knew her job inside and out, just like her patients.
Doctor
Fred Roshenko, a Canadian, like Doctor Carter. He had multiple PhDs. He was a
brilliant metallurgist, geologist, and amateur paleontologist/botanist.
If they were trapped on the alien world it would be Roshenko who would find the
metals and materials they would need to survive and thrive.
Doctor
Nate Billings, Nate to his friends. He was a bit of an oddball, tall, lime
green dyed hair and goatee he'd picked up from watching MythBusters. He was a
brilliant zoologist, biologist, and naturalist. Unlike Roshenko or Carter he
came from Great Britain.
Doctor
Mary Delouses, a quiet small woman who was a brilliant botanist and
agriculturalist. She would be vital in identifying what was edible or dangerous
of the plant kingdom.
Doctor
Ben Jarvic, a French linguist who was rather excitably bothering everyone
within arm’s reach. He like many of the other people on the team was
polylingual, but he could also pick up just about any language after hearing it
for only a day or so. Right now he was trying to teach an amused Wanda Smith
how to do a glottal stop.
Wanda
Smith unlike the others was not a doctor; she had multiple Masters in chemistry
though and was also an assistant nurse and paramedic. Her partner Charlie
Thurman was nearby, she was a quiet reserved woman who had a sunny disposition.
Wanda was a talker, and she tended to gossip. The curly haired blond Charlie
tended to listen while packing or doing their work. Charlie did the biological
side of chemistry; she'd be an asset and assistant to Nate.
Then
there was Xu Yung, another chemist and lab assistant. He was from the Chinese
homeland and was rather reserved despite being unusually tall. Wanda had teased
him about trying out for basketball but he didn't even smile. He was a good
paramedic though.
Masayuki
Watanabe the Japanese electronic tech would double for Ryans and some of the military
in taking care of their various electronic devices. Masayuki was a good kid,
quiet though like Xu. Both of the Asians would be riding with the colonel in
the last vehicle.
Ryans
turned, and snorted at the sight of Sydney Heart holding a camera up and
getting video. It wasn't like they didn't have enough already, Ryans thought,
looking at the media all around. Sydney was another UK groupie; he was the
team's video-photographer, historian and physics minor and general gopher. He
was a likeable chap even if he was an Aussie and had a thing for Fosters.
There
were four other civilians to round out the civilian side, Polish Gregory
Yvetskov, their tall not quite fat cook and nutritionist, he would also serve
as the team's barber and a first aide tech in a pinch. The tall Russian Sergio
Valenkov would double as another lab tech, physicist, and amateur astronomer.
Ryans had just overheard him talking to Sergeant Ginger Lewis, they were both
pilots. That was good to know; at least they had another pilot.
The
last two civilians were the quiet, unassuming Jessie Adams, their
communication's tech and computer whiz, and a last minute addition, Max the
bear Howlett. Max was one reason they were going. He didn't have any fancy
degrees but he had a wealth of practical hands-on knowledge and a steady hand
and keen mind in a crisis. Besides, he was an out of the box thinker and a
blacksmith and mechanic to boot. He was an all-around engineering Joat and
Ryans was glad to have him onboard.
On
the military side things were a bit different. He didn't know the team as well
as he would've liked, they had kept to themselves. Still he had picked up some
of their various ranks and specialties. All were clean cut; some were almost
cookie cutter military characters. Others stood out a little.
There
were three officers, Colonel Richards was an abrasive, quiet, no nonsense
character that had an “I've got a stick up my ass and don’t you dare touch it”
look on his face. Didn't anyone tell him that if his face soured like that all
the time it'd