Challenge #04047-K029: Chemically Derived Architecture
"We're trying to recreate limestone chemically just so we can have concrete."
The person listening thinks for a moment then smiles. "My friend, you know, Limestone is simply hardened calcium carbonate. So, in essence, to make artificial limestone, simply get calcium, which is pretty abundant, and add salt made from carbonic acids, that is to say, acids made from carbon dioxide. Would this work for your projects?"
https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-03967-j315-inspiration-for-technology -- Anon Guest
"We need the ocean, and we're pretty far inland. Also, it's going to be a process to extract calcium. The biota in this world isn't much far past the Ediacaran stage. Weird jelly things just... blobbing about. We need to chemically extract the calcium and all the other things."
"Okay, yeah. That's a problem," acknowledged Mission Leader Aath, running her fingers over the calculations. "Long-term project, then. Grow bricks until we get to the sea and figure out if calcium carbonate is even worth it."
"Yeah." Techie Medge blew a sigh out between their lips. "Young worlds suck, but we have the potential to direct the local evolution to suit our needs."
Aath brought up the map. "Okay. We picked a geologically stable area with fresh water access... if we make the trip on the solar buggy, it'll still take a week for a round trip."
"Plus the solar buggy can only carry three people's worth of weight. One person on their own with the buggy for two people-weight's worth of water? Big risk. Two people out on the buggy for one people-weight's worth of water?"
Baz, passing by with equipment for a better workshop, quipped, "You yanks'll use anything but metric won't ya?"
"It's easier than saying eighty to ninety kilos all the time, Baz!"
"Breathe," advised Aath. "These are all meant in fun. It's just how N'ozzie's do things."
"Every time... Every time..."
"Breathe," Aath rolled her eyes. "Two people on the solar buggy makes sense. How much horseshit is involved in making a second solar buggy that can be towed on the way there... and driven on the way back?"
Medge stood stock still, staring past Aath and into calculations and drafts that only they could see. "Yeah. Yeah, that's a thing that can happen. And we can get six people-weight's worth of seawater for a week's worth of risk. I can get some experiments out of that!"
"That's good. Now how do-able is it?"
"Uuuuhhh... week to print the parts and maybe three days for the construction? Two weeks if we include printing the tanks and the tow rigs."
"Right. Let's start on that."
[Photo by Dylan McLeod on Unsplash]
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