(Another) Collab between [@Heat] & [@Draken]

    Karen felt odd to be in a lab again, especially one so makeshift as had been crafted out of the Nyx's old brig. It hadn't hit before with all the business to take care of, but Karen had not spent time working in a lab for around seven years. There were only so many tests that could be run on fragments of Devastator exoskeleton, and that didn't leave it entirely clear if it even was an exoskeleton as humans knew them. Instead, she had worked theory with the others, hypothesizing about various potential forms of life, how to first make contact with them - physically or socially, and standardizing a procedure for cataloging them. 
    There was a growing unease in Karen's stomach. She had felt it all morning, and now that Evie Oliver was no longer helping with last-minute checks on the lab equipment, the solitude only made things worse. On top of that, the ship was cold, both emotionally and, to a lesser extent, thermally. Though the Armani would scoff, Karen never felt quite right in a place without warm colors somewhere in view. 
    Karen was startled by the sound of Michael's arrival, not from his footsteps but the sharp movement of the door. The pinnacle of professionalism, he had arrived the very minute boarding was supposed to begin. She cursed herself for arriving so early and making it somewhat awkward for the pilot and crew proper. 
    
    "Greetings Dr. Anderson, it is a pleasure to see you once again." Michael stated in his usual friendly, well-mannered tone of speaking. A smirk was on his face as he approached her, having put away the case that he had brought on the vessel. The android had familiarized himself with the Nyx, a layout of the ship imbedded on his database for quick reference.

    "Oh, hey Michael." She said with a slight jolt. "Feeling confident, it would seem? Or just excited?" Her own nerves showed a bit, though she futilely hoped he didn't notice. 
    
    "Mostly excitement, doctor. Though I am supremely confident about the mission, we have some of the very best from the [i]Vitae[/i] accompanying us," Michael stated with another perky smile. "It is good to see another of the scientific expertise on the Nyx. We're as needed here as the military personal."

    "Indeed," Karen replied, her smile growing less thin, "who knows what important things they would destroy without us. And besides, I know all too well that reports will never amount to being there yourself. It'd practically be a crime for me to miss this." Karen paused, recalling one of the curiosities she'd already been informed of. "Supposedly this planet is covered in vegetation. Now, while I want nothing more than our fighter pilots to be wrong about how similar it is to Earth, that this world is covered in some green material - in zones similar to what we inhabited as well, is far too much to ignore."
    
    Michael blinked at the mention of vegetation. Perhaps like the trees and beauty found in Eden. An Earth-like world was one that fascinated him deeply, he had never set foot upon his creators' homeworld. He had only seen faded images and read old messages about it. He wondered about Karen's words on the subject, did she not want to see such a thing?
    
    "An Earth-like world would be a rarity in the galactic sense. Vegetation would be an encouraging sign, that would give credence to the existence of an oxygen rich atmosphere, or something similar." He'd let his fascination leak into his words.

    Karen sighed, not out of disappointment or resentment, but of a sort of defeat. "I suppose you're right. I guess I just really want to find something new and exciting. While people can talk about the endless wonders of life on Earth, almost all of it has been thoroughly researched, and nothing is wholly new. Everything is based on cells, with exactly one exception, and we refused to even classify those as life." Karen was referring to viruses, which both replicated themselves and changed over time to continue doing so, but failed to meet a few other criteria. "I guess I also kinda want to prove my field legitimate. Xenobiology has been heralded as critical to the future of humanity, but we've yet to do much of anything useful. What irony it would be if almost all of the galaxy was near identical to us?"
    
    "Well, I doubt this world if it does indeed contain lifeforms would have ones identical to those that could be found on Earth. An exactness like that down to the cell structure would be most confusing," Michael said with a smile. 
    
    Karen laughed a bit at that. "You're right. Actually, it'd raise at least as many questions and it would prevent. Namely what force or beings could cause such uniformity. It'd be the most likely thing to convince me in a God. It would have to be that, or some ancient alien in a Universe that's really not that incredibly old."
    
    "Both possibilities would be quite peculiar. Do not fret doctor, I am sure this world will contain some intriguing forms, even if they are just plant life." The android added in a comforting tone as he briefly followed his words with a reassuring pat on her back, with just enough gentleness that could be considered 'human touch'. The emotional effect was ruined somewhat, though, by the interruption of the intercom. Things were about to start moving.