Providence [M]

[Holocene]

Walther looked up and put his pad down as Goldshield came in and began to talk to him. "What we will find is indeed the question. Treasure, most certainly, although for who it will be treasure is a better question. Treasure for me would be life, but I'm doubtful. At least something that is worth studying I hope."

Walther then got up off his bed, and said, "We had better go meet with everyone else, and find out who's going out. Maybe my compatriot will finally show up."
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Aaron took an assault rifle from the armory, and a few magazines of spare ammunition, and followed Dhalia. He smirked as Chenzi asked to borrow a weapon. Someone sure was a bit trigger happy. He hoped they wouldn't need any big guns. His first time on an unexplored planet would sure be dampened if he had to fear for his life.

He stood with Dhalia, and prepared himself mentally for the mission ahead.
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Solara showed up at the staging area, but stood off in a corner by herself, observing everyone else. At least that had a sizable security detail for a ship this small. If any complications arose, they would hopefully be able to deal with it.

She waited for the captain to arrive and organize the landing team.

[UserError404]

The crew gathered in the staging area near the loading bay and awaited further orders. Goldshield followed Walther down and Chenzi followed Dhalia. The captain joined his crew and began to give assignments. "Well everyone, here we are! I'm sure you are eager to hear if you are going to be the first on this planet, so let me just get to it." He pulled out his pad to look at his list "Officers Walther and Solara, you should know what you have to do. Make sure you take some decent notes out there! Next we have your security detail. Officer Dhalia, I would like you to choose one of your officers to accompany you to the planet. The other will guard the ship. Baat, would you please run a diagnostic on the ship? I want to make sure there was no damage sustained during landing. Sir Goldshield, we don't know what is in store for our friends out there. In the event that someone returns injured, please be prepared. Is everyone clear? Oh, I should say to those who are not on the exploration team, if you would like your chance to explore the unexplored, please let me know and I'll try and make some arrangements. Ideally, we will be running more than one mission on this planet so keep that in mind. And with that, you are all dismissed. The exploration team will be leaving in 10 minutes." Kenta put away his pad and stepped forward as the crew was dismissed "Dr. Walther and Ms. Dhalia, may I please have a word with you before you leave?" Kenta stepped aside with the officers "Make sure you are careful out there. I can't stress that enough. Should you find life, and it ends up being hostile, do not engage. This first mission will be short and, since the composition of the atmosphere seems rather welcoming, hopefully it will be easy. I would like you back before night falls. The ships computer calculates we have six hours until that happens. I want you back in five. Now would be the time to voice any concerns, so feel free!" Kenta waited for the officers to voice their opinions.

Chenzi listened to the captain's speech and was visibly disappointed when she was not chosen to go to the planet. Looking at Dhalia then down at the floor when she returned the gaze, Chenzi walked away when the captain dismissed everyone and went to her personal quarters. She then began packing a small bag with a few necessary items and her personal weapons.

Goldshield was satisfied with the captain's orders. He had done his fair share of exploring and the medical lab was his place. That is where he felt most comfortable and so he was pleased with what the captain decided. When the crew was dismissed, he returned to his lab and began disinfecting his equipment should it require use.

[abbiejlee95]

Dhalia listened carefully to the captains instructions and smiled when she caught Chenzis disappointed look. Poor thing. She would get her chance. "No questionsss captain. We are here to protect and ssserve. We will do all in our power to avoid engaging unless the crew or ourssselves are directly threatened. We await your ordersss to disssimbark."

[Holocene]

Walther nodded to the captain, and then approached Solara. "Where have you been?" he asked.

Solara stared at him for a moment, before replying simply, "Cargo bay."

"Oh, yup, that makes sense. First place I'd go," Walther replied.

Solara just stood there.

"Uh...well, anyways, I think it's better if just you go on this expedition. I'll stay in the lab, where we have a direct communication link, and you can begin uploading data as soon as you step foot out, and I'll start sorting and analyzing it."

Solara nodded, and then joined those who were going out.

[UserError404]

"No questions? Splendid!" Kenta said as he turned from the two officers. "Hey Chen... Chenzi?" He looked around for his second in command to no avail. "Strange. Where did she run off to?" As the crew prepared, Kenta checked the bridge. He found Chenzi in her personal quarters packing a bag. He entered in unannounced. "I do hope you don't plan on leaving so soon. It might be a dangerous world out there!" Kenta said sarcastically.

"I want to go." Chenzi said somberly.

"I know. You will." Kenta sat down by the table in their shared area. "I wasn't going to announce this but I did plan on having you go on the second exploration mission. Why don't you have a seat, perhaps we can discuss this further?"

Chenzi sat down reluctantly. "Of courssse captain. I'm sssssure you know besssst. But I wanted to be one of the firsssst. I would like to help the ssssecurity team. You know I am good with gunsssss."

Kenta looked at her with a puzzled face. He pulled out his personal tablet and looked over a list. He sighed and pushed a few buttons "Well, lucky you! It looks like there is suddenly an opening on the security team. I suppose it can't be so bad to have a little extra protection for the people exploring a foreign planet. You can go, but you leave in five minutes and you are to exercise extreme caution alright? No being a hero. No getting trigger happy. Follow Dhalia's orders to the letter."

Chenzi's face lightened up "Thank you ssso much! I won't let you down ssssir. Today will be a great day for exploration!" She grabbed her bag and stood up.

"Yeah, yeah. Now I believe you are suppose to report to your security officer in about..." Kenta looked at his tablet "... two minutes and twenty-five seconds."

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Dhalia received a message on her tablet: "Officer Dhalia, there has been a small update to the mission. Chenzi will now be accompanying you for security detail on the planet. If she gives you any trouble, please let me know."

