The Benefit of Sustenance

Posted on Fri 11th Jun, 2021 @ 7:31am by Anne da Silva & Voareth Darqaron

1,787 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Waging Peace
Location: Shake and Slake Diner
Timeline: MD-2, 1245 hours

Voareth became hungry as she strolled about the promenade, the gardens, and the river walk. She had made a few purchases in regards to jewelry and clothing but nothing too grand at the moment. Those purchases were made mostly to look more the part of an interested patron as opposed to someone casing the place to pull off some deadly deed later.

She did catch up to her Ferengi prey and tailed the man for a time. He constantly looked everywhere and seemed to have been takin mental notes. Voareth understood the Ferengi to be very good in business and with money. They had wonderful memories and if he saw Voareth’s face too many times, he would certainly have become suspicious. So, Voareth decided to break off and shop about.

Seeking out an eatery, she continued past the Slug and Grub Diner, seeing a Ferengi female running the show. If her prey was somehow related or had business inside the diner, she certainly did not want to be there in the event that he was, in fact, documenting the number of times he saw her face. Voareth wanted to keep that to a minimum, until he got a close up view of her face…at the moment of his death.

Voareth was still in her casual outfit. She held a bag swinging by her side about half filled with garments and other jewelry she felt suited her tastes. Though hardened over the years and the decades, Voareth decided it was time to try putting on a smile and meeting some of the people. If she was to be here for a few days, she certainly did not wish to be remembered as the silent one, always walking around, as though looking for someone to kill.

She entered the Shake and Slake Diner and there came an inviting chime alerting the diner that someone had entered. She was already looking around for strategic points, areas to avoid, the exits. There was but one exit.

Business was brisk today, Anne da Silva thought as she seated a group at one of the large booths and heard the door chime ring yet again. She left the group with menus and silverware and glanced toward the door. Her eyes widened.

Whoever the woman at the hostess stand was, she had presence. That was the only word Anne could think of to describe it--excellent posture, lithe, athletic body, queenly demeanor, intense gaze. How all eyes weren't instantly drawn to the woman, Anne couldn't imagine as she walked toward her. "Good afternoon, Ma'am. Welcome to the Shake and Slake Diner. Would you prefer a booth, a table, or a seat at the bar?" She collected a menu and a rollup to give the woman a moment to decide.

Voareth looked around briefly. With only the one exit with the added confidence in the door chime, she decided there was no need to request seating so she could keep an eye on the door. Having just arrived, no one knew who she was, her past or her choice of career. In this strange and new region of space she had no enemies nor warrants. Not yet.

A quick survey of the people already inside the diner indicated no threat to her. There were but a few eyes on her, but merely curious eyes. They quickly returned to their food and company.

“A seat at the bar, please.” Voareth was hoping for some conversation as well as sustenance.

"Come right this way," Anne said with a smile and led her new guest to the bar. Once the woman chose a stood, Anne placed the menu and the rollup in front of her. "I'll give you a few minutes to look over the menu, and if you have any questions, just ask me. I'm Anne, and I'm the owner of this place."

“Thank you and well met. I am Voareth,” then she realized she normally did not give out her name as freely as that. Something about Anne’s personality and demeanor seemed freeing and opening.

"Voareth? That is an unusual and beautiful name," Anne said. "Hold that thought," she added as another customer signaled to her.

Voareth looked at the menu as Anne stepped away to tend to other guests. She did not know what to make of any of the items listed. None of it she had heard of before. She did find something that sounded appealing, but Voareth had a question of Anne before she was to make a final decision. She placed the menu down, then turned to setting up her eating area with what she had; just a set of utensils rolled up in a napkin. Unrolling it, Voareth placed the utensils evenly and equidistantly from where a plate was going to be. She made sure everything was straight. The napkin, she tucked a corner into the neck of her blouse and let the rest drape over her upper torso. Making sure her hair was all hanging down her back, Voareth adjusted her headdress and had finished preparing herself for a meal. She needed only to order.

Anne returned from serving her other guests.

“I do have a question for you,” and after a brief pause, “Anne,” she felt odd calling her by name. “Your meat, especially this,” she looked back at the menu to ensure her memory was accurate, “Chicken-Fried Steak? Where does this meat come from and how is it prepared?” Voareth really wanted to ask if the meat came from worthy prey but felt that question to only return more questions.

