Mission

I have been sent to the TEO System inside a mothership assembled in high-earth-orbit to ensure safe travel to Amalie.

The Main Orbital Station and Habitat has detached from the mothership in orbit around Amalie and traversed through the system into medium-high orbit around TEO. It‘s equipped with a research laboratory, fabrication robots, a greenhouse for sustenance and a dropship to land on planetary bodies or return to the station.

I have been equipped with an exosuit to aid in exploring the surface, as well as a scientific scanning and low-power mining tool. My mission consists of gathering as much data as possible from Perna and index it, so that Control can assess if the planet is worth further investigation. Depending on whether the data I collect makes it seem safe enough, I may be granted permission to venture outside of the Amile Valley.

I am Commander on this first mission to TEO.
This is humanity‘s first ever exploration of an earth-like exoplanet.

TEO

Humanity is so interested in TEO, because it seems to be just like another earth. In the year 1999, now over a century ago, we sent probes to different locations on the planet‘s main continent, dubbed Perna. After extensive surveys of the video feeds and analytics we were able to make out that most of the continent‘s climate, fauna, flora and other environmental factors show that it‘s freely traversable for, and poses little to no danger, to humans.

Astronomy

TEO is an exoplanet located in the habitable zone of the Amalie System, circling around the eponymous star, Amalie.

TEO has two moons; the bigger, astrologically female Amda, and the smaller, astrologically male Vee. It is known that these two can unleash massive amounts of energy, both on their own and together, however we have yet to discover the mechanism through which they do so.

Amalie

Amalie is the sole star of its system. With a radius of 695,500 km, an effective temperature of precisely 5,700K, and an absolute magnitude of +4.83, Amalie, just like the system itself in all other regards, is remarkably similar to Sol in all measurable metrics, and effectively identical within my instruments' margin of error.

In accordance with its' etymology as a female name, Amalie was named by Control for its Arabic root meaning "Water", and its Germanic root meaning "Work", as it is the Star creating the conditions for TEO, being the first exoplanet with visually confirmed running water.

Flora

TEO’s Flora confirms many of our beliefs about how carbon-based life evolves. Many of the plant life on this planet appear to be direct analogues, a counterpart, or behave similar to known plants from Earth.

Our sample size is highly limited however. The equatorial proximity of Amile Valley has lent itself to a surprising lack of eco-diversity, with only three major species of trees, and many smaller flora seeming like they are either extremely common throughout the continent of Perna, or enjoying only an extremely small, local niche. We will need to expand the expedition area beyond the Valley if we want answers to this.

The growth cycle of most plants in this region has been well documented already through the observation probes.

My task will be to collect samples and observe these plants throughout the years.

Perna

As mentioned, the continent of Perna, or at least its sub-tropical regions like Amile Valley, appears to feature three major tree species as the foundation of its ecosystem.

Yaika

Initial Observation Log:

Date: 2136/04/05

Time: 14:46 

Location: Ground level, 200m S of the Amile Forest Probe, 436m elevation over sea level

The Yaika Tree appears to be less of a tree and more of a liana. Rooted on the forest floor, a Yaika plant appears to send out thick, wooded vines from its location. Unlike vines on Earth however they don’t appear to grow or make use of any support structures. Instead, once two or more vines meet they will start growing upwards, using each other as a support. Once they have reached an appropriate height within or above the forest canopy, the vines will split and untangle, sometimes reaching across to other Yaika Trees as additional structural support. Once there, they also grow a thin, willow-like canopy.

The vine “trunks” of the Yaika appear with an iridescent-pattern light-green surface, similar to Malachite or Chrysoprase. The leaves of the Yaika are a vibrant blue color and have a matte appearance, despite being - counterproductively - highly reflective. They are rounded and have a somewhat pointed tip.

The examined tree appeared to be in good health, with strong branches and a relative abundance of leaves.

The winding nature of this “Tree” creates a lot of crevices in its trunk and canopy between its vines that make a Yaika a prime location for other types of flora to grow in and take advantage of the additional height.

“Despite all the years that have passed since their landing, the observation probes have yet to document any reproductive structures of the Yaika, despite one being prominently stuck in a canopy, and my own findings concur. No flowers or seeds to speak of. I will have to find as healthy a specimen as possible and inspect its canopy routinely.”

Tsubu

Initial Observation Log:

Date: 2136/04/22

Time: 16:05 

Location: Ground level, 1300m SSW of the Secret Inlet Probe, 162m elevation over sea level

At first glance, the Tsubu Tree appears to be similar to earthen Coniferae. They are however a species of large, leafy, marcescent trees with a tall, straight trunk and a very narrow and sparse canopy.

