Posted by Captain Iphigenia Henao (Captain) in Holodeck - Off Duty Hours

Posted by Lieutenant Than Osedi (Chief Engineer) in Holodeck - Off Duty Hours
It wasn’t that often that the Chief Engineer found himself with free time. Indeed, usually he was buried so deep in his work that he was all-but invisible he felt.

Not that that was likely to change any time soon, but for once, instead of heading to his quarters and simply sleeping or researching the next job at hand Than decided to visit the Holodeck for a little R&R, along with a package that he had recently received from Trill.

In a short few minutes of stepping inside, Than was standing on the deck of a large beach house overlooking a surf beach that ran far beyond a person’s vision in either direction wearing surf shorts, flip flops and a shirt that was bright, beachy and probably one size too large for him even though the sleeves were cut off at the shoulder revealing the spots that ran down his arms and lower half of his hands. Those spots were even visible further down his neck and shoulders, whereas normally his uniform hid all but those on his hands and side of his head. The sun in the sky wasn’t high, but lower showing that late afternoon/early evening was approaching while the bloom of orange from a distant sunset was warming up for its arrival.

In one hand was a bottle of a dark brown liquid, and in the other a pair of tongs that he held judgmentally over a grill on which a selection of meat lay on one side of a hotplate, and a wider selection of vegetables the other side. The BBQ was placed against the deck rail and faced the beach, the rest of the deck stretching out behind him and then through sliding doors that lay open into a big open plan living space, only the bathroom and washroom separated by doors from the main area. Kitchen, living room, dining room and bedroom were all in one large room, the house clearly not being intended for multiple groups of people staying at once.

Tucked in beside the BBQ was the package he had brought with him, a chiller box that kept the contents cold via a long life cooling unit, and it sat unopened while he cooked. Flipping a few cuts of meat and some veggies, all of them replicated ready to cook and not holographic, he worked his jaw as the smell of the cooking wafted around him and he realized that there was more there than he could put away. Shrugging to himself, he made the choice to ask if the Captain was free. Aside from those he worked directly with, he hadn’t seen much of anyone lately so, why not ask?

=/\= Captain, this is Lieutenant Osedi =/\= He said after tapping the comm badge lying on the bench next to the BBQ. =/\= I know you are a busy Captain but If you are free, you are invited to the holodeck for a little R&R. Fair warning, there is sand and water, and a BBQ. First come first served, if you are unavailable I’m afraid I may have to get Ensign Saoir to bring some friends and help me dispose of all this food. =/\=

Lt Osedi, CE

The voice of Captain Henao came through the comm badge in response to Osedi’s invitation. =/\= Well, Lieutenant Osedi, you certainly know how to make an enticing offer. I’ll be there shortly, and I am certain I can help with the disposal of the food. =/\=
As the communication ended, Captain Henao made her way to the holodeck. She had been swamped with paperwork and administrative tasks lately, and the idea of a beach and a BBQ sounded like a much-needed break.
When she entered the holodeck, she was momentarily taken aback by the realistic beach setting and the delicious aroma of the BBQ. Her uniform was soon replaced by casual beach attire, and she approached Osedi with a warm smile. “Than, this is a pleasant surprise,” she said, eyeing the spread of food with anticipation. “What’s the occasion?”
She took a seat near the BBQ, eager to enjoy some well-deserved relaxation.

Henao, CO

Looking in her direction as she approached and sat down Than smiled and waved the bottle in his hand in a kind of half wave, as much as he could with a bottle in his hand.

“Good evening, Captain,” he tilted his head towards the sunset. “The occasion is that we work too hard, that I realized I haven’t done much except hide in Engineering, and that.” For the last part, he pointed with the tongs at a package set beside the BBQ. “My cousin sent me a fresh batch of ingredients to make Klah, a drink from Trill. “I was going to make that up later. You have to drink it fresh, otherwise it ferments and smells like, well, nasty. If you want a drink the fridge inside is full, there’s a selection. Are you hungry?”

The tongs in his hand quickly went from piece to piece on the grill that the meat was onthen, he set that pair down and picked up another, doing the same rearranging of the various vegetables on the other grill. The food was diverse, from several different planets and cultures but all brought together under the magic that was a BBQ.

Osedi, CE