#i have like 1.5k in notes but 1/3 is a footnote

[paneful]

anyway self promo + this is just to say i am SO OPEN to recs :) pls leave me comments

[pippki-writes]

Project 341271-1: Alleium's Arrival

Content Notes: here's my short story for February, some first person writing about an alien on earth. I have some thoughts on continuing this at some point from other POVs.

Word Count: ~1.5K

Project 341271-1

[initiate segmented record keeping files. calibration to local time complete :: planetary revolution time 86164.0905 atomic seconds per local day : approximately 31,557,600 atomic seconds per local year]

Project Log: project local day 1

successfully arrived on planet

assimilated appearance to local forms

one-way transport disposed without incident

To do

Secure a base for observation

Establish connections with local sapients

Record observations

[timestamp: project local day 2]

[timestamp: log entry backdating—attempt unsuccessful, project local day 2]

[timestamp: log entry backdating—attempt unsuccessful, project local day 3]

[timestamp: log entry backdating—attempt unsuccessful, project local day 6]

[timestamp: log entry backdating—attempt unsuccessful, project local day 37]

Locked Diary of Allieum Zedderithe: project local day 1

I’m not sure if that could have gone worse if I’d tried.

Well I suppose I could be dead, or on the wrong planet, or crash landed in a civcluster and captured for tel knows what ends. I’ve heard of that happening, not in any recent memory of course but a long time ago when expeditions were much less careful and far more violent-tempered planets weren’t as readily identifiable from a distance, and—anyway. I can at least be thankful that the freighter had good aim for the drop, and the cloaking held, and that the planet is covered in so much liquid ocean. I’m not sure if you’d call it a crash landing or not. Certainly not how I would have been landing if I’d gone with Professor Galagan’s contact project, but nobody gets famous as a backup assistant researcher on a class III contact project. That’s safe. That’s boring.

It’s not that I’m trying to be famous. I just want my work to mean something. More than a byline in a footnote anyway. And that’s not something you get to by playing it safe, by following step by guided step toiling away for countless cycles and hoping you’re right about actually being on a tenure track while you alphabetize the professor’s latest scattershot bibliography (handed to me in stacks of papers, three tote bags full of books, and several copies of the same outdated bibliography file each with at least one entry different from the others!).

Oh, I didn’t even mention the problem with the scanner. That’s my fault, I should have packed better for lodgings on a freighter, I know, but it must’ve gotten knocked around or something on the trip, because the first pass molecular restructuring got me a very beautiful squishy body with all sorts of tentacles, suited perfectly for all that liquid ocean, which is apparently NOT where the civ is. And me frantically trying to actually FIND the actual civ before the whole drop pod dissipated into the ocean, trying to reboot the scanner, trying to push through another restructure pass before all my stupid supplies dissolved into the salty water. A kretting mess.

[scanned attachment, added 29 local days after entry: mysterious_blob_washes_ashore_in_north_carolina_and_baffles_experts.xrl]

We’ll skip the details, but suffice it to say the pass was NOT complete until well after all my supplies were lost or disintegrating and I was, ok, look, captured is obviously not the right word. We’re not even going to call this a first contact event. Like I said, the pass was NOT, repeat, NOT complete, and they had NO idea what they were looking at, and really, it was just a minor inconvenience to me at best. I got away unnoticed before they came back with a bucket.

[timestamp: project local day 2]

Project log: project local day 2

Established logbook connection; updated records

continued to maintain confidentiality of project

To do

Secure a base for observation

Establish connections with local sapients

Record observations

[timestamp: project local day 2]

Locked Diary of Allieum Zedderithe: project local day 2

I can probably figure out how to update the timestamp. It’s really important in a project like this to record observations and project updates as soon as possible. I don’t care how tired you are, you can jot down something while it’s fresh and come back to it later. It gets questionable when your data is full of recordings done days or more after the fact.

Speaking of which, these days — I don’t think the scanner restructured my circadian response to local time at all. The sun’s already going down AGAIN. Hopefully this isn’t going to be a problem.

