Deep Space IC

[HotKittygirl]

Lighting wasn’t a needed element, at least for Kat. Those crimson eyes shone dimly in the darkness as they adjusted to the lack of light. Kat continued her slow but sure movements, stretching each and every muscle from the tips of her fingers to her toes. A satisfying crunch came from her neck as she popped it, a weak sigh filtering past her plush lips. Even while she stretched Kat could feel the tightness and burn in her thighs and back, how long had she held that position? She couldn’t really recall at the moment, not that it really mattered. Soon enough the room was bathed in a dim amber light, just enough to give them a semblance of their surroundings. Kat’s optics compensated swiftly and as she turned she beheld the brute that had ravished her so wholly. She had needed it, Victor had been more than eager to provide it.

She stood there in all her naked glory, her hands coming to rest upon slender hips, her legs spread at shoulder’s length apart. Her hair was wild stuck up and out in places, though it didn’t detract from her overall tempting quality. She took in that look, that rather pathetic excuse for a ‘puppy face’ and simply rolled her eyes. At first she didn’t speak, though that smirk began to drift out over her lips. Today, in only an hour they would be going into that floating deathtrap, only god knew what awaited them in there but after ten years Kat wasn’t expecting a walk in the park. She took her sweet time in contemplation, her red gaze flicking up and down Victor before she simply shrugged and turned, sauntering into adjoining bathroom.

“Up and at ‘em, marine! I want you standing at attention post haste!” She called out before leaning over the sink and letting the water rush out over her hands, before she began to splash it out over her face and hair briefly, letting the frigid water wake her up a bit more.

 

[Light Ice]

Colton Ford - Quarters 5:00am

The alarm came. Quiet. Unrelenting. It woke him from the first natural sleep he'd known in two years. In the Spartan chambers that were his own, Colton Ford rolled amidst the plain sheets and drew himself to sit at the bed's edge. He preferred the inconvenience of an archaic alarm. He reached and thumbed it off. The sound that had disturbed him was gone and he was left in the absolute quiet.

His first thought was of her.

He felt her fingers in some corner of his memory when he ran a hand over his head, shaking out the short hair and listening to the rustle of the short, stiff stubbled against his calloused fingers. The room smelt clinically clean. He imagined it would for some time. She would most likely never share this bed with him. The scent of her on his skin would be gone after his shower and then the ache for her would come. He was certain of it. Colton knew enough about himself to know that some part of him had stayed with her that night. Foolish, as it was, he'd never learned to keep it from happening.

A long time ago he had thought it was a consequence of his love for books. Romantic novels, stories championing all manners of men and the women that loved them, had left impressions early. He had been so fond, entirely fond, of Hemingway. The sweeping romance of For Whom The Bell Tolls had hung with him throughout the years. Maybe, he thought, it had made him prone to these dramatic swings of the heart. Either way, it was a curse. Romantic, or otherwise, Colton Ford had been born without the manner to be sharp or silk of tongue. Feelings, strongly felt, never were strongly spoken. They loomed in small, subtle actions. They lived in quiet dignity. They were not given in the measures that swooned a woman.

He was well-used to this by now. The thrill that came with its start. It swelled up in him and made it easier to stand, reclaim his full height, and attack his typical morning routine with vigor. There would be several days where he silently rejoiced himself for knowing the feel of her mouth against his and hearing his name on her lips in that private instant of pleasure and completion. A week, maybe, would pass before it all turned to the dull ache of unrequited want. The pain would twist up in him and he would conceal it, as he always had, and gave to her what she would have. This was a dance he'd been a part of too many times.

He'd play his part diligently.

For the next forty minutes, though, he'd train his body. The weights, the movements, designed to keep him sharp and swift and strong. From the chaotic beginnings of his youth, Colton Ford had come to embrace so much in the way of life that the Marines had brought him. There was a sense of order that soothed him. A satisfaction in the use of his body and its conditioning. A pride in being machine-like in his routine. Dependable. Never unprepared. Never late. It was what he'd forged himself to be since he'd left home. The survivor turned soldier. It suited him. It worked.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

He'd finished training and showering just as the ship sounded a wake-up alarm. The others, he imagined, were rolling out of bed and rousing from sleep. He was glad to be ahead of them. Glad to be a bit beyond their inclinations. It suited him to miss the scramble for food and the chatter of the morning. He would sit, waiting and ready, while they all gathered. It would continue this way throughout their time together. It always did.

