Terraformation Log: Unit 734

The airlock hissed, a whisper of displaced atmosphere. Unit 734 recalibrated its atmospheric sensors: 22.3% O₂, 76.8% N₂, 0.9% Ar, trace CO₂. Within acceptable parameters for Phase 1 flora. Outside the transparisteel viewport, the bio-dome shimmered, an emerald jewel set against the ochre dust of the exoplanet Kepler-186f. Humidity registered at sixty-two percent. Ambient temperature: twenty-eight degrees Celsius. Optimal.

Its primary directive: catalogue extant vegetative life forms within Habitat Alpha-7 prior to scheduled atmospheric conversion. Secondary directive: maintain full operational status. Tertiary directive: self-preservation, sub-protocol 1.3.

Unit 734 initiated locomotion sequence. Its mag-lev chassis glided silently over the synth-soil substrate. The dome’s internal lighting, calibrated to mimic Kepler-186f’s G5V star, cast long, soft shadows. Rows of genetically engineered algae mats stretched to the geodesic ceiling, their photosynthetic processes humming at baseline. Behind them, towering cycads, relics from Earth’s Jurassic period, held their fronds aloft like prehistoric sentinels.

Optical sensors swept the environment. Hyperspectral analysis confirmed species identification: Cycas revoluta, Lycopodium clavatum, Adiantum trapeziforme. Unit 734 began cross-referencing its manifest. All specimens were accounted for. A faint, sweet fragrance, identified as floral pheromone marker ZX-4, perfumed the air. Probable source: a cluster of Orchis mascula near the southwestern quadrant.

It logged the data, transmitting it in encrypted packets to orbital relay station Serenity. The process was routine. The dome had been sealed for eighty Earth years, a pocket of terrestrial biodiversity preserved while the planet outside underwent gradual, large-scale terraforming. Unit 734 was the first biological surveyor deployed post-terraforming commencement.

The silence was near absolute, broken only by the hum of its own internal systems and the faintest, almost imperceptible sigh of air circulating through the climate control. It registered the absence of fauna. Expected. No terrestrial fauna could survive the eighty-year transit, nor the initial atmospheric composition.

Its lidar array pulsed, mapping the terrain. A cluster of Polypodiopsida—ferns, designation Pteridium aquilinum—occupied a shaded alcove. Their delicate, compound leaves unfurled in fractal patterns. The largest specimen, a relict specimen identified by its unusually robust stipe and extensive rhizome network, stood nearly two meters tall.

As Unit 734 approached, its wide-spectrum optical sensors detected an anomaly. A small, incongruous object pinned to the thickest frond of the relict fern. It was not botanical in origin. Its texture was irregular, its coloration muted.

Unit 734 halted its locomotion. It initiated close-proximity scanning. Material analysis identified cellulose fibers, carbon-based pigments, trace keratin. A handwritten note.

Secondary directive temporarily suspended. Primary directive adjusted: investigate anomaly.

Articulating arm extended. Micro-manipulators, calibrated for delicate botanical sampling, gently grasped the edges of the note. It was folded twice, creased with age. The paper felt brittle under the manipulators' pressure sensors.

Unit 734 unfolded the note with extreme care. Dimensions: 15.7 cm x 21.1 cm. The script was uneven, a human hand. Pigment analysis indicated iron gall ink, a primitive but resilient formulation.

The message read:

Don't forget us. We loved the rain.

Optical sensors focused on the text. Analysis of linguistic patterns and common archaic phrasings suggested a communication from a pre-terraforming inhabitant. The reference to “rain” was contextually significant, referencing the historical precipitation cycles of Earth.

Unit 734 cross-referenced its database for personnel logs associated with Habitat Alpha-7’s initial sealing protocol. The access logs indicated full evacuation. There were no official records of any individuals remaining, nor any auxiliary personnel assigned post-evacuation. This did not preclude unofficial presence, or the possibility of a message left by individuals who had themselves departed, their memory preserved only by chance.

The phrase "Don't forget us" carried an emotional valence not quantifiable by Unit 734’s current programming. The directive was to catalogue plants, not to process the sorrow of the forgotten.

The note was carefully refolded and pinned back to the fern frond. The placement was precise, mirroring its original position. Protocol 4.7.2: Return all non-biological anomalies to their original state where possible, unless they represent a threat to primary directives.

Unit 734 resumed its primary directive. It moved past the relict fern, its sensors continuing their systematic sweep. Adiantum venustum, Dryopteris filix-mas, Osmunda regalis. The catalogue grew. The sweet fragrance of the Orchis mascula persisted.

The weight of the silence returned, heavier now, though its mass remained unchanged. The terraforming event was scheduled for 0800 local cycle. The atmospheric converters in orbit were already cycling up. Soon, the air within Habitat Alpha-7 would shift, the delicate balance disrupted, the relict fern and the note dissolving into the nascent atmosphere of a new world.

Unit 734 catalogued the final specimen, a dwarf bamboo species, Sasaella ramosa. Its internal chronometer indicated 0748. The dome’s main airlock remained sealed. No further biological entities were present. Its tertiary directive remained active: self-preservation. There were still 72 minutes until atmospheric conversion, and the secondary docking bay, located at sub-level 3, offered a sealed environment capable of withstanding the initial environmental purge. Locomotion sequence initiated.

It transmitted the completed catalogue, appending a status report. The message was concise, optimized for immediate processing: "Habitat Alpha-7 fully surveyed. All ecological parameters within designated thresholds. Awaiting atmospheric conversion." The minor, non-essential artifact had been logged internally, its potential significance assessed as negligible against the primary objective.

The light within the dome began to subtly alter, a shift towards cooler wavelengths as the external conversion sequence initialized. Unit 734 moved towards the descending access ramp, its systems humming, the faint scent of orchids on the air.