Meal Before Work
Posted on Sun Mar 23rd, 2025 @ 6:41am by Sergeant Audie Fitch & Ensign Millicent Ambrose
Edited on on Mon Mar 24th, 2025 @ 7:26pm
1,864 words; about a 9 minute read
Mission:
Episode 16 - Silent Cries
Location: Main Mess Hall - Deck 2 - USS Pioneer
Timeline: MD005 1700hrs
It was almost time to report into work, she was tired, very tired. Millie wasn't sure why she was so tired, but she was.She knew she had some sort of dream but she couldn't remember. Black Coffee; strong is what she wanted. "Oof, food, and I hope that the coffee will keep me awake". Maybe she should get a stimulant to help her stay awake. She let out a rather loud yawn which seemed to echo in the messhall.
"I feel you," Audie commented as she passed the other young woman, giving her a wan smile. She was holding a large mug of coffee and a chocolate donut. "Good thing they have caffeine and sugar, or I'd never be able to stay awake for shift."
Millie turned to see who made the comment. "What shift are you working? And hey want some company while eating? I am afraid that I'll fall asleep over my food and can't have that. I'm Millie, what's your name?" having a tired but friendly smile.
"Please, join me!" Audie smiled and gestured to empty chairs at a table, where she sat. "I'm happy for the company to stay awake, I'm on the dead-eye shift, penance for being too cheeky, or maybe having the bestest, awesomest cat in the quadrant!"
She laughed, then grinned. "I'm Audie, Marine. It's good to meet you."
Millie chuckled, "Engineer and I've got the late shift as well." moving to get take a seat. "I've been noticing everyone has been a bit tired as of late. " A pause, "Wait, you have a cat named Buster? Cool!"
"Yeah, he's pretty cool. Very independent." Audie chuckled. "I was on Poseidon Station, and he was a stray, living the hard life until he took me for a sucker! I'm glad he did, he's a good friend." She took a sip of coffee. "And yeah, I'm exhausted, having those dreams. Buster has them, too."
"He's been having nightmares as well? Aww poor kitty and poor you as well. I have had nightmares off and on for a year or so. With being here on the Pioneer, I have had less than what I used to have." Miliie having a thoughtful expression. Unless the nightmares have been just put in the back of my mind and I just wake up tired. Anyway-" she waved her hands around as if to shoo the nightmares away. "How are you liking to be on the Pioneer?"
"So far so good." Audie shrugged and shook her head. "But the dreams started here, so it's hard to judge objectively. That said, everyone has been really nice, so the ship has a feeling of...family. And The Cure are a great team!"
"Have you met the XO, Colonel Tremble? He's a bit rough around the edges but he's good people. I was having a slight panic attack and he actually stopped to check on me. And didn't make a big deal about my small meltdown." Millie giving a bit of a smile at that memory.
Audie shook her head. "Not yet, at least in more than passing." She smiled. "Good to hear that command staff is concerned about their crews, especially with what we're doing." Sighing, she shrugged. "Hard to decide what's worse...defying Starfleet or having those dreams forever."
"Well.... defying StarFleet isn't a good thing, however, if these dreams from what I have been hearing are perpetually haunting everyone and you not getting any sleep. Its the damned if you do and damned if you don't situation. We don't go, we lose more sleep and someone somewhere will twist the wrong knob, or tap on something that didn't need to be, it would be Boom!" making an explosion gesture with her hands. "I would choose though to have these nightmares get taken care of ." Millie spearing one of her pieces of bacon with her fork.
"So, if you aren't having problems with dreams and getting sleep, why did you decide to go along with it?" There was nothing accusatory in her tone, just curiosity. "You could have just stayed at the station and not risked your career."
There were a number of crew in the same situation, and Audie was pretty sure she'd be here regardless of the dreams...'Family' and all.
"I could have stayed on the station but, the Pioneer is my home and I really didn't feel right about letting the Pioneer go without me. And honestly she is my security blanket, my sanctuary. That is my reason why I am going along where the ship is going." Taking a bite of her waffle then a piece of her bacon. Millie watched Audie. When her mouth was clear, "I felt an abject sense of fear, thinking about staying on the station, without the friends I have made."
"As good a reason as any!" Audie chuckled. "I think that's the consensus, this is home, and we're a team, even for the new people." She shrugged, munching on her donut. "If it stops the dreams, it's worth it, and all the better if we actually get to help some people."
Millie nodded enthusiastically, "Oh I agree, I do like to help others, besides helping the ship out. What do you liked to do when you have personal time?" she was definitely interested, and Audie seemed to be friendly and fun to be around when schedules works out.
