Technically a Lunch Break

Posted on Sun Apr 19th, 2026 @ 6:29pm by Petty Officer 1st Class Alexis Aenera & Lieutenant JG Tuhjer Mil

2,765 words; about a 14 minute read

Mission: Flight Of The Valkyries
Location: USS Tokyo - Mess Hall

Tuhjer and Alexis arrived into the messhall and approached a replicator.

"Ladies first, ". Tuhjer insisted. It wasn't just about manners but also giving him time to decide what he wanted. He had several ideas but wasn't sure if they were his own or those of previous hosts and what they enjoyed for lunch.

“Thank you, sir.” Alexis smiled and began a motion to give him a proper Roman curtsy with had flourish, but stopped herself just as she started the motion as she realized that the setting wouldn’t be ‘proper’. Her cheeks reddened slightly, though she hid it by turning her face away to face the replicator. After a thought, she decided on a cheese manicotti with what the computer said was a ‘robust’ tomato sauce and went with a pair of cannoli that were supposed to have a chocolate flavor to the filling of ricotta. Selecting water to drink, she picked up her tray and stepped away, clearing the replicator, “we’ll see if these are any better than the ‘Authentic’ ravioli from yesterday. Authentic, my ass.”

Tuhjer smirked at the comment. He approached the replicator. "One bowl of Yehra'tor Stew with extra dumplings." The dish soon appeared.

“Given that it’s my home culture, I take my Italian dishes rather seriously. My mother would be horrified with what the replicator offers.” Alexis led them towards a table that she had scouted out, “But at least I don’t need to watch the carbs anymore now that I’m no longer in competitions. And we’ll see if these are any match for mine.” She tapped the crispy outer crust of the cannoli.

As they sat at the table, Tuhjer stirred his stew "This is a traditional Trill dish. My mother makes a mean bowl of it back home. It's spicy but with a sweet taste. "

“That actually sounds pretty good.” She remarked, using the edge of her fork to cut into the manicotti, squeezing the ricotta/parmesan mixture out the end, “So long as it’s not wriggly and alive like gagh or most of what the Klingons eat, I’d be willing to try it.” She slid the piece of pasta with cheese into her mouth and chewed delicately, pausing for a few seconds with a slight sigh, “Just as I figured.”

"You are welcome to try some, if you wish to." Tuhjer offered. "It's a meat stew with root vegetables. The meat is from an animal called a Sequ, kind of similar to a cow on Earth." Tuhju continued.

“I’ll probably order it tomorrow, or maybe for dinner tonight. As for now, I made my bed, now I’ll sleep in it.” She poked sullenly at the manicotti, but firmed up her face and began to eat it without paying much attention to it, “I have definitely found that the replicators don’t do pasta all that well and their tomato sauces just come out bland and textureless.” She made a motion with her fork, “I really need my little garden to grow up, I managed to secure some space in Hydroponics for some tomato plants and a handful of types of herbs. Mom made sure I was sent with a copy of her recipe book, which is sitting on the shelf next to my own.”

"Ah so are you, what's the expression, ah yes, green fingered when it comes to your tomatoes and herbs? ." Tuhjer asked

“Technically, it’s called a ‘green thumb’, but I do happen to have a bit of that ability, plus a major assist from one of the NCOs in Science who’s helping me keep an eye on them.” Alexis smiled fondly at the memory of the first shoots of the plants coming up and the real garden back on Roma Nueva they had, “And there’s nothing like freshly made pasta and a homemade sauce to go with it, fragrant and hearty, unlike this pasty stuff.” She finally ended the suffering of the last bite of the pasta on her plate and chafed her sight to the cannoli. “Now I’m hesitant to try dessert.”

“Green thumb, hm? I’ll make a note of that,” Tuhjer said with a small smile. “As for dessert… I keep wondering whether my favourite from home is in the replicator menu. It’s called a Glyuhro. It's something like a trifle, though richer. The main ingredient is the Ostu fruit, a deeply flavoured, sweet variety used in all sorts of dishes. Most people know it from the Glyuhro itself, or from the liqueur Abrinah.”

He paused, a hint of pride in his voice. “I actually have a bottle of Abrinah in my quarters.”

“That does sound interesting,” Alexis paused a moment, “Both, that is. Perhaps I could taste a sample at some point, see if I can work something like it into some of my own dishes.” She picked up the cannoli and took a delicate bite. At least the pastry shell wasn’t badly done, but as she tasted the filling shell resigned herself to finishing the bite, but no more than that. Finally swallowing, she put the rest of it down, “Okay, I’m not a snob, I promise you, but on my worst days, I can make something better than that. That is… Horrible.” She gave him an apologetic smile, “You’re definitely not catching me on my best day, sir, but I’ll make up for it. Tomorrow morning, I’ll bring in some danishes or the like, then you can taste what a real pastry tastes like. And not replicated, freshly made.”

