Everything was white. The young sun of this world reflected so brightly off the salt mounds that I would've been blinded if not for these thick goggles. The sky was so clear and blue, bluer than any sky I've ever seen. It was difficult not to get caught up in the beauty of it all. Daria wouldn't like me entertaining wonder. Think scientifically. No matter what circumstances you find yourself in, this is a job.
The salty ground shifted and crunched beneath my boots, but it seemed solid enough to be safe. Pretty sure there's no cave network or anything beneath us. The salt wouldn't have held. Point one for safety.
No news from Angelis on the breathability of the air yet, so the mask was staying on. The sun, however, seemed small and far enough to do no more damage than overexposure to some strong UV lamps. Maybe we could take off the heavy layers while we worked on the vessel later. With Daria's go-ahead of course.
As for signs of life...I couldn't think of any creature that might survive in a world of salt. At least nothing larger than microscopic. Still, I scanned the expanse with sharp eyes, looking for any movement or shape that might indicate a living being.
I trudged up a small dune, more of a mounded wall, of desert salt. The higher ground offered me a clear view of my teammates, both working in different directions on their own coordinate points of the white expanse. Still, other than them, there was nothing for me to see. I let my arms hang loosely and took a breath to think before sliding carelessly by the heels of my boots down the other side of the wall. It wasn't until I was a good few feet away from the spot that I heard it.
"Itiss sef."
The voice was mid-toned and reverberated like woodwind, and I spun around to see a humanoid crouched on the very mound I had just jumped from. My heart sped up. How did it sneak up on me?
"Tha ehr," she (I was pretty sure) said, speaking with an airiness that softened her words. "Itiss sef tu breeth."
It took about ten seconds for me to realize she wasn't speaking an alien language so much as speaking /my/ language with a thick alien accent.
"Eew canh tek off oor mhask."
For some reason I believed her.
The mask came off, and I breathed cool air that didn't hurt or kill me. It was a refreshing feeling against my face, and when she saw me remove it she straightened up and I got a clearer look at her pale, thin figure that almost seemed to disappear against the salt and the bright light reflecting off it. We looked each other over for a good while before I finally said something to her.
"Who are you?"
Her expression was calm, and as she stepped slowly closer and I saw it clearer, I realized that she looked.../human./
"Whu amh ah," she repeated, slowly and breathily. "Mha nhemh iss Sehrhi."
"Seh-rhi," I said. "I'm Sydni."
"Sit-nhi."
I didn't know what to do at this point. I had already ignored protocol from the moment she appeared, and Daria would have my _____ in a fire for it.
"Can you help us?"
She tilted her head, brow lowering just slightly. "Uss?"
"My team and I crashed our ship," I explained. "We need to get back."
Her head slowly turned to face the wreckage, the bright light glinting off her white skin. When she faced me again, she looked apprehensive at the prospect of interacting with the guys. /You and me both, sister./ But she nodded, subtly resolute. "Ah whil' hel'p."
I put the mask on again (no reason to give the captain any other reason to slice me open and turn me into rations) and led her back to the vessel.
"Daria, Angelis," I muttered into the communicator. "I'm headed back to the ship. I've found...something."