Captain’s log: Day 4,852—It has been a fortnight since my last log. Our spaceship, the USS Huxley, is nearing the end of our long odyssey after passing through an asteroid field to arrive above a new planet. Let me just say, we have accumulated some unusual observations. We have seen gibbous lunar views and an explosive supernova. We even saw a nebula that looked like an igloo, but it may have just been my own pareidolia.
Meanwhile, the crew is engaging in careless chitchat and losing focus while on duty. I don’t want to be a killjoy, nor do I want fun to be taboo on the ship, but we must remain committed to the mission. I have had to reprimand the crew many times. I would rather their comeuppance be a stern warning from me than the breakdown of our ship. Temerity in space could lead to disaster. We are carrying precious living cargo from Earth, including cicadas, botflies, weevils, mantises, and katydids. We also have larger creatures, like aardvarks, which always try to eat the bugs. I need my crew to focus and keep these animals safe. They are supposed to be experts in zoology and astrophysics, but I doubt my crew could even use a simple abacus.
Now for the most exciting discovery—I am stunned at a phenomenon occurring on the planet below our spaceship. Here, we have discovered extraterrestrial life! In addition to odoriferous plants and deciduous trees, we found a bug-like creature that disperses an acidic gas every few days. This creature looks like a millipede with hundreds of small legs and two giant ambidextrous arms it uses to hunt prey. This morning, we discovered that the creature uses camouflage to blend into its surroundings. It also appears to have a monopoly on the planet’s mushroom population—every mushroom we can see is hollowed out to make room for the creature’s eggs. I wonder if this little critter is smart enough to communicate. We will have to wait and see. Until next time…
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