Posted Sept. 12, 2022, 12:13 p.m. by Civilian Kenzo B'tren-Hyrushi (Governor) (James Sinclair)
Posted by Civilian Kenzo B’tren-Hyrushi (Governor) in Gov’t Tower - I Noticed You Needed a Little Help Landscaping… (tag Hyrushi)
Posted by Civilian Hir Ra-Mhadreii (Director of Terraforming) in Gov’t Tower - I Noticed You Needed a Little Help Landscaping… (tag Hyrushi)
Posted by Civilian Hir Ra-Mhadreii (Director of Terraforming) in Gov’t Tower - I Noticed You Needed a Little Help Landscaping… (tag Hyrushi)
Posted by… suppressed (7) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Hir cradled their worn-out bag, careful to avoid the budding hole they refused to fix except with small patches, and settled into a seat near the rear of the transport. There weren’t many aboard – just Hir and a disgruntled Andorian who claimed he was the pilot (and they were inclined to believe his badge). He didn’t speak much except to warn them of their departure, but Ra-Mhadreii didn’t mind. They watched the spaceport retreat behind them and tuned out the melodrama of Andorian opera that soon filled the shuttle. It didn’t have the same bite (‘screeching’, some might call it) as the Klingon opera they preferred.Reclining, Hir quelled the urge to plaster themself to the window and marvel at Oed’s emerging glory. They had never seen a terraforming project of this magnitude except in literature and the articles they wrote from the confines of stuffy laboratories. Starfleet did not make it easy to pursue more than micro-terraforming that lived in countless simulations born of child-like curiosity and a touch of brilliance. But Oed V was real.
Hir felt their heart flutter as the shuttle passed through the planetary shield, descending into synthetic clouds. Though little more than bits of dust and water vapour condensed under the perfect amount of pressure, Hir adored them. Their excitement must have breached their serene cast because the pilot shot them a knowing look and angled the shuttle so they could see the surface below. That was their project – their canvas.
Rocky and withered by an onslaught of solar radiation and vicious winds, it didn’t look like much yet. Hir noticed the bits of green that emerged in a deceivingly random pattern. Were they testing ecosystems? Were they rehabilitating the land to its former beauty? Hir knew peripherally of Oed’s newfound attraction to the finest minds in biosciences end geoengineering. And the thought of this being their handiwork excited Hir even more.
Hir might’ve ogled at the planet all day if not for the pilot’s curt warning of their arrival. As the shuttle touched down on the pad, Hir quickly gathered their bag and hoisted it firmly over their shoulder (to prevent any breakage). They waited for clearance by the Andorian, who finally said his name was Torehl, before disembarking. The next hour passed in a blur that Hir didn’t care to remember, but they got their belongings to their new apartment and soon found their way to the Government Tower.
Some combination of emotions that Hir concealed behind their calm veneer and the swish of their airy, earth-toned clothes led Hir into the lobby and to the receptionist at the front desk. They offered a brief explanation for their visit and asked for directions to the governor’s office, earning them a friendly gesture at a nearby lift. Piling in, they asked for the top floor, and settled in for an unremarkable ride. It took them only minutes to find Hyrushi’s office and they quickly stepped inside to approach another receptionist.
“Hello,” they greeted. “I am Hir Ra-Mhadreii, here to meet with Gov. Hyrushi about the Terraforming Department.”
– Hir Ra-Mhadreii, incoming Director of Terraforming
The receptionist, a startlingly beautiful Deltan woman, smiled and said “Of course, sir. The Governor has been most anxious to meet you. I will let him know you have arrived.” and she tapped the desk interface before her and only moments later the large double doors to the Governor’s office swung out and open.
Hir offered an appreciative nod and took a comfortable step back, preparing for what they expected would be a couple-minute wait. Governors were busy people, no? They furrowed their eyebrows when the door flung open seconds later as if inviting them inside. Hir didn’t allow it to reconsider its offer.
The room beyond was spacious and white. Walls of glass from the left of the doorway gave an uninterrupted view of the city as they wrapped around the far corner of the room and then continued on out of sight behind a three-quarters-high wall that extended from the far right corner of the room about three-quarters the length of the room. Set into the wall was a fireplace, in front of which was a large seating area with a low table surrounded by couches and chairs. In the far left corner of the glass walled room was a desk on a raised section of floor. Set at an angle with two chairs before it, the lone occupant of the room seated behind the desk looked up as the door opened.
They lingered by the door for a heartbeat and took in an office they could only describe as ‘anything but quaint’.
The figure appeared human, save for the eyes. Terran Asian features surrounded jet black eyes. Long, black hair flowed down the back of the figure halfway to their waist as the stood up. Dressed in a dark burgundy suit with a deep blue paisley shirt under the charcoal gray vest, the figure stood and smiled. “Doctor Ra-Mhadreii… this is a true pleasure. Please have a seat, won’t you? I am Kenzo B’tren-Hyrushi, Governor of the colony.” and he held out a hand to the Efrosian. “Would you care for tea?”
