Science and Seaweed!

Posted on 06 Sep 2018 @ 4:30pm by Commander Marisa Wyatt & Commander Luke Wyatt

4,877 words; about a 24 minute read

Mission: Episode 15 - Emanation
Location: USS Galileo-A, Deck ?, Section ?, Laboratories
Timeline: MD 145 - 1900Hrs

[On]

Luke was doing his usual afternoon walk around the ship, although the ship wasn't all too different from the original he still wanted to refamiliarise himself with every nook and cranny. The walk actually served two purposes tonight however as he now found himself outside one of the ships Labs. He had been meeting and greeting many of the new crew and one was an Ens Sofie Ullswater, Luke wanted to inform her department head that he had spoken to her and give Marisa Sandoval a heads up as well as have a catch up with another department head.

Walking into the Labs he was surprised at how large this particular lab was and was a little jealous that his workspace was so small. "Lieutenant" He called out looking around.

Marisa was carefully aligning glass plates while another scientist was sealing them together. When she heard her name she called out, "Just a minute." The voice was familiar, but she was too focused on the task at hand to look up.

"There. All done."

She carefully moved the now-bound plates to a side table and turned to see who wanted her attention. When she saw Luke she smiled. "Hello. Good to see you again. How can I be of help?"

"Actually this is more of a 'How can I help you?'" He said looking around the room and yet again seeing how much more room the other departments had in the workspace area. "I've had the pleasure over the last few days of showing around some of the new crew members the ship and one being an Ensign Sofie, with an F, not a PH Ullswater.

She actually asked me about you and I realised then I can't recall getting to know you or really speaking to you at all. So I figured this being a science vessel I'd come down and see just what it is you science types get up to down here and get to know you in the process. That's of course if you're willing and I'm not getting in the way?"

"Of course I don't mind and you're not in the way," she assured him. "Would you like a tour, or should we go to my office and talk?"

“A tour would be nice, it was refreshing to see someone so excited by the site of a Lab” Luke answered greatful that she would take some time do fulfill his request. “I’m usually armed with phasers and torpedo should so it will be educational to see what you use”

"It's quite a treat to work on a science ship. Usually, we're the illegitimate stepchildren and have tiny labs crammed all over the ship." She grinned at Luke as she led him into the corridor. "I know that science is important to every ship, but we're generally not one of the primary departments." She went down the corridor, indicating the major labs. "They generally look alike, except for the equipment and the purpose. So they're pretty much like the one you just saw. Where it gets interesting is when we get to the specialty areas. I'm especially proud of what we're doing in the arboretum."

Luke walked alongside the Chief Science Officer and listened intently, his eyes following her descriptive wording and hand gestures as she showed him around. "Arboretum? What is it you're doing there exactly?" he asked with genuine interest, so far everything he had seen was fascinating, it did make him a little jealous but he understood when taking this assignment that the ships security detachment would be smaller than every other department.

"We're experimenting with fish and sea plants. Actually, it was an idea I got from Commander Ban. Once we get it established, we'll be able to offer a fresh fish meal once a month, and supplement replicated food with fresh seaweed."

“Now that does sound interesting, I used to love sea food when I was younger so you won’t have a hard time impressing me. How exactly are you doing it?” Luke asked the thought of sea food bringing back a flood of childhood memories.

"We've set up several tanks along one side of the arboretum."

Now that Commander Ban was gone, it was nice to have someone who was interested in the project. At least initially. She led him through the doors and around the trees to the back, where the entire wall was a fish tank. "There are three different tanks, so we can rotate production. In theory, it should work well, but we're expecting to have a few kinks along the way."

Luke observed the fish tanks and took note of the three tanks, “A few kinks Lieutenant, I hope nothing too serious. I’ll happpily voluinteer my services and my taste buds as a chief test taster” he said with a chuckle and a smile. “This is some pretty interesting work you have here.”

Marisa's smile broadened. "I will gladly take you up on that. I could use a good taste tester. In fact, we have some samples of the sea plants if you want to try them. An outside opinion is always valuable."

Lukes' eyes lit up at both the site of the chief science officer smile and the offer to try some of their latest harvests, was it called a harvest? "Oh really? I feel spoilt! I'm finding this science stuff to be pretty darn rewarding, who needs phasers and photons when you have science and seaweed

That last comment made Marisa laugh. She appreciated the alliteration. "I have missed you, Luke." She opened a door into a back workroom, and then beyond that to a small office with a couch, table, and row of refrigerated cabinets. Several bowls of various greens sat in the middle of the table. "What beverage do you prefer?" she asked.

