My name is QI.
To escape my debt, I accepted a contract with the Alterra Relief Society and became a pioneer.
The terms were clear: I would board the colonial ship The Cicada and, after fourteen years of cryogenic sleep, arrive at the desert planet Zezura to build a new home for humanity.
However, my journey came to an abrupt halt before we even arrived.
I woke up in darkness and silence, deep within the wreckage of The Cicada after it crashed.
Cold seawater had already flooded the cabin, and the emergency lights were flickering weakly.
My Personal Digital Assistant, NoA, activated immediately: “I am NoA. You are QI. Your life is my duty; my duty is to preserve your life.”
Under NoA’s guidance, I struggled through the twisted metal corridors and found a still-functioning lifepod.
The hatch closed, the thrusters ignited, and the lifepod launched unsteadily through the ship’s wreckage toward the surface.
Finally, the lifepod broke through the water and came to a steady stop on the sea.
I opened the hatch, and before me stretched an endless ocean—its sky veiled in clouds, and rising from the distant waves, a colossal alien plant towering like a silent monument.
As far as the eye could see, there was a vast, vibrant alien ocean, completely different from the dry, desolate desert planet Zezura described in the contract.
As I looked around, the PDA automatically synchronized some of the log data.
One entry made my heart sink: Before I was awakened, the system had already deployed 26 pioneers one after another, but they all vanished without a trace, leaving no response whatsoever.
The forty thousand souls sleeping in quartz storage, along with the future we were supposed to have, now hang by a thread.
I know that from this moment on, my identity is no longer a pioneer going to build a new home, but a survivor who must struggle to stay alive in an unfamiliar world.
I must find clues about those 26 missing companions, figure out why The Cicada crashed, and fight for a chance of survival for myself and all possible survivors in these waters that seem calm but hide dangers.
My story officially began like this, at a wrong coordinate.
I took a deep breath and tried to calm my emotions. This is no time to daze; I must act
The supplies in the lifepod are scarce: a few nutrient blocks and a basic survival kit, nothing more.
This will not last long.
To survive, I need to go underwater to scavenge the wreckage of The Cicada and see what usable supplies I can still find.
In the distance, a massive biological entity resembling a giant tree stands on the horizon, its silhouette looking both bizarre and magnificent under the sunlight.
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I do not know what it is, and I have no ability to get close and explore it right now, so I can only watch it from afar with a mix of awe and curiosity.
Fortunately, not far from the lifepod, parts of the ship’s wreckage are exposed above the water, and colorful coral has even grown around them.
This sea area looks calm and even beautiful, but beauty does not equal safety.
The immediate priority is to solve the food and water issue, confirm whether this water area is safe, and then use the fabricator onboard the lifepod to manufacture necessary tools as soon as possible.
What I need most urgently right now is a fully functional scanner.
It will help me identify the creatures, minerals, and all unfamiliar objects on this planet, serving as the first key to understanding this world.
I stood at the edge of the pod, checked my gear once more, and then mustered the courage to leap into the water.
The words of the instructor during training kept echoing in my mind: “Calm down, observe, adapt.”
Now is the time for them to be put to use.
My luck was quite good.
The area near the lifepod was peaceful, and I found no dangerous creatures, only some aquatic plants that I needed to avoid. As long as I do not go near them, I am safe.
There are plenty of usable resources around: titanium, copper, fish that secrete fresh water and fish that are edible, as well as other materials needed to craft tools.
The biggest problem at the moment is the lack of oxygen, forcing me to surface frequently for air.
However, this can be solved. Once I find the materials, I plan to upgrade my oxygen equipment first.
After multiple trips back and forth exploring, I finally crafted the basic tools I needed.
I also scanned many useful blueprints and learned about the characteristics of many unknown creatures nearby.
Not far from the lifepod, I discovered an abandoned welcome center.
I guess it was built with a fabricator by a previously deployed colleague, but the equipment inside requires power to start.
In the ship wreckage, I also found logs from other crew members, which contained some important information.
I also gathered the supplies they left behind, which are very useful to me.
During my exploration, I saw a massive Angel Comb, which looked beautiful.
Following the prompts, I tried to touch it and surprisingly obtained a portion of its genes.
The PDA confirmed that my genetic makeup had changed.
Do not worry, it is a positive change; I feel stronger.
Spending a lot of time, I located the scattered wreckage of the ship.
However, some hatches were blocked by unknown creatures, and I cannot enter with my current gear, so I could only mark them for now and come back later.
Heat sources can also be detected in the distance, which might be an underground volcano. It is too dangerous there, so I will not go near it for the time being.
I have already collected a considerable amount of minerals, and the lifepod can no longer hold them.
I plan to build a base, which can both store supplies and ensure safety.
Now that the materials and tools are all ready, I am only short of a habitat builder blueprint.
After exerting myself for so long, I am truly exhausted and need to rest.
Looking at the storage crates piled on the floor, I feel somewhat reassured. At least for now, survival is not an issue.
I also have a better understanding of this world, but there are still many places I cannot reach, and many deep-sea creatures I do not understand yet.
But I told myself internally: do not rush, take it step by step.
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