Solar Log 003

“Life here on Solaris, if you can call it life, has developed a rhythm of its own. In the beginning, it was just about survival, about getting through each day, each hour. Now, I’ve found a semblance of comfort, or at least, as much comfort as a stranded pilot on an alien sun-baked planet can have.”

“Comfort isn’t exactly the right word. It’s more about adapting, accepting, making do. I’ve established a routine, a daily schedule of tasks and responsibilities, driven by the need to maintain what I’ve built and the hope of being found.”

“Every morning, just after sunrise, I check the solar panels. I’ve arranged them into a crude grid, a makeshift system that those behind the NSW energy savings scheme would be proud of. Here, it’s less about saving and more about generating. Generating the power I need to keep the equipment running, to keep myself alive.”

“My spaceship, Tranquility, once a vessel for space exploration, has now become my home. I’ve set up systems for heating and cooling, thanks to the abundant solar energy. I’ve even managed to get the ship’s internal life support systems partially running, creating a small pocket of Earth-like atmosphere within the hull.”

“The old sleeping quarters serve as my living space, a tiny bubble of humanity in a world that’s anything but human. Powered by solar energy, I’ve got some of the ship’s entertainment systems running. Mostly old movies and documentaries – anything to keep my mind off the isolation. I eat meals made from dehydrated rations, sitting in the artificial light powered by my makeshift solar grid.”

“I’ve implemented something akin to solar PPAs. I generate power during the day, store what I don’t use, and draw from it when the ship enters the planet’s short night. The planet’s rapid rotation means I never have to worry about running out.”

“It’s a strange existence, to be sure. But it’s existence nonetheless. And as long as I’m still breathing, as long as the sun continues to shine down on Solaris, I’m not giving up. Hope, after all, is a renewable resource, much like the sunlight I’m using to survive. Max Remington, signing out.”