The planet was dark-skied and only reach-able by shuttle. The team that went was small - Colonel Young and Dr. Rush, Dr. Park and Dr. Volker, Sergeant Greer and Eli. They split into teams, the first three together and the last three together.

Things were going fairly well.

"I'm running ahead," Park told the colonel as they headed up the hill. "I want to take a look at the hanging flora."

Young nodded tersely and she bounded ahead. The colonel wasn't sure what to feel - relieved that the eternally peppy woman was gone, or disappointed that he was alone with Rush.

Ugh.

"Can you try to keep up?" he barked at the scientist, who was lagging behind a few steps.

"I'm looking at this plant," Rush snapped back.

"Why?"

"Because it's interesting, Colonel, and it could have medicinal properties that Lieutenant Johansen would certainly appreciate for the infirmary."

Young stopped walking and turned to Rush, eyes narrowed.

"Leave it," he said. "If Park didn't think it was worth a look, then it's not worth a look."

"Park didn't see it," Rush argued. "She was rather distracted by the concept of vines."

They heard something like a whoop from where Park had run ahead, and Young was embarrassingly certain she was playing Tarzan.

"That's irrelevant," he said. "We need to keep moving."

"We need to investigate everything that could possibly be of use to Destiny!"

"Rush!" Young snarled. "You are not in charge here! You have no authority on this planet or on Destiny -"

"This isn't about authority-"

A choked scream cut across Rush's voice, and both he and Young froze. They looked up at the tangled mass of trees and vines jutting over the hill.

"How did Tarzan end?" asked Young, voice weak. Rush looked at him sharply.

"What?"

"How did Tarzan end? The Disney movie."

"How the hell would I know?"

Another scream. Young and Rush spared each other a surprised glance and then both of them were racing up the hill and into the jungle.

Foliage blocked Young's view, turning everything green, and brambles tugged at his legs as he tried to get to the frantic noises ahead. Rush - who was much faster - bolted in front of him until he reached a giant fallen tree. Without thinking much, Young sprinted up, but his hands on Rush's back, and vaulted over, earning him a strangled yelp from the scientist who was left behind.

Ten yards in front of him was Dr. Park, entangled in vines - vines that were actively choking her - and struggling to get free.

Damn alien foliage!

"Hold on!" Young yelled, rushing forward. Whatever vines weren't grabbing at Park snapped toward him, trying to grab his ankles and trip him up. Young dodged them as best he could as he simultaneously tried to remove the knife from his calf-holster.

He jumped ahead of a vine and got his pant leg up.

Park let out another strangled yell.

He bobbed around another vine and managed to brush his fingertips against the handle of the knife before he had to move again. In the corner of his eye, he saw that Rush had found a way over the tree and was heading for them.

"Go back!" Young roared, ducking a particularly vicious sentient plant. Rush ignored him and headed straight for Park. "What are you doing?" Young cried. "I said get away!"

Rush spared him a thumbs-up gesture that completely baffled Young and threw him off his game. A vine wrapped around his foot and he yanked away, feeling something near his ankle twist unpleasantly. He kept running, and this time he managed to retrieve the knife.

"Throw it here!" called Rush, who wasn't being bothered by the vines at all. Bastard. Young ignored him in favor of trying to make his way over and cut the vines himself. "You idiot!" Rush shouted. "She's freaking choking! Throw the knife here!"

Young shook his head and made it about three feet before his ankle gave out. He tried to get up, failed, and for a brief moment thought the ground was pounding. Then he realized it was just Rush running to take the knife from him.

"Give it here," Rush hissed, prying at Young's clenched fist. With no warning, he stepped down and stomped - hard - on Young's knife hand. There was an audible snap and Young let out a shout of pain - the next minute, Rush was gone.