[Andromeda]

What is this Aktego's goal, whether short-term, or long-term? Min 50 Words

Ends July 10th
Owned by craig?

Eye Color; Glacial Core
Phenotype; Lavender Sooty Smoke Star-Speckled Moontouched with Frog Cactus Tail
Genotype; Bbl Dd Ststc cscp FrFr ll cucu tltw +star +moontouched

Origin; Spaceside

[Aizaka]

Username; Aizaka
Archive;

Prompt; (marking for when I have more time to write.. :') So pretty! )

[Knickknacks]

Username; knickknacks
Archive; ir’alda

Prompt; [334 words]

Veta has long been accustomed to her life.

Birthed within the confines of the human-space-ship, the recycled air and expanse of stars outside is all she has known. Raised by a human to be their companion, bearing witness to their research and traveling by their side- this she has done for the whole short time of her life.

It is a familiar cycle, and it is comfortable. Veta rather likes being adored, doted upon as her human companion has done to her. She is used to the cold of metal beneath her, all around her- her fur, even, bears the moontouched mark of having been born in the chill of space. But she does not feel rooted- it is not comfortable, and she and her human caretaker do not truly communicate. The cycle of her days is sterile, uninteresting.

The planet her human is studying now, though- it has intrigued her as none before have yet. An icebound world, surging with volcanic activity underneath.

It is, oddly, as though she is looking into a mirror, and seeing something new in her reflection. As though looking down at the icy surface of the planet and knowing what boils beneath the surface has awakened something burning in her, as well.

There are aktego, down on the surface of planet XY-19 (the term her human companion has taken to calling it- she cannot understand all of what they say, but recognizes the shape of a name in their mouth. She wonders if the planet has another name, one that its denizens call it by.)

More and more, she is curious about them- about the world they dwell in.

She thinks she could do it- survive, out there in the cold. She is well-accustomed to a chill.

If only she could get away.

She will. She can. She has studied her human, knows some about the workings of the ship that has been her home.

If she has her way, it will not be so for much longer.

[crexmii]

RAAAAA MARKRKKR

[kyeza]

MARKING SO HARD astronomer beloved,,,,

[Griff]

Username; Griff
Archive; Here!
Prompt;

Their species is so young, this aktego wishes to see their society thrive and grow. While just coming into their own, their goal is to help others develop their minds, learn new skills, and expand upon developing cultures. To create not just a haven but an entire community, a shared bond within which they can continue to grow and thrive. Mailon has no goal for himself, but rather for that of everyone, and he will stop at nothing until that goal is achieved.

[LokisTrick]

Mark!!

[craig?]

Username; craig?
Archive;https://www.chickensmoothie.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=103&t=4969286

Prompt;

[Research Log; Month 0 ; Week 1 ; Day 3 ; Night]
An Aktego as of yet unobserved has found its way into the Colony. They stand out from the others- not only are they a shade of lavender, their markings show moontouching, meaning they were incubated in an especially frigid environment. Not all of this planet is explored, but from what previous trips have shown, the planet stays warm almost entirely year round, with only a short period of cold during the winter. Most Aktego colonies studied hibernate when the temperature gets low enough for moontouching- despite their fur, they're still cold blooded. On a planet like this, I'd have expected the Aktegos here to refrain from nesting at all during the cold season- is this lavender one a one-off, or a sign of an intriguing difference? I may have to extend my stay here throughout the winter to study closer.

[Research Log; Month 0 ; Week 1 ; Day 4 ; Day]
No signs of the moontouched Aktego. Perhaps it was a passing dispersal?

[Research Log; Month 0 ; Week 1 ; Day 5 ; Night]
The moontouched Aktego has reappeared. Most of the colony has gone to their burrows to sleep, but tonight, a few stayed out to greet our new friend. Or, well, perhaps new to me. There were no introduction sniffs shared, simply the noise I've come to realize is these little fellows way of greeting their colonymates. Granted, I haven't been here very long, but I was surprised to see I'm still discovering new members of the colony- how much bigger is it then my initial numbers?

[Research Log; Month 0 ; Week 1 ; Day 6 ; Morning]
I made sure to watch carefully as the colony emerged from their shared burrow- Our new friend did not emerge with them. I've started referring to them as "Stranger".

[Research Log; Month 0 ; Week 1 ; Day 6 ; Night]
With enough attention focused on Stranger, I've finally located where they've been sleeping. It's not far from the colony's main home, but far enough away I'm not surprised I didn't notice it sooner. There's a small stream that runs through here, though there appears to be weeds growing along the riverbed, making it hard to access from the sides. Perhaps this is why Stranger has started visiting the colony?

