believe they are dead also. Serinath to establish navigational plans after our location is determined.
E5R LOG 46: Database
Paulo refreshing the database history again. Need to locate exterior area where damaged interior panels are. Given mystery in storage, my new objective is to assess the complete physical condition of OKULOUS-10.
E5R LOG 47: Protein
Tolefson has three shifts set up for Farming Systems. Tomato and grape plants died during our flight. She's hoping to grow again with extra seeds. Good news today: other protein growth plants are substantial for meals beyond our lifetimes on the ship.
E5R LOG 48: Justice
Someone was in engineering storage again. The wall panels I re-installed have been taken down again. Waiting outside for rest of the day and see who is putting our atmosphere at risk. Aditya suggested justice system to deal with these types of issues.
E5R LOG 49: Tartarus
Boden came to storage area, surprised I was there. He was the one taking the wall panels down. He said he was “looking for a way out of Hell.” Mishings to set up special medical watch for Boden, Foley and Bismark.
E5R LOG 50: Gardens
It's very quiet out here. I don’t mind it. Family-style dinners seem to be helping with overall crew moral and mental health. Each crew member was assigned a gardening space in the farm.
E5R LOG 51: Fuel
Checked fuel levels, our tanks are still 3/4 full. Thought we'd use more during our flight. We're tapping our regenerative fuel tanks now.
E5R LOG 52: Loss
Mishings' and Schmidt's medical surveillance of Boden, Foley and Bismark indicate much more severe memory loss than we thought for the three of them. They have no memory of their time on Earth before our takeoff. Aditya to search crew directory for their histories.
E5R LOG 53: Weather
Weather out here is just fine. Sunny. Partly cloudy. In case you wanted to know.
E5R LOG 54: Erased
Aditya very worried. Our internal personnel files all erased, along with navigational history. Gone. Something happened during zombie sleep.
E5R LOG 55: Known
Database refreshed. Location not yet determined, but we have a status beyond UNKNOWN. Our location history is also erased. We have no location or trajectory history. We now know what we don’t know.
E5R LOG 56: Grapes
Tolefson starting grape plant growth. Still working on tomatoes.
E5R LOG 57: Taste
Food has been bland. Saving spices until Farming can produce more. Second round of health checkups are scheduled.
E5R LOG 58: Runtime
I've reviewed engine run times. Less than 400 hours. Impossible. To reach this distance from Earth, engines would have run much longer.
E5R LOG 59: Permanence
Mishings and Schmidt completed second health check in with Foley, Boden and Bismark. All three of them think we are dead. Refuse to perform their duties. All three under permanent medial watch by medical team.
E5R LOG 60: Light
I've confirmed that newly installed sensors are picking up light from nearby nebula cluster. Extremely concerned about location, still unable to determine.
E5R LOG 61: Evaluation
Serinath asked that we re-evaluate mission objectives. Cucco believes he is close to having our location confirmed.
E5R LOG 62: <CONNECTION#ERROR>
SIGNAL DATA PACKET EMPTY.
E5R LOG 63: Delays
Our delay in communications yesterday was because Foley tried to jam our signals. She forced me out. Schmidt helped me recover.
E5R LOG 64: Foreshadowing
Foley is now locked in medical bay under quarantine again. Checking logs, no other communications were sent by Foley.
E5R LOG 65: Diagnostics
Second round of health check-ins complete. Crew is healthy, with the exception of Foley. Even Boden and Bismark seem to be doing okay. Bismark asked to help me with ship system diagnostics. Will provide basic tasks for him to see how he does.
E5R LOG 66: Nebula
There’s a nebula on our sensors. Unable to see visually, but there’s significant light being emitted from a sector of space within range of our ship. Seems promising as this will finally help determine our location.
E5R LOG 67: Meetings
Had private meeting with Cucco. We're potentially few days from confirming location. Our mission timeline still indicates E5R1205:1346:xxxx, even after multiple resets of the database. Not sure what this means. Anyone from Earth receiving this? Can anyone help us?
E5R LOG 68: Animals
Tofleson asked for more space in Farming to accommodate animal growth from new cell modules. Serinath confirmed this was a good idea.
