The ride to the expedition site was a long one indeed. Being squished ion one truck was bad enough, but for Jim it was even worse, considering he was also with Delbert and Amelia. Not that that was a bad thing. They, in his opinion, were great people, but quite frankly, they smelled like a barnyard.
"Are we there yet?" he grumbled as he was smushed against the window, the glass cool against his cheek as he pressed against it. Helga rolled her eyes- this kid was more annoying than Mole. And that was saying something.
"We get there when we get there!" she barked, pushing on the gas pedal impatiently, "Mole, get off me!" The man called Mole sighed, plopping back into his seat- he was trying to reach what looked to Jim like dirt samples off the dashboard, small ants crawling around feverishly as the soil was jostled and broken apart. He wrinkled his nose- these people obviously didn't rid win style.
"So, what exactly can you do on Earth?" Jim asked Audrey, who was sitting to his left, chewing obnoxiously on a pink piece of bubblegum. As the car rattled, her hat jigged upon her head, threatening to fall off if she didn't secure it.
"Eh, a little of this, a little of that," Dr. Sweet answered for her, turning around in his seat, "I would assume the same you do up here, just not as advanced-"
"Absolutely fascinating!" Delbert cut in, fixing his glasses as they slid off his nose, "Dr. Sweet, tell me, are you familiar with the doings of Captain Flint and his crew?" The doctor faltered before shaking his head.
"No, I can't say I am, Dr. Delbert," Dr. Sweet laughed nervously. The dog's face fell with realization- Dr. Sweet was not that kind of doctor, it appeared. The engine purred as they rode for a few minute in silence, Mole breaking the silence every few seconds to talk to himself, examine the multiple piles of dirt he had piled in the car.
"Uh, does he always do this?" Jim asked. Audrey smirked, twisting around n her seat to face him.
"Yeah," she nodded, "he's the dirt expert in our crew-"
"Not dirt, soil!" Mole exclaimed.
"Really?" Jim said uneasily, "what about you?"
"I'm the engineering committee," Audrey said proudly, straightening her back. Jabbing a thumb at Dr. Sweet, she said, "he's the doctor. And Milo? The linguistics expert." Jim shot a look at Milo- he was busy flipping through books, pouring over maps and chart, using a tiny gold pencil to scratch pieces of information on paper. His glasses slide down is nose and he expertly pushed them back up before he could drop one of his journals that were filled with notes, small tabs sticking out of the pages throughout the book.
"Ms. Sinclair, according to this map we turn left," Milo tapped Ms. Sinclair's seat and she jerked the wheel to the left, narrowly missing the curb of the street.
Wow, Jim thought, Earth people really do drive terribly! He stuck his head out of the window to get a glimpse at the man yelling on the street corner, covered in mud. Apparently Earth people were also really angry.
"Mr. Hawkins, i would advise you to keep your members inside the vehicle at all times," Helga deadpanned, narrowing her eyes in the rearview mirror before shakily driving around a bend, almost hitting a stray cat in the process. Rolling his eyes, Jim obliged, raising an eyebrow at the back of her head.
If she was leading this expedition, then it was sure going to be a long one. And not enjoyable.