TAL-BOT's Journal by School of Art, George Mason University

TAL-BOT’S JOURNAL

ISKANDER DAMBOWIC

GREETINGS. Iskander (that’s me) is an illustrator and graphic designer with a healthy (?) fixation on space and science fiction. Hopefully this fixation is, and continues to be, demonstrated in the works I make and the stories I tell. Please enjoy this book.

TAL-BOT’S JOURNAL ISKANDER DAMBOWIC

TAL-BOT’S JOURNAL

ISKANDER DAMBOWIC

George Mason University School of Art Spring 2022

TAL-BOT’S JOURNAL Copywright © Written and Illustrated by Iskander Dambowic Manuscript Edited by Lecsi Pillar All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information, contact Iskander Dambowic iskandertd@gmail.com iskanderart.com @iskander.td on Instagram

This book is dedicated to my friends and mentors in Studio TEN09, the printmaking studio. Thank you for helping me grow, learn and flourish.

EXITING OMEGA-SLEEP. POWERING ON. CYCLING HALTED HARDWARE. RESUMING OPERATIONS.

Greetings. I am TAL-BOT (Traveling Analysis Lackey RoBOT). My job is to explore strange, exotic worlds and catalog my findings. Currently, I am working for “WealthFoods-Greedler Foodstuffs and Leisure Enterprises” and have been tasked to venture into unexplored space to find new sources of exotic goods, be they animal, vegetable, or mineral.

OPTICAL ARRAY

DATA STORAGE TOOLS & ACCESSORIES

BATTERIES

PROPULSION MODULE

INDUSTRY-STANDARD MANUPULATORS

Despite having traveled approximately 68 thousand lightyears over the course of my employment, I am still fully operational. All of my parts seem to be in full working order and my software is running smoothly.

INITIATING MARKETING AUDIO. WealthFoods-Greedler Foodstuffs and Leisure Enterprises (WFGFLE) is an interstellar conglomerate that deals in the acquisition, shipping, and sale of unique, exotic products found at the edge of explored space. For the past four hundred years, we have been leading the pack when it comes to space exploration efforts. The use of automated labor and logistics has allowed for a rapid expansion of our operations. I have been working with them on my current trek through this arm of the galaxy for nearly two hundred and fifty years.

While it’s true that I have not found anything of worth yet, it will all be worth it once I hit the jackpot. According to my calculations, my overtime pay has been accruing nicely. Working for WFGFLE is every automated exploration drone’s dream!

APPROACHING TARGET DESTINATION. I am about to enter an unexplored star system called SIGHTSEER 55605.

SIGHTSEER 55605 is a common K-type main sequence star, a likely source of life. My analysis has uncovered four planets, one of which has an unusually large number of moons in orbit.

The first planet is orbiting extremely close to the star. Probability states that there will not be anything alive on the surface, nor easy-to-access water sources. It is unsuitable for mines or factories. My calculations have determined this planet to be “unprofitable.”

The second planet is tidally locked to the star, so there is likely only a thin ring of hospitable area on the surface. Marked as “requires investigation.”

The third planet is a large gas giant with a large number of moons in orbit. Gas giants are usually not a part of my investigations, but maybe the moons are hiding something interesting. I’ll do an analysis of the moons.

The fo??rth ]××÷net see÷==÷? ????[][][)[)[]]111))))÷÷×=× ???×××?×??×??×//?/////[][)

[]]))÷?????RUN[][][] ERROR[][)[))[) Hm... it seems my sensors cannot detect anything in this area. Perhaps I am malfunctioning? Will run a diagnostic later.

SCANNING… Interesting. SIGHTSEER 55605-3 (designated “Douglas”) has exactly one-hundred moons orbiting it. The planet is at the upper limit of gas giant sizes, right below the threshold for it to start turning into a brown dwarf. The gravity and magnetosphere in and around the planet are incredibly turbulent. This is clear to see by the erratic orbits of the moons. Amazingly enough, my orbital calculation analysis module indicates that, despite the unusual orbits, no collisions are predicted to occur. It’s as if the moons are in an intricate dance around the planet. Protocol dictates that worlds of interest are designated a name. Unfortunately, this also extends to any objects orbiting it. Sigh.

