Ship mechanic Joshua Harding

The humidity was nearly impossible to bare. The clammy heat engulfed Josh as he scrambled free from the wreckage. He was not sure how long he had been for but he was sure everyone else in the Galileo 12 was dead. He had been at the back of the small spacecraft when it had crashed into the planet and that alone had probably saved him. Now he had to survive the planet and hope for a rescue.

Slowly, painfully, Josh edged down from the escape hatch at the top of the crumpled ship and lowered himself to the jungle floor. The impact had carved a small clearing in the dense jungle. The Galileo 12's descent from the atmosphere had carved a short, smouldering, path through the alien jungle and that was the only scar in the wall of giant trees.

Joshua Harding was a tall and fit man. He did not believe that just because he had selected a career as an engineer rather than a solider that he could stop looking after his body. Six foot two, blond and muscled, Joshua was attractive and had no problem catching the eye of female colleagues. Reacting to the heat, Josh unzipped the top of his mechanics overalls and tied the arms around his waist. He still had his heavy utility belt too.

That was the debate. Take the heavy utility belt and its collection of spanners and electronic scanners or leave them here? Would they be helpful in the jungle or just an unnecessary weight?