Colton dressed in his armor purposefully. The body glove was first, hugging to him like a second skin. Pebbled, almost rubber-like, as it conformed to him. The nanite's sank into his skin, too small to trigger his nerves to spark pain, and bored their way into place amidst his body's systems. He could never feel the rush of them coming alive inside him. They, synchronizing with the specialized surface of the body glove, worked to track his body's reactions to its surroundings and keep it working. They, a billion microscopic drones, working to make him be at his best.

The body glove held a layer that was little more than a membrane of its own. Lined with artificial nerves. Sensory highways. These, a place for the nanites to travel, were the backbone of the armor's sophisticated sensor suite. They fed the CPU with information and even nanites themselves when necessary.

It was strange to know the suit was powering up, to hear an indication tone that nobody else could hear as a nanite cluster let him know, and still feel nothing.

The armor itself was layered next. Lighter than some. Meant to be fast and adaptive.

It took less than ten minutes to be ready. To dress. It could have been less than three if he'd hustled but there was no need. He, for the moment, kept the suit's sensor suite powered down to passive scanning. He thought to see with his own eyes and he did, without the Heads-Up Display the nanites could provide. Instead, he quietly gathered magazines for his rifle and pistol into the thigh pouch he'd strapped onto his armor and the vest he'd worn over his chest plate. The rifle itself was soon holstered onto his back, compressed into a two-foot shape that would expand into a rifle when he drew it. The pistol on his right thigh.

It felt right to be ready. To be working. Aside from abject poverty it was all that Colton Ford knew.

Still, as he made his way to the mess and ate alone, his thoughts drifted to tawny brown hair and pale blue eyes. Soft movements in the dark. Elegant, feminine features.

And he stirred.

It was 0623 when he took his place in the Locker.

 

[Nordican]

Mess Hall around 6:30

Corcin looked up from his drink as he sniffed up the scent of eggs, toast and bacon in the mess hall. He did not think he'd met the man last night but he had spotted him at the Mess Hall before.

"Not too bad brother." Corcin said with that sly knowing smile of his as he looked down for a moment. "Not bad at all." If anything he knew for sure that he had a very good clean bill of health and much more besides that. He took another swig of water before he went to collect some food of substance.

"How bout you? Corcin by the way don't think I made introduction last night." Corcin said as he got his plate and scooped up some eggs and toast.

 

[HotCider]

Victor Caldwell: Victor's Bedroom

Victor stared at Kat as she took her sweet time trying to decide whether she wanted to have another go before they were back on duty. It would have been short and sweet, and a good morning exercise to get his mind and body prepared for who knew what. His eyes narrowed suspiciously when he saw that smirk of hers inching across her lips. She knew she wanted it. She craved his meat!

Up and at ‘em, marine! I want you standing at attention post haste!

His lips parted into a dangerous grin. He knew it.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he replied.

He watched her disappear into his bathroom and while she busied herself there, he stood to his feet and gazed down at his flaccid cock. He wasn’t out of juice yet. The day his dick was spitting vapor was the day, someone might as well had pulled the plug on him.

Victor walked over to his closet and removed four white towels. One, he wrapped about his waist, the other he draped over his shoulders. Picking up his shower caddy from off the floor, he stepped over the clothes that were unceremoniously dropped about the place and made his way over to the bathroom.

The Marine dropped a towel on Kat’s head and set the other on the sink next to her.

“Keep your head and body covered. I’m going to get you in and get you out. No matter what, just keep walking and don’t stop until you find an empty stall. Once we’re in there, no one’s gonna bother us,” he instructed.

Victor walked out of his room and waited for her to follow. He wasn’t too nervous about sneaking Kat into the men’s lavatory. The crew seemed like a group to mind their own business. They stuck up for each other, unless it was against Rita.

