LOG_003_DISHWORM

Illustration from Irma Beumer’s field notes of the dishworm’s life cycle.

 

Text transcribed from the notes of xenobiologist Irma Beumer:

The dishworm, so named for its dish-like carapace, is a small organism native to planet Khepri-1b. It lives in the dirt of temperate forests in the twilight zone. In addition to energy obtained from the photosynthetic cells on its “dish,” the mobile forms burrow and forage in detritus for food.

Its lifecycle is a complex one: the dishworm appears to be gynodioecious, consisting of female and hermaphrodites. Current research suggests that all members of the species start as females and later become hermaphroditic. Adult females are mobile and their eggs develop parthenogenetically into female offspring, while adult hermaphrodites are sessile and self-fertilize eggs, not unlike the life stages of Earth organisms of ferns or cnidarians. Early xenobiology research mistook the two adult stages as entirely unrelated organisms.

 

#1 spore/egg — small, scattered by winds — can be fertilized (egg) or self-fertilized pseudo-spore

#2 young dishworm stage (sessile) — undergoes embryonic development, suggested main nutrient sources are from the soil and photosynthesis

#3 juvenile dishworm stage — similar to stage 4a, but with a much shorter tail that grows additional segments with age

#4a adult stage — wormlike, the first recorded observations of this organism. Its anterior has four appendages for shoveling and combing dirt, while the heavy tail and the tail’s claws serve to anchor the organism in high wind conditions

#4b adult stage (sessile) — hermaphroditic, self-fertilizes eggs that are dispersed via wind forces. The soft “body” of 4a is not visible.

+KHAOS II+ EP.28: INTO PANDORA’S BOX

+KHAOS II+ EP.28: INTO PANDORA’S BOX

+KHAOS II+ EP.28: INTO PANDORA’S BOX

Dr. Claymore and Dr. Harper lead Milo and Kira into a secret room deep inside the underground base of SALV, where a set of rocks from Ellea have been recovered after the day of the disaster. One absurd discovery has been made: a fresh pair of lungs that were embedded and safely kept inside a disintegrated particle of Ellea. The pair of lungs attracted every form of life around it, making small plants around it flourish with fresh green leaves and beautiful flowers and even giving life to small butterflies. This breathtaking and incredible scene further inspires the crew to unearth the secrets behind who Ingenium is and what his intentions are.

+KHAOS II+ EP.27: TOGETHER, WE CAN

+KHAOS II+ EP.27: TOGETHER, WE CAN

+KHAOS II+ EP.27: TOGETHER, WE CAN

Milo and Kira are accompanied by Dr. Claymore (the tall, middle-aged man on the left with the sunglasses who helped Kira’s artificial eye transplant), Dr. Harper (the woman on the right with short hair and arms crossed), and Bones the guard dog; the three together run the hidden underground base of SALV. Milo holds Ed’s remains, as the crew discusses what to do next.

LOG_002_PHAROS

Points of Interest

The Pharos

An excerpt from The Pharos Stands Tall: A Testament to Survival, by Johann Brahe:

The tallest and one of the oldest structures of Station 1, the Pharos’ light can be seen from hundreds of miles away, guiding the way for colonists. The name itself came from the eponymous Pharos, the Lighthouse of Alexandria (of Earth’s Ancient Greek fame), which was the first such beacon and a symbol of a city at the crossroads of the ancient Greco-Roman world. 

The Pharos was constructed out of recycled parts of the first colony ship, the ISS Qilin, intended as a navigation tool in the early days of settlement. Nowadays, the light of the Pharos is mostly symbolic, an enduring testament to the perseverance of early settlers and an icon of the early colonial era. Even as beacons have become obsolete, many travelers still bring toy replicas as good luck charms on their journey.

+KHAOS+ EP.24: LAST MISSION OF KHAOS: LOVE

+KHAOS+ EP.24: LAST MISSION OF KHAOS: LOVE

+KHAOS+ EP.24: LAST MISSION OF KHAOS: LOVE

Meanwhile Earth is being taken over by Ingenium’s parasitic robots, Khaos (the spaceship) continues to drift away into space. Ingenium stands beside a mysterious bandaged figure, gently taking care of it. Zero watches from a distance, as the ship prepares to head towards another destination.

+Author’s Comment+

Last episode of +KHAOS+ for this semester! Through +KHAOS+, I was able to grow not only as an artist but also as a storyteller. I hope everyone has a wonderful summer break!

Feel free to follow my Instagram art account: @kats.art.folder