At least I was able to get to the logbook finally. And made contact with absolutely nothing else on this planet. Oh but I do have hands now, two of them, five digits per hand, and I bet they look spot on. I’ll pretend like I had some sort of influence over how good they turned out.

[timestamp: project local day 2]

Project log: project local day 3

Local sapient population identified

Processed scanner data on population

Completed pre-contact checklist, see attachment

To do

Secure a base for observation/operations

Establish connection with local sapient population - next local day

Record observations

[timestamp: project local day 3]

[pre-contact checklist: file attachment not found]

Locked Diary of Allieum Zedderithe: project local day 3

Some of my research may have been incorrect.

When I reassured the department that my information was based on more than third-hand joyrider accounts and barroom boasts from backwater space pirates, I may have been overselling things.

I was dramatically overselling things.

I was entirely inventing things where I didn’t even actually have things to sell.

All I really had were some maybe promising readings and a feeling that I ought to gamble on this planet and this star and the hope that there would actually be a civ there, and more than that, a civ worth candidacy for new contact. I hoped and I hoped and I bet my whole life on the hope that I was right, and–

Oh tel, I never actually expected I would be right.

Project log: project local day 4

Prepared for making undercover contact with local sapient population

Observation files: compiled condensed primer on local sapient society and customs, see attachment

To do

Secure a base

Establish connection - next local day

Record observations

[timestamp: project local day 4]

[Project log: project local day 4: no file attachments found]

Locked Diary of Allieum Zedderithe: project local day 4

I’m just making sure I’m totally prepared, that’s all. There’s no rush, and if I’m hasty I’ll probably make mistakes. I’m just being careful, and that’s a good idea. I’m not freaking out, absolutely not. And even if I were freaking out, which of course I’m not, writing it out wouldn’t actually help me not freak out so WHY AM I WRITING IT OUT–

[timestamp: project local day 4]

Project log: project local day 5

Continued observation of local plant life - photosynthesis based - appears optimized for 610-700 nanometer wavelength light - likely good candidate for nutrient analysis - brightly colored soil may be worth further study

Continued contact preparations

To do:

Base of operations

Make contact

Record observations

[timestamp: project local day 5]

Locked Diary of Allieum Zedderithe: project local day 5

I haven’t slept yet – not, not, to be clear, because I’m putting off contact, which I’m not, but it just hasn’t been a day for me personally yet and the circadian sync definitely didn’t take, and that’s gonna be really great when I’m unconscious for days and days of local time. Which, by my calculations, will be soon. Smart planning then, I’ll find somewhere to hide out tomorrow instead, sleep, and then make contact. Yes. Good plan. Definitely on purpose. Yeah maybe I can edit that in the log later, first week I prepped everything totally knowing I’d be knocked out for days and then woke up fresh and five-fingered, ready to blend in and really begin my observations.

Yes I know I haven’t been able to edit the log yet but it’s got to be possible, I’m sure.

[timestamp: project local day 5]

Project log: project local day 6

-unplanned- -unintended- took advantage of opportunity to study local fauna in active behavior patterns. Intelligent but non-sapient organic lifeform, local designation: bear

To do

Base

Contact

Observe

[timestamp: project local day 6]

Locked Diary of Allieum Zedderithe: project local day 6

I AM IN A TREE. I DID NOT DIE. I AM GOING TO SLEEP AND WHEN I WAKE UP I WILL DEAL WITH THIS STUPID PLANET.

[timestamp: project local day 6]

Locked Diary of Allieum Zedderithe: project local day 13

Time to deal with this stupid planet.

Personal note: sleeping in trees, not super comfortable. Depending on how this goes, I may not be able to update the project log or this diary for a while, because I need to blend in like any other sapient on this planet. Maybe I’ll be able to make some observations in a notebook or something, but even that could be dangerous in terms of getting myself found out. But I’ve trained for this possibility. I’ve got a very good memory. I’ll make sure I come back and update the project log later with how things went, once I can.

[timestamp: project local day 13]

Project log: project local day 13

[Entry pending]

Locked Diary of Allieum Zedderithe: project local day 37

Everything on this planet is strange to me. I’ll write more later. I’ll remember.

I think I’m blending in just fine.

[timestamp: project local day 37]

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