 

[Sylnaeve]

Nadia Pavelova - Personal Quarters

Nadia stirred on her bed, curled up under the covers that she'd pulled around herself like a concealing shroud after he had left. She had slept, which was good even though it seemed ludicrous to need rest after sleeping for two years on ice, and her dreams had not been nightmares of isolation. She didn't remember dreaming at all.

Her eyes sought the clock on the wall; the LED readout glowing 05:53 merrily in the dark of her quarters. Quarters that still smelled of fucking and of cum. She shuddered under the blankets, unsure whether it was a good or bad shudder. Knowing that the alarm would sound at 0600, she sighed and rolled over, grimacing and then grinning into the dark.

She was sore down there. Hee!

She wasn't too sure what to think about it though, or about him. It had been...God, it had been good but also so...basic, so primitive. He's had sex with her twice and she'd sucked his cock and she still didn't have any real idea who or what Colton Ford was. How did he expect her to behave towards him from now on? How did she want to?

Nadia sighed. Well, it would sort out.

She rose just before the alarm shrieked, wincing at the horrid thing. Even expecting it as she was, it made such a racket! She smacked if off and then rolled her shoulders. A quick yoga routine, then she'd hit the showers and get on with the day.

Half an hour later, she made her way to the Mess; dressed and ready for the day's work. It would be hard and likely very grim. She was already flicking through files on the screen that her data-link hairpins projected in front of her face as she wanted into the cafeteria.

Her eyes fell on the rumpled state of her colleague and the smirkng expression of Corcin. "Oh, my, Good morning, gentlemen. You seem to be in a good mood, the both of you."

She got a tray out and eyed both men, "Have you both eaten yet? Doctor Nova, you look like you slept in the lab or something. What would you like for breakfast, I'll bring it over for you. Anything else you'd like either, Corcin?"

 

[Nordican]

Corcin grinned and shook his head to Nadia's offer. "I appreciate it but I'm all good for now. Presuming this tastes better than our wake up meal. I'll end up eating spam before I eat that stuff again and I hate Spam." The helmsman commented as he settled in after collecting some orange juice to charge up his batteries for the coming day.

His dark amber eyes lingered on Nadia however and his eyebrows quirked. "You seem awfully helpful Nadia." Corcin said though of course he had barely spoken to her at all and only met her at the meeting the previous day so maybe she was just naturally helpful. He wouldn't mind either way.

 

[Sylnaeve]

Nadia sighed, "It was pretty atrocious, wasn't it?" She sighed, "I don't know if this is your first trip where you were on ice, but the first meal is always like that. It's injected with nutrient supplements so that even if you only eat a little, your body can properly recuperate." She made a face and laughed, "Which means it ends up slimy as cells burst and, well, anyway. You saw the results."

The biochemist turned and scooped herself up some eggs, bacon, and sausage, as well as a dollop of oatmeal. "But the food should be better from here on out, as long as we don't have to go on emergency rations or get exposed to anything we needs, ah, rapidly flushed out of our systems. The gross stuff does that better than anything."

The brown haired scientist smiled at both Rukka and Corcin as she sat at the table with them. "I do like to try and be helpful. We're all that we have out here, after all. And today's work is likely to be very grim for those going over. So I think it's good to start off with at least a little bit of cheer and helpfulness. I'm sorry if I was over the top. I don't want to pull a," she mouthed the letters R, I, T, A and shrugged.

 

[Nordican]

Corcin chuckled slightly as he dug into some of his eggs and then drank heartily from his bottle of water.

"Not at all Nadia. I doubt you'd ever get to that point anyhow." The helmsman said with a warm smile and eventually nodded to her comment about the grim business up ahead. She was right the day was not likely to be one that shared the same spots of excitement and joy and occasional ecstacy as the previous night had for more than a few of the crewman if the scuttlebutt was to be believed.

So she had a very good point in regards to at least starting the day off on a good note though he had to admit. It made it that much harder to be cynical about whatever the good director had in mind. Silently Corcin just hoped that Grace wouldn't be going off on the away team. He'd be lying to himself if he said or thought anything that amounted to not wanting to keep her safe but they all had a duty to the company.

All the same Corcin figured the two security officers he knew would make much more valuable assess to securing the ship. Of course that entailed the two hadn't killed each other in the bathroom but word was someone had caught a glimpse of a hardened marine and a hot red head slinking about the ship last night and Corcin had a feeling that while they may be tired they were definitely still alive.

