[snip]

With the survey work underway the group over the next two hours were awash in incoming preliminary data. Obviously they would need to fully download it into the Sojourner’s computer back on the ship to fully get into details on things but after two hours of work, and such they could get the basics of the following.

1) The soil around here down to a depth of 30-40 or so feet was fairly well off in richness for things like basic farming and other forms of growth for local plant life. Whether they could equally support Earth plants or needed some adjustments would have to be found out later or by the ship’s computer.

2) Regarding the soil it was also rich in simple animal life similar to worms, insects, etc. All of which seemed to mostly form the similar functions they would on Earth. At a glance the only insect which might be a bit of trouble was a tiny ant like insect which was predatory to others, from simple observations their only purpose was to eat and eat more. In this regard they were similar to Earth locusts in clearing an area. Likely such insects were in a long term way useful for rebirthing a soil’s life every few decades or such but a colony would need to find a way to mitigate their impact on plant growth efforts.

3) Water samples came back confirming the water was quite drinkable and pure of any contaminants. The supply points for this area up and down stream were also showing strong indications of remaining pure and drinkable with minimal fuss.

4) Further for water samples life was evident, small and medium sized fish like creatures showed they could caught and cooked. Plant life in turn in the water also showed that with minor preparations would also be viable as a local food source.

5) Regarding deeper soil and rock samples that had been their primary purpose to come here surface level probing down to about 100 or so feet showed promising evidence of copper, iron, and such base metals. While their purity was still in question compared to how refined and useful they would be for Earth it was a promising start. There was also clear evidence of precious metals and minerals as well.

6) Finally it would seem from a geographical and metrological point Issacs’s words of the area flooding if it rained was quite unlikely. It would require days or weeks of heavy rain and storms to build up anything considerable of flooding the whole valley. Yes there may be small levels of flooding from the nearby river but again due to the hive of small subterrain caves and such they were also picking up water would take some time to build up in any manner to flow over the river banks by more then a few feet, which they were well clear of.

As Isaac was mentioning a light storm of rain was coming in from the south. While it did not appear to be one that would produce say lightening or anything else that would impede the shuttle pod. It would likely produce a steady rain which would soak them a bit if they remained out in the open. But with the time spent doing this work the NE armory officer on patrol had also taken the time in the past two hours to erects a small covered 50x50 ft floor and roof work area that would protect their equipment and themselves. Though they could also use this time to head up hill a short ways and do similar survey work in the nearby caves which would no doubt produce more viable results on the quality and quantity of minerals and such present.

GM CockRoach

Heather stood up straight and stretched her back. After the landing party had split up to start their survey work, several of the accompanying NE’s had worked on putting together a temporary structure for them. While they had been putting that together, she had pulled the ground penetrating scanners out from the shuttle, and had set them up in a triangle pattern, with the point stretching towards a nearby cave entrance. Since then she had been reviewing the scan data as it had been coming in, hunched over one of the tables that had been set up.

Looking at the clock she noticed that it had been over 2 hours since they had started. Good enough excuse to take a small break and get an update from everyone. Reaching into her pocket she pulled out her communicator and flipped it open.

[O] Grace to Pod 1 Team. Would everyone make there way back to the basecamp. Let’s take a short break and get an update on what everyone has found so far. [O]

Cmdr. Grace - XO/CSO

T’Mera was one of the first back to the base camp. She nodded coolly to Commander Grace. Although not trained extensively as a scientist, her Vulcan schooling had been sufficient for the task of collecting and analyzing samples of the local flora and fauna, several of which were now packed in to cases to await either further study or transport to the ships lab, particularly the migratory species of Formicidae, which would potentially require action if a permanent settlement was to be established.

“Commander.” Stated T’Mera coolly as she arrived, with a slight nod of her head by way of greeting.

She transferred her initial data to the Commander, along with a recommendation that with the base of operations in place, they should now set up the communications ground station, to ensure contact be maintained with any survey team deployed in to the cave systems, as well as to allow improved sharing of data with both the ship and the other survey mission.

Sublieutenant T’Mera - Linguist/Comms Officer

Even in the meeting up after doing some work El was thinking of ‘that’ moment when her toe touched down on another world not in their system. Truth be told she had never stepped foot on any of ‘those’ either. This was a doubly ‘new’ thing for her. Even after moving about she had only started to feel the pull of the increased gravity. Really unnoticeable at first she felt it in the way she climbed a hill and how there was that much more - even if it was a bit - of a drag on her, though with her fluid movements it was hard to tell if she felt it that much or not. But the extra effort did help with the cool air and both keeping her warm and helping her forget about it. The sights were not as ‘alien’ as she had supposed it might be. It could have been any forest somewhere on Earth. At least it was possible. El was not ‘that’ well traveled. But, she thought, it was the air and the sky that was the big difference. The air was fresh but the scents in it from the earth and trees were just a little off, a little different, a little ‘alien’ to her nostrils. The sky held a tint of something new from Earth. The sun was larger and not the orange-white. All these were small but they were reminders that she was not on Earth.