[Research Log; Month 0 ; Week 1 ; Day 7 ; Afternoon]
The full moon is approaching quickly. It's hard to believe I've already been out here a week. I've starting getting quite attached to these Aktego as I listen closely for their language. Being able to watch evolution in action is amazing. Some theories suggest that some colonies of Aktego have complex enough language that it could, in theory, be used to teach them any number of human language, but unfortunately I doubt this is the case for this particular colony- nonetheless, I still am eagerly anticipating watching them more.

[Research Log; Month 0 ; Week 1 ; Day 7 ; Night]
Once again, Stranger has showed up. Tonight, they've been acting odd- constantly standing up on their hind legs, doing what I can only assume is in attempt to get a better look at something.

[Research Log; Month 0 ; Week 1 ; Day 8 ; Night]
The stars are beautiful out here. Light pollution truly makes you take for granted how stunning the sky is at night. I wonder if the Aktego know how good they have it.

[Research Log; Month 0 ; Week 1 ; Day 9 ; Afternoon ; Full Moon]
I wish I'd had a chance to write sooner, but the Aktego truly were acting odd this morning. They gathered by the river where Stranger's burrow is, and started to dig at the ground, uprooting the weeds, and then started dragging it away. It wasn't for food, and theres seemingly no incentive- some sort of ritual?

[Research Log; Month 0 ; Week 1 ; Day 9 ; Night ; Full Moon]
(Attached is an image of the previously spoken about river- it's lit up with a colorful glow from alien plankton, which refract the light from the moon and stars shining down in a way not unlike a crystal. Despite the darkness, you can faintly see the shape of several Aktego huddled around the river, watching it closely.)
I understand now.

[crexmii]

Username; crexmii
Archive; opia

Prompt; the moontouched aktego scurried around the forests, searching. the flowers…they had to be real. just a few days ago. she had certainly not been hallucinating.

brushing aside another bush, she saw the unmistakeable black flowers, their stigmas glowing blue. lucida’s ice blue eyes shone. after all this time, she’d finally achieved her goal. she couldn’t wait to share this with her fellow explorers. she could finally be famous! staring at the flowers in delight, she gingerly plucked several blooms and crouched down to examine them further.

while she was deciphering the origins of these mysterious plants, she felt her paws becoming wet. she stared up at the ether in curiosity. surely it isn’t raining..? looking down at her lavender paws, she gasped.

inky sap was spilling out of the flowers’ stems, covering her paws in black, black, black. her vision was beginning to blur and she was becoming dizzy. collapsing, she rasped, “no…no..”

—————————

the exploring agency was horrified when lucida was brought back. “she’s comatose. it’ll take a while for her to recover.” if she does, were the unspoken words.

when he saw her, glowbug gasped. lucida looked so delicate, so fragile, still clasping the black blooms in her paws. he sighed. she’d been their best team member, her skills always so sharp. she was confident and a pleasant addition to the workspace, always cheering others.

she’d been talking about her ultimate goal for years and she’d trying to reach it. her one aspiration? to discover a new species of plant. it had been her dream since she was little.

when she’d heard rumours of strange new flowers starting to appear on opia, she’d stared at maps for days, planning where she should go to search for them.

and when an expedition to one of the jungles had been planned, lucida had grabbed the chance.

and now…when she had been close enough to succeed, everything had gone wrong. she’d nearly died. glowbug shifted his gaze to the umbral stems in her hands. it was all the fault of those wretched flowers. they wouldn’t be able to go exploring after this incident. all forest expeditions had been banned.

these flowers had taken away a fellow aktego’s dreams.

[LittleMaple]

Username; LittleMaple
Archive;arching sunsets, freezing tears

Prompt; Her paw steps echoed in the lonely ship. She had felt the most intense and undeniable urge to leave the planet she was stationed on (the moon, for anyone curious) and to explore the rest of the universe. She felt as if she needed to know everything there was to know about her species… no matter the cost. It was like a calling to her from beyond anything of her comprehension. She had spotted another ship or two out in the vast blackness of space, or at least what she could perceive of it. Her eyes could pick out some of the brighter colors in the abyss, but due to having enough light receptors she couldn't truly see the beauty right in front of her. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, the stale air of the spaceship scratching her lungs. She would find out what her purpose was, why she of all aktegos were chosen to embark on this mission. There was nothing that would stop her, nothing at all.
[172 words]