Terran monitoring · Hood Canal sector · relay 7

Larch Station

A weather outpost, staffed, against the wishes of the staff
CHAPTER I

The view

Live · 00:15 · fog · 39°F
Bearing 1 of 7 · Structures A and B
The ship's camera. Arrows, the dots or the keyboard to look elsewhere; drag to scan.
39° FAHRENHEIT
Thermometer
high 50° · low 33°
30.08 IN HG
Barometer
falling
98% RELATIVE
Hygrometer
dew point 39°
0 MPH · S
Anemometer
gust 0 · Beaufort 0
0.00 IN TODAY
Rain gauge
0.00 in this week
CHAPTER II

Hypotheses

What the crew expect, and what the reference observers on the surface say. Graded afterwards, on the hypotheses page.

Mon 2
☁
None° / 45°
12% rain
cloudy
Tue 3
☀
54° / 41°
10% rain
sunny
Wed 4
☁
55° / 47°
92% rain
cloudy
Thu 5
☂
56° / 47°
76% rain
rainy

“For tomorrow: the reference observers say 55°/47°, 92% rain. Vell's model says 54°/42°, 84% rain. Orm's barometer says 48°/31°, 72% rain. The intern says 53°/37°, 67% rain. This has never happened before. We are frightened.”

CHAPTER III

Expeditions

Whether the bipeds should attempt the things they attempt. Advisory only. They never listen.

The path

Hike

Go. The canids have already decided and are waiting by the door.
Fog, 39°, gusts to 0 mph. The hill is dry enough. The crossing is always fine.
Closed for the season
The rectangular pond

Pool

Closed for the season. Reopens 29 May.
Open from the Saturday before Memorial Day to Labor Day. 207 days until the bipeds submerge themselves again, on purpose.
The shore

Beach

Go. The wide water is behaving, which it does twice a year. The flats are out at 5:07 am.
The flats are out around 5:07 am (1.2 ft). Wind calm, which the canal rarely is, the far shore is hidden.
Open flame

Campfire

Smoulder, at best. Which is also our review of the assignment.
No burn ban in effect (checked by hand). Humidity 98%, everything is wet. No wind, so the smoke will sit in the yard and come indoors.
The wide water

Fishing

Yes. The fish are 'running,' which we assumed was a joke. It is not.
The salmon are back in the wide water and nosing up the creek. Overcast, pressure falling: the fish approve. Tide going out until 5:07 am.
CHAPTER IV

Fauna census, today

The small flying ones, counted by the microphones. The full census, with recordings, is on the bird site.

1Great Horned OwlBubo virginianus31
2Belted KingfisherMegaceryle alcyon2
CHAPTER V

Observer's log

00:15
last quarter moon over the wide water. Nothing to report. Reporting it anyway. That's the job.
22:15
A sound from the ravine. The microphone says 'owl.' The microphone also once said 'sheep.' Noted, with asterisk.
19:15
Supply drop: still unscheduled. We asked. We were told to 'keep observing.' We are observing the word 'keep.'
15:15
Day 445. Morale: adequate. Weather: see above. Snacks: see nothing, because there are none.
CHAPTER VI

From the files

Fungal activity, autumn. The bipeds photograph them and do not eat them. Correct.
The shore at low water. The far ridge is the edge of what we are allowed to watch.
The shore at low water. The far ridge is the edge of what we are allowed to watch.
Structure B. Lit at all hours. We think it's a shrine. To what, we are not cleared to know.
Structure B. Lit at all hours. We think it's a shrine. To what, we are not cleared to know.