The remarkably earth-like planet stretched out below the Jumper that circled the planet in a low orbit.
John and Rodney sat in silence while the scientist took his scans and readings of the blue and green gem.
They had come through the gate nearly 2 hours ago on the southern continent of the uninhabited planet to do a preliminary check before submitting a report on the viability for an alpha site.
Rodney turned in his chair to face John and the Jumper HUD before him.
"Same as when we got here. No settlements. No Wraith activities. The only thing I'm getting at all is this..."
He moved across the small space to the passenger seat of the Jumper.
Calling up the scans, he pointed to a dozen glowing dots scattered across the map of the planets surface.
"These here are small anomalies I keep getting. They seem to be stationary and emit very low but stable energy readings. They are scattered all over the place. There are no ruins or downed ship wreckage that I can find. The readings from the Jumper are inconclusive."
John studied the readout for a moment.
"What do you think they are?"
Rodney gave him a look that screamed irritation.
"Did I not just say ' inconclusive '?"
John resisted the urge to spit one of the many sarcastic remarks that came to mind.
Rodney was brilliant ,yes, but the ego and attitude that came with such brilliance were sometimes intolerable. Part of the problem was Rodney knew just how smart he was and the rest was just his shining personality coming through.
He considered Rodney his friend but sometimes...
John didn't say anything for a minute while he maintained his flight path around the planet. He glanced over at Rodney who continued to study the tablet in his hands muttering to himself all the while.
"Since these energy anomalies are so inconclusive I'm going to set us down nearby and we can get a closer look."
He waited for the inevitable complaints from the scientist.
He didn't wait long.
"Oh come on! We have been flying around for 2 hours and now you want to go exploring? You said we were going to make a few passes around the planet. Take some readings and be done. There was no mention of going hiking! I haven't even had lunch yet."
John stifled a sigh. Good old Rodney. Irritated at the first mention of physical activity.
John paid him no mind as he came around to the closest energy reading. It was on the largest southern land mass near the coast , not far from the gate actually.
He circled around and landed the Jumper a mile or so from their destination.
Rodney groaned.
"Couldn't you have parked any closer?"
John got up and moved to the back of the cabin to collect supplies.
"Probably."
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John wiped away the light sheen of sweat that had formed on his neck from the short walk to the water.
The 15 minute walk from the jumper had taken them through a dense forest. The trees were so think it blocked out most of the sunlight.
They heard the ocean long before they could see it. John took in the earth like shore before him. Large, dark rock formations settled on the sand, the faces of which told of many years of exposure to the salt spray.
He sighed and took a seat on the closet dry rock just as Rodney came up beside him panting and sweating like he had just run a marathon.
"Let me know when your done. I'll keep an eye on the perimeter"
Rodney gave him a withering glare.
He opened his mouth to protest and complain yet again but John cut him off.
"The faster you get to it the faster we can get out of here. I don't want to hear you whine about every little thing when you could just do...whatever it is that you do and we can go."
Rodney snapped his mouth shut and set his pack on the ground. He dug through it until he found a scanner.
With one last hateful look he set off to the north along the beach muttering about the misuse of his time and talents.
John watched him go. He almost felt bad letting Rodney do all the leg work but he was the scientist and this was what he did best. He supposed he shouldn't let him get to far away.
John pushed himself up off the rock and followed Rodney along the shore.