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Arboretum

Posted Oct. 29, 2020, 12:15 p.m. by Ensign Tabris Asam (Engineering Officer) (Brian Richards)

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Sharah Fayth (Chief Science Officer) in Arboretum

Posted by Ensign Tabris Asam (Engineering Officer) in Arboretum
(snip)

Geoff couldn’t let off a though such as ‘Why thank you for your soothing thoughts as they have put me to ease’ as much as she might have wanted to, but the song that Geoff sung out to Sharah sounded less melancholic, not perfectly happy mind you but there were tones of a receptive nature, the recognition of a therapeutic touch on her old trunk.

Tabris was thankful that his old fig tree was going to get center stage amongst the plants here in the arboretum. He had seen the Lieutenant whom he’d worked with previously on her quarters take kindly to Geoff and that brought a smile to his face. “Oh Geoff and I? I’ve had him for almost 400 years now. I was 19 back on Earth in 1998 when I planted Geoff from a tree my folks had in the front yard. I’ve kept him with me ever sense, he’s been a constant friend over the centuries. And the figs he produces, you’ll have to taste them once he gets used to the soil and comfortable, isn’t that right Geoff?” Tabris said as he patted the top of the tree gently as though it were a child to him.

Ensign Tabris Asam, Eng

“Much like my Hope, then. A good companion, a plant. They can live for hundreds of years if cared for correctly. Geoff is very healthy. You’ve taken good care of her.” Sharah looked puzzled. Tabris kept referring to Geoff as a he and Geoff was clearly female. One she produced fruit which was a dead give away. Second Geoff felt female. The emotions coming off of her clearly indicated that. Well maybe Tabris just didn’t understand how plant phisiology worked. No matter, he clearly cared for her and that was all that mattered. David came back over to tell her they’d made room for the fig tree in bed 32. “Tabris how about you carry Geoff over to bed 32,” Sharah indicated the correct bed, “and I will grab a few things and meet you over there. We’ll get Geoff planted and comfortable.”
Lt. jg Fayth, CSO

Tabris listened well and replied, “Thank you, I’ve been lucky to have him with me this whole time.” As he spoke he picked up that Fayth kept calling Geoff a her, not that it bothered him or anything, it was just a curiosity. Tabris was indeed pretty clueless about plant physiology, given that his entire goal was to keep Geoff alive, beyond that he didn’t think plants had a gender, he just used the pronoun ‘him’ because it felt weird saying ‘it’. As David approached Tabris stroked Geoff’s leaves, almost in a comforting way saying, “It’ll be alright Geoff, we’ll get you planted and settled, no need to worry about it” As he comforted his ficus, he gently picked him up and carried him over to bed 32 and waited.”

Ensign Tabris Asam, Eng

Sharah returned with several items. She began to dig into the center of the flower bed making a space for Geoff. She also broke up the dirt around it to make it easier for the roots to spread into. Then filled the bottom of the space with a compost they had started here in the arboretum, it made the soil richer and more nutrient dense. She took a blunt edged rounded space and began to ease it around the sides of the pot. She looked at Tabris, “This way we don’t have to jerk Geoff out of the pot and shock the roots. As I pull her out, if you could, just gently dust the loose dirt off. From the looks of it the outer layers are mostly depleted now, so we don’t need to put that soil into her new home.” After loosening the pot away from the soil, Sharah gently lifted Geoff out of the pot by the base of the trunk and then supported the root system with her other hand. “Then we’ll add some food to some water, and add it to the soil.”
Lt. jg Fayth, CSO

Geoff, CFP

Tabris smiled although his thoughts betrayed him, ‘I’ve managed to keep him alive for almost 400 years, I do know a thing or two about how to replant a fig tree’. Now that though aside Tabris watched as the lieutenant carefully and thoughtfully took care to help him and his next thought was ‘I should be thankful. She’s taking care to help me and this is her field, I am grateful’. He spoke quickly after Fayth had finished speaking though his thoughts would sound to be sentences all on their own. “He’s got fairly robust roots, heavens I’ve moved him at least a few dozen times as he’s grown. He always seemed to take a little while to get used to his new pot, maybe he’ll adapt better in bay 32. How else can I help? I don’t want to lose touch after all, even if he’s in the ship’s arboretum he’s still my Geoff.” Tabris said, as a parent would about a child.

