Posted by Lieutenant Maximilien Mullins (Chief Engineer) in Mess Hall

Posted by Major Stanley Wong (Professor of Psychiatric Medicine) in Mess Hall

Posted by Lieutenant Maximilien Mullins (Chief Engineer) in Mess Hall
Posted by… suppressed (3) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Stanley was content. He had filed a report which was met by peevish approval. he took it as a great victory on the same level of Thermopylae considering most of the crew. But he was sure this was finally starting to change. So, he sat now in what appeared to be an empty Mess Hall eating a bowl of diced tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, egg and to hold it all together rice. It was overall a beautiful morning.

Dr. Stanley Wong

Max walked into the Mess Hall at the end of his shift. He was happy to have a fix for the valves. He was worried it was going to turn into a large project to prevent more valves from failing but it was just some faulty values. When he walked in, he saw one of the doctors eating something which looked very tasty. He thought for a second and then walked over to the doctor. He wanted to introduce himself and asked about the food so he said, “Hi, I am Max. What kind of bowl are you eating there? It looks very appetizing. ” He waited for a response.

Lt Mullins
Chief Engineer

Stanley seeing the man for the first time smiled broadly and said simply, “Well hello Max I am Stanley, and this particular dish is a Cuban adaptation of Huevos Rancheros. I would recommend it to anyone with a big appetite and a tolerance for mildly spicey foods for breakfast.” Stanley looked the man up and down and asked him,
Might you be the new Chief Engineer?”

Max responded, “Yes sir. I am the new Chief Engineer. I have only been on a ship a few days and already cleaning up some messes. Nice to meet you Stanley, or Dr Wont. I am always down for something spicy, no matter what time of day it is. I grew up when food was what most would call very bland. I then discovered the art of spicy food was immediately in love. May I ask what it is called so I can request one? How long have you been on the Merrimack?” He was hoping to obtain more information about how things run on the Merrimack. He was very hungry and that food sounded delicious.

Lt Mullins
Chief of Engineering

“Please do just call me Stanley.” Stanley replied to Mullins. “I’m not one for all the pomp and circumstance that titles command. As for the dish I just call it Huevos Rancheros Cubana.” Stanley’s slight frame shifted in his chair as he thought. “Yes, I’ve been here two months now. ” He smiled at Mullins and said, “You look hungry Lieutenant. Do try the dish. Cuban food is different than other foods of the area. It goes for heat as an accent to the main flavor instead of trying to incinerate you clear to the soul so that you’re not sure what you truly are eating after the first bite because of the pain!”

Dr. Stanley Wong

Max responded, “Alright Stanley. Is it alright if I come back over when I have gotten this dish? I would love to pick the brain of some of the crew who have been here a while. Just see the general feeling of the ship and what goes on?” Max then went over to the replicated and said to the computer, “One Huevos Rancheros Cubana”. He then took the food as it appeared in the replicator. He then walked back over to the table where Stanley was sitting and took a seat. He took a bite, thought for a second, and was amazed how good the dish was. He enjoyed the amount of spice and it had a great flavour. He then said to Stanley, “This is really really good. It has a good amount of heat but a good flavour. I am glad I ran into you today and saw this new dish. I am kinda a foodie and I love finding new things to eat. Sometimes I never know what to try so sometimes its hard on the ship but when I see others eating, it is a good place to start. How long have you been on the Merrimack? Is there anything odd I need to know about the ship or the crew that I might need to know about?” Max waited on a response from Stanley.

Lt Mullins
Chief of Engineering

At the mention of the word odd Stanley nearly choked and spit out a bit of pepper he was busy trying to swallow. “He finally managed to swallow the pepper, however, took a drink and then apologized to Mullins. “I am sorry Lieutenant. You must understand that I am a psychiatrist, so oddness is my stock and trade. However, I may be able to help you with any questions on the more mundane.”

“I can tell you for instance about that replicator that you just used. When I came on board you were lucky if you could get a toasted cheese sandwich. It seems that replicators are more complicated than one would assume they are. This one for instance was having problems with its voice and language recognition. A couple of times I had to order eggs in Mandarin to get them.” Stanley laughed at the memory.

“It seems that the ship has had a number of problems as of late and the fleet simply won’t leave us alone long enough to go into drydock for any amount of time to get everything repaired. As for the people they are what one would more or less expect when you join the crew of a ship. You are a new person moving into what is essentially a closed system of brothers and sisters who are bound to one another by shared experiences. In the end though they are a good solid group of people.”

Dr. Stanley Wong