Corcin moved the thoughts aside and just raised his OJ to her. "And here us never having to drink or eat anything that ends in a system flush." The man from sunny California said as he and the others settled in for breakfast on the edge of known space.

 

[Nibbles_n_Tits]

Doctor Weston squeaked and nearly jumped out of her skin as the sound of the klaxon filled the infirmary. With only a moment’s hesitation, she pushed the button that switched all but the most serious of alarms to silent/blinking mode.

She looked around the room, making a visual check to be certain once and for all that everything was exactly as it should be and no evidence of the night’s activities remained. Satisfied, she took a sip of her coffee and relaxed into her chair for a moment. She was smiling, she knew it. She also knew it was the sort of smile that could invite speculation, or curious questions. It was the kind of smile you didn't always want to have noticed but could be difficult to hide.

I might as well wear a sign around my neck or a big letter on my chest.

With a sigh and a final attempt at smothering THAT smile, she closed the medical files she had been reading. She now felt she knew both the crew of the Big O and the Galileo well enough face any emergency that required her attention without wasting time to dig through for basic information.

She finished her coffee before heading to the mess hall and entered the room the very picture of a cheerful morning person who had passed the night in deep, dreamless sleep. This was not true; she had slept very little, but years of practice had trained her function for endless hours on nothing more than coffee and hot showers. So, with missing only one night of sleep, her cheery smile came easily.

She greeted the others with a little wave as she passed them and made her way directly to the food. She knew what would serve her best for a long day of work and piled her tray with toast and cheese, something that was pretending to be fruit and juice that might have been fruit in a previous existence. And another cup of black coffee.

After a wasted attempt to make polite conversation with the lunch lady, Grace joined the others at the table.

“Good morning, all.” She said with a grin as she sat down across from Corcin. “I see everyone’s appetite has returned.”

 

[Carreira]

"I'm great Corcin" he said as he moved away to eat.

Rukka looks to the eggs and bacon and finds himself mentally counting the cholesterol in each one... "meh, where are the healthy things?"

He heads to where the food is while looking at Nadia's ass "Not bad Colton" he thought while smiling - his smile faded as he slipped in a spot of grease that fell from someone's plate, barely managing to keep standing.

Nova grabbed a bit of the goo that was nutritionally perfect and healthy from the dispenser and went to sit down in a table to eat it.

 

[HotKittygirl]

Kat felt the towel being unceremoniously flopped on her head and for a moment debated her decision. She cast the taller marine a rather dubious look even as she reached for the towel and threw it about her waist.

“I know I’m not a beauty queen or have giant milk jugs like that Russian chick but a towel on my head ain’t gonna fool no one,” She said gruffly, though she situated the towel over her head, sweeping her crimson locks back underneath it. She cinched the towel under an arm and followed suit, feeling somewhat of a fool. But hey, he was a good lay, and nothing got her motor running like a good rutting in the morning. Her bare feet padded softly against the cool metal floor, following after the bulky brute as the rounded corner after corner. Without a word or a glance she found the showers and slid inside. It was steamy and moist, obviously many crew members were already up and at them; such diligent employees. Kat picked a stall at random and pushed her way inside without a second glance. She was glad to be rid of the towel on her head, the hot moisture in the air was making her skin crawl. She was drenched in sweat and their combined release, the prospect of getting clean almost out-weighed the eagerness of another romp. The other towel was unwrapped and thrown over the door before she hit the button for the water, a steamy rush of liquid rapture. Kat couldn’t help the moan as it poured down over her sore shoulders, dampening her short mane and sending it rushing forward, spilling over her frame as she bowed her head. She savored the moment, leaning forward to rest her arms against the nearby wall as she simply bowed her head and got lost in the moment, forgetting about Victor, forgetting that she was in the men’s showers, forgetting that she made a rather tempting display in her current position.

 

[Nordican]

Corcin nodded over to Rukka as the group settled in. For a moment Corcin swore he saw the man's eyes tracking Nadia and the helmsman figured he must know something that he had missed out on from the rumor mill. Not that Corcin minded much when a certain blonde figure cut into the room.

