My name is ACER Robinson, I am a Interplanetary Adaptive Pioneer, a synthetic lifeform from a world known by its inhabitants as Earth. My task, as is the task of all of my brothers and sisters,  is to seek out and explore new worlds for our home world. 

While most of our kind were deployed to explore and catalog worlds in our solar system, I and a small number of IAPs were deployed to locations beyond the solar system. My craft was originally destined for a small dwarf planet that astronomers had detected towards the edge of the Oort Cloud roughly 100,000 AU away form the sun. To ensure that I would arrive intact on this incredibly long journey. I was put into stasis and my ship, after accelerating to its target velocity, was set to power down all but the most essential systems in order to conserve valuable resources I would need  on what would become, after several hundred years of travel, my new home.

Due to the circumstances of the journey, I do not know when or how my craft encountered the anomaly, only that it did. It would appear that my ships logs were damaged by something that they were not equipped to analyze or record. Somehow, when I awoke, my ship had crash-landed on a bizarre alien world, nothing like what I was told or briefed to expect. The ship was not able to tell me where I was, there was not point of reference and nothing I could detect or determine using technology or observation of the immediate sky, which would have me figure that this world was within a nebula of some sort, that would help me determine how far from Earth I was. I also report that attempts to reach Earth, Mars, the Lunar colonies, or any of the deep space comm beacons had failed.

One thing that had quickly become clear, I was most certainly stranded in an unknown alien world orbiting one or more stars. There are other what I will refer to as low orbital objects as well, including the one that stands out the most, a bizarre object which I will further more refer to as "The Pyramid". The Pyramid would appear to move throughout the sky relatively close to this world, but is not pulled down by its gravity. An unknown energy emits from this object, which appears to be made from a smooth onyx stone or metal. Upon visual observation as it passes, it would appear to have been at one point a part of something bigger, indeed a small trail of debris, must like the tail of a comet,  consisting of a similar material, trails it wherever it goes. There are other bizarre objects that I will mention as they become relevant, however the pyramid is the most significant as I believe the energy it exudes to be similar to the energy responsible for the anomaly that brought me here in the first place.

This world itself, as best as I can determine by my scan and by my ships sensors -still intact despite the crash landing that triggered my awakening - seems to be and eclectic Hodge podge of biomes and environments, changing drastically from one local to the next. My scans detect empty cities, bizarre forests containing impossible creatures, remnant of alien technology that is so incomprehensible in its function that it may as well be thought of as magic, labyrinths of trans dimensional energy and much more. It is difficult to determine if all of these places even share the same world or dimension based of the ever changing and difficult to analyze energy reading that continue to appear. There was one familiar blip, and I use the term familiar very lightly. My ships sensors have picked up a very old signal, what appears to be some sort of probe launched into space very early in humanities history of such endeavors. Though I am not able at present to pinpoint its exact location I am able to determine that I came from a long defunct nation known as the Soviet Union and that its insignia code lists it as a Soyuz probe.

Though I have made no contact with home and have no idea where I am. it is my intention to keep this log in the hopes that one day someone from Earth will find it, that my arrival on this world and my work on it, will not be in vain and will serve the purpose for which I was constructed and deployed. I will do the best I am able to use the available supplies left after the crash and those I am able to scavenge and forage for throughout the sites of this world. It is my beleif that my chances of long term survival would be best suited by the construction of a n Exoplanet Survival Training Ground, which will take time and resources currently not available to me. Starting in the morning I will set out on an expedition in search of the assets needed to complete my task here. As night, or what passes for night, appears to be approaching I will conclude my journal entry here and shall continue with the results of my expedition the following day.

Based on the readings of my still-functioning equipment that has survived the crash and the noted shortcoming in my stocks and resources, I have chosen to set out in the direction of what appears to be a lake consisting entirely of quicksilver in a valley to the north of the crash site. As I began my journey I took note of the sky, the blight blue and green streaks that appeared to be some sort of unknown energy particles which could be seen bouncing off of pockets of gas in the atmosphere.

Travel to the river was not an issue. As I approached the flowing river of liquid metal, which was cold as ice to the touch, I noticed that looking into the flowing substance was like looking into a mirror designed by a madman, my features reflected back at me twisted and swirling in the course of the stream. I found this to be disconcerting and  a touch unsettling to say the least. Breaking my gaze I took as small sample of the liquid in order to assess its composition and possible utility upon my return to the ship.

Suddenly, the ground shifted beneath me and began to give way in a number of places, which caused a number of gas pockets below the surface to eject a mixture of soil and flotsam and the path of the quicksilver river to divert its path. A moment I felt weightless as the ground vanished beneath my feet for a second. I immediately realized that, in mere moments, the section of ground beneath my feet would plummet, how far I did not know. I leaped, diving for safety and was fortunate in my ability to grab a ledge newly formed by the shifting. I dis hit the side of the newly formed cliff face with significant force and in doing so caused some minor damage to the suit.

