Lt. Robin Hopper: Sycamore View
Robin Hopper
((Amity Outpost – Peace Park, Mackinac Biome))
The two women had just entered the Mackinac biome – which Robin reminded herself, several times over in her head, was pronounced “ma·kuh·naa”. The biome evoked the peaceful temperate forests of Earth’s Great Lakes region – though, as far as Robin was concerned, it may as well have been Theta VII. The cool breeze, especially refreshing after their trek through the Desert Biome, was a welcome change and carried with it the scent of fallen leaves and recent rain.
Her home world had been terraformed from a barren chunk of rock, rich with minerals, into a steadfast frontier agricultural breadbasket. The mines that drove its development, and the spaceports that kept folk (and ore) coming-and-going, all needed people to work them and the people needed food. In the early 2200s, it wasn’t as easy as ‘replicating’ everything. Supply deliveries would come in via starship, and the locals had to ration and make things last.
Of course, Hopper’s family had only arrived there after all that. The original owners of her family’s ‘farm’ had decided to move on. They left behind the high-tech hydroponic facility that Robin had grown up wandering in. She had always loved growing things – wild or ‘domesticated’. The trees and tall-grasses that covered the undeveloped parts of Theta VII by the time she’d been born were just as magical to her as the squash and beans which grew inside their massive greenhouses.
Reminded of home, and thinking of her sister, Robin wrapped an arm around Iko’s shoulders as she looked at the path before them – hoping the younger woman wouldn’t mind. She gestured to the trees surrounding them.
Hopper: Now, look at that! ::Whistling:: What do you say, little sister? ::Glancing at Iko with an excited grin:: Want to go make some memories together?
Iko: ::smirking:: Sure!
They began walking down the path, Robin looking for an area of land that might be suitable for her ‘community garden’ idea. Of course, whatever she came up with would still need to be run through proper channels… oO I’m not even sure who that would be? Who manages the park? Ops? That doesn’t seem right. Do we have groundskeepers on Amity? Oo She shook off the thought, deciding it was a detail that could wait for later.
Hopper: Okay – let’s find a suitable area for… I dunno, let’s say twenty garden plots to start! Hey – maybe you can use your tree climbing skills to get a better view of the area?
Bec nodded eagerly, but she had to do something first.
Iko: First off, Computer, pause counter.
Computer: time duration count paused at two hours, 43 minutes and 12 seconds.
Robin raised her eyebrows and watched as Bec pursed her lips, clearly bothered by something.
Hopper: What’s that all about?
Iko: How long I can go without swearing.
((Flashback – Moments Earlier, Desert Biome))
Hopper: I take it you two are pretty close? Heheh… He probably wouldn’t mind me telling you about the time he re-programmed a bunch of the replicators to add a stack of rainbow pancakes to every order. ::Chuckling:: Then there was the time I adjusted the Universal Translator in a history classroom so that every “the” was switched to “my”... A subtle change, but when the prof started discussing all of “my war” this and “my peace accords” that, it definitely turned some heads.
Iko: Wait- wait you’re telling me Wong, sweet, innocent Wong who doesn’t even #$@&$#% swear, messed with not one, but several replicators at the academy. I wish I was one the creating end of pranks more often. ::shaking her head:: Sorry, interrupted you again, uhm, your point?
((End Flashback))
Robin nodded silently, a look of amused understanding washing over her face.
Iko: As you can see, ::chuckle:: quite unsuccessful. My best is 8 hours, but since I was asleep and unconscious, I don’t think it counts. Computer, reset and begin counter… ::sigh:: again.
A confirmation chirp was heard.
Hopper: Is that really necessary?
Robin had heard of Iko’s “outburst” during their recent mission. While she wasn’t one to fly off the handle out of hand – given the circumstances, she could hardly hold Bec’s passionate reaction against her. Professional it may not have been, but warranted? Robin thought so.
Iko: Let's just say I don’t want a mission repeat. Now… ::half to Robin, half to herself:: where’s the good climbing trees around here…
Hopper: Look for oaks or sycamores. Hardwoods. ::Pointing:: The oaks are easy to climb, but you won’t get as high. The Sycamores grow taller, but you might need a boost to get up there.
Iko: Response
Hopper: ::Chuckling:: What? I was a kid once. I climbed trees!
Iko: Response
Hopper: Here, let me give you a boost. ::Smiling:: Come on, I’m stronger than I look.
She cupped her hands and held them out for the security officer to step onto, bending her knees slightly. As Iko clambered up and into the tree, Robin recalled that Klingons often came with duplicate organs and were far denser than they appeared – but she kept her composure and said nothing. Iko had seemed ‘sensitive’ to her mention of Klingon accents earlier, and the last thing she wanted to do was offend her.
As Iko got higher, Robin stepped back and peered up at her.
Hopper: How’s the view from up there, little squirrel? See any good spots?
Iko: Response
TBC
