Starfield:Kelton Frush

Kelton Frush is a botanist at MAST, who can be found next to an extremely large tree in front of the building. The tree is a major concern of his, and he will ask you to assist him over several days to figure out what is wrong with the tree, and fix it.

You can find him by looking for the person examining the extremely large tree, often looking at a pad and wearing a shielded lab outfit. He carries a large amount of credits on his person, and may carry various aid items. Additionally, he has an Eon with ammunition for it.

When you agree to help him initially, he will greet you by saying
 * "I do appreciate your help with all this."
 * "You really have been an invaluable help in all this."
 * "I hope this isn't asking too much of you."

After completing A Tree Grows in New Atlantis, he will greet you by saying:
 * "The data from the bio-sensors speaks for itself."
 * "These findings are... alarming."
 * "Let's hope that MAST takes these findings seriously."
 * "Thank you for your help retrieving the bio-sensors."
 * "I need time to analyze this. Thank you for bringing it to me."
 * "There must be something in this data that will make a difference."
 * "I hope this extra data will make a difference."
 * "Thank you again for your assistance. It's been invaluable."
 * "I tried to tell my colleagues that botany was important. I tried to warn them..."
 * "I hope we're not too late to avoid disaster."
 * "If we keep running into each other like this, you might as well be put on the MAST payroll."

After completing Out On a Limb, he will instead say:
 * "It seems my concerns were valid all along."
 * "It's a good thing you brought the bio-sensors to me when you did."
 * "This data... well, it's alarming, to say the least."
 * "I appreciate your assistance, but I still need all of those sensors."
 * "I don't mean to be pushy, but I really do need those sensors, and quickly."
 * "I need all of the bio-sensors if the data is to be of any use."
 * "I really do need that additional data..."
 * "Any luck tracking down those sensors?"
 * "If it isn't my favorite Almost-a-Lab-Assistant. What can I do for you?"

After starting Late Bloomer, his greetings will change to:
 * "It's fascinating that we've never encountered this before."
 * "I fear what may happen if we can't find a solution to this..."
 * "I don't mean to pressure you, but my work really does depend on getting a sample of that tree..."
 * "Have you been to Akila City yet?"
 * "I don't like the idea of relying on the Freestar Collective, but here we are."
 * "I hope Akila City has what we need."
 * "I hope you can find a way to broadcast that audio."
 * "There's more to do, if you can help."

After finally saving his tree, he will greet you by saying:
 * "Things could've ended badly if not for you. Thank you for listening to me, and for all of your help."
 * "I daresay that we have nothing to worry about anymore."
 * "The tree seems to have calmed down. Thank you for everything!"
 * "Thank you for everything you've done for me, and for the tree."

While waiting for you to reply, he will say:
 * "Just... take your time."
 * "You do recall that this is something of a time-sensitive matter, don't you?"
 * "I don't mean to be rude, but the sooner I can analyze that data, the better..."

A Tree Grows in New Atlantis
Before starting the quest, you may hear him mutter:
 * "Hmm... not good. Not good at all..."
 * "Well, that can't be right... Can it?
 * "As I suspected..."


 * "I'm sorry, I really can't afford to be distracted... I need to get to the bottom of this."
 * "I really am quite invested in this problem, so if you can be brief..."
 * "You again. Are you willing to help me now?


 * "All right, we'll just upload the data, and give it a moment... ...and just another moment... It is working, isn't it?... Ah! There it is. What a relief. Now, let's see. This is... well... it's... oh my. Well, there's good news and bad news. The good news is that my suspicions were correct: there IS something wrong with the tree. I will report my findings to MAST immediately, with no small amount of satisfaction. The phrase "I told you so" may even be uttered more than once."


 * "I'm glad your concerns were validated."
 * "Yes, it does feel good to be right. Particularly when others have attempted to convince you otherwise. Repeatedly."


 * "That doesn't sound like good news."
 * "Well, from a certain point of view... In an admittedly, somewhat selfish, manner..."


 * "The bad news, as it were, is that the internal composition of the tree is changing. In this particular case, the tree is now regularly emitting ultra-low-frequency sound waves. They're nearly imperceptible now, but they're growing in strength. This is something we've never observed before. Depending on how large these waves grow, the consequences for the city could be... disastrous."


 * "A mercenary, eh? Well, I'm sure we can work something out. So, are you on board?


 * "Are you familiar with this particular specimen? Do you understand its importance?
 * "I might be interested, if there's something in it for me."


 * "You seem to be staring at a tree."
 * "I am not "staring." I am analyzing. This is important xenobiological work."


 * "Is something wrong? You sound concerned."
 * "Yes, concerned is an understatement."