Hyrushi, Gov.
Hir’s gaze landed on a dark-haired figure whose impeccable sense of style earned a smile. “Governor B’tren-Hyrushi,” they reached out to grasp his hand in a firm (and a little eager) shake, “it’s an honour to meet you.” Hir released his hand and settled on the right chair. “Please,” they accepted, “what is your preferred blend?”
— Hir Ra-Mhadreii, incoming Director of Terraforming
Hyrushi smiled. That was not a question he heard often at all. “Its a blend my father created. Gyokuro with a hint of Hojicha. I hope you like it.” He tapped an icon on his desk and then sat down. “I trust your trip was uneventful?”
Hyrushi, Gov
Hir knew admittedly little about Terran teas, though they understood Gyokoru and Hojicha originated from the unoxidised Camellia sinensis plant – ‘green tea’. They expected a stronger flavour, perhaps with grassy or bittersweet notes, but didn’t know enough to predict anything more. After all, they weren’t a tea connoisseur, just someone who learned of the shrub during a lecture in plant biochemistry… and happened to appreciate its diversity (especially in flavour).
“Thank you,” they said and took a sip, pleasantly surprised by a blend of smoke and brine that reminded them of a forest by the sea. Hir glanced at the contents of the cup, then to Hyrushi with slightly raised eyebrows, “this is quite good.”
“Yes,” they assured, “except the descent. Hearing about Oed’s progress from nearly lifeless, save a domed city, to supporting a budding atmosphere and…” Hir flashed Hyrushi a small but telling smile that betrayed some of the excitement bubbling in their belly. “…is far different than seeing it.”
“I apologise, Governor, I’m rather eager.”
— Hir Ra-Mhradreii
Hyrushi waved off the apology. “I am pleased to hear that you are. This goal is… audacious… to say the least. But when we have it moving forward… that is when the real tests begin. I trust you are aware of the timeline before us? And what resources we have available to you for the terraforming endeavor?”
Hyrushi, Gov
Bump
“Audacious, but attainable.” Hir remarked with noticeable regard for their progress. “Broadly, they added, “yes.”
A three-day journey cooped up in a standard transport afforded them ample time to look into the work of their predecessors. They read through the documents and did a little self-guided research into Oed’s planetary history. Oed, from what they understood, had a run-in with an unfriendly comet that left an abundant planet barren and dust-ridden. Hir learned that the catastrophe uncovered a natural resource – ore – that future inhabitants relied, in part, on for the colony’s doming and subsequent reconstruction. They intended to learn as much as they could about the resource, as it seemed equally significant to the colony’s future as it was to the colony’s past. So, they spent the evening diving into similar stories of Oed before and shortly after the incident, helping them understand what influenced its current state.
On the second and third days, they explored the work of the foremost Terraformers. They soon covered their blank PaDD in notes like ‘active planetary core’, ‘no ozone’ and ‘depleted magnetosphere’ that painted a clear image of what Oed was today. Hir examined research on the planet’s crust composition and immigration patterns, and took great interest in conversations in biology and ecology revamped after the erection of a planetary shield and atmospheric generators. These discussions meant Oed (as a colony) was likely progressing into the topographical stages of terraforming, where a general atmosphere could soon give way to different climates and, with the slow introduction of organic compounds, biomes.
Hir gleaned enough from their research to discuss the future, but they knew it was all very much peripheral. They could read about Oed’s progress – comparing their notes to research and reports – but they would not fully understand the planet’s condition until they spoke with the folks who worked with and experienced life on Oed.
“I suspect, given the planet’s rapid evolution this past year, that it has entered the topographical stages.” Hir observed. “If you do not mind, I am curious to hear your thoughts on Oed’s current status and progress from here.”
— Hir Ra-Mhadreii, incoming Director of Terraforming
bump
Hyrushi steepled his fingers together and regarded the new Director for a moment before answering. “To begin, you are correct. Topographical work has commenced in many sectors. With the introduction of the planetary shield and the artificial atmosphere, things are moving much faster that some anticipated. That being said, we have a very bold timeline in place that I hope you can manage. Simply, we have a year of topography design and planning to include locating where fresh and saline water environments will be implemented… and constructed. Once those are in place, we want Terraforming and Colonial Sciences to work closely together to begin the introduction of viable and native life in the form of bacteria and microorganisms to help build up the ecological foundation. We have samples and genetics of many of the former native flora and fauna, and we hope to stay as close to those as we can. After that, we are looking at supporting the natural atmosphere being created with the artificial, and the slowly allowing the natural to expand on its own until it can sustain life independently.” Hyrushi then leaned forward slightly and something no one talking about these matters had probably ever said in the existence of the terraforming sciences.
“And we want a fully independent environment in five years. Seven at the outside.”
Hyrushi, Governor
bump
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