Video @Pratt

[theweakhavepurpose]

[The video opens with a idyllic shot of horses grazing in a pasture with a barn in the background. Well idyllic if you discount the fact that they're clearly on the agriculture level of Beacon, one of the horses is glowing and the other is Branwen and that some of the other animals in the paddock are mutated deer. It's about as close to scenic as this place gets.]

Kieran and I have been working on getting a ranch going up here. Cho's been doing tests on the deer and they're good to eat so I'm gonna try and get a little herd going. But then over here...

[The camera pans to some cleared areas nearby with the smoothness of someone who has used their phone to film hundreds of Vine videos back home.]

I thought we could start some sort of farm? I've grown tomatoes before but I don't know anything about farming, I'm more the livestock sort. So if anyone wants to work on this, you're more than welcome.

Actually if anyone wants to help with any of this feel free. But don't try to pet the deer. They're not friendly.

Comments

video; @Qubit

[superposition]

This is all excellent to hear. I'm no farmer myself, but I may be able to hook you up with tools and fertilizer, given some time.

How many animals have you been able to round up? I'm trying to get a general idea what our food supply looks like.

[theweakhavepurpose]

Five. Three does, two bucks. There's some smaller animals I set traps for but so far no luck there. There's these kind of rabbit things, but they're clever enough to not get snared.

Tools would be great. I've got one shovel, but we're not gonna get real far all sharing one shovel and hand watering this stuff.

[superposition]

[ Oof. Five is not a large number. He doesn't have an accurate headcount yet, but there's at least a couple dozen people on the station... Ranching's not a bad idea in the long term, and it's good to get the population established now, but it could be years before they see a significant ROI there. Until then, they're more a drain on resources than a contributor. ]

It's a start. I think I saw some kind of rainmaker system in the ceiling - if you can find the controls, I'll get that online for you. Manufacturing the tools could take a bit. Is the one shovel really all you have? There wasn't a - a tool shed or anything?

[theweakhavepurpose]

Yeah there's a sprinkler system, I was thinking of breaking it for irrigation, but I was gonna talk to Peter or one of the science types that are on the network because I'm not sure if that's going to fuck up any emergency support systems? I don't think the field is going to catch on fire or anything, but maybe it's in case of dust storm or.. whatever.

[he has no idea that Qubit is one of those 'science types']

There is, but a lot of stuff is broken. I made this fence out of repurposed wire and pipes and Kieran has been fixing up the barn.

( text | un: tricks )

[dothelokimotion]

You should start with a self-sustaining irrigation system.

[theweakhavepurpose]

I was gonna break the sprinkler system and divert it, but i'm open to suggestions.

[dothelokimotion]

That would be a start, but you should have trenches to help drain away excess water.

[ACTION]

[sleepyhollowed]

[Kieran may not be in the video, but that doesn't mean that he hasn't been working hard in the background!]

[He finishes nailing a piece of wood to the side of the barn, dusts off his hands, and strolls on over to Pratt.]

I heard you talkin' to everyone on that... communicator?

...

Yeah, communicator!

[He's pretty sure that's what it's called.]

A-Anyway, thanks fer doin' that. Hopefully it'll get us a few bites.

[theweakhavepurpose]

[It is! He's so proud of you.]

Yeah we can't be the only ones. Especially with just some deer and whatever we can find to plant. Someone out there must know more than us.

Also we don't have any seeds, so that's kinda a problem.

[sleepyhollowed]

[Finally!!! He's made another person proud of him!!!]

[But there's no time to be proud. They have a couple of very real issues they have to solve, and not a lot of resources available to address them.]

If there are any fruits and vegetables in that store that opened up, maybe we could pull the seeds from there?

Even if it's just a couple, it'll be a good start. That way nothin' goes to waste and we don't hafta worry about runnin' out of whatever's in there.

@mage | audio

[braidmage]

Please let me know if you need any extra assistance with the animals. I grew up on a sheep farm and I am sure I could be helpful, even if it is just manual labor.

In the meantime, I have already begun to prepare the soil for high-yield planting. It is a little different than the climate I am used to, but you are very right that setting up a sustainable source of food is critical for this settlement's safety. I know a little magic that can speed things along but there is still very much to do.

