Shine (22 page)

Went to talk to A about the aliens. She asked me to go see T instead. Did. Can't talk about it.

8:09 pm April 7th, 2054 from distweet

Found myself singing to the stars again. M found me and laughed. We even made out a bit. Life has never felt so right.

3:46 pm April 7th, 2054 from distweet

Just watched the news footage (that delay again). Saw the interview with papa and dad. I started to cry.

12:07 pm April 7th, 2054 from distweet

You know, I always figured that the first aliens would look like, you know, aliens. Not just bits of extraterrestrial DNA.

11:10 am April 7th, 2054 from distweet

@loucheroo Well, ok, truthfully for our first ever alien it's a bit disappointing looking but still! I'm SO GEEKING OUT HERE, as they used to say.

10:03 am April 7th, 2054 from distweet in reply to loucheroo

NSU has rebuilt the DNA in its lab and let it form itself. You probably already saw the pictures. AWESOME!

9:53 am April 7th, 2054 from distweet

This is the most exciting thing that's ever happened to me--finding not just a new species but a TOTALLY NEW FORM OF LIFE.

9:42 am April 7th, 2054 from distweet

@frogheart29 We made the top of Google News? AWESOME!

9:08 am April 7th, 2054 from distweet in reply to frogheart29

@the25thkarenbear Not related to archaea, bacteria, cyanobacteria or eukaryotes. Completely new lifeform.

7:04 am April 7th, 2054 from distweet in reply to the25thkarenbear

And, shit. Also confirmed: whatever these are, they are now in T's skin and blood. Probably elsewhere.

1:25 am April 7th, 2054 from distweet

Confirmation from NSU and company: Totally new lifeform. TOTALLY.

3:06 pm April 6th, 2054 from distweet

Got this non cellular structure to live on its own, in my lab. Definitely not just a space virus. Damned if I know
what
it is.

4:22 pm April 5th, 2054 from distweet

Wish I had time to teach R more of the basic principles of biology here; wasting so much time teaching him.

10:32 pm April 4th, 2054 from distweet

Back to the lab. Have got M and K to take over some of the garden duties while R helps me with some of the computer work.

7:37 am April 4th, 2054 from distweet

He's the doctor; he should know. He says medications well stocked.

7:21 am April 4th, 2054 from distweet

Went back into T's room. M right; T looks much sicker. He says he's actually better.

7:21 am April 4th, 2054 from distweet

M wants to know what I'm doing to help T. Have been so involved in studying this new structure that I haven't even thought about it.

5:02 am April 4th, 2054 from distweet

Isolated what seems to be the non cellular structure from T's tissue cells. I think this is it. Sending data back to company and NSU now.

11:03 am April 3rd, 2054 from distweet

Ran back into T's room to take pictures and samples and tell him he's the first person to ever be infected by an alien.

7:03 am April 3rd, 2054 from distweet

Getting more confirmations now--the DNA strand does not match anything seen on Earth. We think it was clinging to the comet that hit T.

6:04 pm April 2nd, 2054 from distweet

OH. MY. GOD. NSU thinks we've found the first real alien life!

2:22 pm April 2nd, 2054 from distweet

Isolated five more samples and sent the images off. This long wait for responses is really bothering me.

11:45 am March 31st, 2054 from distweet

Company asking for more samples. Working on isolating the DNA string.

3:21 am March 31st, 2054 from distweet

Ok, this is weird, but I've found a random DNA string that I can't match on any of our databases. Sending info to company to confirm.

11:23 pm March 29th, 2054 from distweet

Something got on the Nautilus tanks.

6:39 pm March 29th, 2054 from distweet

But it's remotely possible that something crept on board and has been lurking around ever since until it caused this. Or--

6:39 pm March 29th, 2054 from distweet

We
shouldn't
have any strange bacteria on board--we were pretty thoroughly, um, decontaminated, I guess you'd call it.

6:38 pm March 29th, 2054 from distweet

Sending results to company for second check.

6:02 pm March 29th, 2054 from distweet

Doing NA scans on T's blood and skin cells to see if I can isolate a bacteria or virus causing this thing.