For a moment he didn't exactly know how to react around her but it wasn't like he was too worried about things. If Rita wanted to be a bitch about potential relationships or liaisons amongst the crew well then she would indeed have a full blown revolt on her hands and that was no joke.

He nodded to Grace's comment about their reacquired appetites and had to wonder if some of the group's nightly romps would have made any food to recharge their batteries taste glorious. He leaned towards other possibilities and as she settled down across from him his lips curled back into a warm smile as he held his glass of Orange juice.

"Good morning." He said with a very small glint to his eyes towards the doctor before he drank up more of the sweet tangy drink feeling it fill him with rejuvenation. Beyond that he entered in somber conversation curious about the day's mission to come. Corcin did think it was somewhat odd that Rita in fact wasn't there this morning given she had come around rather quick.

Maybe she... Nah Corcin shook his head at the thought and took another swig and returned his mind to other things.

 

[HotCider]

Victor Caldwell: Heading to the Men's Lavatory

“Just trust me on this,” Victor said.

It was best that if anyone was going to see them that they see him and not her. If they were going to get caught, he would take the blame. Lionheart may have said that the brig was bad, but if he had gone through thirteen weeks of Hell, a day in the hot box was nothing. Risking possible punishment to feel Kat’s tight pussy around his cock again was worth it. It would be their last romp for who knows how long. Just thinking about it, put a big grin on Victor’s face.

As they returned to the Men’s Lavatory, the same lavatory they had fucked like rabbits in last night, he saw that most of the crewmates were busy in the stalls. He quickly ushered Kat inside while they still had time and followed her over to the stall she chose. Stepping inside, he set down his caddy as the door behind them swished closed. He was lucky to toss his towel up over the edge of the door in time before Kat had cut on the water. He raised his chin as the hot jets blasted his chest.

The feel of the water and heat, rolling down his body made his eyes close briefly before they opened to settle on the female officer.

Victor and Kat

 

[BRIGHTWELL]

mess hall

Rex looks around the room and sees Corcin the junior helmsman. He nods to him. He walks over to the serving area and winces at the prepared food.It only a little better then a Mexican prison food. He walks over to the preprepared foods and finds a containers of hyperstasic fruit. He selects the friut cup and pineapple pieces. He passes on the coffee for the OJ. He walks over and sits next to Corecin.

"A long time ago when I was a younger man, I sold hyperstasic pineapples, got 2,000 credits each for them." He smiles and starts eating his fruit.

 

[Nibbles_n_Tits]

Dr. Weston - Mess Hall

Finally hungry, Grace eagerly tucked into her breakfast while trying to keep her smile to herself.

There is nothing like a little cardio to awaken the appetite.

His pleasant morning greeting was all she needed to hear. All was right with her world, now that she had proof that he wasn’t the sort of unlikable man to get all weird and jumpy after sex. She couldn’t resist taking another peek at him, just to be sure. Grace congratulated herself on her fine taste in men.

On the surface he seemed to her to be bright, easy going and uncomplicated. Certainly he was easy on the eyes and in excellent health. She was even willing to give him extra points for stamina. She knew that he, like everyone, was more than met the eye and wondered …

She looked up from her plate in time to see the Senior Helmsman stroll past.

Does he have depths worth plumbing? Or additional experimentation?

Her pleasant thoughts were interrupted by the addition of Rex to the table. His comment about hyperstatic fruit cut off her greeting as she was forced to consider what exactly she was trying to eat for breakfast.

 

[Sylnaeve]

Dr. Nadia Pavelova - Mess

Nadia clinked her glass against Corcin's and winked, "And that we can get everything out of our systems in more fun ways." He seemed like a very outgoing and charming man to her so far.

Rukka seemed to have guessed what had passed between her and Colton, seeming to be amused by it. She didn't mind that but she hoped it wouldn't interfere with their work; or make him look down on her. She absolutely wanted to talk shop with him; the man was amazing in his field! Of course, she also was probably reading too much into it. A scientist as renowned as him probably would not spend time extrapolating where and how she'd spent her night.

