We Came in Peace, For All Mankind (Closed for M13)

The Crewmembers of the Galileo project were chosen for two reasons. The first was obviously their technical, physical, and intellectual prowess. This was necessary to ensure the success of their mission. The second criterion was that the crewmembers be the least disagreeable to investing nations political constituents. Without this second criterion, the funding could never be sustained to keep the project afloat, and humanity would be defenseless against the unknown threats presented by any extraterrestrial beings that created or currently use the IWN. (Interstellar Wormhole Network) The first node which we discovered, located just beyond the outermost of our humble planets, has been dubbed ‘Stargate Alpha.’

The Voyager III spacecraft is the most advanced piece of human technology ever built. It is equipped with weapons designed for spacecraft to spacecraft combat as well as orbital bombardment. It possesses many exploratory and military probes, an atmospheric shuttle, and the finest instrumentation money can buy. With the aid of fuel resupply stations placed by unmanned craft among the star systems blessed with a stargate, it is capable of long-term exploration. We have no way to communicate with these stations, and thusly, no way to determine their survival in the event that they came across hostile aliens. In the event that hostiles are discovered, five of the chosen crew are military officers, and are trained in the use of the advanced new weaponry the Galileo project created. However, they have been ordered to avoid such engagements if at all possible. The last thing our beleaguered planet needs is a war with a strange and powerful technological species.

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Hanging above the heads of our heroes, despite all the talk of possible threats, is the hope of finding a new planet, where the deteriorating effects of carbon dioxide emissions and over population have not yet taken hold. It is this hope that may be behind Gabby Fishers’ dazzling smile at the Voyager III’s send off party in San Diego, California yesterday. Miss Fisher had words of naught but optimism for me and my colleagues. If you believe in god, pray that she is right. If not, then you must hope fervently.

-David Webber, NY Times. 2155 AD. 12 hours prior to launch.


July 10, 2155 (2 days to launch, ETA 4 days to Stargate Alpha)

Her feet already ached from the heels. The cameras flashed incessantly, capturing every graceful movement of her waltz with none other than Derrick H. Waldorf, the famed fighter pilot ace, who had protected the earth-to-orbit cargo launchers in the Atlantic from international terrorist attack for the almost four decade span they had been in operation. It was as if they had plucked him right from the propaganda posters. He was as handsome as he was charismatic. The cameras made her terribly nervous, even though she had been enduring them for going on two years now. A winning smile had glued itself to her face the moment she stepped from the limo, and it remained there still. But this was different. Tonight was special.

A massive countdown clock overlooked the dais presiding over the grand ballroom. It must be the size of Texas. Men and women dressed in finery intermingled with members of the press, and high ranking military officials conversed in quiet tones with Earth Defense Initiative bureaucrats.

“You are as lovely as they say. I wish you the best of luck in space, Miss Fisher. The Germans are as proud as your American countrymen.”

It felt artificial. Like politics. “Thank you captain. But I’m only a doctor. It is the others…”

“I read that you are an EVA specialist also, so not only a doctor, I think.”

Gabrielle smiled graciously, in accordance with the stiff politeness that seemed to accompany such events. “My contributions pale compared to yours, captain.”

“I think not. Whoever these bastards may be, they may mean us harm. It is a different war you fight.”

The thought made Gabrielle afraid, and she desperately tried to hide the feeling from her face. She was never afraid in space. That was where she belonged. Here, the stakes were so painfully obvious. “I will do everything in my power to ensure our survival. We could not do what we aim to do without people like you.”

They parted at that, and Gabrielle was finally free to survey the room for her crewmates. She cut a curvaceous figure in her evening gown, a beautiful and clinging raiment of light blue silk; to go with her eyes, the stylist had said. She ran a hand through her short white-blonde hair, and let her full lips curve into a smile when she saw her crew laughing and drinking in a corner. Drafted right out of college only two years ago, they were all young and energetic. Solemn resolve had claimed some, but not most.

“The media darling returns!”

“Shut up and give me a glass of that champagne, Nicolai.” Among more familiar company, her southern accent came to the fore. “Thanks for leaving poor old me to face the wolves all by myself.”

They were fifteen in all. The bold explorers, sent to map the heavens. Or so the media had christened them. To find earth-like worlds was their mission, and their vehicle was the Interstellar wormhole network they had discovered in the 2140’s. “I don’t know why you bother. You NASA types never learned how to hold your booze.” That was Aramake, JAXA’s contribution to the Galileo Project. His English had improved greatly in their two years together, and he soon proved to be a jolly companion.

“I need a drink. I know we are leaving soon, so I understand; but all this attention makes me feel awkward.” She sank heavily into one of the seats beside him and took a long pull from the champagne flute. The chair might have been the living room couch in her apartment. “I’m not cut out for this, Aramake san.”

“It will be over soon. We are destined for the stars.” They shared a smile, before he looked up and spoke to her “Beware, Gabby-chan, one of our popular military crewmates approaches.”

She straightened for the cameras.

Colonel Travis Williams, United States Rangers, paused for a few moments to make sure that his uniform was sitting properly before entering the main room for the celebratory function. As soon as he heard of the timing of the function when it had been announced months before, he immediately lodged his concerns about it.

"Less than forty-eight hours prior to launch, and we're expected to be smiling to the press and all the political vultures in some time wasting function? General, I will have far more important matters to attend to at that time than trying to help keep over inflated egos puffed up."

The rest of his equally valid points were rejected out of hand as well, and he was given very strict orders concerning what was required of him for his part of the mission.

"Plus, Colonel, ever since St James, as far as military people go, you can pretty much walk on water. We need you to make an appearance, say all the right things and generally soothe nerves by just being there. What would it say if the leader of the defence team didn't turn up?"

Travis slipped into the grand ballroom, scanning the immediate crowd for anyone he knew. Not seeing any familiar faces, he slid into the mingling guests and with relative ease moved about the room on his search. Usually, his height and build made him stand out in a crowd, but being in uniform, with a large group of similarly uniformed people of similar statures made it perfect background for him to blend into.

Outwardly calm, inwardly he was rather anxious. He was leading a small team - nothing new there. They had been training together for the last twelve months, learning each other's strengths and weaknesses, assigning primary and secondary duties, going over drills, scenarios, processes and procedures until some of them were more ingrained than signing their names. They were going to be deep behind enemy lines, in the most hostile of environments with zero backup, dubious supply lines against enemies of unknown capability and technological capabilities. With any luck, they would never meet, and all of his hard work would be for nothing.

"Life's not like that. St James proved that rather well, didn't it?" He barely heard his own words spoken as he thought aloud.

"Travis?" On hearing his name, he turned to find himself facing one of the few people he actually respected that was still in active service.

"Derrick. I see they sent you here too."

The pilot gave a good natured laugh. "Yes, well, there is the normal media horde here, and they want nothing but good photos. So, I got my orders, just like if they were flight orders, to come here and run distraction. You?"

"Similar, except I got front line duties. Being one of the team and all. Ah... shit." Travis brightened his expression as a small media pack moved in for the kill.

"Gentlemen, look this way please." With practiced ease, the two men took up their poses and endured the staccato burst of flashes as photos were taken. Each of the men started preparing their answers to the string of questions that never seemed to change from one public appearance to another. The two men endured fifteen minutes of standard routine questions, before someone actually asked something that made Travis think.

"Colonel Williams, why have they put a member of the Army in charge of a group of Aerospace personnel?"

Even Derrick looked surprised, and gave Travis a sideways look to see how he responded to that particular question. Travis cranked up his smile, looked down for a moment while his mind raced through many varied options to come up with an answer.

"Well, unlike my counterparts, I have experience in leading small groups in isolated territories, where resupply and support are not feasible and have to be dealt with carefully while still being able to meet objectives. Being someone unfamiliar with the specific defence systems on board, I can remain more objective about which system to use under what circumstances. Plus, I believe that each of us was evaluated for leadership potential by an international board, and I was the one that rated best, so I given command of the defence team."

"Do you think there is a need for the team?"

"We are an insurance policy for the scientists aboard the ship. Furthermore, each of us have scientific backgrounds as well, so we can assist in the primary goal of the mission. If, and I do stress if, we encounter any threats, only then will we take action to protect ourselves.

"Now, if you'll excuse us, we have some other people we need to speak to."

The two men walked away from the media people, Derrick barely keeping his smile in check. "Well done, Travis. I haven't seen you bullshit your way around something like that since the St James clusterfuck."

"Yeah. See where that got me?"

Derrick laughed. "The Army's equivalent of me? Media bait?"

"Got it in one. Ah, there they are. If you'll excuse me, I should go and mingle with the rest of the crew. Something tells me that there will be more photo and vid opportunities coming up."

"If I may, ask Doctor Fisher for a dance. You wont regret it, even at the cost of being mobbed by the media again."

Travis gave him a quizzical look as he approached the other crew members of Voyager Three. Compared to the rest of the them, he could have felt old, but rather than that, he allowed himself to consider himself mature. To his eyes, they were mostly kids, fresh out school with little real life behind them.

"Good evening." He peered over his shoulder at the countdown clock that dominated the room. "You think they're trying to hint at something?"

He caught a glance of Doctor Fisher straightening up, and he cast a quick glance over his shoulder. "Don't they ever give up?" He reached out a hand to Doctor Fisher, an unvoiced offer to assist her to stand up so that she would stand beside him and deal with the next round of inane questions.

Even though they were both Americans, Gabrielle had not come to know Travis all that well. This was almost certainly a result of the divide in thinking between the scientifically inclined crew members from their various space organizations, and the military crew. Many of her colleagues, and indeed, people around the world, thought it unwise to send such people on an exploratory mission. Gabrielle was inclined to agree with them, although she had been placated by the choice of a scientist for mission command. The need for caution is legitimate. The earth is dangerous for the unprotected, so why should space be any different? Still, the culture clash between academic and soldier was jarring. And the raging political discourse within the media was not helping the crew to gel. It will be better when we are away from it all, she thought, ever an optimist. I bet they are great people to have on your side.