After pulling myself up I began to search and take stock of the relatively new landscape once the tremors had subsided and I again felt it safe to do so. I noted some halite crystals uncovered in the shifting rocks and, realizing the crystals were mostly comprised of salts that may be of use to me , began to take as much as I could carry.

There was one more incident of note. A crevasse opened by the quakes revealed an artificial looking object roughly 5 meters deep into the ground at a diagnal angle. The item, hexagonal in shape appeared to have a port that would allow me to interface with it should I discover the proper modifications. I sat there, by the lake and the now quiet earth and began to tinker. Luck was with me as it was not long before I was able to gain access to the devices, discovering it as some sort of alien database that contained a number of alien blueprints. I will try to take my time during the days that follow to  decipher them , as the text is written in a language and characters that are completely unfamiliar to me.

As I freed this item form the confines of the crevasse the alarm I had set on my suit, advising me of a good time to return to the wreck, began to beep in my inner ear. Satisfied that  I had made some significant headway and discoveries here, I went back to the ship, pleased to discover that there was not in fact much ground or risk of any encounters with alien fauna or flora along the way.  Before nightfall I spend some time looking at the blueprints, however their script and purpose still remains a mystery to myself as the time to make this recording and to turn in for the "night" has arrived.

Bolstered by my good fortune and discoveries the day before, I decided to venture further to the north past the hills and onward to what for all intents and purposes seem to be a forest made of amethyst crystal flora. There was something there that my scanners noted may well be of use to the ship and my endeavors to construct a camp, therefore I set off in that direction passing the familiar quicksilver river and mountains prior to descending into the forested valley beyond. My travels where devoid of any hazards or encounters, and I began to feel that perhaps there was not much in the way of life in this region as, aside from some organic and now crystalline plants, I had not encountered any. 

The one notable part of the journey was my second encounter with a low orbit object, a massively huge object drifting past me in the sky, blocking out the light of the suns as it did so and leaving me in near total  darkness. I studied the derelict and, though completely unsure of its origins, decided that it appeared to be some sort of spacecraft or station created by an unknown species. I could not help but wonder if the same misfortune that befell me is what brought this craft here and if so, how long ago and what happened to the inhabitants?

I thought on this, mainly to pass the time as I descended into the forest. The trees, thought they had a thin grey brown patina of dirt and mud on the majority of the trunks, where made of a twisted and swirling amethyst crystal base, bits and spots of which were visible on most if not all trees. The leaves appeared to be remarkable flexible flakes of amethyst, each one with the thickness of an onion skin, which gently swayed in the light breeze we were experiencing. I wandered deeper within this magnificent place in search of the source of my sensor's interest.

It was not long before I found it and immediately halted in my tracks. Before me was a cannon of immense proportions, tilted ever so slightly at the sky above the tree lines. I was left to conclude that at some time in this worlds likely distance past that this area may well have been of strategic value. I moved forward with the intend to study and perhaps salvage what I could from the device I must have somehow inadvertently triggered some long forgotten  defense system. A number of energy bolt shot out from formerly concealed ports along the "feet" of the cannon in my direction, one of which hit a part of my suit, corroding and fusing parts of its outer layer along my left thigh. Evaluating my options I decided to flee the area, it was clear that I was not prepared for this level of danger and resistance to my curiosity.

I made my way back to the wreckage of my ship in defeat. An examination of the suit, once I had at least some of the proper tools to do so,  let me to the determination that I would not be able to repair the damaged caused by the energy bolt, at least not anytime soon. For better or for worse the stiffness in the left thigh area would seem to be permeant. Tomorrow, I decided, I would set out in another direction, making the forest off limits until such a time I was confident that I might successfully overcome the planetary defense cannon.

After my experience in the north, I decided to head in the other direction and to check out the shattered and abandoned metropolis that my scanners indicated was several hours journey to the south. On route I took the time to enjoy the light show presented by the blue and purple auroras shimmering in the early morning sky. I was also fortunate to discover, purely by accident what I might best label as an alien medical pod, which attempting to open did strain some of the servos in my suit. 

I felt the endeavor was worthwhile given the data I retrieved which, if I am able to understand the coding properly, included a religious practice that the originating species engaged in while administering medical assistance. It would appear to have been some sort of warbling chant whose purpose was to call that persons guiding spirits to bless and assist the act of healing and treatment.

After tucking this information away for further analysis later, I continued onward to the barren and crumbling metropolis, while making my way several blocks deep into the city I discovered a floating cerulean crystal in the pulverized ruins of some unknown structure. As I approached they began to emit a loud rumbling vibration, enough to cause the collapsing of a small number of nearby structures. Using my suit and a knack for computers I made a few adjustment to my comm system, it was not as if they would server me much in my time here was my line of thought. The frequencies eventually were able to counteract the crystal and cause it to shatter, but not before the vibrations took their toll on some of the calibrations of my suit.

