[center][i]Addressing: [@Randomness], [@Raylah][/i][/center]

Just as Nick was explaining to Mason that the planet seemed, fortunately, to be Earth-like enough to require no specialized equipment- Nitrogen-Oxygen atmosphere, similar gravity, etc- he was interrupted. A small alert sounded off from the Captain's ever-present datapad. An alien transport had arrived, just outside the [i]Prize[/i]. 

"Well, delegation team, sounds like our ride is here." He stood. "Francesca, Denise, Beatrice and Astrid- you're all with me. If anyone needs any supplies, now is the time to get them. Elm, feel free to contact the other science departments. Then you and your team should prepare to begin scouting the surface. Good luck, everyone."

[hr]

The transport shuttle was a bit like the escort had been: rectangular, outdated by ISA standards, and oversized. The word [i]clunky[/i] almost springs to mind, except that the builders took time to color the shuttle's exterior in black and a shade of blue that reminded Nick of the planet's luminescent vines. Along the bottom of the craft, symbols and shapes were drawn in a manner that hinted at language. On the whole, it made the shuttle feel odd to look at. The shape was far from elegant, at least to a human, but the stylizing hinted at artistic expression. Like painting roses on a military tank. Maybe the engineers and the designers got different memos?

The back of it opened up as the delegation approached, either automatically or because someone inside saw them coming. There were no seats, or anything else that might hint at what these aliens looked like. There [i]were [/i]windows, but they seemed a little too high. Nick had to stand on his tip-toes to look through them. The ceiling was high too, come to think of it. 

"I guess our friends are tall," he mused out loud. Even while the Captain spoke, the shuttle was lifting them off the ground, and flying quickly into an unknown direction.