“My mother avoids using a replicator. She is a strong advocate for using fresh ingredients whenever possible, to the point that we maintain a very large vegetable garden and an orchard, and she regularly visits the local market for fresh produce. She won’t stop anyone else from using a replicator, but she has resigned herself to not using one.”

"Shall I order two Glyuhro's from the replicator or do you have something else in mind for your dessert? " he asked.

“If you’re going to do something for yourself already, count me in; otherwise…” She shook her head, “My roommates already love me, I make my own pasta, and they’re looking forward to my first crop. And when I have time, they are already over my shoulders while my baking cools down. I have to replicate most of the ingredients, but we have a kitchen in our suite, which they always keep clean for me.”

"Alright, I’ll get two. I really hope you like it. My mum makes hers from scratch and it’s honestly unbelievable. Just a heads‑up, though: if you’re trying to lose weight, her Glyuhro is the kind of thing that destroys all good intentions."

“If I were worried about my weight, I’d have stopped my own baking and cooking long ago.” Alexis smiled widely, “I get enough exercise to burn it off. Have you ever see a gymnastic workout? Sometimes I wonder if I actually consume enough calories.”

Tuhjer brought two Glyuthro's with spoons to the table. "If you're not having enough calories, this will fix it and then some. Enjoy "

Alexis took a close look at the indeed trifle-looking dessert in front of her and twirled it around her fingers by the handle before dipping it through the dessert and bringing it to her mouth to taste it, yes brightening I delight, “This is really good! Tastes a lot like.. hmm.. Mango… With a bit of pineapple to it as well.” She smiled, “Two fruits we can’t get to grow at home, no tropical enough environments that it has taken to.”

"I'm not familiar with either pineapple or mango so I will take your word on that. I'm glad you like it. I wonder if either fruit would grow on Trill. We do have tropical climate in the Venar region. Ostu fruit juice is beautiful, especially when chilled and mixed with a sparkling white wine." Tuhjer added, eating his dessert.

“With this flavour profile, if it’s accurate, I can only imagine. That would go wonderfully with a whitefish and gnocchi.” She pondered another moment, “Something to think about for the future, I think.”

"Absolutely. There is a term used on Trill which refers to a cuisine derived from other ideas and ingredients that are off-world, which is Hacyuem, which means Fusion."

“Much the same use of the term Fusion is used back on Old Earth.” Alexis nodded, taking another bite of the dessert, which did share some of the flaws in the sweetener usage by the replicator, but less so than the cannoli, which was much more tolerable. “On Rome, we call it ficticibum, especially when there are immigrants from other worlds who wish to share their own home cultures. You’d be surprised how the different cultures' spices and ingredients mix with the classics.”

"Exploration goes beyond travelling to new places, whether across our own planet or out into the cosmos. It’s about testing new ideas, expanding the edges of the familiar, and daring to imagine what might be possible." Tuhjur replied.

“On that, sir, we have total agreement.” Alexis added, “That’s part of why I volunteered for the Exchange Program between Starfleet and the Imperial Navy, to get out and see what’s out in the great wide galaxy. I didn’t even wait to go through an abbreviated Starfleet Academy program to become an officer, like I am at home; I was too eager to get out into the black. So far, I haven’t been disappointed, a far cry from Rome’s area of influence, but the technologies are relatively similar.”

"I will be honest here," Tujher spoke, after finishing another spoonful of his dessert. "I don't know anything about where you are from or the Imperial Navy. Do forgive my ignorance. Perhaps you could give me something to read to help me?"

“Absolutely, I can, if you’re that interested in it.” Alexis smiled at him, “But I’ll try to find something other than the Constitution or ‘The Complete History of the Imperial Republic of Roma Nueva’, those are just really dry and hard to take in one lump. I was required to read and understand both given…” She trailed off and picked back up, “But again, it’s Home to me, and since my family dates back for six of the seven generations, it does come naturally. But I’m sure somewhere in my thirty-two years of life I’ve seen something that should do a decent job of educating you, rather than boring you to death.”

"I am always interested in learning about different cultures. The very nature of differences has fascinated me since I was very young; if I saw something different in some way or in a way I didn't expect, I would have to know more and understand it. " Tuhjer explained.

