Part 4 - The Ichthys

 18 Standard years ago:

 

Captain Mack Hunter watched from the newly discovered moon as The Ichthys slowly burned up in the upper atmosphere.  "So, Autry, What's the final disposition of the Ichthys?"

Autry looked away as he indexed the loadout database in his mind.

"We got all the shuttles and midsize ships off, of course.  As well as all the heavy equipment.  We got the sixteen fusion reactors out of storage, as well as about 85% of the big one from the remaining operational engine of the Ichthys.  We can fabricate the few pieces left easily enough.  We have the pieces to build habitats on the second moon we need for gas, fuel, and metal drilling."

Mack looked at the AI.  "Ok, so now tell me the bad news."

"We have enough food for about a standard year, for all of us, including a small party on the 2nd moon to start fuel drilling.  Considering all this..." he swept his mechanical arm across the agricultural plain, "we should be able to start growing food, and soon, taking the breeding stock animals out of hibernation."

Rogers ambled up behind Autry and smacked him, mechanically on the back.  "Not so fast there, partner.  I got some bad news from the initial soil tests."  He loved imitating the voice of his namesake, which drove Autry and Mack silly.

"What did you find?" Mack asked.

"Well, the soil is perfect in almost every way except one.  It's completely lifeless and useless.  It's devoid of any bacterial life at all.  It's also devoid of Calcium, Magnesium, Phosperous, Potassium, Zinc, or even any Nitrogen."

"Ok, so we can set up some Haber-Bosch process plants to start seeding the required minerals then, right?  I'm sure we can also seed the required bacterials, right?"

"Oh we could.  But that's the second problem.  Someone's already tried to plant stuff here.  We have evidence of plenty of failed seedlings, and that leads to the 3rd problem.  The water."

Mack looked sick.  "What's wrong with the water?"

"Well, nothing if you just want to drink it.  But its been impregnated with a molecular bactericide which has destroyed the life and minerals in the soil.  My guess is, this was a hamfisted attempt to keep a bacterial infection at bay, that got away from whomever tried to terraform this moon."

Autry looked at the other AI and started speaking digitally to him.

"ENGLISH you two, I hate it when you do that." Mack yelled.

"Yes, we can filter that garbage out of the water.  Luckily the impregnation doesn't spread, so we can do it all at once.  It'll take two to three years to do.  Until then, we will have to keep the engineered rain off the crops and out of the groundwater until the process is complete."

Mack turned green.  "We're screwed.  We're absolutely SCREWED."

"Not entirely." Rogers said.  "You won't like the answer, though.  People will have to go back into hibernation for another three years.  Eastwood and I can start spinning up the drilling and petroleum processing on the second moon.  It'll take him two years to do with my help."

Mack looked skyward as The Ichthys burned in the sky, and suppressed his anger.