Satisfied that I had today eliminated the danger to the immediate area I remained on the outskirts and took samples of the crystal as well as of some of the granite and limestone that appeared to factor into the construction of some of the smaller structures prior to returning back to the wreck with my findings. I used my limited lab resources to run some tests on the crystal shards, indeed hoping that I would find some use or utility in them, though I feel that this will be a discovery that emerges somewhere later in time.

While in the metropolis I observed a petrified forest within. Originally this may have been some sort of park or perhaps a nature reserve. I committed myself to returning to it and conducting an exploration of the area today.

On my journey I observed for the first time a pulsating white dwarf star, distant in the sky just visible through the clouds and haze of the nebula. This was not one of the suns that I had begun to become accustomed to seeing in the daytime sky. Additionally the terrain was not quite the same as that I had observed the other day. I wondered, perhaps this world was not always in the same place spatially or even dimensionally, a difficult concept to comprehend in its entirety try as i might on my way back to the city.

To gain access to the forest, which as I made my way through the shattered metropolis, I had to pass through the broken outer fence and make my way in. The trees were made of stone , a twisting of petrified branches twisted into a trunk with a mass of branches topped with thin leaves like in the amethyst forest, but much larger. The park was expansive, so much so that I could no longer see the other side of the metropolis through it. the ground was stony, covered in orange lichen and scrabbly magenta bushes. 

As I walked, my head up high to look at the trees at times, at others I beheld some of the most curious energy readings I have yet encountered on this world.  It was due to this that I did not notice the ground beneath me, which had lost its stony qualities and was a composite of metal and synth sheets. Attempting to use my understanding of engineering and simple physics, I attempted to plot my way across this terrain, step by step least the ground collapse, dumping me unceremoniously into the basement of some long gone structure.

I was unsuccessful, my confidence exceeded my abilities and I tumbled into the long forgotten space belwo. I was fortunate to not have sustained personal injurty, however I oted a number of minor tears and rips to the exterior of my suit. After an hour or two's work, I had managed to reemerge to the surface and continued on my way towards the energy readings, moving deeper into the forest as I did.

Liming slightly due to my fall, I arrived at the sight of the readings as the dwarf sun's brilliant twinkle began it descent towards the horizon, though how long it would take I had no idea. As I walked I noticed my first real sign of animal organisms. Round puffy creatures whose heads, ringed by frills of flappy skin, had a face, snout and bristles that where for all intents and purposes those of a boar, complete with tusks and snout. I observed them travelling in small nomadic groups, moving and foraging from location to location as they did. 

Near the center of the forest and at the place my scanners had zeroed in on I noted a bizarre sight. What appeared o be a small rift or tear in dimensional space hovering several feet off of the ground. I noted a platform made out of a combination of natural and synthetic devices, some still only partially assembled, their pieces and components strewn about the area. The "altar" itself was covered in strange and unknown alien symbols and characters.

As I strode forward to investigate the landscape suddenly shifted, bents, undulated and changed unnaturally, as if all the laws of physics suddenly gave up and caved in on themselves. Every step forward (at least I think I was moving forward) evoked massive bouts of disorientation and nausea. It clearly became certain to me that I was in peril and whatever was causing the effects that I were seeing was registering on my systems as some sort of field with a powersource that i was with notable difficulty able to discern. The problem was making my way thought the illusiory changes to the terrain that were effecting my eyes and balance. I turned to my wrist computer and, using my programming skills, was able to fiture a way to deactive the feild at its source.

It turned out, upon examination after the fact, that the device that caused the illusionary warping of reality had been emanating from a section of the altar which had long ago been set up to confuse and dissuade people form getting too close. I spent some times studying the altar, it appeared, once I was able to discern a rudimentary understanding of the symbols, that the altar was meant to draw forth alien (to this world at least) beings or objects through the rifts. By accident or by fate, I had somehow inadvertently triggered the device an a bizarrely shaped object appeared through he rift.

The object had a harsh angles and curves, almost bent back upon itself in a non-Euclidian fashion. Study revealed that the outer casing was some sort of fortified patina, obviously its home would be considered inhospitable to myself. Beneath the patina however was diamond, pure diamond .

Continuing my scans and studies, I was able to determine that this was some sort of work of art installation that as part of its "appeal" was able to transmit data "appeal" was able to transmit data, which itself was a bit interesting and confusing at the same time. What I could best determine, the pictographs hint at some sort of important battle which is completely as alien to me as some creatures fought and won or fought and lost, I felt that this would be important to the creator, but I myself have no concept for it.