Shortly after, Chenzi found Dhalia and happily saluted her. "Chenzi reporting for ssssecurity detail ma'am! I was told to report to you for my equipment and assignment."

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The ten minutes went by and the captain saw off the exploration crew. The cargo bay doors came down and revealed a vast desert with rolling hills. The ship landed in what appeared to be a flat crater, with sandy hills blocking further vision, approximately half a click in each direction. The solid, dark brown rock directly beneath the ship faded into a light-colored sand about five meters out. The sun, slowly approaching the horizon, was beaming down from the yellow colored sky. Orange clouds could be sparsely seen. Where the exploration team went now was up to them. Chenzi silently awaited orders from Dhalia, or perhaps from the science officer accompanying them.

[abbiejlee95]

Dhalia smirked at the excited Chenzi and quickly went over safety procedures and handed her a laser pistol. "Do NOT fire that weapon unlessss you are in immediate danger. Underssstand?" She made sure she was in position to be the first person off of the ship and told her subordinates to form a perimeter in front of the others as they stepped off the ship. She scanned the horizon for any movement and waited for the exploration team to decide which direction they wanted to head.

[Holocene]

Aaron watched with anticipation as the cargo bay doors lowered, and the new world came into view. He was awestruck by the orange sky and the seemingly endless desert. Although it wasn't quite what he expected, and he knew he had to stay with the team and follow orders, he was filled with excitement, wanting to run to the top of the closest hill and see what he could see.

He quickly got into the position Dahlia had ordered, his eyes constantly scanning the surroundings, more out of fascination than fear.
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Solara looked at the group with her. Being the only scientist, it was probably up to her to lead the party. Not as task she wanted to do, but having the muscle along would help.

Solara scanned the desert that surrounded them. What were they supposed to find here?

She turned, to Aaron, and said, "Carry the science equipment," before pointing back to the ship, where a heavy backpack of gear had been set. At least the security could help carry gear. She had her own small backpack with some basic equipment and personal tablet, but any real readings or scanning would have to be done with the heavy equipment.

The environment all around them looked dry and barren. Solara figured their only option now was to pick a direction and walk, until they got to the top of a dune to see if there was anything to see.

She looked to the group and pointed in a direction, towards the closest large dune.

[UserError404]

Chenzi happily followed the group in the seemingly random direction they were going. As the team crested the nearby hill, their eyes were met with vast canyon. About one click below them in the same direction they were headed was a vast landscape of cracks and deep holes. Those familiar with canyon formation could probably tell that this system of winding crevices, some bigger than others, was likely formed by running water long ago. The cracks ran across the landscape for miles and all led to a oval shaped pit. Many of the smaller cuts merged seamlessly with the terrain, allowing one to walk down the slope and explore its depths, while a couple of the largest ones seemed to stretch into the horizon. However, the landscape remained silent and barren as the gentle breeze kicked up small amounts of sand around them.

Taking in the landscape, Chenzi stood in awe. "Wow..." she said, mesmerized. Before long though, she realized how hot it was. Floran don't do well in the heat. As such, Chenzi made a suggestion, "Do you think we could check out the canyon? Maybe get ssssome sssshade?"

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As the crew left for their mission, Kenta turned around to his remaining crew. "Dr. Walther... May I call you Walther? I'd like you to stay in touch with our exploration team. Stay on comms in case they have something to report. Meanwhile, Sir Goldshield and I will set up the detailed composite atmospheric testing equipment in addition to the long distance communications relay. This seems like a decent place to set up camp, with the hills protecting us on all sides... hopefully. Oh, and Mr. Baat, please get back to me with the system diagnostic as soon as it is complete. Thank you everyone!"

As Goldshield and Kenta began moving the bulky equipment outside, the silence of the planet began to sneak into the ship. Aside from an occasional light breeze, no sounds were heard. As Walther manned the comms, there were no issues with the radio transmission. When Baat ran a diagnostics check on the ship, he did find something a little off. First of all, the system heat seemed a little high but considering the rather intense heat on the surface, that wasn't too surprising. However, if the system heat got too high, it could begin damaging the ships more sensitive systems and eventually lead the ship to shut down in an attempt to dissipate the heat. In addition, the planet surface scanner seemed to be on the blink. It was giving off strange readings. Sometimes it would show the planet as two separate halves of a sphere, sometimes it would show the planet as having a series of holes running through it, and sometimes it would show mountains shooting off into space. All of this seemed rather ridiculous considering the view they got from orbit. Aside from that, the diagnostic scan report all systems as functioning properly.

[abbiejlee95]

Dhalia silently concurred with Chenzi as the heat hit her. She looked out around them and a shudder of anticipation ran up her spine. They were in for an adventure.

[Holocene]

Solara also viewed the distant canyon and cracks in the ground with awe. Even before Chenzi asked if they should go there, Solara was thinking that should be their next destination. "That is a good option. It should only take a few hours to go there and come back."

Though the heat bore down on her like everyone else, it gave a sense of familiarity from when she was younger. That, and her drive to see what was ahead allowed her to ignore it's effects.
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Aaron on the other hand was struggling with his load and the heat. He looked down at the canyon with wonder, but then internally sighed when he heard them talk about going down to it.

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"I would prefer you did call me Walther," Walther replied. "And already on it."

Walther got to his lab and got the communicator set up. "Solara, can you read me?"

"Yes. We have found some sort of canyon system in the distance. We are proceeded to it now. I will report in when we arrive."

After the brief communication, Walther began turning on and preparing the other reading and analyzation devices in his lab.