Movies and other distractions
[!0.987]2020-04-10

Two people awake at all times. Are you expecting trouble?

I prefer to be cautious. Computers are good at spotting problems. They're not quite as good at spotting things before they become a problem.

If your daily air loss increases, even if it's within limits, you want to find out why in case it's leading to something serious.

Good idea. I hate waking up groggy and wondering if it's the lack of coffee or lack of oxygen.

Color by George Peterson

Movies and other distractions
[!0.987]2020-04-13

Kibble?

No thanks. Also, if any of your food goes missing, it wasn't me.

You're still staring. Would you like me to make you something?

Sorry. There's just something surreal about watching a wolf eating kibble with chopsticks.

Were you expecting me to stuff my face into it?

I don't judge. Keep that in mind if you ever see me with a carton of ice cream.

Color by George Peterson

Movies and other distractions
[!0.987]2020-04-15

Nearly three weeks left to go. Three weeks of total isolation. Three weeks of trying to stave off insanity.

Sam would say it's time for a montage sequence.

Could be. Future generations might watch the messages I send home instead of reviewing the ship's logs.

That would depend on whether they're a series of fun videos or a record of our slow descent into madness.

Knowing my kids, they'd find the second one more entertaining.

Color by George Peterson

Niomi's messages home
[!0.987]2020-04-17

Niomi's messages home: Day three.

Very quiet. I was able to read, watch a movie, and take a shower.

There's no bathtub on the ship. Probably a good thing.

It would ruin a perfectly relaxing day to drown because I didn't properly predict how a bubble bath would behave in .05 gravity.

Color by George Peterson

Niomi's messages home
[!0.987]2020-04-20

Niomi's messages home: Day four.

Cleaning day. Vacuuming the filters. Wiping down the surfaces.

No cleaners with strong fumes. Air recirculation doesn't remove everything and contaminants build up.

While I like cleaning products, I prefer them to stay outside of my lungs.

Color by George Peterson

Niomi's messages home
[!0.987]2020-04-22

Niomi's messages home: Day five.

Remass day. We're docking with a pod that was launched weeks ago. We'll be loading over 400 tonnes.

The pod itself is part of the package. It gets chewed up by our external tank and becomes part of our reaction mass.

I expect we'll eventually get reactionless drives. Though by that point I'll probably be an old lady complaining about waste and how in my day we used every part of the remass pod.

Pod accelerated by station based laser. Minimal onboard power.

Pull tab

Pod unwraps as a spiral.

Color by George Peterson

Niomi's messages home
[!0.987]2020-04-24

Niomi's messages home: Day six.

Florence found a packing leak on the port radiator cooling pump. We're running on the starboard pump while we repack this one.

It's different from how some of my previous employers worked.

With one hundred percent redundancy, when one pump breaks, they put off repairs until the other pump breaks and then go into full panic mode.

Color by George Peterson

RU Смена набивки сальника

Niomi's messages home
[!0.987]2020-04-27

Niomi's messages home: Day seven.

Sam wanted to know if we could answer another ship's distress call. This led to explaining how limited we are because of the reaction mass.

Unless another ship was very close to our own course and speed, we wouldn't be able to rendezvous with it. If we deviate too far from our course, we miss our remass spots and now we're in trouble.

I believe his question had less to do with distress calls and more to do with another activity, but that might be the clothes talking.

Color by George Peterson

Niomi's messages home
[!0.987]2020-04-29

Niomi's messages home: Day eight.

Another quiet day.

I almost wish something would break so I could feel like I'm earning my keep. Almost.

On the other hand, I'm getting good at my kid's favorite game. The next time we play, I should only lose by a little bit.

Color by George Peterson

Niomi's messages home
[!0.987]2020-05-01

Niomi's messages home: Day nine.

Yet another quiet day. Sam watched a movie with me. Biology really affects how someone perceives the story.

Reproduction is fatal for sqids. Most of Sam's species is sterile. Those that can breed tend to die young.

What I see as a romantic comedy, he sees as an overly elaborate assassination plot.

Color by George Peterson