Posted Jan. 11, 2022, 1:40 p.m. by Civilian Brianna “Bree” O'Harra (Head of Mining Operations) (Melissa Aragon)
Posted by Civilian Brianna “Bree” O’Harra (Head of Mining Operations) in M’Ahar’s Apartment — Laying the Groundwork
Posted by Civilian Mirembe M’Ahar (Director of Terraforming) in M’Ahar’s Apartment — Laying the Groundwork
Posted by Civilian Brianna “Bree” O’Harra (Head of Mining Operations) in M’Ahar’s Apartment — Laying the Groundwork
Posted by… suppressed (2) by the Post Ghost! 👻(Snip!)
A sweet, earthy aroma wafted through the air as Mirembe yanked open the oven and coaxed the veggies from their rack. Swiftly, she set them on the stovetop and scooped them into a wooden bowl. Eo had, of course, assumed a position at their feet with beady blue eyes focused on the resting meat.
“I think OED has our work cut out for us,” she turned to Brianna, “but I sure wouldn’t mind exploring ‘bigger rocks’.” Though enlisted to revive OED, its surface remained largely a mystery to Mirembe. She knew little more than she could glean from maps and computer-generated simulations. Of course, field trips beyond the domes were far from ‘easy’—but what purpose would she have here if OED was hospitable? “Have you explored much?” She asked. “Of OED, I mean.”
Mirembe envisioned a future without domes and EV suits to protect them against OED, but there was still a lot she needed to learn before that would be possible.
— Mirembe M’Ahar, Terraforming
Bri helped set the table and get the food there. Laughing at Mire’s question, she nodded. “Actually, yes. It’s how I ended up with theFire Born nickname, actually.”She laughed slightly. “Wanted to go exploring and got in an altercation with the Hangar Boss. Klingon Captain stepped in about the time I bloodied my knuckles on the sap’s jaw. Then while exploring, with my new Klingon body guards,” she shook her head remembering, “got in a bit over my curly red locks and needed a bit of rescuing. Turns out the fire in me was amusing to the Captain. Thus the name. But it’s also how I found the latest site we’re working on.”
“Remind me not to tick you off,” Mirembe razzed with a hint of mischief touching her crinkled eyes, ”…or your Klingon friends.” Amused and impressed in equal measure, the Haliian couldn’t help the vibrant smile tugging the corners of her mouth. Bree was a stark contrast to the pretentious, two-steps-from-fossilised terraformers Mirembe came to resent. Bold. Ambitious. Force-to-be-reckoned-with. Maybe it was the miner in her or perhaps that Klingon skipper was onto something. Whatever it was, Mirembe liked it.
She took the glasses and set them down. “There, all set. Now you can enjoy as well.”
Bri
Mirembe nudged the last plate into place and signed, “let’s eat!”
Bri settled into her seat and waited for her hostess to do the same. “Did you think ten years ago this is where you’d be?” She laughed realizing as she asked, that it certainly wouldn’t have been where she guessed she would be.
Bri
HoM“Honestly…” Mirembe blinked, thinking back to 2387. “I was a terraformer assigned to atmospherics for a Class D planetoid, Vrazit E47. That poor rock had it all bad—weak magnetic field and about a pinch of nitrogen and a dash of oxygen tucked into its surface.” A burst of nostalgic laughter escaped her. Vrazit had been nothing but long nights, borderline caffeine addiction, and weary dawn meetings with the boss. But when they lingered on the edge of a breakthrough, there wasn’t a drug known to the universe that could replicate the adrenaline rush. “When we finally figured it out, I was convinced that my life would revolve around Vrazit and cultivating her into a place hospitable for the Pinaan people. I suppose the universe had other plans.” Mirembe rubbed her neck and shot Brianna a slight smile. “OED was a surprise,” she admitted, “not quite in the ‘maintenance-to-director’ way you experienced, but nonetheless a surprise.”
Mirembe tugged the veggie plate closer, scooped some onto hers, and glanced at Brianna. “Speaking of time,” she grinned, “what do you envision for the future of mining and terraforming on OED?”