In training, the military contingent was often separate from the others. There were some joint exercises, but far too few in her eyes. She looked up at the man walking confidently toward where she and Aramake were sitting. The press followed him like a shadow, and it was easy to see why. He was solid looking, in a way that inspired a feeling of safety, or danger, depending on your intentions. He looked as dashing in his uniform as the pilot had in his. The smile he displayed seemed to come naturally, like he was taking a stroll in the park. Gabrielle always felt like one of those people in the parades at these events, with a smile chiseled in stone, their hand waving mechanically back and forth in an automated greeting.

"Good evening." He gestured easily at the overwhelming countdown clock. "You think they're trying to hint at something?" For some reason Nicolai found this terribly hilarious, and roared. Gabrielle cracked a smile as he spoke to her. "Don't they ever give up?" A nervous flutter in the pit of her stomach made itself known as he offered her his hand. Gabrielle could not be described as an overly shy young woman, but she had never been able to conquer the feeling she got when a man as attractive as this one spoke to her. Mother always said I had a thing for all the military celebrities they parade about the news vids. She tried not to let it show.

She took his hand, rising to stand next to him as the press descended. "Sometimes I fear the first thing we will discover out there is a reporter with a set of interview questions."

And then the cameras were upon them, and the reporters, shouting their tired questions. "One at a time! One at a time please!" A tabloid magazine had recently reported that Gabrielle was pregnant with Travis's child, so they were particularly hungry for sound bites. Things like that happened too often for Gabrielle to feel embarrassed.

"Miss Fisher, how do you feel about the esteemed Colonel Williams, and his presence on a science mission? Do you think he could interfere with your objectives?"

It was a politically charged question; a fact that Gabrielle was painfully aware of. She shot off some variation of the answer she had been giving for two years now. "I feel safer knowing that crewmates such as Travis will be aboard with us. The human race should feel safer, too."

"Do you and the Colonel have anything to say about allegations that you are with child?"

This time, Gabby had to laugh. "I think Galileo project officials would have a bigger problem with that than I would! There is no truth to them, much to the relief of single women everywhere." She made a show of winking at the man at her side. The press ate it up. Their questions droned on, and Gabby and Travis worked to diffuse them with both charm and sincerity. Eventually, even they had had enough, and Gabrielle was beginning to feel a buzz from the champagne.

As the press dispersed, Travis remained. They had not been close during training, so she only naturally wondered what he wanted. Slowly, it dawned on her, and Gabrielle felt another flutter in her stomach. But she tried to be coy and calm when she spoke, running a feminine hand through soft blonde hair. "Are you going to ask me to dance, Colonel Williams?" Her smile was carefree, and playful.

Desperately she hoped that he did indeed want to dance, and that she hadn't made a fool of herself.

Travis was relieved then Doctor Fisher took his hand and stood up beside him. They were the faces of the mission; her from the scientific side and him from the military. They presented a united front during press conferences, and for what little contact they had with each other, Travis felt he could rely on the good Doctor when they fronted this particular opponent.

"Sometimes I fear the first thing we will discover out there is a reporter with a set of interview questions."

Out of the corner of his mouth, he replied just for her ears alone. "We have a plan in place for just that."

Travis held his expression as the media once again hit them with the same line of questions, hoping that they would slip up, and let something juicy come out that they could them blow out of proportion to get a larger share of the public's attention.

"Miss Fisher, how do you feel about the esteemed Colonel Williams, and his presence on a science mission? Do you think he could interfere with your objectives?"

After a year of hearing variants of the same question, Travis was now able to ignore the body's natural response to snort at that question. Having them on board gave the ship, and those aboard, a better chance of survival than just them alone. If smarter people had been in charge, the ratios would have been reversed. But that was not the case, and there was no use trying to change things once the shooting started, as they said back in the barracks.

"Do you and the Colonel have anything to say about allegations that you are with child?"

Travis listened to Doctor Fisher laugh, then give her answer to that question.

"I think Galileo project officials would have a bigger problem with that than I would! There is no truth to them, much to the relief of single women everywhere."

"Plus, if there was any truth to it, I would be proudly declaring it to the world that the mother of my child was someone as special as Miss Fisher. Since I have not made such a declaration, I'm sorry to say that it's just a rumour, and a false one at that."

Together, they fended off the ravenous horde of information starved 'journalists' with practiced ease. Travis took his cues from her without noticing, answering some questions then letting her answer others. There was no method to who answered what, which helped keep the media people on their toes. Eventually, they remained victorious, and the media went in search of other targets. Having numerous politicians and high level bureaucrats hanging around, there were enough people wanting to be interviewed to distract the vultures.

Travis stayed standing near Gabrielle as he watched the media retreat into the crowd. He observed her out of the corner of his eye. She was very pleasant on the eye, even more so in the formal dress she was wearing. She was definitely the type of woman, physically, he would approach in a social situation to see if she was available for some fun and enjoyment. But, while he wouldn't mind getting to know her better, it was due to professional reasons rather than personal ones.

"Are you going to ask me to dance, Colonel Williams?"

He slowly turned his head, fixing her with a rather cheeky, boyish look with the included grin. "Doctor Fisher, have you taken up mind reading?" He extended his arm to her, ready to lead her to the dance floor.

"Why not. All it will do is send mixed signals to the media vultures concerning our relationship status. Because, everyone knows that dancing is a vertical expression of a horizontal desire." He capped that off with a roll of his eyes.

Once they reached the dance floor, Travis inserted them into the lightly populated area easily. He led her confidently, gently and gracefully about the floor.

"Who knows how long it will be before we can do anything like this again. In less than forty eight hours time, it's going to be nothing but work, work, work." He gave her a stern look, square in her eyes. "Are you ready, Doctor Fisher? Nervous? Excited? Dreading it? Possibly looking forward to it so you don't have to deal with reporters for a while?"

"Doctor Fisher, have you taken up mind reading?" She offered him her signature smile in exchange for his arm. Briefly, Gabrielle entertained the idea of being with the man. He was older than her, but not by that much. I suppose I am one of the babies in the crew. The only one younger than Gabrielle's 25 years was Mai Zhao, and she was only younger by a few months. But that did not matter very much in the grand scheme of things. He seemed to have a sense of humor, though. And he had done well with the cards fate had dealt him in life. It is forbidden to be involved until after the mission, anyways. Still, she wondered what he was like when unfamiliarity faded.

"Why not. All it will do is send mixed signals to the media vultures concerning our relationship status. Because, everyone knows that dancing is a vertical expression of a horizontal desire."

She laughed spritely at his sarcasm. "A girl could go crazy trying to keep track of the rumors, Travis. I say let them talk."

A few cameras flashed as they joined the dancers, but most of the press had flocked to the dais to hear various heads of state drone on about national pride. Not for the first time, as her eyes scanned the sharp, decorated uniform he wore and met his, she wondered what really happened at St. James. Everyone knew the story, but surely he had something else to say about it. After all, if they wanted the press to know the truth, the interviews would have gone very differently. These thoughts were banished from her mind however, when his strong hand landed on her hip. She could feel the warmth of it through the flimsy silk.

She thought of her former boyfriend, who had left her when she was selected for the Galileo project. There was only one opening for a medical doctor on the crew, and she had been one applicant among hundreds of thousands. Gabrielle never really thought they would take her. But it had been a dream come true, and she could not refuse them to stay with James. It had taken her the better part of the first year of training to recover. She thought of him rarely, now. It seemed so long ago. Her crewmates’ hands felt good against her.

Even in the precarious four-inch heels the stylists had forced upon her, he still stood almost a full six inches taller than her. With one hand on his shoulder, and the other clasped in his, they swayed lazily through the other dancers. Somehow being close to him helped her to relax and enjoy herself without feeling nervous, or watched. The latter was certainly happening, but she no longer cared. Soon I’ll be thousands of light-years away, and it will just be the crew and me… None of them matter anymore.

He spoke below the music, so as not to be overheard. "Who knows how long it will be before we can do anything like this again. In less than forty eight hours time, it's going to be nothing but work, work, work." Seriously, he stared down into her baby-blues. "Are you ready, Doctor Fisher? Nervous? Excited? Dreading it? Possibly looking forward to it so you don't have to deal with reporters for a while?"

Smiling at that last part, she still looked back at him with sincerity rather than levity. “Don’t you see, Travis? Neil Armstrong took the first giant leap. We are taking the next one. That’s so… special. That’s why there are all these cameras. People want to know that we are exploring something new.” Her soft spoken voice went on after a pause. “Like Columbus. Or Marco Polo. Or Lewis and Clark. They need us, and not just to find a new planet.”

But his gaze had not wavered from hers when she looked back up at him. “Sometimes I get scared, but...” She paused again, sighing. “There’s no time to waste not exploring. There is so much to learn. I’m just a doctor, but in this, I agree with the aeronautics crew. But I am happy your people are with us. I am not so foolish as to think being defenseless wise.” Gabrielle couldn't help but wonder how he would react to that...

Gabrielle was a good dance partner. Most people tended to resist directions given on the dance floor, and more than a few men actually allowed the woman to lead in a formal situation such as that one. But Travis was a traditionalist, and when dancing adjoined couple felt that the man was to lead. He was also impressed that she a managed to do it in some rather high heels as well.

He wondered how old the woman was. He knew she was anywhere near the mid thirties as he was. Looks alone were never a gauge, not with the miracles of modern surgery. But the key was how they behaved and reacted to events about them. Younger people tended to be a little more reactionary to events, where those with a little more age tended to plan ahead a little or go with the flow better. He had the added advantage of the intensive military training which made it more difficult to use the same technique to gauge his age.

