A Fine Meal - Part 1
Posted on 06 May 2014 @ 8:06pm by Lieutenant Jsioasi & Civilian Capim Jothy
Edited on on 09 May 2014 @ 1:39am
1,934 words; about a 10 minute read
Mission:
M12: For Duty or Honor
Location: USS Achilles - Poisoned Arrow Lounge
Timeline: BACK POST - Prior to Mission Briefing
:: BACK POST - Prior to Mission Briefing ::
[The Poisoned Arrow]
Capim had finished his meeting with Da'nal, pending approval for his Food/Drink/Other replicator His specs had been approved, now he needed the senior officers approval to get them installed. Nothing got people to help you out than personally cooked dinner and heartfelt request. He composed personal messages to each of their personal stations,
"Capim Jothy of the Poisoned Arrow Lounge humbly requests you attend a private dinner to welcome you to the services of the new Achilles "Fifth Shift" entertainment company. Coordinate on File PA-Dinner/Reg.time for scheduling. I have a personalized replicator which makes anything I don't have in stock, so submit your favorite dish and I will have it ready for you. By request of the Admiral we have important matters to discuss that are pending his approval so please let me know when you can come by! Thanks for your time, hope to see you at the Poisoned Arrow!"
Capim Jothy
Lantiq noted the message in his personal mail and sent an acknowledgement "Anything with Bajoran shrimp is good for me!"
On her way to her office, Hayley's VI assistant program notified her of the new message, along with the several others she had recieved. The others were tactical system updates and changes to the life support sub-routine so she didn't notice the invitation until right at the end of her work. Reading it over, shethought it would be too late to reply, so she decided she'd just turn up and have whatever was going.
In his quarters, the new operations officer glanced over the message and sent a short and to-the-point reply.
"I enjoy sampling new cuisine. Anything interesting would be suitable to my tastes.
Lt. Jsioasi"
The Galley for the lounge was aflame with spices and herbs, dinner for the rest of the crew was in full swing and Capims staff were superb at their work. Tonight they would have to be as Capim needed to sell his program to the senior staff. He was already running at a loss so far, but the Admirals small horde of priceless drinks had been a huge help. Not that he needed the money, but one didn't get to where he was without some measure of frugality.
Capim prepared a classic Sisko Jamabalaya with Bajoran Shrimp, taking the time to stew ingredients would have ruled out this meal on short notice but his replicator was special. Ordering the stock jambalaya soup and cooking the rice to perfection made an authentic meal in ten minutes.
His study of Lt. Jsioasi, what little information there was available, had revealed cybernetic augmentation, and little information on tastes, though he had said "anything interesting" so Capim set his mind to impressing the Lt. So he had a digital meal prepared, a program given to him by clients on Bynaus. It stimulated the taste receptors, and the replicated paste could be configured to look or smell like anything he wished. He chose the sensations of meat and a hearty salad with exotic ingredients and unique flavors. Shaved Andorian eel skin for instance, make the crunchiest tasty flakes, paired with the image of a grilled sirloin and greens. He set the plate and the data chip next to it. He hadn't received a reply from Lawson, but configured the replicator for Vulcan and Klingon spice settings in addition to Terran, it didn't hurt to be prepared. This would also let him show his pride and joy, the Re-sequencing Replicator.
The Table was set, and Capim lightly polished the rest of his equipment. He activated the holo-stack and the spare quarters became a cavernous awe inspiring bowl stadium they were in the bottom of, witnessing first hand the Chalnoth warriors arena. Finding the blood and weapon motif a tad out of place, he twisted a dial and the vista shimmered to an aquatic wonderland even adding holo seaweed to the floor and cool waves of pressure like walking through water would feel like. The Resequencing Replicator worked with a matter organizer in a unique way to feed the holo stack with a realistic level of detail and ability. they worked together or not at all was his main problem.
Twisting the dial one more time, a dining table set to view a grand waterfall appeared, where the windows were a natural boundary formed by having the water fall off into the stars, the hull had disappeared into a vibrant night sky from a tropical paradise. infinity yawned beneath the falls and eternity stretched above in a star spotted arrangement of multi hues and scattered splashes. The furniture had been replaced as elements within the simulation, even the smell of the fresh air had been granted as the re-sequencer and matter converter made an authentic recreation. The level of detail and amount of sheer computational power left most programs for holodeck in the dust.
Capim sat at his place, awaiting his dinner guests, puffing an herbal cigar burning bright carrying a pungent smoke of velvet grace to the dark skies above.
Lieutenant Jsioasi arrived at precisely the scheduled time. He had aligned the ship's chronometer with his own internal chronometer and always knew exactly what time it was aboard the Achilles. Upon entering the room, he stopped, mildly surprised by the view, and took a few moments to take it all in before approaching Capim. "Mister Jothy," he said with a polite nod, "Lieutenant Jsioasi. If you food is as exquisite as your scenery, I will be quite satisfied." He judged that to be a fitting greeting, as he had inferred that the man put a great deal of effort into this event and would want to have his work appreciated.
