#carlstuff

[starlightreactor]

Ugh. Pillows r not enough. Good neck support is not enough I need to extrude a 3d print-esque scaffolding which will perfectly cradle my body when I sleep

[starlightreactor]

Just spitting words into the void here but I no longer have an internet hookup at my house. I do however have a phone plan with a good mobile hotspot (lets me use my phones cellular data on my computer). But the most astounding thing is that the phone I use is an Iphone 7. Released in 2016, this thing has no right to continue functioning in any way, but work it does (especially with Apple's infamous practices of planned obsolescence).

It probably doesn't have much to do with the phone's age but its just really funny that the internet connection I get from a phone I've had since middle school than the ethernet connection I used to have at the house.

Anyway here's a cool pic I have on my computer tell me hwat you think

[grimereactor]

Talecember 29th: Forest

Prompt 29: Forest

On the world of Tuule many analogues to life on Earth. The existence of photosynthetic plant life itself is a marvel of convergent evolution. The structure of forests, however, is quite different from that of Earth. Being tidally locked, Tuulian photosynthesizers do not have the luxury to grow in any direction they please. And while you may think the uninterrupted stream of sunlight is more beneficial, Tuule’s atmosphere is subject to regular storms usually lasting 4-5 days at a time, as well as outlier storms that can last for even longer. Naturally, the plants of Tuule have evolved to live with these environmental aspects.

Cliff-Forests are the most prevalent forested formation, defined by their gradual slope facing the north (sunny) side, and a sheer drop-off facing the south (cold) side. These form because of plants trying to out-compete each other for sunlight. Here’s how it works. A row of trees grow. A second row of trees grow, but they grow a bit higher, otherwise they would be blocked by the first plant’s shadow. Another row grows behind that, and another, and another, until the trees hit their limit for how high they can grow. As time goes on, the accumulation of plant matter forms into a natural sloped hill until the hill itself hits it’s height limit and stays a cliff, or collapses and forms a valley. Cliff forests are prevented from forming in front of themselves because of vast wall fungi that feed off of detritus and water that flows down the hill. They also keep from forming in front of each other because Tuule trees are usually one singular individual plant interconnected through root and scaffolding, and larger forests are ones that keep themselves alive. Nevertheless, forests from other plants can form in front of others, creating Sawtooth Hills. This kind of formation is distinguishable by the formation of multiple hills with gradual slopes leading to steep drop-offs. The hills in shadow no longer sustain forests, instead housing things like skyscraper plants, non-photosynthetic life, and waterways where the base of one hill meets the cliff of another. 

[grimereactor]

Talecember 26th: Symbiosis

Prompt 26: Symbiosis

Symbiotic life is quite prevalent on Tuule. Here are some curated examples for your reading pleasure.

Sockwhales are, unlike what their name implies, a complex invertebrate lifeform that has developed symbiotic relationships with a species of microorganisms. Their name comes from their bodies bearing a general resemblance to that of wind socks with wings attached, as well as their main habitat being that of Tuule’s upper atmosphere. Their lives consist mainly of inhaling clouds of aeroplankton. Their symbiotic relationship is prevalent when you take a look at their wings, which are actually microorganism colonies that grows out into large mats. These microorganisms benefit by having their home be up in the sky, far away from most predators, as well as greater access to sunlight. The Sockwhales benefit by having a much larger lifting surface to keep themselves in the air perpetually, spending little energy keeping aloft themselves. 

Some animals have taken symbiosis to the next level, becoming ‘Composite Lifeforms’. The largest group of these organisms is a family classified as the ‘Pseudovertebrates”. At first animals from this family puzzled xenobiologists, as it seemed that they had somehow evolved a bone composition and structure completely different from that of Tuule vertebrates, despite being closely related in several other ways. It was discovered that the bones of Pseudovertebrates were a completely different species of heavy metal accreting microorganism which had integrated itself within Pseudovertebrate bodies long ago. The resulting combination is a variety of forms that have evolved into a wide spread of niches. Pseudovertebrate life cycles differ from that of Tuule Vertebrates in that they are born with a frail bone structure and go into a cocoon stage in which their much stronger symbiote bones form. These bones are made from a variety of heavy-metal blended materials, and can vary in composition between species and geological regions. Mutations in the microorganism affect Pseudovertebrates differently, allowing for a wider variety of forms than would be with a conventional skeleton. The animals themselves benefit from this by having an incredibly strong bone structure, an efficient way to sequester heavy metals from their own bodies, and greater evolutionary flexibility. The microorganisms benefit by having a steady nutrient flow provided by the animal and a secure home. 

Quindecapedes are a prime example of Pseudovertebrate biology. Quindecapedes live primarily underground in the vast caverns of Tuule. What was a pair of front legs has since fused and become a large excavation apparatus in which they use to carve out tunnels. Their fourteen other legs help in further carving out and stamping down tunnel walls. They have a hard carapace that protects them from the incredibly strong jaws and teeth of other Pseudovertebrates. Their carapace also secretes special compounds that can break down Dyprine-bound soil, allowing them to tunnel into underground regions that other organisms cannot. A trait that is common amongst other Pseudovertebrates is a specialized bony protrusion at the base of their spines that can be used to sense vibrations within soil. This can be used to ‘hear out’ moving objects and hollow cavities like tunnels within the ground. This is another reason why Quindecapedes have fourteen legs, their unique gait can be heard and recognized by other Quindecapedes. 

[grimereactor]

Talecember 24th: Tea

Prompt 24: Tea

In Tekhnian culture there are many stimulant beverages that are parallel to Earth coffee and teas in both use and cultural significance. 

