Morning Tea (Part 1)

Posted on Thu Mar 12th, 2026 @ 6:44pm by Captain Violet Bluegarden & Lieutenant Commander Jo'ohn el'Ataa & Lieutenant Irril Sharvo

1,193 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: What's Past is Present
Location: Sharvo's Quarters

Lieutenant Sharvo Irril stood at the Replicator in his quarters debating what to order. When he was younger this was a much easier decision for him because he'd had pretty much the same breakfast his whole life. Irril's father had always had taspar eggs and fish juice prepared for them each morning while growing up. While they were Cardassian foods, Irril had never really considered their presence in his diet a problem because of the lies he'd been told growing up. Now though, that he knew the truth, he truly hated even the thought of having either for breakfast.

Nonetheless, what scared him the most was that he actually missed them. Taspar was a common Cardassian food that was considered a delicacy among their people. They were eaten boiled, but the truth was they weren't exactly a favorite food for the rest of the galaxy and even some Cardassians. Actually, most Cardassians were revolted by the sight of live taspar for its brownish color and a gelatinous consistency. Later, Irril learned this was just another way that the Cardassians worked to degrade the Bajorans by making them think the taspar was a wonderous meal.

Yet, he still missed it.

Sighing, Irril continued scrolling through the available options on the menu. Since joining Starfleet, Irril had made a point to try to identify new foods to eat that he may not have experienced in his childhood. What was most surprising though was how many of those items were Bajoran foods themselves. Many of the foods that he'd eaten as a child were actually Cardassian, which was a frightening prospect. His father really had fallen far as a collaborator. Finally, Irril chose and pressed the key.

On the small grid a cup of cela tea and makapa materialized. Picking up the plate and saucer, the Operations Manager walked over to the desk and sat down to check his morning messages. Taking a sip of the tea, he savored the flavors as he drank. Somewhat of a comfort food for him now, Irril wondered if the replicators had been programmed with the pattern of tea originating from Rakantha Province, as the monks there had been making the tea for centuries. Taking a piece of the makapa bread, he placed it in the tea for a moment before taking a bite. One of the best things about makapa was it brought out the best in foods it was paired with, and the cela tea was no exception. He smiled as he bit into the bread.

Then he heard something fall in his bathroom.

Turning from the desk, he looked at the door to the restroom. The crew quarters aboard The Sullivans weren't exactly what most Starfleet officers were accustomed to these days, but they were comfortable and featured technologies to prevent items from falling abruptly though inertial dampeners. If things were falling in his bathroom it was possible that those same pieces of equipment were failing, which would mean Engineering would have to tear apart his quarters to fix it. Sighing, he rose from his desk deciding to check what was happening rather than imagine the worst.

Walking over to the door, he pressed the release and was surprised by what he saw next. Standing in the shower stall he saw a naked Deltan (at least he thought he was Deltan) showering. The alien turned, saw him, and screamed, "Get out of here, you nosy little pervert, or I'm gonna slap you silly!"

"Sorry!" Sharvo stepped back and pressed the door control to shut the restroom. Pressing his communicator, "Security, this is Lieutenant Sharvo, there's a naked man in my shower?"

After Jo'ohn had just left his quarters, he recieved the emergency call. Reaching up, he tapped his commbadge. "I will be there momentarily, Lieutenant, El-Altaa out." He doubletapped his badge, ending the call, then picked up his pace. In less than two minutes, he was standing outside of Sharvo's quarters. One of his deputies had arrived at the same time, and nodded to the Betalgeusian.

"Stand ready, phaser on stun," the large avianoid grunted, as he pressed the door chime and announced their presence. "Lieutenant Sharvo, this is Lieutenant Commander El-Altaa from security. Please open the door."

Standing near to the door, Lieutenant Sharvo reached over and pressed the release button on the door. Looking at the Security Chief, he motioned toward the door, "He's in there."

As soon as the door panels slid apart into the bulkhead, Jo'ohn and his deputy stepped in, weapons drawn and ready. Moving past Sharvo, the security chief spoke over his shoulder. "Stay with the Lieutenant," he ordered his deputy. He then cautiously moved towards the bedroom, where Sharvobhad indicated the intruder was located. "I am Lieutenant Commander Jo'ohn el'Ataa, Chief Security Officer for the this vessel. You are ordered to step out and identify yourself."

"No you're not," the Deltan quickly answered, "I'm Lieutenant Tugril and I'm the Personnel Officer for this vessel, I know everyone aboard it, and what the Hell are you doing on my ship, and in my bathroom no less?"

After already experiencing another entity claiming to be a member of the crew. Lowering his weapon, he asked, "You believe the year is 2293, don't you?"

"Last time I checked," Tugril answered. "If you're going to interrogate me, mind if I get a towel?"

Jo'ohn shook his head slowly. "Regrettably, for you, it is actually 2373, and as far as procuring a towel, you are in a state of non-coporeality, so you would be unable to take possession of anything in our timeline."

"Ridiculous," Tugril protested as he stepped out of the sonic shower stall. "I can't believe how insane this all sounds, really," he reached for the towel and his hand went through it just as warned. "Hmm... well if that isn't a sticky wicket." The naked Deltan crossed his arms, "Wait, why aren't I falling through the floor?"

The Betalgeusian simply shrugged. "That, among other things, is a mystery." While he was not phased by the Deltan's nakedness, he knew that it would distract others. "In the meantime, do you see any garments or towels that you can put on?"

"You're just lucky I took an oath of celibacy," the Deltan said, flirting slightly as he said it. He looked around the room, "Sure my hands won't just go through the clothes like they did the towel?"

"My species is immune to Deltan pheromones," Jo'ohn replied. "And I was meaning, is there anything that is intangible to us, but you can pick up?"

The Deltan teased, "Shame, but you're not really my type anyway." He looked around the room, generally touching different things around the room and watching as his hand shimmered right through them.

"Might I suggest a towel?" Sharvo proposed from the doorway, wanting the guest out of his bathroom.

To be continued...

Posting by

Captain Violet Bluegarden
Commanding Officer
USS The Sullivans
2373

Captain Rebecca Bluegarden
Commanding Officer
USS The Sullivans
2293

Lieutenant Commander Jo'ohn El'Ataa
Chief Security//Tactical Officer
USS The Sullivans
2373

Lieutenant Irril Sharvo
Chief Operations Officer
USS The Sullivans
2373

Lieutenant Tugril
Chief Personnel Officer
USS The Sullivans
2293

RSS Feed