Capim laughed and showed the young Lt. his place and the data chip with his enhanced flavors and sensations next to the arranged plate. He poured a root beer into a frosty mug seemingly pulled from nowhere. "Please, let me know if it isnt to your liking, there are thousands of alternatives." He turned to see someone else sounding the Annunciation.
Lantiq arrived next and paused in the doorway. Bajorans were skilled in holograhic technology but the images projected in the dinning room were of excellent quality. Lantiq nodded in appreciation "I'm impressed Mister Jothy, an exceptional backdrop"
Capim bowed from the waist ever so slightly, "Peldar Kejal, pagh 'tem ranjet. please your seat is this way." He indicated the other end of the table opposite himself. a covered bowl sat there, the faint smell of spices and shrimp detectable. They all took their seat sand were waiting, Capim offered refills on drinks, Rakanthan Wheat Ale for Ryal.
Lantiq recognized the beer immediately. It was very rare, even now after years of clean up the Rakantha province's fields were still a shadow of their former productivity, having been badly polluted during the Occupation.
Hayley was the last to arrive, wearing a fresh uniform. She'd become caught up in a couple of jobs that needed doing and had forgoten about the dinner. After finishing up what was needed, she'd hurried back to her quarters, changed into a new uniform, than headed off for the dinner, "sorry i'm late"
Capim was delighted to see Lt. Lawson come through, even if it was just a little after the fact. He saw she might be embarrassed at the gaffe and gave her an out, " Oh Chief. I am so sorry, but I still haven't figured you out yet, what dish is it you would like most to have right now, think of anything, challenge me." He smiled wide, eager to impress.
Hayley shook her head, "I don't want to impose, I'll have whatever's going."
Capim was ready for a thousand answers and had plans to accommodate any of them, but that was not something he expected. He wouldn't be caught flat footed in front of these three, so he continued to smile and with barely a moments thought set to the controls. A moment later the re-sequencing Replicator produced a fine White Rice with wine sauce over fresh baked chicken using Klingon spices with a spiced sear somehow cooked into the chicken surface, honey rolls, snap garden peas and a glass of sparkling Prosecco to accompany.
With little ceremony he pulled out Lawson's seat and directed her to sit, speaking to all three of them Capim began his presentation. "I have a few devices I would like to be installed and added, but the good Admiral has wisely decided to let the senior staff decide if my... unique techniques and hardware would be a safe fit for Achilles." He revealed the holy trinity of his lifes work, The matter re-sequencer, the High detail replicator, and the holo-stack by activating a 3D display programmed into the table setting. Each piece was unique, and handcrafted by his father and brother, two engineers of remarkable skill and ingenuity.
"Study the schematics for a while, you will notice very little difference from the tech you currently use aboard, all devices are meant to interface seamlessly. The matter re-sequencer however carries a large subspace imprint as it is technically a Mining re-sequencing tool for asteroids and debris from scuttle-yards. We use it in conjunction with our replicator which I personally have tuned for years to perfection. Everything you are eating now is re-sequenced matter, run through a replicator matrix which adds and detracts whatever it need to produce the end result. By using this method I can create food out of virtually anything, and with the years of constant tweaking and adjusting I can even make foods which defy modern replicator programs."
He looked at each of them in turn, "How is the program affecting your Olfactory and Taste receptors Jsioasi? Are the tomatoes stewed to your satisfaction, Ryal? Is the bread fresh and airy Chief? These machines and years of refining are impossible to replace, and are a part of the services I wish to offer. Much like a family meat carving table carries generations of spices, or the cast iron cookware that never is washed but wiped and left "seasoned." This holo- image is more than pure illusion, the re-sequencing replicator makes the illusion as real as it can, these are real rocks, that is real water, all of it phased out of existence once it leaves the holo-stack otherwise we would all be swimming right now!" He smiled the whole time he talked and tried to pull off a serious face at the end but it was to no avail, he was beaming in pride over his work and nobody took him seriously with anything serious.
"There are costs however... cleaning it is a toxic affair, but thankfully only required after a small moons worth of processing materials. It can consume considerable power, 500 megajoules on average per hour at full capacity power if it is in his use, but standard usage is minimal consumption at best, 18% more demanding than your present systems are... though this would be the only console. The three of them work together to create any mood, any effect, I can even tune it to ships sensors if people want to experience the space around them as though the deck was invisible... and with Prometheus's current holo-emitters I can do much, but these holo-stacks triple the level of fine resolution and detail of the force-fields involved... I am babbling please enjoy yourselves and if you have any technical questions consult the diagram or just ask. Please enjoy your meals."
CONT
RSS Feed