The refit Kestrel Dove of the Favored Son is waiting on the pad to carry the survey team to the Sea of Discovery, the largest body of water on Planet Colebrook. It's around 4 PM local time when they finally arrive, just before it the area starts cooling down due to the thin atmosphere. Dove sets itself down almost on the shore and the guys file out.
"So, this is a great day for the beach, huh?" The probe is deployed and the checking of the water below is in progress. "Don't take off your suits, that water is boiling temperature and the barometer says the decompression will be nasty."
This doesn't stop a couple enterprising team members from making sand castles whilst the probe does its work. Then the results are in.
"Wow, this saline percentage is through the roof. Over 490,000 parts per million. I think this is the saltiest naturally-occuring body of water in recorded history. And look at all those nasty vapors. The sheer toxicity of this place is amazing." The man goggles at the numbers again before looking to his associates. "Well, we got what we came for, let's pack up and go home. I'll be compiling the report on the way back."
The survey of the Sea of Discovery has shown no signs of multicellular life beyond a few primitive species of what appears to be a fungus-analogue. We've secured samples for Courage to take up to Magic Brick for transfer to Event Horizon or Concordia. A collection of the saline precipitates has revealed a massive concentration of minerals that can be easily accessed. We'll be requesting the deployment of heavy ordnance to boil the seas away to gather the minerals for easy carrying off by the trucks.
However, to properly get at them, the atmosphere will need to be thickened, and we may have to drag asteroids and whatnot in from the Coos field to increase the planetary mass. Considering that was the plan anyway, consider this a request to accelerate the schedule.
"This is Dove. We're over the target area now. Dropping ordnance."
Several Ripper Mines were disgorged by the Kestrel onto the hapless planetary surface, the calculated shockwave flattening the area. Dove turned back around and fired its Cannonballs at one spot in particular to make a deeper hole. "Targeting sensors tell us that we got the desired effect. Let's go home."
Dove returned in the lower atmosphere back to the southern polar landing site. "We dug out the spot for the Warehouse. You can call down the convoys at any time."
Graham was waiting for the crew to hand them their coffee, after they had gotten in to the modular habitat that had been erected planetside. "Well, guys, after this, we can see about Purview. It's kind of awkwardly floating in the Pinedale Reservoir. Senior Staff called up a few minutes ago and told me that we can be expecting our associates to start moving in the Water we need to fill up the atmosphere some time in late July. That means we're going to have to basically start digging as much favorable terrain as we can before then. You boys get to sculpt a planet."
They were able to wipe the silly grins off their faces just in time.
The flyover this week was different. The facility had been expanded yet again, but it looked structurally reinforced enough to survive the coming shockwave and sea level expansion of CRIMSON SHORES.
"Hey, that's the load that was delivered a few days ago, you can see it set up there. Our boys work fast, don't they."
"That they do, bud."
"Hey, cut the chatter you two, we need to prepare the Reservoir for rapid expansion. You're almost over the target area."
"Yeah, yeah, Control. One moment."
Several explosions broke the rock faces, causing the rubble to slide into the plans, widening the "flat" area.
"Looks good from up here, we should have widened the Reservoir's projected profile enough to prevent overt flooding of the prefabs."
"Fantastic. Bring her home."
The return of the Kestrel saw them look over the facility yet again. Those boys were ballsy, all right...