E5R LOG 69: Humidity
For Toflenson to expand and provide a sustainable long-term sustainable food supply, I need to find a way to increase the humidity in the farming modules. Need to confirm our environmental controls can handle additional temperature and humidity loads.
E5R LOG 70: Auriga
Cucco established our location. We are nowhere near the Milky Way, which is where we are supposed to be. We believe the nebula we see is Cluster M36, meaning we are in the Auriga Constellation. How did we get here? What happened during zombie sleep? Is anyone receiving?
Chapter 3: A New Nebula
E5R Log 71: Fluids
I've added more temperature control parts from storage, allowing Tofleson to start animal growth modules. Foley tried escaping the medical bay. She constantly sweats, even though the temperature is 70 degrees and hardly consumes fluids.
E5R LOG 72: Bright
We had no plans to be in Auriga. New navigation and general mission objectives are needed. Cucco, Serinath and myself discussed heading toward Capella, the brightest star here.
E5R LOG 73: Confirmation
Is anyone there? Please. Earth. We need confirmation of our objectives. Are we to continue in Auriga? How did we get here? Was our trajectory incorrect from Earth?
E5R LOG 74: Scattered
Cucco isn’t sure about our location. Some stars match up with what our database, others don’t. He’s confirmed again that we are in Auriga, but not all data points line up.
E5R LOG 75: Mapping
Per our star map, some stars are out of position from where they should be. Others are not there at all. We also see other stars of different brightness, appear to be new, perhaps undiscovered.
E5R LOG 76: Potential
Finally some good news. Tofleson's farming operation shows great potential. Randall Ford, taking on lead maintenance, is constructing additional pods in the farm for more variety in the diet. I need to again adapt our temperature control systems and verify capacity.
E5R LOG 77: Biometrics
We’re all confused as to why there was such a lean crew for Okulous-10. We should have at least 40. Still haven’t explored the entire ship. Many rooms are locked with biometric scanners. There’s a lower level beneath Propulsion, the door won’t open. We’ve scanned all 24 crew. Wonder if Anders was the only one who could open it.
E5R LOG 78: Recovery
Medical Update: Uli Boden seems to be recovering from his previous memory loss and depression symptoms, only he does not remember observing Anders or trying to dismantle the ship from inside the storage rooms. Serinath trying to recover personnel files to assign Boden his objectives. Scott Bismark has not made any recovery.
E5R LOG 79: Serinath
Given no response from Earth via E5R, Serinath will develop a new mission plan. We will continue to broadcast. If this is against protocol, please respond.
E5R LOG 80: Dehydration
Medical Update: Schmidt concerned Foley is dehydrated. She hasn't drunk fluids for six days. Also hasn't eaten, but isn't showing signs of weight loss or lack of nutrition.
E5R Log 81: Leadership
Serinath outlined new mission objectives and aligned crew responsibilities. Most are happy to see his positivity. Cucco will determine our next objective within the Auriga Constellation. Jimmy de Luna to start up regenerative propulsion drives.
E5R LOG 82: Timelines
Mission timeline started incremental adjustments. Current reading is E5R1206:0045:0002. Our original reading prior to our nav systems returning was E5R1205:1346:xxxx. Has something to do with E5R Site. No idea what the rest of it means.
E5R LOG 83: Watch
Foley still under medical watch and quarantined by Schmidt while Mishings takes over other medical duties. Cucco hopes to explore exoplanets, though we’re still unsure of what star is what. We can see stars we know are part of the Auriga constellation, but the others could be anything. Records are still scattered.
E5R LOG 84: Proactive
One of the air supply units serving Tofleson's farm pods failed. I'm working on repairs and writing code for maintenance tracking software. Want to observe trends in repairs and become proactive instead of reactive on failures of ship systems. Still confused between what controls are automated and which are manual.
E5R LOG 85: Limits
De Luna has regenerative propulsion running. Able to harvest sufficient solar energies from Capella to go anywhere we need to. There is no shortage of exploration. Cucco has a list of several exoplanets for us to decide upon later this evening.
E5R LOG 86: Valves
I've spent most of my time the past 48 hours repairing failing water valves. Several showers and bathrooms have been out of use. Cucco would like us to explore Wasp-12b. Meeting tonight to decide.