"The beef for that is mainly vat grown, just because of economics," Anne said. "This being a starbase, we don't have room for cattle to graze, and my meal prices would go through the roof if I sourced from grass-fed cattle raised on a ranch."

Voareth nodded approvingly. Vat-grown meat was OK as it was not detrimental to the spirit of the hunter in any way. It really provided no benefit aside from being sustenance. As long as it was not a detriment…”I will have that then. And tea to drink.”

"Coming right up," Anne said. "Did you want any sides, or just the steak and gravy with tea?"

Voareth looked at the menu again and ventured her eyes to the sides section. Doing a quick perusal, her attention got stuck on the ‘fried’…”okra(?),” she said aloud. “No, sorry. I…do not want that.” Voareth was wondering if she should inform Anne that ‘okra’ as it seemed to have been pronounced was the Hirogen word for ‘feces.’

She did enjoy the sound of something being fried as it gave sense of violence to the preparation. “Fried cheese…and…” she also liked the word “Poached egg. I do believe that will be all.”

Anne chuckled. "I'll eat your fried okra. Fried cheese and poached egg with the chicken-fried steak actually sounds like a lovely combination. Do you want it all at once, or would you like the fried cheese as an appetizer?"

‘Appetizer?,” she thought. It was a concept she had not encountered before but, new region of space, new ways. “Appetizer, yes.”

Anne tapped her PADD and sent the order to the kitchen. She filled a glass of iced tea for Voareth and set it on the counter in front of her. "Sweetener's in this little container, if you want it."

As Anne cleared dirty dishes and tumblers off the countertop, Voareth went on, “Can you tell me, some, of this region of space?” Voareth asked. “If it is not obvious, I am quite new here.”

"I figured you were new to the station, since I've never seen you here before," Anne said. "I didn't realize you were new to this region of space, too. Welcome! Let's see, what can I tell you? We're on the edge of a region called the Triangle. It's an unaligned area bordered the United Federation of Planets, the Klingon Empire, and what's left of the Romulan Star Empire. The Triangle's inhabited by freewheeling folks--you know, the type who can't stand a homeowners' association. We've got pirates, loosely-allied planets in little clusters here and there, and then the three Big and Baddies all around us. The main feature of the planetary system we're in is a gas giant called Namakaa. I don't know much about it, except that it's very pretty to look at, all blue and lavender. Where are you from?"

Voareth listened with profound intent. She enjoyed the sound of loose alliances, piracy, and the like. That would certainly make her work here more interesting and profitable. Her hunts would especially prove interesting. There was one thing she latched on to and that was Anne mentioning the United Federation of Planets. So, Voareth was close to it, on the border no less. She did not wish to ask too many questions regarding the Federation though as her ill intentions toward the Federation might become realized. If this station had such personnel on board, Voareth would have to be very careful. She inwardly smiled at the notion.

“A place far off,” she responded. Though originally from El-Auria, Voareth decided to not even mention the name. It was not a place she wanted to claim. “No single homeworld, really, to speak of, but I hail from a region of space occupied by the Hirogen. I understand if you have not heard of it.”

"They're from the Delta Quadrant, aren't they? That's about all I know of them." A bell chimed. Anne collected a round ceramic plate from the kitchen window and set it in front of Voareth. It contained four strips of cheese, lightly breaded and served with a tangy, red sauce to dip them in. "That should take the edge off until the rest of your meal comes," Anne said. "Be careful; the cheese will be hot."

Voareth, repositioned her silverware accordingly, making sure her spoon, fork and knife were all straight and equidistant apart as well as positioned with relation to the plate of food. She adjusted the napkin hanging from the neck of her blouse. Her setting up of the eating area appeared very ritualistic. “I will certainly keep that in mind,” she said. “And I thank you.”

Anne glanced over the restaurant. The noon hour was over now, and the lunch crowd had begun to die down. Good; that would give her more time to get acquainted with her new customer. "You're welcome. So what brings you here, when this place is so far from where you came from?" Anne paused, looking a tiny bit embarrassed, but mostly curious. "I'm being nosy. You don't have to answer that if you don't want to."

 

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