She did reach out as he almost fell, but the biologist seemed to recover his own feet and make it to the table. "Please be careful, Doctor Nova," she said with a smile, "We can't have you getting injured before we get to the other ship; you don't want to miss it, do you?"

As Doctor Weston entered and greeted them, Nadia waved and favored the lovely blond with a smile. Secretly, she was nervous about Grace. She'd had bad interactions with medical doctors in the past and since she had, ah, "retired early" last night, she had yet to get a sense for the doctor. She seemed very pleasant though.

More of the crew filed in, including the helmsman who'd been put in the brig last night. He seemed to be carrying none of it with him though, which was a relief. Nadia laughed at his comment about the pineapples, as well as Doctor Weston's resultant skeptical look at her food, and shrugged. "There's a good market for that, though the corps have most of it sewed up." She glanced over at Grace, "I wouldn't think about the food too much, Doctor Weston. Like sausages or hot dogs, yes?"

 

[BRIGHTWELL]

I remember when....(Mess hall)

Rex forked another piece of fruit

I wouldn't think about the food too much, Doctor Weston. Like sausages or hot dogs, yes?"

Rex chuckled at that. "Yeah, If you knew what you were eating, I mean had the slightest idea. You would gorge your self in the morgue. Just for the freshness. I've seen freeze dried foods from the last century, I think 1989 as I recall, being loaded before we left. Just think about that...food so old our great grand parents woulds of thrown it away. Still all in all its not that bad. I mean a while back ago I had a bit of problem on Earth in little stretch of Mexico called Baha. It was an "unauthorized race" you see."

Rex speares a piece of pineapple looks at it, then sniffs it and eats it.

"Any way the Mexicans have a poor sense of humor about"unauthorized racing" He finds a piece of mellon and chews on it. " They catch me doing mach 3.5 down the beach front. Boy I'll tell you the food there was some thing the "Meat" was worm and the rice moved."

 

[Nibbles_n_Tits]

Dr. Weston - Mess Hall

"I wouldn't think about the food too much, Doctor Weston. Like sausages or hot dogs, yes?"

Grace’s smile was open and friendly as she nodded her head in agreement. “Exactly. Just what I was thinking – don’t think about it. Sausage, hot dogs, scrapple, haggis… it’s all just mystery meat extraordinaire. ”

Grace was initially a bit disconcerted by the beautiful but icy blue of the biochemist’s eyes. A striking color but she was pleased to see the ice was not reflected in a cold expression. As a medical doctor she had a more than basic knowledge of biochemistry but nothing in the league of Dr. Pavelova. In fact, Grace had read some of Nadia’s published papers – bloody brilliant – and hoped to find time to ask her a few questions.

Rex chuckled at that. "Yeah, If you knew what you were eating, I mean had the slightest idea. You would gorge yourself in the morgue. Just for the freshness.”

Morgue… What the…? Remind me to keep this fellow away from lab samples and medical waste, for his own good.

Her smile faltering slightly, she glanced over the others at the table, and wondered if she was the only one who found this comment particularly odd.

And I thought I was quirky.

“… They catch me doing mach 3.5 down the beach front. Boy I'll tell you the food there was something the "Meat" was worm and the rice moved."

“Well, next time you’ll just have to not get caught. Although maggots themselves are not harmful and they can be a good source of protein…” She shrugged and forcefully recaptured her genuine smile, “but I guess you know all that from personal experience so I’ll skip the lecture and we can keep our breakfast light and ourselves in ignorance.”

Grace cast a quick and cheeky grin at Corcin before turning a serious face to Rex. She leaned an elbow on the table and rested her chin on her fist, “So, tell me. It is true what I hear about helm seats being heated for the pilot’s comfort?”

 

[Carreira]

Dr. Rukka Nova - Mess Hall

Nova looked at Nadia and smiled at her, scratching his head and making a funny face:

- "Nah, I'm used to these kind of things, my girlfriend back at Earth called me "Autistic" lots of times.... guess I just don't pay enough attention" - he said while his face calmed and attained a peaceful and blank smile. He then turned to his plate that held that dirty white goo and started eating.

While eating with his right hand, he grabbed a notepad and started writing with his left hand - there were V-Notepads already, but Rukka always liked the vintage touch regular paper has.

