The Treehuggers!

[Mordria Nemes]

Mordria was more than excited to be able to get onto the Alliance 1. She was ready to help grow trees on Mars despite the fact that she knew that they would be working on a long uphill battle. It was just good that they had gotten enough water melted on the surface that even the beginning of this was even possible. Part of it was going to be working with the genetics team to try and create trees that outputted more oxygen then they got carbon dioxide.

That by itself was an adventure the botanist wanted to try.

At the moment Mordria was in the GSA assisting with packing up one of the many shipments of seeds that were unmodified that were going with them to Mars. These particular ones were intended to be grown in farms in the domes. The genetically engineered stuff was being handled by the Genetics team.

She was humming as she worked, other botanists on the Alliance 1 mission were around and assisting.

@Grimscythe@Obvious (since you both have botanists)

[Edgar James Robinson]

Edgar walked with a bounce in his step. He never thought in his wildest dreams he would be here. Flashes of his difficult childhood in Memphis filled his memory. The awkwardness of being the only black student in the gifted program of a charter school along with being told he was one of "the good ones" by parents. Then he came home to the rundown apartment complex to be beaten and mocked for going to said school. His friends at home looked up to gang members and hoped to leave based on a sports scholarship. His friends at school thought his interest in fungus and plants was strange. It was his younger brother that encouraged him to apply. Edgar went though the long process never expecting to get in, but did. He had a hard time wondering who was more thrilled, him or his family. 

Technically he didn't have to help pack the seeds, though it was encouraged. These were the seeds that were going to build Mars. Ones he was going to personally help nurture. He walked into the large room. It was a warehouse onto itself. He felt a rush of intimidation. A sense of how small he was. He motioned to the badge on his clothes to the guard next to the door.

"Where to first? What needs packed?"

@Grimscythe @Morrigan

[Mordria Nemes]

Mordria looked up. "I mean," she looked around carefully. "I recommend doing the seeds you like the best," she said to him with a smirk. "That way you know they'll get there safely. Though, you may make the other seeds jealous," she teased. "And for any of you seeds listening I don't pick favorites... mostly," she said smiling to the other man. "I'm Mordria," she said to him.

@Obvious @Grimscythe

[Edgar James Robinson]

Edgar let out a hardy chuckle, "Dude, that's funny! I'm Edgar. Nice to meet you Mordria."

He looked around, still a tad overwhelmed, and added, "You do have a point, on both ends. Makes sense to start that way, also makes sense not to since jury is still out how much they understand."

"I found for me, they grow faster and stronger with classical music. Not so big on rap or metal." He nodded with a grin.

"Which ones are you working on? Might as well start there."

@Grimscythe @Morrigan

[Mordria Nemes]

"Its good to meet you too Edgar," she said as she looked around. "I'm fond of ivy but we're not bringing that with us," she said. Well that wasn't completely true, she had some of her personal ivy in her personal belongings that she was bringing to Mars. "So since we're not I chose to work on the most important thing on our mission.... the food," she smiled to him as she indicated to the crates she had started to pack before she moved over to continue packing.

"Are you launching tomorrow like me and my boyfriend?" she asked him.

@Grimscythe@Obvious

[Edgar James Robinson]

"Assuming all goes to plan, yeah, I'll be joining you." He knocked on the wooden crate.

He looked down and began to help pack the seeds next to her.

"What got you into botany?" Edgar inwardly cringed trying to come up with small talk. It was a question he got a lot. 

@Grimscythe @Morrigan

[Mordria Nemes]

"The flowers spoke to me like in Alice in Wonderland," she teased.

@Grimscythe@Obvious

[Edgar James Robinson]

Edgar laughed, "You're funny. It's going to make this trip more fun. Sadly, I'm not good at light talk as much as I try. Maybe one of these days, right?"

He gave a smirk at his own expense.

@Grimscythe @Morrigan

[Mordria Nemes]

"You seem perfectly capable to me. But once you're in space what are you going to ask about for small talk exactly? There is no weather, at least not in the ship and how are you is going to become quite drab don't you think? Perhaps we should think up fun things to talk about but I'll admit I'm a bit of a gossip."

@Grimscythe@Obvious

[Edgar James Robinson]

"Thanks. It's been something I've been working on. As tempting as hearing any potential gossip is, it could get us both in trouble." He laughed.

"Hmm..." he tapped his chin before going back to a pack of seeds, "What do you like to do? I'm into Dungeons and Dragons and some other table top games as silly as that might sound. That and board games. I packed some with me."

@Grimscythe @Morrigan

[Mordria Nemes]

Mordria liked a little bit of trouble but she figured the other botanist would figure that out relatively quickly. "I'd say I like to try new things. Going on adventures and plants mostly.  Gossip," she said nodding thoughtfully. "Oh! And we can never forget that I love to build lego structures. I brought the death star with me," she advised him.

@Obvious

[Kaito Tsugahara]

Kaito moved with determination, going back and forth to ensure that exactly the right amount of everything was packed in exactly the right order. He was very particular about the ways he did things, always calculating for optimum results. This also meant that he was constantly pausing to check the logs. He heard bits and pieces of Mordria and Edgar’s conversation as he worked, opting not to join in on the chatter.