[ It's... a lot of words, said in quite a cheerful tone of voice. This is an Enthusiastic™ young man. ]

Oh! I am forgetting my manners. I am Reynir. I've already met your friend Kieran. I don't know if he mentioned me.

[theweakhavepurpose]

I wish we had sheep. Not that I know how to sheer them or spin wool, but clothes and blankets would be nice.

[It's that easy right? you have sheep and instantly you have new clothes? Sounds legit.]

High-yield? What needs to be done? Like fertilizer and stuff?

I'm Deputy Pratt.

[braidmage]

If you find any, I know these things. I can help with them and teach you. They are good for milk as well and managing fields.

[ As for raising deer, well, that's a little less familiar, but some of the same principles have got to apply, right? ]

Fertilizing is important, yes, as well as the configuration of crops and how you care for them and rotate the fields. I am also using runes to help them.

Are you in the military?

[ Deputy seems like it's probably a military rank, not that Reynir knows a whole lot about that kind of thing. ]

test; @waltz

[enveloped]

I wouldn't call myself a green thumb, but I do have two fully capable hands and have assisted with creating sustainable crops before. I can pick, water, or dig, whatever you need.

I've also been tending my own garden for a number of years, mostly flowers and herbs. Haven't killed anything yet.

Minus one rose bush.

I blame the aphids.

[theweakhavepurpose]

If you have any tips let me know. I had a garden back in Hadriel but I was cheating because I had a magical dome over it that protected it from the elements.

I haven't seen many bugs here, so maybe we're good there. Or planting this will attract all the caterpillars ever. Guess we'll find out.

[enveloped]

And here I thought I was cheating buying fertilizer. My daughter has argued it's steroids for plants, but she's also very anti-gardening. Because I occasionally make her weed. Like some kind of botanical tyrant.

I've seen a few bugs around here. They looked more harmful to people than vegetation. Then again, I am very much not a bug person.

Anyway. I'll write down the tips as I think of them.

text; UN: Spides

[itsnotaonesie]

Oh man, you guys are doing great up there!

I know next to nothing about farming, but if you need any heavy lifting done you know where to find me.

[theweakhavepurpose]

We may need that. If you find any more deer go ahead and toss them into the pen. It took forever to catch them without hurting them.

[itsnotaonesie]

Absolutely, man I'll do what I can.

Y'know when I first got my powers I never expected that I'd be using them to wrangle deer and stuff.

[audio | @hot.damn]

[circumitus]

[Looong squint.]

No shit, they actually let you get a ranch started here?

[Well, "let" is a little misguided. Rey hasn't gone to the upper levels yet, and she still hasn't found any signs of a restrictive presence that she expected from her wardens. Far as she is concerned, is what she's seeing right now even real?]

[theweakhavepurpose]

Yeah? Why not?

[Oh he recognizes her alright. ]

And no one let us, we just started it because it's gonna be helpful in the future.

[circumitus]

[On the flipside, she doesn't recognize him. Or anyone here, for that matter. But it wouldn't be the first time that someone she doesn't know herself knew her -- having lived multiple lives over several decades with a face like hers tends to get committed to some memories.]

Nn... No, nothing wrong with it. Do what you like. Didn't think they'd have anything like that available here.

[Pause.]

That place is... farther up, right?

video; @shuckitall

[sobloodyinspired]

[The boy on the video is practically a string bean, tall and lanky, but everything about him in this moment, on this topic, is confident. Familiarity does that for a bloke.] I can definitely help out with this part of this place, mate. I did all sorts'a stuff like that back in the Glades. Farming, slaughter if it's needed, you know, for meat and the like. Not a fun job, but necessary, yeah?

[theweakhavepurpose]

Slaughter we've got covered, but it'll be a while since I'm trying to breed them.

Farming is good though. What kind did you do?

[sobloodyinspired]

Good, that, mate.

All sorts, honestly. I spent three years with a whole group'a boys about my age havin' to build a community from the ground up. Just about anything ya got you need help with, I could probably do it.