The Weather's Fine

Posted on Sat Feb 22nd, 2020 @ 1:54am by Jasper Offermans

Mission: Mission 10 - Temperance
Location: Ships Bar
854 words - 1.7 OF Standard Post Measure

Avalon looked tentatively around the room until she spotted him. She assumed this was the man she was looking for. Eden had described him to her. She approached him carefully, not wanting to startle. "Hi, you must be Jasper?" She asked. "My name is Avalon. Eden sent me, she said you were thinking of growing something in the hydroponics bay and wanted my help?"

"I am," Jasper replied with a smile. There was a puzzled look in his eyes though his expression was warm, "Eden told you that?" He chuckled, "she works fast." Raising an eyebrow the man added, "please, have a seat, Avalon and we can talk about it."

"She practically pushed me out of the bay and down the corridor," Avalon replied taking the chair opposite him. "Rarely have I ever seen someone in dire need to plant a radish but I thought I better come just in case. So . . . what was she really up to then? You seem to know."

Jasper chuckled and turned more to face the woman, "I'm afraid Eden set us up." He smiled and shook his head, "sorry, she and I go way back but I didn't think she'd do this." Jasper took a breath and smiled, "she was just here, talking to me and I think she got the idea I could use a friend." He smiled broadly, "actually I'm glad she did."

"Ahhh," Avalon replied. "I guess I should have seen through her ruse." She rubbed her eyes. She'd not been sleeping well lately. Her days were creeping into her dreams and disrupting any peace. She looked back up at him. "Well . . . I guess since I'm here already I might as well have a drink."

Jasper smiled and nodded then looked over at the barkeep in the hopes of getting the man's attention. He looked back at her as the man began to move towards them, "I'd like the company."

"I'm new around here," Avalon explained first. "What do you do on the ship?" She ordered a glass of Bajoran spring wine and sat back, watching him curiously, cautious but also curious. He seemed like a very warm person.

"I work in operations," Jasper answered. There was a warm smile on his face and his eyes sparkled. He leaned towards the bar counter and picked up his glass of beer, "work with the computers quite a bit but really all over the ship."

"Ah okay. Well I guess you know what I do already. I suppose it's kind of an odd job, bringing dirt into space and learning to grow things in such a sterile environment like this, but I love it. I love that nature always seems to find a way, no matter what we do to stop it. Inspiring I suppose." Avalon suddenly looked at Jasper and wondered if she'd been rambling. She decided to close her lips and see what, if anything he had to say about it. Why was she suddenly nervous?

"That is inspiring," Jasper admitted and nodded intently listening to her every word. He drew in a breath, "I hadn't really thought of things quite like that but you're right plants do have that indomitable spirit don't they?"

Avalon clasped her wine glass and watched him. "So what about you, how did you end up in operations?" She could see how fixing things would appeal to someone, after all it was like trying to figure out what one of her plants needed.

Jasper smiled as he thought about the question, "I've always loved computers and began programming rather early," His eyes sparkled as he thought about his early days, "it just came naturally to me, trying to figure out what made things work what the problem was when they stopped have always been a challenge I can't refuse." He chuckled as he thought back even more, "tinkering around with stuff even got me in trouble at Starfleet Academy, once."

"I can't do any of that," Avalon laughed. "I swear I get near a computer and it freaks out and then I freak out. Plants are simple, they're alive, they need only a handful of things. We understand each other perfectly. But . . . maybe you could teach me something sometime. I mean if you have any free time of course. I don't want to butt in."

The man chuckled and tilted his head, "I think I can find time for that." He shook his head and continued, "where would you like to start? Getting a handle on say the COM system controlling your plant's environment?"

"Sure. If you promise to stand in front of me and protect me from the computer." She rose from her chair thinking they would be starting right now.

Jasper chuckled as he stood to follow the woman, "as long as you don't feed me to Audrey." His eyes twinkled as he spoke and then turned to nod at the bar tender.

Avalon looked confused for a second but then shrugged and gestured for him to follow along after her.

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Avalon Hadley
Hydroponics
SS Mary Rose

Jasper Offerman
Operations
SS Mary Rose