An Uncanny Way Of Growing

Posted on Fri Nov 24th, 2017 @ 6:58pm by Lieutenant Selina Fenruse (*)

Mission: Mission 5 - Liberation
Location: Deck 20 - Hydroponics bay
Timeline: MD 28 10:00
2879 words - 5.8 OF Standard Post Measure

ON:

She looked around the hydroponic bay as she walked down the rows, the greens of the leafs and shrubs interrupted by explosions of colour from fruit every colour of the rainbow. She marvelled at the size of some of the vegetables, and how they complemented whatever shade and shape the nearby leaves of the plant were. Nature had an uncanny way of growing in the post amazing places and here on Mary Rose she couldn’t imagine a more inhospitable place for them to flourish.

“Such a big collection.” She murmured to herself ducking to see the doors that were growing. “What in the universe.” The small blonde looked amazed as she heard someone tutting.

Braden was busy rounding up ants. The invisible electro-curtain he had bought did not appear to be strong enough to curtail the ants trying to migrate. "You guys need to stay in the planters you were put in. Those trees need the aerated soil more then the shallow soil around the melons.". Braden spoke to the bugs as if they were fellow workmen. He looked up and saw a rather pretty blonde women looking down at him. "Hello, do pardon me please. I will be able to attend whatever you might need very soon." Braden scanned the area and was certain none of the ants had truly escaped. He put them back in the potted tree area and turned up the power to the electro-curtain meant to contain them there. He turned brushing the dirt from his hands on the smock he wore. "Now then Ms, I am Braden MacCloud, Science. How can I be of service to you?"

“No service. Just wondering. I’m Selina.” The woman looked like she wanted to be anywhere but there. Selina looked around the bay. “You look like you’ve done some really good work here.” She rubbed the marks on her wrists annoyed at how she had ended but up on the ship when she wanted to be back on her own Ship, with her friends and more importantly the father of her child. She couldn’t understand why Starfleet had torn her from that after everything.

She was clearly Betazoid so he was not sure if she would wish to shake hands and since she had not offered he nodded "Nice to meet you Selina. This.. I had a good team and some very helpful people to get his all done. So the layout is my idea but the actual work is maybe 15% my doing." Braden smiled "well if I was to brag maybe 20%? I picked the plants and collected the soil." He stopped talking as he realized he was bragging a bit. "Over by the door are fresh cut flowers and fruits. I only ask you take no more then you will use so everyone can have a share in the bounty." So that was the nickel tour speech he gave everyone but she seemed troubled? "Say Selina I am about done here, if you want company I would be happy to kill some time with you. I am a decent listener and I never tell others secrets if asked not to." He shrugged "then again I am not all that popular so might be best for you if you don't want to be seen with me?" His smile was indifferent to what others thought of him, it gave the impression of someone who needed no one else's opinion to be content.

"Always brag if you've done a good job. No need to hide it and this look likes you've done a good job," Selina commented on bending over to look at the vegetable that was growing nearby. "I didn't even see them." She admitted standing up a little too quickly making her head spin a little.

McBain stepped closer and put a hand on her shoulder to help her balance. "Excuse me for asking Selina but are you okay?" He pointed with his free hand "We added some benches for people to enjoy the fragrance and ambience. Maybe you should sit down a moment?"

Selina backed off from his touch like she had been burnt. She hated how much was out of her control especially her telepathy which had been the one thing she had always been able to control. "Sorry... thank you." Selina murmured as she sat down putting a hand on her small bump that had been hidden under her floating dress. "I do have time to kill... maybe you can show me the mess hall?" She wondered softly having not ventured there yet.

McBain noticed the baby bump and felt dumb for not noticing the dress before. Just the same he smiled warmly, "rest a moment if you would then I will be right with you. I am hungry myself and it is not that far from us." He bowed his head slightly and took his tools to a small closet with the outward appearance of a farm shed. He put his tools away then locked the door again. There was a trough and spigot on the outside so he washed his hands then after drying them he took off the coveralls and hung them up. He returned in a couple minutes in dark grey cargo pants and dark grey shirt.