He dragged his attention back to his dance partner as she responded to his questions concerning the pending launch. Even as she answered him, he was still caught by how pretty she looked, and surprisingly how relaxed she appeared in his arms.

“Don’t you see, Travis? Neil Armstrong took the first giant leap. We are taking the next one. That’s so… special. That’s why there are all these cameras. People want to know that we are exploring something new. Like Columbus. Or Marco Polo. Or Lewis and Clark. They need us, and not just to find a new world. Sometimes I get scared, but... There’s no time to waste not exploring. There is so much to learn. I’m just a doctor, but in this, I agree with the aeronautics crew. But I am happy your people are with us. I am not so foolish as to think being defenseless wise.”

Travis smiled when Gabrielle finished answering him. He shook his head a little and chuckled softly. "Doctor, you have been answering to many reporters. That was a great answer for them, but it told me nothing. Me, I am both nervous and excited about what's to come. I have never been out of the atmosphere before, and in a week's time, I'll be out of the solar system God knows where. Have you thought of that?

"Sure, there will be a small contingent of defense personnel on board. But in all honesty, we're just for show. If we are needed, all we'll be doing is delaying the inevitable. No disrespect, but if it was to be done properly, then you'd need about ten, maybe even fifteen defense personnel per scientist sent. I know that there has been a severe case of penny pinching going on, along with the normal political in fighting and power plays to get this mission going. I sincerely hope we don't need to fight anyone out there. If we do, we're pretty much dead."

He took her for a few more steps on the dance floor, before bringing her to the edge. "Sorry to take the shine off things like that, but... after St James, I don't want to see people walk into something with their eyes closed, or staring at something shiny that might kill them. Thank you for the dance. I really needed something nice to remember from the night. I'll see you at the launch tower."

He gave her a polite bow, then made his way to the main exit from the room. He had turned up, had photos and vid taken, answered questions, been seen. Orders fulfilled. Time to relax a little before Voyager III left Earth on its journey into history.

"God, I only hope the worst thing that happens to us is that we do a Marie Celeste. Anything better than that will be gratefully appreciated too."

Gabrielle laughed when he said he had never left the atmosphere. Perhaps she could teach him to spacewalk when the time came. But the words that left his lips next were far more sobering. She couldn't honestly say she had never considered it, but to here him say it as if there were no doubt in the world made her think twice.

"Sure, there will be a small contingent of defense personnel on board. But in all honesty, we're just for show. If we are needed, all we'll be doing is delaying the inevitable. No disrespect, but if it was to be done properly, then you'd need about ten, maybe even fifteen defense personnel per scientist sent. I know that there has been a severe case of penny pinching going on, along with the normal political in fighting and power plays to get this mission going. I sincerely hope we don't need to fight anyone out there. If we do, we're pretty much dead."

Gabrielle had little to say to that. A war in space would be a tragedy of misappropriated resources. Resources that could be used to learn and explore. But that did not mean that it wouldn't need to be done, if enemies revealed themselves. He is right. If they are out there, then they have been exploring the IWN longer than we have. They will have better ships, and better weapons. But somehow, we will survive. We survived the cold war, and an ice age. War shared a womb with civilization. But we are still here. Rousing words from her inner monologue, yet she had no illusions about humanities potentially overwhelming technological disadvantage. "Sorry to take the shine off things like that, but... after St James, I don't want to see people walk into something with their eyes closed, or staring at something shiny that might kill them. Thank you for the dance. I really needed something nice to remember from the night. I'll see you at the launch tower."

"Bye, Travis." She watched him go, still feeling the echoes of his touch. Though he spoke of insurmountable odds in the event of first contact, Gabrielle felt a little safer, knowing he would be with them. She whispered to herself, as her hand smoothed her skirts over her hip, glancing up at the ceiling of the grand ballroom. "Please let us be okay."


Gabrielle could not say that she awoke in the morning, as she had never slept. Her tiny bunk was covered in rumpled sheets and a half-read book. The telltale signs of a restless night. Feeling not an ounce of fatigue, she arose and reached for her flightsuit. Today is the day, she thought, Today we learn something new. Her duties thus far had been minimal. Mostly she had just been nagging the crew to take their calcium supplements. It was quite boring, actually. "Ya'll need to catch a cold or something..." She muttered to herself.

A flightsuit, among some NASA astronauts, but not all, had become the favored spacefaring uniform. It was light, simple, and easy to wear. Those with the privilege of such a job were given the choice of white, grey, or blue. Patches were issued for each mission they completed, or skill they acquired. Gabrielle herself had chosen white, perhaps in homage to a more conventional medical doctors' white coat. The thing looked far to small to fit her, but the fabric stretched to accommodate her toned calves and thighs. Promptly she pulled the form-fitting garment over her generous curves, and pulled the zipper up to her chin. It covered her from head to toe, but in truth, it hid little. Among her patches were 'The Real McCoy,' given to medics and doctors alike, as well as launch and reentry, EVA specialist, and EVA suit technician. The newest and most prestigious was of course a patch baring the image of the milky way superimposed upon a stargate, with the words "Galileo Project" stitched into its rim. After slipping on a pair of calf-length boots, she completed her morning routine, and entered the slender hallway that lined the crews quarters. Three other hallways branched aft, to engineering, cargo, and med-bay respectively. Gabrielle turned left, toward the tubular bridge component of the ship, and the Mission commanders quarters. She ran into Aramake on the way, and smiled good naturedly.

"Come, Gabby-chan. Everyone is already on the bridge."

As they entered together, the stargate loomed in the viewport. It was a gigantic steel ring, almost three kilometers in diameter. She felt her stomach to a flip as the others chattered. Mission Commander Polanski spoke to Mai, who sat calmly at the communications console. "Hail the gate, and dial the first of our objectives. It's time. "

"Yes Sir."

Gabrielle glanced at Travis, trying to gauge his reaction. Ever since that dance, she had been both intrigued and perplexed by the man. His expression was utterly unreadable. "Don't ya wish we had some whiskey?"

"Sake, maybe, Gabby-chan."

Gabrielle made a face, and Aramake laughed.

"I've entered the commands, Sir. There it goes."

Silence fell over the bridge as the huge structure began to move, and a purple, swirling vortex appeared within the circle. It was beautiful and mysterious. Gabrielle found herself transfixed, eyes wide as she watched it grow closer.

"ETA, ten minutes."

The Voyager III had a standardized chronometer running, allowing the crew to have what could be thought of as a standard day. Of the fifteen man crew, the five military personnel lived by that chronometer. At 04:30, they were woken up, and went about they're established routine to keep in shape, physically and mentally. Two solid hours of working out within the confines of the ship, improvising exercises to get the same results that fully equipped gyms on earth would have given them.

They weren't only just soldiers, but they were scientists of a sort too. Travis held a degree in Electrical Engineering, and was well versed in reverse engineering. If they encountered anything similar in nature to human electronics, he would prove useful in trying to decipher what it did. The other four held similar degrees in chemistry, astrophysics, linguistics and phonetic constructs, and cellular biomechanics.

They all wore modified versions of the standard flight suits. While still a little form fitting, they were also armoured to a slight degree. The suits offered excellent protection against blunt trauma, and slight protection against projectile, shrapnel and energy based damage. They had proper armoured suits that went over the flight suits that gave them the greater levels of protection needed, on top of serving as platform for their more substantial weaponry.

"OK, people. Once we go through Stargate Alpha, we will conduct a rapid response drill. I wont say when, so just go about normal duties or activities. I have asked Voyager Three to give us the signal, so not even I know when it's going to happen."

That bit of news cheered them up a little knowing that everyone was in the same boat. Together, they went to the galley, fixing themselves breakfast, eating in relative quiet as they replenished their energy.

Nicolai poked his head into the galley, somewhat cautiously looking at the collected military contingent together in the one place.

"You may want to come up to the bridge. We're approaching Stargate Alpha."

Not a word was said, nor a look traded as the five people in unison stood up, cleaned up after themselves, and headed off to the bridge. Letting Nicolai take the lead probably was not the best idea in hindsight, as the young man was clearly nervous from his body language until he reached the relative safety of the bridge. Commander Polanksi nodded to Travis and the other military people as they entered. Travis returned the gesture in kind, leading his pack off to one side, leaving a slight, but noticeable gap between the two groups.

"Just Aramake and Fisher to have the full complement on the bridge." Travis' voice was soft, spoken more to himself than anyone else, but his four companions heard him.

Travis spent his time, like most of the others on the bridge, looking at Stargate Alpha. The massive metallic ring sported a 3.17 kilometre calibre hole, as well as being between 500 and 700 metres thick. Travis wondered what it took to create the machine they were seemingly casually approaching.

What technologies were involved? How long it took to create? How long had it been there? Who built it? Why build it there? Had anyone come through it before?

"Fuckin' amazing, isn't it, Colonel?"

"Yep. Makes me feel like a fucking cave man looking at a car."

There was some faint laughter, and he felt some tension drop in that part of the bridge.

"Hail the gate, and dial the first of our objectives. It's time. "

"Yes, Sir."

The exchange between the commander and comms summed up the greatest moment in human history in just a few words. His heart rate picked up a little as he watched the console confirm that the signal had been sent.

"I've entered the commands, Sir. There it goes."

Movement. The dim light of Sol was enough to show the structure beginning to move. It was hard to estimate it's speed, even using a simple RPM calculation, because his eyes were torn from the movement to the new source of light forming in the epicentre of the ring. A slowly growing field of lavender, violet, purple and amethyst compelled the eye to look on it.

"ETA, ten minutes."

The only sound that broke the silence as fifteen pairs of eyes observed the closing ball of... energy? Even factoring in the approach, the sphere was growing larger with the swirling outlines on the surface becoming more defined. There was no conformity to the shapes that undulated and shifted against each other. The bridge grew brighter, taking on the same purple spectrum hues.