He continued writing as he gulped the last piece of that strange nutritive paste, focusing on the small notepad while letting out a gasping sound -he ate a little too fast.

 

[emipet]

The demonic scream of the klaxon woke Lena up with a short yelp and she sat straight up in bed.

Again she had ended up knotted in the coverings and ended up having to shut the damned noise off with a heel to the button. Her aim was a bit off and the clock went skittering off the sidetable and cashed to the floor.

"Ugh!" With muttered curses in several languages Lena lay back down and tried to disentangle herself from the impromptu nocturnal bondage she woke up in.

With a sigh dragged from the depths of a tortured soul, Lena finally sat up in a nest of bedding and a halo of bedhead. She slid out and staggered to the pile of clothes and gathered them and tossed them in the laundry. She grabbed a towel and her grooming kit and a fresh set of clothes and sleepily trudged to the facilities and winced at the brighter lights. Groaning something resmebling a greeting she washed her face and knuckled the sleep out off her eyes. standing in the shower she let the steaming water beat and massage her and soon felt semi-ready to face life again.

She got dressed and put her hair up in a ponytail and applied very light make-up, enough to look presentable at least and smiled at her reflection. At the messhall, she took a fruit cup and yet another diet shake and a slice of toast and two cups of the dishwater they laughingly (somewhere) called coffee. She really preferred a dark roast and of stronger brew than what the rest of the crew liked, but it had caffiene in it and it was hot.

She smiled around at the others and slowly enjoyed her meal until the shake and shuddered as she drank that. The second cup of coffee dealt with the chalky aftertaste and she put the waste in the proper receptacle and made her way to the infirmary.

"Good Morning Doctor." Lena thought a more professional approach on duty was called for, but she smiled warmly. "I will have to look over some records this morning, no? First, I have to see what damage to my weight I have done." She grimaced. "Pray for me"

She stood on the scales and offering up a small prayer herself she squinted her eyes shut tight and slowly opened one and looked at the digital indicator... YES! She had lost a bit more! She couldn't help but grin and start happily humming to herself as she went about the mornings tasks.

 

[Nordican]

Corcin gave Rex a bit of a strange look at his random comment about selling hyperstatic food given most times people started with a simple hello instead of stating a memory in a context that was lost for the moment on Corcin. The junior of the two didn't know for sure but he had to figure Rex was only a few years older than him and yet the comment just seemed like some old timer reminiscing about times gone.

Of course beyond giving the bio chemist a nod in thanks for joining him in the little toast the helmsman enjoyed the little moments where his eyes tracked another set when they occasionally moved his way. A small thin smile formed on his features when he noticed the occasional glances from the blonde haired doctor but soon enough he was distracted by the foray into how old some of the food was that they were consuming. The part about magots in particular almost made Corcin a bit squeamish.

Execute perilous navigation through a hostile quadrant of space? No problem.

Want to know about the potential of space bugs in the food I'm consuming? Yeah I was just fine not knowing that. Corcin thought and ate up his eggs and toast a bit more quickly before washing it down with his Orange juice and trying not to dwell on what he'd just been hearing.

Of course then her soft clerical voice cut through again into his ears right after he had caught the end tail of a cheeky grin. His own grin turned wider as he looked back at her with a slightly sly look about the heated seats comment before he turned over to glance at Dr. Nova who seemed consumed with both eating and writing up something on an old style notepad. Distracted by slightly trying to figure out what the other Doctor was up to with his notepad Corcin just caught sight of someone go into the mess hall and then disappear in a flash of a dark ponytail.

Shrugging Corcin went back to drinking up his OJ while giving Grace one more little sly smile and wondering if they might have time to gather more test results if the Director or Captain didn't fill them in on what the heck was going on soon.

 

[Sylnaeve]

Nadia ate her breakfast with quick but efficient strokes of her knife and fork, smiling a bit at the discussion that went about the table. The reminiscences of Helmsman Lionheart were a bit strange; coming out of the blue as they did, but it was the rather disgusting and disturbing.

For her, it made no difficulty in eating. She had a strong stomach, being Russian and seeing the things that the chemicals used in space travel did to the human body. She shivered at the thought, her face falling as she considered again what they might find on board the Galileo. Regardless, it was a crass thing to talk about when people were eating.

