It didn’t take too long to integrate the hyper communication device into both my core and body.  Of course I had my ship brain analyze it after it had integrated so I could recreate the device if necessary.  After I had finished integrating the device I tried switching between bodies and it happened instantly, it almost felt like sliding from one consciousness to another.  

I then escorted Vahlen back to her room so she could get some well-deserved rest, it had been a long day.  Once we got there she made me promise not to do anything to antagonize Agent White.  I promised to avoid him as much as possible and with a quick hug and a final thank you for the body I left her to her rest.

~ 4 weeks later ~

I had avoided Agent White as much as possible during these last 4 weeks, it had helped that he had holed up in his room for the majority of it.  I had also worked on endearing myself towards Cpt Green by promising to be the leading element of any surface deployment.  He seemed to like the fact that I would be willing to sacrifice this body to ensure the safety of his marines.  This helped ensure my safety from Agent White because if the marines were on my side he would be hard pressed to dismantle me even if he somehow convinced Cpt Johnson I was a threat.  

Of course when I first told Vahlen my decision she had flipped out, momentarily forgetting I wouldn’t die even if my body was destroyed as my core would be fine.  When she calmed down enough that I could explain the reason behind my choice she seemed to understand even if she didn’t like it.  I still had her start making me a replacement body so that I could still be with the leading element of the marines and still be nearby to protect her from danger.  

Anyways it’s been nearly a week since we came to the Scorpio system and we’ve just been collecting data on the planets within this red dwarf star system.  So far we hadn’t seen anything astounding, Gaia had studied this star system for years and knew the general composition of planets and gas giants contained within the system.  We were just verifying information that was already known.  

We did discover a potentially interesting planet just within the Goldilock zone, the zone where liquid water can form naturally.  It would be pretty hot even if it did have water but it was just within range so, we had spent the last week scanning for any signals coming from the planet to determine if there was intelligent life there.

When we hadn’t detected anything after a week Cpt Johnson had ordered us into orbit around the planet.  Every single person on the ship was looking at their screens as the first images of a new planet came into detail.  It was certainly beautiful in a way.  The desert planet hung below us, rolling dunes could be seen all along the planet interspersed with mountains and valleys.  There was a hint of green on the planet below as well, it stretched all along the equator and wrapped around the entire globe.  Easily a hundred miles wide this green strip bisected the planet neatly in half.  

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

We stayed in orbit for a few more days as I took more accurate readings of the atmosphere to determine the composition of it.  The data was positive for us as it had a breathable atmosphere but it would feel like you were missing a lung as the concentration of oxygen was far lower than Gaia.  The news certainly galvanized the crew, everyone wanted to set foot on the planet below, but Cpt Green crushed any discussion by simple stating that no one would be going down until the marines had ensured the safety of the landing zone(LZ) and the surrounding area.

A select few scientists would be allowed to go down with the marines to take some samples when they cleared the LZ but would remain near the ship in case of danger.  I, of course, would be going down as well as I had promised to be with the marines.  With the people selected we piled into both dropships and launched for the planet below.

The ride down was uneventful except for the regular turbulence generated by entering a planets atmosphere.  It would have been much worse if we had actually been going into a hostile landing zone but the poor scientists sitting across from me already looked green around the gills.  30 minutes later and the dropships touched down on an alien planet for the first time in human history.  We had touched down right on the outskirts of the forest and as I ran down the ramp, pulse rifle in hand, with marines running alongside me I could still admire the vast, rolling sand plane that stretched before me.

The marines and I set up a standard perimeter after landing, stopping 50 meters away from the forest before us.  The marines were efficient if nothing else, setting up a defensible perimeter within an hour after landing.  From there the company split up into platoon sized elements with one tasked for defending the LZ, one escorting the scientists to the forest to collect samples within sight of the LZ and one to patrol the surrounding area.  I myself would be with the patrolling platoon.

It must be noted that even though the air was breathable no one took off their helmets, which purified any incoming air from the environment, because no one wanted to be put into quarantine for the duration of our journey.  Keeping that in mind the patrol platoon was ready to head out.  I noticed GySgt Earl coming with the platoon and with a nod of greeting he pointed towards the leading element where I would be.

Without further ado we set off to explore this strange new world.