Hypoxemia

: deficient oxygenation of the blood

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hypoxemia

The Hiraeth dawdled in supercruise, eventually giving way to a steady orbit around a carbon dioxide atmospheric planet.   Detaching myself from the med unit I slowly pawed out from my cot, still weak and the remnants of a headache thundering.

Bass baritone notes cooed and rolled from the cockpit, punctuated by the patter of my feet on the cold metal flooring.

Reaching the cockpit, I stood holding on to the back of the crash couch lost in a fog of thought. Observing the planet through the vast canopy I remember thinking, the Asp Explorer was not a pretty ship but the translucently clear bubble-like cockpit more than made up for this, there are not many ships on the market with this kind of field of view.

Brushing my hands over the console, I noticed how cold the metal frame was, I think for the first time and just how unfinished it was, the burrs leaving white marks on my fingers.  I really needed to get back into my flight suit.

My attention snapped to the scan outputs, the reason I got out of bed in the first place. Under the carbon dioxide atmosphere was rocky metal body with 6 bio signatures.

I would have to refuel the SRV from what little mineral stock I had on-board the Hiraeth, there would not be much driving between here and Colonia. Here being SCREAKI LC-C D4275 12 G not a stone’s throw away from my last landing.

I returned to my quarters, wheezing and coughing I convinced my aching body into the flight suit. Applying the exploration gear of the Artemis suit over the top was a little easier. I would not stay long on this planet; my main aim was to see and sample a Clypeus.

Pushing through the blue of the atmosphere, a rusty brown planet emerged with patches of golden sand and carbonised scorched patches. While initially keeping a watchful eye out for the Clypeus specimens, I had noticed strange eroded structures on the surface. These were mainly confined to monoliths. But then there it was on the earthen hillside, the remains of what looked like a gateway of sorts. I took the Hiraeth in for a closer look.

I touched down at the top of the hill and took the SRV down, passing sever large monoliths on the way. In a few minutes I was looking at the structure that looked like it was once part of some sort of building complex when viewed from the air, from eye level it just looked like… rocks, big ones.

I noted the coordinates 45.9653 by -145.3970, I may come back at some point when I have a higher blood oxygen level.

I took the short walk from the SRV to the stones to explore, trying to catch my breath as I went. The stone was too badly eroded to be sure of anything, but their positioning even if natural looked deliberate.

As I sauntered between the towering columns of rock, I imagined what sort of alien race lived here, I wondered if they were connected to the waring races, I had proposed lived and died amongst the destruction on DUMBAE NR-V D2-7718 B 7 F.

Feeling slightly exhausted I pulled my self on to what seemed to be a small wall. Sitting there peacefully I gazed around taking in the vista of rough rusty hills. A lot of them looked like they were spoil heaps from long forgotten heavy industry.

Kicking my heels against the wall in thought, I decided I would push on to Colonia now. My breathing was laboured and the fog in my mind was… the Clypeus can wait. I needed to see a doctor.