E5R LOG 87: Servos
After further analysis, the water valves I replaced had bad servo motors. I plan to replace the remaining valves before they fail. I will need to learn to fabricate more of our own parts with materials on hand.
E5R LOG 88: Wasp-12b
We will pursue an exploratory course to WASP-12 and its exoplanet, WASP-12b. I need to work through engine upgrades with da Luna to allow us to get there within sufficient time. Serinath and Cucco have set our course for Wasp-12b.
E5R LOG 89: Shumaka
Tofleson's animal growth cells have started expanding, thanks to additional input from one of the staff scientists, Shumaka Odie.
E5R LOG 90: Ghoul
Foley is missing. Door sealing medical bay where she was quarantined is destroyed from the inside. Suspecting she damaged our communications relays. COMMAND, have you received any recent communications not from me? Our logs have been erased.
E5R LOG 91: Searching
Searching the entire ship. No sign of Foley. No idea where she's gone or what happened. How can someone disappear inside a ship? Held an all-hands meeting with the crew. No one else is missing. No one saw or heard Foley break out.
E5R LOG 92: Continue
Serinath directed us to continue our objectives, even while Foley is missing. Finding her is still the first priority, the search is continuous during each shift.
E5R LOG 93: Speaking
Bismark and Boden were the only two who had direct contact with Foley besides Schmidt and Mishings. They both confirmed Foley never spoke with them during their quarantine period.
E5R LOG 94: Quiet
The quiet hasn't bothered me until now. Knowing that Foley is in the ship somewhere is unsettling. Our search has delayed De Luna’s propulsion upgrades for us to travel faster to Wasp-12b.
E5R LOG 95: Workshop
I started to gather all spare parts in the engine space and built a workshop for repairs. Hoping to increase maintenance productivity.
E5R LOG 96: Hidden
I have been directed to focus on engine upgrades with de Luna to shorten our journey to Wasp-12b. Nervous about working in propulsion. De Luna pointed out it’s the best place for someone to hide if they wanted to stay hidden.
E5R LOG 97: Missing
Foley missing for one week. She would have died of dehydration by now. Tofleson confirmed no food stores are missing, meaning Foley isn't eating either.
E5R LOG 98: Consumption
Our water consumption rates haven't changed since Foley’s disappearance. Need a few more days to finish regenerative propulsion upgrade.
E5R LOG 99: Walls
More wall panels taken down in storage, though on the opposing wall. Mishings has gotten a bit intense in questioning of crew members about disappearance, bringing down morale.
E5R LOG 100: Belonging
Cucco searched through individual crew storage, never found Foley's belongings.
E5R LOG 101: Utility
More ship utility systems are not at full efficiency. Our control monitoring needs calibration. I may have to find each sensor and confirm power readings.
E5R LOG 102: Supplements
Tofleson concerned about future protein supplement supply. While we have plenty left for 250 years, she worries that we do not have a sustainable solution beyond that. Potential development efforts of this type would take longer than the food supplies we have available. More research is required.
E5R LOG 103: Increase
Engine systems updated. We are receiving enough light from Capella that we can increase energy output to just shy of speeds that would impact our human bodies. Should reach Wasp-12b in another 37 Earth days.
E5R LOG 104: Security
We’ve checked the security logs for any unauthorized access. Everyone is accounted for, and there is no access point open without having logged the correct crew member. If Foley is getting around the shop, she isn’t getting into anything that requires specialized access.
[NOT LOGGED]
E5R, Jexter-045 signal packet sent with encrypted data. Confirm receipt via Ordinal Transfer. Do not log.
Encrypt: *LLA ROF DNA ECNO SEIRETSYM REH LAEVER TON SEOD ERUTAN*
E5R Log Cleared. Reset Protocol 01 to 104.
Ordinal Transfer initiated.
E5R Site Disconnect.
Reconnecting....
E5R connection established. Receiving enabled. Broadcast disabled.
E5R LOG 105: Caecus
Several panels were taken down in the corridor leading to Propulsion. There’s not enough crew to monitor all areas of the ship. Crew morale has gone down significantly. Serniath is concerned about what to do when we find her. I'm concerned about what we will do if we don't.
