The Forge of Weeks

[theforgeofweeks]

Subnautica Journal Complete and What Comes Next

Thank you so much to everyone who followed along with my (and Ryley's) progress through Subnautica. I first picked Subnautica up 5.5 years ago and really enjoyed it, but ended up getting too busy to complete it and stopped before I got to the Lost River. This is the first non-academic writing project I've done besides some writing when I was much much younger and has also been an inspiration to get into art, both physical and digital, which I have always wanted to do. Posting this has greatly motivated me to see it through to completion, with your help. Overall, my only real complaints with the game are that I wish the PDA would synthesize an entry for each biome with it's actual name and some of the key features. And I feel like the end of the game goes too quickly. Everything went very fast after I made it to the Lost River. Also sometimes the optimization of the game was a problem even with my modern macbook, but such is life. The only bug that really annoyed me was losing my Prawn full of materials to clipping through the map. I would eventually like to play Subnautica Below Zero, but want to take a bit of a break from Subnautica for now.

Anyway, I'm going to take a break for a few weeks (hopefully no more than 2-3) before I start posting my next project. I've been doing some planning for it but haven't done much writing yet. I'll say more about it before I start, but for now I will say it is set in Fallen London and will probably be posted less frequently than the Subnautica journals.

[theforgeofweeks]

Ryley Robinson Farewell to 4546B

This is surreal. I’ve finally done it. I’ve built a rocket; I’ve cured myself. I’ve disabled the quarantine platform. Just one week ago I didn’t even think I would survive. And just two months ago I didn’t even know I was carrying a deadly infection.

I’ve been spending some time at Lifepod 5; contemplating how lucky I had to have been to end up in one of the few life pods still floating and end up in the shallows too. It was a rough start, but the PDA did a good job of keeping me alive early on. There’s only so much it can do on a planet like this though and with a bacteria like Kharaa. It’s been luck and in large part the Sea Emperor that got me this far.

I don’t really know where I go from here. I mean, obviously back to “civilization” for now. Someone has to tell their stories. To tell the galaxy about Bart and Ozzy and Captain Quinn and all the rest. And the Kharaa and the cure as well. I worry about what Alterra may do once they find out what is here. But they will clearly send a ship out here eventually. The Aurora already had a mission to find the Degasi. And with the Aurora and the Sunbeam downed as well, it’s only a matter of time until they send someone else out here to find out what happened. As funny as it would be to let Alterra spend all their money crashing into 4546B; it’s not fair to the people on those ships. I just wish I could do something to stop Alterra from coming back. The Precursors weren’t great for the Sea Emperor and the rest of the environment here; I suspect Alterra will be much worse.

Still; there’s no way I’m letting Alterra claim that I’m trillions in debt to them. It’s their fault I was here in the first place. If that’s how they want to treat me; I’ll just leave. Maybe I’ll come back here. Unfortunately, it’s time for me to go now. I probably won’t be able to use my PDA much while I’m on the Neptune. Or maybe I’ll be awake the whole time and have nothing to do but sit in contemplation and stare at the stars. I’ve never been great with predicting interstellar travel times — especially with these new ion drives, so I don’t really know how long I’ll be stuck on here. I suspect it will be long enough I’ll be desperate for real ground and water. Until then… well, there’s always the view.

[theforgeofweeks]

Ryley Robinson Day 82

Finally constructed the rocket boosters. Just took 3 full days to get 1 ion cube. All I need for the cockpit is some table coral. That takes me back to when I had just landed here. And of course I need the Cyclops module fabricator, which is on the Cyclops 1500m down. Luckily I have been remembering the gateway back to the containment facility. And I’m 90% sure I have both table coral and computer chips down there.

. . .

It wouldn’t be another day on 4546B if I wasn’t doing something idiotic and dangerous. I know I definitely put table coral and computer chips both on the Cyclops, but they weren’t there. So I had to go back to the shallows to grab some table coral and back to the Cyclops again. And I risk running into the Reaper near the Quarantine platform every time I make the trip to the Cyclops. I did see them, but luckily they didn’t get too close.

