A Bowl of Stew

Posted on Sat Jun 26th, 2021 @ 10:54am by Lieutenant Mila Lynn & Uhlan Ezra Perez

914 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Chapter IV: Unravelling the Mystery
Location: Mess Hall, I.S.S. Amelia
Timeline: 238702.18

Two hours had passed since the eventful debrief with Captain Mannerheim and Commander Rogers. Mila had spoken to the Amelia's Chief Science Officer, Lieutenant Commander Ellie Greaves, and, after overcoming the awkwardness of having to work with Raven's ex, the two had agreed that Mila would take a small team of scientists and medics from the Amelia to the James Bedfod to monitor the cryo pods. Now, she had decided to grab a bite to eat before heading over to the other ship to familiarise herself with its systems.

As she entered the Mess Hall, she scanned the room for familiar faces, hoping to maybe find Hatham or Ash, and to avoid Commander Rogers. To her surprise, none of the three were to be found among the rather sparse crowd. She did, however, find a familiar face. Sitting all by themselves, at a table in the far corner, was the former Master Sergeant, Ezra Perez.

Mila shrugged, got herself a simple burger and a coffee from the replicator, and made her way over to where Perez was sitting. As she sat down, the discharged Terran soldier looked up from their bowl of stew. "Hey, thought you could use some company," Mila said, with a smile.

"I'm fine," Perez replied, with a slight slur to their speech. Mila frowned. Were they drunk? "No," she said firmly, "you are not fine. I can see you aren't. You're sat here, all on your own, and you sound like you are drunk." She picked up the empty glass in front of Perez, and gave it a sniff. "Ugh," she recoiled. "Yeah, you are definitely drunk. Whatever was in there smells strong."

Perez shrugged. "You won't find a drop of synthohol on a Terran ship. I can't remember what the stuff was called, some Klingon concoction. Check-something."

Mila nodded. "Chech'tluth. Vile stuff. You really must be desperate to drink that."

The Terran looked at her. "I lost everything today. I lost my team, my family, in the most cowardly way ever devised. How could I not get be desperate? And whatever those scientists did to me massively increases my alcohol tolerance, so getting drunk takes a lot. I've had quite a few of these, and I'm still only a little buzzed."

"Should have waited for Hatham then. He's Romulan. They can outdrink pretty much anyone. Ash's attempt at getting drunk with him and our boss is the stuff of legend. Let's just say it didn't go well for her." Mila looked at her coffee. "Still, there are few more miserable things than drinking on one's own. Your replicators make real booze?"

Perez simply nodded, and Mila got up and took her coffee to the nearest replicator. Moments later, she came back with a different cup. "There we are. Hot chocolate, with cream liqueur." The Terran chuckled. "What a wonderful drink. With cream and a cherry on top? Good choice. Of course, Terrans would call it girly, but I think it's tasty."

Mila smiled and took a sip. "Whoa. Okay, this is stronger than I am used to. But yeah, very nice."

"So what's your deal, Lieutenant? Here to check my sanity? To make sure I won't be a threat to your crew?"

"That is your crew now, too," Mila replied, slightly irritated by the sudden change in Perez' tone. "And no. I am here because I wanted a burger, and because I thought you needed some company after all the shit you went through today. As for you being a threat to our crew, do you really think Ash would have accepted you wanting to join us if she had thought you were one?" She shook her head. "Perez, you are not the only one on the Ourainavassa who's undergone genetic engineering. My twin brother and I are engineered. Well, we were engineered before birth, so it may be a different case, but still. Our engineering went wrong. I've got increased intelligence, but I'm deaf. And some other stuff as well, but that's less important."

Perez frowned. "Deaf? Aural implant then?"

Mila nodded. "Yup. My brother has enhanced reflexes, but he's also got glass bones. His skeleton's been reinforced, and he's one hell of a pilot. And an idiot."

"I don't have any siblings," Perez replied. "Doctor Perez had a son, but we aren't close. At all. I've not heard from the Doc since I joined Starfleet, in any case. And I don't intend to change that. He may have saved me from that project, but he was still one of those who ran it. The fact that he saved my life is the only reason I didn't kill him the moment I got the chance."

For a moment, the pair ate in silence, before Perez spoke up again. "A Terran would never have been this open." "Well," Mila replied. "We are a different universe, after all. And we are a good crew. Just don't let Doctor Kaol try his 'craft' on you. He's full of shit. Calls himself the best doctor in the quadrant but is absolutely useless on a starship. Oh, and don't eat the stew."

Perez frowned. "The stew?"

Mila laughed. "It's a running joke on the ship. When your Rogers came to join us, she helped our chef in the kitchen and made a stew. Nobody's ever touched it, because Terrans."

"But," Perez replied in confusion, pointing at the now empty bowl. "We make good stews!"

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