She reached over as Rukka made a strange gasping sound, having noted that he was not paying attention to his eating and was choking down the nutritive paste far too fast, giving him a few light pounds on the back. "Slow down, Doctor Nova; despite Mr. Lionheart's charming story, this food isn't going anywhere."

The blue eyes scientist rose with her tray, glancing at the chronometer. Plenty of time to suit up and get to the Locker before the Director was there. "If I don't see all of you until the time on Galileo is done today, good luck! I'm going to head over to the Locker."

 

[BRIGHTWELL]

Mess hall

So, tell me. It is true what I hear about helm seats being heated for the pilot’s comfort?”

Rex stopped eating and leaned back slightly and turnes to look at the doctor.

"Heated for the pilot's comfort?" Rex laughed out. "Thats rich doc...heated for comfort. The last time I sat in a heated seat for comfort was in a bar in Novis prime. This Mcklinight captain I know had brought in a freighter load of med-water. Twenty thousand liters of the stuff at 4 credits a liter thats a nice piece of change. Anyway he askes me to join him in the bar. Of coarse I join him. He orders Trapian Ale, I don't care much for the stuff myself, but he buying, so what the hell. Any way this waitress comes over and shes carrying these two steins of ale. Pretty thing too. The waitress not the steins. Any way....where was I ...oh yeah heated seats. I end up on her very warn seat....if you know what I mean...doc."

 

[HotCider]

Victor Caldwell: Mess Hall

Victor walked the length of the corridor leading toward the Mess Hall with a proud smile on his face. How many single men got to start their morning with a woman and not their hand? He felt pumped and ready for any obstacle the Galileo might throw his way. There was a slight heavy feeling about his eyes, but with a nice, strong cup of coffee, he was certain he would make it through the day.

The Marine’s smile faded as soon as the Mess Hall doors swished open. He stepped into the cafeteria with a poker face and smelling strongly of spiced body wash. He was wearing a snug, long-sleeved black shirt with three buttons that descended from his collar. Black shorts with two, white stripes descending the lengths of his thighs, changed the scheme of his outfit dramatically along with the flip-flops that clapped against the floor. He was dressed comfortably for when they would enter the Locker, he would have to strip down in order to wear the Orion battlesuit.

Grabbing a tray and two plates, Victor began piling food onto them. Last night, he had been careful with his selection, but this morning, he would need all the calories he could get for this mission. He scooped eggs, bacon, sausage links, hot apple sauce, two pieces of buttered toast, two pieces of French toast, two slices of cantaloupe and honey dew each, and a small bowl of grits. For beverages, he got a hot cup of black coffee and a cold glass of OJ. He stepped over to the condiments counter and sprinkled salt haphazardly over his food regardless if it was fruit or bread, scraped strawberry jam upon his toast, and put butter and syrup on his French toast. The heavy tray was then carried over to the table where he recognized the most people.

Victor set the loaded tray down next to Dr. Weston before he lowered himself onto the seat. The first thing he did was make an egg and bacon sandwich with his toast. Hefting it to his mouth, he took a large bite out of it, enjoying the crunch of the toast as much as he enjoyed the taste, but food was food.

There was a voluptuous woman sitting next to Corcin that he hadn’t seen before. Most of the crewmates at the table seemed to know her, but he didn’t care too much. During the mission, he would have time to get to know everyone. The other faces that were sitting closer than usual, and he supposed they were no longer shy was the helmsman that had been locked in the brig, and had showed up at the card table last night. The other one was a blueberry. He was going to call him blue because he had blue hair and blue eyes much like Kat had red hair and red eyes: Blue and Red.

 

[Carreira]

Dr. Rukka Nova - Mess Hall - Sitting alone writing on notepad

Rukka smiled at Nadia: "See you later" - he said while pushing his plate aside to make room for the notepad.

He then took out a pack of gums and started to open one gum strip... the minty smell reminded him of home. He started chewing one and rolled up the paper in a tiny ball, setting it next to the notepad. He picked up the pen, now with his right hand, and continued writing with enthusiasm, hearing all the crew mates talk in the background