There are billions of stars, millions of planets, but there is only one man, Terrance McDoogal. Welcome to LIU Atlas.
LIU Atlas - Caecavi
The Ludgonian Industrial Union's galaxy contains billions of stars and billions of planets. Unfortunately, most residents of the LIU could only name a handful of these worlds. In order to improve astronomy grades across the LIU, TV2 has started a new program called LIU Atlas. Follow our host, Terrance McDoogal, as he takes you on a tour across the LIU and some of its more obscure worlds.
Doog: “Welcome to Season Fifteen of LIU Atlas. I’m your host, Terrance “Doog” McDoogal. Today, we’re visiting the planet, Caecavi, which sits in a deep orbit around its parent star, Visus. This distant orbit makes Caecavi extremely cold. Other than a few mountains, most of this cold planet is dominated my ice and snow. There must be something special down there because I don’t know why anyone would want to live on this snowball of a planet.”
Doog: “Alright folks, I’ve been dropped of on the surface of Caecavi. You’ll note I’m wearing my environmental suit. The atmosphere here is breathable, but it is extremely cold – like the unsurvivable, instant frostbite type of cold. Again, why live here? I see my guide, so let’s ask them.”
Kara: “Hey there! You must be Doog. I’m Kara Olsen, Chief Biologist and Project Leader here on Caecavi.”
Doog: “Biology? You’re not telling me there’s life here, are you?”
Kara: “Oh, there’s lots of life on Caecavi. It’s right under our feet.”
Doog: “In the ice?”
Kara: “Under the ice, in the subsurface ocean.”
Doog: “I see. This is one of those planets. I’ve been to a few like this – Demitto and Vorago.”
Kara: “What a small galaxy! I was stationed on Demitto for two years!”
Doog: “So, how alike are they? Can I use old footage and go home?”
Kara: “I’m afraid not. They’re pretty dissimilar.”
Doog: “Darn.”
Kara: “Well, let’s not freeze out here. Let’s head inside.”
Doog: “Biology? You’re not telling me there’s life here, are you?”
Kara: “Oh, there’s lots of life on Caecavi. It’s right under our feet.”
Doog: “In the ice?”
Kara: “Under the ice, in the subsurface ocean.”
Doog: “I see. This is one of those planets. I’ve been to a few like this – Demitto and Vorago.”
Kara: “What a small galaxy! I was stationed on Demitto for two years!”
Doog: “So, how alike are they? Can I use old footage and go home?”
Kara: “I’m afraid not. They’re pretty dissimilar.”
Doog: “Darn.”
Kara: “Well, let’s not freeze out here. Let’s head inside.”
Doog: “Is this some type of research post?”
Kara: “No. This is Portal Station. Think of it more as a logistic outpost. It’s where we store our gear and stuff.”
Doog: “I see that now.”
Kara: “Portal station is also – as the name implies – our access point to the undersea.”
Doog: “Got it. So, we’re about to go under the ice?”
Kara: “In a moment. We just need to go upstairs to catch a ride.”
Doog: “Upstairs? Can’t you just pick me up down here?”
Kara: “I’m afraid not.”
Doog: “Sigh…”
Kara: “No. This is Portal Station. Think of it more as a logistic outpost. It’s where we store our gear and stuff.”
Doog: “I see that now.”
Kara: “Portal station is also – as the name implies – our access point to the undersea.”
Doog: “Got it. So, we’re about to go under the ice?”
Kara: “In a moment. We just need to go upstairs to catch a ride.”
Doog: “Upstairs? Can’t you just pick me up down here?”
Kara: “I’m afraid not.”
Doog: “Sigh…”
Kara: “Guarris, buddy. Can you call for a shuttle?”
Guarris: “Now? Already? Shift change isn’t for thirty minutes. I think. Is this watch working?”
Kara: “Your watch is fine. I need to go down early so I can take this educational TV reporter for a tour.”
Guarris: “Sure. I see. I see. Calling a shuttle now. Yes. Yes. It's on its way. I think. I hope.”
Kara: “You need to slow down on the coffee, bud.”
Guarris: “Do I? Yes. Yes. Probably. Maybe. Perhaps just a few more cups.”
Kara: “Come on, PUP.”
Guarris: “You’re taking my dispatch buddy?!”
Guarris: “Now? Already? Shift change isn’t for thirty minutes. I think. Is this watch working?”
