A Chance to Relax and Catch Up

Posted on Mon Jun 24th, 2024 @ 7:37am by Lieutenant Commander Joseph Sledge & Captain Tyler Driskill & Lieutenant Nixie Wilde & Lieutenant Chaika & Lieutenant Roan Gaeta & Lieutenant Kaelyn Carter & Lieutenant JG Freya Walker

2,297 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Mission 1 - Project Concord
Location: Officer's Mess Hall

Having spent the morning working on some extra repairs around the ship and helping out where needed, Joseph had moved to Deck Nine. With replicators being back to full power, he started working on getting a spread ready. While he researched some meals that would agree with everyone, Joseph pulled a PADD up and sent a message to all the senior staff.

"All Senior Staff report to Deck Nine for a Senior Staff meeting/Meal."

Once he set the PADD down, he at least started replicating a variety of non alcoholic beverages for the group, ranging from teas to sodas. Joseph smiled and proceeded to set out some loaves of sliced bread along with an assortment of meats and vegetarian options along with various condiments for everyone's choice.

Joseph stood back and crossed his arms, hoping that this would go over well with everyone. He wanted to get to know his new crewmates.

"Another emergency...?" Nixie Wilde asked with concern as she moved in, but her footsteps slowed as she saw the spread in front of her. The frown eased up and her shoulders relaxed a notch. "Or not..." she chuckled.

Roan smiled as he saw the food, a soft chuckle escaping him. He looked over at Joseph and then Nixie, giving a shrug. "Now this seems like a good idea," he said, meaning it. A social event where they could all break bread together.

The unexpected summons had arrived when Lieutenant Carter was just two steps from the sanctuary and calm of her quarters. With an about turn she made her way to the mess hall, having to admit it was mostly the promise of food that kept her feet moving forward. “Did someone promise food?” She asked with a grin as she entered the room, quickly spotting the lavish spread laid out for them. “And delivered.”

Freya had been preoccupied with a female crewman when the summons came. She cleaned up and went to the summons, but a quick clean up didn't cover up the smell of activities. "Buy the Gods, this is a great followup. Better than emergency work."

Joseph had been standing near the broad windows that showed quite a view of space, a nebula off in the distance. Turning as the senior staff started entering one by one, he grinned. Looking to Nixie he spoke gently "No emergency. Just a well deserved meal and relaxation.." before hearing the doctor and nodding with a broad smile.

Nodding to Carter he spoke "I promised food and I deliver. Please. Everyone. Grab a seat." His eyes widening just a bit as Freya walked past and he caught a scent. He said nothing however before he went back to leaning on the window support pylon, waiting to see the last of the senior officers walk in.

Captain Driskill had come from the bridge when the call came from Sledge. He had a soft smile on his face when he entered the room where several of his senior team had gathered “evening.”

"Evening, Captain," Roan said with a smile as he took a seat, stretching his legs out before he shifted to sit normally.

Freya sat, "Food is a happy thought."

The next to arrive was the petite Asobi chief engineer. She trotted through the doors of the officers mess hall. She could smell the food from quite a distance and seemed hesitant at what the Human social convention was. "Greetings," she said softly. "We gather for... what was the Human term? Giving regards?" She asked curiously.

“Greetings and basically” Captain Driskill replied with a smile.

"Breaking bread. Sharing a meal?" Roan chipped in, with a quick smile and a nod. "Many cultures use food to bring a community together."

"Why does this 'bread' you speak of need to be broken?" Chaika asked her head tilting to one side in confusion. "Shouldn't I have brought along an engineering kit to repair the bread?"

Joseph took the chance to chime in with a grin as he looked to Chaika. Softly he spoke to her “it is a euphemism. To break bread was, at one point in Earth history, was a real thing. Bread came in long, uncut loaves that one would take with both hands and break a think of bread off of.”

With having said that, Joseph smiled and spoke “I am glad you all came. I thought it would be nice to have a bit of a meal together in a more relaxed case. I would like, if the Captain permits, for this to be an off duty affair. Just be ourselves, no formalities.”

The Captain gave a nod and a smile “I think we all deserve a second to relax.”

"We do," Roan said a he looked at them, making a point of removing his uniform jacket and hanging it on the chair. He ran his hands over his hair, pushing it back. "This is...really good of you, Sledge. Appreciate it."

"Glad you somehow knew how starving I am," Nixie added, settling in her seat and already reaching out to get a hold of some kind of bread. She wasn't joking either. Her stomach growled with the promise of food.

With so much choice, Kaelyn opted to try a little of everything, with a simple glass of water to chase it down. Picking a seat at the table near the doctor, she took a bite of her pizza as she watched him shed his uniform jacket, making no move to follow. But she understood the symbolism behind the gesture nevertheless.

“Me too,” she chimed in as Wilde spoke up. “Thank you.”

Driskill made a decently healthy plate and took a glass of water before making his way to the table to join the others that had already taken their seats. "How are we doing this evening?" he asked as he sat his plate down and took his seat.

“Hungry,” Kaelyn grinned as she took another bite of pizza.

"I might prescribe a nap for myself after food," Roan said as he looked at Driskill, looking tired yet in good spirits.

"Yeah we may all need a nap" Driskill agreed with the doctor "this is quite the spread" the Captain looked at the food and then to his First Officer.

Nixie nodded in agreement, having piled enough on her plate for two people, yet she was more than confident she'd be able to demolish it. "At least you know you have a second career option in catering if you ever need," she joked lightly, chuckling softly as she reached for some juice.