Luke shrugged observing the room they had entered and yet again felt a tinge of jealous to the amount of space that had been dedicated to the scientific department aboard the ship. "Whatever you think will go down nicely with your samples."

"Those of us who work here tend to keep odd hours, so we try to stock up on a variety of drinks. There's a replicator as well." She pulled upen a cabinet and looked inside. "Today, we have three types of lemonade, iced tea, and..." She moved a gallon of milk aside. "Milk and six different types of fruit juice." She turned to Luke. "Anything appeal to you? If not, I can replicate something."

“Surprise me dear Sandoval” he said still taking in the room and the array of food and drinks. There was nothing like this in his department, maybe he’d start to make moonshine or something similar he thought.

Marisa nodded and stuck her hand into the cabinet, reaching for a bottle at random. Then she pulled out another. "Looks like we have a hibiscus lemonade and a moba fruit. I'll take whichever you don't want." She set them both on the table and went to a second cabinet for paper bowls and forks. "We don't generally take time for meals, so we have snacks in here. Today, we have sea plants."

She handed him a bowl and fork. "Help yourself."

Luke had already taken the hibiscus lemonade and was sipping from the glasses contents when the bowl was placed in front of him. "This is how you guys eat and live? I joined the wrong trade" He joked as he began to tuck in. "So Marisa, looking forward to getting underway?" He asked between eating and clearing his mouth.

"The least I can do is keep everyone fed while they're working. I tend to lose track of time myself and have spent more than one night in my office. This way, at least there's food at hand. Although it's generally not this nutritious." She smiled at Luke. "You cane at a good time."

She finished filling her bowl and sat down. "I wasn't sure at first how I'd feel about moving to science, but I'm actually glad I'm here. The potential to find something new is exciting. And I'm still getting data from the planet we visited on the Schofield."

"Oh? Promising things I hope" He said before taking another forkful the explosion of tastes in his mouth causing a small groan of satisfaction to erupt from deep inside his throat. "I think science suits you." He said finally fishing his mouthful and added, "You look happy too?"

"It does, but I wasn't ready to admit it until I got on the Schofield," she admitted. She took a bite and chewed thoughtfully, considering the different flavors. "Promising depends on your point of view. For me, it means having a chance to learn the ancient language of the species that built the pyramid. So, yeah. I think it's very promising."

“Ah so promising but not to promising then.” He teased lightheartedly his eyes drifting around the room in no particular search pattern the room was like most in any federation ship but of course, there was already signs of personalisation. His eyes soon rested on the woman opposite him and he continued to eat the food in his bowl.

Marisa nodded, her eyes meeting Luke's for several moments before she turned back to her food. She looked back up. "How do you find the Galileo-A?"

Finishing the food in his mouth he wiped his lips before answering her question. "It feels just like home." He answered plainly allowing time for his brain to come up with a more constructive response. "Its the same in almost every way but you can spot the differences. I think I miss the old ship." Again taking a pause he sipped his drink before continuing. "But she's a good ship and I think she's going to do well by us, what about you?"

"I wasn't on the original Galileo, so I can't make comparisons, but I'm looking forward to work on a ship that focuses on science." And then she gave him an impish grin. "Actually, I feel more like a kid in a candy store."

"Yeah I bet, there's certainly a lot of stuff for you scientists to pour over. And that's before we've even left spacedock. I doubt you'll have any time to entertain a bored Security chief when we're back on the frontier" Luke said somewhat saddened by the fact.

Marisa looked at him for a long moment. "I'll always have time for you." Had she really just said that? She meant it, but she wasn't so sure she should have said it. She'd always enjoyed his company, and would love to spend time with him, but she knew he had a lot on his plate. "But I doubt you'll have time to be bored."

Luke tried to hide his surprise at the words that had filled the air between them and instantly his mind tried to decrypt them as if it was some hidden message, he almost missed what she had said after. "Oh yes between dealing with all the crime syndicates on the ship and the black market slave traders. I doubt I'll ever leave my office" He joked in an attempt to hide his confusion. The truth was he knew he was going to have to be proactive to stay sane. He also knew their first mission probably wouldn't even take them out of known Federation space he sighed his mind slowly starting to tick back to what she had said previously, did she really mean what she said or was it just a reactive throwaway comment?

