The Lesser of Two Weevils

Posted on 22 Apr 2018 @ 10:51pm by Edward Bauer & Ensign Miraj Derani

1,911 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Episode 15 - Emanation
Location: Starfleet Academy Mess Hall Seven
Timeline: MD 35 2000

[ON]

Dressed in Civilians clothers, a short pinafore dress in an eyewatering turquoise and maroon, with knee high socks and bright green mary janes, Miraj walked uncertainly into Mess Hall seven at the academy, hoping she was in the right place. She had come to take up the offer of Hard tack and salt beef the marine she had met some days ago had offered, And she wasn't sure if she would find him here, She'd already been sent to two other Mess Halls, and he hadn't been in either.

At this time of night the Mess was fairly quiet. the early diners had gone, and the late diners were yet to come, though there were a good handful of final year cadets eating, talking, reading or studying scattered around the long tables.

She headed over to the servery, hoping she would catch a glimpse of the former Marine sergeant. "Hello?" she called out. "Is Mr Bauer here?"

"Of course young lady, hold on." The line cook said moving to the back of the kitchen. "Hey Ed, there's a young lady here to see you, maybe a cadet or something?"

A few moments later, Edward Bauer would emerge from the kitchen, dressed in his white uniform. He smiled as he caught sight of the familiar face. "I see you're here to take me up on my offer?" he said cheerfully.

Miraj nodded, bunches bouncing. "Yes please!" She'd been looking forward to this. Genuine historical recipes. "I've been looking forward to it all week."

"Alright, wait right here, I'll be right back." Bauer said with a smile as he retired to the galley. Inside the vast kitchen, the sounds of entree's searing, clamoring of pots and pans along with various dialogues between cooks could be heard. Fifteen minutes later, Bauer emerged with a plate containing Miraj's request. He set it down gently before her, accompanying it with a napkin and silverware. "Now, before you do this be warned, the first bite won't take like the perfect steak. You gotta give it a chance."

Miraj looked down at the plate. There were two pale rounds of biscuit, hard as rock with tiny pin prick dots marking them. The salt beef looked quite dark, she couldn't tell if it was cooked or not. On the side was pale mass that looked a bit like flat noodles. Sauerkraut. With trepidation she picked up her knife and fork, and tried the pork.

She took a small bite and was reaching for her glass of water. "Wow, that is salty." But not bad. She took a mouthful of sauerkraut, something she already had a taste for since it was in most replicators. It was tart but good. She eyed the biscuit, and then put down her cutlery, and picked it up, meaning to snap it in half. It wouldn't snap.

Edward's brows furled as he looked bewilderedly at the biscuit, then to Miraj. Had he overcooked it? Was it really that hard or was Miraj simply that weak? "Is everything alright?" he asked.

She tapped it on the table with glee. "No!, its perfect!" She looked like a kid on christmas. "But maybe some gravy or something, to soften it up, or I'm going to break a tooth?"

Bauer nodded as he moved back to the Kitchen. Moments later he emerged from the kitchen carrying a small saucer with some brown gravy. He gently set it down upon the table before her. "Here, this should help." he smiled.

She dropped it straight into the gravy and let it absorb the liquid, and it seemed to suck the moisture in like a sponge. She picked it up in her fingers as daintily as she could manage and bit down. It was still tough and she needed some force to tear off a mouthful. she didnt so much chew it as gridn it. "Fabulous," she said with her mouthful. "Just like they served on Adventure galley."

Bauer chuckled at the comment leaning forward onto the counter separating the two. "I would hope it's better. Cooking is like an art, like an artist changes brushstroke or paint, we changes quantities and even the spices used. Consistency, flavoring, do you go sweet, spicy, tangy? Even the smallest change can drastically alter the dish."

He rose crossing his arms as he shrugged to Miraj. "Besides, I'm a Marine at heart, I told my soldiers to strive to be the best, my dishes are no exception." He retorted with all seriousness.

"Well, this is fairly peppery," she admitted. "I don't it would have been peppery in the golden age of pirates. Pepper was ruinously expensive." She finished grinding the mouthful and swallowed. "I'm not good at spicy. I have a very sweet tooth," she admitted.

"You know, I would never have guessed." Edward joked. "So tell me, what does your sweet tooth crave today?"

There was a long pause as Miraj enthusiastically tore and ground at the authentically tough meat whilst the biscuit soaked a bit more. Eventually she swallowed, and put her cutlery down for a moment. "Chocolate?" She confessed. "Cherries and chocolate. My absolute favourite."

"I think I have just the thing." Bauer commented returning to kitchen once again. Moments later he emerged from the kitchen with a mid sized crystal bowl containing a dark chocolate with several cherry stems poking out. He set the dessert in front of Miraj. "These cherries are fresh, picked from just outside San Francisco. A replicator could never match the quality of a fresh fruit."