Kara: “Your watch is fine. I need to go down early so I can take this educational TV reporter for a tour.”
Guarris: “Sure. I see. I see. Calling a shuttle now. Yes. Yes. It's on its way. I think. I hope.”
Kara: “You need to slow down on the coffee, bud.”
Guarris: “Do I? Yes. Yes. Probably. Maybe. Perhaps just a few more cups.”
Kara: “Come on, PUP.”
Guarris: “You’re taking my dispatch buddy?!”
Kara: “Sorry. Mission protocol. Doog and I are going to be outside of the submergible. A Personal Underwater Presence is required.”
Guarris: “Who’s going to fetch me coffees now?”
Kara: “Lay off the coffees, bud.”
Doog: “Is that a robot dog?”
Kara: “Yep. It’s a PUP. It’s part of our mission safety protocol. It can serve as a power source if our suits fail. It has lighting features if our lights fail. It even has guidance features to help if we’re lost. They are a must when exploring outside of the submergible. Speaking of which, are you ready?”
Doog: “I guess.”
Guarris: “Who’s going to fetch me coffees now?”
Kara: “Lay off the coffees, bud.”
Doog: “Is that a robot dog?”
Kara: “Yep. It’s a PUP. It’s part of our mission safety protocol. It can serve as a power source if our suits fail. It has lighting features if our lights fail. It even has guidance features to help if we’re lost. They are a must when exploring outside of the submergible. Speaking of which, are you ready?”
Doog: “I guess.”
Doog: “Wow, it’s cramped in here.”
Kara: “The submergible can’t be any larger than the portal.”
Doog: “Maybe make the portal bigger then.”
Kara: “The portal is half a mile deep. It costs too much to make it bigger, and it costs even more to keep it from refreezing.”
Doog: “So, you’re crew only comes down here two at a time?”
Kara: “Three if we’re feeling frisky. But, yes. Usually two.”
Doog: “Doesn’t that take forever?”
Kara: “Usually, but, when we come down, it’s for a few weeks. The shuttle exchanges crew slowly over time.”
Kara: “The submergible can’t be any larger than the portal.”
Doog: “Maybe make the portal bigger then.”
Kara: “The portal is half a mile deep. It costs too much to make it bigger, and it costs even more to keep it from refreezing.”
Doog: “So, you’re crew only comes down here two at a time?”
Kara: “Three if we’re feeling frisky. But, yes. Usually two.”
Doog: “Doesn’t that take forever?”
Kara: “Usually, but, when we come down, it’s for a few weeks. The shuttle exchanges crew slowly over time.”
Doog: “It’s just now clicking in my mind that you said half a mile under the ice. Are we really going under that much ice?”
Kara: “We are. Down here, there’s no sunlight, so it’s pitch black. There’s no escape, either, once you leave the portal tunnel.”
Doog: “You sure know how to make a guy claustrophobic.”
Kara: “We are. Down here, there’s no sunlight, so it’s pitch black. There’s no escape, either, once you leave the portal tunnel.”
Doog: “You sure know how to make a guy claustrophobic.”
Doog: “It looks bright down here to me.”
Kara: “We’ve positioned spotlights around the undersea, which helps. But, trust me. You don’t want to be under here without a PUP if the lights ever fail. It’s darker than dark.”
Doog: “Fear level growing.”
Kara: “We have a PUP, so don’t worry. It will guide us if the lights fail.”
Doog: “Holy Emperor…there is life down here. Lots of it, too.”
Kara: “I told you.”
Doog: “How is this possible?”
Kara: “Chemistry.”
Doog: “Chemistry?”
Kara: “Without sunlight, this ecosystem must rely on another source of power. That power comes from chemistry. Tiny microbes, that we call Pech, derive energy from chemo-lithotrophic behavior.”
Doog: “What behavior?”
Kara: “They convert minerals into energy.”
Doog: “Huh?”
Kara: “They eat rocks.”
Doog: “I see.”
Kara: “Their feeding behavior over the last few millennia created these underwater tunnels.”
Kara: “We’ve positioned spotlights around the undersea, which helps. But, trust me. You don’t want to be under here without a PUP if the lights ever fail. It’s darker than dark.”
Doog: “Fear level growing.”
Kara: “We have a PUP, so don’t worry. It will guide us if the lights fail.”
Doog: “Holy Emperor…there is life down here. Lots of it, too.”
Kara: “I told you.”
Doog: “How is this possible?”
