She Blinded Me With Science (Part I)

Posted on 09/26/2024 @ 1:01pm by Lieutenant Jayak Zek & Lieutenant Commander Ellery Rosa

1,449 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Mission 25: Shifting Shadows
Location: Arboretum

New to the station, Zek determined that after meeting the Captain/former Chief Counselor and Chief of Operations that he should look into the arboretum. He wondered how many Bajoran plants would be there. If something was lacking, he would have to determine what was missing so that he could bring a bit more of home to this station.

He walked into the Arboretum and started marveling at all of the plant life on the station. Lost in the moment, he moved carelessly until he bumped into someone or something, nearly losing his balance.

Ellery was helping Brianthe in the arboretum and was backing out of a grove of trees with a bag of mulch when she bumped into someone. She turned around, careful not to whack whoever it was with her mulch. "Sorry."

Zek turned to Ellery and answered, "No harm, no foul." He then noticed her hands full of mulch. "It looks like you have your hands full. Would you like an extra set of hands?"

"Sure. I'm taking this bag about ten yards down the way to another clump of trees. I've got four more bags to spread today." She set the bag down and stretched. "I'd quite forgotten how much work is involved in an arboretum this size." She smiled. "I'm Ellery Rosa. Nice to meet you."

"Jayak Zek," the Bajoran answered, taking the bag from Ellery. "Glad that I could help you lighten the load." He then thought about Ellery's response. "Why do you say that you have forgotten how much work is involved in an arboretum of this size? Do you not regularly work here?"

"No. I'm currently the chief science officer here and more a historian and archaeologist than a botanist. Brianthe is the botanist here. So, what do you do on the station, Jayak Zek?"

"Me?" he asked, turning around and nearly whacking Ellery with the mulch. "Oh, just your neighborhood gardener, passing through, and occasionally posing as the new Chief Counselor...." He let that title sit for a moment, wondering how Ellery would respond.

Ellery laughed. "Posing, huh? Well, counselor gardener, welcome to Poseidon Station. I haven't been here long myself." She led the way to the next area. "The mulch goes here. Or the bag does. The mulch goes all over here."

"Thank you for the welcome," Zek replied as he simultaneously bowed and put down the mulch. "That makes sense that bag goes here, mulch goes there," he told Ellery with an easy smile. "But I've always wondered, we are preventing weeds with mulch, but what have the weeds done to deserve being choked out or removed from what we deem to be more preferable."

"Well, that depends on the weed. Some so-called weeds are quite lovely and grow in gardens. Others are not so accommodating. Here in the arboretum, we have to keep in mind that we are creating spaces for the inhabitants to enjoy nature. If they want to experience nature in the raw, they can visit Aquil. Here, they get cultivated nature." She couldn't help smiling at the analogy and wondered what Bri would think of it.

"Of course," Zek off-handedly agreed, keeping his mild reservations to himself. People rarely thought about plants in the same way they thought about people, but there often was a showing of bias in their statements. "Still, it is an aesthetic.... Tell me, Miss Rosa, what do you enjoy about this?"

"I like trees. There's just something about them that makes me happy. I know this isn't quite the same as we've had to cut back the underbrush, but we get a lot of children and school groups here, as well as a variety of people, so it's easier to give them a more contained experience." She looked around and smiled. "So, when I want to rough it, there's always the holodeck or the planet."

Someone was coming toward them from deeper in the trees. A woman with golden brown hair flowing past her shoulders, bright green eyes, and a warm smile came into view. She was dressed in forest green coveralls. "Ellery, I..." She paused when she saw Zek. "Hi. I'm Brianthe. I don't think I've seen you in the arboretum before."

"I don't think I've ever seen you here either," Zek answered with a small chuckle. "No, no. I'm new here." He stuck out his hand, not worried if there was mulch on his hand or not and said, "I'm Jayak Zek, the new Chief Counselor. I'm going to guess that you are Brianthe from the way that you asked that question. Am I correct?"

He paused for a moment before asking Brianthe, "What is your philosophy on weeds?"

"That depends on the weed and the location," she replied. "Are you a weed lover?"

"I would say that we should not be so fast to discount a weed as undesirable, just as we should not discount a being as undesirable. There's often hidden or unrecognized merit to those who are deemed undesirable."

"That's true," Bri replied. "Weeds have their purpose. Not all are in an arboretum where we need to maintain a certain standard. I could let the vegetation grow wild, but most of the crew would stay away. They would complain to the commanding officer and I would be transferred elsewhere. I could apply the same rules to people. Everyone is welcome here as long as the maintain a certain level of decorum. If they cannot, then they are referred to someone for help. They are not considered undesirable, just unable or unwilling to comport themselves within accepted parameters for the station." She looked at Zek for a moment. "Are you a counselor, a philosopher, or a bit of both?"

"A bit of both, though I am the Chief Counselor here, now," Zek admitted. "However, I do think that it would be an exaggeration that you would be transferred for allowing vegetation to grow wild. Admittedly, you'd likely have a long discussion with your supervisor about aesthetics and you would hesitantly change it. Though, which is your preference?" he wondered aloud. "Incidentally, as you missed my introduction, I am Jayak Zek. You are Brianthe, but you have not favored me with your full name, as I have now with you."

"Brianthe Oaxaca." She smiled and gave him a bob that was not quite a curtsy. "As to my preference, it depends on where. On a planet, I love the wildwood. I also enjoy formal gardens. Both have their place and purpose." She smiled. It may not be the answer he was looking for, but it was an honest answer.

"Well met, then," he told Brianthe. "I have yet to explore the planet, so perhaps you will be my guide whenever I get shore leave. Though, I am saddened that it probably will not be for some time given the recent events here." His smile fell slightly, as he knew the truth of his own statement.

Not forgetting that Ellery was with the two of them, Zek turned back to Ellery and asked, "So, how many more bags of mulch did you wish me to move for you? I can't leave a job unfinished."

"Two more, I think." Ellery looked at Brianthe, who nodded.

"Yes. At least for this area. As for the planet, you can take a day trip and visit part of it. I've only been down once myself as the repairs to the arboretum took some time."

"Oh, so this is your job that I am doing?" Zek asked humoredly at Brianthe. "And you somehow managed to get the Chief of Science to assist you, too?" He clucked his tongue, amazed. "My, my, you're quite a persuasive woman."

That made Brianthe laugh. "Ellery and Captain Letsul helped with the renovations and upgrades, so they both help out from time to time. I think Ellery hides out in here to avoid her real work."

Ellery grinned. "Yep. Sometimes you just need to work with plants for a bit. And you, counselor, volunteered."

"Ah!" Zek exhaled. "I may have done that, indeed, but perhaps Bri's powers of persuasion extend out to anyone that enters your realm. This could require some study," he finished with a mock musing tone. "I suggest a more neutral environment, Brianthe. Perhaps dinner?"

He then turned back to Ellery, "Working with plants is definitely important, but hopefully the avoidance of work is only temporary procrastination. Though, if you feel the need for assistance with any issue, I am here to help." Zek bowed to Ellery graciously.

(To be continued...)


Lieutenant Commander Ellery Rosa
Chief Science Officer
Poseidon Station

Lieutenant JG Brianthe Oaxaca
Botanist
Poseidon Station

Lieutenant Jayak Zek
Chief Counselor
Poseidon Station

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