Previously in the series: LEX-42 suffers limb failure and is marked for decommissioning. Selina pilots her supply ship to Aidni on Mars.

In this episode: Selina & Kafa inspect the newly-constructed conservatory in the base. Something's off about the way the lead geofarmer answers their questions...

Selina asked around the food bay about Kafa and was told she would find him in the comm lab. The constant stream of real-time data to and from Thrae needed constant tending, too. Kafa and his team manned the comm lab throughout sols, ensuring that critical systems were coordinated to Interplanetary Space Time. Selina walked right in.

"Got you a little treat from Thrae, bae," she said, hugging Kafa and teasing him with a nougat chocolate, the kind for which she knew he had a predilection.

"Thanks mate!" His delight was apparent, as he tossed the bar into his desk drawer to savor later. "How did you sleep?"

"You know what, I had to get up a few extra times on this one, had to drop off a techie at Mitlord. You must have talked to her; Sterra?"

"No, I guess I must have been on the external rotation when you dropped her off there. We leave the techies of Mitlord to do their thing, you know."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Just because they are halfway between Thrae and here, they think nothing'll work and we'll die without them."

Kafa laughed. "Yeah, nothing so drastic, but they are pretty useful."

While they chatted, they wandered towards the main corridor. Selina glanced at the map on the wall and nodded towards it. "So I see the conservatory is green? I thought it was going to take another year?"

"Yeah, they sent some great prefabs on the last autoton hauler, that put us ahead by quite a lot. We can go and see Neersa if you have time."

"That'll be awesomax. I wanted to ask him about the long-term plans last time I was here but he was holed up in his greenhouse, shut me out!"

Kafa laughed at Selina's indignation. "Yeah, he tends to do that especially when he's tending his babies. Plus, he was alone then."

Selina was nonplussed. "So he's been in charge of bio all on his own?"

"Not anymore, but for four years, yeah. The support teams arrived not long after the prefab conservatory components, and that sped it up."

Selina was thoughtful as they navigated the maze towards the biohouse.

"Here we are," said Kafa, pausing before the ante-compartment that led to the bigger, brighter dome that housed all the indigenously-grown first-generation plant life of Mars. These plants had taken root in the soil of Mars due to their carefully constructed genome to suit Martian environs; they were intended to be the beginnings of real terraforming.

Kafa flicked the comm panel, a person appeared on the screen, recognized him, smiled, and waved at them. The door opened.

It was like walking into the Amazonian rainforest, only sparser at the ground level and without the constant calls of the wild. Selina gaped.

Kafa smiled at her wide-eyed open-mouthed expression. "Eh? Yeah?"

They walked through the entire length of the conservatory, about a mile, marveling at the variety of plants: long yellow tendrils trailed from the canopy almost fifty feet above them; supple green trunks fanned out into thick purplish leaves that were wide and flat; lichen flourished.

A little group of people were busy in the growth garden towards the far end. As Selina and Kafa approached, the one who had granted them access beckoned. He was quite giddy with excitement, grinning wide.

"Take a look at that, Kafa. Edible!" He gestured towards his workspace.

They looked. A tiny orange bud had blossomed at the tip of a small plant.

"That is the way the future will go, man! Generations are going to love you guys for making Mars truly alive." Kafa didn't hold back on praise.

The scientist beamed even more brightly, if that was indeed possible.

A voice made them turn around. "Oh, so you can see the future, Kafa?"

Kafa's smile did not falter even for a second. "Hey Neersa, how are you?"

"Fine."

Selina stepped towards him to greet him but Neersa was quite ready; he simply turned away and hurried into his lab, and they followed him.

"So what brings you here, Selina? You tired of hauling grub between Thrae and Moon? Or are you starting to like flying so far from home?"

Selina and Kafa exchanged exasperated looks; Neersa was never one to follow the usual social customs - he always said he wanted to be alone.

"Grub hauling is going fine, thanks for asking, N. No, actually I wanted to talk to you last time I was leaving for Thrae to ask if you wanted me to tell Hielsa anything from your side that you didn't want to transmit."

That got his attention. He peered at Selina, wondering if she was joking.

"Did she - I mean, has she been - you know, what did she say about me?"

"Oh, we were chatting on Thrae, and she said she really likes your plans to vegetize Mars, and said she wanted to take the next trip out here."

Neersa's hand involuntarily played with his unkempt hair. "Oh really?"

"Yeah, if I wouldn't have been hauling grub, I would've flown her out."

Neersa caught the sarcasm in Selina's voice and pursed his lips.

"Hey, I'm sorry, you know I appreciate what you do, but don't play with me, Sel - did you really talk to Hielsa? Does she really want to see me?"

"Of course she does! Why do you think she gets angry when you don't reply to her transmits? Stars! Just send her a text if you can't face vid!"

Neersa reddened. "I will, I shall, I've - I've been meaning to, but work..."

Kafa snorted. "Yes, yes, we all know your lifelong affinity for greens. But look, mate, she's not going to be enthralled forever, you see what I mean? Sooner or later she'll get tired of waiting; there goes your shot."

Neersa was genuinely moved, and gulped some water, offering the carafe to them once he had had his fill. He looked quite perturbed.

"The thing is, I shouldn't - well, it's you but still, I'm not supposed to - oh well, you'll be told anyway in some time, I guess - if from me, then..."

Selina cut his rambling short. "What do you mean, you can't tell us?"

Neersa glanced at the camera in the most guilty way anyone ever did. Selina and Kafa followed his furtive glance before they were even aware of it, intuitively, and both looked up at the corner where it was nestled.

"I'm not allowed back on Thrae until I complete the mission, guys."

Selina said, "Says who?" and Kafa simultaneously said, "Who said that?"

Neersa cleared his throat. "That's all I have to say about that. Apologies."

He swiveled his seat away from them and started tending to his plants.

Selina and Kafa knew better than to ask for more details. Not only was Neersa back to his non-communicative mode, but there was this added fear in his last utterance that seemed to bottle him up very effectively.

"Oh, well, I'll tell Hielsa I met you and that you haven't changed - tell me if you want me to lie for you if you think that'll help, Neer. See you, pal."

Kafa led the silent way back to the dorms for non-resident personnel.

"So what did you make of that? It's not like him to behave like that, is it?"

Selina considered before answering. "Something was more off than usual, that's for sure. Who decides his assignments? Do you know?"

"No, but I can find out. What do you say we catch up tomorrow? Your return is on Fourday, right? We'll go and see him outside the lab, yeah?"

"Sounds like a plan, man. Goodnight, and enjoy that nougat!" She waved.

Next episode: Selina and Kafa cannot find Neersa, no matter how hard they try. LEX-42 takes stock of his situation in the android graveyard and plans his move.

[Nb (Latin for nota bene; note well): please consider supporting me with coffees or beers (which we can enjoy together, albeit virtually, given the 'global' pandemic that continues to rage in India) so that I might write & record more such sci-fi action series, like Something Has Been Done.]