Chapter 4: Wasp-12b
E5R Log 106: Research
Old research suggested Wasp-12b absorbs most of the light from Wasp-12. We hope to be the first, and last, to see it, so far as we know. We are 34 days from entering Wasp-12’s orbit.
E5R Log 107: Increments
Current time reading is E5R1206:0045:0002. Our original reading prior to our nav systems returning was E5R1205:1346:xxxx. Has something to do with the E5R site, which we are still unable to reach. Still have not received any signals from Earth. Serinath assumes that we are on our own, at least for now.
E5R Log 108: Thinning
Allison Mishings has spread herself too thin. With her leading the investigations into Foley’s disappearance, Dirk Schmidt has become overwhelmed with medical duties. Okulous-10 isn’t that big of a ship. We should have found her by now.
E5R Log 109: Expansion
Sahra Tofleson proposed a new design for the Farming pods. Would require expansion, but addresses our growth and capacity issues. Aditya Serinath, 2nd Officer Hanna Tzuljan, and 3rd Officer Noah Aquino will review Tofleson’s proposal. It would take away some of my engineering storage but may be necessary for sustainable nutrition. Hard to think we're here for the remainder of our lives.
E5R Log 110: Brightest
Finally categorized all spare parts available, also part of effort for Tofleson to see if engineering storage space can be given up. I can potentially justify giving up two storage bays. Tofleson seems so calm, with Foley missing and all the crew trying to find their place. I asked her how she maintains her calm. She said something that will remain with me forever: “We need to be the brightest suns in this darkness.”
E5R Log 111: Accusations
Mishings found Caroline Scott alone in storage corridors behind Farming pods. Mishings said Scott was standing over holes in the floor where panels were removed. Scott claims she found the panels missing while she was helping Tofleson plan for Farming pod expansion. I don’t know if we will ever know who to believe.
E5R Log 112: Thinning2
Falling behind on repairs with continuous crews around the clock over three shifts. With the pending expansion of Tofleson's farm, maintenance will increase. I will need to increase the capacity of our water pumps, piping and lighting. I may need to work additional shifts. Mishings isn’t the only one spread too thin.
E5R Log 113: Roles
Serinath told Mishings to stop looking for Foley. Serinath encouraged us all to follow our roles, that there is a right way to do things aboard the ship. I think that comment hit some of the crew the wrong way.
E5R Log 114: Tech
Cucco finalized the approach strategy for Wasp-12b, currently projected to be on the far side of Wasp-12. Once we enter orbit, we will identify possible landing sites with drone pod HONEYBEE. We also have tech available to possible conduct a manned mission, though this is still up for debate. More to come.
E5R Log 115: Absorption
Objective of Wasp-12b observation is to study its atmospheric light absorption. Understanding this could improve our solar energy efficiency. Okulous-10 was designed, it seems, to always be within a star's capacity to provide solar power. We're currently absorbing above our storage capacity, unable to utilize what we can’t store.
E5R Log 116: Design
I need to design a means for storing excess solar energy. With no materials to manufacture batteries, I may need to develop new materials. Perhaps our observations of Wasp-12b will teach us something new. Some way to store power for later.
E5R Log 117: 1.1
According to our database, Wasp-12b’s orbital period is roughly 1 Earth day. Will be a dangerous approach.
E5R Log 118: Home
Crew is happy to spend Thanksgiving together. Even with Foley missing, this was the first sense of peace we’ve had in weeks, strange as that may sound. We’re far from home, and OKULOUS is our new family. Since waking, we've encountered several setbacks to the mission, but today, we're happy. And thankful. To be alive.
E5R Log 119: History
Hamad Nasser, our Systems Administration Manager, will take on additional responsibilities as Historian, documenting our findings and research. We will send separate reports for anyone back on Earth who may be listening.
E5R Log 120: Approval
Serinath, 2nd Officer Hanna Tzuljan, and 3rd Officer Noah Aquino approved Tolfeson’s plan for expansion of the farming pods. Hoping that a broader variety of food in the long-term will improve morale. Tofleson seems to think we can grow anything after the farming expansion.
