Snacking

Posted on Sat Jan 27th, 2024 @ 1:04am by Captain Bethsabée Leroux

Mission: What If?
Location: Kitchen, NX-05 Atlantis
958 words - 1.9 OF Standard Post Measure

The smell of a simmering sauce filled the kitchen with the scent of oregano and garlic. Owen Nargle moved around the small kitchen with calm grace and ease that he made it all look so natural. As he worked he hummed to himself and took small dance steps in between hurrying from one place to another.

He didn't look to the door when he heard it hiss open. Instead he glanced to any number of the reflective surfaces around him and smiled when he saw who it was.

"Now there's a face I haven't seen in a minute," Owen said turning to look at the Captain. "Can I get you something?"

Beth smiled as she surveyed the scene in front of her. The ship's galley had always made her relax even at the worst moment. Thinking back to when the ship's food stores had gotten irradiated back when they had gotten lost in space to the strange time-displaced ship the galley always felt warm and inviting. “Captain keeps strange hours.” Beth knew she had been having meals at strange hours if she’d been eating. “A snack if anything is going.”

"Well, that depends on if this is a sweet or savoury kind of moment?" Owen replied with a kind smile. It was true keeping a fully stocked pantry was a difficult task, but as he figured a man could do almost anything if he had the right spices, and those he made sure he never ran out of. "I do have both." He opened a small refrigerated cupboard and began to pull out smallish square silvery containers. "I have left overs from the last couple meals and so much more."

Beth took the seat that was in the corner of the room for just the purpose of someone coming to visit and to be out of the way. This was a way to distract herself from what was going on over on the base now that the team had gone over and there was very little communication. "I would like something savoury," She had never been a sweet needing person she would rather have something like bread and butter with cheese over a croissant or macaron.

"Ah, well I have a couple of options," Owen began tapping his finger on his chin. He never spoke loud, but he had the kind of voice that never needed to be loud to be heard. "I have some biscuits made fresh this morning, they should still be delightful. I have a selection of block cheeses we could cut some off of. And I have a delightful Swiss egg bite that I could pop in the air fryer until they're nice and crispy. What appeals?"

Beth thought about it for a moment before deciding. "The biscuit and cheese option sounds good." She declared wondering if he had read her mind with the way that he had selected. She really should come to the mess hall at a more decent hour of the day to get something proper but she was working on it. Maybe it could be her second year lost in space resolution? She thought to herself. The first year was just survive maybe second she could learn how to thrive.

With a nod Owen opened a container and pulled out a couple blocks of cheese. He selected a cheese knife from the magnetic rack of knives above the small kitchen sink. A moment later he had a few perfectly sized slices of cheese and a biscuit on a plate and resting on the counter beside the captain. For himself, he'd cut a couple of slices of a nice aromatic cheese. "So, what's on your mind, aside from savory snack food?"

After over a year of working together, the man knew her but she really had come in search of food and not a counselling session. “I actually did just come for a snack now that the away team are off on the base,” Beth admitted with a coy smile as she took the first bite.

"Ah, well nothing wrong with that, though I am betting there is some anxiety about the away team," Owen offered with a smile as he took a piece of cheese and warmed it in his hands before popping it in his mouth and then chewing thoughtfully. "I can't imagine what it's like to send people into potentially dangerous places and not go too."

Beth nodded revealing what was in her head. It was her worry and why she had missed meals until that moment when her stomach had decided to both let her know she was hungry and had nausea. “William’s skill set is better than my skill set.” Beth was languages but William was tactical and it was much more needed for an unknown base where there was nothing but silence.

"Perhaps, but at the end of the day, it's your ship and crew," Owen replied with a shrug. "And you are responsible for them and their safety. To let that out of your hands and be forced to sit on the sideline and wait, I can't imagine how hard that would be. Glad all I'm responsible for is not giving the crew food poisoning... again..."

Beth smiled gently at his wisdom and him knowing her far too well as she took a bite of the cheese and crackers."You did not give anyone food poisoning," Beth said not acknowledging what he said about her being on the sidelines. She had to try not to think about it that way and that her skills were best suited for the ship and not the base but he was right that she was finding it hard. They were all her crew and responsibility.

TRUNCATED