Welcome to Gaia! ::

Nothing discovered: nothing learned.

"Have a nice trip!"

The AI's last words echo in the air as the leader's communicator crackles, then dies. The airbus overhead turns and zips away with a faintly lasting whirr, disappearing quickly over the mass of trees now that its cargo is deposited. The group is left standing at the base of a tall metal beacon; it stretches upward into the air, reaching over the trees to transmit data back to the central Labs. All around, alien trees twist and stretch toward the sky, their curling branches and frond-like leaves soaking in the planet's pure sunlight.

It is a small clearing, big enough to hold the crew and the beacon, but the wildlife is already encroaching upon it eagerly. Vines can be seen trying to creep over the pole's base, and the rough-hacked path leading back to the Labs is already overgrown. It is easy for the explorers to see why airlifting to these outward spots was a better idea than trying to hack through the woods.

The communicator crackles to life again, and CaTDOS's voice splits the air, his words stringing together in a sing-song manner.

"Alright, adventurers~ It's time to begin~ Everyone, remember to keep your data transmitters active at all time~ It will constantly analyze and stream information back to us, so make sure you don't lose it, no matter what~" A face flickers onto the communicator's screen, a very distinct, pixelated '+ w+' expression. "Take a moment to introduce yourselves, but then please begin~ You are to enter the jungle away from the previously cut path~ Your goal is to find anything of interest that you can, particularly new species~ Please remember, be very careful~ Who knows what's lurking out there~? CaTDOS out~!"

One of Slamet’s team members seems to have decided to eschew the lab-issued uniforms. Beatrice Walton doesn’t actually look like she fits in an expedition at all – the only thing she really has going for her is that she moves gracefully, a little like a dancer. But her hair looks like it’s taken a few hours to style, and there’s no way that the white parts of her…avant-garde ensemble will survive the day. It contrasts very well with the black, though, if she does look a little like she’s wearing a Halloween costume. “Beatrice Walton,” she declares with a slightly insincere smile. “It’s lovely to meet you.”

CaTDOS's sing-song voice streamed past Antoine Mason Juarez, the words largely unheard as the man idly cracked his knuckles from time to time in anticipation of the jungle trek ahead. A snort escaped him as the voice on the communicator advised the group to be careful. Whatever dangers lurked out there in the jungle, this fugitive of the law was certain that they'd have more to fear from him than the other way around.

Antoine jerked an impatient nod of assent when the leader declared all the shinies his. He could care less about the so-called shinies. "Mason," he rumbled. He hadn't given out his first name in ages, and he wasn't about to start now. "Don't get in my way," he rumbled to the rest, content to leave it at that and glare around at the others.

He didn't usually care about introductions, really. But if the jungle proved to be a bore, he just might have to pick a fight with one of these guys instead. At least the ex-military man was making that easy, with his own disclosure of his disliked nickname.

With the time for introductions over, the group decides to set out in search of the so-called shinies no one but their leader seemed to show interest in. Unless of course "shinies" came in the form of a reverent prayer's answer or an old-fashioned can of whoop a**.

Fortunately for short-tempers and the people that had issues with them, it wasn't long before the jungle ahead seemed to branch out, exposing a sparsely covered expanse of land.

It seemed a little odd to be in the middle of such a densely populated area, didn't it?

Maybe it bears investigation because of that, or possibly because of the odd ore that seemed to be growing out of the ground beneath their feet.

Safe Active Phase: Roll 1d10 for investigation if desired. Otherwise note "PASS" at the bottom of the post. Goal is: high roll.

Well, it wasn't as exciting as an alien monster or man-eating plant, but at least it was something. Heriberto bent down and tugged at a large piece of ore, putting his back into it. There wasn't really much else to do except heave at it and hope.

Numbers was most surprised when Antoine sent that glare at him, but he made no move to reproach him. He had learned that it was not his place to judge others, and God had just put harsher troubles on Antoine than he had placed on Numbers (which he offered a quick prayer of thanks for) and bowed his head to keep his gaze from the angrier man.

Numbers kneeled in the clearing, one long-fingered hand tugging at the ore while the other dug at the loose dirt around it, trying to free it.