BOOTING UP RANDOM NAME GENERATOR PROGRAM. ASSIGNING NAMES. 8

MOONS AROUND PLANET “DOUGLAS” WAYNE HANNAH ALBERT BORIS QUINCY PENELOPE STEPHANIE VICTOR DAHLIA TYSON JASMINE KEVIN SHIRLEY CALVIN ELLIOT DENNIS ADRIAN NATALIA BLAKE MOLLY LOLA GIOVANNI MARTIN CARTER BRIAN LEONARD MARINA AGNES PHINEAS NAOMI HAROLD BEAU YVONNE

GEORGE PAUL ALEXANDRA CASSIUS FREDERICK MICHAEL SYLVIA JUDE GERTRUDE BARTHOLOMEW OTIS VERUCA ASHER JAQUELINE SAWYER SADIE AMBROSE LAWRENCE TAYLOR HEATHER WILLIAM THEODORE SIDNEY CHARLOTTE EDGAR THERESA MONICA OWEN OMAR COLLIN ROBERTO JENNIFER THOMAS LUCAS

ULRICH GARY MARGARET CHRISTOPHER WALTER ISAAC KATHLEEN NORMAN CARMELA LILLITH CELESTE EMILE NICHOLAS ZOE ELIJAH HENRY SHARON ARCHIBALD VALENTINA DANIELLE NOAH XAVIER AUGUSTUS ANDREW OLIVIA SCOTT STANLEY WYATT FELIX GILBERT ROXANNE EVAN SERENA {!} 9

!!!

While I was processing and assigning names, the moon named Serena pinged my sensors. Its composition was within my target parameters, and it seems like I might have found something amazing. This moon orbits a bit farther out than the other moons around Douglas, but it is within the planet’s magnetosphere so it is protected from the sun’s radiation and other cosmic interference.

The whole moon is covered in a vast ocean, and smattered with islands. I am going to circumnavigate the moon a few times to capture a complete map.

ACTIVATING SATELLITE MODE.

DEPLOYING PARACHUTE.

After completing my low-orbit image collection, I have descended into the atmosphere. Since much of the heat here on Serena comes from the tidal forces of Douglas instead of the sun, the weather is very pleasant. I could not find many large storms in orbit. 12

As I was descending, I took an atmospheric sample to analyze its composition. WFGFLE is going to be very happy. Initial readings indicate that the atmosphere is breathable by humans, in fact, the atmosphere here seems even more optimal for human lungs than the atmosphere of the old human home world. This checks off one of WFGFLE’s popular markets: air canisters for space stations.

AVG HUMAN ATMOSPHERE

SELENA ATMOSPHERE

NITROGEN

~78

NITROGEN

~69

OXYGEN

~21

OXYGEN

~30

TRACE GASES: (ARGON, CARBON DIOXIDE, NEON, HELIUM, METHANE, KRYPTON, WATER VAPOR)

TRACE GASES: (HELIUM, NEON, ARGON, CARBON DIOXIDE, NITRIC OXIDE, WATER VAPOR)

Wow. After two hundred and fifty years of searching, 68 thousand lightyears travelled. I have found life.

RUNNING DIAGNOSTIC... NO ERRORS DETECTED.

I seem to have experienced a bit of slow-down after seeing the sights of Serena’s ocean, but no issues have been found after troubleshooting. After regaining my composure, I took another sample, this time of the seawater. I had to be extremely careful to not accidentally capture any living organisms. I have to operate under new, more careful directives now that I have confirmed the presence of life on this moon.

~1500mg/L GLUCOSE

~5mg/L POTASSIUM ~100mg/L MAGNESIUM ~200mg/L SODIUM ~500mg/L CALCIUM ~1500mg/L BICARBONATES

~2500mg/L CARBON DIOXIDE Unbelievable! It seems completely impossible, but the seawater is completely drinkable! The chemical composition is nearly identical to the composition of mineral water. In fact, there are some electrolytes in the water which add a hint of sweetness as well.

