Starbase 113: Real Not Replicated

Posted on 2024, Sat Feb 3rd, @ 1:04am by

1,020 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Getting Ready (Character Development)OUTPOST
Location: Food Court 6
Timeline: Current

Francis Scott couldn't believe the smells which were coming from 'Real Not Replicated' one of the sellers within Food Court Six. The closer she got to the service counter the better the smells were. She'd been in the line for twenty minutes, she could have gotten something from the wall of replicators, or any of the other sellers but she wanted whatever this place was selling.

Watching as two uniformed servers carried out another large tray, followed by six more large boilers, she missed realizing she was at the counter area, and she'd missed the young girl taking orders question.
"Sorry, I was......"
"Drowning in total pleasure." Janine answered. "What would you like? Today we have eight different soups, five stew casserole or as we're calling them wet dishes, three pasta dishes, nine sandwich selections, four seafood creations, six desserts, and of course our coffee, tea, juice, smoothies or cordials. And we've just introduced our meal selections."

"You only had coffee, yesterday right?"

Janine nodded. "We got our first delivery from Kalk or real food, nothing replicated. Our kitchen creators come up with choices we can make from whatever we get. We're also now taking orders if you'd like to select what bundle you'd like." Janine needed to have that recorded, so she didn't need to keep saying it.

"I want everything, I thought replicated was great, but boy it doesn't smell this good. How do I heat it?"

Janine handed her a small black disc. "Just hold the disc against your replicator, and it will allow the replicator functions to modify. Sit your meals where the meals usually appear, and the replicator will regulate the area. When you want something place the yellow dot on the container, and the replicator will heat to the recommended temperature. If you'd like your replicator to be modified so you can make your own choice, simply notify Damage by placing a request. You can elect to have your replicator replaced or modified."

"Thank you. What soups are there?"

"Today we have, Ajiaco. Cream of Broccoli, Broccoli cheese and potato, leek, leek and potato, chicken, chicken and vegetable and Broccoli bacon beef and vegetable. Wet dishes are Cathy's country, Marley's Mushrooms. Chicken Stew, Broccoli and beans and Vegetable Melody. Pasta you can have lasagna, Anelletti al forno or Bucatini all'amatriciana."

"Stop, you're going to give me a heart attack. How about I make it your choice. I'll have three of your largest tubes of soup. Three of your largest serves of wet. Three of your largest serves of pasta. Three sandwhiches. Six different desserts, and five of my regular coffees and one medium milk shake."

"Done. And because you just gave me another serving option. I'll toss in six rolls for free." Mark Webber the owner stated. Swiping her card, he grabbed the containers and started to fill them.

"This isn't going to disappear right?"

"No. I've entered into an agreement we'll get a delivery every day, and what we'll create depends on what we get. Our choices will depend on what we get. The way we serve may change, but we're going nowhere."

Reaching across and snagging his shirt, she dragged him closer and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "And that's from my taste buds." Francis laughed. "I'll be back."

Hanging tightly to her box of goodies, so no one stood a chance of taking them, Francis stepped away from the counter and headed back to her quarters and her waiting family.

"Lord where did you go? I thought I was going to send out a search and rescue team?" Her husband didn't move from the table, he merely rearranged what was spread out, over the table.

"What smells so great mum?"

"The coffee shop, I get our coffee from now does meals. Home mad, nothing from the replicator. They get daily deliveries from Kalkarindji and they're making dishes each day from what comes." She opened the lids and breathed in the delicious smells. "Apparently you put this on the replicator and place what's not eaten in it's container where the replicator would normally create your meal and it turns the replicator into some sort of long term keeper. Place the yellow dot on what you want, and it is heated or... whatever and then you eat or drink." Francis made her soup selection by smell.

"Which explains why engineering's got thousands of requests to have food storage facilities installed around the station."

"Can you put us on that list?"

"I'll snag a FSD and bring it home with me and activate it myself."

"That's like we're going back in time."

"Replicators won't go anywhere, they save space and give those on ships choices they wouldn't have. However, there's always going to be people who say fresh is best and reckon they can taste the difference."

"Can't you? I can, the bits of meat actually aren't spongy. Each bit I'm tasting has a different taste."

"You eat because your body needs to be fueled. Replicators provide that fuel."

"Come on Dad, you can take the leash off your taste buds. Let them breathe."

Francis smiled.

=/\= Lt Scott. Engineering. =/\=

=/\= Scott here.=/\=

=/\= CEO requests you report to the Ross sir. We've received a distress call, the commodore wants additional medical, engineering and marines onboard. She's due to depart in seventeen minutes sir. Full suit sir.=/\=

=/\=On way. Scott out.=/\= Tipping the last of his coffee into his mouth, he kissed his wife, then his son, and started towards his go gear, snagging his suit and headed for the door.

"I'll see you in a couple of days." He called stepping through the door and disappearing.

"I wonder what happened?"
"I'm sure you'll find out before I will." Francis pulled the dessert away and pointed her spoon at the unfinished soup.
"Mum! I'm a growing man, I need variety."
"And you will get variety, just in my order." Francis answered. "How are you possibly going to get all the information from your mates, if your belly is growling?"

"Can I send the request to Damage and Engineering? Can we do it before Dad's back?"

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