El was not a metallurgist but she worked with them. In that she tried to undertake a useful scan. She focused not on the surface topsoil which was crazy deep compared to most areas on earth which had that in inches and not in feet. Because of the depth she had to focus on specific areas on a tight scan; her scanner was not exactly specialized for this. She did a fair survey of the geological landscape, particularly the strata and layering, the veins and what they were. It was not surprising to find base metals. I mean, what did she expect? Some kind of complex natural alloy? A vein of transparent aluminum? What did surprise her was the potential of precious metals and rare earths.

“It’s got potential, Commander.” El said. “I read base metals in probably mineable amounts. I can’t tell how much work it would take to get them out and refine them but they are there. Getting some readings on precious metals and rare minerals but beyond a positive indication I can’t tell much.” She paused, then added. “I know we’re mainly the first to look at it but from what I’m seeing my opinion is if this is it it’s not much. Promising but not any kind of mother lode. 30 meters down is a long way to dig and clear ground. It’s a good start but what it needs is a crew of prospectors to hunt out more surface level outcrops unless we want to butcher the environment with open pit mining.”

• El, Ent

When everyone was off doing there survey work Isaac had a good base camp set up afew tent structures and had a small com tower going. The he tower will give the team a strong communication single with the ship, the team, and if the other team gets their com tower up they will be able to communicate with each other.

Lt. Isaac Black (AC)

“Don’t forget the fact that the equipment for an open pit mine would be pretty extensive. I would have to assume that they are looking for something a bit easier to get started with here.”

This was the case of an engineer playing geologist and basing much of her estimations on common sense engineering and the equipment and means to get the ore out much less refine it. Mining on Earth was not that hard. Even the moon and Io and the Asteroid mining was not that hard. Equipment was well within the span of a feat of logistics to develop and build it. Here, all these light years away, would be like an old wagon train in the stars. So much equipment needed as a start up. It wouldn’t be worth hauling ore back all that distance. Everything would need to be set up here on a small scale and then expand. And that meant ‘easy’ access to the ore. A converted cargo craft to make it in to a small scale refinery. Another ship with the mining materials to set up. Originally they used dynamite and pick axes to get the ore out and hauled out with donkeys. Small beginnings is not a crime. “From small beginnings come great things,” she said, “Wherever they choose to mine or settle, it will begin quite small. I think we need look where it is best gain for least effort.” She looked around. “This land with this soil would farm well if the growing season is long enough.” El liked seeing things grow. She had seen the small arboretum on the Sojo and had thought of planting a seed or two that she had with her. They had been symbolic things she had carried to remind her of her youth and that all things grow if given care and patience. She glanced at Isaac and T’Mera wondering about them. There looked to be a restless energy within Isaac that held little discipline. That seemed to be in contrast with T’Mera, her sanguine appearance yielding nothing of what lay underneath. That puzzled El, but also intrigued her. Side by side Isaac was like a rambunctious hound and T’Mera a composed cat. She wondered if that was how T’Mera thought of all humans in her eyes.
- El, Eng

She looked up. The clouds seemed higher than on Earth. Perhaps because of the gravity they needed a higher elevation to be suspended. She didn’t know much on meteorology but this just highlighted the differences. She was on another world entirely. Pressing the toe of her boot into the grass and dirt felt the same. The sun on her face felt the same even if it looked different in the sky, and cold just felt cold to her. After these hours the smells were almost ‘normal’ to her senses, having acclimated some to their subtle, if alien, scents.

Pulling out a basic map of the area, Heather laid it flat on one of the tables that had been set up. “Thankfully we have more areas around here to search. It was one of the reasons why I picked this landing site. The hope would have been that a vein would have come towards the open clearing here, but I think we still have a good shot of finding something in the nearby mountains.”

She looked up at Lieutenant Black, “Lieutenant, what did you find with the geological survey of the surrounding area? Did you identify a likely cave system for us to try?”

Cmdr. Grace - XO/CSO

Isaac walk over to the map “yes 2 of them one at point 6D and 8G. They are very deep and scans show copper and dilithium” he said marking the map. “I also got our small com tower up so our coms have a bit more range and our com with our ship is better if team 2 gets there small tower going we can have contact with them” he said relaxing a bit (Isaac didn’t like public speaking)

Lt. Isaac Black (AC)

OOC: Ok folks please read the above number 5 point I made about minerals and such, you only got to scan down to 100ft not very deep really, no where did i say anything about dilthium only that there was clear evidence of precise minerals/metals, while yes this COULD lead to dilhtium and the like its by no means a confirming of such. you literally will need to get out to the caves i indicated being present below ground and go cave diving. Also there is no problems with comms to the ship or the other teams so no need for comm towers, plus with both pods there would not have been room for such given you were all crammed in there tight and only have general survey equipment plus the tent stuff like now (nor did anyone put in before hand any attempt to arrange to beam such stuff down ) so i am going to ask James you please edit your above reply to fit this and let me know if you got any further questions on this matter....

GM CockRoach