Arboricultural - Part 1

Posted on Tue Apr 8th, 2025 @ 5:58am by Major Kett V'Laass & Lieutenant JG Aurania (Rani) Anderson MD

Mission: Season 6 - 5.5 - Day to Day
Location: The Ship's Arboretum
Timeline: Current
1385 words - 2.8 OF Standard Post Measure

Lt (jg) Aurania Anderson, MD, was waking up to one of those special days on her ROTA when it was an off-duty shift - for 2 days, and if she wanted it, she also had some leave she could add in. LOTS of unused Leave allocation. She had *lots* of leave because she only really used it for extra time to exercise, hobbies and holosuite programs. Today she decided she would make better use of a whole day, and not divide it up into little slots, but to do one large *something* that she could enjoy for a leisurely outing - no pressure, no rush, no time restraints, just a nice long something she had always planned but never actually gone and really immersed herself into.

Choice number one was the Arboretum. Rani loved trees. The seemed so calming to her, so serene, so old and therefore wise! Sorting out her breakfast in a bit of a rush, she chided herself for adding rushing to her intended relaxation day but she was keen to get started. She packed a picnic, some different clothing such as a light waterproof set and a heavier one as well. Walking shoes and socks for comfort - it was a huge area to cover - and some water of course. She put in the mandatory "emergency chocolate' ration, not because she was going to need such 'emergency' preparations, but just because she enjoyed it and with a self satisfied demeanour, she set off.

Kett sat on stump. It was tree stump. He wondered to himself lightly that this was a metaphor for being literally stumped. Kett was bit lost. This was no small feat on starship, with computers that could tell you were to go or how to get there. But in this case Kett was in the Arboretum. Not any usual starship Arboretum, the USS Elysium's arboretum stretched for several decks and included a stream, park, educational centre, coffee, Zen garden, forest and much more. So to admit to himself that he was lost in said forest was a little illogical in Kett's thinking. He had come here to gather his thoughts and take a walk through the trees which reminded him of home. Sentimentality not really being within a Vulcans purview, but Kett did admit to himself that he had found invigoration from the forest of Cestus 3.

Rani had packed herself an ancient artifact called a "compass" but she had no idea how to work it and was now wishing she'd looked up at least a quick guide to the basics of it, but it was too late to be wise after the important moment of necessity. She sighed loudly and trudged on. She knew this was a very large arboretum, it had to be to accommodate so many, such vast specimens. Beginning to feel very thirsty she looked around for a place to stop and open her backpack for a drink. She imagined some moss covered root or grassy knoll and looked around hoping to spot something that looked comfortable.

Instead of seeing a comfortable seating area, Rani spotted a convenient tree stump and sitting on it, right before her eyes, was her Vulcan acquaintance Captain Kett. She couldn't have been more surprised. She didn't want to admit, even to herself, that she'd been thinking about him just a few minutes ago and somehow, his appearance did seem unlikely so she was slightly cautious about whether he really was there or if she was just imagining it. But if she was, then why would she be hallucinating? Had she got that dehydrated?

Well if he wasn't there, it was still a good place to sit and if he was and he was real, then at least she wasn't getting sick. Right?

She walked over to him and smiled, hoping that he wasn't an unnatural vision and that she was grinning at empty space. But it was okay, because at least noone was near enough to see it, if she was.

"Hello Captain" she began, waiting to see if he would reply.

Kett pulled himself out of his reverie to look up. "Rani" he said looking back down again. He looked back up again in a double take motion. He stood up sharply a little bit embarrassed in himself, straightening Kett then said "Lieutenant JG Aurania Anderson. It is pleasing to see you again."

"Oh please" she chided gently. "You were right the first time.... just Rani if that's okay with you, no need for formality off duty.....
or in fact ever.... to my mind"

Noticing Kett's embarrassment, Rani was at pains to try to make him less uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry to just come upon you out of the blue!" she said. "I love it here, the trees are so mov....." She started to say 'moving' but then realised that was 100% an emotional description of the way they made her feel so she bit off the word and tried to think of another quickly enough to insert it smoothly.

Of course that wasn't going to go to plan, was it? "mov.... lovely.... I love... er.... really find trees enjoyable to be among......" this stumbling seemed to do the opposite of what she was trying to do, which was to intended to make this all a bit less awkward, but it did seem to be making it worse. She stopped and sighed; shrugged her shoulders and sat on the moss nearby his tree-stump rummaging in her backpack for some water which she simply held out to offer him some, having given up on trying to say the right thing, she just smiled at him and held it out silently, hoping her intentions were plain.

Kett got off his stump and sat next to Rani in the moss. He tried to be reassuring with a little joke, something he had been assured would make someone feel at ease, it was time to see. "You know technically you are correct the trees are moving. They are moving with us, on this ship, at its current velocity....." He looked around at the canopy of the trees. "I find the trees to be re-assuring and comforting. They remind me of the forests of home."

"Yes, that's the way I feel too. Reassuring and comforting. Exactly." she was glad to be able to agree so wholeheartedly. "I had forgotten that you didn't originate from Vulcan." she added.

Kett nodded "not a problem, it is a common recurrence. Often individuals judge my place of origin by my species. It is a common misconception that I too have done on more than one occasion. I hail from a Federation Colony by the name of Cestus Three."

"I've no knowledge of that colony. Is it a terraformed planet? Or is it a settlement on a naturally M3 class planet? What's it like?" she was enthusiastic asking about Kett's home colony but then had a doubt plague her briefly. "er... I mean if you don't mind me asking?"

It was also "Reassuring and comforting" that Kett had moved towards her and sat beside her on the moss instead of remaining solitary and aloof on his tree-stump. Rani was happy with this development in their friendship, as she was hoping it was becoming slowly.

Kett looked down at the moss on the floor, he picked up a small branch and poked the moss with it as he talked a little wistfully of home. "Starfleet first discovered Cestus III in 2258 when it was charted by the USS Coronad. It is a planet near the border between the United Federation of Planets and the Gorn Hegemony and has been attacked few times in its past by the Gorn, but that was a long time ago. Much of the planet's southern hemisphere is dominated by a large bowl-shaped continent which has a single mountain range, the Coronado Mountains, running along its middle. Thats were i was born. In the northern hemisphere, there are several island continents. Most settlements can be found on the coast of the large southern continent with the Capital, called Pike city. It is a Class M planet by Federation Standards. Though its winters are longer than some would like.

"It sounds delightful!" Rani sighed, imagining the picture that Kett's words were painting so beautifully.

tbc