Armed with this information I was safely able to exit the forest and that information came with me , something I would be happy to take the time to personally analyze it and see what more I could glean. As the forest and then the metropolis began to find my way back to my shelter. Upon returning to the ship  I was quickly able to  repair some of the small wounds that were endangering the integrity of our suit with a number of collected reclaimed materials prior to turning in for the evening

Engaging my scanners, I decided to head west in the direction of what appeared to have once been a lake bed but what now, according to the data that I had been able to compile to this point a desert comprised entirely of a naturally formed silica glass.. Though seemingly barren and devoid of an life forms there were a number of sites within that were allegedly of value to investigate. Confident that I had perhaps finally found something that might facilitate my ability to construct my objective. As the very environment itself contained what I believed to be the building blocks for not only for crucial elements for my current project, the Exoplanet Survival Training Ground, I left the confort of the shipwreck and set out for the desert.

I quickly regretted my choice. The blue-white super giant star which would come to dominate the morning sky (the white dwarf from the previous day was nowhere to be seen, thus adding credence to my belief that this world did not occupy a single place or dimension) shone so intently and so brightly that to walk in the silica desert was blindingly bright. It was almost as if I were walking on the glittering surface of the sun myself, impossible to see anything in front of me as I went. Without my suits internal sensors it is but a wonder if I ever would have found my way to my intended site.

As it stood, my inability to see anything let to me not noticing the capsule that I trod upon and with an audible crunch I suddenly found myself at the mercy of a swirling cloud of glittering and impossibly tiny nantie swarm. I had only moments to think as the tiny machines would take no time at all to breach any protections of my suit and gain access to my person. Using my computer skills I was fortunately able to hack the nanites - their creators apparently never thinking of such a possibility - and direct them to return to their dormant state. However I was not able to do so until after notable wear and tear occurred to the right foot of the suit where I stepped on them in the first place.

Arriving deep within the silica dessert it was not long before I was able to determine that I had come across the source of my expedition. The energy source appeared to have originally belonged to some sort of industrial site. Their was a substantial problem. The complex was completely surrounded by a thermic vortex, the heat of which registered in the extreme temperature range even from a distance.Using my understanding of physics, I was able to figure what I thought was a way to circumvent the most harmful effects of the vortex, by quickly traversing a weak point in the swirling inferno. I was correct in my principal but has missed my timing and was caught in a blazing pocket of the inferno causing minor melting and scorching to parts of my spacesuit.

Having made it past what I was quickly ascertaining to be an artificial defense system, I for the first time gained a very quick look at what appeared to be some sort of important medical or biological site and noted a few collapsed tunnels that seemed to lead to other facilities. Upon entering the facility, which seemed to have as its main purpose the  generation of organic creatures that would be well suited to the local ecosystem.

I began to search the facility for anything that would be of use as the wreck's sensors suggested that something which would help me in my current project. I eventually came across a device that spoke with what sounded to be an uneven female voice. The language was not one that I could understand but with some work and patience I managed to use my computer skills to interface directly with the device, where I was able to establish a rapport in binary. Much of the device was corrupted, however I was able to glean information regarding a number of subjects, including another location not known to me that, according to the machine was a site of pilgrimage or worship, but appeared to be worth investigating. I made plans to seek this site out in the future. 

With this information I turned my attention to a number of glyphs engraved in the walls at various intervals. With the information from the device it became clear that these symbols were relaying information on the item for which I searched. Gathering the needed data, I was able to active a series of panels and, with some good fortune engage the technology here to output an amount of tailored flora and fauna that will assist in the development of the training ground, In addition the silicate sand could possibly be heated to create a dome with the right technology. I would make a note of this for use in the future.

It was with the discovery of these assets that I marched back through the silica dessert and back to the wreck. I made a number of trips that day, gathering everything I could that would be an asset to my projects and plans I managed to acquire less than I had hoped before the blinding blue-white sun finally sunk beneath the horizon and knew that I would be making more trips in the future.

A new and interesting blip had appeared on the Wrecks sensors when "dawn" broke over me. Even though it had been my intention to begin construction on the training grounds, I decided to scuttle these plans once I realized that the program had found more useful and relevant material using a considerable amount of the data I had inputted over the last few days. It appeared a fair distance, but noting the less intense orangish light from the dwarf star barely peaking through the cloud cover (the white blue giant from yesterday was for reasons beyond my understanding absent from the sky. I wondered for a moment if I was actually experiencing "days" as I understood them or did the seemingly ever shifting and changing nature of the sky signify some other method of time tracking made more sense.

Leaving the inquiry unanswered for the foreseeable future. I ventured out, this time past the Glass Desert which after a number of hours gave way to powdery red soil and tall grasses that had a violet hue in the mid-day sun. It was here that I made the most grizzly discovery  yet on this bizarre world. What appeared to be the desiccated and partially mundified corpse of a humanoid being.

Its resemblance to humans was astonishing. I reached out to touch it and upon making contact realized that I had made an error. My head felt as if a supercooled icepick had been driven into it right between my eyes as an overwhelming torrent of data hit me with all the force of a sledgehammer. It was too much and risked overloading my synapses. I managed to overcome it, however some minor damage was done to the relays on my suit which I endeavored to repair at earliest convenience. As and IAP I have never been sick, it is not in our nature to be so. If I were to guess what illness feels like I would assume the feelings and experiences that I received as being as close to the reality as possible.