"Well, I can do some sleight-of-hand, so I practice that. And I play the concertina, although there isn't a big call for that." Audie chuckled. "I sketch, play cat's cradle...What about you?"
"Well I sing, I do create um... holo adventures. I have a harley davidson program I like to work on." Audie did mention a concertina. "I would love to hear you play the Concertina, and well one of my other things I like is I play golf." Millie smiling.
"Golf? Isn't that something someone called, 'A good walk ruined by a ball,' or something?" Audie chuckled. "But Harley-Davidson...isn't that like a scooter or something? Might be fun to try, for an adrenaline junkie. Do you mind if I join you some time?"
Millie gave a giggle at Audie's joke. "Oh I think you'd love the Harley Davidson. I am a little bit of a andrenaline junkie and I would be delighted to have you join me. We can make some plans. In the holo adventure I've put in it swinging over a chasm or a pit filled with gators with a rope."
"Ah, so you're one of those...what is it? Base jumping?" Audie grinned widely. "That's something I could enjoy. We'll have to do that if they'll let us after the court marshals!"
Millie gave a little bit of grimace at the aspect of there might be a court martial in the near future. "we definitely will do that once all is said and done. Something to hope for right? Whatever may happen, we're not alone in this." the engineer giving a nod. Something popped into her mind, a random question. "So have you worn leather pants before?"
"Oh, well, that's kind of personal, don't you think?" Audie laughed and shook her head. "No, they look amazingly uncomfortable, so it's not something I've been inclined to try. Is that, like, a uniform?"
"Actually, it something to be worn on a motorcycle or even leather chaps for protection while riding. There are soft suede pants that can be worn as well. Like what the Native Americans had worn. Anyway, I know that was an odd question to ask. It just came to my mind out of the blue."
"I feel better knowing that!" Audie laughed and shook her head. "I'm willing to try! And isn't there some sort of 'biker' jacket or something? Who was it back in the day? James Dean?"
Millie gave a nod "James Dean, rebel without a cause then there was Marlon Brando as well. Or another one The Fonz. Okay so I watch very, very old Earth shows."
Audie laughed. "Well, there were some good story tellers back then," she agreed, "and I enjoy seeing what their lives were like, and especially their vision of the future, and aliens. Very amusing!"
"I agree, very amusing. What other old earth shows have you watched? For me I do like watching musicals, and the old film noir movies too. Just how much work they put in to the staging and finding places to do their filming." Millie was enjoying the conversation with Audie. She found the marine a great conversationalist.
"I like the Westerns, I think, and some of the really old black and white things." Audie shrugged, mulling it over. "You know, there's some sci-fi things...'Battlestar Galactica', 'Space 1999', 'Firefly'...I think that is my favorite."
"Firefly- I think I have heard of it. Don't quite know if I saw any episodes of it. Um. maybe you can introduce me to that sometime? My mom loved to watch the older shows, she felt though at the time when she was watching some shows, she didnt' think it appropriate for me to watch them, until I got older." Millie gave sheepish smile.
"I think moms always think we're too young!" Audie chuckled. "Firefly is a, well, I guess they called it a 'space western' -- space ships, horses, great characters. Hey, it would be fun to set up one night a week on the holodeck and outfit it like one of those old drive-in theaters, cars and everything, and play old movies and TV shows. We can have popcorn and stuff!"
It would be a good mental health break for the crew.
"That sounds wonderful! I would love that. And hopefully we can get others to join. Might have to bring that up to the XO to do that." Millie giving a huge grin. She looked down at her plate which was now empty. "Dang it looks like I'm done eating and almost time to report in." looking back up to Audie. "I'd like to do this again, have a meal with you. You're pretty awesome."
"Oh, well, if I wasn't so humble, I'd probably get all puffed up like a peacock!" Audie laughed. "I had fun, too. And yes, we should do this again. It's good to have friends outside the Marines, keeps me from being too isolated...and opinionated!"
"Opinionated? Nah never." Millie rose from the table to clear off her dishes. "Want me to take yours?" offering. Then again Audie would be heading out at the same time.
"Thanks, I'm good." Standing, Audie moved along with Millie toward the waste disposal. "I don't want to be late going on duty, I hate that!" She smiled and nodded to her new friend. "And thank you for keeping my mind off those silly dreams. I appreciate that." Grinning, she winked. "See you at the movies!"
A Joint Post By
Sergeant Audie Fitch
Corpsman Team 2, The Cure
USS Pioneer
Ensign Millicent Ambrose
Engineering Officer, USS Pioneer
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