Static Noise.

"-ou read me? This is F Horten speaking to you now. Commander D Johnson is exiting the module now." The Radio was silent. 

"Maybe they can't hear you back on Earth, we could be on the wrong side to get signal," Daryl Johnson suggested, holding in the button on the chest of his spacesuit. 

Frank Horten, one of the astronaunts on the mission to this planet, grumbled inside his spacesuit, only to himself. Then he began speaking into the radio he held, which was three times bigger than a 90's cellphone, "This message is now recording whether you can hear me now or not." He flicked a switch at the radio's side. "This planet, Driri C514, seems isolated. There are signs of plant life, yet nothing else for now. We will take a look around." He flicked off the switch again and heard his commander's voice through his spacesuit panel. 

"Close the module door, Horten, time to look around."

The module's actual sealing process consisted of several layers of doors, one near the outside that would eventually lead to the foreign planet, several more inside that would slowly balance the pressure and environment. Horten stepped onto the outer shuttle steps with the mild annoyance of a man that had been doing this for a very long time, while Johnson was more cautious. The sheer number of things that could go wrong was a very real thought. Contrary to popular ideology, Driri C514 was far enough from their own known solar system that most 'normal' rules didn't quite work here any more. Even the known 'rules' were all that only applied to Earth. Ever since this mission started, scientists had been rewriting the laws of science. Equations that had worked on some planets, did not work on others. 

After sealing the door from the outside, Horten gazed at the landscape; a bright pink and blue, something akin to a dream. There were orangish bubbles containing some type of liquid, if one could call it that, floating about in the air. Also hovering, below many of the liquid bubbles, were lush forests filled with deep greens and blues, with vines protruding everywhere. It was a binary star system, however, but the stars were far enough away that aside from the yellow dots in the sky, there was still some kind of flora here. 

Horten's gaze fell upon a unexpectedly crouching Johnson. "What are you doing?!", he snapped suddenly. Then instantly recoiled and regretted the tone on which he had used. 

Johnson swivelled around skilfully on the pads of his boots and looked up with a jagged half-smile. "Just examining this plant, Horten. It still seems to be in the ground, unlike the rest." 

Horten grumbled again before trudging forward, into the hovering forest. Johnson lagged behind a little longer to watch the vines gently wrap around his glove before it pulling away. If Johnson wasn't focusing on his fellow astronaut, he'd have noticed that the vine almost seemed sad with the lost touch.

Horten pulled the communication device out from his belt again. "F Horten to base, can you read me?" 

"-aine receiving you-," was the static response. Eyes widening, Horten took a few steps forward in some vain attempt to boost the signal. 

"That's not gonna work," Johnson lamented. Although, only seconds later was he proved wrong and Horten felt smug.

"Major Blaine receiving you, loud and clear," was the light, wispy, feminine voice from the communicator. Johnson chose to ignored Horten just snorting at him. 

"Yes, yes, we're on the planet," Horten continued into the device, "and I suspect that the 'life' here could be in the-"

"Hey, Witney Blaine," Johnson said while snatching up the communicator from Horten's hands. "Look love, the ground isn't purple. Guess who owes me credits?" 

Major Blaine laughed at the other end. "Boys, focus on your mission, please."

"Nah-uh, credits, ma'am."

"Deryl! I said that the ground just had to be a colour not on the visible spectrum," she clarified. 

"Three days ago, Major Witney Blaine attested to a bet, worth over a hundred credits, for the environment of this planet-", Johnson started in a mock reporter voice.

"According to my data here, there is also a hint of infrared," she analysed, clearly looking at a data screen. "And that means I'm correct."

Horten decided to snatch back the communicator while Johnson sulked in a stupor. They had been having this competition thing for a while now and Horten wanted none of that. Leave the frolicking to the young childish astronauts, who both somehow ranked higher than he, but still, he prefered sticking to the mission. 

"Can you get a read on our location? I was wondering if you could sense any unusual thermal activity, as I may have detected a potential life form over...", Horten trailed off as he listen for the response while squinted to try to get a better view. 

"Oh, Frank, you're back. Uh, of course... lemme see... running diagnostics...", she muttered while faint sounds of a clacking keyboard echoed. 

Frank watched as his Commander occupied himself by going back to a few more plants, reaching up to examine some of the slightly higher hovering ones. They varied in colours and translucency, the one he was currently holding was almost a see-through blue. Like the last plant, smaller tendrils extended out to wrap around his gloves, pulsing with a new light. "Horten, how much do I have to pay you to carry this plant onboard?"  

"Much more than you can afford and it's against protocol to bring foreign organisms aboard," was the immediate response.

"What if I start a mutiny?", Johnson replied.

"You can't, you're commander- wait, what? Say again?" Horten paled. Blaine just giggled from her end of the line.

"Oh, you know, the rules are booooooring and I think taking it back to our shuttle would brighten up the place. It could use a little greenery." Johnson glanced at the colour of the vines that were still crawling round and round his finger. "Er... some blue-ery."

"This is not something to be joked about," Horten chided. "You were selected to command this mission, maybe take that seriously, Daryl."

"I am." Daryl sounded mockingly outraged. "Nah, but think about it, I just need the support. Blaine, you're with me, right? I promise to get you a plant as well, specifically a purple one."

Major Blaine laughed once more, muffled this time, clearly covering her mouth with her sleeves, "Sure, but you still owe me credits."

"Of course, love," Johnson said, winking out of habit despite no one being able to see him. "I always love a good revolt. Now then, care to update us on whether there's any unusual thermal activity?" 

Commander Johnson's unblinking eyes stared back at Horten in his red-purple head. His mouth hung open, about to speak.