"Well, sir, I can guarantee you that the differences between the Federation and the Republic are more than just a little. The Caesar actually has real power, but the Senate can overrule him with a simple majority vote, so he has to keep that in mind when he makes any decrees." Alexis gave a smile, "But I'll let you read up on it yourself. I'll find that book for you."

"I would appreciate that. You know what they say about someone having real power? It comes with great responsibility, and too often, throughout history, absolute power corrupts absolutely." Tuhjer replied.

“Sic Semper Tyrannis.” Alexis agreed, “And thus to tyrants. We have a series of protocols regarding that as well. While it requires a supermajority of the Senate, a Caesar can be deposed. If they give up their power willingly, it can even be peaceful and they are allowed to retire out of public life. If they refuse, then the Praetorians get involved. It only took an early Caesar to prove the message of the Constitution and in the history of Roma Nueva, only one Caesar has ever had to be… Forcibly removed from office, the other three stepped down when presented with the Decree. Life on Rome revolves around service to the community, with a heavy emphasis on military service, even if just as Legionnaires or Support.” She smiled fondly, with a trace of bitterness, “And we can be a force to be reckoned with in determination. During the Dominion War, we were invaded by a mixed Jem’hadar and Cardassion force. They had to destroy the entirety of Home Fleet to get to the planet, but the Army and Reserves kept up the good fight until our outer defense forces rallied with Starfleet’s Sixth Fleet to reclaim the orbitals. Since then, we’ve been rebuilding.” She remembered looking up at the sky as a child while new stars formed briefly and vanished in the night, even then being whisked off to a protective bunker.

"Oh right. Hmm. I was fortune to have not been caught up in the Dominion War. We ought to get back to work I suppose. Can't have our superior officer's having an excuse to reprimand us, can we?"

“Yeah, we probably should, though I’d probably laugh my butt off to see that Ensign yell at us.” She grinned as she stood, “Poor kid, at least I can help her where she needs it, part of a senior NCO’s job, you know, help with the younger generations of officers.”

"Oh, you mean Ensign Syaro Kirimi, she's the acting Chief Engineer, the job I turned down. " Tuhjer replied.

“That’s her indeed, she’s trying hard, I can tell that much, but she’s still pretty green overall.” Alexis gave him a small shrug, “Everyone’s gotta start somewhere, though.”

" I do, kind of regret, turning down the job of Chief Engineer. It would have taken the pressure off of Kirimi if I had taken it. But, despite being considered qualified, I didn't think I was ready to be a department head.". Tuhjer replied. He thought for a moment, realising he might have been given different quarters with the role.

“Only one person knows if they’re ready for that sort of responsibility, and that’s the person themselves.” Alexis placed her tray in the replicator and hit the recycle button, the contents vanishing into energy. They brought her hand up over her heart, “Respect for knowing your limits, but don’t sell yourself short, sir, you may be more ready than you might think and if I see glimmers of that, don’t be surprised if I nudge you towards reconsidering, if that’s an option. Best not to waste a good resource.”

"Well, the role is taken now so nothing really to reconsider. Whether that will change in the distant future is hard to say really. There's nothing to suggest that Kirimi won't be given the CEO as a permanent fixture with appropriate rank."

“But for now, it’s only an Acting position for her and as an Ensign, unlikely she’ll keep it unless she exceeds expectations. I’ve seen it happen, but more than likely it’ll go to a new arrival in the future, or maybe offered to someone else present on board.” Alexis used her hands to weigh the point, “Jupiter only knows. We’ll have to see what happens, now, won’t we?”

“More likely a new arrival. It certainly won’t be me—not this time. I was the ACEO aboard the Broadsword, and that was more than enough for one lifetime. That’s why I requested the transfer. My hand would have to be severely forced before I’d even consider accepting the CEO position here."

He spoke the words with a weary finality as he placed his empty bowl into the replicator, watching it dissolve the remnants and reclaim the matter for reuse.

She gave him a curious look, but one thing that she believed I was one’s own self-determination. She wanted to ask what happened aboard Broadsword that would make him shy away from the position so hard, but if he wanted to tell her, that was up to him, maybe something for the future. “Well then, we’ll just have to do our best to support Ensign Kirimi, won’t we? Like the Port nacelle, so onwards we go.”

" Indeed. Let's go."

END:

Mission Post by:

Lieutenant (jg) Tuhjer Mil
Engineer
USS Tokyo

Petty Officer 1st Class Alexis Aenera
Engineering NCO
USS Tokyo

RSS Feed