Tziporah "Zip" Malk

Tziporah Malk, known as Zip, is a pioneer who served as the lead salvor for the colony after the Cicada crashed into Proteus. An expert in salvaging, Zip played a crucial role in the survival efforts. Due to extreme infection levels, she was reprinted by the NoA in an older state with significant memory loss, forgetting friends like Nahema and Anita.

Her last recorded death occurred 245,000 hours ago at the Karakorum Metal Farms due to an electric shock from an Axum conduit. She was reprinted following this incident.

Blackboxes

Zip's blackboxes contain important story elements and items.

Blackbox 1: Graveyard Caves

• Location: Graveyard Caves
• Depth: 305 meters
• Coordinates: -303399, 449728, -30525
• Item: Contains the Kurul Level Access Key, required to access a locked door in the Tadpole Pens.
• Dialogue: "Nahema is wrong. We CAN flourish here. We just have to help..."

Blackbox 2: Karakorum Metal Farms

• Location: Karakorum Metal Farms
• Depth: 475 meters
• Coordinates: -137006, 395661, -47070
• Hazard: Electrical hazard
• Dialogue: "Ease up, boss. I got my memory wiped, not my wits. There's no current. After two hundred years the whole complex must be so corroded -" [loud electrical discharge]

Databank Entries

Profile: Tziporah "Zip" Malk

• Gender: W
• Mission Role: EVA engineer, lead salvor
• Pay Rate: Kurul [expired Mongolian Free States trademark for member of a leadership council]
• Biography: Veteran of multiple space construction projects in Mongolian Independent States. Survived two one-way colony missions and frequent relativistic travel between stars. Outgoing, well-liked, highly motivated to comfort and befriend the withdrawn or struggling.
• Notes: Like other senior Mongolian refugees, may require corrective action to avoid unionist behavior and work stoppages.

Blackbox - Zip (depth 305m)

• Event: Print loss
• Audio: "Nahema is wrong. We CAN flourish here. We just have to help..."
• Postmortem:
  • Cause: Asphyxia
  • Complications: Trance state, severe viremia
  • Nearby Pioneers: 0
  • Time: ~245,000 hours ago
  • Reprint: FAILED (extreme retroviral contamination)
  • Status: DO NOT PRINT/SCHEDULE RESET
  • Remarks: Kurultai access codes retrieved
  • Result: FORK TERMINATED

Blackbox - Zip (depth 475m - electrical hazard)

• Audio: "Ease up, boss. I got my memory wiped, not my wits. There's no current. After two hundred years the whole complex must be so corroded—" [loud electrical discharge]
• Postmortem:
  • Tziporah died of electrical shock. Current traveling through her hand caused ventricular fibrillation and muscle damage, which her AEP suit was unable to correct.
  • Tziporah died surrounded by colleagues.
  • Tziporah died about 245,000 hours ago.
  • Tziporah’s blackbox transmitted her to a biobed in a nearby base camp. Due to a recent reset, Tziporah's body was nearly free of contaminants.
  • Result: Tziporah's life continued.

Relevant Entries

Nahema/Zip - "We were friends?"

• Source: Found southwest of the Karakorum Power Plant, near the Methane Burner
• Transcript:
  • NAHEMA: What was in those giant tanks?
  • ZIP: Huh? Oh. Um-probably methane. Natural gas.
  • NAHEMA: I thought this was a hydroelectric plant.
  • ZIP: Originally, yeah, but the old Axum added a methane burner about...um...hang on, let me check my databank.
  • NAHEMA: It's okay. Hey - really. It's okay. Where's Mantis?
  • ZIP: He's up there, on the broken turbine. He thinks you can help him fix it.
  • NAHEMA: Up that big arch? All right.
  • ZIP: So...before I got reset...we were friends?
  • NAHEMA: Yeah. We were.
  • ZIP: Is it okay if I write that down?

Zip - "We can live here!"

• Source: Found deep in the hot caves under the Graveyard
• Transcript:

  This is the place. We should live down here. I'll convince you all!

  Tuba, you want new flavors to cook? The jelly rings are full of sap - it tastes like fermented caramel.

  Dr. Wu, the vent organisms are primary producers! No light needed to grow them. Nutritionist, sustain thyself!

  Sean, the rockbore's fractures go down into volcanic bedrock. Don't you want to see how far?

  Iso, if you and your minions are so tough, you should try living in boiling water!

  Mantis, boss, you wanted a safer place to park the biobeds? Right here. And it's got free geothermal powers.

  Sophie, you're afraid we'll provoke the Tailings? Well, I've been visiting for weeks and they NEVER come down here. They're afraid of it!

  Nahema, oh, girl, you'd hate this place. Because it means you're wrong! This world IS fit for humans. We can thrive here. Come down and see! I can hear the whole planet...

  [metadata author = Tziporah "Zip" Malk]