"Alright, we'll be setting up camp here for about one to two weeks. You all know your respective assignments, so I won't waste time going over the details."
"You, you, you... and the rest of your squad, fall in. We have a secondary objective!" Jason commanded, standing at the forefront of the expedition team.
They were standing in the heart of the native village: a massive communal fire pit.
A mound of fibrous, charcoal-like material burned steadily in the center, baking the surrounding cavern floor. Swarms of the nasty, acidic black bugs circled high above the flames, desperately drawn to the thermal radiation, but the pungent scent of the native herbs kept them from landing.
Roughly two hundred reptilian natives lounged lazily on the warm dirt, soaking up the heat. At the same time, they kept their heads raised, watching Jason and his towering, metal-clad team with wide-eyed curiosity.
