Novels2Search
Once, From the Past
25. Breakfast

25. Breakfast

I spent the evening looking through the duty records of the three people who would be coming aboard under orders. I then changed my active body measurements to make tailored outfits for each person. The cooks in black, and Dame Edington in grey.

Also, I made a Topaz encrusted chain that would go from the epaulet over her left shoulder, down to her right pants pocket. I put a tungsten weight on the end of it, so it would stay in the pocket, without having to be clipped.

I set the cook's uniforms in the cafeteria, with their names embroidered on the right side in a silvery thread.

The Dame's uniform was to be left on the bridge, until I gave it to her.

I looked up historic medals to see if there were any meant to show service to the royal family directly, and found a pin that was to be worn in place of a military rank while serving; but nothing that would stay on the uniform after they changed assignments, or belonged to them after they left service. I quickly made a silver pin of the lion's head that was on the flag, replacing the eyes with oval cuts of aquamarine. I made three for each person, and a costume quality one to give to the reporter.

Waking up to a 0345 alarm, I applied a variant of the old crown prince's admiral uniform, put my hair back in a simple, tight, bun; then began walking to the airlock to greet the cooks.

"Follow me." Was all that was needed, they were waiting for me when I got there. "These are your uniforms for you while you are on this ship." I say walking into the dining hall. "Today is a short trip, but there will be a total of five people on board, including yourselves for breakfast." I look toward the woman, "Phoebe, you are to serve as the head cook, with Robert here as your assistant. There is a cook's changing room behind that door, come back here once you are in uniform."

The two snatched the black suits, and shoes as soon as I finished, and ran to the door. A few minutes later, they came out looking quite nice, in my opinion.

I laid two of the old style lions head pins on the table. "These are to be worn as a replacement for your rank insignia while working under the royal family." They picked them up, and replaced the rank pins I had put on the uniforms. Phoebe had hers completed first. "And this pin is to be worn through all future duties, as a sign you have worked directly for my family; only i can give these, and they are numbered, and are in sets of three." I put the silver lions head on their closed collars. To be plainly visible.

"The guest's arrival will be just before six, so at six I want both of you on the bridge, with a breakfast service, and a portable table. You are to eat with me then. The kitchen is yours, Phoebe."

With a quick thanks she dashed to the kitchen, and began taking stock of ingredients.

"Princess, where are the recipe cards?" She asks.

"Phoebe, you are currently the head chef of a Private Royal vessel. You are the recipe card; its your kitchen." I smiled at her shocked face as I left the two to their work.

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A similar scene played out With Dame Edington when she arrived at 0500, and I walked her to the bridge to report. I lead her to a stateroom across the hall from the ships captain's room I had moved my things into.

"This is your bunk room" I said as she touched the fingerprint slot next to the door to open it. It was the stateroom for the ship's executive officer. Which was the position I needed her for. "Change, and come back to the bridge, we have a guest before we set out." I told her after giving her the Lions head pins, and the, felt lined, mahogany box to put the series in. The box was numbered to match the series of pins inside. The boxes also each had their names engraved on the top, with the order number that put the person in my service.

At 0545, the reporter arrived, and I had Danielle escort him to the bridge as her first official duty. The yellow stones in the gold chain stood out in sharp contrast to, the otherwise, mostly, unadorned uniform.

"Have a seat, we will be underway shortly. Feel free to record anything except the screens themselves, Kiel; this is Persephone's first official undocking."

At 0558 the two cooks come in, and I ask for clearance to undock. Everything goes as planned, and I begin moving away from the station.

"Persephone, is the discussed course laid in?"

"Yes Dame. Your arrival time is set for three hours fifteen minutes."

"Engage." The ship begins moving much quicker, "Phoebe, what do we have for breakfast?"

The five of us enjoy a serving of Eggs Benedict, with a light hash-brown, and sausage links. As breakfast came to a close, I decided to start the real conversation I wanted to have with this reporter.

"Kiel, what do you think of the lions head pins they are wearing?" I pointed to the bright silver ones, not the ones Gaias had used.

"May i get a closer look?" He asked.

"Sure, I was planing on giving you this one; the prototype the real ones are made from. That one uses stainless steel, and cut glass, and is not numbered."

He asks a few questions, and is surprised I intended for him to keep the one I handed him.

"Dame, you wished to be alerted when we arrived." I nodded, and walked to the center of the room.

"Kiel, you're going to want to record this." I see his camera move and drop behind me. A few seconds later a yellow flash goes over the hull, and the debris field I had been in becomes visible.

"Dame Korvall, we have arrived at your destination." The ship's AI states. "Do you wish to conduct the search for other active Cryopods in this debris field?"

"Commence Search, Persephone."

"Other Cryopods?" Kiel asks. "Where are we?"

"We are at the debris field for Leonides Shipyards, after five hundred twelve years of drift." I look at him. "Where I woke up. If there are any others, they deserve to survive as well."

"Dame Korvall. I have found twelve Cryostasis pods still active in a small ship. It is able to fit in our keel cargo hold, should I retrieve the vessel, or only the survivors."

"Vessel, and please dedicate the port third of this view screen to exterior cameras."

"Kiel, this was my hope when I asked you to board." I give him a light smile, "Persephone, Blackout bridge consoles." All the consoles appear to shut off. "Get whatever angles You think you need."

"Dame Korvall, additional active Cryopods have been observed, continue mission?"

"Continue with the current mission, once completed, collect the most at risk pods first, priority is maximum number of survivors. Log all external camera footage to be given to Kiel Russell upon his departure."

"Acknowledged."

"Phoebe, I'll try to get you a number on lunch, for now, plan cold cut sandwiches with a few vegetables of your choice, and make a large batch of lemonade. These people are going to be hungry."

She nods in reply while cleaning up the breakfast table we had been at for the last few hours.