Kara: “Chemistry.”
Doog: “Chemistry?”
Kara: “Without sunlight, this ecosystem must rely on another source of power. That power comes from chemistry. Tiny microbes, that we call Pech, derive energy from chemo-lithotrophic behavior.”
Doog: “What behavior?”
Kara: “They convert minerals into energy.”
Doog: “Huh?”
Kara: “They eat rocks.”
Doog: “I see.”
Kara: “Their feeding behavior over the last few millennia created these underwater tunnels.”
Doog: “I don’t see any microbes.”
Kara: “Obviously. By definition, they’re microscopic.”
Doog: “Oh, yeah. I knew that. What are these other things then? Plants?”
Kara: “Not plants. There’s no sun to photosynthesize with. They are closer to soft corals for lack of a better comparison. Their tentacles catch Pech and consume them.”
Doog: “Ah, I see. They all have wavy tentacle arms. Gross.”
Kara: “Not gross, but brilliant. No organisms can see on Caecavi. There’s no light. They use long mobile arms to feel for food. The organisms here have exceptional touch sensory.”
Kara: “Obviously. By definition, they’re microscopic.”
Doog: “Oh, yeah. I knew that. What are these other things then? Plants?”
Kara: “Not plants. There’s no sun to photosynthesize with. They are closer to soft corals for lack of a better comparison. Their tentacles catch Pech and consume them.”
Doog: “Ah, I see. They all have wavy tentacle arms. Gross.”
Kara: “Not gross, but brilliant. No organisms can see on Caecavi. There’s no light. They use long mobile arms to feel for food. The organisms here have exceptional touch sensory.”
Kara: “Most of the organisms here are immobile. They attach to rocks, where the rock-eating microbes are, and live there for their entire lives. However, some of the life here has evolved even further. Life that eats the soft corals.”
Doog: “These snail things…”
Kara: “Yes. Several species of small, coral-eaters have also evolved. They generally resemble snails, given their soft bodies and shells, but they are not biologically related. These snail-like creatures, called Hym, have no eyes. Like their lesser-evolved ancestors, they use three tentacle-arms to feel for food.”
Doog: “These snail things…”
Kara: “Yes. Several species of small, coral-eaters have also evolved. They generally resemble snails, given their soft bodies and shells, but they are not biologically related. These snail-like creatures, called Hym, have no eyes. Like their lesser-evolved ancestors, they use three tentacle-arms to feel for food.”
Kara: “PUP is awesome at finding Hym – an unexpected benefit of its playfulness programming.”
Doog: “Are the blind snail creatures valuable?”
Kara: “Maybe. They’re not especially tasty given their lithotrophic nature, but they might be useful in eliminating pests in dark waters. It’s part of our research here.”
Doog: “You study these things?”
Kara: “We study all the life on Caecavi. It’s so unique, who knows what it could be useful for.”
Doog: “I see.”
Kara: “PUP has detected a lot of motion a hundred yards from here. Follow me.”
Doog: “Are the blind snail creatures valuable?”
Kara: “Maybe. They’re not especially tasty given their lithotrophic nature, but they might be useful in eliminating pests in dark waters. It’s part of our research here.”
Doog: “You study these things?”
Kara: “We study all the life on Caecavi. It’s so unique, who knows what it could be useful for.”
Doog: “I see.”
Kara: “PUP has detected a lot of motion a hundred yards from here. Follow me.”
Doog: “Whoa. That’s a big centipede eel.”
Kara: “It’s not a centipede or eel. It’s a Cyclonch, a distant relative of the Hym.”
Doog: “It’s massive.”
Kara: “Six meters long on average.”
Doog: “Wow. They eat the plant, coral, tentacles things too?”
Kara: “No, they eat Hym. Cyclonches are carnivores.”
Doog: “Are we safe?!”
Kara: “Probably. The Cyclonches have highly sensitive appendages covering their body that search for Hym movements. We’re too big to set them off.”
Doog: “I dislike the uncertain nature of your answer. Will it eat me, yes, or no?”
Kara: “I can’t say with scientific certainty.”
Doog: “Initiate panic mode.”
Kara: “Relax. We’re almost at the research base.”
Kara: “It’s not a centipede or eel. It’s a Cyclonch, a distant relative of the Hym.”
Doog: “It’s massive.”
Kara: “Six meters long on average.”
Doog: “Wow. They eat the plant, coral, tentacles things too?”