Selina sighed and looked at her bump with a small smile as she felt the child inside of her. It was an intimate time one that she didn't want to spend on this ship far from home and more importantly Tae. There relationship when she had been 'arrested' had been complicated but now well now it was just not good. He wouldn't even know where Intelligence had taken her to. She glanced up as the man returned.

His smile was friendly and open "feeling good enough to walk? If I may ask how far along are you?" He moved into a sort of funny crouch "say there is not going to be a jealous fellow wanting to kick my butt for taking you for a bit of dinner, right?" He straightened laughing. "It is fine really, no one finds my jokes very funny." His smile was unabated though and he offered his arm "might I escort the beautiful lady to the messhall?" He tilted his head "you are pretty tis true but the comment is meant more for your condition. All women glow with a certain vitality when with child."

"Don't worry. I will take a compliment where I can take it right now. Now exactly feeling so grand." She admitted standing up with a slow movement. "No there isn't a jealous guy ready to kick your ass," Selina assured gently. "Um... I can't touch you... um, it's a long story but if I touch I um... I'm able to read your mind. I don't have control over it at the moment." She rubbed the bruises on her wrist lightly.

MacCloud shrugged "not much of interest in my head anyway. Mostly just facts that are seldom important to anyone." He smiled "I could see how annoying it would be though to be hearing some peoples thoughts. I know for myself I do not want to know what anyone on the ship is thinking. Can you wear gloves or something insulated to cut down on random contacts?" He led the way to the turbolift as deck-20 to Deck-3 was quite a hike for a pregnant woman.

"Most likely but as an Engineer, it would make it a lot harder." She admitted with her own shrug. The woman remained silent as they stood inside of the turbolift. The woman adjusted her dress over her bump to hide it again. "I am hoping it is temporary issue."

MacCloud looked at her "so this touch telepathy is not something you were born with? Does it have something to do with your being pregnant? I have heard of things like that happening. Well, not exactly this situation but odd abilities in women who are pregnant." The turbolift traveled slower then any he had known in the fleet but it had never broken down yet anyway.

"It is very usual touch telepathy. Betazoids are not born with telepathy in 95% of cases and if they are born that way they are either very very kind and gracious or very psychopathic." She admitted covering her wrists again. "Afraid not. At least I hope not, I've not been checked over for a while."

As the doors opened to the turbolift Braden had noted how she wrung her hands, almost as a nervous reflex? "Well you do not look psychopathic, and I don't get the feeling you are overly friendly so I am guessing neither of those problems are yours." Braden seemed to lack curiosity about most things, at least he did not press. "So you want to grab a seat I can get us food? What would you like?" He figured if she was feeling whoozy letting her sit might help her keep her food down.

"No... I wasn't born telepathic." She assured softly as she stepped into the old-fashioned mess hall. It was quint but clean to a high standard despite the rest of the ship being all sabby. It familiar to the Starfleet Officer which was what she desperately needed right then and there. "Um... something healthy and plain if there is that thank you," it was a kind offer to get her some food.

Braden nodded glad she needed to touch him to read his mind. As he walked to the chow line he wondered why women always did that. You ask a direct question and they always answered the same which was basically 'you decide for me'. If you failed to ask though then you were a chauvinist? If you did not ask you would get an scathing opinion of how whatever you decided was completely inappropriate. He was also confident since he had absolutely no idea what this woman thought of as plain that his idea would be wrong. Men never did this too you. A man would even ask to pick them something up if not asked. A man would even suggest the brand of something he wanted or tell you a brand not to get. Never a women though. They would wait till you returned from hell to tell you they did not want ice water, they wanted lemon-ice tea. Thus were his thoughts as he went through the line. He got himself a couple pork chops and sides. For Selina he got a bed of fresh greens from the garden, some peanut sauce glazed chicken strips, some green veggies also fresh from the garden and some diced carrots. He topped it with sliced cucumber discs. Last he got her three dressings in cups as he had no idea what she would like. One was a white ranch dressing, a yellow honey mustard, and a reddish strawberry vinaigrette. He selected a couple pieces of chocolate cake for dessert.