Sea-Coffee is the closest analogue to something you might find on Earth. The Sea-coffee itself is a photosynthetic intertidal plant native to the vast intertidal plains and flash-reefs of Tuule. It’s roots contain a pesticide-laced sap that acts similar to caffeine when ingested by Tekhnians. The roots are split open and pressed to extract the sap, which is then mixed with water and boiled to create sea-coffee. Boiling the mixture for longer will cause the consistency to change, making sea-coffee jelly another popular way to consume the substance. Because of the properties of the plant, the roots keep best non-refrigerated for long periods of time, allowing for ease of storage and transport. Many varieties of sea-coffee exist with varying strengths and flavors. While much of Tekhnian agriculture has changed due to many years of artificial genetic modification, the art of Sea-Coffee farming and brewing has gone relatively unchanged throughout history.

A more unusual approach is Maerit, another stimulant beverage derived from the shed cocoons of Quindecapedes. The cocoon of a Quindecapede contains highly specialized enzymes that allow them to burrow into solid rock. When boiled and then filtered these enzymes act as a powerful stimulant. The effects of Maerit are mildly psychoactive and quite addictive. Maerit addiction is a continuous issue in Tekhnian society. 

[grimereactor]

Talecember 18th: Ranger

Hey look, I’m back on track! and I only missed most of the prompts so far. Anywhens...

Prompt 18: Ranger

With great oceans come great responsibility, and said responsibility often falls upon that of the undersea rangers. While many different professions involve ocean traversal to some extent, most only involve traversing the ocean floor during low tide when it is drained or very shallow. Rangers, however, use the rapid northern flow of the ocean to bring themselves out to sea, far away from civilization. To commute back and forth, they use domesticated ocean wildlife, portable undersea vehicles, or the power of their own bodies.

‘Undersea ranger’ is a broad term. Some are engineers who work at vast underwater mining complexes, extracting all manner of resources from the deep. Others work and patrol undersea farms located in shallower waters. Some are scientists who may live and work in underwater habitats similar to how Humans have scientific bases located in Antarctica. Another undersea ranger class are game wardens, who keep a close watch on wildlife populations and fishing habits.

Perhaps the most dangerous of undersea ranger jobs is underground sea diving. Tuule’s unique planetary geology allows for several underground lakes and oceans to exist, many cut off from the main surface ocean. The conditions and life in these unique areas are still poorly understood, and the possibilities of exploration has only recently been available with modern technologies. Manned underground sea exploration is considered as dangerous and alien as manned expeditions into outer space.

[grimereactor]

Talecember 16th: Aquatic

Prompt 16: Aquatic

Ship: Kava Kalnis

Module: Tekh Obliqued Habitation Ring 1

Status: Tense

“The first step to making sea-coffee is to split open the plant’s roots. Now here I have some that I just cut off, uh... these came from our... our hydroponics on the ship. Chances are if you are making it at home on.. on Earth, you’ll get your roots dried ‘cause they’re imported, but it’s pretty much the same process. Now here, I have a pairing knife. I uh... you can also get these pre-peeled but I like to do it like this, ‘cause it’s.. it’s like a whole process.”

Moekuike flipped open the knife, notable because of the fact that it was not a standard root pairing knife but a pocket knife of Human design.

“Lets get started.” Moekuike cleared their throat. “Now the first step is to... You start at the tear point of the root... This little ring structure here... and go down like thi- God Damnit!”

Moekuike put the knife down, looking at the newfound gash in their palm where they were bleeding profusely. With their unwounded other hand, they reached over and turned off the recording device they were speaking into. Using both of their lower arms they clasped around their bleeding hand. They realized they were shaking. Moekuike was recommended to make video logs and the like to send to their friends and family back on Tuule, but it was clearly not working out for them.

“[Make a video. You’ll feel so great you made something that your friends can see!]” Moekuike said to themselves in their native Litritian tongue, with a not-so-subtle dose of mocking jeer added to it. “[The last thing I need is more dumb side-projects to work on.]” With a huff, they grabbed the camera and began their trip to the medical ward, leaving a pile of quickly desiccating sea-coffee roots and a splash of blood on their desk. 

Ship: Kava Kalnis

Module: Tekh Hydroponics Chamber B

Status: Humid

Moekuike looked at the slowly undulating leaves of a tank of sea-coffee plants. They liked it in the Hydroponics bay, with it’s directional lighting and consistent hot/cold cycling mimicking the perpetual sunset of Tuule’s horizon. Moekuike had lived most of their life near the equator, where the Tekhnian sun took on a dim red hue with beautiful clouds that splayed colors seen nowhere else in the world. In space, they only had the poor replication of the Hydroponics bay to comfort their woes of homesickness. It was a good room to meditate in.

Moekuike’s meditation was stifled by the pain still throbbing in their bandaged hand. With a sigh, they left the Hydroponics bay to fetch themselves a fresh cup of sea-coffee.

[grimereactor]

Talecember 14th: Magical

Prompt 14: Magical

In ancient times, traditional Tekhnian sailing ships would have installed within them a granite capstone. Embedded within this capstone would be a sheet of Dyprine glass in which the names of the crew would be painstakingly etched. If a ship changed hands the names of the new crew would be etched along side the old ones. It was believed that this capstone was required for a ship to properly function. Spiritually, it was thought as a sort of ‘binding’, tying the souls of the crew to the vessel. Over time, this belief evolved into many others involving sailing ships. It was believed that the ship was just as much as part of the crew as the actual people were. As Tekhnian society advanced and their technology expanded into the space age, the tradition largely fell out of style. Starships wanting to conserve reaction mass or cargo space had no use for a big stone slab taking up space. Some ships still held the tradition, though. One such example is the Kava-Kalnis, a joint Human-Tekhnian exploratory vessel built for long-haul missions. Now 40 years past it’s expected lifetime, the Kava-Kalnis is still going strong. And after changing hands several times, it’s capstone holds a long and storied history.