"Jump sequence commencing in ten... nine..." The computer voice was soft, feminine, designed to be comforting to the human ear whenever it spoke. Many thought Voyager III was equipped with an AI, but the computers on board couldn't handle that level of work load. So, Voyager III had a SI, Significant Intelligence, instead. Close, but it still failed the Turing Tests.

"three... two... one... jumping."

There was the slightest lurch, as if Voyager III had been pulled forward as the bow crossed the boundary of the sphere. The exterior of the ship exploded into a blinding light, which was immediately dimmed by the automated systems. Even under the polarizing effects, the visual field was still incredibly bright. Long streams of colour arced violently around the edges of a tube that Voyager moved along. Occasionally, the ship was buffeted by something akin to turbulence found in atmospheric travel, but the ship never appeared to get closer to the edge of the tube.

Travis was excited, nervous, awed and shocked. He was aware of a few other feelings below those, but they were overwhelmed by the main four. His sight remained fixed on what was occurring on the view screen, oblivious to everything around him. In part, his training had kicked in, trying to analyze his environment, assess threats, escape routes, safe points and a host of other relevant details necessary for successful completion of a mission. The fact he was having zero success in that task meant nothing. He was dealing with the unknown in the best way he could.

There was no warning, except for the same little lurch, in reverse, as they came out at the destination. The view screen readjusted, presenting a view of the universe not seen by humans before. The star field looked wrong at a deep, instinctive level.

"Commander." Comms voice was pitched higher than before. "Commander. Sensors are getting readings on our location, and we have a match on where we are." She turned to look at Polanski, her eyes wide with surprise. "We- we're about one thousand, four hundred light years from Earth."

"Commander." Mai, whose voice was notoriously monotone, managed to sound impressed. "Commander. Sensors are getting readings on our location, and we have a match on where we are. We- we're about one thousand, four hundred light years from Earth."

Nodding soberly, he continued. "Engineers. I want a full throttle burn between each of the major planetary bodies, using a gravitational slingshot to change direction. At each planet," He looked pointedly at Aramake, "I want a surveillance probe put in low orbit. We know there isn't any alien civilizations in this particular system, so caution is not necessary. We should reach the fueling station by tonight, thats why we can afford to burn so much fuel. It also cuts our travel time by almost 400 percent."

He turned to the scientists. "You have the time it takes to slingshot around a planet to decide if you want to stay in orbit for further study, so I need you on the bridge for those moments. We'll pick up the probes on the way back. Gabrielle?"

"Here!" She smiled, still giddy from all the things that were happening. "I want you to pick three crewmembers, and examine them. We don't know what kind of effect the wormhole might have had on us. I want to find out what that is, if it's there at all."

"Of course, Sir."

Polanski nodded. His orders for the military crew were poignantly absent. "Any questions?" No one spoke up, and the crew bustled to take care of their assigned tasks. Morale was high. The engineers checked the equipment, Aramake among them, and the scientists used the scopes to get an early peak at the outer gas giants. Some of the military members had gone with the scientists, as they were the ones with instruments that could double as surveillance gear.

Trying her best not to intrude, Gabrielle went to Mai and asked her to come to the med bay with her. Nicolai came as well. Eyes that had changed from joyous to studious scanned the room. Good, I was hoping he had not found something to do. Despite the tension between them, Gabrielle had been looking for reasons to flirt with the older man; even if she wouldn't admit it to herself. "Travis? Will you come with me please? This should only take a moment. Unless I find something wrong with you, in which case, I will have to stuff you in the airlock and blow you out into space." Her eyes twinkled. "Off to my office!"

Did Mai just roll her eyes? No, that couldn't be. The serious young woman would never show such emotion. Still, Gabrielle imagined her cheery disposition might be annoying to some. Especially to one such as her.

The four of them rounded the corner, and entered the clean, sterile Med bay. A padded bed sat at the center of the room, and medical supplies and equipment lined the walls. Above the doorframe, a small shelf of medical texts collected dust. "Travis, you first." She nodded at the bed before turning and rummaging through a small bag, producing a light and a stethoscope, to check for concussions and heart palpitations, respectively. Within was also a geiger counter, and a miniature brain imaging helmet. "Don't worry, soldier. This won't hurt. Much."

Travis watched the reactions of everyone else at the news of their location relative to Earth. He was trying to assimilate the information, to feel the true extent of the significance of what had been said. The commander seemed to take it in his stride, as if it was an everyday event, rather than a first for humanity.

''Everyone has the own ways of dealing with things, I guess.

But then, the Commander was all professional. He was issuing orders with a crisp authority that made Travis wonder if Polanski had any military background. Everyone followed orders without question, obeying him naturally. Travis found himself smiling ever so slightly at the thought. At least he was a man who he felt he could follow.

Once Polanski had finished issuing his commands to the engineers and scientific crew, Travis took a step closer to the mission commander. "Just because there are no civilizations present in this system, Commander, we should exercise some caution. We may not be the only visitors here."

Travis held back, hearing that Polanski wanted Dr Fisher to check three of the crew. He made sure that he gave her all the chances he could to select him. Which, to his pleasure, she did.

"Travis? Will you come with me please? This should only take a moment. Unless I find something wrong with you, in which case, I will have to stuff you in the airlock and blow you out into space. Off to my office!"

He cocked an eyebrow, and gave her a slight smile. "Only if you, personally, can get me into the airlock, Doctor."

He followed along, soon enough entering the medical bay. Just like every other one he had the pleasure of being in, it was white, sterile and functional. To him, it was rather comforting. Such places saved lives. Anything out of the usual tended to suggest that the place wouldn't perform to full capacity.

"Travis, you first."

He stood still, while the doctor rummaged through a bag for the instruments she required for her tests.

"Don't worry, soldier. This won't hurt. Much."

"Awwww, and I thought you cared." He put his feet shoulder width apart, and clasped his hands behind his back in the parade ground at ease stance. "Doctor, I would like to be the last one examined. Once that examination is complete, there are a few other private medical concerns I need to discuss with you. So, it would be better for me to remain on the bed rather than hop off, only to hop on again later."

He patiently waited while Mai and Nicolai were examined, then took his own place on the bed. He followed her instructions, being a good, helpful patient to her good professional doctor. He waited a few minutes after the other two crew members left before he spoke about his other medical concerns.

"Before we start, Doctor. Voyager. Colonel Williams seeking positive identification validation."

"Hello, Colonel Williams. Please proceed when ready."

"Williams, Travis Evan. Colonel, United States Rangers. Bravo-Oscar-Xray-Romeo-Alpha-India-Lima-Five-Six-One-Two-Foxtrot"

"Identification confirmed."

"Voyager, please release all locked down medical information concerning myself for Doctor Fisher to access. That information is only permitted for her eyes only."

"Affirmative, Colonel Williams. Information is now accessible to Doctor Fisher."

"Thank you, Voyager."

"Sorry, Doctor. I was under strict orders not to even let you know that there was medical data on me that you might not have seen yet. But, it is important that you are aware of it before the mission goes too much further."

Dr Fisher gave Travis a strange look, then proceeded to her console. Rather than trusting her voice, she used manual controls to pull up Travis' medical records. A new section appeared, marked "Highly Confidential". She brought up the contents, and slowly read.

Name : Williams, Travis Evan
Serial No : 211908135612F
Service Branch : Rangers
Attending Physican : Colonel Sharon Dupont, MD
Date : 01 Feb 2144

Captain Williams has undergone a series of physical augmentations, as authorized by the Joint Chiefs of Staff Order 2140-AQZXH-16. The patient has responded well to all treatments, and he is functioning at the same base levels as he was prior to the procedures. We have detected some slight variations in his psychological profile, but these are not of any consequence, and are known side effects of the neurological changes made.

A full breakdown of the exact changes have been included in this file, under the headings listed below. All medical personnel viewing this data must have suitable security clearances, and are bound by the United States Secrecy Act, 2120, with all the measures included therein.

Modifications, listed in Alphabetical order

Adrenal Gland Augmentation
Artificial Bone Lacing
Cerebral Boosting
Integrated Weapon Targeting Systems (includes gun sight in right eye)
Mnemonic Enhancement
Muscular Augmentation
Myocardium Enhancement
Neural-Electronic Interfaces x2 (Located behind each ear)
Occular Marquee (Left eye)
Synaptic Accelerators


Travis was looking at Dr Fisher when she broke her gaze away from his records. His expression was neutral while he waited for her to gather herself.

"So, I guess you thought you were going to have a boring time on this mission, huh?"

[OOC: Thanks to ScifiFangirl for allowing me to use Gabby in this post.]

What Gabrielle felt when Travis had asked to go last could not be characterized as suspicion. Curiosity, most certainly. One of these days, girl, your going to get yourself in trouble. It was hard not to be curious about Travis, though. He could interact socially well enough, but he still tended to come off as the strong silent type. Perhaps it was just that his social group seemed so far from her own. However, such tendencies were prone to piquing her interest. When this was compounded by his undeniable good looks, it made him seem like a ball of yarn to a cat.

Besides, a doctor was ethically bound to respect patient confidentiality, so that was all moot. Diligently the young doctor checked out her other two companions. Nothing appeared to be amiss, thankfully. If something had happened to them during the jump, then there was no telling if Gabrielle was qualified to deal with it, given the unknowns of this particular mission. Infinite unknowns... Then again, Gabrielle supposed that those stipulations applied to everyone in the crew. There must be a reason she was chosen over the other applicants. If such a situation arose, it was expected that she do her best.This is the only hospital in this zip code, I dare say.

