Lieutenant Sohjeg Prun felt lighter on his feet than usual. His recent promotion had been small by rank increase, but not in spirit. The second full pip on his collar seemed to shine extra bright. The rank insignia was a quiet reminder that someone had believed in him. He carried that thought with him now as he stepped into Botany Bay Two.

The doors parted to a wash of green growth and golden light. The air felt warmer here than in the surrounding corridors. A faint breeze felt humid yet fresh. Rows of growth trays and tall raised beds stretched beneath a ceiling of light paneling. Vibrant illumination shifted across subtle spectrums to mimic a planetary day and night cycle. Banks of LCARS panels ran along the walls. Each glowed with delicate data readouts that managed everything from hydration cycles to soil nutrient levels. The expansive room represented floral life in motion. It also held a peace unlike most spaces aboard the frantic starship.

Prun stopped and looked over the collection of flora. Terran crops like Roma tomatoes and cucumbers sprouted upwards from dark soil. The tomato stalks had been recently staked and looked healthy at six weeks of growth. Exotic plants from across Federation space swayed along gentle air currents. Broad Bajoran leaf-stalks shimmered with veins of emerald. Delicate Andorian ice blossoms glimmered pale white. Cold-weather light tubes surrounded each plant in a microclimate. Each plant varied in size. Many had been started from seed, six to nine weeks ago. Some older plants had been transplanted from the arboretum, or adjacent hydroponics bays.

Ensigns Kian Harol and Jenna Eaglesen knelt at the edge of a raised bed. The two worked together with an innately connected rhythm. Kian’s wiry frame bent forward as he tore apart a tightly-packed root ball underneath a plant he gently cradled. “These roots are packed so tight from the small container they first grew in”, he told Eaglesen. “Opening up this packed mass sets up the roots for new growth.” His cornflower blue eyes focused intensely on the vibrant flower.

Ensign Eaglesen worked to lift a flower from its growing tray. Her hand gently guided it towards its new home in flower bed nine. She seemed poised and confident as she gingerly pressed soil around the exotic flower’s recently planted stem. Its petals unfurled into colorful streaks of purple, red, and gold. An iridescent sheen reflected radiantly beneath the lamps.

“They’re stronger than I expected,” Eaglesen said with a satisfied smile. Her voice lifted with relief. “Seven weeks ago I put the seeds in trays. We weren’t sure if they would take. All it took was a careful application of light and water. Nature did the rest.” She nodded toward the LCARS panel along the wall. Its soft glow reflected across her dark forest green eyes.

Harol felt his breath rise and fall deeply as he studied the bloom. “This just feels right,” he said. “We’ve carried this flower far beyond its home planet. I love the idea of giving them out diplomatically to people we encounter in deep space.” His voice carried a quiet weight. “I’ve been so excited about gardening lately. Especially with the thought of sharing it with others.”

Prun approached with his head bowed slightly. His shoulders sloped as he spoke excitedly. “It shows,” he said. He thought of exactly what he wanted to say to encourage the traumatized ensign. “When you care for something, it learns to grow. That’s what you see here in our garden. When you grow something, it only feels natural to share it. I want you to build on that desire to connect with others.” Sohjeg gestured to their vibrant surroundings. “Look around. We have only just started here. Yet look at all we have already created.”

Eaglesen brushed a strand of dark blonde hair from her face. “Lieutenant Prun. I’m glad you started this program.”

“I’m in a chipper mood today,” Prun admitted as his lips curved into a soft grin. He touched the edge of the wooden garden bed. His hand wavered over moist leaves before they fell to the substrate. He raked the potted Earth and let the soil crumble lightly between his fingers. “Promotions have a way of affecting that sort of feeling.”

Harol raised his eyes at him. “Congratulations, Lieutenant. Your promotion is well deserved.”

“Thank you,” Prun said as he drew in a breath. His gaze softened as his eyes met the ensign’s. “Mindfulness helps, when we plant. Notice the weight of the soil in your hands. Study the way each flower’s color feels against your eyes. Let it hold you steady. Focus on the here and now. Let the garden ground you. You can use the same sort of thinking to stay grounded when you’re not in the garden as well. There is beauty and wonder all around us.”

Ensign Harol nodded as he pressed another mound of soil in place around a flower. Eaglesen and himself were transplanting flowers from a potting tray into the larger raised bed. “Grounded. That’s the word. I feel extremely grounded here.” His brilliant blue eyes focused on his work.

Eaglesen leaned back on one heel. “These flowers grew from seeds I picked from a gifted houseplant. My mother gave it to me when I left for the Cardinal. She thought it would remind me of home. Purple, red, and gold. Those are the colors of Vangazi V’s flag.” She paused as her voice shifted into a low, pensive tone. “My homeworld isn’t perfect. But I miss it so much.”

Kim Jung-soo had been quiet until now. “I always miss Korea.” She set aside her gloves and brushed loose bits of soil from her palms. Brown hair sat cropped just above her shoulders. The thick mop fell loose around her delicate face as she tilted towards the others. “Tell me more about Vangazi V. What’s it like?”

