They readied themselves for their excursion for the planet below and he couldn’t help but notice that the doctor seemed preoccupied. Eventually, however, he quit worrying about it. Seeing as how stressed and worried he was about the people they would be leaving behind, he figured she probably felt the same. Even though she may have been preoccupied it didn’t slow her down one bit and he was again impressed with her work ethic. She would make a good soldier he thought to himself as he smiled wondering how she would feel if he put voice to his silent thoughts.<br/><br/>No time for poking fun though, as they were soon on the barren desert of a planet and moving quickly through the blowing sand. He watched carefully as she methodically stopped to sample the sand every few hundred feet and continue the march. He wanted to ask what she was looking for but figured she has as little idea as he did. Finally the wind died down and they took the opportunity to take a look around and rest up.<br/><br/>As they stood together searching the horizon his eyes were drawn to the shape she cut against the backdrop of the sand and sky. The protective gear she wore certainly didn’t accentuate her charms but there was no hiding the curves of a beautiful woman and the memories of what lay under that suit jumped to the forefront of his mind. His smile was concealed in his helmet as she spoke; she was talking about the beauty of their surroundings but he let out a breathy “yes” as he gazed at her.<br/><br/>Scott quickly refocused and looked away as she glanced in his direction. He tried to cover up his embarrassment by quickly removing his helmet and getting a long drink of water. He nodded his head slowly at the mention of a sauna. “Yeah, and hopefully it doesn’t get much hotter.”<br/><br/>He turned and looked in the direction indicated and could easily see the trail she spoke of. He thought it looked more artificial than natural but had to agree that it could be a hundred years old for all they knew. He could hear the excitement in her voice as she cast her vote for their next step. He looked at her sweetly; her optimism was as infectious as her smile. “Only a fool would say no to you.” He said with a playful smile. “Let’s go.”<br/><br/>He led the way as they moved quickly down into the ravine and back up to the trail. It was easily wide enough for the two of them to walk side by side, which they silently did as they made their way up the side of the cliff. The top of the other side of the ravine had been hidden from their view but they reached it within a few hours. As they stepped onto the plateau above their eyes were quickly drawn to a large patch of greenery, an oasis of sorts in the distance. They were both tired of walking but too excited to stop now that they were less than an hour away from plant life.<br/><br/>They walked quickly and almost ran the last hundred feet to get to the large patch of bright green and yellow carpet of grass. But just as they reached it Scott grabbed the doctor’s arm and pulled her downward in a crouch. He pointed between a patch of tan and yellow bushes and a small copse of gold colored trees. There they could easily see a four legged creature similar in shape but slightly larger in size to a cow. It was a dull yellow color with darker tans and browns and it had a shortened elephant’s trunk. From this distance it seemed harmless enough but they couldn’t be sure.<br/><br/>But then his eyes followed hers as she stared in disbelief at a broken stick on the ground in front of them. The stick itself wasn’t unusual but what was out of the ordinary is that the stick had a hook at the end of it which was separate and attached with what looked like a fibrous string. Someone or something had made that tool!<br/>