[center][color=7ff000][h3][u][b] N I R    K E T C H E R [/b][/u][/h3]Sub-Level Three[/color][/center]


Nir’s eyes focused on the information rapidly descending on the barely opaque screen before him, glowing faintly blue and humming softly. Not the machine, mind you, but himself. There was no tune, no rhythm to the sounds, just a casual, happy murmur of low noise to offset the droning of the air pumping units and the faint taps his fingers made as they sped across the glass-like panel, one holding an array of keys meant for a computer such as this. Avaline sat next to him, likely perusing other tasks she had to be about, or perhaps planning her week out. She was meticulous in that way, planning, arranging, organizing. She liked everything laid out before her, broken down into neat row and column punctuated with estimates on how long each task should take. She always accounted some extra time when visiting him. He didn’t mean to throw her plans out of array, yet, there was so much to do. So many problems to solve.


His lips turned down in a half frown, though it was more of a pursing of the lips as his eyes gazed above, and slightly through the screen before him. The plants, it always came back to the plants. Part of him wondered what would be left for him to do once he solved this problem—And he [b]would[/b] solve it—but another part merely chuckled, there was always something to do. Always something that needed understanding. However, the wilting, dying plants grouped on the counters were dying, even those that seemed vibrantly alive. To him, they were suffering, their color a few shades paler, their perkiness just a bit off. It wasn’t as if he could feel their pain, perhaps not yet, but somehow he knew. The struggle was immense, he could ascertain that much when he [i]encouraged[/i] them to grow with his Lunos. It was growing easier, with practise, but the plants did not want to take. It was as if somehow they knew this was wrong, that this was not their home, and they did not belong here. Almost as if they did not want to grow here, and now in light of that recent message… Nir was inclined to believe those feelings.


Avaline cleared her throat, noticing he had stopped. He shot her a bashful smiling, turning back to the computer, to the data, the forms. It was comforting, filling out section after section with prerequisite information. Not because it was ordered, or streamline, but because there was nothing left to figure out. Nothing too important, for the Ghost Leaf anyways. Yes, there were always the problems of cost and profit, distribution, growing, and things of that sort. There was Mr.Quan, who would no doubt press for increased, industrialized production and larger growing fields. But for Nir, he had delved the secrets of this plant, discovered not far from the border of the city, and he had solved it’s puzzle.


It was surprising, to find something so valuable to close. He didn’t yet trust himself to venture farther out, that’s what the scouts were for with their more useful Lunos abilities, for those that could control them better. Nir was a fledgling, one that had just barely started to grow it’s feathers. He was not yet ready to fly. His Lunos remained unreliable at times, and when he tried to force a change that was too unnatural, it became difficult. No, he would need more practise.


He finlized the production forms and sent them out, to other heads of other departments who would oversee them and likely fill out their own forms. Hopefully, it would be less than a day or two before he could show something from his work. It had been a pleasant distract while he tried to unlock the mysteries of the farming situation. A side project he had completed before the main task. Despite all of the inevitable waiting, on scouts to bring samples, for earth to be cleared, for plants to grow, it still sat wrong with him. Yes, Ghost Leaf was an achievement, his first, and hopefully there would be many more to come. He just felt as if he had failed so far, the rations wouldn’t last forever. If he couldn’t solve this problem, they would all die.


He stopped humming as his eyes fell on the stacks of papers Avaline had brought with her. Seeing that he had finally turned his attention towards her task, Avaline perked up and sat her tablet down. He waved her off, before she could speak. It was better to read, or at least scan what you were about to sign rather than have someone read it to you. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Avaline, he was just the type of person to look up a word even if you’d told him the correct definition beforehand. Just to be sure.


Mostly, the papers revolved around the agricultural department, very little had to do with the biological facility he managed despite being the only actual member of staff there. Finance reports, clearing schedules, supply requisitions and budget expectations, and of course, some [i]heavily worded[/i] requests from the businessmen up top. Though Mr.Quan was their primary funder, pushing the needs of Nir’s department in whatever management council they had established up there, there were some smaller donors. Advocates of science, those who looked towards the future of life on Awilix, they understood the need. That was another slight worry, once he solved this problem, would their support drop if not stop completely? Everything was a puzzle, and many things he did not have an answer to. That didn’t bother him.


He only worried about the plants.


Avaline was more than capable of running the department in his stead. To be honest, he hardly wanted the job in the first place, but somebody had to do it. Perhaps it was his lack of trust that he didn’t push the position on somebody else, someone who would devote more time and attention to it. Maybe he didn’t want to be ordered around, perhaps set on some useless task. Avaline was a good choice, there were some other bureaucratic folk he associated with on occasion that could fill the place. Yet, he didn’t give it up. He’d even been asked a few times if he would step down now that the others had their wits about them. He did not.


That was a mystery about himself, and that [i]did[/i] bother him. Substantially so. A person should not be a mystery to himself.


[color=c4df9b]"Hey buddy, got you your sample."[/color]


Nir gave a slight start of surprise. He had been so absorbed into the reports he hadn’t heard the door open. Jethro entered, indeed with the promised sample, causing Nir to smile slightly. He wasn’t sure why he liked the man so much. Perhaps it was his jubilant nature and attitude. For such a simple man, he was surprising down to earth. One could be fooled by that goofy grin of his, Nir had once looked into his eyes and known there was perhaps a bit more behind that smile. Maybe it was a kinship, Jeth didn’t seem to care much for the complexities around him, prefering the simplicities in his life. Nir felt the same yet, despite the complicated nature of the things he delved into. He didn’t much care for anything other than the plants and their problems, but he did have something they both cared about.


[color=7ff000]”Ahoy Jeth, Thanks for coming,”[/color] Nir said, finishing his signature with a flourish on the final page requiring his attention. He didn’t stand however, instead he motioned for Jethro to sit as Nir pulled unlocked a drawer off to his side. [color=7ff000]”I know you’re a busy man, so I won’t keep you long—fields to plow and earth to turn and all that, but I’ve got something here for you and your boys. I actually just sent out the paperwork, so you should start seeing it hit the shelves in a couple of days. I did push for the price to be lower, I didn’t want the Leaf to be something for the higher class, ya’know?”[/color] Nir rambled, pulling out an inconspicuous bag.


Trapped between the clear, thin walls of the plastic was a substance that could have passed as a dried herb for spicing food, but the look in Jethro’s eyes said that he knew better. Nir unzipped the top, letting the scent waft out. It was pungent, permeating the air with the scent of bitter dried herb and mint. Nir took a pipe out next, ignoring the wrinkling of Avaline’s nose—likely in disgust—as he did so.


[color=afeeee]”Well..”[/color] Avaline began, pointedly. [color=afeeee]”If you’ll just excuse me, I’ve been here far too long and should see these reports to their proper homes.”[/color]


Nir nodded, with a dismissal wave of his hand, causing Avaline to sniff in disapproval. He hadn’t meant to be rude, he was just occupied. He felt rather excited, hopefully his friend shared the same attitude. Jethro emptied his hands, setting his bongos on the floor and produced his pipe. In a moment Nir had both of them stuffed with the dried, blueish leaf, packed down to perfection. He took out a second bag of the drug, though it was larger than the first he had produced.


[color=7ff000]”This one’s for sharing Jeth, and I know you will. Don’t spread it around too much yet though, I’d hate to see you mugged,”[/color] Nir paused for a moment, looking at the man before him and let out a chuckle, [color=7ff000]”Well, perhaps get into a scuffle then… would you like the honors?”[/color] Nir finished, producing a nonchalant silver flip lighter, a relic really, from an age past, and holding it out.

[@Americore]