Acanthus, we will have to manufacture weapons, and digging implements. Why don't I have four of my engineers make picks and swords from that plate metal? Meanwhile, I'll go out and search for soil samples, ores, rivers, etc. You can have your researchers work on whatever project you want; I'd like some analysation of whatever I find, but I'll leave you to it.
Swords? We are not savages, captain! I will have my men manufacture proper armaments. I've been working on a little project, and If it works, our lives will be easier.
Have my researchers create pulse rifles, and personally oversee the testing of that drone I made earlier, unless I don't have it.
Acanthus, my dear sir! How can we make pulse rifles out of mere plate metal? Perhaps my engineers can gather some sort of native power source... in any case, do you recommend the production of picks, then? Or shall we make farms?[/b]
I would use electronics to do so, Cap'n. There are parts here, but yes, we will need power.
Making pickaxes is a piece of cake for your skilled engineers, and in no time every crew member has one. Shovels are even easier, and your engineers think you might need them. When the evening comes, you are well prepared for an excavation.
Swords, however, take a bit more skill, and the engineers are a bit confused as their superiors give them different orders. They get to work however, and from the research lab they tweak some battery packs so they can be loaded at the standard power outlet. So much for the gun energy problem. And even though sheet metal is hard to sharpen, they make a few one-size-fits-all ducktape bayonets. Don't expect them to pierce wood though.
Pulse rifles, on the other hand, seem relatively easy to make - a bit of wiring and some pieces of metal did the trick. The rifle has a slow fire rate and doesn't pierce anything, and it has to be reloaded often, but the electric blast it delivers is enough to get an elephant all stunned and spasmic.
The results of the captains' exploration efforts are meager. A few soil samples, which will need some research, and a path to the buildings.
The research director brought a wheeled drone with him, and initial tests show that the almost airtight hull prevents all sand damage, even the wheels don't seem to gather dirt. A pity the camera is so low, a tiny bit of wind can obscure the whole view.