He returned to where she was sitting having finished the silent ranting in his head. He set the plate in front of her then the three different dressings, he had lemon ice tea for her as well. He sat down with his own food on the tray still. He placed a slice of cake for her across the table toward her plate. He smiled saying "Hope that suits you." He began cutting his pork chop into bite sized chunks and arranging the food on his plate to suite his eating style. He would add a few things at a time on each mouthful, he liked the different textures and tastes when combined like that. "If you feel like talking go ahead, I will listen." He left it on her to open a conversation that way he did not feel obligated to speak to be polite. One of the reasons he had made so few friends was he was not all that much into idle conversation. She had problems though, and he did feel some compassion for her plight. So as he had offered in the garden he was here to listen if she needed to vent some of what was bothering her.

“It is lovely thank you.” The Engineer offered a smile taking a sip of her ice tea for a moment before setting it down on the table again. She glanced at the man thinking over his offer. She closed her eyes a little against her beating heart, she had feelings that she wanted to talk about but she couldn’t express them. Last time she had expressed them it had ended in an argument where she had stormed out of the vacation apartment and getting ‘arrested’ by intelligence for god knows what on this vessel.

Braden nodded "You're quite welcome. Lot of the food is fresh from the garden so should taste pretty good. Plus we have a good cook." he smiled and went back to eating. He was not going to pester her, she had problems it was easy to see but they were hers not his. He had done what he could for her, if she didn't want to talk it was her business.

"Nice to know as I really don't know how long I am going to be here for." She admitted with a shrug as she tucked into the salad. "It amuses me that humans used to avoid foods in pregnancy like peanuts like on the chicken." It was one of the first things they checked for now adays at first antenatal check.

"I was not aware of peanuts, but all our veggies have natural fertilizer compounds plus I know we wash them when they are picked and the cook washes the produce before putting out for consumption. All the meats are cooked to a proper temperature unless you actually request something under-cooked. The milk and eggs are replicated so no salmonella or listeria. I was careful to not get you caffeine as well." Braden sipped his coke and smiled. "I do think everything on your plate is safe, well at least for humans. You are Betazoid though but I believe everything on your plate is standard fare."

"It is but the baby is half human." She revealed softly picking at the chicken a little. She had to eat something having refused the breakfest that had been brought to her quarters. "Ships sounds a lot more organised than the look of it. How long you been onboard?" She wondered nibbling on the the chicken.

Braden thought a bit before replying "four, maybe five months. Not all that long, actually just long enough to have the garden producing well." Selina had said she was not sure how long she would be aboard. Braden thought her crew, but then maybe she was working passage to the next place with a maternity ward. One that truly deserved the title. Then she did not seem inclined to talk much and as far as Braden was concerned she had a right to her own secrets.

"I am impressed with it Braden." Selina hadn't seen many hydroponic bays outside of Federation Vessels as well run or even flourishing like that one. "You must have some good operators?" She wondered hearing his thoughts but ignored them as they were his own.

"It was and is a team effort, I have a lot of help from two crew day to day, Humili Planita and Paul Cullars from Science spend a good deal of time in the garden. Operations Quang Tran has helped a lot as well. The cooks have cooperated so the produce is picked in a sequence to promote a steady production. Engineer continues to maintain our power supply. So it is a team effort. It works because everyone shares the benefits. I also believe it works because no one has to actually work with another person. Each does a task they need to do." Braden shrugged "you work in the garden you get to pick your own basket when you leave." He winked teasing her. "If you are done eating I can take your tray up to the front?"

It sounded like a very good system, to say the least. "Paul is here?" Selina said her face lighting up as she heard a familiar name. Her hand going to her chest as she heard felt like it was going to swell with happiness that he was okay and had made it someone semi-safe and with Draia as well. "Please." The plate was half finished but at least she had actually eat something for the first time since the arrest.

Braden nodded and gave Cullar's deck and number for his quarters. At least there was something that made her happy. Braden felt satisfied as she was in a better mood when he left her then she had been when he met her. There was not much more to ask for here. "See you around Selina, after all, it is a small ship."

Selina simply nodded. It didn't need answering as she was fast running out of words as she had spoken more works in the last hour than she had seen arriving.

OFF::

Lieutenant Selina Fenruse
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Viking, NCC-76640
(PNPC Gregnol)

Braden MacCloud
Chief Science
SS Rose Marie