Nicolai exited the med bay, leaving Gabrielle and Travis alone. She watched with interest as he gave his identification code to Voyager's SI, and granted her access to whatever intriguing mystery he was keeping. Presumably, for the Army Rangers. The corners of her lips curved upwards as she shot him a mischievous smile. "Keeping secrets, Colonel? Tsk tsk." When she read through the text file, her eyes widened in surprise. She was even somewhat angered that she had not been informed, and allowed to prepare. Yet she had taken advanced bio-cyber integration with all the other med students. Perhaps she was as prepared as she could have been, without designing the implants herself. Some of this was way beyond the tech available to civilians. Travis quipped idly regarding her boredom.

She laughed. "I prefer to be bored. It means everyone is healthy." Reading over the list again, she continued. "So I suppose you have been hiding the calcium supplements under your pillow? Clever boy. Honestly, I wish they had said something to me. I could have asked the bio-medical engineers how best to care for you." It sounded silly, to say something like that. Travis did not look like a man who needed to be cared for. Still, it certainly doesn't sound boring... She shook her head, trying again to rid herself of such thoughts. It was a terrible cliche, for a field doctor to moon over a patient. Especially a soldier like Travis. Her classmates would have laughed at her.

"I'll just check you out like everyone else, although I will have to set the brain imager not to interfere with the less than biological parts of you." She smiled as she clicked the pen light on, her thumb pushing up on his brow bone to expose more of his eye. Both pupils dilated normally. They looked just like a mans eyes. Serious, lovely, captivating dark eyes; but normal, yes.

As she pushed the stethoscope against his chest, she couldn't help but notice his striking physique. It was difficult not to be flirtatious with the man when everything about him screamed 'keeper.' She met his eyes, speaking more softly, now that they were so near to each other. A strong, steady heartbeat punctuated her words. "You know... You can call me Gabrielle, if you like. Or Gabby. Or Doc, at least." Her eyes twinkled, before she pulled away.

It took only a moment to change the settings on the imager. "If anything was disturbed by the jump, I should think it would be your brain augmentations. Obviously, you seem fine. But let's make sure, shall we?"

Gabrielle was one of those people that seemed to frown when concentrating, and she did so as the readings came on the display. It was nothing she did not expect, given his modifications, but it was still surprising to see. I wish I had some of this when I was in school. Her southern drawl leaked through her speech as she muttered, "My, my..." It sounded like, 'Mah, mah.'

The speed of chemical signals was unbelievable. The electronics had been seamlessly integrated into his neuronal network. He could control it all with only a thought. It was masterful work, Gabrielle had to admit. It was obvious that some very smart people had worked on him. Good lord, Gabrielle, he's not a car. After removing the imager, she gave him a reassuring smile and turned from him, placing her tools back in their proper places.

"I do believe you may be the finest soldier in the world, Travis. Everything seems alright. You can return to your duties, if you wish. If anything goes haywire, I'll come runnin'"

Travis wasn't entirely sure, but he was starting to get a hint that the Doc was a little more interested in him than just a patient. He would have been lying to himself if he said it didn't stroke his ego a bit to have a good looking woman showing that level of interest in him, but he also knew that it would cause problems if things weren't handled properly.

In the military team, there were three women; Leftenant Jacqueline Jones RAF, Commander Susan Fowler USN and Angela McDermott US Army. Along with Major Chris Donnerly Four Para, they had managed to reach a workable agreement concerning physical needs being met. Their training regime meant that their testosterone levels were elevated, which in turn made them all a bit more needing of sexual release. Travis was able to keep himself focused in the physical release, and enjoyed the actual activities when they occurred, but there was not further emotional attachment apart from those formed by their training and their military backgrounds.

If matters got more intense with Dr Fisher, how would she feel knowing that he was being active with other members of the crew on a regular basis?

'Simple. Maintain a professional level of conduct with everyone, and not form any excessive personal relationships that could mar the operation.'

Still, he liked her style, and the way she handled things, particularly being kept out of the loop concerning his augmentations by the US military. Seeing her laugh at his boredom comment boded well. She didn't take it personally, which was something Travis had been preparing for.

"I prefer to be bored. It means everyone is healthy. So I suppose you have been hiding the calcium supplements under your pillow? Clever boy. Honestly, I wish they had said something to me. I could have asked the bio-medical engineers how best to care for you."

"No, I haven't been hiding anything from you, Doctor. At least, nothing under the pillow. But don't worry about the upgrades. They've been designed to be low maintenance because I am in the field for extended periods with only basic resources available. So, I'm sure that you'll be able to pop the hood and fix, tune and lube anything that needs the attention."

'Well, if she wants to flirt, why not give her some of her own back, huh?'

"I'll just check you out like everyone else, although I will have to set the brain imager not to interfere with the less than biological parts of you."

"Well, if that happens, you'll see smoke coming out my ears, Doc. That's only time you'll ever see something like that happening. Well, in a professional get together. There is another circumstance where it could happen, and strangely enough it can involve a bed too..."

He remained silent as she went through her examination, reacting as he needed to with each of her tests, having been through them more times than he could remember or count. Again, she was professional in her conduct, doing exactly what was necessary, and nothing more or less. He felt more comfortable knowing they were in safe hands.

"You know... You can call me Gabrielle, if you like. Or Gabby. Or Doc, at least."

It took a great deal of concentration and self control to keep her voice from triggering a very natural reaction from Travis. Her voice, coming from so close to him, sounded very feminine and alluring. Coupled with the way she looked at him, if they were in a social setting, he would be making serious moves toward bedding the younger woman.

"Doc it is then, while you're on call."

She placed the imager on his head. He closed his eyes, relaxing himself, and going through his standard thought processes while the imager was running. He ran through the alphabet A to Z, then Z to A, ran through the prime numbers that occurred before 1,000, as well as the Fibonacci sequence before 1,000. He then ran through memories of himself going through his normal fitness regime on Earth.

"Mah, mah."

Travis slowly opened his eyes, rolling them to look over at the Doc while she stared at the screen. He guessed she was taken a little at the results, but as he didn't know her that well, he could only guess. Again, she was professional as she removed the imager, but he was less than professional as he watched her behind in the form fitting outfit as she walked back to put her gear away.

"I do believe you may be the finest soldier in the world, Travis. Everything seems alright. You can return to your duties, if you wish. If anything goes haywire, I'll come runnin'"

"Finest? Thank you for that compliment, Doc." Travis sat up, and turned to face Gabby. "Don't worry, if I think that there is anything amiss, I will be knocking on the medlab door asking for you. Oh, while I'm here, I need to organise a time to give you some of my semen." He pause deliberately, long enough to let her stew on it for a second or two. "It's time for my regular check to see if my reversible sterilization is still holding. So far, so good, but I like to make sure that everything is doing what it should, or in this case, shouldn't."

He hopped down from the bed, standing at ease again. "So, when would be a good time to come and give it to you?" He tried hard, but the faintest of grins still managed to surface.

This conversation was going well, Gabby suddenly realized. And she was pleased to note that Travis was not opposed to a little harmless flirtation as well. At least one of us has to make nice with the military crew. We're going to be stuck together for a long time. Maybe she could set an example for the rest of the crew, and they would follow suit. This tension was not healthy, sociologically speaking. Besides, she was the de facto ship psychologist.

"Finest? Thank you for that compliment, Doc." He stood up, and made to leave. "Don't worry, if I think that there is anything amiss, I will be knocking on the medlab door asking for you. Oh, while I'm here, I need to organise a time to give you some of my semen."

Gabrielle had no idea how to respond to that. For once, the woman was speechless. As the seconds stretched, a blush colored her cheeks. Your... semen? She opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out. Oh God, Gabby, you're just making it worse.

"It's time for my regular check to see if my reversible sterilization is still holding. So far, so good, but I like to make sure that everything is doing what it should, or in this case, shouldn't." Relief showed on her face, even though she was still quite embarrased that she had not made the connection immediately. That's what I get for playing with fire.

She laughed nervously. "Sure, Travis. I'm not exactly busy."

"So, when would be a good time to come and give it to you?" Travis, on the other hand, was enjoying this far too much at her expense. That little smile said it all.

"Oh, stop it." Trying to regain her composure, she winked at him and turned, pretending to bring up some texts on the medical terminal. "Just set it here on the counter whenever you get the chance. I'll analyze it for you."

She heard him leave, and laughed quietly to herself. That one is a piece of work. Lists of medical journals, kept up to date until the moment they passed through the stargate, were housed in the SI. She pulled up a chair, and read through relevant papers on current advancements in cybernetics. Some of Travis's modifications were beyond even what the journals contained, which was surprising, because it was supposed to be cutting edge literature. The military will always have their secrets. Still, she brushed up the best she could, and learned a few things besides that might help if something went wrong. Gabrielle had always been a studious girl, elswise she would never have been chosen for the mission. As such, she was sitting at the terminal for several hours while various crewmates greeted her through the doorway, as they headed towards whatever place they were going.

Losing herself in her studies, Gabby started as the intercom beeped, and Polanski's voice spoke for all to hear. "All crew to the bridge immediately. Repeat: All crew to the bridge immediately."

Curiosity piqued, she stood, closing the documents so the suspicions of passers-by would not be raised. Travis's situation was confidential, after all. And they'd probably string me up by my toes if anyone found out because of me. She hurried to the bridge, noting that everyone had already arrived. I always seem to be late to the party.

A grey, barren planet greeted her in the viewport. Green oceans dominated much of its surface. Polanski stood next to a giddy looking scientist, and a surly Jacqueline Jones. "I realize that many of you are busy. You are about to be a lot busier." He paused for effect. "Imaging has confirmed the presence of ruins on the southern continent. It's occupants are no longer present." The latter half of his sentence was drowned out by vigorous chattering. He raised his hand for silence. Grudgingly, the crew replied. "I have assigned an away team to assess what caused their demise, first, and secondly, to study their race. Judging by the state of their buildings, they have been gone for a few thousand years at least, so hostiles should not be an issue." The military crew kept stoicly silent, but everyone could sense their displeasure at those words. Gabby wouldn't say so for fear of being rude, but she thought they were being a little silly.

