Tau Ceti f is Directive 8020's destination world — a candidate habitable-zone exoplanet ~12 light-years from Earth. The Cassiopeia was redirected there after Earth's primary colony candidate stopped broadcasting; what the crew finds on arrival is the central horror of the game.
Real-world astronomy
- Star system — Tau Ceti, a sun-like G-class star.
- Distance — ~12 light-years (one of the closest sun-like stars).
- Status — Candidate planet, detected via radial velocity in 2012.
- Habitable zone — Conservative HZ, similar insolation to Earth.
In-game lore
- Tau Ceti f's surface harbours a memetic biomass — the variant.
- An advance probe sent decades earlier returned partial telemetry, hidden from the Cassiopeia crew under Directive 8020.
- The planet's atmosphere is breathable but contains airborne biomass spores; EVA protocols still required.
- Premonitions appear to be the variant 'leaking memories' through the Cassiopeia's Bearings tools.
FAQ
What is Tau Ceti f?
Tau Ceti f is an exoplanet in the habitable zone of the Tau Ceti star system, ~12 light-years from Earth. Real-world astronomers have detected candidate signals there; Directive 8020 builds its colony fiction around the planet.
Is Tau Ceti f a real planet?
It's a candidate exoplanet — first detected in 2012 via radial velocity, still being confirmed. Real-world data places it in the conservative habitable zone of Tau Ceti.
Why does the Cassiopeia go to Tau Ceti f?
In Directive 8020's lore, Tau Ceti f was selected as humanity's secondary colony target after the primary signal went dark. The Cassiopeia carries a frozen seed-bank population to establish a foothold.