| Property | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | ~230m West from Lifepod, Southwestern Shallows |
| Depth | 30m (Surface structure), 70m+ (Sinkhole/Cave) |
| Coordinates | -358367, 443123 |
| Key Items | Oxygen Tunic, Sonic Resonator Fragment, Nutrient Blocks |
| Related Story | Wander's Field Notes, Bloom Node, Heat Tolerance Angel Comb |
The Spider Dome is an unusual coral structure located in the southwestern corner of the Shallows, west of the Welcome Center. As described by the PDA, it resembles a spider growing over a sinkhole.
According to Kinuiin "Wander" Wangmo, the coral grew in this shape to prevent the Bloom from escaping and spreading. Inside the sinkhole beneath the dome lies one of two Bloom Nodes tied to the Heat Tolerance Angel Comb.
Overview
The Dome Structure
The Spider Dome consists of a single, oversized Coral Dome suspended over a sinkhole by four large "limbs" made of the same coral material. Various sessile lifeforms grow across its surface, including:
The interior of the dome is hollow and contains a plethora of Quartz and a single Oxygen Tunic.
Two small worksites are located below the dome:
- Upper Site: Contains an empty Portable Locker, a Storage Cache, and a small chest with a Nutrient Block.
- Lower Site: Overlooks the sinkhole. Contains the Databank entry Wander - "Spider Dome Report," a Sonic Resonator fragment, and another chest with a Nutrient Block.
The Sinkhole and Cave
Directly below the Spider Dome is a sinkhole blocked by Bloom Biofilm. Players must use a Sonic Resonator to clear the opening.
Once cleared, players can enter a Bloom-infested cave. Key features include:
- Bloom Node: Sits atop the intersection of four Titan Rockbores. To cure the node, players must destroy four Bloom Cankers in the main chamber.
- Fauna: Water Slugs (some trapped by Bloom Sap), Bloom Parasites (while the node is uncured), Halfmoons, and Bluemoons.
- Flora: Scant instances of Feather Kelp.
- Blackbox: Blackbox - Wander (depth 70m - in a viral bloom) can be found next to a blocked oxygen vent.
Exits:
- Northern Exit: Following the Titan Rockbore north eventually leads to the Heat Tolerance Angel Comb. This route features Halfmoons, Bluemoons, and more Feather Kelp.
- Eastern Exit: Leads out over Sleep Bay 3's pit. A lone Oxygen Tunic is found near this exit.
Location
The Spider Dome is located approximately 230 meters west of the starting Lifepod, on the edge of the Shallows biome at a depth of roughly 30 meters.
Databank Entries
Spider Dome
An unusual coral structure.
—Sinkhole beneath coral mass releases an anomalous strain of Proteavirus
—Coral mass grows towards highest concentration of this virus, obstructing its flow
—Coral mass emits virophages, viruses that target and destroy the anomalous virus
Further investigation into viral ecology recommended.
Wander - "Spider Dome Report"
Field notes, Wander, not Ander. Out here for Nahema, learning to be a biologist. I have one spare tank, my reprint site is Habitat, zazazaza.
So. The ocean is full of Proteavirus, and now we are full of it too. I asked Nahema, is it a disease like kharaa? And she said, no, don't you know the difference between virus and bacteria? And I said, give me a break, I learned science off my PDA.
But there are different kinds of Proteavirus. Look here. Look how the coral grew over this sinkhole. Like a spider. Like a plug...and it's emitting virophages. Virus that kills other virus.
One strain of Proteavirus is in that coral spider. The normal strain. And it's trying to stop a different strain coming up out of that hole. Nahema calls it the bloom strain.
Why would a virus want to kill another virus? I will go check this out.
[metadata author = K. "Wander" Wangmo]