The data I received was regrettably not useful for my purposes, much of it was unintelligible garble and static. The only interesting  bits that I could readily comprehend where that this things body was of earth, but apparently not the earth I recall from my databanks. Its records were written in a language that I could identify as Carthaginian, the technology more sophisticated that what I was accustomed to but clearly incompatible with mine. The bits that I could interpret without needed points of reference that I simply didn't have appeared to detail exposure to an anomaly of some sort and then finding themselves lost and stranded here. 

I continued on after endeavoring to cover the body with enough sand and dirt as to obscure it from view. As I made my way through the tall violet grasses protruding from the rust red soil I spied the large, near kilometer tall structures rising from the ground. there were a dozen of them in total, all looking partially built or competed. A Quick examination of these sites revealed two facts. These structures were not buildings but meant for the erection of large scale buildings and structures themselves. The other information I noted was that the construction stopped shortly after it commenced by a society that had an apparent reverence for the importance of archeological information. In a partially excavated site near the center of these structures contained the remains of at least a score of inhuman bones.

Though not why I was here I hunkered down low to investigate. The fossilized creatures appeared to be avian in natures and quite large, larger than anything similar found in my records, the closest I could approximate was an ostrich, though this creature has once has a proboscis instead of a beak or bill. It was when I was looking at these fossils  that I heard the first splat and hiss.

The noises continued and it was quickly evident to me that I i could not find shelter soon this caustic rain would compromise my suit and me along with it. Seeking anywhere that I could flee to and noticing that these structures seemed to be immune to the acid rains I spied one that appeared to be particularly resistant to the effects. I managed to make it safely into the structure with no issues. Only a few small patches of discoloration on the shoulders and helmet. I could not help but notice that beneath the shelter provided by this structure their appeared to be some sort of laboratory, its purpose not immediately clear.

As I had all the time in the world until the rain let up (whenever that would be) I set about attempting to decipher the symbols and the information within. I discovered much about the chemical synthesis used to construct some of this societies building materials and was even able to synthesize a few samples while the rain continued on. What I was able to cerate was a form of quartz like silicon that had a low weight and tensile strength like nothing I has seen previous. I tested their resistance to adverse conditions by placing them into the path of the rain and watched as they were unaffected. I concluded that this may well have been the asset resource needed to construct my project that the Wreck's scanners sent me here to find. I discovered a way to automate the process and began to seek out materials to rig up a sled to drag as much of the material back with me as I could. I even decided to use some of it to cover myself and my suit, protecting me from the effects of the acid rain.

It was while I was scavenging that I came across an exposed energy conduit still humming with power. Cautiously I analyzed  it to see if it could be of use to me and as fate would have it syphoning off some energy from it to my suit was both relatively simple and harmless. After a bit of time the conduit's hum faded away into the background noise of the rain on synth and powered down. I noted that my suit had regained a unit of energy previously expended.

I sat in this structure supervising the fabrication of the silicon material and fashioned the tools I needed. Once satisfied that I had gained as much that I could possibly carry. I waited for the caustic rain to die down a bit before commencing my return trip across the now patchy red soil (much of the purple fauna has been obliterated) in the direction of the silica desert and the wreck I called home.  The journey was slow and cumbersome, especially dragging my sled the the silica, and I made it back to the wreck fatigued well after whichever sun or suns present had set.  Upon storing the materials I noted I had produced a touch more than required and had some spare for my use. I placed it with the rest of the relevant materials that may serve me in my expeditions prior to turning in for the night.

When I awoke and stepped outside the Wreck, I first took in the sky to see what marvels played across the heavens this day (although I use the term "day" this place is strange in that it is imposable to determine a reliable day night cycle. I have endeavored to keep my body on as close to a 24 hour schedule as I am able given the opportunities and needs before me). I was not disappointed as today the sky was awash in faint rays of red and purple light being diffused through the swirling clouds of a distant nebula which rested between myself and whatever star or stars we found ourselves currently  rotating.

It was my initial plan to return to the structures and the facilities that I had visited the previous days in the hopes that I could generate more of the materials from present day. It was during this deceptively familiar excursion where a encountered my comeuppance, a Cloud of bioluminescent fog whose glare made it impossible for any visual guidance or negotiation of the terrain. Using my knowledge of bioluminescent materials, though all but a few were not airborn, I was able to come up with a filter for my suit that would remove the brightness and the glare from my vision, leaving only the thickness of the fog as the only barrier to navigation.

I managed to put one foot in front of the other, taking each step with caution, I must have been turned around as when I emerged I found myself in a Plaines devoid of any organic mater the land shaped and malformed with half buried giant statues of figures unrecognizable to myself. The pitter patter of a light rain began to hit the head an shoulders. The Tak of a raindrop hitting my uniform was followed by a faint sizzle. The storm appeared to be  heading in the reaction of the Wreck. I could only hope that it would weaken in intensity before arriving there.

