Sixty-four Pixel Colonists

TURN 5

Construction Drone: UNPOWERED
Compact Scouting Drone: UNPOWERED
Compact Scouting Drone: UNPOWERED

Projects:
Design - Small Algae Tank: Complete

SpoilerShow

SMALL ALGAE TANK
(20 Plasticarbon)
A small algaculture tank for farming food and other organic substances. Takes up more space and wattage than a single Compact Algae Tank, but produces more yield.
Requires 500 W power
Can generate one of:
6 Food Units / Turn
8 Plasticarbon / Turn
2 Fuel / Turn
6 Biopaint (red, green, yellow) / Turn
6 Fertilizer / Turn
Vulnerable: Contamination
Vulnerable: Low Morale (if used for food)

The colonists continue to eat half-rations. The hunger is starting to get to them.
Mood: +Hungry, +Short-tempered

Mio the engineer spends some time examining the broken solar panel. Good news - it's reparable. Mio can jury-rig it with a turn's worth of work (+Vulnerable: Breakdown), or fix it properly with two turns of work and 5 plasticarbon.

All drones are taken offline to dedicate power to the algae tanks.

The biologist and the geologist's argument over whether the weird ice stalks to the northeast could be the byproduct of life-forms has been slowly but steadily getting more heated. They both want answers, and with the scouting drones offline, they decide the only way to get those answers is to go on foot, together. It's a gross violation of safety protocols to leave the colony on foot. Still, they're determined, and it's pretty clear the colony won't have enough resources to manufacture any transport vehicles or anything for at least a little while longer. They pack as much food, water and compressed air as they can carry, seal up their pressure suits, and head out.
New Project: Foot Expedition to the Northeast (?? Turns)

Shiva, having gotten the grumbling out of their system, throws themself into the flag project with abandon. After several discarded ideas, they produce some designs they like. The favorite seems to be an abstract pattern of pastel circles with a big, conspicuously blank space in the center. Shiva knows exactly what they want to put in that blank space, but they don't think the other colonists would go for it yet. Yet.

Is this the design the colonists should settle on?

Some of the colonists put together a message for GFP:

PLEASE SEND SOYBEANS, VEGETABLE SEEDS, MEAT CELLS AND VATS FOR FARMING. ALSO CONSIDER TERRAFORMING DOMES AND PLASTICARBON. TY <3

They program it into the ansible so it'll be ready to send as soon as the colony can afford the power drain.

The colonists discuss the usefulness of a mining drone. Unfortunately, they won't be able to manufacture drones without the proper equipment or work space.

A group of concerned colonists, led by the medic, meets with Mio the engineer to ask Mio to start designing some kind of radar tower that can detect falling space debris. Mio listens placidly to the group's appeal, stretches, puts down their drink, and stands up from the chair. They mosey over to the wall where their reference tablet hangs. The medic and the other colonists wait impatiently while Mio leafs through indices and ponders the issue. Finally, Mio decides that yes, they can take on this project with the tools and resources currently at the colony's disposal. As the colonists turn to leave, Mio pulls a couple of them aside and convinces them to help; this will be a big project.
New Project: Design - Radar Tower (3 Turns)

Food Consumed: 5 Units
Food Generated: 8 Units
Total Remaining Food: 8 Units (+3)

THE NUMBERS:

SpoilerShow

You currently have 1.2 kW of power.
Powered:
3 Compact Algae Tanks (1.2 kW)
Unpowered:
Ansible (Send Mode: Requires 800 W)
2 Compact Scouting Drone (Requires 200 W ea)
1 Construction Drone (Requires 200 W)
1 Compact Algae Tank (Requires 400 W)
Unused:
0 W

Algae Tanks are generating:
3x Food (12 units/Turn)

Supplies:
8 Food
0 Plasticarbon

Population:
10/20