Conversation with Sachiko was cordial, but Gareth found it pleasant. She spoke of the Gardens’ health, noting the progress of her projects. He listened as he started up the holo display and connected his PD. Leon was setting up the counters for breakfast.

The system beeped when it finished booting up, and Gareth pulled up their route for the day. The jump was a long one, but it was still the only one jump. Likely because Dr. Porter had run for the closest station in his escape. Anger flashed through him at the image of the researcher fleeing for his life. His fingers tightened into a fist, and he closed his eyes. Revenge was not the reason for this mission. He stretched his fingers, working out the tension.

“Good morning, Captain.” Valorie interrupted his thoughts. He turned to greet her and noticed the crease in her brow. One little change in her blank expression. He had a hypothesis for why her interactions seemed so off. Ever since he had first worked with the SCT, he had pondered it. He didn’t mean for her to worry, so he smiled.

“To you as well, Valorie,” Gareth said. Valorie bowed her head but not before he saw a small smile cross her lips. When she raised her head, her stoic expression had returned.

“May I ask… is everything well, sir?” She asked, looking to the floor. She had improved at making eye contact, with one exception being when she felt hesitant. Which was most of the time, he thought, resisting a chuckle. The crease in her brow and her question – she must still be worried about Dupont. The thought irked Gareth, but he would not let it show.

“Yes. Make sure your focus is on our mission today.” He said. She nodded, but that crease never went away. Sachi called her over and Valorie settled into the seat on Sachi’s right. Leon approached with a frown.

“If Serge doesn’t hurry, I’m gonna starve,” Leon said, sitting down in the seat next to Gareth. He eyed the star map hovering over the table. “Not a lot of work on the route this go around, huh?” He added, eyes traveling to the table’s surface. There he could see details about the jump including nearby systems and obstacles. Beyond the jump to Porter’s ship, they were following the prescribed route to the next station. No rush calculations needed.

“That’s a good thing – you can help Serge set up instead.”

“Good? Who’d pick organizing platters over playing with star maps?” Leon smirked, still looking over the details.

“Says the starving one who already set up the serving counters,” Gareth said, exhaling a laugh. Leon looked at him with a grin.

“Nothing slips by you, Cap.” He said. The entrance slid open and Gareth heard the rattle of a cart moving across the gap. Leon stood up, “Speak of the devil.” He grinned. Gareth didn’t have to look to know there was a glare on Serge’s face. He listened to them set up as he got the contract and flight documents lined up for reference. He did not need them for reference, but having them at his fingertips gave him confidence.

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

“Whoa, what’s this?” Leon said, catching Gareth’s ear. “I haven’t seen you crack one of these open before.” His voice was a little strained. Gareth glanced over to see him lifting a large canister on to the counter. It was similar to the smaller ones used for water and coffee. Vapor rolled off the sides as condensation froze to the surface.

“Cryodairy. It’s only good for three days after opening.” Serge said, repositioning it after Leon placed it down. “A rare treat from the colony stations. The guest brought it in, but he don’t think he’ll finish it on his own.” Serge turned to pick up another platter.

“Is it any good?” Leon asked, following suit.

“Try it with your coffee and see,” Serge said, but Leon still looked skeptical. Gareth had seen cryodairy before. Every meeting for the high ranked officials had it available. There were days where such luxury seemed mundane. Gareth had a feeling it would taste a lot better now. But maybe that was his empty stomach speaking.

Once all the platters were set up Serge began uncovering them. The greasy scent of replicated breakfast meals with a touch of cinnamon filled the room. Gareth focused on the documents in front of him, but every moment was a battle between his stomach and his pride. He would wait to eat until after the meeting. After his crew had their fill. Then it was his turn. A smile tugged on the corner of his lips at the image of him, alone, going to town on the leftovers. As he had when he was young, sometimes he wanted to let loose.

“Reading something funny there, Gary?” Quinns said, setting down a hefty plate of food. He sat down, adjusting his prosthetic leg until he was comfortable.

“No, not particularly,” Gareth said, earning a confused look.

“That makes me think you’re up to something, you know,” Quinns said, food already halfway to his mouth. Quinns never held back on food when he stopped working long enough to eat. His plate had some of everything. The usual replicated meals: sausages and cinnamon rolls. He noticed the toast was missing, replaced by hash-browns. The cartridge must have run out. Filling out the rest of the plate was Serge’s creations. Pale white scrambled eggs and a layered bar with a bright green topping.

“Is that good or bad?” Gareth asked, eyebrows raised. Quinns smiled but waited until he finished chewing to speak.

“Good. Probably.” He said picking up his next bite.

Leon set two coffees down on the table, “Did you want the dairy?” He asked, noting, “I’m grabbing food, too.”

“Yes, thank you. And, Serge is right, you should try it.” Gareth said. That skeptical frown returned.

“Think I’ll stick to sugar and powder.” Leon was about to say more, but a loud voice interrupted him as the entrance slid open.

“And, see, we’re here perfectly on time,” Yulia said as she entered. Kurt trailed behind her.

“Arriving at the exact time is late. You’re expected to arrive early to be on time.” He responded in a much quieter voice. His speech with Yulia was natural compared to the side he showed Gareth. He wasn’t subtle about how he treated someone he saw as superior.

“That sounds like some tricky nonsense. Don’t tell me to be somewhere at 0800 hours when you mean 0745. That’s like setting me up for failure.” She said. Serge interrupted their argument.

“Yui, come eat. You’re the last one here.” He said, his own plate of food already in hand.

“No way, I beat Quinns, didn’t I?” Yulia said, hurrying over.

“I’m right here,” Quinns called, and Yulia cursed under her breath. The way Yulia brought life to a room always made Gareth smile. Kurt paused to bow his head in front of Gareth before hurrying after her.

Everyone was now present and settling in. Gareth enjoyed listening to snippets of conversations as he studied the ship manifest. Kurt sat down between Leon and Valorie, while Yulia took the last open seat on the far left. If they got another new crew member now, they’d have to extend the table. The thought made him smile. One day, they wouldn’t be able to fit the entire crew in the meeting room.