Amazing, the growth appears to be exponential rather than linear. This amount of protein could revolutionize our subsurface agriculture. I wonder if the macronutrient structure is consistent with other livestock. Seems low in fat, but maybe that's because this originated from a calf muscle. I imagine the loin would yield a better caloric content with balanced fatty tissues. The only real issue is the decay rate and the odor. Surely that is manageable. What we really need is a longer term and larger sample size. Gods I hope we encounter more... There remains the minor issue of potential toxicity... I bet Nor could cleanse it, but he seems uninterested.. Must be the smell. Still... there must be some way...
He looks around, back to the meat... hesitates for a moment. Better safe than sorry. Removes a small leather case, unrolls it, chooses a suitable nib, affixes it to the barrel and lightly dips it into a transparent inkwell that shows its deep indigo contents, interspersed with small sparkling reflections--like the first stars emerging in the early hours of night. He looks around again, turns away from the firelight, his back to the rest of the group. After a few days of protestation, they have largely left him in peace to conduct his nightly studies, but he has learned, to his chagrin, that not all on this journey share his appreciation for science. He pulls up his left shirt sleeve, carefully traces a small rune on his upper forearm, returns his implements to their case. Rests his right index and middle fingers on the still-drying tattoo, closes his eyes for a moment, then open again. That should at least mitigate the possible effects.
*licks it*