I Think The Roses Like You

Posted on 14 Aug 2013 @ 7:27pm by Rear Admiral Lirha Saalm & Ensign Natalie Chevalier

1,834 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 04 - Exodus
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 4, Arboretum
Timeline: MD 01 - 1450 hrs

[ON]

Kneeling down on one knee in the soft brown soil, Lirha stroked her chin in deep thought as she tried to select an ideal species of flower from the plethora of ones growing in front of her. The arboretum was not a place she often visited but occasionally she liked to indulge herself with some quiet and tranquil time to herself. Or, for different occasions like this, she came to specifically choose a gift for her girlfriend, something which was both exotic and beautiful. Lirha wasn't too familiar with various flower species, but easily recognized a beautiful cluster of Bajoran lilacs and Tarcanian wildflowers, the latter of which had been introduced over ten years ago to Federation from USS Voyager's adventures in the Delta Quadrant.

Reaching out with her green hand, she gently inspected the different specimens in front of her, unsure of which to choose or what Siren would most prefer.

A metallic CLANK from behind her signalled Nat's arrival. The petite ecologist had been lugging an enormous bag of tools, which she now dropped to the deck. She had been working long enough to work up red cheeks, twig-filled hair, and a few soil stains on her new overalls. She'd been working on redesigning the flower beds based on Allyndra's suggestions, but lacking the Akkadian's ultra-violet vision, she was having a hard time visualising the colour schemes. In front of her, the Captain herself was stopped on bended knee.

Nat wasn't sure how to handle that situation: she'd seen Captain Saalm a few times around the ship, but had never spoken with her since coming aboard. But she was not one easily cowed by authority, and besides, while the ship might be the Captain's, the arboretum was very much hers.

"Uh, Captain? You might want to be careful there," she piped up, coming up alongside the Orion and pointing. "Those black and yellow flowers are Catullan Fingersnappers. I know they look pretty, but those little fangs on their petals aren't for decoration..."

The loud commotion behind her caused Lirha to turn her head and look at the new arrival. It took a short moment but she quickly identified the young dark-haired woman as Ensign Chevalier, the ship's ecologist. And judging from her flushed appearance and earth-stained clothes, she took her job very seriously. More importantly, Lirha heard her warning and froze for a moment before slowly standing and delicately stepping back out of flower bed, careful not to brush up against this new 'fingersnapper' breed. Why such a dangerous flower was being grown on her ship, she had no idea, but apparently the rewards justified the medical risk. At least, she hoped so.

"Thank you, Ensign. I was about to check those next...it is fortunate you warned me. As you might have guessed, I am not overly familiar with the different species we have present here." she said.

"We have a database, but it's a little out of date: I've planted quite a few new varieties since Mr. Zimm and Mr. Petrov were in charge. I'm Ensign Natalie Chevalier." Nat wasn't sure the Captain would know who she was: though she'd been on the Bridge a couple of times, they had both had more on their minds than formal introductions at that time. "If there's something you're particularly looking for - maybe I can be of assistance?"

Lirha gave the blue-collared officer a polite smile then began to explain her reason for coming to the arboretum and inspecting the various flowers. She enjoyed the offer of assistance, and maybe between the two of them they could pick out a suitable bouquet. "I was looking for a cluster of flowers...maybe three or four, with bright colors and a pleasant aroma. Preferably ones which would be able to survive being transplanted or could adjust to water in a vase. And...hopefully without fangs."

Nat chuckled. "In that case you may want to steer clear of the Triangular Terror Tulips. But, I'd be happy to help you, Captain. Let's go see whether any of the Edosian orchids are in bloom: they'd be my choice to start with." She led the Captain over to a bank of the tall, multicoloured plants: purple, red, blue and lavender in abundance among the dark green leaves.

As she looked through for a couple of good stems to choose, she let her natural curiosity bubble up to the surface again with a strategic selection. "The Samarian chameleon roses are good for a bouquet, because they change colour depending on their environment. Are you just looking for some flowers to brighten up your office, or are they meant for someone else?"

"They are for someone else." Lirha replied in a soft voice, then began to look at the chameleon roses the ensign had suggested. They seemed like a fascinating species of flower especially if they could change color, and she wanted to know more. "How does the environment affect their color?" she curiously asked.

"Originally, the Samarians believed that they responded to changes in pheromones in the air. But genetic analysis has shown that the plants are actually mildly empathic," Nat explained. She bent down and carefully plucked up a rose, carefully avoiding the sharp, dark red thorns, and shaking free a little soil. The petals were currently dark purple, almost amethyst.

