[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/YEri0Qf.png[/img][/center][center][color=7ff000][h3][u][b] A V A L I N E R O S E [/b][/u][/h3]Sub-Level Three[/color][/center] Doctor Avaline Rose strode down a corridor of dull metal panels, linking beneath the scattered lights set into the ceiling above. There were few markings on the walls, abstractive lines in red and white, section numbers, and others that turned to a blur as her long legs carried her purposeful strides towards the end of the northern hallway. Set beneath the towering structure that was the City of Landing, the sublevels held a stuffy sense of confinement—despite the adequate ventilation chambers set at intervals in the crevice between floor and wall—one reeking of achievement and learning. Here was the home for the small, yet growing vision of one small, odd man. To either side rectangular viewing windows stretched, showing the sparse clusters of men and woman adorned in white coats bristling when pens and pads, their goggle clad faces bowed together in hot debate or over their research materials. There a man gestured with a long, thin rod of metal, instructing his underlings on scientific principles, though only three people sat before him. Avaline sniffed, pushing up the spectacles balanced delicately on the bridge of her pointed nose, lips pursed in thought. [i]’We’ll be needing more minds to tame this world, perhaps I should suggest funding a center of learning..’[/i] she mused, letting her thoughts carry her. Too soon, she found herself on one side of the metal barrier, split with a line down the middle, that separated her from the man who had somehow managed to pull all of this together. She remembered, briefly, the first days upon this god forsaken world. People running about in panic, children crying, people lost and looking dazed as a mass hysteria swept through them. Perhaps it was excitement and wonder, or maybe fear of the unknown. Either way, Avaline was quite pleased to see how quickly order had been established. She sighed, taking a breath and steeling herself for what was about to come. She still wasn’t used to such.. Aberrant behavior. The door hissed open as her heels clicked against the white synthetic flooring, likely a poured type of surface with an antimicrobial coating. She stiffened as her gaze swept over the room, fingers tapping incessantly on the clipboard pinned beneath her arm and pressed to her abdomen. Before her the scene was chaotic, haphazard, and a potential danger, though she might need time to prove that last thought. The space was rather large, with a counter that ran around three walls of the windowless room, set with cabinets above and below, doors of which had been left open at random. The room’s two sinks sat clustered with dirty equipment, and the countertops themselves were a disorganized mess of samples. She walked along the length of the counter, trying to ignore the tools and implements left strewn between the work material. Clusters of plastic containers sat huddled together, not in neat and tidy rows, but apparently grouped by difference. All of them filled with dirt, some of which were peculiar shades, and labeled by what had been done to the soil. Some of them held vibrant green plants, others of awkward shades and hues, but mostly they held the shriveled corpses of those that had not taken. Her heart sank somewhat as she noted that nearly all of the samples held dead plants. She crossed to the section of counter running parallel to the door, looking at the labels. Most were noted to be show sterilization levels, soil composition and origin, and the chemical adjustments. Clipboards next to each grouping held firmly clamped notes, which she peeked at. Unfortunately, Avaline was never known for her love of plants, and many of the things listed were foreign to her. One label in particular caught her eye. She noticed that this particular label was associated with more than a few groupings of plants, some of which looked promising. [color=AFEEEE]”Jethro?”[/color] She queried, righting herself and catching Nir’s eyes through the holo display of his computer. He simply nodded, in fact, by the look of it he hardly seemed aware of her presence, let alone the implied question. His slight nimble fingers were rapidly speeding across the flat surface of electronic keys. From this side of the display Avaline could see he was working on inputting simulation model data, likely to further refine his theories. She sniffed again, adjusting her glasses and smooth her unwrinkled lab coat before placing herself next to him. She set the clipboard down, a bit too firmly, which seemed to shock him out of the scientific trance he had entered. [color=7ff000]”Ah, Ava-”[/color] [indent][color=afeeee]”Doctor-”[/color][/indent] [color=7ff000]”-you mentioned Jethro? The farmhand, yes?”[/color] Nir asked, catching Ava’s eyes with his own, dark brown and glistening as if he had forgotten to blink in some time. Avaline sighed, at times she felt less like an assistant director and more like a mother, and not just because of the ageless face behind those wizened eyes. [color=afeeee]”The samples?”[/color] She admonished, raising a blonde brow in skepticism. [color=7ff000]”Oh, right.. Right, he was helping. He has power over dirt.. Or soil, though I don’t know the extend of it he claims-”[/color] [color=afeeee]”He’s a simple farmer, not a scientist.”[/color] Ava countered curtly, disapproval evident on her face. [color=7ff000]”Well [i]his[/i] plants seem to be fairing better, or, at least the soil. Something about manipulating the composition, though it seemed a strain, I often find myself having a hard time-”[/color] [color=afeeee]”And what of them? Are they sustainable? Mr.Quan is already pushing the agricultural department to clear land faster, I think the Ghost Leaf has made him rather.. exuberant.”[/color] [color=7ff000]”Technically..”[/color] Nir began, though at the clearing of Avaline’s throat he paused to focus, [color=7ff000]”For practically purposes, no, those that do live die overnight, and some of them even [i]I[/i] can’t bring back. Those you see there I’ve already written off, the code is.. Wrong, warped. It’s becoming quite clear that earthly plants were not made for this planet, I mean that’s obvious, but we can’t adapt them here. Even if we could it would take far too long. Our efforts have proven useless, and I rather like Jeth thank you, his bongos are.. cool.”