INCREASING PROCESSING POWER. No matter how hard I try, it seems improbable for me to be able to taste it myself. 17

Despite the air and water here on Serena holding high value for WFGFLE already, my task is not complete until I do a thorough analysis of the moon. I have a whole world of analysis to cover so I might as well start here on the shore.

ENHANCING…

Fascinating. The sand, while ordinary to the naked eye, is filled with colorful glittering particulates. 18

There are many tiny pearlescent orbs scattered among the particles. This begs the question: are these pearls organic, or are they formed by the environment? If they’re organic, what kind of creature do they come from? Can it be domesti—

FLASHLIGHT ON. At first, I thought my camera was malfunctioning, but unfortunately that is not the case. It seems I have been swallowed by some sort of giant sea creature. How vexing. I am definitely in violation of my non-interference directives. After writing a brief report of my infraction, I decided to take this opportunity to study the biology of the creature that ate me. It seems to have an internal skeletal structure, although it is made of some sort of cartilage-like gelatinous material.

A closer look at the digestive system shows a very standard acid breakdown stomach system, that leads into a--{REDACTED CONTENT, READ EXTENDED REPORT ADDENDUM 48 AT YOUR OWN RISK}

STABILIZING… After a lengthy and satisfying in-depth report-writing session, I was abruptly burped out by the sea creature. We must have traveled a great distance because I now appear to be at the sea floor. I can sense a lot of movement, but even with my flashlight on I am having difficulty utilizing my optical sensors.

ACTIVATING EXPANDED LIGHT SPECTRO-ANALYZER.

How intriguing. There is a vibrant ecosystem even down here in the more inhospitable depths of the ocean. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to analyze the more temperate and peaceful parts of the moon yet, so I cannot definitively say if the life down here is more unusual and specialized than normal. I’ll make a note to myself to compare the data I collect here with what I find on the surface. The glucose levels are denser down here than they were close to the surface where I took my initial samples. This seems to be caused by the aggregation of organic materials sinking to the bottom of the ocean. In some parts of the seafloor, there is a thin layer of viscous, molasses-like film, likely a result of the glucose and other minerals collecting over a long period of time. The bottom feeders that live down here feed from this layer, as if it were a watering hole in a savannah.

While exploring the seafloor, I came across an area of volcanic activity. There are many hydrothermal vents scattered around and in the fissures in this area. This confirms my hypothesis that Serena was still geologically active and supports my theories about how this moon has so many islands scattered about. These island-forming processes might be caused by the tidal gravitational forces that the gas giant Douglas exerts on this moon. Conundrum: hydrothermal phenomena occurring at this level all over the moon might help to explain the mineral content of the seawater, but at this scale it should also greatly pollute the oceans with harmful chemicals. How is this mitigated?

I took another scan, and after some enhanced optical analysis, I discovered a fascinating microscopic creature. I have observed these little fellows chasing down and devouring chemically complex particulates that emerge from the vents. They seem to feed on pollutants. On closer inspection, they are swarming this entire area, making it very difficult to collect samples of the vent exhaust. Estimate: The sheer numbers of these pollutant eaters seem to corroborate with not only the cleanliness of the ocean, but also with the elevated glucose levels here at the seafloor. Their dead bodies and waste break down into sugars.

My automated function sorter accidentally put searching for a way back to the surface quite low down on the priority list since it was too preoccupied with analyzing and documenting the vibrant ecosystem down here at the seafloor. However, my batteries are almost depleted so I figured now would be a good time to return. Unfortunately, I am stuck in a labyrinthine tunnel system, and my mapping function indicates that I will run out of battery if I add the distance of going back out the way I came to the distance it takes to resurface. Luckily, I discovered a network of roots terminating down here in the tunnels. The roots secrete dew drops that the bottom feeders I keep seeing consume. However, these bottom feeders look much larger and filled with energy than the rest I have seen. Either these scavengers are a mutated species, or this dew originates from a powerful energy source.