Kara: “No, they eat Hym. Cyclonches are carnivores.”
Doog: “Are we safe?!”
Kara: “Probably. The Cyclonches have highly sensitive appendages covering their body that search for Hym movements. We’re too big to set them off.”
Doog: “I dislike the uncertain nature of your answer. Will it eat me, yes, or no?”
Kara: “I can’t say with scientific certainty.”
Doog: “Initiate panic mode.”
Kara: “Relax. We’re almost at the research base.”
Kara: “Welcome to CRB I, the first Caecavi Research Base.”
Doog: “First of many or first and only?”
Kara: “First and only. If we discover anything here, it might justify opening up more portals and bases, but, for now, this is it.”
Doog: “There’s a lot of researchers here.”
Kara: “It’s a relatively new base. We need lots of sample collectors and scientists to understand what’s collected. Come on, let’s go inside.”
Doog: “First of many or first and only?”
Kara: “First and only. If we discover anything here, it might justify opening up more portals and bases, but, for now, this is it.”
Doog: “There’s a lot of researchers here.”
Kara: “It’s a relatively new base. We need lots of sample collectors and scientists to understand what’s collected. Come on, let’s go inside.”
Doog: “Ah, it feels great to take this helmet off.”
Kara: “Does it lessen your claustrophobia?”
Doog: “I’m still in an underwater base a half-mile under the ice…so only slightly.”
Kara: “Well, it’s pretty safe here. No need to worry.”
Doog: “What am I seeing here?”
Kara: “We’re studying Caecavi’s different lifeforms – some through observation…some through dissection.”
Doog: “And what are you learning?”
Kara: “Lots. Mostly about the different anatomy of the life here, and their different brains, nervous systems, and digestive tracks.”
Doog: “Anything useful yet?”
Kara: “Maybe. Follow me.”
Kara: “Does it lessen your claustrophobia?”
Doog: “I’m still in an underwater base a half-mile under the ice…so only slightly.”
Kara: “Well, it’s pretty safe here. No need to worry.”
Doog: “What am I seeing here?”
Kara: “We’re studying Caecavi’s different lifeforms – some through observation…some through dissection.”
Doog: “And what are you learning?”
Kara: “Lots. Mostly about the different anatomy of the life here, and their different brains, nervous systems, and digestive tracks.”
Doog: “Anything useful yet?”
Kara: “Maybe. Follow me.”
Kara: “One of our most promising discoveries so far is the Caecavi Spider.”
Doog: “Spider! Ahh!”
Kara: “Relax, it’s not a true spider. We named it that because it has eight legs, or tentacles. After further study, we realized that it also has dozens of non-locomotive tentacles for sensing prey. If it helps, it doesn’t have as many eyes as a spider either. It has zero, like everything else on this planet.”
Doog: “Why is this spider-like creature a valuable discovery?”
Kara: “It’s sensory organs. They can detect minuscule water pressure differences, movement in the water, and heat differentials. They can do it better than some of our current technological sensors. We need to study them so we can develop better sensors.”
Doog: “I guess that makes sense for a research base. Well, it smells weird in here, so we better head back.”
Doog: “Spider! Ahh!”
Kara: “Relax, it’s not a true spider. We named it that because it has eight legs, or tentacles. After further study, we realized that it also has dozens of non-locomotive tentacles for sensing prey. If it helps, it doesn’t have as many eyes as a spider either. It has zero, like everything else on this planet.”
Doog: “Why is this spider-like creature a valuable discovery?”
Kara: “It’s sensory organs. They can detect minuscule water pressure differences, movement in the water, and heat differentials. They can do it better than some of our current technological sensors. We need to study them so we can develop better sensors.”
Doog: “I guess that makes sense for a research base. Well, it smells weird in here, so we better head back.”
Doog: “Well folks, that’s Caecavi. This planet is home to a sunless, underwater ecosystem that’s based around rock eating microbes. This makes the life here unique and full of possibilities. While there’s a lot of potential discoveries here, it seems that advanced sensors are the most promising. Oh well, I’m just glad to be back in the open! See ya!”
Note: Hym Snails, Cyclonches, and Caecavi Spiders are said to taste like bitter, chalky, and overly-salted ham. It does not appear they will be a popular foodstuff.
Note: Hym Snails, Cyclonches, and Caecavi Spiders are said to taste like bitter, chalky, and overly-salted ham. It does not appear they will be a popular foodstuff.
