Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Isaac Black (Chief Armory Officer) in Main Sim - Wolf 359 Planet 2 - Pod 1 Survey Work

Posted by Ensign Elemirre Serinde (Engineering Officer) in Main Sim - Wolf 359 Planet 2 - Pod 1 Survey Work

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Isaac Black (Chief Armory Officer) in Main Sim - Wolf 359 Planet 2 - Pod 1 Survey Work
Posted by… suppressed (7) by the Post Ghost! 👻

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Turning back towards the shuttle pod, she zipped up her coat a bit higher as she pulled out her scanner. “This area was selected for surveying because of the wide network of caves in the area. I would expect that it would take a decent amount of time for the caves to fill before this area would then flood. More then enough time for us to get back into the shuttlepod and evacuate.

“But if it will put your mind at ease, you can start with a geological scan of the immediate area. Try to map out as much of the cave system you can from here.

“Speaking of which, we need to get started on our survey of this area. Dr Grey, start with surveying the local drinking water situation, and also the flora in the immediate area. I really would not like to walk into a patch of the local version of poison ivy. Sublieutenant, would you mind assisting the Doctor? Ensign Serinde, I could use your assistance surveying for mineral deposits.

“And everyone, stay in eyesight of the shuttlepod. Until we know what is in the local area, we don’t want to roam to far. Understood?”

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 analysing 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 Iron ” he said marking the map. “As I was walking around I found a few tracks. I would like to leave some trail cameras down here if that will be possible tonight.” He said

Lt. Isaac Black (AC)

OOC: sorry for the mess up everyone I have edited my post. Sorry for the inconvenience of caused everyone.

El mused over that. “Because the big cats come out from the caves then do you think?” El asked. They had no idea whether the ‘cats’ that were detected, while feline in some nature from scans, they didn’t necessarily follow the Earth norm. El had to think about that. This wasn’t their world. Well, maybe it was now, but the regular rules didn’t necessarily apply. A ten foot long cat is still potentially dangerous, nocturnal or not. They were not necessarily a ‘small rodent’ but then, to a cat standing almost as high as she was tall, well, she could just be a tall rodent. And they would be in their caves.

“How big are the caves?” she asked. “Yes they are extensive, but if the cats move around in them and use them as dens are they high enough for us to walk in?” She looked at the commander. “If these animals use them as dens and extended tunnels like gophers, is it right to invade them for the purpose of prospecting and mining?” All life was precious. As am I, so are these. As are these, so am I. Even distant from home that was so. They could yet learn much, provided they did not wind up as lunch.

A breeze stirred against her face, faint, but enough to feel it’s coolness and for her to see a faint rippling on the grasses. She felt the urge to kneel down and brush her fingers through the grass and feel the dirt, the dirt of another world. It looked like a nice world. Why didn’t anyone else want it before them? What was it that someone had said that she overheard in the pod bay, that it was too far out from their normal trade routes or something like that. New things were not to be despised. To approach something new was to have opportunity to learn, to expand oneself and one’s people. That seemed a .. shortfall on their part, but to Earth’s gain in the end. El looked up. Somewhere up there was the Sojourner, so small in the vastness of space, but it was her home and this world will be someone else’s home.
- El, Eng

Isaac looked at EL “ Most of the tracks I found do lead out of the cave systems and some by the lake. If I look around more i may be able to find a hunting trail for them” he marking the areas on the map he found tracks.

Lt. Isaac Black (AC)

Heather nodded. “Lieutenant Grey and Sub-Lieutenant T’Mera can set-up the monitors we do have to try and see where the cats go. Mark the map as best as possible Lieutenant so they know where to go.

“As for the caves, we’ll have to do our best to avoid just avoid the cats as much as possible. The teams back home is not really going to accept the idea that they have to avoid an area just because there is some wildlife in the area. Because that is going to be the way it is in a lot of areas. If we do want to rule out this area for possible mining, we are going to have to do a lot more extensive survey. That means going into the caves.

“Lieutenant Black, take Ensign Serinde and get closer to the caves. Find us as good of an entrance to the cave system as you can, and lets try to avoid the cats okay?”

Cmdr. Grace - XO/CSO