Freya grinned at the idea of actually breaking the bread as she ate. "At one point in times, loaves of bread had to be broken and torn apart to be shared. Oh my, this is spectacular. I don't normally eat pizza with red sauce, but this is good."

Moving to sit down finally, Joseph took his own uniform tunic off, draping it over the back of his chair like some of the others had done. Grabbing a few things he spoke "I figure we should have one big meal together before we institute replicator rations as well. It would behoove us to do so, just in case we cannot easily resupply ourselves where we are.." He looked to the Captain and spoke "I made sure that the junior officers and enlisted have their own little meals like this going on, so it doesn't seem unfair."

“Thank you that is very thoughtful of you” Tyler smiled, he knew most wouldn’t even think of the others. “This is amazing” the Captain smiled as he made his plate and took his seat.

Roan nodded, looking at the others for a moment. Replicator rationing. This was, in a way, a new thing for many. He ate despite not being hungry, unable to just leave the plate untouched knowing what may be coming. "A chance for us all to...catch our breaths. I do not believe we have all been in the same room socially since...ever."

Freya nodded, "We have volunteer crew, some running away from things, and some running towards things. That's the kind that chose to be on this mission." She was guilty of running away from things. Anyone that knew her history knew she was plucked out of time. All of the family she knew was dead. The elders of her family weren't born yet when Q pulled her out. "No matter which way we run. We run together. Heilsa." She raised her drink.

Tyler Driskill raised his glass with a smile on his face “cheers.”

Nixie glanced around the group, not quite used to such...optimism. The question was, was it founded or forced. Her thoughts turned to the practical, but it seemed there wasn't a place at the table for it at the moment. "Well, I hope we're ready for plenty of first and second contacts..."

Chaika was looking at all the different foods that had been presented. She didn't seem too sure on what to eat, it was almost as if she was more confused than anything else.

“I’m up for that,” Kaelyn piped up in response to the prospect of first contact. If they were all the way out here then they may as well make the most of it and discover as much as we can about this quadrant.”

Abandoning her seat she crossed over to the buffet table to where Chaika was standing, seemingly debating what to have. “All of it is delicious,” she said quietly, “especially the pizza. Try a bit of everything is my usual motto at a buffet, maybe you will find something new that you like. We haven’t really met yet. I’m Kaelyn. Science Chief who loves food and especially chocolate.”

The much smaller Asobi engineer looked up at Kaelyn. "I am not fully familiar with the..." she paused "variety of Human food." Chaika explained. "I am Chaika. Engineering Chief."

“Nice to meet you,” Kaelyn replied, keeping her voice low, “and don’t worry, I was the same when I first got to Earth. Just between us, I don’t think Humans realise how odd some of their food actually is. Some of them even put this stuff called a pineapple on a pizza. Savages.”

With a wink she picked another slice of pizza and returned to her seat.

Joseph had a rather wide smile on his face as he watched everyone start to dig in. For the first time since they had left ESD, he had a reason to have even a modicum of happiness. For such a new and put together crew, they seemed to be getting on quite well. He raised his glass of a pink liquid and nodded in the cheers before taking a long drink. Finally he dug in to a slice of meat lovers pizza, followed by a garlic cheese breadstick dunked in marinara sauce.

By now Chaika had selected a very small amount of food. Compared to the others in the room it wouldn't even have been considered a child's portion.

"So," Roan looked at the others, clearly thinking for a moment. "How are everyone...holding up?" he asked, a small smile pulling at the corner of his lips. but it was clear he meant the question seriously.

"I am not currently holding anything up?" Chaika replied her head once again tilting to one side.

Freya grinned, "Well my name is Freya and I am a foodaholic. I mean I'm the Chief Counselor. My hobbies are martial arts. To my knowledge, I'm the token Pagan. I'm human from a Star system with two habitable planets and a habitable moon. All Pagans from the human colonization phase in the 21st. And Doc, I'm too stubborn not to be okay."

Joseph looked to the doc and smiled before he heard Freya start. With a nod of his head he spoke “well. I’m Joseph. The Executive Officer. My hobbies are that I like to build model kits based on old 20th and 21st century cartoon shows from Japan.”

Captain Driskill looked back and forth at the two of them and then over to Roan "holding up" he replied with a half smile before taking a sip from his cup. "We will soon be well on our way and thing back to normal or as normal as it get's living on a starship."

Biting down on her pizza, Kaelyn also bit down on so many questions she suddenly had for Freya. This probably wasn't the best time of place to indulge in her inherent curiosity. Pagan... it wasn't a term she was familiar with, but she was sure the database probably could enlighten her somewhat. "I think a lot of people will will like it, once we are able to get underway I mean," she mused. Staying in one place for two long always made her uncomfortable. This was no different. "More to focus on. Maybe we will even learn some new things about the Delta Quadrant while we are at it."

For a few hours, most of the senior staff was able to relax and have a meal, chat with each other and find some common grounds with one another. For Joseph, it was a nice diversion from the fact that, until the transwarp drive was repaired, they were stranded in the Delta Quadrant like Voyager.

Towards the end of the meal, with most everyone full and ready for a bit of sleep, they all filed out together, parting ways at certain points and boarding turbolifts to take them to their quarters. Once in his own quarters, he changed out of his uniform and practically jumped in to bed, swearing to himself he would hit the sonic shower in the morning.

 

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