Hobbit Meals for a Day - A LB3 Drabble Saga

July 05, 2024, 07:56:17 PM

New crew, I've been mulling over. I cheated and made the base images for the crew with a cheap AI, but it helped me start to visualize the characters. You can check out the image I made here. Please keep in mind it's very rough and not worthy of any real critique.

The basic pitch is as follows: Outpost LB3, lovingly called Lebowski, is a supply beacon located near the neutral zone with the Klingon Empire. It has a small crew of 6; A Commanding Officer, 2 Communications Officers, An Engineering Chief, and 2 Technicians. It is a dull and nearly pointless posting, but every once in a while something interesting happens! It is set in the rising tensions right between seasons 4 and 5 of DS9 (so 2372 for you nerds).

- Hobbit Meals for a Day -

1 - Breakfast Coffee

Captain Ryana LaCrosse stepped onto the tiny bridge holding two cups of coffee. “You’re up early.”

“Got a receiver down and I want to get it up before noon,” Crew Cheif Jonathan McHowle replied looking up.

“Sounds like you’ve got a busy day,” Ryana said walking over to him and holding out a cup.

“Here? Busy? Nah, I have a day in which I have something to do, so that’s a bonus.” Jonathan gladly took the offered beverage.

“You make it sound like this is a boring posting,” Ryana snorted in laughter.

“What? Me? Say that?” Jonathan replied sardonically. “Never!”

2 - Second Breakfast Croissant

“Right, we have a receiver down, so we have a volunteer to go on a spacewalk,” Jonathan said walking up and clapping his two young technicians on the shoulders.

2nd Tech Mikey Howard and 1st Tech Heather Jovanka looked away nervously.

“Okay, sounds like you both get to do it!” Jonathan exclaimed and shoved a box of croissants at them. “Eat up!”

“That’s not fair!” Heather complained taking a croissant.

“You’ve got to be kidding!” Mikey said in between bites of pastry.

“Safer this way. Glad you had the idea!” Jonathan chuckled.

The two humphed and ate in angry silence.

3 - Static for Elevensies

“Anything new to report?” Ryana said walking over to the comm officer.

Taikutsushita Hana looked up. He was called Taiku by the crew, for somewhat obvious reasons. “She is quiet today, only humming her sad song...”

“Does she really sound sad today?” Ryana asked.

“Only in that she sings of longing and fulfillment,” Taiku replied.

“You hear all that on those things?”

“One hears many things when one listens for them,” Taiku imparted wanly.

“If you hear her sing of any Klingons in the area, you let me know, okay?” Ryana nodded and turned.

“I most certainly will,” Taiku intoned.

4 - Girls Just Wanna Have Lunch

“Was it really that bad?” Charlie asked grabbing her tray and turning to look at the only other woman on the outpost her age.

“He hummed the whole time!” Heather huffed and grabbed her tray.

“Hummed?” Charlie asked looking for a place to sit.

“With the comm line open.” Heather quickly found an open spot and sat.

“And what did you do?” Charlie asked as she followed.

“Well, nothing, but I’m telling you, if he had kept humming a minute longer, I tell you what, I would do it.”

“You would do what?” Charlie asked quietly.

Heather muttered, “Well, something.”

5 - A Drop of Afternoon Tea

Ryana sat down in her tiny quarters with a steaming cup.

"Computer, begin recording," she said calmly taking a sip of her tea.

"Dear Dad,

"I know there was a lot of hope I'd get a better command than this, but let's face it, any command is something that looks good on a record form.

"And it's only for a few more rotations.

"Very little is going on out here. We're lucky if we see freighter a week come by. But I have a good crew, a little odd, but what else can you expect?"

She leaned back and smiled.

6 - A Typical Family Dinner

"Can you not do that?" Heather scowled.

"Do what?" Mikey complained.

"You're humming again."

Mikey retorted. "Am I not allowed to hum?"

"You know what?" Heather snapped.

"Children, peace!" Jonathan interjected, holding up three containers of steaming food. "I've got takeout."

"Why do I have to work with such a twerp?" Heather asked as she took her food.

Mikey took his and gave her a look. "Why do I have to work with such a bit-"

"Hey! No! We're a family here!" Jonathan said sternly. "Like all families, we didn't choose the one we got, but it's still our family."

7 - Soup for Supper

"Soup again?" Charlie asked walking up to the table.

"There a four hundred types of soup in that dispenser, I have had a different soup every evening and not sampled half of them," Taiku replied not looking up from his bowl.

"So... A long way left to go?" Charlie took a seat.

"A very long way," Taiku replied and at last looked up. "I see you are having dessert for supper again."

"Hey, it's nutrient enriched, it's not terrible for me," Charlie shot back.

"You should try soup."

Charlie shrugged. "Make me a chicken soup mousse and I just might."

8 - A Bite Before Bed

Jonathan was on the observation deck absently looking out at the stars when Ryana found him.

"Did you get it all accomplished?" Ryana inquired as she walked over to him.

"What all?" Jonathan asked turning to face her.

"All that you set out to do today," Ryana pressed gently.

"Oh, that? Yeah, I got it all done," Jonathan nodded.

"That's good," Ryana hummed softly. "Got big plans tomorrow?"

"Same thing I do every day," replied a shrugging Jonathan.

"Oh?"

Jonathan smirked. "Keep her royal highness's castle from springing a leak."

Ryana could not help but smile, at least a little.