The Nipian Saga II

by Sirhc

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, and sand critters of all ages!  It is I, Catman, back with a lot more enlightening things that I have found out about this world. I know it has been quite a long time since my last log, but I have been so wrapped up in this world and how its ecosystem actually works. I have been back to the lab a couple times, at least enough to keep Doctor Bob from questioning what I'm doing. I just find this place so fascinating. At night, everything around me, in essence, glows…and during the day, you would almost think you're standing on a Caribbean island, except for with no palm trees. The trees here are massive, and they create a great canopy over everything. I have climbed a few of them, and their branches are massive. I have made another camp up in the trees; that way, I do not disturb the ground underneath, and I can observe it better. I have found a lot more plants than just the trees and the grass here. I have found ferns and a little bit of moss. This seems to be a very dry area I am in. I do not know if the whole planet is like this, or maybe just the landmass I am on. I plan on bringing back some more equipment to try to get a better visual of the actual planetary surface – that is my plan for my next trip back to the lab. The weather continually feels tropical, and I have observed a few storms, so it appears that the weather systems are almost like Earth. I have calculated that I have traveled inland at least about ten miles, and the farther I am from the beach, the more plant life I find. I have also found what appear to be hills or possibly mountains in the distance. They might be a little too far for me to reach on foot, so I'll have to bring something back to help with my travel.

On a different note, I have found what could only be classified as structures - or maybe gateways - that have collapsed. Everything around them is weathered from natural erosion, but I cannot help but think that some of it was carved by hand, though I still have not found any intelligent life. I have found what I can only describe as a type of bird, or maybe even a small dinosaur. It's built like an ostrich, but I noticed it also has four wings. It has a head like a dog, with no ears, and a long beak that resembles a stretched-out hawk’s beak. I want to say it is a predatory bird, but I have yet to see it hunt or even eat. I only find them farther inland, so I'm really excited to see what else I'm going to find. I have also found what looks like paw prints in the sand. The weather had already washed most of it away, but I was still able to see that these were pretty big, and by the depth of them, whatever made them had a lot of weight to it. These signs of activity are another reason why I have a second camp up in the trees. I am hoping to finally be able to observe either these bird-like creatures or whatever made the paw prints.

I have also not been able to isolate any new or different forms of bacteria. To be honest, if I didn't know any better, I'd say I'm back on Earth. The weather and the ecosystem are reminiscent of what we have on Earth; the plant life and the actual environment are different. I have done regular scans to make sure I'm not picking up any new forms of virus, bacteria, or pathogens, because I'm pretty sure Doctor Bob would be very upset with me if I brought those back.

I am discovering new stuff every day, and to be honest, I'm having a hard time keeping track of it. It's mostly plant life, and how it responds to light and shadow and even weather changes. What little I have found of the animal life is farther inland. I still have not quite figured out how to classify the water here. It's not salt water but yet it's also not freshwater, although it is drinkable. I might have to bring a sample back and ask Doctor Bob what he thinks of it. I have to be careful not to tell him where I got it, though. I do know that eventually I will have to tell him the truth, but until then, I want this to be my little secret and my little discovery.

Catman, signing off.

Meow.