As a bio-geek, I was thrilled with the solution to the sickness being venom. There's a fairly large area of research in using various toxins for medical use. It was more than a bit of a hand-wave, but one that it at least based on actual research.
I also liked this element.
One other thing I'd like to see is more examination of and even experimentation with some of the more primitive life forms they find, everything from microbes to insect and basically amphibious and/or reptilian-like life forms.
Soon they will be short or out of basic supplies and medicines.
Where do we get basic medicines? Plants, animals, bacteria, even counter-agents such as useful viral organisms.
They are going to need to create or adapt what they lack from the environments they encounter.
They are also going to need much better screening methods against possible biological and chemical hazards.
It would be nice, not to mention smart, if they started grooming someone aboard to take over basic biological and chemical analysis, and to start trouble-shooting both biological and medical problems in anticipation of what might be a hazard, and in order to develop methods, regimes, medicines, etc. to counter-act possible future problems. They haven't even manufactured basic cages from the equipment cases they brought with them to make animal traps. They just stumble into environments and hope to get bitten? As an anti-dote methodology?
Having to work your ass out of a sling every you go afield is much less effective than simply avoiding a problem with a little forethought and planning.
I'd be breaking the crew into real (survival-capable) divisions and I'd be grooming individuals to become field experts on whatever is needed. ASAP. It's stupid not to be utilizing every asset available, and as immediately as possible. They definitely need a basic survivalist for instance. They're spending way too much time absorbed in trying to manipulate and overcome complex technological problems (which they could be resolving ad hoc and poco a poco) and are paying far too little time to basic survival issues and to preparing for the future. That is to say they are relying almost entirely on some on-board technological discovery, or even an accidental occurrence to save them week after week rather than creating (or at least modifying) their own basic technologies (which they already know how to work) or developing new ideas, skills, expertise, and abilities. It seems that it still hasn't sunk in to the majority of them yet, they are nit being rescued anytime soon. Yet they behave as if they keep expecting rescue rather than preparing for the situation in which they are placed. When it comes to survival there's no room for waiting and no excuse for not preparing. They are still merely relying upon old skills and training and expertise. Every person needs to be learning new skills and thinking of new ways to be helpful and resourceful.
Idle hands are the deadman's birthshop