She saw the look in his eyes. Yep, that was a stupid thing to say. Sometimes she wondered if she was only competent in a lab or classroom. Or in the field. She was not the most adept at social interactions. She tended to speak her mind. Even if she didn't know she was thinking it. But she couldn't deny that she would definitely enjoy spending time with Luke. She would not embarrass him by saying so. Again. "I'm sure Deep Space Slavery is a booming business." There was a definite twinkle of humor in her eyes.

"The like you've never seen! I mean if you can't beat them? Join them right? I'm sure you'd get a fine price on the market? Maybe I'll start my own pirate crew" He said his right hand scratching his chin as if in deep thought, the entire conversation amusing him. Luke chuckled, "The food was amazing thankyou Marisa, you didn't have to put up with me but you did so I appreciate that."

"I make a very rebellious slave, I'm afraid," she said with a grin. "Vulcans can be quite recalcitrant."

Then, more seriously, she said, "I enjoyed the company, Luke. I may use you as a guinea pig when we test the fist."

Luke frowned he wasn't to sure what 'the fist' was but he was sure he didn't exactly like the sound of it. "The fist? I don't know whether to enquire or to just simply run away now? Then again I don't want this time spent together to come to an end quite so soon." He said now catching himself. Yes, he was enjoying himself but Marisa was still a mystery to him, he barely really knew her. Just let this be natural, natural natural natural, just two friends enjoying some... very delicious seaweed. Ah yes, the seaweed. He thought to himself smiling.

"It's a type of sea anemone," she said. "We call it that because that's what it looks like." It was her turn to be surprised. "Well, I can show you around the arboretum, if you'd like. Or show you some of the systems we've put in place." Yes, she would enjoy spending more time with Luke to figure out what she was feeling.

"Sea Anemone" he repeated but not quite as successful, so much so his accent making the word sounds not quite right. "I think I'd appreciate that, I'm not exactly one to like or know plants but I do like the outdoors. I guess that's as close as one can get on a starship unless you use the holodeck." Luke said as he placed his bowl to one side his fork sliding around the inside, he watched it carefully making sure it didn't fall out before sitting back up his eyes resting on Marisa. A tour, just a tour with a friend. A friend? Well, I work with her... sort off, I know her and she made you lunch... Yes a friend indeed, no more... no less he told himself. "Sooo" Idiot.

Marisa took the dishes away and turned. "Okay. Although the arboretum isn't quite as nice as others I've worked in. Those were two decks high and we had older trees. I wish I had time to go camping on the holodeck. I miss the woods."

Luke watched her as she removed the dishes his mind wondering from her to there as he waited for her to return. "I haven't served on any other Federation vessel, not in the same sense as you do. I was Marine before the Galileo so I spent most of my time either sleeping, eating, training or fighting the enemy" Luke stood "Shall we?" He offered her to take the lead

She led him back out of the workroom and past the tanks. The trees in the arboretum were smaller varieties that grew eight feet high. More space was devoted to flowering bushes and several grassy areas. There was a duck pond in the center, with benches for the crew to sit and watch.

Luke followed Marisa as she led them to their destination, he found himself watching not just his surroundings but her also. She was comfortable here, after all it was her haven but Luke sensed his presence was unbalancing things which he guessed as much because that's how he felt. What had been a simple act of boredom and a will to educate himself better on the ship and its crew he now found himself somewhat intrigued and intruding. Moments passed and they continued to pass different flora which Luke examined with his untrained eyes until they came to what appeared to be the centre. It was quiet except for running water and what appeared to be two birds, one thing Luke was very good at and that was noticing other people and with a quick observation, he could see there was none. "Wow, now I've seen it all. No wonder I have no room for an office." He teased.

Marisa grinned. "This is designated a recreation area. The Galileo-A has this, the workout rooms, and the holodecks. So it has to be large enough for crew to wander around and enjoy nature." She was watching the two ducks, trying not to look too much at Luke. Could she be going into Pon Farr? No. It was far too early for that. "You should see this place in the moonlight. For the plants, we have to have day and night. There's something special about walking through the trees in the moonlight."

