Lt. Cmdr Robin Hopper: Harvested Interest
Robin Hopper
((OOC – In the interest of moving the community garden plot forward, and lining up with some of the previous writing I’ve done on the project, I’m setting the scene from last leave as a flashback within the context of a new scene set during this shore leave. Hope that makes sense!))
((Botany Labs, Level 21, Science & Research Center – Amity Outpost))
The entire lab was awash with new patches of colour – rich orange, tart red, vibrant purple, and deep verdant green – all of which paired with the invigorating smell of fresh homegrown produce. In anticipation of Siben’s visit to the SRC, Robin had sequestered a portion of the civilian laboratory to display some of her ‘starting stock’: the fruit and vegetable varietals she was hoping to offer the first round of Amity Community Gardeners to plant in their Peace Park plots.
Of course, the project was still operating under the joint oversight of Starfleet Science and the Federation Diplomatic Corps, seeing as how Amity was an FDC installation. Each stage of the project required a new round of proposal, discussion, and review – but they were almost there now. Growing their own fresh produce aboard the space station would, Robin hoped, not only provide an alternative to replicated fare for the restauranteurs and home cooks that lived aboard the outpost, but would also provide opportunities for scientific research, community building, and hands-on learning for the school children.
Siben: Response
As the doors slid shut behind the agriculturalist, Robin turned to him with a smile and tucked her hands behind her back, a little bounce of pride in her step as she walked forward to greet him.
Hopper: Hiya Siben, good to see you again! ::Turning to look back at her harvest:: I think you’ll be impressed. We have quite a selection. About eighty percent of the test crops exceeded our expectations for yield…
She gestured him over to take a look, showing him the wide array of edible flora from throughout the Federation’s core worlds.
Siben: Response
Hopper: With some help from Ops and the biosciences team, we were able to recreate the conditions of our Peace Park location with statistically-significant accuracy, but in this controlled environment. If they can grow here, they can grow there…
((Flashback: Last Shore Leave, 2400 – Mackinac Biome, Peace Park))
A bead of sweat rolled down Robin’s cheek, cutting a path through the smudge of dirt decorating her cheek. She’d been working hard and, despite the biome’s temperate climate, was now covered in dirt and grime and sweat – and it felt incredible! Back home, on Theta VII, the majority of the farming her family had done was hydroponic, but they did grow a number of smaller crops, mostly for local consumption, the “old fashioned way”. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed the smell of dirt the past few years, living on sterile starships and space stations.
There was still a considerable amount of soil that would need to be turned and composted before she could call it a day, and far more than that before they could start building the cedarwood boxes that would contain the soon-to-be community garden’s many plots, but the bioscience team had requested her assistance taking soil samples that morning and she’d figured what the hell – time to break ground. She’d thrown an apron over her uniform which was now, like her face, smudged with dirt and gotten to work.
Leaning against her shovel, she took a pause to catch her breath – and it was in that pause that she heard a voice coming up the path from behind her.
Blackwood: Ah, hello commander! How’re you?
Turning around, Robin grinned, a bright smile amidst a field of tangled brown hair and dirt.
Hopper: Fan-tastic, Ensign. ::Trying to remember the new face’s name:: Harrison, right? ::Noticing his Suliban companion:: And you must be our new Agricultural Affairs expert, Siben.
While they hadn’t met previously, Robin had taken some note of the new arrival, given the potential overlap in his work and her community garden project – figuring she’d be dealing with him sooner or later, given the FDC’s oversight of her initiative…
Siben: It is a pleasure to meet you Commander.
Of course, if he hadn’t been on her radar already, finding out that he was Lt. Nathan Richards’ roommate certainly would have put him there. After all, that made him something of an obstacle to their developing… ‘situationship’. The fact that he’d arranged to share accommodations with Nathan only a few months earlier had meant most – nearly all, in fact – of their after hours ‘business meetings’ had been held in her apartment.
She smiled, happy to finally have a face to put to the name typed in many a furtive message, warning her that Nate’s roommate was home.
Hopper: If you’re looking to help me dig, you might be a bit overdressed. ::To Blackwood:: Want a shovel?
Blackwood: Oh.. :glances at Siben, winking: No, I was just on a jog and bumped into Secretary Siben. But don’t let me intrude on any more business.
Hopper: ::Nodding:: There’s always next time. The bioscience team has a lot of ground to cover in their ongoing biome health surveys. ::Shrug:: In case you feel like ‘volunteering your time’ to anymore SRC projects.
She smirked, recalling how Blackwood had ‘helped himself’ to her stellar cartography lab several weeks ago and found a potential planet of interest.
Siben: Oh well, I mean if you must go…
Blackwood: Pleasure to meet you, sir. :offers a handshake:
Siben shook Harrison’s hand with a nod of thanks. Robin took the brief pause to shake a bit of dried dirt out of her hair and put it back up into a messy bun.
Blackwood: Commander, have a nice day.
Hopper: ::Chuckling, cinching the bun with a hair elastic:: Alright, well thanks for bringing him along then, Ensign. As you were.
As Blackwood meandered off, back down the path, on his jog, Robin rested her hands on her hips and looked to Siben with an expectant smile, her eyebrows raised slightly in invitation of whatever business Siben was bringing to her.
Siben: Commander… Hopper it is a pleasure to put a face to the memos that have been coming into the FDC terminals.
She found a clean spot on her apron and wiped her hand off, then reached out and took his, giving it a polite shake.
Hopper: Happy to hear things have been moving. I know I put in a few equipment requests that haven’t gone through yet on account of the QSD transport waitlist. After all that, I may not actually need it all anymore.
She looked down at her hands, hoping she hadn’t transferred any of the dirt to Siben. oO Yeesh, I’m not going to have time to clean up before lunch… Oo
Siben: :clasping his hands together:: So let me hear everything about your ideas on the garden. ::waving toward the path:: Have you got a specific place in mind?
Hopper: ::Gesturing over her shoulder:: Actually – right here. This might have started out as a bioscience project, but I decided to kill two birds with one stone and just get digging. I know all the details haven’t been finalized yet, but I think when you look at my soil samples, you’ll agree – ::grinning:: this is the spot.
((End Flashback))
Hopper: We’re measuring good results from the blend of soil chemistry, artificial sunlight, temp and humidity, and so forth that are present in Mackinac – at least from the cooler weather crops. We might need to dome things like peppers or ::gesturing:: if someone wants to grow a Vulcan spice blend, say.
She walked as she spoke, letting Siben investigate the crops to his satisfaction. Each of them had been chosen for their characteristics. Good hearty crops that were unlikely to cross-pollinate or get caught up in the biofilters. Easy, reliable… but not nearly as interesting as what Robin hoped they could start growing once additional sourcing had been done from other Federation worlds.
Siben: Response
Hopper: Well, what about your side of things? We’ve got some good candidates for Round One here, but I’m excited to hear what your friends in the Diplomatic Corps have been sourcing for us!
Siben: Response
TBC
