USS Sentinel
Deck 9 – Crew Mess
Lieutenant Selene Kross – Chief Science Officer

The morning shift had only just begun aboard the USS Sentinel, and Deck 9’s crew mess was beginning to fill with officers grabbing breakfast before reporting to their duty stations. Conversation remained subdued, punctuated only by the gentle clink of cutlery against plates and the low hum of the ship’s environmental systems.

Lieutenant Selene Kross sat alone at a table near one of the large observation windows. Beyond the transparent aluminum, the stars drifted silently past as the Sentinel continued on her assigned patrol.

A steaming mug of freshly brewed coffee rested beside her plate. Unlike many of her crewmates, Selene never started her day with replicated shortcuts. She had programmed the replicator with a traditional English breakfast based on recipes that had been in her family for generations.

The plate was arranged just as she preferred it: two perfectly fried eggs with bright golden yolks, thick pork sausages, slices of crisp back bacon, grilled tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, and buttered toast still warm enough for the butter to melt into every corner.

She lifted the mug and took a measured sip of strong black coffee before setting it down once more.

“Now that,” she murmured to herself with the faintest smile, “is how one starts a proper morning.”

Picking up her knife and fork, Selene cut into the eggs before pairing them with a slice of bacon. The familiar flavors reminded her of breakfasts shared with her family back in London before she had entered Starfleet Academy. Even after years of exploration among the stars, some traditions were worth preserving.

Between bites she activated the small PADD resting beside her plate. Overnight sensor analyses from the Sentinel’s long-range science arrays scrolled across the display. Preliminary stellar cartography updates, subspace readings, and a handful of unusual gravimetric fluctuations all awaited her review before the morning departmental briefing.

Her analytical mind was already working through possible explanations while she calmly enjoyed her meal. It was a habit her department had come to recognize. Lieutenant Kross rarely wasted time; even breakfast became an opportunity to prepare for the day ahead.

She took another sip of coffee and looked briefly out at the endless starfield.

Every new mission brought another unanswered question.

And for a scientist, there was no better reason to get out of bed in the morning.

Selene Kross, Ph.D., M.D.
Chief Science Officer
Lieutenant, Sciences Division // USS Sentinel
Advanced Cryogenic & Environmental Systems