CALCULATING RISK… My odds of preventing a low-power forced hibernation are better if I follow these tunnels and roots upwards towards the surface. Either I find the surface and can recharge, or I find an energy source I may be able to tap into. Also, the climb would be less batteryintensive than swimming upwards against the more turbulent ocean currents. Worst-case scenario I would need to hibernate until erosion and tectonic shifts cause me to emerge at the surface. It would only take an estimated 45 million years or so.

What an extensive sprawling tunnel network. Were these tunnels caused by old roots that eventually withered away? Or were they dug by the many burrowing creatures I can feel beside me using my seismic sensors?

WARNING, BATTERY AT 5%.

I’m starting to feel a little light-headed. Can robots even feel light-headed? Ooh, look at this rock! It’s so smooth, what an interesting discovery! Oh! Another one! WFGFLE is going to be elated once they see my discoveries, I might even get promoted to a resort planet associate!

WARNING, BATTERY DANGEROUSLY LOW, 3% REMAINING.

I’m tired. I’m hungry. I wanna take a nap. It’s not fair that I can’t taste anything. I wanna eat exotic foodstuffs too, but nooOOoo, I’m just a robot, I don’t have a mouth or teeth or digestive tract. Not fair.

WARNING, 1%. 29

…URFA…ED… SOLAR PANELS DEPLOYED. RECHARGING… Oops, I almost didn’t make it in time, that would’ve been bad. My automated functions all seem to be powered down to save on battery, so I guess I gotta manually run through my emergency checklist.

RUNNING DIAGONAL-STIC: Oh! It seems I am very low on battery. Duh, tell me something I don’t already know.

SCANNING… THE STUFF THAT’S NEARBY I GUESS: Ooh a pretty flower meadow, how nice. Wait, were these tiny flowers the source of those miles-long giant roots? That’s crazy! I’ll have to file this under the special discoveries folder, once I regain access to that function.

WAIT, WHERE AM I: Judging by the position of Douglas, the sun, and the amount of time that has passed, I can estimate that I’m within this area of the islands I saw on entry, which means that sea monster that swallowed me took me a very long distance. There is likely some sort of habitat analysis I could make about the creature’s swimming range, but I am too out of it to tell. Urgh… If I could feel nauseous, I would be right now. Ok I made it back to the surface and this area seems pretty safe, I guess. I’m just gonna close my eyes for a little bit while I recharge. Whew, that was a close one… zzzZZZzzz…

ENTERING SLEEP MODE, TIMER SET FOR ONE HOUR. 31

ALERT. ALERT. PROXIMITY SENSORS BREACHED. COMBAT MODE NOT FOUND, RECOMMEND ESCAPE. What a startling awakening. As I was frantically folding my solar panels back in, I saw what triggered my alarms descending before me. A giant, furry, winged creature landed in the middle of the meadow, the wind of its wings kicking up a dense cloud of pollen. This method of pollination seems to have caused the flora to grow extensively all over this island. This is the perfect opportunity for me to analyze potential foodstuffs for WFGFLE acquisition.

There seems to be an enormous tree in the distance, which is likely the giant pollinator’s home. I should head in that direction as I document my findings.

The plant life on Serena is like nothing I have ever seen before, even if I look in the archive of other WFGFLE discoveries. Well, at least the entries I have clearance to access. I have found a number of fruit-bearing plants within very close proximity of each other. Are these all mutations of the same original lifeform, or are these all separate species, carried over to this island by the giant winged pollinators? It is difficult to tell from just a cursory analysis alone. Despite the unusual density and variance of species, they all seem to coexist together comfortably on this island. Here is a sampling of some of the more WFGFLE-acquisitions-ready fruits I came across:

PACKAGING-FRIENDLY APPLOID

DENSE BANANESQUE POCKET

CONCORDIAL MANGOLIKE CLUSTER

SHARP KABOBFRUIT

BRUSHY HAIRFRUIT

FISH ROE GUSHERFRUIT

SNATCHED AUBERGINE

INNER DIGESTIVE AID

VANTABLACK CHERRY

PROBABLY SPICY

I arrived at the base of the giant tree, and “giant” is an understatement. This tree easily dwarfs Redwoods, Baobabs, and even Hyperion-XA95 Canops. Also, looking back at it with a clearer operating system, it has become obvious to me that this tree is the source of the massive root networks, not the flowers I previously encountered.

