Sam just rested, feeling Gnome lay her head on his shoulder as he laid on the hard earth; despite how cold it was becoming as the sun set, Sam still felt incredibly warm. He could hear small noises coming from the younger Lamia as she upheld her end of the bargain. When it was all said and done, Sam replied to her comment, "Maybe you're right, but I'll never know unless I see it for myself."
When the elder Lamia thanked him and gave that sultry wink, Sam returned with a cursory nod at the serpent-woman's advice. Sam looked down after watching the Lamia disappear to see Gnome looking at him, her eyes wide and doe-like. He gave a sigh and said, "Look, Gnome, I'm sorry for what I did; but this disk might hold information I can use. Even if it is stuff I should already know, perhaps it will give me a new way to look at things." With that he sat up and placed the disk back inside the holo-reader.
The hologram of the aged scientist reappeared, "Your life could be great peril! You need to find a shuttle and get off this planet!" The hologram then heaved a disappointed sigh before continuing, "I just wish I had more time......But in the end that's all it comes down to, isn't it? Time, there's never enough of it."
"Ain't that the truth." Sam added in his mind, then turned his attention back to the hologram, which seemed to be turning into more of a confessional than a warning, "When we first landed here in Earth-year 5292, we were initially surprised to see these humanoid species. It was so strange, but they weren't hostile. Now it's 5341 and we had just finished documenting the species on the planet and were so close to finding out why the males were dying out. Then the attacks began; immaculately preserved corpses from the desert tombs and graveyards started rising up and taking human males captive, the same with gigantic flowers containing a woman inside and other species of humanoid creatures. It was madness;it still is actually, as I'm locked in a supply closet, hoping those monster woman don't get their hands on me. I'll be heading to Wathire once the coast is clear; that's the closest evacuation site, even if it is ridiculously far."
The hologram paused again and said, "Though I will have warned you to get off this planet as soon as possible, if you're still reading this - and I applaud you if you were patient to endure my rambling - then head to the town of Nexus; there's a data terminal that contains more information about this planet. Good luck, and god speed." The holo-disk then faded like it was supposed to; the message was over. Sam just sat in silence........this was heavy. The planet was colonized, and were subsequently driven off because the local populations began attacking human settlements - for mates, apparently, if what Gnome was saying was to be held true. "Well, looks like we have our next destination, huh, Gnome?" he then said; if there was more information that could be had, then he wanted it.