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Field Post Alpha, 5 kilometers from Colony
There had been a fair amount of radio static that had interfered with the transmission between Doctor Randall and Jamie. This had stopped communication after Jamie had initially responded to the radio call from Doctor Randall. Static between calls was not a usual problem, in fact, it was quite unusual considering how hi-tech the gear was. That being said, Jamie was not a 'techie' so he did not bother trying to find a solution, rather he just continued on with his work. The task he elected to take on for the better part of the morning, and more than likely the rest of the day, was taking reports from the few Field Posts that were set up to find suitable habitats for the soon to be arriving species, as well as to monitor the status of the ones currently living on site. The first stop was Field Post Alpha. This post was on the out lying range of where the non-venomous snakes were deployed into the wild. Though there were more than just snakes and field mice on the planet now, those were the only two on the list that were still new enough to be monitored regularly.
Dust and sand kicked up beneath the tires of the Weyland-Yutani rover as it neared the Post. The rovers that they used on Hestia Prime were much more advanced than the one he had used in Africa when he was there. They were faster, easier to maintain, and had a sleeker look to them. The rovers in Africa had a nostalgic feel to them though and that was not replicated with these very new ones. The road from the colony to the first Post was the nicest and most developed of all of them. As much as Weyland-Yutani loved to colonize and make nice the landscape, they also knew the importance of a low impact on the environment these critters would be living in. After roughly two kilometers, the road that was paved slowly shifted into a dirt road and then shifted into a tighter fitting path. Trees, fields, and creeks littered the landscape around the Post. A moderately dense forest stood nearby the Post, you had to pass through it to reach it from the colony, and thus the colony was not visible from Alpha.
This first Post was nothing special, it was just like any other and all the rest. A large concrete wall, standing as tall as two men, surrounded four buildings. The first building was the research portion of the Post. This is where the computers, data, and other equipment was stored, and where a good portion of one's time in Alpha was spent. Two of the other buildings were dormitories with three rooms each and a toilet for overnight researchers. The fourth building was a small cafeteria, essentially. It was nothing special, it was simple, but it was what Jamie was used to and he loved being there. The road accessed the Post via a gate on either side, for coming and going. It opened as the rover approached. Field Post Alpha was empty today. There were no researchers there and no field workers hard at work. It was just Jamie now.
The rover came to a halt next to the research building. The sleek driver side door opened, metal glistening in the sun, and Jamie stepped out from it. The smell in the air was natural, it was lovely for Jamie. The weather was not so bad either, a tad warm but with a nice breeze coming through infrequently. Clouds gathered in different sectors of the sky but these were not rain clouds signaling a downpour. The sun was unobstructed. The only noise that could be heard was the sound of the rover door closing and of the electrical systems powering the Post. Jamie was in his natural environment now.
Inside of the research building it was cool, the air conditioning was hard at work. There were a few desks spread out with different computer systems and notes from the scientists working maybe a day or so prior. The floor was a silvery gray shade, metal. The walls were no different. There were a few windows casting light in, but not enough to completely illuminate the room. Jamie switched a light on to remedy this. The lights flickered at first, hesitant to come to life, but then they erupted and filled the room with light. The nearest desk held the weekly report that was Jamie's to read. He casually strolled over to it and retrieved what he had came for. This report was a quick read, which was always a good thing. Only updates on population numbers and expansion of natural ranges. There was no distressing news in this report.
Once the report was read and collected, Jamie made his way back from the building. He switched the lights off again, casting darkness back into a fair amount of the room. The next stop on his list was Field Post Foxtrot, this one was a bit of a drive. Due to the large amount of distance between himself and the colony that was going to be had once he arrived at Foxtrot, Jamie was required to report in to the Security Force. This was a safety precaution as a while back someone had taken a nasty fall and was left alone for a day and a half before being found. Jamie was only required to report his destination and estimated time at Foxtrot. Using his right hand Jamie pressed a few buttons on the panel of his rover, opening the frequency, and made his report.
"This is James Lancaster. I will be departing for Field Post Foxtrot. I shouldn't be more than an hour or so out there. I'll radio in within two to let you know I haven't fallen victim to a sudden tree falling on me or something like that" he joked.
