Chance Meeting

Posted on Fri Apr 11th, 2025 @ 10:04am by Lieutenant Ziq Chura & Ensign Freya Sandison

984 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Prologue
Location: Kumari Officers Mess

Ziq sat a table in the Kumari's officers mess. Infront of him was various different padds with tech manuals as well as a various display of puddings he had ordered to help him get through his work.

Opposite and a little to the right to him Freya sat with a drawing padd in front of her but paid it little attention, instead looking at those around her. So it was that her gaze fell on the person and his collection of dishes.

{I know you} she thought eyeing him thoughtfully {but where from?} She flushed as he raised his head and looked straight at her.

The Bolian smiled at the young lady looking at him. It took a moment but then it dawned in him. He snapped his fingers, "Of course, extra battery packs. We're going to need plenty of those!" He said with a chuckle.

For a moment or two Freya said nothing but then her flushed cheeks began to pale and her lips curved to a gentle smile.
"I was sure we'd met before." she explained.
""

The Bolian frowned for a moment. "Oh." He said slowly. "You were at the 915 briefing wasnt you?"

"Errrr...no." She shook her head slightly "But I 'am' going to the outpost." she added hardly concealing her excitement at the prospect.
"I must simply have seen you round and about, that's why you seem so familiar."

Ziq smiled, "Since coming aboard the Kumari, I've spent most of my time here in the officers lounge trying their very large selection of desserts. Please join me if you like."

Freya's gaze fell to the array of dishes placed in a double row in front of him. His smiling face showed he saw nothing unusual in this so after a moment or two she returned the smile saying:
"Thankyou." quickly pushing her book and pencils into a slim dark green folder before moving to his table to take a seat to his left.
"Wowww" she murmured seeing the desserts close up. "where do you start?" she asked.

"Everywhere." Ziq smiled proudly. "From what I've just been told at the mission briefing, I need to stock up on as many calories as I can coz as soon as we leave the Kumari, its field rations for weeks, maybe even months."

Freya looked at him sharply.
"Really?" she asked before her attention returned to the inviting selection in front of them.
"Could I try a little of this please?"
Having already picked up a long stemmed spoon as she spoke, she pointed it at the second to nearest dish.

"Oh please, my dear, tuck in!" Ziq beamed.

Freya smiled back then took a sample of the concoction in the little dish.
At first the taste seemed bland but a moment or two later a sweet then sour flavour caused her to glance at her companion and shake her head.
"I've no idea what that 'is' " she told him "but its rather more ish."
She took a second dig into the pale lemon custard type sweet in front of her.

"I have no idea what any of this is, but I love sweet things and desserts are generally sweet!" Ziq smiled. "So, what is your role going to be on 915?"

Freya swallowed the dessert squinting a little as the sourness bit her tongue to be followed by a sweet rush.

"I'm a Botanist." she said clearly proud to say it laying the spoon onto her plate. "They say its going to be wonderful with so many many..well hundreds and more things to examine and explore. Who knows what we will find?" she asked, her expression full of eagerness and happiness combinded.

Ziq let out a short burst of laughter. "You won't be doing any of that for a while, my dear. 915 needs rebuilding first..." He paused for a moment and thought about that statement. "No, it is built but in major need of repair and updating. We will be slumming it for a few months. It needs a lot of work doing to her."

Freya, just about to take another spoonful of her delicious sweet, lowered the spoon closing her mouth as she did so. She looked at her companion warily but he seemed to be happy enough with the prospect.
{Its all} she thought {a matter of what you consider 'slumming it' because people have different standards so possibly it isnt half as bad as he makes out.}
She smiled a little and resumed eating.
"Ah well" she said " I'm sure it wont be so bad."

Chura let out a laugh, "My dear its worse than bad! But..." He added leaning closer to young woman. "...It will be an experience you'll be talking about for the rest of your career!!! Exciting times, no?"

The fact that he laughed each time he told her how dreadful 915 was going to be, the months of field rations, rebuilding or at least repairing the whole place,everything being worse than bad, persuded her that he was vastly exaggerating the situation, teasing her to get a reaction before then admitting he was joking.
So she smiled as though enjoying his description and agreed with him.
"It sounds thrilling." she said lightly and raised her spoon loaded with the whateveritwas.
"To our challenges." she suggested "May they all be successes."

Ziq grinned as he too loaded a spoon and copied Freya's gesture. Probably some weird human ritual. He thought to himself. "If not, the Romulans on the planet will probably kill us." He laughed again.

Freyas smile froze for a moment, {Is he joking?} she wondered looking at his jovial face chewing the dessert he'd chosen.
He seemed so happy, cheerful, care-free, merry even,
that his attitude caused her to chuckle through her wide smile.

"Well, yes indeed." she replied laughing now as he had done appearing not at all to mind the prospect in the least.

 

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