“One serving apple sauce,” she ordered. It listed what she had requested on a small screen with various pictures showing different varieties. She selected one and it appeared a moment later. In one swift motion the spoon went into the sauce and then her mouth. “It tastes so real,” she whispered to herself as she savoured it.
Looking around to make sure the galley was still empty she put the small bowl on the table and looked back at the materializer. “Peach sauce,” she ordered quietly. The screen displayed only two varieties and after she selected one it appeared in a similar bowl. She picked it up and smelled it. “Oh my God, Vindyne employees ate like kings.”
Putting it down, she giggled and looked at the materializer. “Okay, now let's try something a little more interesting. Banana cream with chocolate sprinkles in one bowl with a larger bowl on the side,” her eyes went wide as the built in computer concocted an image on the screen that depicted what she was looking for. Ashley selected it and a moment later she carefully took it out of the machine.
With great care and precision she poured the apple sauce and peach into the larger, empty bowl simultaneously so they were each taking up half the space then she transferred the fluffy banana cream on top. She just stared at it for a moment, holding her spoon at the ready.
“Having a late snack?” Stephanie asked as she walked into the galley.
“Couldn't sleep anymore, kept thinking about the magic food machine.”
“You know this thing can make a pair of boots in a few minutes just as easily as it can churn out chow,” Stephanie said as she took a spoon from the cup on the counter and made to join in on Ashley's snack.
“Oh no you don't! I created it, I'll eat it!” she called out, holding her spoon up like a weapon.
Stephanie laughed and shook her head. “What is it anyway?”
“Peach sauce on one side, apple on the other, banana cream with sprinkles on top,” Ashley said as she took her first spoonful of apple sauce and cream. She rolled her eyes and sighed after a moment, enjoying her creation.
Stephanie thought for a moment and snapped her fingers. “Hot chocolate pudding cake,” she said to the machine. “With whip cream,” she finalized her selection and it appeared, steaming in an insulated bowl.
Ashley eyed the fragrant desert as Stephanie took a seat at the table. “I've never seen that before.”
“It takes hours to make from scratch.”
She slowly inched her spoon towards Stephanie's bowl. “Can I try just a little-”
“Is your spoon-fu good enough? This is a test you should not undertake I think.” Stephanie said as she took an exaggerated defensive posture with her spoon.
“Fine, I'll just try it next time,” Ashley pouted. “I shouldn't have more than one desert a day anyway. Regular fitness supplements only do so much in regular doses.”
“You've got that right. This pudding is going straight to my hips. Especially if we spend this much time in hyperspace between jobs.” She took a bite of steaming cake and pudding. “Then again, we could always have this machine add all our nutritional and physical maintenance supplements to deserts.”
Ashley's eyes lit up. “Nooo, you're kidding right?”
“Nope, too many alterations change the flavour though. We could experiment.”
Finn walked into the galley, glanced at the two women and their deserts then stopped at the materializer. “Chocolate flavoured meal replacement bar, eight ounces.” After a moment it appeared and he sat down.
Ashley and Stephanie just stared at him silently.
“What?” He asked around a bite of his snack.
“You could order any of twenty thousand dishes and you get an energy bar?” Stephanie asked.
“It's breakfast. We're coming out of hyperspace soon.”
Ashley checked the time on her small wrist computer and boggled for a moment. “You're right, it's a lot later than I thought.”
“You mean earlier. It's oh-four hundred.”
“Still night time,” she retorted as she slowly scooped a spoon full of peach and cream.
“Only if you're on certain worlds. Local clocks are all different than Coreworld Time,” Stephanie added.
“I still think it's night time. They call it night watch anyway.”
The three ate their snacks quietly, Finn and Stephanie enjoying foods they hadn't had in a long time and Ashley savouring something that she had only dreamt of.
When Finn finished his bar he ordered another and made his way to the bridge. Captain Valance was already there, looking over a hologram of a silver hulled ship doing combat with a carrier twice its size. It looked like a sleek antique vessel attacking a modern killing machine, only the antique was winning in brutal fashion.
“Good morning,” Finn said as he handed the meal replacement bar to him.
“It's still night cycle,” he replied as he rotated the combat scenario viewpoint.
“I've never seen a ship like that before, what's it called?” Asked Finn.
“The First Light. The database we stole from those old ships we're hauling says it's called the Sunspire now.”
“Looks like it's tearing that carrier to shreds, none of her fighters have a chance either.” The losing ship exploded outward from the center.
Jake stopped the playback and zoomed in to the impact area. “They must have thrown a couple hundred kilograms of antimatter at this thing along with God knows what else. Headed straight on as well, no fear or hesitation in the tactical approach.”
“That hull might be pretty thick, I hear they were paranoid when they built some of the long range ships a couple hundred years ago.”
“Sudden decompression is something everyone avoids however they can. I just can't believe what this database is telling me,” Jake said quietly, Finn could barely hear him.
“What's that sir?” Finn asked as he checked the ship's status.
Captain Valance sat quietly looking at the profile of the silver ship in front of him. Just when Finn thought Jake wasn't going to answer he chuckled and went on. “Apparently I Captained this ship. There was a ridiculous bounty on my head and in the database I'm still marked as being in custody. Vindyne had it out for me and it looks like I was caught.”
Stephanie and Ashley came through the bridge doorway then and judging from their expressions they had heard the Captain's last statement.
He went on. “I was the Captain of a long range Freeground destroyer. That explains my military experience. I think I know how to call home,” he said quietly. “Too bad it would take over two months for any message to get there.”
“Two months?” Ashley asked, shaking her head as she settled into the pilot's station.
“Unless I get something through the high priority Newsnets, then it might be a little over a week.”
“Expensive,” Stephanie said as she started sending wake alarms to several crew members through the communications station, starting with Cynthia. “I know it would cost my entire savings to send a short encrypted burst.”
“I'll see if I can get the Aucharians to help. Otherwise we might be taking whatever we get paid for this run and making like civilians. I think the crew deserves a vacation on Enreega.”
“It would also give your daughter a chance to catch up to us,” Ashley pointed out as she checked the pilot's station.
“Exactly. It would give the crew a chance to contact their families and get some rest too.”
“Won't the politicians want you to follow them around for a while sir? You know, now that you're a bit of a celeb,” Stephanie asked with a wry grin.
Captain Valance cringed visibly. “Okay, maybe we'll find a port that isn't quite right in their political center.”
“Coming out of hyperspace in five seconds,” Ashley announced.
Jake moved to the copilot's seat and was ready just in time.
The defensive platform cleared them in short order and their vessel was scanned by small support craft as they were directed to the main military port. Once there they dropped the captured cargo hauler and its train, leaving it behind for the Privateering committee to assess and manage, they were directed to dock with the large, round hospitality ring at one end of the massive shipyard.