Turning back was not an option, however my eyes did decent what appeared to be some short of hive-like domed structure. Small saurian-shaped creatures, their scales glittering even in the deep vermillion light that struggled to find its way through the cloud-filled sky, swarmed around the alien structure, which seemed to not be effected by the rain like the rest of the terrain , The structure was about dozen meters away and I ran for it as hard as I could, least I be caught in this rain any more time than I need be. As I closed the distance I began to wonder if the rain had effected my sight as it appeared that these small dinosaur shaped creatures grew and shrank in size as I approached. 

I pushed my way through the swarm in an attempt to gain shelter. The creatures reacted poorly to my intrusion. I was not one of them and I was rushing them and their home, they had every reason to be hostile. I tried my best to indicate that I was not harm though it took a few of them clawing and biting at me and me not striking them back for the creatures to finally stop interpreting my presence as a threat. Thankfully, as I had had the presence of mind to activate my Adaptive Energy Shield at the first sign of aggression, I remained unharmed. As the AES draws much energy for even a limited usage I lamented the usage but consoled myself with the grim reminder that my circumstances had left me no other option.

No longer in apparent danger from the creatures. I began to explore the hive. It seemed to be made of random salvaged items held together by a glassy resin which upon observing the creatures,  was likely created by them in some fashion. I did note that  a number of  tablets of alien origin, not likely these aliens but another more sophisticated species, had factored into the construction of this hive. I endeavored to use some of my previous learnings to study the script engraved into them.

Had I been a normal biological organism, such as these creatures or a human being, I believe that I would have suffered no ill effect. However as a synthetic organism with was was essentially an inorganic biocomputer in my head, I triggered some sort of code transmitted by the analysis or "reading" of the characters which began to attack my mind and attempt to usurp my systems. The insides of my mind felt on fire as I ran around aimlessly, flailing my arms about and occasionally speaking in a voice not my own. The creatures, sensing something was amiss fled from what I am sure they now saw as a dangerous alien threat. I struggled to maintain some semblance of control over my thoughts and my actions and, before the creatures could form ranks and attack,  managed to direct myself back out into the rain,  taking minor damage to the suit in the process. I spent sometime in this state as the mental intruder has some sort of objective that I could not discern, busy as I was fighting for my survival against the code. 

It was often all I could do to keep it out of key systems necessary for my continued existence. The intruder's path brought me back into the fog, which itself was now within the acid rain storm. I could see that my suit was taking considerable scoring to its protecive exterion and began to double down my efforts. With great strain I was able to force route the malicious code and regaint full control of myself. Utterly exhausted from the effort, I managed to navigate the cloud, this time with more success, and made my return to the Wreck, woefully emptyhanded, my objective for the day forgotten, replaced by the struggle to survive and the need to rest. The sole stoke of luck that I managed to encounter was the discovery of a number of Chromium deposits that must have been exposed by the rain that  could hopefully use to do some repairs to my suit at a later time. Once  I dragged these back to the Wreck I blissfully fell to my mattress and allowed sleep to claim me.

I awoke to the crackling static and occasional boom of a storm, the first real day that I had encountered such a thing. The exterior of the wreck was dry but the sky was a crisscrossing swirling mass of multicolored electrical arcs and explosions dancing back and forth across the roiling black and scarlet clouds. My appreciation and sense of wonder for the ever changing tableau that this worlds skyline presented to me was once again renewed to levels beyond expectation. The storm was having an interesting impact on the wreck's sensors, as it appeared to pick up...something...outside its normal preview. I applied some data to the scans and was able to hone in on the source of its attention. In the middle of a silica sand desert, just beyond the glass desert where I had discovered the production site a few days before, there appeared to be some sort of alien recharging or refueling station, which to me sounded exactly like the sort of place that I may find useful materials for the Exoplanet Survival Training Grounds that I had more than half completed at this point.

Taking the necessary time to ensure that the wreck and my projects were safe as possible from any effects of the storm. I made my way in the direction of the silica glass desert with the idea that I might stop at the production site if I had time on the way back. As I trudged along under the thunderous skies I began to realize that the storm was giving off all sorts of localized forms of energy , not just electrical or strategic. Much of it appeared to be reflected back  off of isolated dunes and dips in the glass desert, and to thankfully be in bands and ranges that were quite harmless to myself. I did come across some peculiar gravitational waves that appeared to impact the mass of the glass shards and grains that I found fascinating enough to spend a bit of time studying before I continued onward.

The glass eventually gave way to sand and I was confident that I was crossing into the region that the sensors had shown to me. The desert here was a quiet affair. Flat, glittery, stretching on as far as the eye could see. The only fauna available, if it indeed was fauna, were giant mushrooms as high or twice as high as a adult human spread across the desert in small isolated bushels. I took the time to examine a lone specimen tho find it made of a milky white crystaline glassy substance. Breaking off a piece exposed a creamy goopy substance that seemed to crystalize the moment that it was exposed to air. At present I could not think of an applicable use for these organisms but resolved to keep them in mind.