"The planet appears to be biologically dead, not unlike Mars. The atmosphere is mostly carbon dioxide, so you will be wearing your suits. The science team will be accompanied by Colonel Williams and Leftenant Jones. If anything goes wrong, get back to the shuttle immediately and return to the Voyager. I'll have no deaths on my watch. Fisher, you go with them." A spark of excitement flared within her. An alien culture, on a strange planet... Humanity has been waiting for this.

It was either terribly fortunate or terribly unfortunate that they were gone. Thankfully, they didn't have to deal with that question just yet.

In the shuttle, she stopped near Travis, Grabbing her suit and slipping the high-tech cloth over her flight suit. It was not quite as bulky as the vintage NASA models. We have learned a few things since then.

She looked up, and exchanged a glance with Travis. He was in inscrutable mode again, though. Some psychologist I am. but he is military, he's probably concerned.

"I know what your thinking, Travis," Her eyes were proud. "But this is what we came here for."

Double post.

Travis walked out of Med lab feeling pleased with his efforts at giving back a little of what he was getting. His smile grew widest at her reaction to his semen question, getting a soft, snorted giggle as he went back to his bunk.

He laid down, allowing himself to rest and relax. Having been in combat many times, he got accustomed to getting sleep whenever he got the chance. While he didn't sleep, he was in a light sleep which allowed his body to restore the lost energy.

As soon as the intercom beeped, Travis was sitting up, and his feet were moving towards the floor.

"All crew to the bridge immediately. Repeat: All crew to the bridge immediately."

He was in motion before the second sentence was finished, and he beat a third of the crew to the bridge. Like the last time, he joined the military command off to one side, and saw Gabby joining them as the last member to arrive.

'I must ask her sometime if she is always the last one to come. I'm sure that'll get her to blush again.'

He looked out the view port at the planet below. It didn't really do much for him beyond the natural human wonder at a stellar body he had never seen before.

"I realize that many of you are busy. You are about to be a lot busier." Polanski paused for effect. Travis couldn't blame the man for having a little theatrical moment "Imaging has confirmed the presence of ruins on the southern continent. It's occupants are no longer present."

Travis immediately thought of the worst. The whoever, or whatever lived down there, was no longer there because of some form of conflict; self inflicted or otherwise. The room was a buzz with talk from various people speculating on various aspects of the find.

"I have assigned an away team to assess what caused their demise, first, and secondly, to study their race. Judging by the state of their buildings, they have been gone for a few thousand years at least, so hostiles should not be an issue."

'That's yet to be seen, but I hope you're right, Commander.'

"The planet appears to be biologically dead, not unlike Mars. The atmosphere is mostly carbon dioxide, so you will be wearing your suits. The science team will be accompanied by Colonel Williams and Leftenant Jones. If anything goes wrong, get back to the shuttle immediately and return to the Voyager. I'll have no deaths on my watch. Fisher, you go with them."

Travis looked at Jacqueline, just a curt nod was needed. The two immediately headed for the small room that was the designated armoury. At the far end of the room stood the opened EBS, one under each soldier's name. Travis stepped into the partially opened boots, getting his feet into position, which triggered the closer of the boots. He moved his hands into the thin gloves inside the fully enclosed arms, getting them settled properly. He flexed his hands and fingers into the proper shape and the armoured suit commenced closing up behind him. His legs were enclosed, and sealed, followed by his lower torso, upper torso, and upper arms. Finally, the clam shell helmet was brought down, and locked into place. Two cables snaked out lodging themselves onto his interface plates.

Reams of data poured onto his left eye, detailing the state of his armour, energy levels, atmospheric data, both internal and external. He opened the suit to allow the external atmosphere in to conserve his internal supplies. Once all systems checked out clear, he started moving backward out of the locker bay. His suit moved as if it was a part of him, rather than nearly 500 kilograms of advanced polymer/metallic fully enclosed powered armour.

Travis issued a weapons systems check. The right arm equipped 40.01 laser registered fully function and online. The targeting receptacle moved clearly on his right eye, showing exactly where the laser pulse would strike. The laser was offlined while the shoulder mounted plasma gun went through it's systems check. The full load of twenty rounds registered and the weapon was also fully functional. Finally, the left arm mounted fletchette machinegun registered fully functional.

"Leftenant Jones reporting fully functional."

"Roger, Jones. Williams fully functional. Let's go before the propeller heads get too pissed off with us."

Jacqui laughed and followed Travis out. Unlike his suit, hers reacted through biomechanical feedback in the suit, making it slightly more cumbersome than his, but not by much. The moved to the shuttle quickly, finding their places easily.

Gabby took her place beside him, slipping on her environment suit over her flight suit. He was thankful for the helmet in that moment, allowing him to give Gabby a very thorough look over without giving anything away. He turned off the EMR protection, allowing his face to be seen through the clear face plate.

"I know what your thinking, Travis. But this is what we came here for."

"I bet you don't, Doc." He turned his face back, looking forward running through his pre operations checks. He could see the same expression on Jacqui's face which almost mirrored his own. The shuttle doors sealed. The pilot ran through the pre flight check over internal comms, and within a few minutes, the craft had separated from Voyager, and started its decent to the alien planet below.

Travis keyed the comms system in his suit. "Colonel Williams to Commander Polanski."

"Polanski here. Go ahead Colonel."

"Commander, I would recommend that Leftenant Jones and I scout the initial landing area before other away team members exit the shuttle, just as a safety precaution. No offence to our crew, nor the tech on board, but there may be things down there the ship's scanners might not have picked up."

There was a pause on the line. "Very well, Colonel. It can't hurt. But use your common sense please. We don't have forever, and you can't scout the entire planet."

"No commander. But there may be dormant booby traps and the like there. I just want to make sure that our people can at least get more than five feet from the shuttle without being killed."

"Thank you, Colonel. Please advise the away team accordingly. I will give the formal orders in a minute."

"Roger, Commander. Colonel Williams out."

"Attention everyone." Polanski's voice filled the shuttle interior. "Doctor Fisher will be the leader of the away team, but Colonel Williams will be advising on safety measures. At his recommendation, the military contingent will do a preliminary assessment prior to the remainder of the team leaving the shuttle. Please take on board any recommendation by these members, as they are trying to protect you. By the same token, they are aware of the primary reason for this mission, and will not interfere beyond the scope of their responsibilities. Good luck everyone."

Travis spoke softly to himself. "As if we have forgotten who is in charge, and what the goals of this mission are. He can stop rubbing our faces in it for once."

He turned to look at Gabby. "Well, Doc, I promise I'll behave, and not get in the way of the real work. But I hope you'll do me the pleasure of trusting my calls when I make them, particular if I start giving orders. Like the Commander, I don't want any deaths on my watch either."

"I bet you don't, Doc."

Hmm. You like being mysterious, don't you? Deciding not to read too much into it, she slipped the helmet over her head, watching the HUD come to life and scroll through various bits of data. External atmospheric data, remaining oxygen, suit integrity, and temperature were all featured. As she looked over Travis in his destructive ensemble, green outlines traced individual components, giving a brief description of each, as well as his name and rank. Turning to the console, and the seat occupied by a scientist, the controls of the spacecraft were given a similar treatment. This thing might just save me from having to actually learn anything.

"Everyone suited up?" Gabby nodded and spoke her affirmation with the others. No problems.

Gabby added her two cents. "Don't forget, everyone, if there is a problem with your suit, contact me immediately. I am trained to fix life support functions as well as your booboos. As far as electronics goes, however, we may have to return to the ship to fix those up." A few nodded. Others offered no acknowledgment at all. Gabby was generally well-liked among the crew; a benefit of her usually cheerful disposition. It's not like I am an authority figure on this mission, I suppose.

Then, Polanski offered them a few parting words. "Attention everyone." Gabby looked up, as if she spoke with some divine intelligence. "Doctor Fisher will be the leader of the away team, but Colonel Williams will be advising on safety measures." This struck her immediately as incredibly bizarre. There were science team members with seniority over her, many of whom commanded far greater respect than she. It was likely, Gabby reasoned, that she had been chosen to mediate whatever conflicts may arise. I've always been good at that. "At his recommendation, the military contingent will do a preliminary assessment prior to the remainder of the team leaving the shuttle. Please take on board any recommendation by these members, as they are trying to protect you. By the same token, they are aware of the primary reason for this mission, and will not interfere beyond the scope of their responsibilities. Good luck everyone."

"Thanks, cheif." Gabby replied, trying to slip into her unexpected role as quickly as possible. A few of the more prominent members of the team seemed to give her a dirty look. "You heard the man. Let's do what we came here to do." Looking at each of the offended crew, she went on. "I'm not here to undermine you. It is my intention to heed the advice given by each of you. Your expertise will hopefully be more valuable than mine on this trip." That seemed to satisfy them, but Gabrielle still felt more than an inkling of nervousness regarding her appointment.

Travis's distinctive voice crackled over the comm. She looked over her shoulder at him as he spoke. "Well, Doc, I promise I'll behave, and not get in the way of the real work. But I hope you'll give me the pleasure of trusting my calls when I make them, particular if I start giving orders. Like the Commander, I don't want any deaths on my watch either."

"Don't worry, Travis. It's my watch too. I can give you that pleasure." She was taken by the irrational desire to slap his gorgeous backside, but she was afraid it might cause an explosion of a megaton or more. Though she knew it was unlikely to be the case for long, she was happy that she could get the last provocative jibe in. I can't let him see me blush like that again. Too embarrassing. She wondered what it would take to make him blush.

"Everything is go, Gabby."