Luke watched the ducks whilst she spoke, the idea of this small paradise aboard the ship comforting. He realised maybe returning to space wasn't such a bad idea. "I like the sound of that, It sounds peaceful. I think that's why I like camping so much, under the stars rather being in them." He turned slightly so he could see her out the corner of his eyes, she was still looking at the ducks too. "I think I envy our forefathers, before space travel they would look up at the night sky and have such ideas and dreams about what lay beyond their world." he chuckled. "Little did they know how... chaotic it was." He stepped forward towards the bench in front of them, closer to the water's edge but far away enough the ducks didn't seem to mind. Sitting down he didn't need to look to see if Marisa would follow him, and even if she didn't He felt like sitting for a moment.

She sat down next to him. "They looked at the stars and wondered about them. Many ancient cultures understood how the planets moved in their orbits. Sometimes, I look at the stars and try to calculate where they would have been millennia ago." She sighed. "I should find a program that will let me go back and see." She turned to him. "What sort of camping do you like to do?"

Luke thought about it for a moment, "I would probably say not quite the style of camping you might find yourself doing. I just like taking the bare essentials. A water bottle, Knife, Flint and steel enough to fit in a backpack and live off what nature allows me, head of in some unknown location and just explore" He answered thoughtfully before returning the question, "And you Marisa? What do you like?"

"You'd be surprised." She smiled. "I like a bedroll and a few basics, but other than that, I like to catch my own fish and use native plants. I prefer the mountains, as that is where I'm most comfortable."

"That's a curious place to feel comfortable, the mountains? I guess there's a reason behind it?" He asked curiously leaning back against the rest of the bench they sat on. The conversation Luke thought was refreshing he didn't often find it so with other people but at late he found himself trying to make connections, he guessed he was lonley.

"I was born on Vulcan, but my family moved to the Andes when I was still young. I would often go hiking. That's where I first fell in love with history and archaeology, too."

Luke could appreciate that he had spent some time training in the Andes with his old troop. "The Andes do have something beautiful about them don't they?" He fell silent then for a while not sure ho himself or the situation instead he decided to appreciate the moment, the serenity of it all.

"They're spectacular," she said. Then she, too, lapsed into silence. It wasn't awkward, like it often was with other people. She was comfortable with Luke. Her vulcan side needed to logically examine what had changed. Her human side, however, had a good idea what was happening. She was in trouble.

After several minutes, she turned to him. "What else would you like me to show you?"

The silence had been anything but awkward, they both appreciated each others company, clearly, that was obvious to anyone who saw them which was no one in the empty room. Unlike with other people Luke didn't feel like he had to try. Thinking about the question his mind not exactly working to the best of its ability at this moment in time, "There's more?" He asked in a fleeting moment of confidence and humour, "I mean what more could you possibly show me, this has been..." He paused waiting for the word "A pleasant... No that's not right. What I'm trying to say is I've enjoyed your company." The words still not exactly right but as close to the truth as he could phrase it.

"I've enjoyed yours, too." So much that she didn't want this to end. "There's really not much more. My office." She shrugged. "Nothing special there. Books, a desk. A couch." She shrugged. "Okay, so not so much to see."

"More than my office I can assure you, though it does come with a bed if you class the brig as a part of my office. Its pitifully small and my quarters pretty lonely, I'm thinking of making them my office having the main area open for anyone to just wander in." Luke sat for a moment longer before coming to the realisation that just simply being in each others company, whether they talk or not was fine for them they couldn't sit there forever even though he would have given a damn good try. Besides the counsellor had told him to social more and connect with people.

"You need some place to go to hide away," she said. "So I wouldn't recommend using your quarters as an office. Then again, I sometimes use my office as my quarters. It is more convenient, but I don't recommend that, either."

“Believe me I don’t want anywhere to hideaway” Luke admitted, “I just like the idea of having a friendly face pop by whether it’s someone on duty in need of assistance or a passerby who wants to have a chat about the rumours and goings on the ship.” Luke turned himself so he was more facing Marisa than the pond and the ducks. “Maybe a final walk before we should probably attend to our duties?” He asked and though they had walked to where they were they hadn’t exactly taken the scenic route and it was all Luke could do to prolong their impromptu break. He had also noticed just how small the bench was and having turned they way he did brought him closer to Marisa than he had anticipated.

"Yes," she managed. "A walk would be nice." He was too close and yet not close enough. Dangerous, she thought. She could not--would not--do anything to embarrass him. Or herself, for that matter.

