Slick-adjective-1.of an action or thing) done or operating in an impressively smooth, efficient, and apparently effortless way. and glossy
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Swoosh. The substance, some kind of orangey gas, dissipated just as soon as it appeared. The entire away team froze, looked around, and relaxed minutely when it seemed nothing happened.
Then every single person tried to move and promptly toppled over. Consequentially, no one who was even remotely near the tree-thing remained on the ground.l, including a heavily swearing medical officer. They also discovered that although they were floating, they lost the ability to steer.
The effect was something akin to watching apples bobbing around in the water, if the apples let loose undignified shrieks periodically and tried to cling to each other for stability's sake. Any attempt to land lead to slipping on the now absurdly tractionless ground, if they could even manage to touch down in the first place.
"We seem to have triggered a defensive mechanism, designed to keep the machine from being tampered with." Spock, stuck parallel to the ground once more, scrutinized the previously underground tendrils with mild suspicion. An unhappily upside down McCoy merely scowled and strained to reach his tricorder, which he had dropped in shock when his feet had suddenly shot from under him.
With an impressively captainly air for a man who was doing gentle corkscrews, Kirk furrowed his brow. "Is this some sort of ancient remnant of civilization?"
"Unknown. It is possible this is simply life we have not yet encountered. However, it seems they are advanced enough to create an anti-friction array, which explains why none of us may land properly."
"...I knew I shouldn't've come down here."
