<<ooc:: First grab your favorite beverage, this is one of my long ones. Second: Introducing Cameron Sikes. Cameron is a throw back for those who know him from the USS Archer. This log will depict Cameron's personality, but you might want to read his bio ( id 2515) for more back history. Cameron has had an interesting life. Third: Also let me lay down some rules for the plot. The flower does not release the pollen until a few hours after the flower is cut form the plant. All humans are effected, all other humanoids have varying degrees of effect ( refer to the email of last week) The effect is only caused by the pollen. Some one effected will not transfer the effect to some one not effected. The pollen particle is very small. It is air born. Now on to the log>> "The sweet smell of... something" == SS Pack Mule, Anteries class cargo ship == Cameron had just appeared through the hatch of the cockpit. His life had become a putrid shadow of its former self. Cameron was now reduced to being some strong back on a second rate cargo hauler drifting slowly through the stars depositing some of the most undesirable items that even a ferengi would not haul for profit. Cameron had been summoned to the cockpit by the pilot and captain, Ontario Seth. Seth was a grungy dirty looking man, barely able to eek out a living with the trip he moved from one corner of the universe to another at warp 4. Cameron waited for Ontario to close the communication channel. "Thank you Kinsi Station, SS Pack Mule changing course to 145 mark 73 at one quarter impulse. Pack Mule out!" Captain Seth remarked with impatience. Cameron craned his neck to look out the cockpit window. "So what is up? They denying us to dock?" he asked as he scanned the stars for signs of the station. What he say instead were two starships firing fireworks at each other. Ontario pointed at the two ships. "Apparently two federation ships are playing around and moving allover this sector. They are directly in our flight path and Kinsi wants us to go around and stay well clear of them." Ontario grumbled. "Stinking fedies, think they own the galaxy. " he added. Cameron squinted his eyes and looked at the two ships as carefully as he could. One was an intrepid class vessel and the other a saber class ship. Cameron watched as the saber class appeared to have the advantage as it performed what appeared to be a picard style maneuver combined with a close quarters explosion between the saber and intrepid ship. Cameron shook his head, "Should have seen that coming." He muttered to himself. He chuckled slightly as he recalled the days he used to stand on the bridge of the USS Archer. Ontario, still annoyed that he had to change his flight path and waste precious time, suddenly realized Cameron was leaning over his shoulder. "What are you doing here! Don't you have some methane fertilizer tanks to stir?" Cameron frowned and stored his thoughts of better days back in to his mind. He scowled as he looked down at Ontario. "You called me up here, you doddering old fool." He hissed in disgust of his situation and liberator. Ontario glared for a second and then slumped down in his seat just a little. Cameron bested Him by a meter and even though Cameron looked frail, Ontario was still sure Cameron could best him. The only thing that seemed to hold Cameron in line was the fact that Ontario had rescued Cameron form a desolate hunk of rock that barely kept Cameron alive and the threat to drop Cameron on some similar rock. "Right." He said returning his gaze out the window. "When we finally get docked, I want you to get moving on unloading the chromium sulfate in hold 23 and the hydrogen sulfate in hold 12. " he continued with barely a pause, "Then prepare those holds for a load of animal byproduct fertilizer we will be taking on in a few days to take to Bentinine 6." Cameron sneered at the prospect. Ontario always had him doing the most smelly and disgusting jobs, though most on the ship were smelly and disgusting, some were actually worse than others. "OK boss, what ever you say." Cameron replied in disgust. Cameron started to back up when Ontario added a comment. "Oh! Also. Get rid of some of those blasted plants you have been cultivating in hold 1. I am sick of those..What do you call them?" Cameron stopped and responded, "Lifesavers" he mumbled. "Right. Well I am sick of eating that sound you seem so fond of making and the smell form the ones that have flowered give me a headache. See if you can sell them and make enough strips of latinum to buy some real food." Cameron snorted, "What ever." And backed out of the cockpit wearing a look of disdain. === Hold 1=== Cameron looked over his crop of plants. He carefully separated the post containing the flowered plants form the smaller more juvenile ones. He had to admit that he too had become a bit tired of the bland flavor of the juvenile plants, and had become lax in letting the older ones come to bud. Aside from their fiery red color and sweet aroma, the older plain now held no value as food. From his time on the lonely planet he had spent so much time , Cameron had learned really quickly when to cut and eat the leek style plant. Early on, he realized that the flowered plats were bitter tasting and were tough and stringy. The only value to the older plant was to chop off the flower and cut the roots to start a new plant. No the un-flowered plant were the ones for eating. He had not much need for the older plants, especially since the Flowered ones only value was it looks. {May be I can find some one interested in the flower, it is unique and unlike any thing I had ever seen. And the smell should truly appeal to the women.