Assessing the Arboretum (Part II)

Posted on Tue Aug 19, 2025 @ 11:17am by Lieutenant JG Brianthe Oaxaca & Civilian Paula Pendergast & Lieutenant Bronwyn P’ril & Ensign Matilda Cromwell

1,246 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Time After Time
Location: Arboretum
Timeline: TBD

[PREVIOUSLY]

Matilda was very impressed. "This is very amazing I am so glad I was assigned here." gazing about. "And I am certainly going to be careful when we remove those unwanted equipment." Matilda drawing in a breath. "I do love working with plants, one of my side passions."

[CONTINUED]

"We do let people volunteer," Paula said. "If they know what they're doing. We have a lot of space to cover."

P’ril filed that information away for future reference. She was always interested in learning new skills. True, she had kept an umbrella tree alive and thriving for over a decade, but that was the extent of her knowledge. “And I am sure it supplements the ship’s environmental systems,” she added.

"Oh, definitely. The arboretum helps with air filtration. Not significantly, as there are only ten decks of arboretum to 1500 decks of station. But I prefer breathing the air here than what's recycled through the rest of the station," Paula replied, looking proudly at the trees. "Is there any place in particular you want to visit? Or do you just want to wander around?"

"I am torn between just wandering around; or getting to work and removing what Lieutenant Cannon had put in here. I think perhaps that removing the undesirable equipment will make it easier for me to enjoy this place." Matilda deciding to be practical about things.

"Probably. That man was too eager to get the job done to care what it might do here. I'd take a cattle prod to him if I thought it'd do any good." Then she waved a hand in the air. "And before you get all snippy, I wouldn't do it. I just like thinking about it."

P’ril’s face melted subtly into an expression of pleasure as the image came unbidden to her own mind. If she were more human, perhaps she would have cackled lightly and agreed. But alas! She was not. “Understandable,” she replied. “I agree that getting to work is preferable. We can visit the arboretum for pleasure some other time.”

Matilda did give out a chuckle at the image that presented itself in her mind. She chased the image away though.

She dusted her hands together, "Okay, then it's time to get to work." Matilda having an eager smile.

Paula couldn't help smiling back. "Perfect. I'd like nothing more than to have the arboretum back and Cannon out of my hair. I'll even order cookies while you work."

"Oh, I do like cookies." Matilda giving a smile. "Come to do proper work, we have cookies! Improper work you get nothing."

"Do improper work and you get Cannon," Paula said, chuckling. "I'll even make a floral headpiece for him."

"A floral headpiece for whom?" A slim woman with honey-brown hair walked up to the group. Even in her Starfleet uniform she moved like a dancer.

"Ace Cannon," Paula hissed. "He used the arboretum to launch torpedoes because he thought it would be a better place than the command center."

"Why?" The woman looked from Paula to the other two women. "That doesn't make sense."

"It didn't make sense to me either when Paula told me. There are better places that an auxiliary torpedo control could have been set up and not here. The area is too large to even defend if someone came to invade to stop the torpedoes from being fired." Matilda frowning.

"He wouldn't listen. He said it would protect the torpedoes and the arboretum." Paula looked at Brianthe and frowned. "He said he was doing it for you and that you wouldn't mind."

"I mind very much. He had no right to tell you what to do here. That's up to us--or the chief science officer. At the time, it was Alanna and I know she wouldn't sanction such a thing. Nor would Captain Soran."

Bri sighed in frustration. "I want everything he put in here without permission removed." She turned to Matilda and P'ril. "I assume that's what you'll be doing?" Then she paused. "I neglected to introduce myself. I'm Brianthe Oaxaca. I'm the botanist in charge of the arboretum. I was on the planet during the attack."

"I am Ensign Matilda Cromwell, engineer. Also, that is why we are here, to get rid of the nonsense that Ace had put here."

"Thank you." Bri shook her head. "It still makes no sense. Just the opposite. That idea is..." She shook her head. She wasn't going to say what she thought.

P’ril gave Brianthe half a grin for half a moment. “I understand,” she said. “Was any equipment left behind that you know of? Or was it only the controls that were rerouted?”

The only person who could answer that would be Paula, and Matilda hadn't thought to ask that question.

"Did he bring any torpedoes?" Matilda looking at Paula

"No. Not that I recall, anyway. He left them with the launchers. He just wanted to launch them from here. But he didn't always tell me what he was doing and there's a lot of arboretum to check on. I have no idea what he ended up doing."

"I think I should request that Ace not do any repairs here." Brianthe looked from P'ril to Matilda. He clearly abused his authority and I don't want him here. I'll talk to Lieutenant Blackwood as well."

Matilda nodded, even though she was having a fling with Ace, which she wasn't going to mention to the ladies here; Ace really shouldn't have messed with the Arboretum like he did.

"Well, glad he didn't bring them in here. Sounds even more !like we've got our work cut out for us."

"Is there anything Paula or I can do to help you?" Bri asked.

"Short of installing a cattle prod?" Paula muttered.

Matilda outright laughed, "you know there is a way to have a small, very small taser you could carry. Though maybe I would be getting into trouble for saying that." glancing towards P'ril and Brianthe. "Perhaps we can get the schematics of the arboretum- I believe that is only available for those approved?"

Matilda could be wrong on that but did she have the clearance to look at the blueprints?

"I have them," Bri said. "The chief science officer has them, Alanna probably still has them. And...command. Probably the Chief Engineer." She smiled at P'ril."

Matilda nodded, "Okay, sounds great. I am glad to hear that." she rocked back and forth on her heels, trying not to be impatient about getting to work. And boy did she want to get her hands working, to repair things.

Also, she thought to herself, it was definitely best to not mention this to Ace, whenever they possibly got together again. The man did excite her, was there something wrong with her? A slight shrug at her mental thoughts. Eh, whatever happens will happen.

Brianthe looked at Matilda and smiled at the other woman's impatience to get started. "Don't let us keep you. Paula and I are going to talk about the repairs we need to do and any changes we want to make. We'll be in the workroom if you need us."

Paula looked from Matilda to P'ril and nodded. As long as they took out all that nonsense Cannon put in, she'd be happy.


A post by

Ensign Matilda Cromwell
Engineer
Deep Space Five

Lt. Bronwyn P’ril
Chief Engineer
Deep Space Five

Paula Pendergast
Botanist
Deep Space 5

 

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