She looked at the glossy chocolate sauce, and pulled out a cherry, then stuck out her tongue and her scooped the whole thing into her mouth, holding onto the stem, letting the warm kirsch laced ganache dissolve on her tongue, before biting the fruit carefully. It split in her mouth, and she got a squirt of rich juice on her tongue. It was heavenly.

She sucked the pulp off the stone, and then spat the stone with some force and accuracy onto the plate opposite. The china rang like a bell. "marvellous."

"I'm glad you approve." he smiled. "What kind of fresh fruit do they have where you're from?"

"They don't." Miraj pulled on another cherry stem. "I was born in space, lived in space. We only saw fresh fruit if we got some at a planet stop, or if we found a ship with its hydroponics taking over." She was lost in memories for a moment. "There was one ship, drifting for thirty years, engines still running, crew all died of carbon dioxide poisoning. Once we vented, we found this tropcial paradise had taken over. Huge figs, something that looked a bit like an earth mango, but wasn't; Bolian bush fruit as big as your head; vines stuffed full of trellego - thats a grape like vine from Cort, makes good wine. It was amazing."

For Edward, it was always ironic how death seemed to bring forth a new life. In the wake of horrible tragedy, life always found a way, this fruit was no different. "You ever been home?" he asked attempting to sway the subject to a happier matter.

She pointed her finger straight up. "Its parked about 150 klicks straight up. We have to stay out of the gravity well. No one wants a two kilometer ship losing altitude over anything populated. What about you?" Based on their conversation two weeks ago, she doubted he'd be able to go home again. Oh, he could go back to where he grew up, or where his parents lived. But home was probably as far out of his grasp as living in the age of pirates was to her.

"Right now, this is home, tomorrow who knows?" he shrugged. "I've kinda been a nomad all my life, going where Starfleet needed me. It doesn't bother me as much as it used to, but I have been on earth for a good bit since my last assignment."

"I can't wait to get into space. But I'm on enforced medical leave right now." She looked sad. "Starfleet won't let me fly until at least June. Then I'll be off on which ever ship will take me first. But I doubt they'll have ships biscuit and stew like this."

"Medical leave? You don't look injured to me, or is this one of those things we can't see." Bauer inquired.

"I got injured in my last mission," Miraj explained. "Badly. I had to have reconstructive brain surgery when I got back. I'm fit to fly again, but I'm being given extended time off whilst they monitor the regeneration. No Ships of the line. Just chaueffeur duties until they're sure there's no long term effects."

"You can never be too careful with head injuries. I've seen too many good men suffer because they either didn't seek the proper care or some doc couldn't do their job. Keep with the rehab and I'm sure you'll be back behind the wheel in no time." Edward replied encouragingly.

Miraj spat her cherry stone on to the plate and sat silent for a moment, thinking, an expression on her face like she was sucking her teeth. "Alas it not be no time, it be too long a time. At this rate I'll turn pirate just to get a decent ship." She spat the cherry's stalk out then, the stem tied in a loose knot.

"You know good things actually do happen to those who wait. Why would you want to pilot some decommissioned hunk of scrap metal when you could find yourself at the helm of a sovereign? It hardly seems like something worth giving up just to get back in the seat a little earlier." Bauer commented.

Miraj sighed. "I know, but I hate being grounded. And shuttle work is okay, but there's nothing like being surrounded by a big ship, and feel them through your skin, and taking them for a spin around the nearest star. Don't you want to be out there? Up in the stars rather than frying up rokh blood and chips for an endless stream of students?"

"I go where I'm told." Bauer replied simply. "If it's feeding hungry students, then so be it. If it's on a front line ship, then that's good too."

"That's more Zen than I can manage. I don't feel right without a ship around me." She finished the last of her cherries and scraped out the last of the sauce. "That was delicious, thank you." Well the cherries were delicious. The biscuit was like eating plywood. That was perfect.

Bauer snickered. "Can't say I've ever had anyone compliment me on hard biscuits, but I'll take it. You take it slow there kid, no need to rush jumping back into that seat, it'll only get you trouble, trust me."

Miraj laughed. "Trouble finds me anyway. Having a seat will just make it easier to get away."

"Speak for yourself." Edward chuckled. "Don't let this fine art of a face fool ya, I've been in a few sketchy situations myself. You'll pull through."

"I was never very good at being paitent," Miraj admitted. "Though If I get more of your Cherry Chocolate pudding, I'll make an effort."

Edward laughed. “If that’s all it took to get my marines motivated, probably could’ve won the dominion war myself.” He moved over to his prep area and began to make the dessert.

[OFF]

Ensign Miraj Derani

Edward Bauer

RSS Feed