[theforgeofweeks]

Ryley Robinson Day 81

I am so so stupid. And I should be very very dead. First off all, I forgot there was a gateway from the Enforcement Platform to the Thermal Plant, which is where all the easy to get kyanite is. Second. One of those glowing leviathans destroyed my Seamoth the moment I got out so I had to swim all the way from 900m down to the Thermal Plant and just barely made it. And then of course remembered the gateway.

I’ve got my kyanite. I’m going home. I swear if I need any other stupid materials from down here I’m just going to use a half finished rocket instead. Unfortunately, I suspect Alterra won’t have programmed the launch platform to allow that.

[theforgeofweeks]

Ryley Robinson Day 80

Well, I still don’t want to build a prawn suit. With all the upgrades I need just to get it to the ion cube deposit in the containment facility, it costs nearly half what the rocket does. I’m going to look around the crate and see if I can find any more alien structures.

. . .

It took me all day, but I managed to find one! It’s got four whole ion cubes! Everything I need for the Neptune and more! I’ll still have to get some kyanite, but I would have needed that to upgrade the Prawn enough anyway. I’m going to take my Seamoth down to the edge of the lava zone and swim to the kyanite and back. I guess my other option is I bring the Cyclops all the way back up. I really prefer the Seamoth though.

[theforgeofweeks]

Ryley Robinson Day 79

Well, my main concern now is I am one ion cube short of what I need for the fuel for the Neptune. My options at this point are either build an entirely new prawn suit or hope I can find the wreckage of the old one somewhere in the lava fields. It should also have all the kyanite I need. I don’t really want to build a whole new prawn suit if I can help it. I’m going to charge up the Cyclops power cells and see if I can find the Prawn.

. . .

I’m impatient, half charged is good enough. I just need enough charge to get like 1/2 km there and back, and ignore the lava larvae. . . .

The Sea Dragon must have been very thorough. I can’t find any wreckage at all. Back home before I get the Cyclops destroyed too…

[theforgeofweeks]

Ryley Robinson Day 77

How is lead of all things the only thing I’m missing the Neptune Launch Platform. Won’t take me long to get, just wasn’t what I was expecting to not have on hand. This would probably be faster if I just made a new Prawn Suit, but if I can make it off this planet without one, I would rather do that.

. . .

Construction is going fairly smoothly. Some things I have, some things I don’t. Always short on titanium, but that’s usually an easy fix. Slightly trickier is that I’m now out of nickel, so I think I’ll have to go back underground. I should be fine, not going to have to bring the cyclops back up for this.

[theforgeofweeks]

Ryley Robinson Day 76

I know this will be worth it in the end, but it will be a rough start for these young ones. They are nearly my size already, but they will need to grow fast to survive out here without their mother. It seems the precursors were right. A sufficient quantity of this “enzyme 42” can indeed cure the infection. I’m cured! The sores on my hands are gone and I already feel less tired. That may be the adrenaline rush though. But still, I can feel my fatigue improving already. There was at least a month where I thought this would never happen. It was purely luck that got me this far.

Leaving will be bittersweet. I think without the infection looming over me, I could come to like it here. Especially if the baby Sea Emperors inherit their mother’s telepathy. Alas, I owe it to the crews of the Aurora, the Sunbeam, and the Degasi to make sure everyone knows their fate. And given the data from the Disease Research Facility, it’s possible the quarantine was entirely ineffective. So someone needs to spread awareness of Kharaa and the cure. I can at least start spreading the word.

For now, I’ve disabled the quarantine platform. Next step will be building a rocket; which I suspect means a lot of resource gathering.

[theforgeofweeks]

Ryley Robinson Day 75

I’m struggling to find anything new. I just need some new areas. I remember seeing some inactive gateways in the containment facility, and I haven’t noticed any gateways in my exploration, so maybe they will take me somewhere useful. Probably safer too. Surely they wouldn’t have set up gateways directly to something dangerous. Going to bring my tablets and my ion cubes; I’ve got 4 cubes. I hope I have enough.

Ended up using one cube, but didn’t find anything there. Back at the containment facility, somehow I missed the ventilation shafts last time I was here! The precursors must have understood some part of what it took to keep this ecosystem alive if they went to all this trouble. If only they had been able to see the full picture… I wonder why the Sea Emperor couldn’t speak to them.

. . .

I don’t know if that’s luck or destiny… I found a sea crown while relaxing inside the Sea Emperor’s aquarium. I was just hoping to spend some time swimming with the calmer animals here. I’m going to make the enzymes, then I’ll be right back.

