Brutus shakes his head, "I have no answers to any of those. Perhaps best to keep them safe and unhatched and secured, pending return to a mudside facility. Other opinions, now's the time to speak."

In reply to Brutus Cartwright (msg # 939):

"From what we can tell, the creatures are omnivores and eat most things humans do. We have no real idea about their ingrained habits, but they do seem to accept group views readily.

As for a dry place, we have not found one that remains dry all the time. it might be a good thing they did not find one either. Judging by the moons cycles, this position should stay dry for at least a few weeks now."

08 June 2188, System 1838, Supplies: 5600 person days, Vatfacs can cover all, $87,496,300

OK, let's look at hatching them there, no concept of how mentally developed they will be, but perhaps seeing where they came from will be meaningful. We will watch for any tide issues and leave an escape ship there.

In reply to Gloria Flake (msg # 941):

"I think we may need a few of us there to oversee things, Ma'am."

08 June 2188, System 1838, Supplies: 5600 person days, Vatfacs can cover all, $87,496,300
This message was last edited by the player at 22:26, Tue 20 June 2023.

OH, I concur, I wasn't planning on you going alone.

In reply to Gloria Flake (msg # 943):

Your plans then?

08 June 2188, System 1838, Supplies: 5600 person days, Vatfacs can cover all, $87,496,300

Brutus stands ready to support Gloria in whatever capacity she wishes.

A couple of you scientists and some guards on te high ground, we can do some planet surveys from there on wildlife and such while also wathcing the eggs.

In reply to Gloria Flake (msg # 946):

"Sure. Sound great."

Six scientists prepare to depart with Brutus and whatever guards he takes with him for the ship.

09 June 2188, System 1838, Supplies: 5600 person days, Vatfacs can cover all, $87,496,300
This message was last edited by the player at 02:28, Thu 22 June 2023.

We do the obvious for a week and then take stock.

In reply to Brutus Cartwright (msg # 948):

The week passes with a lot of research being carried out. The small shrimp-like creatures noted turn out to be very edible, as do many of the other fish. However, it becomes clear you do not want to be in the water with them...they very quickly devour any flesh with millions of small bites. They are attracted to blood, so it is very easy to catch them in large numbers with a net and a fish, by just cleaning the fish and throwing the scraps into the middle of the fine net! The taste very much like prawns, and are prepared in much the same way.

The eqqs seem to need to be warmed up to hatch. When the temperature reaches 29 degrees Celcius, the liquid inside clears and the scientists believe the eggs start to develop. Sure enough, five days later, four young creatures emerge! They are fed the smaller cooked prawns, which they devour readily with no seemingly ill effects. By the time the week is over, they are two days old, and voracious eaters of all prawns, treating the scientist predominately looking after them as their parent and gaining 100g in the first day!

15 June 2188, System 1838, Supplies: 5600 person days, Vatfacs can cover all, $87,496,300

"So where are we thinking of going with our young prawn-eating bugs, skipper? probes Brutus. "Both literally and figuratively."

Good question, can we communicate with them? bugs may communicate with clicks or smells. also with touching feelers.   The scientists need to check this quickly so we can recover everyone before the tide comes up. It would seem the Piranha shrimp are a major predator here. We also need to see how they do on our normal Vat fac food, since the shrimp will be used up quickly.

In reply to Gloria Flake (msg # 951):

The small bugs seem capable of  basic verbal and gesture communication and take to the Vatfac food with some vigor, thriving just as well on the grown vegetables. They follow the lead biologist who hatched them around faithfully, so getting them aboard is a simple matter!

The scientists have noted a couple of very large predators as well, with thick skin and large buleen-like mouths that feed on the shrimps almost exclusively. Everything else in the water seems heavily armoured...

15 June 2188, System 1838, Supplies: 5600 person days, Vatfacs can cover all, $87,496,300

Brutus checks the plans they've made of the bug ship compartments. "So have we done all of it? Anyone think we've missed anything?"

In reply to Brutus Cartwright (msg # 953):

"We could study the biosphere in much greater depth, but the plans we have of the bug ship are as complete as we cam make them, given the state of the ship. It looks as if they simple underestimated what they were dealing with. We know that their ships are partly biological, so once the shrimps started in on the vessel, they were doomed."

15 June 2188, System 1838, Supplies: 5600 person days, Vatfacs can cover all, $87,496,300
This message was last edited by the player at 21:34, Thu 22 June 2023.

OK, Let's recover. other's caan come do a detailed study  with our notes. Time we look to travel on.

"Aye aye, skipper," snaps Brutus and sets about making it so.

In reply to Brutus Cartwright (msg # 956):

It does not take a lot to recover and get ready to move on with your new passengers...

But to where?

15 June 2188, System 1838, Supplies: 5600 person days, Vatfacs can cover all, $87,496,300

Brutus sets an extra condition that isn't so popular with some of the scientists. One of them has to be in charge of the bugs at any one time and that's backed by a sign in/sign out roster. The one on duty has to makes a biometric check every 20 minutes to confirm all ok. Where the bugs are allowed to go is also restricted: no essential engineering system, Comms nor weapons. Security check in every 20 mins (midpoint between the scientists' biometric confirmations).

In reply to Brutus Cartwright (msg # 958):

That is actually surprisingly easy. The chief biologist, who the bugs see as their parent, is followed everywhere. The sleep when he sleeps, usually nestled beside him, and eat when he eats. The sign in/sign out roster does not really work because he could never actually sign out, whether he wanted to or not.

But the security checks are pretty easy.

15 June 2188, System 1838, Supplies: 5600 person days, Vatfacs can cover all, $87,496,300

If I recall correctly, 1739 was a dead system, 1639 was the system we left from before resupply, which had some bugs trying to overwhelm it, I *think* we zapped most or all of them. It was another mostly water system, wasn't it?

So return to 1639, check on things then survey 1539 and if safe, go there and survey 1438 and 1439, if those seem copasetic, we move to 1439 and survey 1440 and 1338.

Brutus reinsigates security staff training en route to their series of destinations.

In reply to Brutus Cartwright (msg # 961):

1639 has a very thin atmosphere that is not so breathable, with 2 gas giants. It's surface has only 40% covered by water, so it is more of a desert planet.

Looking through history, I believe 1701 was the water planet you killed bugs on.

01 July 2188, System 1639, Supplies: 5600 person days, Vatfacs can cover all, $87,496,300
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:41, Mon 26 June 2023.

That does make some sense, but we will continue on as outlined. Survey 1639 for any potentially valuable minerals and carry on as planned.