Ensign Eaglese smiled as though grateful for the question. “It’s a mix of cultures. African and Scandinavian colonists form the largest nationstate on a sub-arctic continent. Lots of Celtic people live there too. We have smaller colonies like Nueva Coapuca. Its a state mixed between several Latino cultures. The Tai people descend from several of Earth’s Asian populations. The largest state is called Vangaziland. The Vann people came from places like Norway and Denmark. The Gazilians mostly traveled from Nigeria and other parts of West Africa. Together they shaped the new planet through commerce, and even war. Royal families and dynasties forged themselves in t2he process.”

“Royal families?” Kim asked curiously.

“Yes,” Eaglesen said as she nodded. “They endure in contradiction to Earth’s unanimous government. There are Vann kings married to Gazilian queens. Traditions old and new mix into one culture. I grew up within the diversity of the melting pot, always aware of heritage and ceremony.” She let her hand hover over the flower’s petals. “It’s strange. Out here, these colors remind me of home more than any old holophoto or story ever could.”

Kim gave a soft smile. “Beautiful. It does sound like a world of contradictions. But it sounds equally beautiful. So what is your family known for? Do you carry royal blood?”

The ensign’s feminine laugh reflected how rare it was to carry those bloodlines. “Not me. The closest thing I have to a famous ancestor is a professional basketball player. He played on Earth before the Great Migration. He was even an Olympian.”

“That’s amazing”, Ensign Kim said excitedly.

Prun straightened and pointed across the bed. Tiny clusters of green peeked from a thin bush staked along a trellis. “There,” he said. “Notice those small, teal buds. Those are our first Uttaberries. The small berry buds are just starting to show.” The unjoined Trill counselor’s words redirected the distracted participants towards the garden.

The group moved closer to the vine-like bush. Kian’s eyes lit with wonder. “I didn’t expect them to grow berries so quickly.”

“It will still take weeks until these berries are ready to harvest”, the counselor added. The small fruit carried the elegant turquoise color they were known for.

Eaglesen pressed her palms together. “They’re alive. Actual Uttaberries. We did it!” Her excitement echoed across the metallic bulkheads.

Prun looked around at them, his gaze gentle but direct. “Let’s share our feelings today, just as we do each week. Let out whatever you feel rising inside of you. Share as much as you feel open to discuss about situations that may have been stressful.”

Kim spoke first, her voice soft but clear. “The drill routine schedule has been heavy. I have combat readiness training every day. It almost feels like too much. At night, I dream of the scenarios. I’m always firing my phaser or manning a tactical console. It’s never the same scenario. Gardening eases the strain of the day. Here, I don’t have to drill or patrol. Gardening does not revolve around taking lives. I can sculpt and create life instead.”

Harol followed after a moment of silent processing. His eyes lowered as he searched for words. “I still think of Ensign Rho. Every day. But the loss is starting to feel less sharp now. Working with flowers help me focus. I can stand with the memory without it completely breaking me because I have the garden to look forward to.”

Eaglesen reached forward to touch his hand. “You’ve grown stronger, Kian.” The two embraced the other’s grip as their gemstone-like eyes of aquamarine and tourmaline met.

Prun’s gaze lingered on the Trill operations officer, then turned to the verdant man working quietly in the corner. “And you, Raii?”

At the far side of the bay, the Orion JAG administrative officer stood near a row of tomatoes. Lt. JG Raii turned to face the group, arms folded across his sculpted chest. Artificial sunlight gleamed against emerald complexion. His fluorescent orange hair glowed as though lit from within. He grinned when their eyes fell on him.

“Me?” he asked, voice smooth and amused. “I’m stressed about being caught in the sauna again. Logs supposedly showed I spent four hours there during peak work hours. Command does not appreciate that sort of work ethic.” He laughed at himself, the sound rich and careless.

Kim raised her brows, half amused and half disapproving. “Four hours?”

“Time flows differently in steam,” Raii replied with a shrug. “But here I am, assigned to dig in dirt. I accept my fate.”

The group chuckled. Kian’s shoulders eased as his eyes met the Orion’s neon pink irises. “This isn’t a punishment. You’ll be surprised how volunteering here helps you focus. It’s fun, I promise.”

Prun let his gaze travel across them all. “Remember to forget the stress of duty and focus on the needs of each plant. Soil. Water. Carbon dioxide. Through their needs, we learn what steadies ourselves.”

The bay pulsed with quiet life. Flower petals opened wide under nurturing light, as though also listening to the counselor’s advice.

“Thank you for this opportunity to reflect and relax”, Ensign Harol said as he transplanted the last flower. He stood from his rest upon one knee and stood eye to eye with the counselor.

Jenna Eaglesen stood next, loudly slapping her palms togethers to brush off caked dirt. “It’s exciting to watch this program grow. I’ve been telling everybody I know how helpful it has been to come here.”

Prun appeared encouraged by her words. “Counselor Zaa and I hope to grow this program. One day I hope to get the senior staff involved here too. Fingers and toes are crossed that it happens soon.”

Ensign Kim spoke next. “It would be so fun if Captain Raku was here picking suckers off tomato vines with us. I kind of want to know the senior staff better. At least, a little.”

“I think it’s going to happen”, Prun said happily. “This garden is your space. If there’s something you want to happen, all we need to do is work to set things in motion. Never doubt yourselves. You can accomplish anything if you work together.”

“It feels amazing having lots ahead to look forward to”, Ensign Harol said enthusiastically. The forlorn look in his eyes always seemed to melt away within the comfort of Botany Bay Two.