4:43 pm March 29th, 2054 from distweet

Managed to wake T up. In severe pain; says can't swallow or eat. Skin worsening. On morphine drip.

12:15 pm March 29th, 2054 from distweet

Well, not exactly a stain--more like a fine red web settled across his skin. His skin is flaking everywhere.

5:52 am March 29th, 2054 from distweet

M overrode the computer codes and opened the door to T's room. He's covered in some red stain.

5:39 am March 29th, 2054 from distweet

K just pounded on my door. T not responding.

5:03 am March 29th, 2054 from distweet

Pulled out three chocolate packages and what they call 'steak' to celebrate. Still sick but joined in.

3:12 pm March 27th, 2054 from distweet

A and R confirm we're set for fuel. We will get home.

11:47 am March 27th, 2054 from distweet

T looked at amputation, said he couldn't have done it better himself. Still feeling sick.

9:30 am March 27th, 2054 from distweet

M came by and pulled me against him so hard I think my back is bruised. We didn't speak for two hours.

6:08 pm March 26th, 2054 from distweet

Done. Felt sick for hours afterwards.

4:31 am March 26th, 2054 from distweet

oh god I do not want to do this really do not want to do this

3:28 pm March 24th, 2054 from distweet

Company has sent detailed instructions and video on how to amputate. A and R will be helping. R's going to read the instructions to me.

10:19 am March 24th, 2054 from distweet

I don't know what I'm doing.

3:43 am March 23rd, 2054 from distweet

I'm going to have to do the surgery. We have no one else.

3:43 am March 23rd, 2054 from distweet

Sorry for silence. T badly hurt. Something struck his foot out there. The suit automatically adjusted so he only lost pressure in his foot, but it's bad.

3:24 am March 23rd, 2054 from distweet

I dragged T in it was awful it was god.

12:35 pm March 20th, 2054 from distwwet

Not just me. Nautilus demanding to know what's gone wrong.

9:53 am March 20th, 2054 from distweet

Something's wrong. T's voice is strained and I'm hearing something through the com.

9:49 am March 20th, 2054 from distweet

T's hooked up the drag line. Got signal to tug him back.

9:42 am March 20th, 2054 from distweet

Oh god. We did it. We did it. We got T back on the fuel tank.

9:23 am March 20th, 2054 from distweet

I have to tug him. I've got to get him to the tank.

8:37 am March 20th, 2054 from distweet

T's missed his fuel tank.

8:37 am March 20th, 2054 from distweet

M's on one fuel tank, attaching one drag line now. Says he's ok. I can start pulling them back.

8:03 am March 20th, 2054 from distweet

I can't watch. I can't not watch. I remember loving it out here.

7:36 am March 20th, 2054 from distweet

Them--the spacewalkers. Including M.

7:29 am March 20th, 2054 from distweet

Nautilus releasing fuel tanks. This is the bad part. If they can't float exactly there we're going to have to tug them.

7:29 am March 20th, 2054 from distweet

R says the Nautilus is as close as it can be for safety. It looks so small. They look so small.

7:09 am March 20th, 2054 from distweet

R timed me exactly. They're floating out.

7:07 am March 20th, 2054 from distweet

Put them in hatch. Watching now. If I fuck this up-

6:38 am March 20th, 2054 from distweet

T and M ready to walk out, R helping sick K pilot ship, me helping spacewalkers.

6:20 am March 20, 2054 from distweet

Just realized how rare it is for all six of us to be awake and working at the same time, but here we are-

6:19 am March 20th, 2054 from distweet

Very narrow window of opportunity here. Trying not to think about what happens if something goes wrong.

6:09 am March 20th, 2054 from distweet

Got T and M suited up. Think M said something about feeling harder than ever. Nearly smacked him.

6:03 am March 20th, 2054 from distweet

Spacewalk starting in about three hours. Of course, by the time you read this, it will already be over.

4:08 am March 20th, 2054 from distweet

T won the game, so he's heading out. Claims it's better to risk the doctor than the main pilot. M agrees.

3:06 am March 20th, 2054 from distweet

Tried to do a coin toss, but that just doesn't work in low gravity well. They're playing cards now.

