Posted by Kate O’Neill in Mess Hall - Let’s do lunch

Posted by Lieutenant Commander DaVinci Colter (Chief Intelligence Officer) in Mess Hall - Let’s do lunch

Posted by Kate O’Neill in Mess Hall - Let’s do lunch
Posted by… suppressed (6) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Kavia let Colter lead her down the halls and corridors to their destination. She wasn’t sure if the ship was that big or if Colter was deftly trying to make her a bit confused as to where she was coming from and where she was going. Frankly it didn’t really matter to Kavia. She was hungry and they said there was food. Entering the room she looked around. It looked like a restaurant or bar but there was not the traditional wait staff bustling about like back home. Since she was not on her home turf so to speak she looed over at Colter. “So can we sit anywhere or is there a hierarchy as to what tables we can sit at?”

Kavia the hungry courier

DaVinci grinned at her enthusiasm as he replied. “Though rank, does still play a part in this area of the ship, the lounge is a place where officers, senior staff, and crewman of all ranks can co-mingle and let the hierarchy of rank slide just a bit. As a Lt. Commander, I could pull rank and order a subordinate to give up his table if I choose too, but I don’t like to play that game. Generally,it is customary to sit at any empty table in the establishment. There are avaialable tables more closely packed and some less dense to allow for more private, intimate discussions if need be. Would would you prefer?’

Colter (CIO)

“Well that would determine where we want the night to end up now doesn’t it,” Kavia said with a smile. “Just for the record, the journey here gave me the body of someone that might seem young on your end but my species ages at a quarter of yours. So based on some rough calculations, because it really is a guess,” Kavia said almost absent mindedly as she looked around for the table she thought would be best, “I am probably about a hundred years old or so. Not bad for what you might call a grandmother around here,” she motioned to her body from her neck down to her toes.

Was she flirting with him? DaVinci took that into consideration as so little was known about the woman before him. Was that just her personality or a ruse to get him to lower his guard. Still, he had to admit the attention was flattering. Still, best to not let it cloud his judgement of her just yet.

He grinned as she spoke about her age and decided to return the flirtatious comments. “Well, I have to admit, you are the most attractive and in shape 100 year old female I’ve seen in a while. But, it might surprise you, I’ve got you beat by about 300 years.”

“Not really,” Kavia turned to him with a mischievous smile. “I have always had a thing for older men,” she finished her statement with a wink.” Kavia was starting to see why Boja hadn’t made a beeline back to her homeworld. This place seemed very interesting as well as the people in it.

A grandfatherly man in civillian garb almost appeared from no where but likely just behind the bar out of sight until that moment. He nodded towards a table, “Welcome, weoffer table service or the replicators always open.” Lews stated as he stepped closer. Specifically circling to not spook the CIO, as if he understood jarring surprise were not on the man’s to do list.

Lews The Attendant

“Replicator,” she looked at Lews and then Colter. “So you just make copies of your food? That would make figuring out what you want for dinner easy enough? If it is just replicated for a single copy does it all taste like koli?” She looked at both men waiting for one of them to reply. Now her interest was piqued. Maybe she would have to avoid Boja for the next few hours. This place seemed far to interesting to leave just as soon as she arrived. If Kavia was lucky, Boja might need a few days to decide what to do and Kavia could spend it learning about this little corner in space.

Kavia

“Replicator food has yet to be perfected. It can have a rather bland taste at times, but the more higher class a place is, the better the food tastes.”

“So your high end restaurants are mess halls,” she looked around. “I’m not complaining. I mean right now I am broke as a joke that isn’t funny so hobos can’t have best pick but at least the company is exquisite.”

He turned to Lews and replied, I think we’d like table service. At a spot where we might have some privacy, as well?”

He turned back to Kavia with a look that said, ‘If that’s alright with you?’

Colter (CIO)

“Sure,” Kavia said looking around the room and rising on her tip toes as if this would give her a better vantage point for finding a table. “Can we sit ooooooooh ver thereeeeee,” she asked pointing to a small two person table in the far corner of the room. “The one under that big window?” Kavia looked at colter and then Lews as if seeking approval for her selection.

Kavia.

BUMP

“Of course,” DaVinci nodded and replied. “We’ll be over there,” he said to Lews with a smile.

He stepped to the side to allow Kavia to take the lead. Once at the table, he rushed around her, pulled out her chair, and motioned for Kavia to sit.

“Thank you. Seems men here do have manners still,” Kavia remarked. “The younger set back home doesn’t seem to grasp the social niceties at times. I mean I get equality of the sexes but is there any harm in letting someone get a door or a chair,” she motioned to her seat. “Good gods you would think when a partner does this they are trying to steal your thunder. I myself like the idea of generations past in some areas.”

After taking his own seat, the CIO asked in a conversational tome, “So, physiologically speaking, how similar are our species. I’d hate to have you try a dish or drink pnly to find out that it might be deadly for you. That might put a bit of a dampener on our meal.”

“Well,” she looked at Colter as if pondering his words. “You know that is a valid question and one I don’t have an immediate answer to. I am going to say I should be fine based on Boja eating and drinking here during her concealment from Sussianna Prime. I am also going to say that it is a risk I am willing to take. I am not sure how long it will take Boja to decide what she wants her future to look like. After about six hours though I get a bit hangry. You wouldn’t like me hangry so,” she patted the table once as if making a decree like a judge with a gavel, “let’s see if you can make me pleasant with a little koli.” It was then she let out a long laugh.

He had a million questions he’d like answered in an attempt to ascertain whether Kavia and her people were a threat. She said she was here to help Satreya, be he was well aware of how many times in the past lives were lost, civilizations destoyed by someone that offered to help. Havia’s appearance in the conference room had seemed just a wee bit too coincidental. . .

Colter (CIO)

“I’m betting though that you don’t know what koli is,” she crossed her arms over her chest. “This dinner thing might be more interesting than I thought,” Kavia smiled at him.

Kavia

DaVinci smiled back. “The only koli I am familiar with is an ethnic group of peoples from India, on Earth. I’m hoping you aren’t referring to them as a meal. You don’t appear to be the cannibalistic type. And Satreya has never shown any signs of that type of dietary habit.”

As their conversation continued, he found it increasingly difficult to main his focus on gathering information. Kavia was a charming conversationalist. The fact that she was also pleasing to the eye didn’t help matters any, either.

He tried to refocus with some success. “The technology used to send yourself and Satreya here, you said at first you were unable to transport non-living matter, things like clothing and such?”

“It’s a shame that part got figured out.”

Colter (CIO)