The deep, indigo blue bark of fully grown Tsubu Trees features large, repeating S-shaped double spiral patterns that are absent from the trees’ branches and lower growing, younger Tsubu shrubs.

The leaves of the Tsubu Tree are a light, almost mint green color and have a glossy appearance. They are elongated and have a pointed tip.

The examined tree appeared to be in good health, however it appears to have somewhat recently taken serious damage from large wildlife.

[Addendum A]

Recorded: 2136/04/24 20:37, TEO Main Orbital Station and Habitat

From our observations in the aptly named Tsubu Forests, fully grown Tsubu Trees have been known to produce nuts. The examination proved they are produced in clusters on the ends of the branches of the tree.

The nuts are small, round, and have a hard, woody shell that appears to split open by itself once fully ripened. By nature they are a dark brown color with an orange tint, and have a smooth surface. In addition to the hard shell, the nut is also protected by a shimmering, bright golden yellow husk.

From previous observations we already know that the nuts grow all year round, however they predominantly shed their nuts by themselves in high summer and deep winter.

The nuts on the examined tree seemed to be fully mature and ready to be harvested, with many having already been scattered around it, perhaps explaining the recent damage to the tree.

Similar to the Yaika, we have yet to observe and examine the reproductive structure of Tsubu Trees.

“I noticed that the Tsubu Tree seemed to be a popular food source for local wildlife, as there were many bird and small mammal tracks around the base of the tree. Overall, the Tsubu and its nuts appear to be one of the most important resources in the local ecosystem.
I brought some back to the station as a sample and I must admit, they taste pretty good too!”

Lemo

Initial Observation Log:

Date: 2136/04/27

Time: 17:04 

Location: Ground level, 1600m ENE of the Lemo Valley Probe, 328m elevation over sea level

From our observations alone, Lemo are likely the single most understood species of Flora on TEO so far.

The Lemo is a small evergreen tree or shrub with a straight trunk and a rounded, dense canopy, and carries plentiful fruit all year around.

The wood of the Lemo is very similar to that of the Hazel Tree on Earth, with a thick, wooded central stem that quickly splits up, creating a shrub or a very low-growing tree. The leaves of the Lemo are a vibrant green color and have a glossy appearance. They are round, elongated and have a pointed tip.

The paniculate, epigynous, large composite flowers of the Lemo are made up of five large ray florets that can vary in color, surrounding the huge, green, bud-like receptacle covered in tiny, white stamina and carpels, potentially allowing for self-pollination. They give off a faint, citrusy scent.

The examined tree appeared to be in good health, with an abundance of leaves, fruit and flowers.

[Addendum A]

Recorded: 2136/04/30 18:32, TEO Main Orbital Station and Habitat

The fruits of the Lemo are as intriguing to us as they are important to the ecosystem of TEO. They are an indispensable source of nutrition for local wildlife, being possibly the most popular food on the planet for herbivorous Fauna.

We have already had theories as to how this plant works from our probe observations, however after a brief examination of the flowers and fruit, I can confirm that Lemo appear to work just like many fruit-bearing Solanacae on Earth, bearing notable resemblance to Solanum lycopersicum, Tomatoes.

The Lemo’s fruits are almost perfectly spherical, with a shiny, rubbery skin and a fleshy interior housing lots of small seeds. Once a flower is pollinated, the receptacle starts filling with seeds and flesh, quickly growing into a ripening Lemo fruit. Once the fruit is fully grown and has shed its petals, it continues ripening, changing from its green color to yellow, and subsequently from yellow into orange, pink, or most commonly, red.

Field analysis of samples taken from Lemo fruits show that they are highly poisonous to humans if harvested before maturity, making eating the green fruits a risky gamble.

“It’s really hard to overstate how appropriate it would be to call Lemo the ‘cradle of life’ on TEO.  We have yet to come across a more nutritious plant, and it always seems like every bush has its own ecosystem of little critters and bugs, not to speak of the larger fauna that frequents Lemo shrubs. I’ve been eating the ripened variants on the station quite often, and they make for a fantastic full meal by themselves. They’re extremely sweet and juicy, yet tangy, and yet each color has a slightly different taste. Yellows are more citrusy, pinks have a floral note, oranges are a little spicy and reds are almost purely sweet and sugary. We should seriously consider trying to cultivate these back on Earth!”