Author: Julian Miles, Staff Writer

Day 2. Pieces of the Eridani Dawn are still leaving blazing trails across the sky, day and night. Not that there’s a lot of difference between them on this world. It’s always some sort of twilight. Estoro says the cold will be our main problem.

Day 4. Keeping the fire going has drawn survivors in. I never realised how many beings it took to run a spaceship. Hallie says we must search for things to help us stay alive.

Day 7. There’s not much left. Very little food. Indri says we have hard times ahead.

Day 9. Estoro says I should keep this diary going. Nataloc says it’s a waste of time. Bruno is still crying. The Lakshane and Morobus keep arguing. They’re starting to worry me. Those two races outnumber all the others here combined.

Day 11. The Morobus attacked the Lakshane last night. Then something long and black came out of the trees and attacked them both. There was a battle. After the creature left, Estoro came over and told me to note this:
“It’s a furred, serpentine form, about nine metres long and two in diameter. No visible eyes or nostrils. Powerful bite. Tough hide. Only became enraged when we fought back. I think if we hadn’t, it would have just taken prey and departed.”

Day 12. Nataloc led the three surviving Lakshane away after they killed the wounded Morobus. Estoro made everybody remaining drag the bodies and all the bloody dirt a long way from the camp before leaving them in a pile. Some complained. He said they could do whatever rites they wanted there.

Day 13. Something happened. Those who stayed to do rites haven’t come back. We heard screams.

Day 14. Hallie went to check. Says they’re all dead. She looks worried.

(40% power. Will update fortnightly.)

Week 4. The Lakshane attacked two nights ago. Bruno was taken, two others were killed. Hallie says Lakshane are carnivores.

Week 6. Estoro led us away from the camp. Others elected to stay, but he said he wouldn’t be cattle for the Lakshane. We left at night. Hallie covered our tracks.

Week 8. Still moving. Headed uphill for days. Charlie got taken by a smaller furry serpent.

Week 10. Found some caves. Eighteen of us left. Don’t think Cliore will make it. His wound got infected.

(25% power. Will update monthly.)

Month 4. It’s colder. Cliore died. Moved deeper into the caves. Hallie is teaching us to forage.

Month 5. Still really cold. I enjoy hunting. Penny got bitten by something like a big beetle. She died.

(15% power. Going to hibernate this. Will update every Earth year if I can keep track.)

Year 1. Bostal died to a furry serpent, but we killed it. Moved to better caves. Hal and Viv jumped off the peak together. I’m good at making hides into clothes. Estoro says our ship will have been moved from ‘missing’ to ‘lost’.

Year 2. Nataloc attacked us! Estoro and Splassarn died fighting him. Crow dragged him down. Elizabeth and Mabduk beat him to death with rocks. We voted: Hallie is our leader.

Year 3 (Probably). Going to use the last of the battery to burn this diary into permanent store. My name is Jo. We are Hallie, Mabduk, Trimm, Henrick, Elizabeth, Tapuln, Shavel, Abdorc, Crow, and Indri. We’ve decided to go on for as long as possible.
This planet is now called ‘Harmr’. Trimm says it means ‘sorrow’ in Old Norse. We who live here build cairns for our dead. Please build a cairn for the one of us who couldn’t.