EDITING FINDINGS…

As I approached 3000 meters high, it started to snow. However, this snowfall was extremely localized to the area directly around the tree trunk. Upon closer inspection, the snow was in fact pollen. I presumed the pollinator’s nest was nearby, and once I climbed a bit higher my suspicions were confirmed. 38

I approached a clearing within the branches at the top of the tree, and I found the pollinator’s nest. It appears to have returned home after frolicking in the meadow, and it is taking a nap. The large creature’s fur is still inundated with the pollen it collected on the ground, and now that it is asleep up at this altitude, the wind currents shake it out of its fur and wings. Presumably, this then carries down onto the surface of the moon, landing on various islands. If there are more giant trees like this one, they would explain the biodiversity I discovered on my way here. Pollination systems on a scale as massive as this have never been documented before, which makes Serena’s ecological balance unique. However, this creates another question: do these winged pollinators operate in this manner on purpose, or are their actions completely accidental? Do they know how vital their frolicking and napping ends up being for the rest of the ecosystem? 39

I took a moment to run a few simulations on this ecosystem model, to determine the likeliness of either an intentional or accidental propagation of life. As I was calculating, I spent the time observing the sea of clouds that I and the treetops were above.

My current altitude is approximately 3500 meters above sea level. The massive scale of the tree I was perched atop would most likely be awe-inspiring. The pure and clean white clouds would have been mesmerizing, if I was capable of being mesmerized. Even the peculiar ecosystems of Serena are probably beautiful. Perhaps I am unequipped to understand the true nature of this world.

I paused my simulations because I spotted a plume of dark smoke emerging in the distance and mixing into the surrounding white clouds. For now, I’ll put developing a philosophy module aside.

DECREASING ALTITUDE. I descended through the cloud layer to find possibly the most puzzling creature I have come across thus far. It was nearly identical to the microscopic pollutant eaters I encountered on the seafloor, except this one was enormous. It was bigger than the flying pollinators, even larger than the sea creature that swallowed me. And yet, it swam through the air with ease, gulping down the plumes of ash, sulfur, and carbon dioxide that the volcano was belching out. This creature is obviously related to the microscopic pollutant eaters, the only question now is whether it is the same species or not. Is this an adult version of the small ones? Is it a completely different species in the same genus? How does it fly? Why does it eat from a volcano? Does it live here, or does it travel across the moon to different volcanoes, since there is so much volcanic activity? Are these pollutant eaters the main reason why this world is so peaceful and habitable, despite the elevated volcanic activity? Why do they eat pollutants?

ERROR, PROCESSOR OVERLOAD. Okay, maybe I have more than one question about what I am seeing before me. Luckily, my operating system prevents me from rampant data processing, and my job description is primarily documentation, not hypothesizing. For now, I’ll power down my curiosity subroutines and just mark this pollutant eating creature as another potential boon for WFGFLE and a potential planetary pollution cleanup. Maybe the oldest, densest population worlds would benefit from these pollutant eaters, so I’ll file them in the special discoveries folder. It appears that this folder is quite full, but then again, this whole moon is quite the special discovery. 42

I kept observing the giant pollutant eater until it had eaten its fill and decided to move on. My original goal was to follow it to its nest or wherever its next location was, but I got sidetracked. Since my curiosity subroutines were powered down and my WFGFLE acquisition subroutines were now at priority one, I couldn’t help but to document what I found on the other side of the volcano: a natural hot spring. This thermal spring triggered my WFGFLE coding since a large part of the WFGFLE brand is leisure. It is the “L” in WFGFLE, after all. Therefore, any potential vacation or getaway locations are prime business opportunities. Part of my job is determining the enjoyability of potential leisure locations. I have never actually encountered a leisure location before, so I must defer to the company handbook for “Enjoying a Leisure Experience Basics: Spas, Hot Tubs, and Hot Springs.” Step 1: Change out of your day-to-day outfit into a swimsuit or other waterproof apparel. Well, since I am a robot, I guess I can skip this step.

