Sweet as Candy

Posted on Sun Oct 18th, 2020 @ 7:33pm by Lieutenant Bonnie "Bon-Bon" Durnell & Chief Petty Officer Remal Kajun

Mission: Diplomatic Masquerade
Location: USS Liberty in orbit of Orias III
Timeline: Approx. 4 Hours until Cardassian Atrival

Another chip, another swipe, one after another she inspected the isolinear chips beneath the replicator all the while muttering to herself about not being an engineer yet doing maintenance duties. She would often catch herself muttering while working on her back. It wasn't something she intended to do or enjoyed doing, it was just habitual.

Remal on the other hand was quietly observing and listening to her work, laughing to himself with each under the breath mutter. He had seen her face when she arrived, determined but distant as if her mind were on other things. Right then and there he recognized an individual in need of an attentive ear, and he had two to give. "You know, I don't believe I ever got the chance to thank you for getting me to my wife. You really took charge on that Orion ship."

She poked her head out of the small space underneath the replicator like a bushy haired turtle sticking its head out of its shell, "you don't have to thank me. I felt it was my job to help someone in need." She then went back into her hole and continued scanning.

He admired her tenacity and selflessness, both of which he saw within himself especially as a younger man. "Are you sure there isn't anything I can do to help you?" He asked knowing full well he knew very little about programming and there was no way in hell he would fit in the small space she was inhabiting. His question was open ended to give the allusion she could open up and unleash if she needed to.

She continued to work but mulled over his request for a moment before popping her head out again. "Did you have someone else work on this recently?" She wasn't accusing but just trying to sort why several things were not as they should be.

He thought briefly "Yes. That little blue Bolian fellow. Didn't quite catch his name though. Why, is something the matter with it?" He asked knowing full well they had tried four times already to produce flava beans only to have the machine spit out the equivalent of lima beans that tasted like chicken and not of the Terran variety either. More like Dakterian chickens, which if you know anything about Dakterians, it's don't ever order the chicken.

She rolled her eyes, "Ramsay. Fancies himself a connoisseur or something. This is the third machine engineering has had to repair." She motioned at the guts of the machine. "The whole flavenoid induction curve has been regulated into a negative particle flow and your bioneural gelpack seems to be growing mold, which, I didn't think was even possible." She ducked back into the machine. "One minute and… there." She climbed out of the small hole and stood up.

"Is it good now? Should I test it?" He stood and rubbed his hands together.

She nodded, "Should be. Go ahead and try out one of those recipes you were telling me about."

"Alright. Computer," he eyed Bonnie. "Two Bajoran Jumja sticks please. Recipe Kajun 33."

In a shimmer of matter particles a small plate with two Jumja sticks, a Bajoran treat that contained several spices, appeared on the replicator pad. Remal picked one up and took a nibble, closed his eyes and allowed his pallet to be open to the flavors of the treat. He allowed a "Mmmm." To escape his lips.

"Good?" Bonnie asked, amused.

He offered her the other stick, which she took. "Takes years to get a recipe just right. I lost this one in particular many years ago and have struggled to get it right ever since. I believe, thanks to your expert touch, I've finally replicated perfection."

She pushed a fleeting question about how he had lost the recipe out of her mind and tasted the jumja stick. The immediate sweetness of jumja sap saturates her tongue followed by a collection of other flavors, many of which she didn't recognize. All of them swirled in her mouth mixing together to form tiny explosions of flavor. Her eyes lit up in surprise as she took another bite eagerly. With her mouth full of food she realized he was looking for a compliment, "Itz gud." She managed to get out.

He nodded and smiled. “Thanks to you.” Reflecting on his new kitchen upgrade and the woman who stood before him he felt like he needed to ask, “So, when you came in I noticed you were looking a bit down. Is there anything I can do to maybe lighten your mood?” He pointed at the Jumja stick, “Other than feeding you surgery treats, of course.”

She stared at him, wondering what she should tell him and what she should keep to herself. He was there when Cody was a thing. He was a former counselor, according to rumors she had heard throughout the ship, a pretty good one. He may just be the ear she needed but she didn’t know him, not well enough anyway. “I, don’t, know what you mean.” She played coy.

He could see she was hiding something, but acknowledged that if she wanted to share the ball was in her court. “Well, perhaps if say, someone were to need a friendly ear or two, that person should know that they could always confide in ol Remal. No questions, and no judgements. A glass or two of springwine might even be a part of the deal, should you, or someone else you know be interested.”

She thought briefly and only replied, “I[ve never tried springwine.” He was standing there, offering his friendship and she was more concerned with the Cardassians and linguistics and of course the mocking of assless chaps. “I appreciate the offer…” she started.

Not to be dejected right away he added, “And of course I offer other treats besides Jumja sticks. I know we’re all going to be busy soon, what with the Cardassians coming aboard and everything.” The sweetness of the Jumja stick couldn’t even cover the bitterness within his mouth. “I am only offering my attention, nothing more, nothing less.”

“Thanks. Thank you.” She said while taking the last bite of her stick then motioning to the small kitchenette currently under construction in the living area. “I hope you are able to make more of this, and other things, not just this of course, but you know. Anyway, I should be going now. I have to do more research on linguistics and things. Or as they say in Klingon, je'chuqtaHvIS, bIqengchu'be'.” She backed away, turned and picked up her tools and left the Captain’s quarters.

He thought about her words and their meaning before chuckling. “If it comes to cutting out their tongues with a knife, I’m not sure you’re the first girl I’d call.” He said to himself as the doors slid closed. He had done his job for this moment and this particular soul, now it was time to get started on dinner.

TBC