I marched through the desert for several hours, discovering the occasional patch of glass where an arc from the sky touched down, before the station indicated in my scans came into view. The appearance of the station seemed fairly convention, as if designed by beings similar in nature to humans. A composite structure with a circular overhang, seeming designed to protect those nearby from the elements, rested in the center of a metal disc the size of a city block. The rooftop of one of the structures appeared to be damaged, as if struck by lightning from the sky. 

As I approached I was set upon by the most unexpected of dangers, the sand itself. I had come across a pocket of silicate sand that was not what it appeared. It rose from the ground as a swirling mass of loose particles, like a dust devil, that moved to counter my every attempt to  exit its effect, demonstrating a semblance of intelligence. It began nipping and tearing at my suit, I began to feel a hint of panic creep into the back of my mind and struggled to remain calm. My mind race looking for a solution, and I will never know for sure if I was blessed with fortune by the storm and a well timed burst of radiation or if I had simply seen the biochemical filament strands connecting the racing silica particles on my own but realized that I could use my scanner to cause a disrupting force. It took mere moments to calibrate and, in the blink of an eye the force binding the dust devil together  halted causing the effected sand particles to fly in all directions away from me leaving me thankfully unscathed. 

I continued on into the facility and was amazed at the treasure trove of information that this alien culture had left behind. I took some time to work out a rudimentary understanding of the alien's language and began to study the exotic matter samples that I had not seen anywhere else on this world and concluded were not native to this region. Using my understanding of chemistry, which on this bizarre world seemed to be growing with each passing day, I was able to glean some important information regarding elements unknown to the periodic table as well as an important discovery regarding our understandings of the states of matter that I will catalog in the databanks of the wreck. This was indeed in part a refueling station and I was able to replenish some of my suits energy spend on previous excursions.

During my study of the facility I managed to discover what had caused the hole in the roof of the structure. It was not an errant energy strike as I had initially thought, but the remains of an ancient SOYUZ probe from the long defunct Soviet Union. The material of the probe was antiquated by even the wrecks standards, to say nothing of the environs it now found itself in. Regardless I decided that I could make some use of the ancient craft and it would be nice to have something of Earth back at camp that was new to me. Perhaps studying how it arrived would give me clues as how to best contact Earth or other human settlements among the stars.

Satisfied that there was nothing else that I could find that would be immediately relevant or of use, I gathered up all the sample materials that might help in construction and made my way towards the biomaterials production site to acquire some more materials there to assist in the construction of the Training Grounds. My return to the wreck was done without issue,

I was able to continue construction on the grounds and was pleasantly surprised that the ancient technology from the SOYUZ yielded some unexpectedly useful materials that I might be able to use for myself at a later time, Prior to turning in for the "evening" to rest I noted that the training grounds were nearing completion and that another discovery may well be just enough to complete it. With feelings of confidence at the success of the day, I resolved to do anything in my ability to complete my project soon.

Using some of the data I was able to recover on my last sojourn I was able to discover the location of an alien facility to the north past the mercurial lake in a caldera where the temperature drops significantly. It is so cold in the microsystem that, according to the scans I was able to conduct from the wreck, a lake of Methane exists. I was receiving a blip that the facility was somewhere along its coast. Ensuring that I was properly shielded against the cold, I set out towards this site, suspecting that the last bit of resources that I required for the Training Grounds could be found there.

As I progressed towards and past the mercurial river I reminisced about my time here, 10 days since I last came to this location, or perhaps 10 sleeps was a more accurate way to think of it. As I passed by and over the hills, I took in the faint red and purple light diffusing from a distant nebula and realized that even though that was the only "cloud" in the sky, and far back as it was, I could not see any sign of the numerous different suns here. The pyramind, of course, was present as it almost always is in the "daytime" sky, drifting along as if the massive object was without mass. The illumination was that of an overcast day back on Earth, but the conditions, clouds, stars, bizarrely absent.

While I was allowing myself to be distracted by the yet again interesting and unique conditions of this world's sky, I did not notice the danger that I found myself in until it was too late. A geyser of toxic gas burst forth from the ground at the tip of my left toe, the first of many apparently cause by my lead footed procession through the hills. Thankfully I was able to get the visor of my suit up quick enough that the aerosolized poison was unable to get inside. A quick chemical analysis, one I had of course exited the danger zone, revealed the gas to be toxic but easily scrubbed and cleaned up, something I resolved to do at first opportunity. 

It was not long after this field that I continued over the jagged thin hills at the edge of the crater and was able to peer down into the caldera valley below. The landscape here was very much out of sync with the surrounding landscapes. the ground hard crumbly and grey, all vegetation dead and gone and the average temperature here being noted at around -15 or -10 degrees Celsius, not cold enough for a methane lake. Therefore I felt as I descended the air and conditions would become far colder.