[/color] Avaline let out a [i]hmph[/i], to let Nir know just exactly what she thought of that. Cool? For god’s sake he was a man of science, a young man, but of science no less. When she had heard Nir had been the first to step forward, she was expecting a man forged by the passage of time, of trials and tribulation, not this.. This boy! Her teeth pressed together as she looked back at the samples, asking farm hands to help? No matter the extent of their.. Abilities, was outrageous. Surely a simpleton couldn’t be elevated above his position simply because he can [i]move[/i] dirt. No, it had to be that Nir was studying the effects of dirt touched by the Lunos, that had to be it, yes! That was why she had chosen to follow him, she would have never considered that, or perhaps at a much later date. She was focused on practical applications, and Nir was, well.. Nir. She stooped over his shoulder, looking at the model of rendered orbs spinning lazy patterns across the display. He wasn’t even working on the planting problem, her eye twitched. [color=afeeee]”I thought you were working on farms? Surely this pet project of yours can wait?”[/color] She insisted, tapping her foot impatiently against the floor. It took Nir a moment to notice, or rather finish what he was doing, though he seemed completely oblivious to the subtle clicks of her pointed shoe. [color=7ff000]”Pet project?”[/color] Nir asked incredulously, [color=7ff000]”This will revolutionize the smoking industry as soon as I can get these documents sent out to the manufacturing facilities. I’m sure Mr.Quan is worked up over the speed of the crop’s growth.. Despite the fact that I may have helped them along-Now now stop glaring at me. I’ve asked the scouts to collect samples from the surrounding jungle, and we currently have some test crops nearing the end of their cycle. Everything is going along smoothly.”[/color] Avaline’s eyes pinched together, smoothly for Nir was akin to riding a dingy through a tropical storm. [i]Smoothly[/i]. Hah! A small chime played as Nir’s display notified him of an impending message. He clicked it open, causing Avaline to sigh. She was definitely not done talking about this! However, the message caught her attention. Her eyes widened, as she read. A small pang of sadness resonated through her, Reggie was dead. She frowned, she had rather liked the man. Hardworking, industrious, just as people should be. She looked at Nir whose face was… blank as he responded, did the boy feel nothing? [center][i]Jeth. Mark the crop with hazard tape.. And add lights, I like the lights. Wait for medical, let them examine the body there if they can. Tell them what happened, then come and see me. Oh, and bring a sample, I’ll take a look at it. -NIR P.S Bring your pipe.[/i][/center] Avaline’s face scrunched together again, Nir was an unending source of worry for her, [color=afeeee]”Are you planning to okay the distribution of the Ghost Leaf? What about clinical trials, and long term studies?”[/color] [color=7ff000]”Well, we did short term studies, and I’ll probably be dead before we clear a long term trial. There’s no inclinations that the Ghost Leaf will lead to long term illness or death, and even if does, nobody will care. That much is certain, just look at the tobacco industry, or what it had been. Nobody cares as long as they get their fix and I for one, would like to smoke [i]something[/i].”[/color] Avaline stared at him for a long moment. His reasoning was infuriatingly sound, despite the uncouth methods. She was glad to be only second in command. The task Nir had taken upon himself was a daunting one, and yet he handled it as if it were the most natural thing in the world. He only stressed about his problems, those of the plants, everything else seemed.. Expected, to him. At least from her viewpoint. [color=afeeee]”Right, well.. I have some things I need you to sign off on,”[/color] Avaline said, motioning towards the clipboard. [color=7ff000]”Is it the funding reports you threatened me with?[/color] Nir asked carefully, staring at the clipboard in what might have been abject horror. Avaline nodded, prompting Nir’s own sigh as he ran a hand through his hair, though it remained unlively and flat, if not a bit disheveled. [color=7ff000]”Alright, but it’ll have to wait until I get these manufacturing releases done. By the light, the stuff is already clean, dried, and rolled into a tube. I just need to fill out the forms.. Phah, there’s always a bloody form, can’t escape them.”[/color] [color=afeeee]”My, what colorful language you have Doctor Nir,”[/color] Ava mused, a small smile pulling at the corner of her mouth. [color=7ff000]”A man’s gotta have hobbies,”[/color] Nir replied, already turning back to his work. Avaline pulled up a chair, sitting near him, but not too close. Just incase his slight madness was catching. She produced a small tablet from her coat, going over the functions of the various departments she helped oversee, though in actuality she practically managed the entire affaire. Nir could hardly be disturbed from returning to his plants and dirt, he wasn’t much of a bureaucrat. Despite that, his mind was.. Plentiful. What she saw as grand ideas and meticulous planning, he gave as if it were ordinary. She shook her head slowly, perhaps in disbelief, though with more than just a little wonder as she tucked a golden curl behind her ear. Luckily, she was a patient person. There was always work to be done, and most of Nir’s director duties had been pushed off onto her, where she had in turn passed some things off to her underlings. Yet, her mind kept going back to the notice from earlier, killed by a tomato.. What a way to go. She hated the uncertainty that brought, of the future, or her livelihood. Without sustainable food, they wouldn’t survive. Her gaze fell to Nir’s back, tapping away, data streaming before him. He looked so much like a boy, Avaline saw something of a son in him, despite their few years of difference. She had Sons that were still on the ship, still frozen, still sleeping, and she missed them terribly.