[theforgeofweeks]

Ryley Robinson Day 74

A little bit of sleep is good for the brain. I’m still exhausted, but I did realize there are bulb bushes right outside my habitat — less than 100m away. Apparently they rot quickly too, so will be convenient to just gather them last. That leaves eyestalks, which I’ve definitely seen near a lifepod (maybe 19? I’ll try that first), and the sea crown, which I’ve never seen.

.

.

.

I was right, it was lifepod 19. Had a mild panic attack on the way over here though. I think the attempted trip around the crater messed me up more than I expected. Every time I go over a drop-off I think I’m at the edge of the crater, even though I know there is more ahead of me. I know I’m far away, but some part of me is stuck out there getting chased by leviathans.

I need to find the sea crown now. I’m going to search around the for a bit and see what I can find. Sticking close to the sea floor and checking any hint of plant life. I wish I could ask the sea emperor, but I can’t seem to communicate back to her except in pantomime; with the infection getting worse, I don’t have the time to try to communicate the human words the PDA chooses to describe local flora.

[theforgeofweeks]

Ryley Robinson Day 73

Okay, that should have been obvious. I can get a fungal sample from the mushroom trees all around my habitat. I’m not really sure about the rest of these. I feel like I remember them all being fairly deep, but definitely within range of the Sea Moth, so I should be good without the Prawn. I guess that makes sense. The precursors seem to have trapped the Sea Emperor at a different pressure and temperature than the surrounding lava tunnels; perhaps her species is suited for shallow waters (only 100s of meters, not kilometers). At least for hatching.

I managed to find the Ghost Weed in the floating underwater islands near Lifepod 2. I’m back at my habitat now. The map I made has actually been a lifesaver; without having beacons or a spare vehicle to leave there I’m struggling to find my way back without the map. I haven’t even done much, but it’s been such a long day. I can feel the exhaustion catching up to me. I’ll find the other stuff for the enzymes tomorrow. At least the bulb bush and eye stalk samples. For now I’m taking a nap while I’m home with my bed.

[theforgeofweeks]

Ryley Robinson Day 72 Part 2

So this is the Sea Emperor. She seems … radiant…? I don’t have the words.

She says she can help me; that the precursors trapped her here and researched her. Her pleas fell silent because they could not hear her. She tells me if I can help her eggs to hatch, she will give me what I need. I think these may be the same thing to begin with.

. . .

There is a gateway in her tank that leads back to outside the Quarantine Enforcement Platform. I fear there is no way she will fit through, but perhaps her children can be free, once they are hatched. Why trap her here to begin with? Couldn’t they have used an open fence enclosure? I saw they had tracking collars! And they didn’t even set her free before they left. I’ll do what I can to help with the hatching enzymes. I need a few samples from various plants and fungi. Most of them I think shouldn’t be too hard to find. Sea crown seed and a fungal sample will probably be the hard ones.

[theforgeofweeks]

Ryley Robinson Day 72

This is a lot to take in. The Primary Containment Facility is built like a temple, full of symmetry and high ceilings. There seem to be six more gateways, which I don’t have the ion cubes to activate with me right now, since I lost half a dozen in the Prawn suit. And there’s an ion cube deposit in the center of the main chamber, but I can’t use it without the Prawn. I’ve got a few more in the Cyclops, but not enough to open every gateway.

[theforgeofweeks]

Ryley Robinson Day 71

Made it back to my habitat. Immediately collapsed on my bed for hours. I forgot how bad my hands look… I’m normally wearing the suit over them. I really don’t want to put it back on; it makes everything even itchier.

. . .

I ended up making two purple tablets and a blue one. Didn’t have any nickel on me though, so no orange. Anyway, I made it back in one piece. Now let’s see what’s in here.

Lots to sort through. So, Primary Containment Facility (is that where the voice is coming from?) is at 1400m and near here. Or actually, I think I remember a tunnel going down deeper back with the Cyclops. I hope my Cyclops hasn’t been destroyed… It’s got my Modification Station which I need to get deeper. Moving on, apparently the Quarantine Enforcement Platform is taking up over 1/3 of the power this power plant is generating! Also, looks like my PDA figured out a way to use the ion cubes in my tech if I need it. Should give me longer lasting tools if I have the cubes to spare.

