HARE: I’m sorry. I am unable to answer your query at this time.

Taban: What? Why not?

HARE: In order to analyze an unclassified planet, I need to be on it.

Taban: Great. That’s very useful.

Daley: Hey, do me a favor, will you?

Taban: What?

Daley: Override its ISF protocols.

Taban: Why?

Daley: If it is against the law to land on a virgin planet, the thing might go on red-alert and we’d never get it to shut up. Root it so it takes commands from you, not its original ISF programming. You can do that, right?

Taban: I think so.

HARE: Tampering with ISF property is not permitted.

Daley: Shut up.

[Taban reaches for the camera. The video cuts out.]

VIDEO LOG #3—Ship Designation CS Wyvern 7079

Day 1: 18:22 UTO

[The HARE reboots again. The ship seems to be landing at this point: the radiation shields are down, revealing the windows and the view outside. Outside, an icy horizon rises up as the Wyvern descends. The tundra is so flat and white that the HARE’s camera lens struggles to focus on it as a distinct object. In the distance (~6–7 kilometers away from the ship’s landing site?) there are large, mirror-like structures towering into the sky. They’re strangely-shaped, fractal and razor-sharp shards as tall as skyscrapers, reflecting and bending the light in odd, dizzying ways. The effect is wholly unnatural.]

Daley (whistling): Take a look at that.

Taban: Never seen anything like it before. What are they?

Daley: Dunno. Can’t be manmade.

[The structures vanish beyond the curve of the horizon as the ship lands. For a moment the two men are silent as the ship winds down from its landing sequence.]

Taban (looking at the ship’s dashboard): So, come here often?

Daley: What?

Taban: Nothing. Just a joke.

Daley: (grunt)

Taban: I’m pretty sure we could get court-martialed for this.

Daley: No one’s ever gonna find out. And if they did, just pretend we didn’t know anything. Our ship’s computer malfunctioned, we just assumed this was Elysium or Gimle. It looks pretty much exactly the same.

Taban: Except that it’s orbiting two stars, not one.

Daley: Shhhh. We’re miners, not astronomers. We’re poor, ignorant fools.

Taban: So, delete the HARE footage before we get back, is what I hear you saying. Since it’s recording everything you just said.

Daley: See? This is why I keep you around. You clean up after yourself.

Taban: (sighs) (turning back to the HARE) Okay, I think it’s ready.

Daley: And you’re sure it’s okay to go outside the ship?

Taban: For the HARE? Sure. That’s what it’s built for—extraterrestrial exploration. (tapping HARE’s legs) That’s what these titanium legs are for. They keep it mobile, sturdy. We can send it out, let it analyze, and see what conditions are like out there.