At least, not until Edgar mentioned tabletop games and Mordria followed it with talk of the Death Star. He glanced briefly toward them, tempted to join in on their conversation. If only his social skills matched his intellectual capabilities.

 

@Morrigan@Obvious

[Edgar James Robinson]

Edgar chuckled at her mention of gossip again. He felt fortunate he thought he was boring. "Death Star? Star Wars fan, I take it? I was always more of a Star Trek fan, but I love the original trilogy and the prequels are a bit underrated. You wouldn't happen to have the Thrawn Trilogy packed, would you? That was always on my to read list. Also remind me not to get too close when you're building your legos. I remember one time I tripped and fell on a set my cousin was building. Thankfully nothing was broken, but he didn't talk to me for a week."

He tapped his chin again as a question popped up in his mind. He noticed a short Asian man close by looking at clipboard and moved closer to him. "Does that clipboard have all the species of plants we're moving on it?"

@Morrigan @Grimscythe

[Mordria Nemes]

Mordria laughed. "Well unfortunately Lego doesn't have a contract with Star Trek otherwise I'd have brought an enterprise because we are going to be in space and such a thing deserves to join us. I also didn't want to bring paint to do a more traditional model," she grinned with a laugh. "I might.... But I just kind of did a download spree of books so I'd actually have to check," she shrugged as he turned his attention to the other man.

She had noticed he was very particular and so had left him alone for the most part especially because she was pretty sure that she'd ruin all of his pretty packaging on what he was trying to get settled into the metal containers.

@Obvious@Grimscythe

[Kaito Tsugahara]

Kaito swiped lines through lists of parcels as they were loaded into the unit, his movements almost mechanical. When Edgar approached, his head lifted. The query resulted in an arching of the man’s brow before he focused on the tablet he held.

“No, it only lists the organic material that we’re taking with us,” the botanist replied smartly, smirking at Edgar. He had a rather dry sense of humor, but he made the attempt, nonetheless. He marked the last item off the list and reached upward, pressing a button on the side of the storage unit. It chirped in response, sealing itself shut. The unit would keep the plant life at optimal temperature and humidity for their journey.

“All essentials are loaded and ready. Next unit will be for personal preferences and experiments. Non-invasive life only,” Kaito said to both of them.

@Obvious@Morrigan

[Edgar James Robinson]

Edgar was confused at first and then chuckled. "Last I checked seeds were organic material. Good one."

He looked back at Mordria, "Looks like I'm going to need that list. Experiments? Now that I'm looking forward to. Though with the mention of invasive life, I'm kind of bummed we can't make an Audrey 2. Probably for the best."

 

@Morrigan @Grimscythe

[Mordria Nemes]

"You don't need his lists. Tsugahara tends to be a little zealous in his duties. I'll make a bet with you now. I'll get him to drink something alcoholic before we get to Mars," she said to Edgar.

@Grimscythe@Obvious

[Kaito Tsugahara]

“I’m boring, not deaf Nemes,” he called, amusement flickering in his eyes.  “Until we can get things growing on Mars, you might want to conserve whatever you’ve got with you. There’s no liquor stores in space.” He lowered the tablet, leaving it on its dock.

“It’s an unnecessary uphill battle, if you bring the invasive ones,” he added, speaking to Edgar.

@Morrigan@Obvious

[Edgar James Robinson]

"I'm not sure I want to take that bet, Mordria." Edgar chuckled, "Is it to get him to drink on purpose or by accident?"

"I don't drink alcohol myself, but now I'm tempted to try to create moonshine for the laughs. Well, if I can start Audrey 2 as a non invasive species it shouldn't be a problem then. I do know I want broccoli and cauliflower. Recreating brocoflower should be a nice and easy start."

@Morrigan @Grimscythe 

[Mordria Nemes]

"My boyfriend is Russian Tsugahara. I am going to be up to my eyeballs in vodka," she grinned to them both. "Also heard Engineering may already have a still setup somewhere," she said mischievously to them both.

@Obvious @Grimscythe

[Edgar James Robinson]

"Looks like it will be an interesting and funny trip then. Glad I brought my camera. Will make for some great pictures and videos." He laughed jokingly.

 

@Grimscythe @Morrigan

[Mordria Nemes]

Mordria grinned. "If you didn't I most certainly did," she said. "You want to meet my boyfriend Edgar?" she asked.

@Obvious

[Edgar James Robinson]

Edgar laughed and nodded. "Sure, why not? I should meet more teammates before we go up there. Lead the way."

 

@Morrigan

[Mordria Nemes]

Mordria waved to Kaito before she began to leave with Edgar. "I think he's supposed to grow on you like mold. You don't always want him there but he sticks," Mordria said to Edgar.

@Obvious

[Edgar James Robinson]

"Now you've got me thinking of the possibility of death by mold infestation when we get on the moon. We always like to think we'll go out in blaze of glory or old in bed with great grandchildren next to us. Imagine a super mold infestation, with my luck it wouldn't even be a cool blob mold monster." Edgar mused before snapping back to Mordria, "Sometimes my mind trails off. Anyway, where to?"

 

@Morrigan