Elsewhere

> You shouldn't have touched those plants with your bare hands. What has it done to you?
>The tests suggest something really bad about the soil or geology in this area. What is it?

Alien leeches. LEECHES. EWW! GET THEM OFF, GET THEM OFF! This is the last time you're picking something up without gloves. Good thing Dee Dee is there to help remove them. They must feed on animals as they attempt to graze.

As for the soil, it looks like there's either a hotspot or you're on top of an active fault of some kind - you better not stay around to find out which. There's heaps of sharp obsidian-like glass fragments in the soil. A good sign for fertility, but another reason to wear gloves next time!