Posted by Lieutenant Simon Starr (Executive Officer) in 17/18 Forward: Right Side of Sim. Lunch With Lt. Simon Starr. XO.

Posted by Ensign Catt Beñnet (Science Officer) in 17/18 Forward: Right Side of Sim. Lunch With Lt. Simon Starr. XO.

Posted by Lieutenant Simon Starr (Executive Officer) in 17/18 Forward: Right Side of Sim. Lunch With Lt. Simon Starr. XO.

<snip>

Catt sighed.” He must be very busy. I keep missing him when I go to introduce myself. So I have been getting to know the plants in the arboritum. Trimming dead growth, seeing to their proper nutrient and watering needs and singing to them. That Andorian carniverous plant seems to love lullibies. A lot of people think talking to plants is useless. They don’t hear like we do but they feel a vibrating resonance from sound. Soothing sounds make them feel safe so they grow better.”, she said letting her tail go. “Everyone seems to love my veggies since I took the cooking class. Shame I can’t eat them.”, she replied with a hint of genuine regret. “Oh and on a personal note. The doctor thinks modern advances in medicine might be able to reverse some of the issues I suffered. I am not sure what to do though. In a way I would stop being damaged. Be normal,
Well as normal as a Cait raised by humans can be. But I also stop being me in a sence. I’ld have be less carefree. People would expect me to be something I don’t think I want to be at least not now. I would need to act like a normal Caitan female.”, her tone was serious but her ears and tail kept being silly and clownish. “Not sure I am ready to accept being a grownup yet when I am not working.”, and she shrugged.

Ensign Catt Bennet. Science.

“The Arboretum is much better than a box in the cargo bay, right?” Simon asked in response to Catt’s comment about what she had been up to while she was waiting for her department head. “And I think care of plants is important to, my parents always used to say they went to “talk to the crops,” my brother and I at first thought it meant something else, but we followed them once. They liturally talked to the crops,” he told her with a smile. “Being a farm boy, you do learn all little trade secrets,” Simon said with a slight wink. “Just farming crops is a lot more physical than tending to plants, and my family were traditional. It was hard physical work,” he told her.

“As to having a way to… deal with the other side of things. I can’t tell you what would be right for you, that would be up to you,” he said, a bit more serious. “And having a child-like curiosity has sometimes been to Starfleet’s favour, so as long as you don’t endanger yourselves or other members of the crew, there’s no reason I can give a recommendation either way. It’s whatever you feel best,” Simon told Catt, taking another bite of the mash.

Lieutenant Simon Starr, XO

Catf nodded along to the far ing talk, “Well my parents were terraformers and in a sence so am I. Though my focus is more on turning land damaged by industry and prolonged habitation than on taking strange new worlds and makinwith my parents g them adapt to the people moving to that planet. I am actualy against taking a viable world and changing it to make a species more comfortable for invasive soecies. Such as colonists and the pets or vermin they bring with them.”, So I imagine present me woukd argue bitterly with my parents if they still lived. Also with my aunt if she would actually accept calls from me or we were to somehow get closer than several AU from each other.” And she sighed, “Actually if the doctor does correct the damages. I might become fertile. That must be my a2unts worst nightmare. If I was fertile I am my mother heir and my mother was the eldest. My aunt would lose everything she has spent her life working at. probably just as well the Agricultural Station commander forced Starfleet to give me a posting as far from him as possible. Once news of the new treatments got out I would have to deal with her. One of us would end up dead as my impression has been she really loves being Queen bee of her own terraforming Empire. My money is on me winning as I have more experiance surviving when people are trying to use you as a ingrediant for Caitan Stew.” She said softly and seriously . Her tail and ears no longer making funny movements. “Geeze can you imagine me as being someones mother.”,
And she looked off inuto space for a moment.

Ensign Catt Bennet. Science.

“That choice is yours,” Simon simply replied. “But, I get where your coming from. My parents still don’t use much technology for farming, they believe the hard work is part of it. So, spent days out in the field when I was younger moving hay, it built my athleticism up though, I guess,” he added with a smile eating some more sausages, mash and vegetables that were prepared. “For now, you don’t have to worry about that. We’re miles away from Cait right now, after all. However…” Simon began to say, a look of worry on his face as he realized something, but left a significant pause before he said what he was going to say, as if debating telling her or not. “Have you met our chief engineer?” he finally asked.

Lieutenant Simon Starr, XO

Catt nodded, “Thats why I did as much as possible by hand on the Challenger. The people who will need to use my methods and research won’t have acrcess to all the tech normally available.”, and she looked back at Simon. “No haven’t met her. I only know of her as I looked up the senior staff before I boarded. I could hardly not be aware of her though. She leaves her sent everywhere she goes, so yes I know that I am not the only Caitan on board. I don’t know if she is aware of me yet. I work pretty hard at masking my scent and have avoided doing anything that would work up a scent. Growied a ear, “ng up on Earth meant I never got used to the smell of my own species. So living for a year on a post with nothing but Caitan’s who disliked me intenad sely has imprinsidewited a aversion to my own smell. Just another wat Catt is weird I guess.”, and she cocked her head a bit and flicked a ear.,”Your worried I will react hostily to her? I never start fights. I end them fast if they start. I will treat her exactly like she treats me. Be that good, bad or ugly. I don’t imagine we will be friends but I won’t assume anyone is a enemy till by word, action or deed they make themselves a enemy.”, and picking up a fork she speared a saucage off Simon’s plate. With reflexes to fast to follow, “Rule one when eating with famine survivors is guard your plate.”, and then pretty much inhaled the poor defenceless saucage.

Ensign Catt Bennet. Sciences.