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Interlude Three: The Expansion

It comes time again to pick the next lot of room allocations. You have more than enough materials for two more of the sealed rooms beneath the ice. It would be more, but a lot of the construction-trained colonists are on a break after the exhausting crunch of getting the submarine bay set up.

Krek, the colony's sanitation expert, presents a report. "President, let me talk about sewers," per says. "Right now we have a functional set of pipes that routes everything through the Asterion's system. We've got a one-time opportunity to build in a proper sewer system which will no longer back up if and when everyone decides to use their shithouses at the same time. We're one shared dodgy curry away from disaster here."

"The people are growing weak in this low gravity," says Virginia. "We desperately need a gym."

For once, both Marcel Temaru and Professor Li are in agreement.

"We've made so many discoveries under the ice—" says Marcel.

"—so we have to build decent laboratories," Professor Li finishes.

"May I humbly suggest that at some point soon we get ourselves a fabrication station? Just think of the glorious things we could make!" Sungura suggests without any noticeable humility.

Aria appears unexpectedly on the wall. "Could I make a suggestion?" she asks. You were sure the therapy bot wasn't programmed to appear in meetings. "A server farm would improve the computing capacity of the colony sevenfold."

"With our basically endless source of cold, we could set up a great crypto rig," Kosmo points out. "Could help raise funds from Earth."

Virginia rolls her eyes. "Aw c'mon, literally nobody in the colony wants to turn us into some far-flung crypto-currency farm."