Step 2: Carefully enter the body of water so as to slowly acclimate your body to the elevated temperature, and to avoid splashing other guests at the establishment. I appear to be alone in this hot spring, but I might as well do a scan just in case.

SCANNING… Oh! My apologies, there are actually a few million other lifeforms in this spring, all of them are microscopic pollutant eaters, but I wouldn’t want to be rude nevertheless. Slow and steady…

SETTING DESCENT SPEED TO 0.0001%. Step 3: Once you are fully submerged up to your neck in the water, let the warmth loosen your muscles and wash all your fatigue away. Since I do not have any muscles, nor any fatigue, I think I’ll set a timer to what I estimate is the appropriate amount of time. Step 4: Once you are sufficiently relaxed, exit the water, towel down, and enjoy a cool beverage to reinvigorate your senses. Hm. It seems like I am not quite relaxed, nor do I see any cool beverages nearby. I guess I was incorrect about the viability of this hot spring as a potential leisure location. Good thing I followed the handbook, or else I would have documented this incorrectly and might have caused a waste in time and resources. I’ll move on from this location now that I know it’s a bust.

After my miscalculated attempt at discovering a potential vacation highlight, I decided to travel in the direction of the large pollutant eater again. However, since I could no longer see the giant creature nor where it flew, I stopped at a dense smattering of rainforest-covered islands. My scanners detected a higher-than-usual density of lifeforms, and I thought they might give me a clue as to what the origins of that behemoth was. However, I instead found a range of specimens that, while they somewhat resembled each other, seemed to display a range of slightly divergent adaptations. I’ve designated a new subfolder for these similar yet remarkable creatures.

These little balls of fur not only have physical differences, but also differences in behavior and personalities. My non-interference directive prevents me from actively interacting with them, but these creatures, who seemingly have avoided any active predators, treat my presence as something curious rather than frightening. While this makes observations easier, it does cause me some difficulty in trying to avoid them so that I don’t break WFGFLE protocol. 49

This individual has caused me the most difficulty as I documented these islands. It keeps following me, no matter how hard I try to shake it off of my trail. It looks to be a juvenile of its species, so it may have imprinted onto me the notion that I am its parent. I haven’t found any other members of its species as I have been traversing the archipelago, so maybe it has been abandoned?

However, my directives state that I cannot allow my presence on this world to interfere with the ecosystem or any potential profitable material acquisition, so I must not let this creature’s attachment cause any trouble. This would be a simple case of retreating to a safe distance and moving on with my task, but somehow this creature latches onto my exterior without triggering any of my sensors. I have made 83 escape attempts so far and the little one foiled me every time.

Because of this little creature, I have found myself in quite the conundrum. Since any action I take to leave this moon would result in the harm or death of this lifeform, I am essentially stuck on Serena.

Unless I convince it to stop following me so closely, I cannot climb to too high of an altitude for fear of accidentally dropping my new associate. I also cannot leave the atmosphere to go into orbit, for obvious reasons. Until I find the materials required to build a suit for deep-sea exploration, my friend here cannot come with me below the ocean either.

I have decided to call my new travelling partner “Tabby.”

Since Tabby and I are now inseparable, there’s nothing I can do other than keep exploring the surface of Serena. Despite the vast amounts of data I have already collected, my journey has only covered a tiny percentage of the world’s surface. There are many islands left for us to visit, and I’m sure WFGFLE would prefer a fully comprehensive report anyways, so I am in no hurry to leave. 54

I guess now I’ll have someone to help me test the foodstuffs and leisure I discover from here on.

END OF REPORT. BEGINNING OF REPORT 2: TAL-BOT & TABBY EDITION.

Designed and bound at George Mason University School of Art, Fairfax, Virginia.

Follow TAL-BOT, a robot tasked with exploring outer space to find exotic lifeforms and resources, on his journey through a particularly intriguing corner of the unknown. What will he find? How will he document his findings? To find out, take a look inside this journal, his journal, to experience his discoveries directly from the source.