 * Where can I find these devices of yours?
 * "They're broadly distributed across the city, in order to cover as wide an area as possible.And if I'm being completely honest, my memory isn't quite what it used to be. I've been trying to get results for so long... let's see if I can't remember. One of them should be over near that building Walter Stroud owns. You know, that explorer's group, or whatever it is. There's a sensor located by the waterfall... I believe I properly compensated for the seismic disturbances caused by the waterfall. We'll see if it was enough. I did manage to strategically place a sensor in a tree near the, ah, Chunks over in the residential district. I presume it's still there. The last sensor is right next to the New Atlantis Corporate Park. There's a tree next to the pond, and you'll find the sensor there. I hope you'll have them all soon. I'm eager to see the data they've been collecting."


 * "I'm working on collecting those sensors for you."
 * "Are you now? Because what I'm hearing is "I don't have them" and that's not what I'd like to be hearing.Look, I don't want to alarm you or anyone else, but... this is important. Time-sensitive, let's say. Maybe, possibly, a little bit critical."


 * "If it isn't my favorite Almost-a-Lab-Assistant. What can I do for you?
 * "Any luck tracking down those sensors?
 * "I really do need that additional data..."
 * "I need all of the bio-sensors if the data is to be of any use."
 * "I don't mean to be pushy, but I really do need those sensors, and quickly."
 * "I appreciate your assistance, but I still need all of those sensors."
 * "This data... well, it's alarming, to say the least."
 * "It's a good thing you brought the bio-sensors to me when you did. 
 * "It seems my concerns were valid all along."


 * "I've got all your sensors right here."
 * "I'll just take these, and we'll see what they have to tell us... So you do! Wonderful."


 * "I'm kind of busy right now."
 * "Aren't we all... Well, if you find you have free time, I'll be here."


 * "I'd love to help."
 * "Well, that's... Thank you. That's unexpected."


 * "Ah, there's a series of bio sensors I've placed in various locations around New Atlantis, all calibrated to gather pertinent information. They've been running for long enough that I think it's time to collect and analyze their findings. If you would bring them to me, that would save time."


 * "I don't normally solicit help from random passersby, but it seems an exception is necessary. Would you be willing to retrieve some additional data for me?
 * "Look, I have a lot of work to do here. If you're just going to gawk, I'd ask that you move on. If you can actually assist me, however, I would appreciate it."


 * "Have I lost your attention?..."
 * "You were... saying?
 * "I enjoy silence as much as the next introvert, but..."


 * "I'll be here."
 * "You know where to find me."
 * "Expedience is vital."


 * "What exactly are you worried about here?
 * "Recent scans of the tree have suggested that a significant portion of the interior has liquified. Obviously, some small percentage of its internal workings is always liquid, to allow for the transfer of nutrients and so forth. But this... Well, I've never seen anything like it. If it continues to increase, I'm concerned the entire tree may collapse. And I'm also worried about other, secondary effects..."

What do you mean, "secondary effects?
 * "It's, ah, too soon to speculate. I'd very much like to see the additional data before I say more."

You'll get to the bottom of this.
 * "I appreciate your confidence. The sooner I have all the available data, the sooner I can make an assessment."

At the end of the day, it's just a tree.
 * "Yes, well... It's a tree that just happens to exist in the center of the city in which I live, and these changes may have effects on... Well, who knows what. Perhaps you could focus on collecting that data, before we dismiss the situation entirely."


 * Should this area be blocked off, just to be safe?
 * "If the time comes, I will certainly attempt to alert the appropriate people in MAST. If I have more data, though, my concerns might carry some more weight."


 * "Hopefully they'll start to take botany more seriously. It's vital to humanity."
 * "Yes, I must admit it feels good to be vindicated. People can be so stubborn when it comes to plant life. It takes a botanist to truly understand that the wellbeing of plants is directly tied to the wellbeing of humans. But I digress... let's get back on track."

'''Many alien parasites feed on wood and other plant life. Some of these species are native to Jemison. Could they be the cause of the tree's liquefaction?'''
 * "I initially suspected the same thing. However, upon inspection, that conclusion seems unreasonable. This species of tree, while rare, is not entirely dissimilar to other trees in the area. If a parasite were to be feeding on this species, I would expect the other trees to exhibit this strange behavior as well. In any case, I'll have to analyze all of the data to be sure."

'''What's so special about it? Why... everything!'''
 * "I work for the Scientific Division of MAST. I've been studying this tree for quite some time, and it appears to be exhibiting some worrying signs. Some people aren't capable of understanding how vitally important botany is... Finally, somebody understands. Unless wait... you're not mocking me, right? *sighs* People... ugh. Yes, of course this one is different! It's only the most important tree in the city, perhaps even all of Jemison!"