E5R Log 121: Quantity
Current crew count is 23, with the early loss of Anders and Foley disappearing. Still no update there. 1st shift has 8 crew, 2nd has 7, 3rd has 7. 2nd and 3rd shifts are stretched. Mishings can’t seem to say no, as she’s been asked to help outside of 1st shift. Her productivity is suffering.
E5R Log 122: Odnarelecca
I checked our communications, wondering if we’ve been receiving comms from Earth but they haven’t been coming through. I noticed the time stamps are not the same, even though I schedule out comms for the same time every day. Each comm is sent one minute later than the previous day. I’m going to try to hack into the E5R server to confirm our signals are getting out. Something doesn’t seem right.
E5R Log 123: Probes
Cucco thinks we could land a probe on Wasp-12b. There are significant complications with this given Wasp-12b’s speed and proximity to Wasp-12. Speed is a problem yet to be solved out here.
E5R Log 124: Flow
Need to finish calibrating sensors on primary utility systems. This will allow me to gather correct flow information to design water and electrical loads for Tofleson’s new farm expansion.
E5R Log 125: Checks
Our medical staff, Schmidt and Mishings, will conduct their routine check-ups on all crew. Some 2nd and 3rd shift crews are struggling with the sleeping adjustments, though Schmidt believes this will get better with time.
E5R Log 126: Perspective
I was unable to see any signal data from the x71 server. From OKULOUS’ perspective, our server shows that every signal is sent to x71 at the same time. I may not be able to learn much more here. Need to focus on what’s next for energy storage and building out new farming pods.
E5R Log 127: Dental
Sofia Evanchuk will conduct first dental hygiene visits with the crew. I can’t imagine getting a cavity out here.
E5R Log 128: Psychic
Merneith “Mickey” Hanas is going over personnel files again, trying to follow up with any oddities in Foley’s interactions prior to disappearing. Still no sign of her, no additional depletion of food or water supplies.
E5R Log 129: Wasp-12
Can't see Wasp-12b yet. Only Wasp-12.
E5R Log 130: Zero
Still no sign of Wasp-12b. We believe it may be on the far side of Wasp-12.
E5R Log 131: Us
Crew check-ups complete. Physically, everyone is healthy. Mentally, that’s another story. Like a star consuming its own planet, I feel like the darkness out here is consuming us.
E5R Log 132: Thermals
Haven’t seen Wasp-12b yet. Cucco believes we should have by now. Will attempt thermal scans.
E5R Log 133: First
Shifts are mixing, given all staff looking out for Wasp-12b. Everyone wants to be the first human to see an exoplanet in the flesh. Still no sign. Most of our sensor reading intervals are off.
E5R Log 134: Presence
With only 133 days of data, it’s difficult to correct the interval readings. Still wonder why no data is available prior to our waking cycles. Heat readings not showing any presence of an exoplanet around Wasp-12. Very strange. Is there new research we aren’t aware of?
E5R Log 135: Five
Wasp-12 burns bright before us as we approach orbit - 5 days out. Wasp-12b not present in any readings. Extremely concerning.
E5R Log 136: 4
Even if Wasp-12b absorbs 100% of the light from its parent star, our sensors would have picked it up by now, or we’d see the darker spot in space. I wonder if we’re looking in the wrong place. Maybe the orbit is different. Cucco unsure.
E5R Log 137: 3.0000
Crew very worried about the apparent absence of Wasp-12b. We desperately need support. COMMAND, please respond.
E5R Log 138: 4^0.5
Still no signals received from Earth Site E5R. Is anyone listening?
E5R Log 139: -1
Here on mission day 139, we suffer the first failure of one of our objectives: being unable to see and study the first exoplanet in human history, Wasp-12b.
E5R Log 140: Darkness
We’ve officially entered Wasp-12’s orbit, 1,300 light years from Earth. Wasp-12b, which should be here, is nowhere in sight. Database indicates it should be here. COMMAND, please respond. Anyone. Where is Wasp-12b?
Chapter 5: Into the Darkness
E5R Log 141: Rodriguez
Scientifically, we’re not sure what the absence of Wasp-12b means. Serinath asked Staff Scientist Cora Rodriguez to step in as Chief Scientist, tasked with investigating the current state of the missing exoplanet. Boden demoted to Staff Scientist.
