And exploring we shall go!
Day 82 (though largely about Day 72)
I’ve got a new pal to help me with my exploration and cataloging, Stanley Robinson. Stan was a biology student back on Earth, and somehow didn’t feel compelled to come forward until after the storm to help with the native species. As a result, I like to call him Stan The Man, just to get his goat. Because I’m like that.
Anyway, he’s been a big help and because we’re in such desperate need of supplies (of any kind really), we’ve been going out on regular trips. Sometimes it is to explore more of the local area (minus the dark forests…no need to encounter any beasties), and other times to the outer regions of this continent.
Then we decided to go to the Southern Continent (perhaps some day it’ll get a “real” name). That changed everything. Quite literally.
I know the official story is documented already, so I’ll just fill in a few details, you know, the little things no one really cares about but that a small few may appreciate. If you don’t, well, what are you reading this for in the first place??
So on the way down there, Stan noticed my leg hairs were quite a bit long. I guess he hasn’t seen that on a woman before, which is amazing since it is growing more common here on Alchibah. I explained how it was not a priority, esp when razors are in such short supply, and he hadn’t encountered anyone in college going au naturale? Apparently not. So then I proceeded to point out to him my eyebrows becoming a uni-brow, and my more-than-peach-fuzz mustache. I think I frightened him. Connor & Rocco just shook their heads, though I’m not sure exactly at what.
Seeing another intelligent species was so exciting, it was like meeting the devils all over again. Except then one of them spoke English, which I think the lovely yet totally figurative phrase comes to mind “I nearly shit my pants.” Remember, figurative.
So after I was done being frightened, I got terrified. I think we all were as it was a quiet ride back. Stan wasn’t even interested in my hairiness. Though I did have to razz him about his “Greetings, we come in peace.” Such a dork. But what do you expect from a biology graduate student? (For those who don’t know me well, I say dork in a loving way…I like spreadsheets and databases for goodness sake!)
So the trip was a bust. We didn’t get to collect much of anything, and it turns out we’re not allowed back there (except to maybe kick Dobswell’s ass…but that’s another story). It would have been great to talk with the Soessossins about their plants and animals, but that would have been too easy. Oh well. I wanted an adventure and I got one. There’s an old idiom that everyone should know: “Be careful what you wish for.”