Meeting

Posted on 16 Oct 2018 @ 5:35pm by Master Chief Petty Officer Kai Mazen & Commander Marisa Wyatt
Edited on on 18 Oct 2018 @ 11:11am

995 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Episode 17 - Crystal of Life
Location: USS Galileo-A - Deck 7, Arboretum
Timeline: MD -180, 1210 hrs

[ON]

Marisa was again in the aquaponics area of the arboretum, checking on the fish tanks. So far they were looking good, but there were often problems when going from theory to practice.

Kai walked into the ship's arboretum and took in the lovely environment. He took a deep breath and enjoyed the fresh, moist smell of the air, and then released it. He did it a few more times, reciting a little mantra he used to keep himself sane over the years.

"In good stuff," he said and then took a breath in. "Out crap," he said, then released the breath. "In good stuff, out crap. In good stuff, out crap..."

Marisa watched him for a moment. "Are you okay?"

"In good stuff," Kai said. "Out crap. Hello, ma'am. I didn't see you there. I must be slipping. Sorry if I disturbed you. I'm fine. Just doing a little poor man's meditation. I think that's enough of that, though. I'm Master Chief Hospital Corpsman Kai Mazen. I'm Galileo's Chief of the Boat."

"I wouldn't say you disturbed me. I simply wanted to be sure you were well." She half-bowed. "I'm Marisa Sandoval, head of the Science Department. You know, any form of meditation is good for you, and this is a good place to relax."

"Nice to meet you, Lieutenant Sandoval," Kai said. He took another deep breath in and then let it out, this time without the lyrics. "I always try to take advantage of green spaces whenever I can. The body needs fresh air and sunlight to live. With the special lighting in here, and the trees and vegetation, this place is perfect to recharge in. So, what's your specialty? Are you a botanist?"

"It does. There's nothing like being around trees." She turned to look at the tree nearest her, then back to Kai. "I specialize in history, archaeology, and anthropology. I guess you'd call this my hobby."

"Everyone needs one," Kai said. "Were you part of the old Galileo crew?"

"No. I...joined them on Kreanus. I know most of the senior staff."

Kai nodded.

"So," he said. "Where are you from, Lieutenant? If you don't mind my asking."

"Vulcan and Earth," she said. "And you?"

"Alpha Centauri," Kai replied. "My mother teaches at the university in the capitol and my father is the head librarian there. They wanted me to go there, or to any other university, but I wasn't really cut out for that at the time. I took to Starfleet training like a duck to water, though. Did you attend the academy? Or did you go somewhere else and do OCS?"

"I did both, actually. I'm a bit of an overachiever," She replied with a self-deprecating smile. "I got my doctorates, taught for a bit, worked a bit, then decided I wanted to explore, so I joined Starfleet. What does your mother teach, if I may ask?"

"She's a playwright and author," Kai said. "Ceilia Aebby? She teaches literature and writing at Alpha Centauri University. She's written quite a bit. Several of her plays have been produced in small theatres throughout the Federation, as well as a lot of universities. Her novels have a respectable following."

"Impressive. I'll have to look her up," Marisa said. "How do you find the Galileo so far?"

"Well," Kai said, deadpan. "I usually just look at one of the bulkheads and realize I'm inside the Galileo."

Kai held the pause just long enough then laughed.

"Sorry, Lieutenant," he said. "I couldn't resist. Honestly, I like it. It's a little small, but it seems a good ship and I get on well with most of the crew I've encountered. The red shirt is new, but I'm muddling along well enough. How's about you? Do you like this assignment so far?"

"So far I like it very much," Marisa said. "It's a good ship, and I like the feel of it, the way the crew is working together so far." She cocked her head to one side. "You know, if you find yourself staring at a bulkhead, remember to be grateful you're on the right side of it."

"That's sound advice, Lieutenant," Kai said with a smirk. "So, what were you doing when I interrupted you?"

Marisa grinned. "Just checking that everything is going well. I come in at least every other day. It's a nice place to escape to."

Kai nodded.

"Yes," he said. "Yes it is. So, what fish have you got in the tanks?"

"Targalian redfish, Paremelian fingerfish, and a variant on the terran german brown," she said. "All have been genetically bred to grow quickly for generation ships and new colonies."

"Impressive," Kai said. "We delivering these somewhere? Or are these for our use?"

"The plan is to start with one meal a month for each shift," she said. "For the fish, anyway. The plants will depend on growth metrics."

"That would be a huge step forward in supplying real food for starships and remote starbases...and colonies, of course," Kai said. "But for us...that's a huge deal. I thought I read somewhere that there was work being done on a similar growth supplement for vegetables and even grain. Is that true?"

"There is. We've come a long way with layered gardens for food and for oxygen, but scientists are always looking for something better."

"Well," Kai said. "If it means fresh food even some of the time in forward areas, I'm all for it."

"Good. I have high hopes. The next three years will give us a good chance to see how we can improve on the concept. If you ever have a suggestion for improvements, let me know."

Kai nodded. "I will. In the meantime, I should let you get back to your work. Nice meeting you."

"And you," Marisa replied.

[OFF]

--

Lieutenant Marisa Sandoval
Chief Science Officer
USS Galileo-A

MCPO Kai Mazen
Chief of the Boat
USS Galileo-A

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