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It is a small and brightly lit room, carefully and efficiently designed with unobtrusive computer terminals and comfortable seating arranged along the walls. The walls are a soothing blue-green, the color chosen by Earth's leading behavioral psychologists to relieve stress. A somewhat short red haired man sits alone at one of the terminals, his fingers dancing in the control field and a virtual light headset hanging near his eyes. He is alone, until the door dilates and a tall man enters the room, weaving slightly and somewhat inebriated. The man at the terminal jumps, and then removes the headset.
RICHARD BERNSTEIN - Wha..? Oh, it's you. I thought you were at the party.
METATROLL - I was, I was. Why aren't you? Siren is dancing by herself, and JYD says it won't be long before her top comes off. Thought you might want to join us.
RICHARD BERNSTEIN - I just wanted to check a few things before tomorrow.
METATROLL - Still worried? I don't see why, we've been over everything a dozen times. We can't stay in the lander forever.
RBB - I just get the feeling we are missing something.
MT - Listen, we released the rabbits one week ago, and 80% of them are still alive, and all the deaths are due to predation. I think it's a good sign that Earthlife tastes good to the natives - confirms the biochem reports.
RBB - If only the test results could be checked by the person who created the tests...
MT's expression becomes less jovial, and he is dismayed to feel a wave of soberness wash over him.
MT - Richard, we all wish LunaMoth was still with us. But we brought extra experts for the same reasons the Simon has two antimatter drives - redundancy. I've seen the reports myself, and there's nothing here that our nanobots can't handle. That's what Technomage says, and I tend to believe him.
RBB - I'm still not certain. She was the head biologist for a reason.
MT - Back on Earth we took risks. Why should we stop now? If we wait to be totally certain there are no surprises out there, our grandchildren are going to live on the lander. It's time to move on.
RBB stands up.
RBB - Perhaps. <pause> So, how much has Siren had to drink?
MT - <laughs> Probably more than you could keep down. Come on, tomorrow is the first day of a new civilization. If we can't celebrate now, when can we?
RBB nods, pauses to look back towards the terminal, and then heads out the door. MT pats him on the back, and follow.
<to be continued by whoever wants to continue it - just try not go get TOO silly>
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