Brent shakes his head. "We can provide some immediate help with what we can make or modify aboard the ship.  The bulk of what we could do would require help from Egg where they have the population and industry to do what I've outlined.  What you have in lanthanum is terribly precious and would buy a good deal of good will and aid."

He looked to the woman.  "We could find no other living humans on the planet.  If you have the locations of the settlements we could look there specifically for them."

Byron thinks for a moment. "There is nothing to stop someone from simply coming to take what they want. If there are other villages on this planet, then what we decide here could endanger them, too."

"Should we not participate, then?" The same woman asks Byron.

He sighs and shakes his head. "No, we have one group of outworlders here. Sooner or later, another ship may arrive, and then what?" He looks at Brent. "You seem to be decent people, and another ship's people may not be willing to consider us in their plans."

"I think they're good people," Melina put in, patting Malcolm on the arm.

"Um," Malcolm stutters and turns bright red as everyone around the table chuckles softly.

"I'd tell you she was harmless, my friend," Byron says dryly. "But then, I'd be lying to you."

"Father!" Melina says, to more laughter.

"You take care of my daughter," he advises Malcolm with a glower.

"Always," the tall soldier replies without a trace of humor. "On my honor."

Byron nods, and takes a breath. "Well, then," he says as he looks at Brent once more. "What will you and your people do next?"

Niamh stays quiet for now, and can't help but smile when she sees the exchange between Melina and Malcolm.  I suppose people are pretty much the same everywhere after all... she muses to herself as Byron continues.


She decides to politely defer to Brent to answer the man's question.

Veronica, who is seated to Naimh's right, looks her way. "Naimh, you are a survivor of the Imperial society that was here before us. What do you think about the proposal?"

She looks back at Veronica, a slight smile escaping onto her face before turning her gaze to Byron and the others.  "I think I would find this proposal to be quite beneficial, if I were its recipient...and I would accept it.  It wouldn't really require much on my end, in exchange for some extremely useful assistance."

Brent listens as Niamh offers her advice.  "Let us spend a few days here seeing what we can immediately do to aid your people with medicine and the equipment aboard our ship.  We might be able to bootstrap some technology that might help you even a bit.  Then I want to use what knowledge you might have of where some of the other villages might be to contact them as well. Lastly we should take samples of the ore back with us to help prove our case on Egg."

"That sounds fine," Byron says. "Where do we start?"

"I think the first thing to do is look over your village and see what assistance we might immediately provide.  Then we can use any records you may have of other population centers to search for other survivors."

Byron shrugs eloquently. "I don't know enough about your technology to suggest what might help us the most. Our most pressing concern is with illnesses, and especially injuries."

"Father, if they can tell us what passes elsewhere, perhaps they can warn us of storms before they arrive," Melina adds. "They also have a library to teach us many things." She glances at Malcolm, who sighs and nods.

"I was showing her the ship's library yesterday, and some video from our inbound flight," the soldier replies calmly.

"I want to fly, too," Melina adds.

The centuries-old yet vaguely 30-ish looking redhead nods, saying politely, "As a actual doctor, I can help you concerning the illnesses and injuries, sir."

Brent nods. "There may be things we can leave with you or even help you to make that can reduce your losses to injury and illness.  Even simple things can help greatly."

OOG: Okay, gang, what's zee plan?(Not zee plane, but zee plan ;-)) Joxe suggests a sun-synchronous orbit to search the planet for other settlements, since she was listening in on the conversation. It takes five days to complete a planetary survey.

"Joxe has a good point.  I can start the survey in the sun-synchronous orbit.  It will take the better part of five days it looks like but having a good map will be a start for rebuilding anyway.  Naimh and some of the others can start work here to help with health, hygiene and perhaps some technology boot strapping.  Melina can come with us and see if ship board life suits her."

OOG: Veronica will stay with Naimh, and Malcolm will stay with Melina. Joxe and Brent will be aboard Wanderer as she makes her survey.

What about Gareth?

OOG: I assume Malcolm and Melina will come with the ship?

OOG: Yes, she wants to go, and apparently, where she goes, Malcolm goes...

OOG: Works for me!

The doctor nods, keeping comfortably close to her bodyguard Veronica.  "I can begin seeing patients right away, if you like.  I already have all of the necessary equipment to perform the basics right in my pack."

OOG: Hoot, let me know what Gareth wants to do during the next few days...

IG: The meeting ends with a delicious lunch served in the village's meeting room. Afterwards, Naimh and Veronica unload their gear (Bob can specify items), and they are shown to their quarters and their work area.

With Brent at the controls, Joxe in Engineering, Malcolm and Melina on the bridge (the latter in a jump seat if Gareth accompanies them), Wanderer lifts off and climbs rapidly to establish herself in a sun-synchronous orbit around the planet.

Melina stares wide-eyed as the trader easily slips the bonds of her home planet and rides gracefully into space. She uses her newly issued comm unit to take pictures and video as she looks through the bridge windows.

The flight into orbit is uneventful, and, according to the flight plan Joxe laid out, they should pass over the next possible village location at about 1700 ship's time.

[OOC: I guess in Niamh's case, it would be the normal medical equipment that she usually brings with her.  My character would know the details far better than I. :)]

Brent checks in with the village as they lift and then brings them into orbit.  He settles them into the proper orbit and then keeps his attention focused on the instruments.  Still he smiled back at Melina.  "So, what do you think?"

"Unbelievable covers it, I think," Melina breathes as she looks out the portside windows at the verdant planet below. "We have old maps drawn from memory, but this is nothing like I'd imagined."

She shifts in her seat. "It's weird to feel down is this way," she points to the deck,"and to see down is that way," she points out the window at the ground.

"We'll provide you with up to date maps.  We don't have the sensitive multi-spectral sensors that a survey ship would carry or we could provide you with maps that would show water and other resources." He chuckled at her confusion.  "It's even worse though without artificial gravity though.  Then you are just floating around and there is no reference at all."

Wanderer continues her orbit sweep, heading toward the next agricultural station's location, according to the old maps.

On the ground, Naimh finds the local medical people and begins to brief them on the equipment and supplies she has on hand. Veronica sits with the educators to see how she can meet their immediate needs with the information systems she has available.

OOG: Summary of the first 48 hours to follow after any IG comments...

Brent divides his time between overseeing sweeps and teaching Melina something about spacefaring life.