} Just then Cameron whipped his head to the right, catching a glimpse motion. He gripped the spade tightly, enot sure what to expect. Batting his eyes to the left and the right, he finally looked down to the floor. Cameron breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh it is only you. Sometimes you appear at the most unlikely of times. At least your not some great white hunter or old earth tribal warrior come back to haunt my t brain." He shook his head at the rabbit and placed the spade back on the table. He then returned to his work and continued talking. " I know you were the first to appear to me, and may be that is why I can tell my self you are not really there. But I tell you Harvey, you have to stop scaring me like that." He chuckled. "You talking to that invisible rabbit again!" Ontario shouted from the corridor! "Well get to work. We have docked and I want those things off the ship now!" Cameron frowned but refrained form commenting, he simply raised a hand and waved off Ontario. After hearing the click clack of Ontario's boots walk down the corridor, Cameron turned back to his invisible friend. "Ok Harvey," he affectionate called his apparition after an old earth move he and Ontario had seen many months before. "I have to get to work, you watch things here and be a good rabbit." === 12 hours later == Cameron walked briskly thorough the crowded promenade. He had just finished up unloading the chemicals form the cargo bays and wanted to find a place to sell the flowers. Knowing Ontario as he did, Cameron knew that until the holds were cleaned, scrubbed and ready for the manure, Ontario would not eas up on him for a minute. Carrying a sole potted 'lifesaver' he quickly scanned the small promenade for a shop to peddle his wares. It did not take him long to find the only shop selling plants in the dinky promenade. With his sites on finishing his work on the pack mule, and then cleaning up and putting on some cleaner and less stinky cloths, he made a bee line directly to the shop. He did not even notice the bajoran man walking slowly in front of the shop, barely missing him. Secombe was assisting a customer with a lovely arrangement of flowers when he noticed a odd smell float through the air. {What the!!! People will think I am selling drugs not flowers.} he thought as he looked around the shop to find the source of the offending smell. Quickly he spotted Cameron standing there in his tattered and dirty cloths. Secombe started to scowled, as in preparation to yell at Cameron for fouling up his shop when he spotted the brilliant red potted flower. Secombe first stopped in awe, and then thought for a moment. He then looked at Cameron, "Please tell me that smell is not coming form such a beautiful flower." He said with a frown. Cameron looked down at the flower and sniffed. He then wore a puzzled look and then sniffed himself. Looking back at Secombe and grinned sheepishly, "Oh sorry, that would be me." He stretched out the potted flower, "here smell, I promise it has a slightly more pleasing sent than I." Secombe took the pot form him and hesitantly sniffed it. At first his face wore a look of skepticism. But with each pass of his nose the look changed to pure delight. "Ah, that is the most unique scent I have every had the pleasure of smelling." He said lowering the flower. After taking one wif of the surrounding air, Secombe quickly raised the flower back to his nose. His eyes shifted to his left as the customer he was just helping quickly squeezed by , pinching her nose as she left. Cameron grinned and blushed a bit as the woman scooted past him, careful not to touch Cameron as she passed. "So you like the flower?" he asked still a bit embarrassed of his odor. Not removing the flower form his nose, Secombe responded. "It is magnificent. Even with your strong sent, the smell of this flower is the only thing I want to smell. And the color is a most unusual shade of red I have ever seen. Where did you get it?" he asked. Cameron scratched his head, "Well, from this desolate planet in the delta quadrant. Was about the only thing useful on the planet. The juvenile version of the plant is edible you know." Secombe looked oddly at Cameron, "Well my clientele would only want to admire the look and aroma of a flower, not eat it." He then looked down at the flower and back to Cameron, "Are you interested in selling it?" Cameron nodded, "Aye, I have a few plants that have flowered and they are no longer edible. My boss wants me to sell them." He responded innocently. Secombe looked at Cameron and tried to size him up. The flower was definitely unique and the aroma wa pleasing, he was sure that he could sell them at a good price. He cocked his head to one side and then spoke, "well I might be able to sell them. I will give you 1 strip of latinum for every 5 flowers you can provide." Cameron thought about it for a second. {Well a strip for every 5 flowers should be sufficient. I can purchase 10 pots for a half of a strip of latinum and strip have some left over for some fresh vegetables. He nodded , "Agreed." Secombe smiled, "Good. How many do you have? 10, 15?" he asked counting the 2 strips per flower already. Cameron looked up to the ceiling as if to count. He then looked at Secombe. "52, not counting that one." He smiled {That should shut Ontario up for a while.} Secumbe was not phased at all. The price for the 53 flowers would soon be made up on overpricing the flower to his more than eager customers, and with two starships near the station, he was sure to catch a science officer or two that would pay 5 strips for a potted plant. "Good it is a deal. Bring me the rest of the plants and I will pay you what you are due." Cameron nodded, "Good. I can deliver them in a few hours, I have some things to do." Secombe nodded, not really paying attention to Cameron. Fine, fine what ever. Just take a bath before returning. Your scaring away all of the customers." Cameron blushed again and then started to turn. As he walked back to the promenade he stopped and turned back to the shop keeper. "Oh by the way. I would not cut that until you are ready to sell it. The flower has a rapid decay cycle. Once cut the flower will start to loose its color in 2 hours, after that it will be a brown wilted mess in 24 hours." Secombe looked back at Cameron and then at the flower. "Good thing to know." He said making a mental note to cut the flowers only after receiving payment. Cameron turned and headed back to the Pack Mule. ===End log == Cameron Sikes NPC