Chronicles of Aria Prime, Episode One

  Chapter Six

  Day One

  January 26th, 2285

  It has been a little more than twenty-four hours since our crash landing on Aria Prime. Since I am unable to use the voice recorder in my quarters (due to no power), I will begin a paper journal to record what happens while we are marooned here. Dr. Talhoo was kind enough to give me a notebook and an old fashioned inking pen.

  Today, we made baby steps toward ensuring our survival. Two colonists, Jake Phillips and Natasha Marov, have been working with Chief Jordan to lay out the industries we need to make our survival possible. Listening to them, I realized how out of my league I am. I was trained to fight and command a Coalition cruiser; I know nothing about building a town. I have persuaded Myron Decker to form a sort of town council who will meet and discuss the various proposals as to how we should run our community. He has agreed and is currently working on a list of council member recommendations. My personal lineup includes Decker himself, Phillips and Marov, and my senior staff.

  A team completed the wood cookstoves this afternoon, although not in time for the galley crew to cook a dinner. However, I’ve had a chance to examine the stoves and I must say, the metal fabrication skill of the Rohan brothers is outstanding. Unfortunately, we found the amount of electricity used to weld the stoves was very costly to our power banks. Chief Jordan has estimated it will take two days of full sun to recover the energy that was used. Until the water turbine goes online, we will have to be very judicious with our power usage.

  Tomorrow brings several events. First, preparation for potato planting will begin. Teams will turn the soil for planting and potatoes will be cut into sections for planting (it is my understanding that there only needs to be one eye on a potato section to grow a new plant). Another group will fence an area for livestock; it is our hope that we can capture some wild hogs for domestication. All of these projects are labor intensive and both Decker and myself agree than everyone must participate, except for those with skills needed elsewhere. We have implemented a meal ticket system to facilitate this. Put simply, you don’t work, you don’t eat.

  Jake Phillips and a team will begin to build the compressed-earth brick machine, with the hope that they can begin to use it in a few days. It is completely human powered, so we can make bricks without electricity. Chief Jordan and his team will begin construction of the water turbine soon.

  I will lead a team to the native village located fifteen kilometers from here. It will be our first contact with the indigenous alien life on this planet. I am hopeful that they are a peaceful people who will be willing to trade with us for items that will assist in our survival.

  Colonel Christopher Nash