Ensign Tabris Asam, Eng

Sharah was very involved in what she was doing, and after the week she’d had she wasn’t filtering the telepathic input the way she should have. “I’m sorry Ensign. I didn’t mean to insult you. A hold over from when I was a doctor. I always talk about what I’m doing. It always eased the patients worry.” She took a scan of Geoff and then took three different solutions and added it to the water she’d brought. “This should help her settle in better. It will help her roots adjust to the pH levels and give some extra minerals to help the roots settle after being transplanted.” Sharah considered his request, but right at that moment she became distracted. Geoff’s song had changed, very abruptly and in response to....Sharah sat abruptly staring at Geoff in absolute shock and amazement. “By the four gods Geoff is SENTIENT.”
Lt. jg Fayth, CSO

Tabris shook his head ever so slightly as the Lieutenant apologized. ‘I didn’t say anything, how did she…’ He thought as he looked up and said, “You didn’t insult me Lieutenant, and as a hold over from being a doctor it’s a fantastic quality to have. Did I say something?” He asked, starting to put the pieces together but no where near a conclusion as of late. ‘Why does she keep calling Geoff a she’ Tabris thought as he stood watching the CSO plant his beloved ficus when she called out that Geoff was sentient. Wait. Geoff was SENTIENT??? Tabris took a step back and looked as quizical as a cat would look at it’s prey feigning death. “Lieutenant.....” Tabris called out as he stepped forward and got on his knees. “Are you feeling well? Should I organize a site to site transport to sickbay? Maybe you should lie down.” Tabris said as he looked at Geoff, just sitting in it’s new plot of dirt.

Ensign Tabris Asam, Eng

Did I say something? Oh no, she’d responded to his thoughts…oh....and she couldn’t blame it on body language. Sharah felt absolutely horrible. She was doing worse than she thought. When Dr Marshall had given her the sedative the night she’d gotten sick, she hadn’t blurted out people’s thoughts. Oh no....

Tabris thought he sensed a flash of concern from the Lieutenant but wasn’t sure it was truly there, him not being the most practiced of empaths he never knew if he was sensing another’s emotions or just being weird.

Of course most Betazoids could read surface thoughts and would often respond. People got used to it and even expected it. But with Sharah, with her tremendous strength and ability to ‘hear’ and ‘feel’ more than ordinary telepaths, she always held herself to much stricter rules. She was about to apologize and explain when she’d recognized Geoff for what she was.

She looked at Tabris, her eyes very clear and her expression series. “No I do not need a doctor. Your plant is sentient.” She grabbed her tricorder and began scanning it. “Her DNS has been manipulated, and....” She stopped and turned to her tray of supplies. Very carefully Sharah collected a pollen sample from one of the flowers. It was the gentlest way to collect a plant DNA sample. “She has foreign DNA in her system…no not DNA itself....” She took a sample from another flower on the tree as well. She put the samples in the tray and turned to look at Tabris again. “Yes sentient. And yes I would know, I’m Betazoid and your plant is talking to me.” She let that sink in. Then out of pure scientific curiosity (and some personal if she were honest), and careful that her words did not seem offensive because she did not mean it that way. “What kind of experiments have you been doing with Geoff?”
Lt. jg Fayth, CSO

Tabris got on his knees and looked over the tricorder, seeing the readings and taking it in as he looked at the officer and thought, ‘Do I come across as someone who who wouldn’t believe you? I’ve been around since your great grandprents were in diapers and have seen a few things. This is not even on the list of most surprising.’ It was almost an incredulous thought that he didn’t know would be heard. What did surprise him though was that Geoff was talking to her. “In all this time you have never said a word to me…” He said, putting his hand out and laying in on her trunk. Tabris shook his head a little before pulling off the hand and looking at the Lieutenant. “Well from his, I suppose her, start Geoff was planted from my folks tree back on Earth when I was a kid” Tabris said, his youth up till he was around 80 always referred to as ‘being a kid’. “After Earth’s Eugenics wars and World War 3 I was just happy that my folks and I had survived and I had kept Geoff right along with me. Our area was relatively untouched and then Cochran broke the warp barrier for humans. Once my folks could somewhat come out of hiding and venture back into space I knew that it’s where I wanted to end up.” Tabris rambled before stopping. “I’m giving you my life story. You asked about experiments. Basically there was radiation from WW3 in Geoff’s early life as the background radiation rose after the bombs fell. When I got to space in the early 2100s on the freighters I took Geoff with me and did some modification of the oxygenic photosynthesis process in order for Geoff to be able to use the light on the SS Jerome to survive. I traveled around during that time and during the 2200’s and made small modifications to allow Geoff to survive on planets and ships with different atmospheric and light compositions. The longest stay was on Bajor from 2290-2380 where I ran an antique shop in the garden district of Jalanda City. Geoff was outside most of the time and so I modified he genetics to adapt to the soil and such. The local kids would love to come and pick the figs after the Cardassians left. I was lucky that she survived the occupation.”

Ensign Tabris Asam, Eng


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