Luke stood first dusting himself down and straining the crease out of his uniform, he put his hand out for her to use in aid to get of the bench, though she probably didn’t need it he was raised by a good family and it was only polite. “It’s would be a waste if we came here and didn’t see it all.”

It had been a long time since a gentleman had offered her his hand. She put her hand in his and let him help her up. "Thank you, kind sir. It would be my pleasure to show you the rest of the arboretum?"

Luke smiled, a raspy chuckle escaping shortly after as they began to walk. Luke had respectfully let go of her hand, he wasn't sure what the two of them were building here and he wasn't sure over thinking about it was going to help but still, he couldn't help but think about the situation they were in just a little bit. "Ladies first," he said.

Marisa gave him a Vulcan bow, then showed him around the less-visited areas of the arboretum. "We can put things here that are more delicate," she explained.

She pointed out the fern patch in a back corner that hid a small stream used to water the plants. "Sometimes, I like to sit in here where no one can see me. I actually put a rock just for that purpose back here." She led him around by the wall where there was a small space to slip behind the ferns. A small stream bubbled up from the ground and ran from there along the back bushes. Nearby, a large, sat a large, flat rock.

"You really have thought of everything, you've created your own little escape. Who needs a holodeck when you've got this huh?" Luke said looking around simply astonished how something like this could exist on a starship. "You might have to get another rock," Luke said simply.

"I have it on good authority this one will seat two, if they don't mind getting cozy," she said, grinning at Luke. "I don't think I'd want more back here. There are fern forests on some planets that are so large you can walk for days and never see the end," she added. Then she looked up at the ceiling. "Much as I like this place, it's not the same as traipsing through woods that stand thirty feet high and the sound of the breeze moving through the leaves is almost magical."

Luke followed her gaze and he couldn't help but agree with her, "We should, when we have the opportunity arrange something like that. I'm not talking about the holodeck im mean the real thing." He said confidently. "I've been meaning to do it for years so to do it with a friend will just make it that extra special."

She turned to him, her eyes sparkling with her pleasure at the idea. "Yes, we should. I went camping when we were in San Francisco, but it's definitely better to go with a friend. When the opportunity arises, we'll find out what's closest and take a few days off."

"Perfect, its a date" He said the words just escaping his lips before his brain could function appropriatly. "Well I mean you know, its like in the diary and that." Luke said trying to make the words less awakward when in truth making it worst. It was then he noticed the pair had walked most of the room and he stomach noted. "It looks like we're out of Arboretum."

His words made her realize she'd let her thoughts get the better of her. Not a date. Just friends. Got it. "Yes, we are." She really couldn't monopolize his time any more, although she wanted to linger. "Thank you, Luke. For...well...seaweed and...conversation."

He chuckled “It was certainly delightful, I hope you have a good nights sleep and I’m sure we’ll see each other again soon.” Luke lingered wondering what was appropriate after such an engagement so long so it wasn’t he who moved first.

Marisa hesitated, unsure how to respond. After a too-long pause she said, "I'll walk you to the door." That was a stupid comment, she silently berated herself.

When they stopped at the door, she again paused. "Feel free to stop by any time. You're always welcome."

“I am sure I can find an excuse to take you up on that offer” He said pausing now to work out just what to do and say next, it was at this moment Luke realised how silly the whole exchange had been. He was a grown man acting like a 1st year cadet, Leaning forward he gave Marisa a friendly parting hug, nothing evasive but nothing too forward either. “Thank you for the tour Marisa” he said:

In spite of being half-Vulcan, Marisa enjoyed a good hug and hugged him back. A friendly hug was exactly what she needed to get her head out of the clouds. "It was my pleasure, Luke. I don't often get to show off the arboretum. I enjoyed it."

Releasing her from their embrace he smiled taking the sight of her in one last time, "Until next time, Marisa." Luke said before he turned and sucked in a deep breath, the arboretum air caressing his lungs as he began leaving through the doors they came in and onwards to his quarters where he was going to have to sit down and decipher what exactly just happened in their encounter and if it was something he wanted to repeat.


[END]

Lieutenant Commander Luke Wyatt
Chief of Security
USS Galileo-A

Lieutenant Marisa Sandoval
Chief Science Officer
USS Galileo-A

RSS Feed