Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Kiama Naim ((A) Chief Science Officer) in CSO’s Office - Questions over questions

Posted by Lieutenant Faye Calloway (Mission Specialist) in CSO’s Office - Questions over questions

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Kiama Naim ((A) Chief Science Officer) in CSO’s Office - Questions over questions
Posted by… suppressed (1) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

Faye’s curiosity was piqued and she focused on Naim again. “I know about the mission,” she said, not revealing how or how much. “What does it have to do with me?” she asked simply. So far she wasn’t really involved in any one departmental task and she knew better than to get involved where she wasn’t wanted. But somehow she also couldn’t see the locals needing her exceptional coding and hacking skills.

~Faye Calloway, Data Specialist

Reaching for one of the PaDDs on her desk and pushing it towards Faye, Kiama replied, “The Science Department has been tasked with helping to increase the crop yield on some of their larger agri-farms. I could really use your help with that. It would be an understatement to say that you have more experience in farming than I do. While I am a biologist, my major is in neuroscience. And since crops don’t have a brain, that is not very helpful for this mission.” With a lopsided smile and soft chuckle, she added, “And I must admit that I have one of the worst track records when it comes to trying to keep potted plants alive.”

~Lt.jg. Naim, aCSO

Taking the PADD, Faye couldn’t help but smile. “Now that I can help with.” She flicked her gaze up at Kiama. “I was going to meet with you to discuss the fact that I’m currently using the spare science space to build a garden for the crew. So this works quite nicely.”

Kiama returned the smile and said, “Yes, I read about that. I really like the idea!”

Calloway nodded briefly, secretly glad she wasn’t going to have to fight for her pet personal project. After all, it wasn’t an official thing within the department and it wasn’t her speciality specifically. But she had few hobbies and during her recovery (both of them) she had learned that having productive outlets that allowed her to work through stressors and the many traumas she had experienced was vital to her remaining reasonably stable mental health. The last thing she needed was to have things break down and generate even more rumours than she already did.

Faye glanced at the PADD. “I’m assuming we’ll have access to climatological data as well as current crop yields, soil analyses and disease issues?”

~Faye Calloway, Data Specialist

“Yes, we should. As soon as we do, I’ll let you know,” Kiama replied with a nod. “In the meantime, would you mind bringing me up to speed with things I should be aware of and/or keep in mind when it comes to farming? I know the basics, like every plant needs a different amount of water, sunlight and fertilizer. But that’s about it.”

~Lt.jg. Naim, aCSO

She spread her hands out to the side and shrugged slightly. “It can get really complicated, but you’ve got the general gist of it right there. Another important factor is crop rotation and soil health. It’s not just fertilizers but the microbiome of the soil itself. Understanding how a plant interacts with its environment is key to knowing what it can and can’t tolerate. I’m not sure how much we can do for these people except give them a direction to take their agriculture and suggest changes they can make. Crop hybridization and selecting for desired traits takes time. You’re talking about seasons upon seasons of changing one variable at a time. That and meticulous record keeping. I can only hope this planet values science methodology or I might cry,” she said flatly.

~Faye Calloway, Data Specialist