"The tops of the leaves are covered in chloroplasts, which draw in energy from the sun - or in this case, artificial lighting - and convert it to energy, much like most plants." She turned the rose up and pointed to dark pads on the undersides of the pale leaves. "But these pads on the bottom of the leaves contain cells filled with psiplasts. They respond to minor changes in the psionic energy field surrounding them. It's not clear why that is tied to colour changes in the flowers, but there are obvious evolutionary advantages: they display warning colours when they sense aggression, camouflage when they pick up something that might be destructive - and more inviting colours when they sense a chance for pollenation."

Nat twirled the flower slowly: the petals were starting to turn pink, the centre of each bright and radiant while the edges retained their purple hue. "Of course, the interpretation of the colours is completely subjective. That's why they're little more than ornaments, with no practical use. I once heard a rumour that the Tal Shiar had ordered tens of thousands of chameleon plants and were trying to cultivate them to be used for intelligence gathering: detecting deception, I suppose. It's probably not even true, but I rather like the idea of a bunch of Romulan spies running around with roses pinned to their uniforms." She giggled, and passed the rose over to Saalm.

"Very interesting..." Lirha mused as she took the flower from Natalie's hand and inspected it. "When I was an intelligence chief following the Hobus disaster, most of my work was centered around Romulan relations and investigation. It would not surprise me to hear that the Tal Shiar would find value in such a flower. They are very...unorthodox with their methods, much to Starfleet Intelligence's frustration." she commented, then brought the flower closer to her nose and watched it petals suddenly begin to turn from its previous pink color to a lighter, brighter cupid shade.

"Do you suppose the flower likes me?" she asked, wondering why it was changing colors again and what it meant.

Nat laughed. "I'd hope so, Captain. Perhaps it just recognises your curiosity: I've noticed them turning that colour when I'm working." She revelled in watching the continuing cascade of colours, but then broke off, businesslike again. "Ok. If you'd like, you can take a few: we have enough that we can spare them. They'll need to kept in water, and if the water's kept fresh - changed every day or so - they should last about a week to ten days. Towards the end, you'll see the colours starting change more erratically as the psiplasts break down: it's a sadly beautiful sort of dance, really."

She smiled earnestly, keen to make a good impression, but perhaps more importantly happy to find that the Captain genuinely shared her enthusiasm and interest: she did not think the plant would be changing to such a soft colour were she only humouring her. "I hope the person you're giving to likes them."

"Oh, I am sure she will. They are lovely." the Orion smiled warmly and with much gratefulness that the ensign had helped her find such an intriguing type of flower. No doubt she would have never discovered them on her own, and was humbled by the encouragement to take some with her. "Thank you, Miss Chevalier, you have been most helpful. Would you like to pick them for me so I do not damage their stems?"

"Of course!" This was hardly a chore for Nat: there was nothing she liked more than getting down and rooting around in the dirt. Her fingers - which, were it not for the wonders of dermal regenerators, would have been pock-marked with callouses and scars from numerous thorny plants - found their way past the dark spikes of the chameleon rose bushes to the fleshy, pale green stems. She plucked out three, tweaking hard to snap the stems but leave the roots intact, and came up triumphant, presenting them to the Captain.

"There you go: easy once you get the hang of it, really," she explained modestly.

Lirha accepted the flowers and gave the ensign another small smile. "Excellent, these will do very nicely." she replied. "In return, I would like to invite you for dinner tomorrow night. 0630, if you are able to make it?" she offered, extending some Orion hospitality to the young woman in exchange for her help.

Nat was a little taken aback: though she wasn't particularly one for rank and station, being invited to dinner with the Captain was still something of an honour. Captain Sutherland had never so much as spoken with her on the Venture. "I'd - I'd be delighted to, Captain, thank you. But please don't feel you have to ask 'in return': all I really want is to know that someone else is enjoying the arboretum, and you've already given me that."

A wry grin curled the corners of Lirha's gold lips. "Miss Chevalier, I would not have invited you if I did not want to. It is my ship, after all." she replied, then looked again at the ecologist's soil-stained appearance. "And ensign...please wear a crisp uniform. Preferably a clean one." she winked, then walked off toward the exit with her new flowers in hand.

Nat's smile faded: a clean uniform? Well, lah-di-dah...just what kind of fancy engagement had she managed to get herself roped into?

[OFF]

--

CAPT Lirha Saalm
Commanding Officer
USS Galileo

Ensign Natalie Chevalier
Ecologist
USS Galileo

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