rikahl replied

*

s went around. Mickelson pushed his glasses back onto his face. He gave the soldiers

ng, or what?

the scientist

said, "A minute ago yo

the southwest of that area. Fitzpatrick thought it provided a better perspective. She elbowed DeReaux and pointed with her face. He nodded accor

es were strewn about the area, probes and rovers, mostly. Finally, Mickelson took off his pack

sky overhead made it difficult to distinguish shapes. Swooning shadows mixed into swirling colors. She c

collected a scoop of dirt, closed the jar, put everything in his pack, and looked back t

adiation, " DeRea

th that man?" Fit

the geologist stood for a moment, holding the counter over the dirt pile; he was one of those guys tha

ied, nonchalantly, "A retu

tic interference. That time, the dirt was scooped by digging down a foot beyond the topsoil. Mickelson wanted to get as far below

equipment, except O'Hara, who seemed to just be standing there. Mickelson a

p anxiously before speaking again "Um, Captain, " he said as he pushed his glasses back onto h

d. What's

samples. Decipher the composition and pH of the soil. I'll Carbon scan

smelled like camel butt, too, he thought. Tests ran for the better part of the night. Swain, Phoenix Crew's own, resident nerd, and the remaining scientists flocked around

t some pics of the tes

aptain, " he said,

under his nails or food in his teeth, and the crew had a running joke that he had never done manual labor or gotten dirty a day in his life, but he was there for a r

had been under the command of then Captain, now Rear Admiral, Shaw, until two years ago, when O'Hara was promoted to captain, thus taking over the squad. Since O'Hara's promotion, they gathered data, prepping for

t the light of Eon hadn't changed since their arrival. He smiled to himself and planned to eat, check his equipment, maybe do a little number two, and then get some R and R. The rest of the gang