“If you would, please place the sample within the first container... And, if it isn't a problem, would you mind taking the other containers for samples from the local flora?”

“It would be very beneficial to us if we could closely test and examine them now, so as to better direct the crew in their efforts.”

Oliver chuckled less from Vadrin's request, and more from the scene in front of him. Multiple plastic containers of various sizes were spread out on a tarp at the foot of the ramp while Vadrin stood at the top, the rest of the crew peering curiously over his shoulder. The remaining three security people had moved well away from the spot, even as they maintained their watch.

“Want to gather a little more info before you risk exposing anyone else?” He chuckled softly as he approached, carefully placing the squirrel 'sample' in the box clearly labeled 'Sample Number 1'.

“I... would not wish to phrase it as such, friend Silk... But, as you volunteered to take additional risk on our behalf-”

“It's fine, Vadrin. I'm just messing with you. I'll grab a sample from the mushrooms, and some other plants I saw, before I move to check out that village we spotted.” He paused for a moment as he thought back to the tests he had agreed to on the Ark. “Do you have the data that Cici's people collected on me?”

Consulting his tablet briefly, Vadrin nodded excitedly. “Indeed! Our leaders wished for me to be able to ensure your safety as well. I assure you that I will do my best to warn you of any potential dangers you may encounter... Or have already encountered... Perhaps I should assign Bolus to our normal safety checks while I focus on the simulation testing your biology's reaction to the samples...”

Shaking his head, Oliver left Vadrin muttering to himself excitedly. “I'll just grab those samples real quick and head out...”

----------------------------------------

Once he had dropped of samples from several mushrooms, grass, flowers, and mosses, Oliver quickly moved off towards the village they had found. While they had put the ship down in the closest safe spot they could find, it was still more than a mile away.

From time to time as he walked, he spotted the aggressive little squirrels watching... Though none attacked him, and it seemed they were keeping their distance from the shuttle as well. That didn't really surprise him, as killing so many of them had shown he was a threat. And, if they were anything like squirrels on Earth, they were smart enough to avoid people once they realized the danger.

But, as he moved further away from the location of his 'squirrel massacre' and all of the critters continued to avoid him, he began to wonder... Why were all of them avoiding him? Maybe they had some way to communicate the danger to each other?

“Yeah, I'm no zoologist... Wait...” He paused, gazing up at the creature high up among the mushroom caps. “The system didn't translate their chattering... So, I guess it only translates for... intelligent beings? People?”

He sighed softly, shrugging off his pondering of the System's abilities. “Eh, something else to consider later... Like when I'm not running around alone on an alien planet... I need to start writing all this shit down.”

Snorting in amusement at himself, Oliver hurried on through the marsh, alert to any threat that may present itself... And was once again surprised to find nothing beyond the squirrels. Could the adorable little ankle-biters really be the apex predators here? How would that even work?

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Well, considering the numbers he saw, Oliver figured it was possible... It just seemed a little strange to him. Surely there had to be bigger creatures somewhere...

Oliver nearly stumbled in surprise when the edge of the village came into view... Though perhaps it was better to call it a city, now that he could truly see the scope of the place.

The small collapsed buildings were clearly not a proper representation of the place.

At first glance it hadn't even registered in his mind as a building, as it looked like nothing more than an exceptionally thick and stout mushroom- perhaps a mutation, or just a more robust variant, but not all that different. It took his mind a second to process what he had seen, and he quickly did double-take.

Square, carved openings, trailing up the sides of the mushroom- the building, he corrected himself quickly. They were roughly three feet wide and tall, if he had to guess, and scattered about almost haphazardly on the stalk.

Though there were no lights, or and sort of movement, that he could see, Oliver approached cautiously. His body tensed to run or fight at a moments notice, he circled around the building, looking for the door so he could take a look inside...

And didn't find one.

Filled with disbelief, Oliver dropped his knife to mark a spot before pacing around the building once again... Only to return to the same spot without seeing a single opening lower than ten feet off the ground. “Huh...”

Shaking his head slowly, he collected his knife. Moving back around to the side with the lowest window, he stared up at it for a minute as he considered the situation he found himself in.

With no sign of movement, and unable to see much of the darkened interior, Oliver quickly came to a decision. Getting a running start, he leapt up at the dark opening, easily grasping the edge and pulling himself up.

Crouched on the lip of the small opening, Oliver pulled a flashlight from the system warehouse and clicked it on. Shining it around the interior of the building, he was both shocked and confused by what he saw: Despite the numerous windows, there were no real floors or levels to the building. The entire inside of it was hollow, though he could see what looked like furniture scattered about... Some on the ground level below him, and some carved into the buildings walls above him.

Some simple chairs, tables, alcoves and small platforms... But no stairs. Or ladders, ropes... Or any other method that he could see that would allow someone to move up and down in the building.

And no people, either. Though he was a bit grateful for that, as he wasn't really prepared to explain barging into their home as he had done.

“How the hell did they move about up there? I mean... I guess if this place was abandoned long enough ago, something like ropes wouldn't have lasted... But how am I going to even begin to search this place to figure it out?” He muttered, a touch of annoyance in his voice.

Glancing down again, he took in the part of the building that he could see, and access, easily. His nose wrinkled in disgust at the murky water fooled at the bottom and algae growing along the walls. The only furniture below were a pair of the oddly shaped chairs, carved into the wall just above the algae.

The chairs, if that's what they really were, looked more like stools stuck on limbs extending out from the wall. There were no real backs to the chairs, and no arm rests, though the fact that they still had four legs danging beneath them puzzled Oliver. Running his eyes over the legs of the chairs, the only curious thing he could find about them were small blocks stick straight out at the bottom of each one... On all four legs... Almost like footrests, so that the person sitting there wouldn't have to just let their feet hang loosely...

Oliver's mind raced as he turned his eyes upwards once again. No stairs, ropes, or ladders... A bunch of windows, but no doors... Unless those were the doors...

“Maybe they used ropes and ladders, and all that stuff decomposed or was taken with them... Or maybe they could fly?”

With a sigh, Oliver turned his mind to his options: Try to climb up and search this building for more clues, or try the next building?

But would the next building be any different? Maybe the short ones, like the couple that had collapsed, would be easier to search...