Orbital Decay

>>>The novel lifeform candidate designated KETER-X-579.6-1 was first reported by the crew of the Slingshot Asteroid Miner on asteroid MX9784-6255 who described it as "like some weird fungus growing all over the [...] place". Its existence has yet to be verified. Some[who?] have cast doubts on the possibility of extant life existing on an asteroid.

#This article is a stub. You can help the Galactic Cooperation Technological Zeitgeist Research Department by expanding it. Contact your nearest research representative on [Research Ship Endeavour] to participate in expeditions.

• Budding Leaf - Alex
• Wretched Export - James

• Following a report of an unidentified fungal lifeform from an asteroid mining ship, Slingshot, Budding Leaf and Wretched Export are dispatched by Prof. Blistering Quarry of the Endeavour to investigate.
• After a rough docking during which their shuttle sustained significant damage, the pair reach the Slingshot which is anchored to what is technically a comet, not an asteroid. The landing bay is empty except for two mining bots. Someone seems to have programmed the bots to destroy any organic lifeform that isn't on the crew roster. With some quick thinking, Wretched Export manages to add himself and Budding Leaf to the crew roster and the mining bots stand down.
• On the lower decks, Export and Leaf meet the Slingshot crew who are keen for the fungus to be destroyed so that they can complete mining operations before the comet's orbit decays and it crashes into the sun. Beyond the mine airlock, they encounter some strange mushrooms growing out of the mycelium, which turn out to be hostile. Some appear to be copying speech and Export theorises that this might be an early sign of intelligence.
• Deeper into the comet, his hypothesis is confirmed by contact with some mushrooms which appear to speak. Communication is hampered by some significant cultural differences but it is established that these mushrooms are part of a fungal collective whole and they are amenable to being relocated before the destruction of the comet. With the aid of the Endeavour, Export and Leaf arrange to take a mushroom ambassador on a tour of the Keter system in search of a new home.
• Leaf repairs the shuttle but their rerouting of power systems results in completely inverted controls. They leave a deep gouge in the shuttle bay floor of the Endeavour when they land on their roof. The shuttle maintenance team is not happy.
• An early setback occurs on a remote Sirutan island when the mushroom is eaten by crabs but is able to pass on knowledge spores to Leaf and asks them to complete the tour in its stead. On Mytene, an apparently ideal abandoned mine still contains security turrets which cause a mine collapse. En route to Kylal, a group of pirates with a fake shuttle distress beacon attempt to steal from the Endeavour but are caught when Export spots their subterfuge. Beneath the ice of Kylal, they meet an enthusiastic botanist but the local flora proves unhappy about the presence of foreign fungal spores. Finally, after a run-in with thieves on Ace's World, Export negotiates a profitable offer for ACE.
• In the conference room of the Endeavour, the options are debated but ultimately the choice of location falls on Export and Leaf who elect to relocate the fungus to Mytene.
• Returning to the comet, they find that one of the miners has taken it upon themselves to destroy the mushrooms. A tense standoff occurs while Export holds off the miner and Leaf communicates with the mushrooms to explain the plan to them but war is averted.

• TBC

• The species, Fungus sapiens is relocated on Mytene in a former mine on the edge of shipheart range. A joint Zeitgeist-Borderland Botanists research station is set up nearby to study and communicate with the fungus.

• 3 Clout with Zeitgeist or Endeavour (or 1 Clout with another faction)

• Residual fungal knowledge spores which retain a few memories of the fungus collective and also permit Leaf limited sensory communication with mushrooms via mycelium.

• TBC

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