E5R Log 142: Commentary
Boden expressed intense frustration at Serniath’s promotion of Rodriguez to Chief Scientist. Serinath referenced Boden’s previous observations of Anders, mental instability and strange commentary about trying to escape Hell. Boden didn’t remember these occurrences.
E5R Log 143: Depression
Schmidt noted Cucco may be experiencing early signs of depression or disengagement. Potential delayed side effects of our sleeping cycles, in combination with the absent Wasp-12b.
E5R Log 144: Next
All-Staff meeting held to determine our next actions. Quiet meeting. Not many were open to talking. I could see concern in many of the crew. We only discussed Wasp-12b. We did not address the other issue: that we still don’t know what happened to Foley.
E5R Log 145: HoneyB
Rodriguez intends to leave behind one of our orbital satellites, HoneyB, to gather more information about Wasp-12, but also to leave a trace of ourselves. At the meeting last night, she stated: “Someday, someone will want to know where we’ve been, or that we were here.” Serinath, 2nd Officer Tzuljan, and 3rd Officer Aquino approved.
E5R Log 146: Amiss
I spoke with Cucco alone. He feels he failed in navigating us. Failed in being the first humans to explore an exoplanet. He wasn’t in tears, but sad in his own way. He doesn’t want anyone to think he’s incompetent. I reminded him of our situation: alone in the darkness, and that this was out of his control. That something else is deeply amiss in the void beyond Okulous-10.
E5R Log 147: Backup
While researching power feeds for farming expansion, I didn’t find any primary backup systems. If we ever lose power, that’s it - we’re dead. I need to redesign the electrical distribution system. Another time when I wish Anders survived. He would have known more about Okulous-10 than anyone.
E5R Log 148: Analog
I reviewed our time logs. After waking and reactivating our nav systems, our Primary Clock was E5R1205:1346:xxxx. Current reading is E5R1205:0148:0046. No idea what these numbers mean. We are still using our analog watches to track time. (middle section is log days).
E5R Log 149: Cycles
Still no signals from E5R. Last database update was after our launch date and before our waking cycle. Will keep investigating. Schmidt concerned about Cucco. He’s entered a severe depressive state. Tofleson offered to spend time with him.
E5R Log 150: Former
Orbital satellite HoneyB is ready. Will launch tomorrow. Our Low Voltage Systems Engineer, Anthony Pai, approached me today, indicating she has experience in telecommunications and programming, something much beyond my expertise. She asked about E5R, if we’ve heard anything. Still nothing to date.
E5R Log 151: Launch
We’ve launched the first orbital satellite beyond our solar system. We still made history, if not for the absence of Wasp-12b. Now that data is coming in from Wasp-12, Rodriguez’s team - Boden and Odie - will be much busier. They’ve been anxious to get to work.
E5R Log 152: Improvements
Cucco seems brighter today. Outwardly, back to his previous demeanor. I can still see something different in his eyes, but at least he’s up and about.
E5R Log 153: Redesign
I still need to finalize farm expansion plans. Have to confirm we have available materials to expand water and electrical systems. After I finish mapping the electrical distribution system, I’ll map the water flow. The existing schematics are diagrammatic only.
E5R Log 154: Vulnerabilities
Tofleson spoke with me alone during the last shift. I asked her what she did to bring Cucco back around. She said that she’s excellent at reading people. She told Cucco that even though we didn’t find Wasp-12b, that his analytical approach and attention to detail made him still the best navigator humanity could ask for.
E5R Log 155: Mute
Mishings started pushing Boden and Bismark again, asking about their interactions with Foley during quarantine. They were the last two to have contact with Foley, who is still missing. Both confirmed again Foley was mute during their time together in quarantine. I personally don't believe they are involved in her disappearance. I may try to talk with Mishings separately.
E5R Log 156: Orbit
We’ve completed our first orbit. Wasp-12b remains absent from our onboard sensors. Final confirmation from HoneyB pending. Some debate amongst the team about our next objectives. We could remain in orbit around Wasp-12 for the rest of our lifetimes studying it.