I was correct in my assumption as I passed by this area's only real geographic features; the abandon vessels that litter the area and the coral like calcium deposits growing unevenly from the ground. I took a few moments to do some reconnaissance of the vehicles, and if they would only open one could find you some parts. It would seem that none of these crafts were serviceable and the controls difficult to understand, there was enough variation among them that one could conclude that they were either all part of some sort of grand confederation or appeared here haphazardly, like a junk yard or ship graveyard. Disappointed but with the knowledge that my main objective was still in front of me, I continued on.

The structure was on the coast of the lake in a region of permanent frost, itself composed of water and other liquids that would freeze at these insanely low temperatures. Upon entering I was greeted with the ghastly site of a number of deceased and decomposing alien bodies, preserved  by the dry cool conditions. It was at this time that a number of these such creatures began to rush out from the various apertures and openings heading towards me from multiple angles and avenues, I realized quickly that I was dealing with projections and using the wrist terminal on my suit and the associated Multitool, was able to gain access to the systems responsible and shut them down. I was not able to do this before several of the projections passed through me. The energy used in their correction was of an unknown nature and wrecked havoc with my suit's systems, causing some strain on them.

Once I had a chance to breathe and recover, I took in my surroundings. Readings from the desiccated bodies, the facility terminals and the various vats and laboratories suggested that I was in some sort of genetics or biomanipulation laboratory. I was going through the logs and felt that it was possible that some organic polymers could be manufactured here, which I could then myself use as a sort of membrane, that would be highly useful in the completion of my intended task. I spent the next several hours attempting to familiarize myself with the alien language, again thankful for the programming that I was provided prior to my departure from Earth.

Although much of the location was barely running or consuming any energy that I could discern, there was one powerful reading that itself seemed unique and dare I say out of place amongst the devices and machines of this facility. With time and effort I discovered in a subterranean level a largely functioning teleportation gateway! I fell upon the device with uncharateristic hope that I might use it to return to Earth, that I would soon be able to deliver this report in person, but alas it seemed that the device would only function to bridge distances on this world. Cycling through my options and manipulating the controls allowed me to see a number of familiar locations, including the Wreck. My attempts to understand the gateway were largely successful, though at one point i regrettably caused a minor feedback loop that flooded myself and my suit with radiation that put more strain on my form and my tools, though it did leave my energy reserves at higher levels than before.

Another fortunate discovery at first seemed to be a rather unremarkable plant. However the more that I studied it and the sap-like resin that it produced along the serrated edges of its leaves I realized that I had an energy source at my disposal, enough to set the manufacture process in motion. It would appear that the original inhabitants had a number of these plants, whole gardens if I was interpreting the conditions of the subbasement correctly, as this facility's energy source. Once the membrane was indeed fabricated I was able to fold and roll it and fit it and myself through the teleport portal and quickly emerged just outside of the wreck. As I passed and as the gateway disappeared behind me, I could not help notice that the architecture and the design of the gate held nothing in common with he rest of the facility, a mystery for another day. 

I set about using the rest of the daylight at my disposal to bring the membrane over top of the Training Grounds and made a few last minute attachments and adjustments to the entire structure before finally bringing it online. Over the next several days weeks and months I would be able to use the controlled environments within to simulate a number of survival situations to help become more accustomed to the dangers of the varied forms of terrain and natural dangers. Now that my initial project was completed, I would soon have to determine what else my new home was lacking and from what both it and I could benefit among the blueprints and designs that remained within the wreck. 

I was fortunate that I was able to use a few of the leftover materials for my own benefit, gathers some resources that I would be able to apply to other purposes. It was with that satisfying feeling of dual accomplishment that I drifted off to sleep with once the sky began to darken.  My last recollection before my eyes closed their final time was of the pyramid, its slightly iridescent form framing its shape all while casting shadows along the ground. 

I do not know what lead me in the direction of the obelisk or why I knew to find it. All I knew was that when I found it, even though no instrument scanner or other device I have found since my arrival had indicated it was there, it was right where I had expected it. the feeling of "expectation" or "rightness".

I knew right away that I had made a significant discovery as the obelisk shaped item, which was in the canter of a small impact crater not too far from the wreck, appear to be of identical composition as the pyramid in the sky. This device is clearly that of an advanced alien civilization far beyond anything humanity could conceive of. Indeed the extremely durable material took several attempts to even remove a small splinter for analysis all the while giving off a number of unknown (but apparently safe) energy readings, themselves the sort of discovery that may well take years to unravel unless some further discovery provides aid.

I took my sliver with me back to the Wreck, making sure to mark the obelisk's location for further study in The Wreck's computers, which has still shown no signs of it until my intervention. I am convinced that what I have here is a significant clue that will help me understand the object that I see daily in the sky above me, and perhaps allow me to better understand this new world around me as well.