Ghasts III

They started the next day by working on cultivational platforms. These were high racks based on the same functionality as layered fields belonging to Johnson family, serving the purpose of producing crops. The crew was supposed to use them both to food production, and research. One of the reasons why Martin was assigned to overseeing these works was his familiarity with the equipment used at his family's farm.

Many of the pods and transporters they used for reaching the New Gaia had colonization tools and equipment, including segments for building simple housing or farming vehicles. Platforms mentioned earlier were a part of colonist cargo.

For now, starting to grow crops for food was the utmost priority, even though it was also supposed to be used for research.

Rashid, who was one of the specialists in bio-engineering, was supposed to work on adjusting Earth plants to live on the New Gaia's surface. No wonder he came in person to help with works.

- Do you actually have any idea about that stuff? - Martin knew his colleague had a vast knowledge of plants' biology, and advanced agricultural skills, but it did not mean he was familiar with repairs of equipment used in farming - I get you used this kind of equipment, but did you ever have to make some repairs?

The African smiled widely.

- Easy, Martin. I may seem like some kind of professor living in his own world, but through my long life I had a chance to see many things, and even worked in fields with my own two hands - he explained - My family owned small fields back in time. Soil had a really low quality so we had to work hard to get decent crops, so I've started experimenting to improve the process. It was because of that I'm the person you know today, the hardships made me into this old professor standing here. Cultivational platforms are now among basics not only on real farms, but also in academic works. I know basics behind the construction, though I didn't have a chance to work with this specific model.

That reasoning made sense, and yet Johnson was not entirely convinced. Then again, they could use any spare pair of hands here - most of colonists worked on establishing a small settlement inside the wall, therefore amount of people they had available was quite limited.

Martin was against using precious components and equipment for establishing anything colony-like in this spot. They were located too far away from their goal after all. Nevertheless, colonists got their way, mainly owing to Dubois forcing the topic. In his opinion, they could not be sure contacting other groups would be easy, if possible at all, and safe camp was really important to maintain good well-being, especially in case of colonists, who were the most affected group when it comes to consequences of emergency landing.

Some could argue about that, but in fact, other groups did not seem disturbed as much.

Soldiers continued to do what they were ordered to - obviously, a number of people from this group died, and loss of colleagues, often friends, was hard on them, but it was something bound to their profession. Aside from that, contrary to colonists, soldiers had more freedom when it came to moving around, because they were responsible not only for securing the entry points, but were also involved in scouting.

On the other hand, people from science team, even if forced to stay within the bounds of this alien structure, they had enough research material to have their hands full, so there was no need to worry about their well-being and morale - at least for now.

Johnson himself hoped they will manage to fix all faults fast. In the end, he wanted to focus on things he considered to be more important, like preparing transmitters and building new flying units to improve scouting and travelling inside the planet's atmosphere. The point was to put the whole mission back on track. Of course, it is hard to talk about its original form here with the amount of losses, both in personnel and equipment, but they could still re-organize even now. If Mathias Kaller or Ryan McRae were still alive somewhere, it should be quite easy to put everythin back together.

Still, before anything else, they had to first take care of provisions and securing the basic needs. The rest should come later.