E5R Log 157: 42
Starting design required to expand water systems and added electrical for Tofleson’s farming expansion. 42 sensors. That’s the quantity of flow sensors on the water system. For each one, the data collection interval is slightly shorter than expected. Barely noticeable, but I want to be accurate in my flow calculations.
E5R Log 158: Chemicals
Mishings to take Leave for two days, under Schmidt’s observation. Along with Cucco, per Schmidt, both are experiencing delayed emotional side effects of the zombie sleep cycle. This was not noted in previous research about the chemicals used to bring us under. This was evident in her behavior toward Boden and Bismark.
E5R Log 159: Regression
Cora and Tofleson are trying to encourage Cucco to plot future navigational targets in the system. He seems to be regressing again back into his depressive state. Schmidt will develop emotional therapies to assist. Still keeping a close eye on Mishings.
E5R Log 160: Return
Mishings back. Schmidt will move to Mid shift with Mishings to keep an eye on her. This separates Mishings from Bismark and Boden.
E5R Log 161: Happenings
Serinath called an All Hands meeting this evening. Will institute regular meetings to keep crews updated. Most are aware of happenings, but hope for more open discussion.
E5R Log 162: Friends
Never occurred to me until now how important it may be for us as a crew to build friendships with one another. We’re out here alone. Cucco is perhaps more goal oriented than making friends.
E5R Log 163: Shutdowns
Will have to shut down the water and electrical systems for a period of time to connect the new farm expansion to the existing mains. I won’t be a popular person.
E5R Log 164: Anxious
Cora reviewing information from HoneyB orbital. Cucco anxious about what the data may reveal. Serinath is still pushing Cucco for our next navigational objective. I asked Tofleson to help motivate him behind the scenes.
E5R Log 165: Li
Ling Li, our Lead Electrical Engineer, asked if I’ve heard whistling since waking up. I haven’t. She mentioned she hears it every few days.
E5R Log 166: Intensify
Review of our current objectives to follow in the next few days. Rodriguez is still reviewing HoneyB data. She didn’t seem happy with what she initially found. Serinath suggested intensifying the search for Foley.
E5R Log 167: Whistling
Li asked me again if I heard the whistling. Worry in her face like I’ve never seen. I again stated no. She said she can’t tell if it’s from inside her head or inside the ship. I mentioned this to Schmidt while encouraging Li to share it with him. We need complete trust and transparency to survive out here. We are all we have.
E5R Log 168: Absence
Cora confirmed via HoneyB data that there is no evidence of a planet ever orbiting Wasp-12. No dust or materials left behind. Yet based on our data, Wasp-12b should be here. There are no other masses orbiting Wasp-12. We are alone in this darkness. This is extremely concerning to all of us. Was our original research on Earth wrong?
E5R Log 169: Review
Command held a meeting last night - Serinath, Tzuljan, Aquino, Cucco, Rodriguez, Schmidt, Mishings, Tofleson, and myself. There are two scenarios. Either our existing database is flawed, or we were in zombie sleep for much longer than we thought.
E5R Log 170:Others
Officers to meet and discuss other missions for the Auriga System. We will see more stars other than Wasp-12 in our lifetime aboard Okulous-10. Serinath suggested leaving HoneyB behind in orbit to transmit back to us.
E5R Log 171: Remain
Confirmed that HoneyB will remain behind, orbiting Wasp-12 for now, while potentially moving on to other stars. With farming expansion, I have to find a way to merge materials without causing a spark.
E5R Log 172: Clarity
As I stood behind one of the atom drives in Propulsion, I heard it: Li’s whistling. Either we are both deteriorating in our mental state, or it’s real. Both are equally terrifying.
E5R Log 173: (3)
Cora reviewed our database again, finding new files we missed. Static data shows Wasp-12b would be consumed by its star, Wasp-12, in roughly 3 million years. If Wasp-12b is no longer here, but Wasp-12 is, that means we were asleep for 3 million years, traveling across the void.
E5R Log 174: Nothing
I have nothing to report today.
E5R Log 175: Twenty4
We are all still trying to comprehend Cora’s recent suggestion. 3 million years. What happened to humanity? Does Earth still exist? Are we the 24 humans left alive?