JP PNPC Ensign Pepper O'Grady & LtCmdr Alora DeVeau - A Dash of Pepper (Pt1)
Noelle Motuelle
((Starbase 118 OPs - Science Division, Alora’s Office))
Alora’s foot bobbed up and down as she perused the file. The girl was adorable, and she had heard good things about her. Alora had a feeling she wasn’t going to get to meet everyone in the science department easily or quickly, but she could start. As the chime indicated the arrival of her guest, the assistant Chief Science Officer called for her to enter, then greeted the young woman with a smile.
DeVeau: Hello. Please have a seat.
Alora indicated one of the two chairs that was on the opposite side of her desk.
::Oh Pepper was thrilled to meet the newest science officer. She had heard through the grapevine that the woman was contagiously pleasant. And now she got to meet her! The freckled covered woman had just ended her shift when the invite came through. And without hesitation, the redhead dreamily headed her way.::
O’Grady: Thank you. ::she bowed her head and sat gently down.::
DeVeau: So, Pepper, I’ve read your file, but I’d love to know more about you. Tell me something about yourself.
O’Grady: ::her smile spread.:: Oh I wouldn’t know where to start. ::her voice was airy like.:: I suppose I have an affinity for insects and arachnids. ::her eyes excitedly went wide.:: Do you? Like insects I mean. They are such an underrated entity in the universe. They do so much for us and for plant life.
DeVeau: Oh I concur, definitely. I do like insects, even if I don’t particularly like the consequences when certain ones bite me.
Alora winked, then leaned forward to place her elbow on her desk and rest her chin in her hand, studying the young woman.
DeVeau: And arachnids too. I mean, creation is just amazing in general, and the balance that it holds, the way things work together...
O’Grady: The labs have so many different kinds - I actually spend a great deal of time cross breeding and modified ecosystems research. ::she rambled on.:: Many species I work with are transplanted to other worlds. And yet so many don’t like them. ::she shook her head.::
DeVeau: Really? I would love to see some of your work.
Alora had read some of that information in the files, but it was always better to go right to the source.
DeVeau: Please, tell me about some of the projects you’ve worked on!
O’Grady: Really? ::she scooted to the front of the chair.:: I’ve done a few actually. One with bees and one with Termites
DeVeau: Yes, really, I wouldn’t have asked if I wasn’t interested.
Alora chuckled a little. This girl was certainly enthusiastic - much like herself. Definitely a girl after her own heart.
DeVeau: Tell me about both.
::The redhead beamed at the woman. Pepper was known to rattle on, despite being asked to overshare or not. So to be encouraged was a nice chance of pace. She giggled lightly and tucked her hair behind her ear.::
O’Grady: Well there was one I had many, many years ago. I was doing a study on bees, and working an algorithm for habitat stability.
DeVeau: Oh, carpenter bees, specifically? Why that species?
O’Grady: Well…
::She thought back, way back, to one particular year at Starfleet academy. There had been a sudden and early freeze right in the middle of her studies. The bees were not prepared for such a flash of cold so she had brought them inside… Inside her dorm. The other students did NOT appreciate her concern.::
O’Grady: They had long term stability for heavily wooded areas. But also ::her freckled covered cheeks tinted.:: So that was when I was in the academy, and I was live studying these carpenter bees. And there was this ::she giggled.:: this flash freeze, and I brought them inside to protect them….
DeVeau: So what happened?
O’Grady: Oh I was able to get very detailed information - did you know bees learn patterns? They learned when the halls would be crowded and not. They also learned who brought sweet buns ::she giggled.:: Did you know carpenter bees like sweet buns?
DeVeau: I did know that bees learn patterns. I did /not/ know that they like sweet buns.
Alora’s eyes twinkled at that bit of information. An image formed in her mind of bees and sweet buns. Well why not? After all, they were sweet! Honey was sweet! What was there not to love? Still, that idea and image sent her giggling.
O’Grady: Oh yes. ::she smiled, her eyes sought Alora’s.:: They are really brilliant creatures.
DeVeau: I certainly agree with you. So...what happened after that?
O’Grady: I don’t recall getting into trouble for it. Though my father ::her adoptive father:: did contact me about it after the fact. If I was going to study them so closely, I needed to do it in a more confined space. ::she scrunched up her nose.:: Luckily here, we have large labs and a number of arboretums. We let many live in the arboretums - lots of insects and arachnids. Have you been there yet?
DeVeau: Oh yes, and I plan on spending more time there. I’m actually a Botanist and Zoologist myself.
O’Grady: Oh my, that is wonderful. So many are into computers. And while that's just as wonderful, it is so nice to have another in life sciences.
DeVeau: I personally have a miniature arboretum of sorts. There’s not as much variety as what you find on the base, but it’s nice to have the option. Which reminds me, do you keep plants?
::Was Pepper geeking out a bit? Very much so! She sat on her fingers to keep from moving so much and bobbing up and down in her seat.::
O’Grady: Yes - some. Most of my space is filled with - well - moths and arachnoids.
DeVeau: Perhaps after our shifts are over, you can come over and pick one. I have a small variety, but at least half of my collection is made of Terran African Violets.
*********
PNPC Ensign Pepper O’Grady
Science Officer
Starbase 118 Ops
A239202RH0
&
Lt. Cmdr. Alora DeVeau
Science Officer
Starbase 118 Ops
M239008AD0
Lieutenant Commander Nijil
Executive Officer
Starbase 118 Ops
USS Narendra
A239202RH0
~~