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Alien Flower: Four samples of a strange flower filled with caustic, sticky substance.

"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~!"

Gonzalo Matthis, dressed smartly in a sequined blue leotard and bright red sash, bounced on the toes of his ballet flats. Wow, it was hot out here.

It didn't look like their leader was going to begin paying them any attention. "Hey," he shrugged at the group. He didn't mind that. He cocked his head at the leader and grinned a little. "I identify as male, but...I'm Gonzalo Matthis; it's a real pleasure." He offered his hand for someone to shake.

a deep sigh echoed from her lips as her shoulders sunk. It was hot, foresty and lets not forget. This place wanted to eat her, or so she had been told. Blushing when the teens eyes fell upon her and the other girl she was standing beside for moral support but upon the woman's words about herself and what she would do if he tried anything, she found herself taking a couple steps to the side. Nope she wasn't going to be getting any support in a rough world here.

When she was approached she smiled weakly at her manager with slightly downcast eyes. "My name is Glenna, Glenna Kenya George" She seemed to be looking at the strange suit he was wearing but figured being the leader he had special privileges to survival the rest of them did not. Well at least he was safe after all right?

The polar worm glanced over at the men as they started to make some noise, but his attention was mostly upon the two females. After all, they were the better looking ones! Or, well, at least one of them certainly was.

Brom's smile slipped a bit as the first lady came right back with a threat. "Easy, easy~ I'm just saying hello..." His smile returned as the second lady spoke and was much nicer. "It's a pleasure to meet you both. I'm Brom and-" The tekimi paused mid-sentence as his sensitive ears caught a nearby sound.

"Mmmm~ That smells lovely~" Brom at first thought it to be a perfume one of the ladies was wearing but realized that it was coming from a different direction.

"Come along group! Let's go pick some pretty flowers for the ladies!" With that, he headed off towards the small clearing, though he first offered an arm to each woman.

"Thanks, Danial," Gonzalo said, grinning easily. "I think your hair ornaments are pretty goddamn fabulous, too, dude." He shook his hand, confidently, and then strode off to follow their leader.

Who'd discovered...a flower. How, uh, pretty.

Instead of following instructions and gathering them, though, he simply bent closer and began wafting their smell gently toward himself with a hand. You had to be safe, after all, and he'd remembered these procedures from a high school biology class. Or something. Or...well, anyway, he'd been told not to sniff new smells directly. Not that he thought he was allergic or anything.

They sure were colorful flowers, though.

As Danial and Jonathon moved to pick flowers, it seemed as though they had the right idea; each of them picked low enough that nearly the entire plant came off of the ground! It seemed to have very thin roots, not reaching into the ground but instead branching out over the top of the soil. As they removed the flower, the fronds reaching up into the air moved of their own accord, sucking down into the bulk of the flower.

They each managed to procure two samples of the alien flower.

As Gonzalo attempted to waft the smell towards him, unfortunately one of his hands' pinky fingers brushed across the lifted stalks. Oddly, it stuck - then jerked down suddenly, pulling his hand towards an opening in the center of the petals. Thankfully (perhaps), the plant was not strong enough to pull him in, and ripped away - taking only a few layers of dead skin with it.

Finally, Brom ... Well, no one ever accused Brom of being gentle. As he tried to rip one of the flowers off the ground, he must have squeezed too hard; the semi-clear orb that formed the plant's stalk burst, covering the tekimi's hand with sticky liquid. At first, it would sizzle, actually seeming to eat into the outer layer of his cooling gloves! Then, shortly after, it began to harden, forming a leathery coating over much of his palm and part of his wrist.

As this happened, the tekimi's communicator chimed it, with Danial and Jonathon's scanners flashing. "Brom~! Please prepare those samples for teleportation~! Your communicator's long range, small object transporter will be ready to send them shortly~!"

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