— Mirembe M’Ahar, Terraforming
Bri laughed. “I know that rush. That moment in time, whether it’s a split second or a week, where you just know this is gonna be where the rest of your life is centered.” She shook her head. “I’ve had that feeling so many times and each one is the same ‘this is it!’ feeling. And then I move on and hardly think of it again.”
When Mire asked her about the future, she took a moment to finish the bite in her mouth and sighed. “I honestly don’t know. Part of me envisions a huge dome encompassing a large portion, or large portions of the planet where we live and breathe and mine like most planets. And another part of me simply sees small locations that grow till they are manageable. And then sometimes I just want to plug in enough oxygen to mine the heck out of a location and move on. We’ll definitely be on track to have all current locations up and running in the next three months or so. The recruiting is already turning up volunteers.” She laughed. “And we have barely made the announcement. Between posting the search when I left the mine we were in, till I headed here for dinner, I already had several dozen requests from folks looking to join crews. I haven’t been through them yet, but it’s promising.”
Realizing she hadn’t really answered the woman’s question, she waved off her previous words absently and responded. “I guess, all that aside, I see OED becoming a major mining location in this sector. Whether we become important enough for actually terraforming like Mars and a few other places, or not, doesn’t matter. Sure, it would make it easier. But domes, and temp arrangements can suffice as long as we can mine.” Getting the ore from the ground to the refinery was her only objective. Sure, the rest was golden and would draw more money and people in. But her main goal was to mine the heck out of OED till it was a necessity and not a layover place.
Bri
HoM
Fire BornMirembe set her fork aside and pressed a finger to her temple, observing through rested and attentive eyes. She considered Bree’s words and plucked from them the loudest contenders. A strong mining presence. Some semblance of order or connection. A place worthy of ‘home’. Though focused on the future of mining on Oed, Brianna echoed the sentiments of many Mirembe encountered. They wanted permanence. More than an assurance that Oed would have a breathable atmosphere and fertile soil, permanence promised time. Time to cultivate a crop or a mind. Time to get ‘some fresh air’ when the world was got on your nerves. Time to experience life on Oed without the looming question of “What is it like beyond the dome?” Time to know.
Mirembe took another bite of her steak before remarking, “We’re already ‘important enough’,” her eyes lit up, “My predecessor conducted extensive research into the planetary and atmospheric composition. Now we just need run a few tests and find a way to translate data into results.” M’Ahar cracked a deceivingly quizzical grin that betrayed her long nights sifting through Cosgrove’s records and data entries. According to her team’s work, Oed had a pulse. A strong one. Its geothermic and seismic activity presented an invaluable source of energy that made their primary goal to cultivate an atmosphere and find the magnetic source to make it stick. But these were one team’s findings. If Mirembe planned to use them, she first needed to replicate their data. “And I’ve got a few ideas on where to start.”
Mirembe flicked her wrist to dismiss her nonsensical science-y rant. “What I mean to say is… there’s a chance you or your successor will get to mine in the open one day.” She gritted her teeth, masking a bashful chuckle. “But that’ll be a while. Paraterraforming though?” She made a ‘piece of cake’ gesture. “That we can do on a smaller timeline. Speaking of which,” she drummed her fingers against the table and glanced over her shoulder. “I got that design drafted. So… after dinner, we give it look? See if it’s ready to face the Governor’s—and cabinet’s—scrutiny?”
— Mirembe M’Ahar
(thread referenced: https://www.star-fleet.com/webb/node/731678)Bri actually paused in her eating. “Mining in the open air of OED…” She laughed lightly and shook her head in disbelief. I would love to hear of it before my death, but it seems we are far off from their.”
When the woman mentioned a plan already ready for viewing and approval, Bri took another bite then widened her eyes. “Truly? Then YES by all means… Let’s get it ready for his viewing. He would love the chance to see our plans a full two weeks before he had deadlined us to come back to him.” She laughed at the idea of the Governor being set upon ahead of time by the very women he knew probably would be pressing the deadline in his mind. The idea of getting even a ‘grunt’ of acknowledgment and approval from the Governor was something Bri would be content with.
Brianna
HoM
Fire Born
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