I’ve got to get back to the Cyclops now. Which means making it past the Sea Dragon, without accidentally pulling it towards the Cyclops. … I see the Cyclops now, and I don’t see the Sea Dragon! I made it back to the Cyclops and oh F—! There’s a Sea Dragon on the other side of it. And I can’t get the Prawn in to the Cyclops because I turned off the power. I’m going to die here aren’t I.

. . .

Well… I’m still alive. I lost the Prawn. I would say good riddance, except it was loaded full of ion cubes, crystalline sulfur, and kyanite. I managed to do an emergency field swap and upgrade of the Cyclops depth module using the kyanite I had in my pockets. The Cyclops is pretty beat up, and almost out of power, but I managed to get it down in the lava tubes. Luckily it looks like it isn’t far to the Primary Containment Facility, and I think there is another Sea Dragon here, but it seems to be ignoring me.

That went fast.

[theforgeofweeks]

Ryley Robinson Day 70

I grabbed 9 of those ion cubes; the whole deposit. I’m almost running out of room. But I can use them to make more tablets once I get back to the Cyclops. Assuming I have diamonds, nickel, and kyanite to spare. Moving deeper into the Thermal Plant now though. The next room over has one of those giant archways and a pedestal that wants an ion cube. Oh! It’s a teleport! I guess I shouldn’t be shocked. There’s been teleporting robot fish. Why not teleport people too. Where am I though; just below sea level apparently (well, as much as 90m can be considered just below). Oh, looks like the Quarantine Enforcement Platform. Okay, going back and heading deeper.

Why! Why do I never have the tablets I need. I brought a Purple and an Orange. I use a Purple, got a Blue; and now I need another Purple! I’m so tired of this. I can just see the main power plant taunting me in there. And Purple takes diamonds, which means I probably have to go find diamonds somewhere, or at least go back to my habitat, because I don’t think I put any on the Cyclops. Would it have killed the aliens to set their doors to a 100 year unlock timer. Or a master key somewhere.

I’m going to sit here and rest for a bit. I need somewhere safe to decompress for a bit. I know I’ve been going non-stop for a bit, but I feel more tired than I should, even given that.

. . .

Wait! The gateway!! I don’t have to go back through the Sea Dragon! Or back to the Cyclops! It’s still a bit of a trek, but at least it’s safe.

[theforgeofweeks]

Ryley Robinson Day 69 Part 2

I found the Thermal Plant. I managed to make it past the warpers and lava lizards and get inside. I think I’m safe here. I know any angry leviathan can knock one of these down, but the Sea Dragons would have to get through a huge amount of actually kind of crumbly lava tubes first. Okay… now I don’t feel quite as safe… But they don’t have any reason to try to knock out the Thermal Plant.

There’s strange robotic spiders here. They seem modeled after the those spiders that were crawling all over the Aurora. I wonder what they do. Also found some giant deposits of ion cubes and a blue tablet, that’s a new color.

Uh… That’s that voice again! It’s been 42 days, but I remember exactly what it sounded like. It says to “come here”. It doesn’t sound malicious like the Mesmers; also didn’t hijack my PDA. I don’t know how to follow it though. I’m stuck tracking down the clues I have.

[theforgeofweeks]

Ryley Robinson Day 69

Large Alien structure inside the center of this giant hunk of rock… with a giant flame breathing tentacled leviathan in front of it. Also, I found kyanite, but at this point, harvesting that feels like the least of my concerns. I do not like the current state of things. I’m down to 20% battery on the Cyclops, apparently there’s something down here that feeds off my batteries... I’m just going to power it down entirely and take out the batteries and hope nothing destroys it. Also, I think I see a way further down, but I certainly can’t go there now without getting crushed. Maybe after I get the kyanite.

Okay, this isn’t the closest I’ve been to a panic attack, but the longer I’m here, the closer I get. I can hear that Dragon roaring practically non-stop, and it always sounds like it’s right behind me. I’ve managed to get inside the central rock formation by pure luck. I just walked around the outside until I stumbled upon some alien sign post things. I hope I’m safer in here… Surely the Dragon can’t get in here, my Prawn barely fits. There are so many of those lava lizards. I can barely fend them off with my prawn suit.