Nodding, she patted his shoulder. "Off we go then." Hoping no one heard her anxious gasp as the shuttle detached with a hard jerk, the were on their way. It was not long before the glow of re entry colored the crew orange through the viewport. Soon everyone was feeling the gravity of the planet itself. They passed over the crumbling ruins of a magnificent civilization. It did not appear to be greatly different than human architecture; although perhaps it placed a greater emphasis on flowing lines, as opposed to geometric shapes. The terrain was as grey and rocky as it had appeared from orbit.

They settled promptly on the outskirts of a small settlement, which would allow them to examine both settled areas and unsettled. Gabby looked over at Travis as the science crew babbled, sometimes incoherently, over remote sensor data currently poring through their displays. She beckoned him over to the airlock with a curled finger.

"It's all you, soldier boy." She did not say it with malice in her tone, though some of the crew took it as such, and snickered. Gabby, annoyed with their hostility, spoke perhaps a little louder than she had to. "Appreciate what you are doing, Colonel. Make sure everything is safe out there." That seemed to silence them.

With an exaggerated nod, she opened the airlock for them, and watched the pair enter the small room. After she shut it, the crew heard the hissing noise of depressurization, followed shortly by the clang of the opening door.

Opening a private channel with Travis and Leftenant Jones, Gabby asked the first thing she would request of them. "Hello, Travis. Jackie."

"Leftenant Jones will be sufficient." Her response was efficient and surly, in a way only the armed forces could pull off. Gabrielle felt awkward.

"Er... Yes, Leftenant Jones. Very well. Would both of you mind feeding me video to my HUD? I would like to stay as informed as possible."

The shuttle detached with the tell tale lurch, and the tension levels within the craft jumped noticeably. As with every time prior to such a landing, Travis was calming himself down, focusing on the task at hand. He knew Jacqui was going through a similar process. He ignored the chatter from the scientists as they started getting readings from various sensors on the shuttle's more protected upper hull.

Soon, the shuttle commenced controlled flight, taking them to the designated landing zone. Travis was pleasantly surprised when the shuttle pilot announced they were one minute from landing.

"One minute." Travis and Jacqui chimed simultaneously. They closed off their suits, powered up all weapons systems, safety on. All IFF transponders and scanners activated and everything was checked one last time. Travis' suit responded all clear, so he lifted his left hand, raising one of the three large fingers upright to signal 'Thumbs up'. Jacqui responded seven seconds later with one of her own.

The shuttle landed smoothly, with enough of a jolt for people to know they had landed. The two military personnel were in motion to the airlock before Gabby indicated for them to come over.

"It's all you, soldier boy. Appreciate what you are doing, Colonel. Make sure everything is safe out there."

"Will do, Ma'am." They entered the airlock, Travis in the lead. The airlock cycled and the outer door started it's slow opening.

"Hello, Travis. Jackie."

Travis smiled at Jacqui's terse reply, beating his by a fraction of a second. He listened to the request, easily opening up the full telemetry channel back to the shuttle.

"While on official business, Team Leader, please refer to either rank, or surname if there is no associated rank."

The door was fully open, and Travis walked down the short ramp onto an alien planet for the first time. After that, he was all business. All safeties came off as he scanned forward and right, Leftenant Jones scanning forward and left. There was no vegetation on scan, and nothing registering as a life form, nor having any human known power sources. He scanned the dull gray ground for signs of disturbances other than the shuttle, and found nothing.

"Immediate port side clear."

"Immediate starboard side clear." Jacqui was just as professional inb her tone as Travis was.

"Expand radius to twenty metres."

"Affirmative."

The process was repeated. Life forms, power sources and signs of disturbances were all checked for. Travis' cerebral enhancements and augmentations made it easier for him to analyze the surface for the tell tale signs. This continued by twenty metre increments until an one hundred metre radius was declared clear.

"Team leader, you are cleared to disembark. Leftenant, take position on the outcrop one-three-seven metres from the airlock door, two-one-eight degrees from the shuttle axis."

"Affirmative, Colonel."

Travis turned back to close on the door as the rest of the team started filling out. They stayed close to the craft initially, but he knew they would want to go to the settlement as well. That would require a little planning and coordinating, but he felt it was achievable.

"Team Leader, if you could keep everyone within ninety-five metres of the airlock door while doing the initial surveys and investigations, I will scout out a path to the settlement. Leftenant Jones is on look out, just in case. There still are environmental factors to consider, which is why I would like to scout out a little first.

"Is that OK with you, Doc?"

Their chatter was as terse and efficient as one might expect. Gabby felt chastised for being so informal with them. But his rebuke was in keeping with his current military prudence, so she was not inclined to take offense. At her back, the team geologist speculated with the others. "There is still soil. We will have to take a sample. At some point there were decomposition processes at work, but all the plants are gone now. I see no sign of catastrophic meteorite impact. Even on Earth, such events did not destroy living things completely. The only thing I can think of is... well... We'll just have to see. It seems like perhaps the atmosphere was stripped, somehow. The current Atmosphere is consistent with atmospheres made from iron and silicate volcanism. Probably more recently." That sounded ominous. Gabby was glad the two soldiers were not on that channel.

Other than the customary excitement given the alien planet they were walking upon, Travis and Jacqueline encountered nothing alarming. The video feeds showed only desolation, and ruins in the distance, and the red-hot wing tips of the shuttle. "Team leader, you are cleared to disembark. Leftenant, take position on the outcrop one-three-seven metres from the airlock door, two-one-eight degrees from the shuttle axis."

Nodding to herself, she confirmed. "Aye, Colonel." Nautical terminology seemed appropriate. "Everyone, load up your equipment. Were going on a hike." A green outline traced her suit-repair kit, labeling it unnecessarily. She slung it over a shoulder, and faced the airlock. A spike of adrenaline made her heart flutter. A whole planet. A whole culture. Well, perhaps not so whole on the matter of culture. On the bright side, there would be less paperwork. "Once we get outside, take your samples, make your observations. Lets be efficient about this, okay? This isn't the last planet we'll be visiting, god willing. It may not even be the most interesting thing we find."

Muttered affirmatives. Nods. The airlock opened, and the group filed out. Killing the video feeds, Gabby took a position overlooking the lot of them. Travis and Jacqueline were as alert as ever,giving the impression that chit chat was not a part of the game plan. Gabby wished Aramake was here. Travis spoke, while she waited. "Team Leader, if you could keep everyone within ninety-five metres of the airlock door while doing the initial surveys and investigations, I will scout out a path to the settlement. Leftenant Jones is on look out, just in case. There still are environmental factors to consider, which is why I would like to scout out a little first. Is that OK with you, Doc?"

You read our minds. No one could doubt the good Colonel's perceptiveness. "That would be excellent, Colonel. Please proceed, and notify me when it has been cleared." That sounded quite official. Gabby inwardly congratulated herself. He would like that, she thought.

As they prowled off toward the settlement, the geologist went on. "There is something in the soil here. Analyzing now. I think its some kind of peroxide. Hold on." Some of the less busy scientists, namely linguists and xenobiologists, gathered to hear what he had to say. "Wow, nasty stuff. You dump enough of this, it could kill anything. There's no process I know of that would naturally put it here. But then, we haven't modeled this planets interior. It could be a remnant of pyroclastic material. Combined with the lack of atmosphere, this is like... salting the cornfields. No... It's not a peroxide. It's a poison."

Gabby narrowed her eyes at that, glancing nervously at her colleagues. "Is it dangerous to us?"

He nodded vigorously. "Oh, very. We should be safe in our suits, though."

"Hmm." Gabby grimaced. "Keep doing your tests, people." Switching channels, she spoke to the less social members of their crew. "Military team, be advised. The surface is coated with some kind of substance. It will kill on contact, if I can't get you to the med-bay fast enough."

About a thousand meters from the shuttle, she could see Travis, leaving a trail of footprints to the settlement on the hill. Excitement still burned within her, but an inkling of fear had wriggled its way into her mind. Two scientists had gone to take samples of a boulder, outside the cleared zone. "You two, thats too far. Sorry, but we can't afford mistakes." Gabby was pretty sure one of them rolled their eyes at her, but it was hard to tell with environment suits on. Regardless, they obeyed, and Leftenant Jacqueline seemed pleased. She must have reprimanded them on a private channel.

Travis turned and started toward the settlement. He moved with caution, mainly due to a lack of knowledge of the terrain conditions. He defaulted to Earth standard, but still added an extra degree of caution. The planet's gravity was 0.97G, so everything would be withing normal reaction ranges and expectations.

He was on the other side of the small hill when the transmission came through from the team leader.

"Military team, be advised. The surface is coated with some kind of substance. It will kill on contact, if I can't get you to the med-bay fast enough."

"Roger, Team Leader. We're in a toxic environment. Will adjust procedures accordingly. Williams out."

Two hundred metres from the edge of the landing site, Travis found what appeared to be the remnants of a road or constructed pathway. After a little testing, the surface felt sound, and he proceeded along it toward the settlement. He came to a stop when he neared a bridge going over a dried creek or river bed. He scanned the top edges of the gully, finding a few places safe enough for the crew to climb down.

"I'm glad this isn't my call to make." Travis turned, and retraced his path exactly, returning to the remainder of the team.

"Team Leader, I have found a suitable path to the settlement. There is a constructed pathway close by that leads to the settlement. It's sound, and able to take our weight. But the bridge is something I am unsure of, but there are other ways of getting over to the other side safely. When you're ready, I'll lead and Jones will cover the rear."

He hung back, keeping an eye on things while the team went about their tests. The threat level seemed low, but just because they found nothing didn't mean there was nothing. Travis wasn't paranoid, just had a healthy respect for the Universe and the dangers it held for the unwary.

Once the team was ready to move out, Travis privately keyed Gabby.

"Doc, what's with the toxin? Any further information that may be of use? Like, natural, synthetic or unknown? Symptoms to be aware of? Apart from patching any breaches in the suits, what do we need to do to minimize the effects of the toxin?"

