Asking For Coffee

Posted on Tue Sep 5th, 2017 @ 2:01am by

Mission: Mission 4 - Combustion
Location: Deck 7 - Cargo Bag
Timeline: MD 01 :: 10:00
901 words - 1.8 OF Standard Post Measure

Nollel looked up as someone came in, the young woman was barely twenty but the air around her was a lot older and it shone through in maturity. She had seen him in the cargo bay quite regularly as she had gone to get items from her luggage but hadn't ever spoken to. "Hello..." She greeted hoping he spoke Federation Standard, it seemed that most of the crew did that but she couldn't be sure with everyone, he had never spoken to her before.

Quang looked up at the young woman over the rim of his glasses. He had been attempting to do an inventory of cargo bay in the aftermath of the fire. The results hadn't been encouraging. It would take time and funds to restore the inventory. He only hoped that the Mary Rose would be able to do it. Perhaps the grotto. He would need to speak with the captain about it.

He heard the young woman who had just entered.

"Hello," he replied. "I understand that your dowry was among the cargo here. I'm sorry to hear that. My name is Quang Van Tran. I'm the quartermaster of the ship."

The Vietnamese paused and let that sink in. "Can I help you?"

Noelle shook her head. "It doesn't matter." She assured thinking of the dowry, it was nothing at all. She didn't care for the items that had been lost, it was nothing that couldn't be replaced at all. "Nothing that cannot be replaced on Ardana." She assured softly thinking of her workshop and all the works she had in commission.

Tran heard the words, he also heard the tone that colored the words. He approached the young girl. Vulnerable. Very vulnerable. She might not have been concerned about her cargo, but her body language betrayed her. Something was bothering her.

"So," he asked her, "If that's the case what's the problem? You don't seem very happy. Anything I can help with?"

"No problem. It is true, nothing is in there that cannot be replaced on our homeworld." She hissed looking around the mess hall, this place was dreary, to say the least. "Quartermaster huh? What does that entail?" The girl wondered pushing her hair out of her face.

"A little of this, a little of that," replied Tran. "I make sure that ship, the crew, and guests we have on board are equipped. I get what supplies are needed. Maybe not perfectly, but enough to be comfortable on board." He paused, and then asked. "So, why is your family on board for the wedding trip? Not a bad choice but I am curious."

"We are returning to our homeworld. My father sells art off-world. The government is trying to reunite our society." She said with a shrug. "He isn't my choice at all. I want an artist or musician... not a Troglytes miner." She said bitterly. Noelle couldn't see why it had to be her to reunite her family, there were other women.

Tran thought for a moment. An arranged marriage. So common in old earth history. Rarely good. He thought but what could be said. She was a guest, and this fire couldn't have helped the situation.

"Just a question," he asked calmly, "just how long was your family off world? Did you grow up off world? Have you been there? What's it like? Never been there myself."

He paused and then continued. "Heard a little about the place. Just curious."

"My father has been off the world many years but myself only a few months. He is an Ambassador but what we are doing... what he is doing isn't sanctioned by the Federation, it is against all there morals." She smiled going to the nearest LCARS console bringing up the Captial of her planet. It was the galaxy's finest example of sustained anti-gravity levitation having been running for nearly a thousand years. "This is where I live and my studio is just there." She pointed to two points high up on the capital.

"Impressive. So you're an artist," Tran asked tactfully. "What kind of art? Who have you learned from?"

"I am a sculptor. We have Masters of all the arts, music, drama etc." She admitted softly as she let the screen start to show him the arts that came from the planet. "But I do paint and draw... some of my work is currently on display in Cloud City Museum." She admitted blushing. "These computers are very out of date." She said seeing the information stopped twenty years ago.

"Yes, yes they are. We're working on that," answered the quartermaster in a good natured manner. "I'll tell you what, let's go get a cup of coffee. Not the replicated variety. The real kind. I'll get the beans and we can make it in the mess hall."

The young woman blushed and nodded. Not many men asked her to have a coffee with her. "Sure."

"OK, then," he answered. "Let's head up and get the beans. I'll think you'll like the blend. It's originally a French roast style that was modified by Vulcans. Pretty good though. Go Figure."

With that, he began guiding her up toward the upper decks. He'd pick up the beans from his quarters, and then take her to the mess hall.

OFF::

Nollel Livaam
Passenger
SS Mary Rose
(PNPC Gregol)

Quang Tran
Quartermaster
SS Mary Rose