[Below] Lt. Commander Yogan Yalu — Hoo

[Yogan Yalu]

(( Hydroponics Bay, Deck 9, USS Artemis ))

The doors to the hydroponics bay whooshed open, sending a waft of crisp, green fragrance into the corridor. Yogan stepped across the threshold and took a look around. The lighting, harsh in some corners and lacking in others, took his eyes some getting used to. After a few moments, Yogan was selling clearly and was immediately impressed. Who knew deep space was such a hotspot for botanical research?

Along one bulkhead were rows of vertical gardens, segmented in various containers. From the varying levels of condensation on the transparent aluminum covers, Yogan presumed each container simulated a different microclimate. On the opposite wall, a cornucopia of vegetables grew in shallow pans, snaking upward along neatly arranged trellises. As he rounded the corner of a row of what looked like cabbages, he came across a Tiburonian petty officer on duty.

H’Roo: ::gasps:: Oh! Just let yourself in, why don’t you? I could have been doing all sorts! ::wheeze laughs:: Who does that? ::sighs:: Almost wet me knickers!

Yogan found the Tiburonian curious, fun, and instantly charming. He stepped forward and held a hand out for the man to shake.

Yalu: Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. I’m Yogan Yalu, the StratOps officer. I was just thinking about setting up some plants in my quarters and hoped I could get some pointers from an expert. I’m not much of a gardener.

Yogan’s request definitely fell outside the purview of the ship’s hydroponics lab staff, but the disarming nature of the petty officer whom he’d just met made him feel at home, even though it was his first ever visit.

H’Roo: You’ve come to the right place. ::nods genteelly:: Petty Officer Second Class Hoo Hoo H’Roo, at your service.

H’Roo set down a tray of petri dishes and accepted Yogan’s handshake. H’Roo had a too-firm grip and held the shake just a second too long. Neither of them was Human, so the quintessentially Terran greeting gesture was a bit out of place anyway. It wasn’t surprising they’d get it wrong.

H’Roo: What are you interested in? Vulcan orchids? Demesian double-blooming swamp sticks? Maybe a small vegetable garden to supplement your diet?

Overwhelmed by the options, Yogan physically backtracked.

Yalu: I’m no farmer. I’m just passively interested in bringing some green into my quarters. As a hobby, and to brighten up the place.

H’Roo clapped a hand on Yogan’s shoulder and led him through the rows of hydroponic plants. It was clear that H’Roo was proud of his work.

H’Roo: It takes all kinds, Commander! Farmers, agricultural engineers, botanists. My father is a farmer. Every morning, he gets up before dawn, and after a cup of coffee, he goes out into the corn and peas!

It took Yogan a moment to get the joke, by which time Hoo Hoo was practically doubled over with laughter. The Tiburonian botanist braced himself against a cart full of root samples, nearly upending them.

H’Roo: Sorry, Commander.

Yalu: No apology necessary, Petty Officer… ::beat:: H’Roo, was it?

H’Roo: ::nods:: I’ve got a great way to remember it! Knock knock.

Yogan didn’t mind being a passive consumer of the first joke, but to be an active participant in a second was a little more than he bargained for. It seemed Artemis’ resident botanist didn’t get many visitors. He played along.

Yalu: Who’s there?

H’Roo: Who.

Yalu: ::befuddled:: Who… who?

H’Roo: Hoo Hoo H’Roo!

A round of literal knee slaps followed. Yogan joined in. The joke was awkward, but H’Roo’s commitment elevated it to genuinely funny. Yogan found H’Roo to be curiously compelling, and he wanted to get to know the petty officer better.

Yalu: What do you recommend? I quite like the idea of growing vegetables in my quarters. I’ve never grown my own food before, at least not in this lifetime. I think it would be satisfying.

H’Roo spent the next five minutes explaining the various Alpha and Beta Quadrant plants best suited to hydroponic cultivation on a starship. By the time he paused to take a breath, he’d already arranged for a basic kit to be delivered to Yogan’s quarters with a starter pack of seedlings to plant.

H’Roo: ::drops a PADD in Yogan’s hands:: And if you stick to these instructions, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be enjoying fresh vine ripened tomatoes in a few weeks. I’m afraid you’ll be a few ingredients short of a salad, though. We left Deep Space 224 without any lettuce cuttings.

Yogan thumbed through the PADD. H’Roo’s instructions spanned dozens of pages. Curling up with Hydroponics for Beginners tonight instead of troop mobilization reports would be a refreshing change.

Yalu: ::grins, pockets the PADD:: Well, lettuce all join hands and hope that tomato is a better day. ::chuckles, wilts slightly::

Hoo Hoo H’Roo’s affable demeanor vanished. Yogan could have sworn the bright lights flickered and a chill ran through the room.

H’Roo: That wasn’t funny. ::long, uncomfortable pause:: Just kidding! That’s a great joke, don’t mind if I steal it.

Yalu: Sure, go ahead. ::beat:: One more thing, I was wondering if you might——

MacKenzie: =/\= Senior staff, report to the briefing room. =/\=

Yogan glanced down at his combadge. His question would have to wait for another day.

Yalu: Looks like I’m needed upstairs. Thanks for all your help, Mister H’Roo.

H’Roo: You can call me Hoo, Commander.

Yogan nodded.

Yalu: See you, Hoo.

TBC

Lieutenant Commander Yogan Yalu
Second Officer & Strategic Operations Officer
USS Artemis NCC-81287
D238804DS0