Travis kept his voice level, not panicking, but seeking information so he knew what to do if there was a need. He spoke as he led the team toward the road, once more walking along the same line of dirt he traveled before. When they arrived at the road, he called for them all to stop for a few minutes to catch their breath.

"Now, there is a constructed bridge ahead, made from the local stones. From appearances, it seems to be sound, but I am not sure as my engineering skills are electronic and not civil or construction. But there are ways for us to cross the dry river bed by climbing the banks. This way everyone."

The walk went smoothly and they again paused at the bridge over the dry river bed. He pointed out a large boulder sitting on the edge of the bank, about 30 metres from the bridge.

"Just on this side of that boulder is a narrow cutaway that has a good slope for us to use to get to the river bed. Again, I'll take the lead, everyone else in single file with Jones at the rear. Could the geologist follow me and advice on the state of the river bed prior to our crossing?"

"Team Leader, I have found a suitable path to the settlement. There is a constructed pathway close by that leads to the settlement. It's sound, and able to take our weight. But the bridge is something I am unsure of, but there are other ways of getting over to the other side safely. When you're ready, I'll lead and Jones will cover the rear."

"Affirmative, Colonel. Let's do it." She switched to a public channel. "Alright, Colonel Williams has found a safe path for us. Leftenant Jones, if she would be so inclined," She nodded amiably to the stoic military women, in an effort to repair their seemingly turbulent, though minimal, relationship. Gabby was not sure such a thing was possible. She did seem rather grumpy. "...will guard the rear. Everyone, please stay on the path! If you see something interesting, notify me, and I will decide if we should stop."

The crew gathered their equipment as efficiently as they could. Gabby thought this whole endeavor had gone well so far. Then again, it was not as if they had encountered anything particularly dangerous. While they waited for the team, the geologist spoke in her ear, as more results from his tests came out. He spoke on a private channel. Wisely perhaps. The young doctor did not like hiding the truth, but the purpose of the mission was much bigger than military paranoia. "Gabby, it looks like this is artificial. I don't know exactly what that means, but it definitely wasn't a natural process that made this."

That was a dark thought. There was no telling how Travis would react to that news. I'll be damned if I let him scrap the mission because he gets cold feet. She set her jaw, looking over at him. She was not a dishonest person. She would tell him.

"Alright, let's go." She turned to the geologist, who would be of little use in the settlement. "Jon, you stay with the shuttle. Slave it to the SI and have it pick us up if anything happens." He nodded, and turned his back on the strange planet, entering the airlock alone, shouting his goodwill to everyone.

When they had reached the edge of the riverbed, near the slope that Travis had spoke of, Gabby finally found the will to tell him. She tried to break it in as non-threatening of a manner as possible, but she wasn't sure that was possible. Keying a private frequency, she spoke to him.

"Colonel..." She paused, at a loss for words. Even if it was a hostile action, and not some self inflicted genocide, they were long gone. There was no reason to leave as fast as possible. Hopefully, he would deduce that it would be best to learn as much about the enemy as possible. They've been gone for thousands of years. Their probably all dead, anyways. "Colonel, the poison we found... It's not a natural compound. So, either these people made it, or..." She couldn't think of how to put that gently, so she said nothing.

Travis just finished checking the chosen place for the descent when he heard Gabby open up the private comms channel.

"Colonel..."

In anyone else, he would have been snapping at them to speak up and not stammer. But he held himself in check. Gabby was not military, and probably hadn't led a team before while dealing with military people like him.

"Colonel, the poison we found... It's not a natural compound. So, either these people made it, or..."

"Or someone else used it on them. Been there, thought that already, Doc. Do you know that there are very few places on earth that haven't been a battle ground of some sort at one time or other in history? Why should here be any different? But still, this is a toxic environment, Doctor. I would advise keeping the delays to a minimum, which reduces the scope for accidents occurring. With that thought in mind, let's get moving."

Without waiting for confirmation of the order, Travis started down the cutout. The gradient of the slope was manageable, and wide enough even for his suit that it posed no risk to breaching it. Slowly, other team members started to follow, until Leftenant Jones entered the cutout and followed them down. a small river of soil fragments and tiny rocks raced past them, sliding or bouncing their way to the bottom.

Travis' motion sensor alarm flashed. Something not a part of his team was moving. The movement was behind them, at the top of the cutout. He spun, seeing the teetering boulder finally drop slightly to his right, before moving down the cutout.

"EVERYONE DOWN!" His voice echoed over the team's broadcast frequency. Most of the team dropped down, two stood still, looking around for the reason why. Jones ran and jumped, tackling the two while Travis dropped his right foot back, bending his left knee. The target receptacle for the plasma launcher appeared in his right eye as he lined up the ever faster moving boulder.

A blinding bolt of pale yellow flew from his right shoulder, pushing him back two metres. The column of super heated hydrogen and helium slammed into the boulder, vapourizing a quarter of the rock instantly. The rapid heat transfer to the remainder of the boulder caused it to shatter. The cutout was swept by a powerful blast of heated air as the shockwave from the blast rippled outward. A few seconds later, a fine rain of rock fragments showered them.

"Everyone OK?" There was a general murmur of consent, along with a complaint about being forced to the ground. "Well, when I call for you to get down, get down first, then sight see."

Travis scanned the exit route on the other side of the river bed. "Well, at least there are no boulders waiting to ambush us on the other side. Shall we, Team Leader?"

Gabrielle was pleasantly surprised at how calmly he took the news. She had been half expecting him to demand they turn around immediately. She had prepared herself to challenge him on it, in the event he did give her such a reaction. Instead, she found herself ushering the science team down the slope. It was steep and treacherous, but not unmanageable, if one watched their feet. Thank th'lord he didn't make me face him on this... Gabby was not a fan of conflict, but she would engage in it if she felt her cause was just. At least she could leave her guilt at not telling him earlier on this planet.

It took all of them off guard, so focused were they on their feet, to hear the Colonel's deafening exclamation. "Everyone down!"

Gabby obeyed more out of surprise than anything else. Others, not so quick to react, were treated to being laid out by a very agile Leftenant Jones. It so happened that Gabrielle was facing Travis as he dropped to one knee, one of his massive armaments in his hands, and shot at something. The light left a glowing streak in her vision. She could not hear the weapon itself, but the explosion of the rock would have made her ears bleed, she was certain. It was only after it was all over, and the shards began clinking off her helmet, did she realize she had been holding her breath. It happened too quickly for her to get scared. Cautiously, she spoke. "What... What was that?"

Leftenant Jones replied, tersely. "Boulder."

We must have dislodged it by disturbing the slope.

"Everyone OK?" It was Travis.

"Fine here, Colonel." Her colleagues gave similar affirmations.

"Well, when I call for you to get down, get down first, then sight see."

After everyone had recovered themselves, while being hurried along by the two officers and Gabby, the team headed into the alien town. For all the things that were different, much of it was remarkably similar to a human settlement. Besides the curvy, organic-looking architecture, their individual dwellings were almost identical to a humans. Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and bathrooms were all readily identifiable. The team made sure to snap photos of anything resembling writing or numbers of any kind. This would make front the front page, back on earth. They were all already legends. But they were hand picked for a reason, and all of them stayed professional.

Then they found something truly interesting. When the diminutive Mai approached them with a small sphere in her hands, everyone was immensely curious.

Gabby pursed her lips. "What do you think it is?"

Even Mai was a little breathless. "I'm not sure, exactly." A sparkle in her dark eyes made itself known. "But... I think it's a hard drive."

Luckily, the remainder of the trip into the settlement went without any more surprises. But the team seemed to be a little more careful, and aware of their surroundings. When they got closer, Travis noticed that most of the buildings all had a similar design to them, close enough that he was sure that once they got an idea on what one of the buildings were, the others would prove to be the same.

"Wait, let me check this one first." The door of the building was not locked, or restricted in any way, allowing him to enter. The furniture followed the same philosophy as the building, mainly curves and other natural shapes and designs. His scans showed no life forms, no signs of power sources nor anything dangerous. It took him ten long minutes to scout what he now knew was a dwelling before giving the all clear.

While the team investigated that house, he and Jacqui checked a few more, finding similar conditions on the other suspected dwellings. They scuffed the walls near the doors to indicate they were safe to enter.

"Everyone, please only enter those premises that we have cleared. If there is somewhere you want to look, let us know, and we'll scout it for you. Otherwise, we'll check places close by to here."

Travis and Jacqui continued to clear the dwellings when the general chatter levels increased. The two military people moved back to where the team had gathered like school children looking at a puppy.

"What do you think it is?"

He heard Mai's voice come over the comms, uncertainty and excitement vying for prominence.

"I'm not sure, exactly. But... I think it's a hard drive."

Travis was intrigued by the declaration as he closed on them all. He closed on Mai's side, taking a look at the device himself.

"How did you come to that conclusion?"

Mai stiffened at the question, before slowly turning to face Travis. "By investigating it as best I could under the circumstances, and applying my knowledge and expertise."

Travis caught the anger in the response, and ignored it. "What features of the device were indicative of it being a mass storage device?"

Mai took a look back at Gabby, a pleading look on her face. "At this point here," Mai rotated the sphere, "I saw what looked like an antenna structure for some EMR carrier wave. I had to use -"

"Image intensifiers to see them, yes, you're right, there is an antenna there. The structure looks like it's for something a little higher than the radio spectrum in frequency, but the antenna seems intact. Are there any signs of how it would be powered?"

Mai, along with a few other members of the team, looked genuinely surprised at Travis' insights. "None that I have been able to find, but if you don't mind, when we are back at the shuttle, I wouldn't say no to your help in puzzling this thing out."

"If I have no other pressing issues, I would be glad to help where I can."

Travis looked over at Gabby. "Are you keeping tabs on how much time we've got left before we need to be back in the shuttle? I'd hate for us to wind up dying because we're having too much fun out here."