2:48 am March 20th, 2054 from distweet

Crap. K extremely sick. T says unsafe to let her go. R and I not trained for spacewalks. That leaves T or A.

2:33 am March 20th, 2054 from distweet

M says not to worry. Fuel tanks won't weigh anything in space. Worrying.

10:51 am March 19th, 2054 from distweet

We've barely spoken in months.

12:39 am March 19th, 2054 from distweet

M one of the spacewalkers. I feel sick.

12:37 am March 19th, 2054 from distweet

But we'll have a small window for a spacewalk where we can in theory pick up the fuel.

7:48 pm March 18th, 2054 from distweet

Nautilus passing by in two days. Turns out the ships won't connect.

7:46 pm March 18th, 2054 from distweet

Incredibly snappish at each other. Thought it might be oxygen deprivation but we're not there yet.

7:52 am February 27th, 2054 from distweet

@frogheart72 You have one sick sense of what 'divert' means. I'm tempted to deny our relationship GRIN.

4:02 pm February 19th, 2054 from distweet

Got a full month to wait for the Nautilus to arrive. Divert me. Please.

1:29 pm February 16th, 2054 from distweet

Company tells us that they can divert the Nautilus to us. Then we hook up to
Nautilus
and take enough of their fuel to make it back.

11:13 pm February 14th, 2054 from distweet

The plants and cyanobacteria can only recycle some of the oxygen; we need the cleansers for the rest. They need fuel.

2:14 pm February 12th, 2054 from distweet

@piehole72 Yeah we can reduce rations for awhile and that will help, but not indefinitely. Plus. Oxygen.

2:13 pm February 12th, 2054 from distweet in replay to piehole72

Calculated food load and growth patterns for fifth time. Not enough food. What more do they want me to do?

4:22 am February 10th, 2054 from distweet

@piehole72 Some waste is recycled in my garden and the unused stuff thrown out.

8:27 pm February 9th, 2054 from distweet in reply to piehole72

@piehole72 For fuel reasons our food load was calculated very carefully to reduce weight. We have exactly one month of extra food. Maybe.

5:31 am February 6th, 2054 from distweet in reply to piehole72

@frogheart29 You be the judge of what to tell the parents. I'm not in the emotional space to figure that out right now.

9:04 pm February 3rd, 2054 from distweet in reply to frogheart29

@piehole72 Water's not a problem. That's all carefully controlled and recycled. The problem is oxygen and food.

4:21 pm February 3, 2054 from distweet in reply to piehole72

Attempting to see if I can grow enough to keep six people fed, but it's doubtful and my plants have to provide oxygen too.

2:38 am January 31st, 2054 from distweet

Calculations confirmed by K, Z and all engineers back on Earth. We are beyond screwed.

6:48 pm January 30th, 2054 from distweet

@piehole72 No, I'm not fucking joking.

10:26 am January 27th, 2054 from distweet in reply to piehole72

Christ. Computers tell us we don't have enough fuel to make it back.

9:24 am January 24th, 2054 from distweet

Even my tiny plants seem to be drooping.

3:21 pm January 16th, 2054 from distweet

Can't sleep. Not sure if it's the shift changes catching up on me, or--Never mind.

11:08 am January 16th, 2054 from distweet

@frogheart29 You tell Dad and Papa, I kill you.

1:24 am January 1st, 2054 from distweet in reply to frogheart29

Even if the guy does things in near zero G that I wouldn't have thought possible even in near zero G.

8:31 pm December 31st, 2053 from distweet

It was so not a relationship.

4:03 pm December 31st, 2053 from distweet

@piehole72 Scratch that. No relationship.

3:06 am December 31st, 2053 from distweet in reply to piehole72

@piehole72 No, I didn't
plan
on having a relationship up here. It just happened--did I just use the word relationship?

2:23 am December 31st, 2053 from distweet in reply to piehole72

@loucheroo But look, celibacy for four years is just not practical. I mean, I'm not a nun.

12:08 pm December 30th, 2053 from distweet in reply to loucheroo

@loucheroo You were right. I shouldn't have gotten into this.