Post by pinksoyuz on Oct 24, 2009 2:49:42 GMT -5
Today, Nadia counted, would be the fourth day in a row that she was eating toast with marmalade. A cup of warmed reconstituted milk rounded off the meal, though the rigorous testing schedule meant that she was eating the dinner well into the early hours of the morning. It wasn't bad though, she thought, seeing as how she had made significant headway gathering experimental data on the Zaku II MPSET sans the cooling system issue that limited the scattering equipment's operation time.
Resting her chin on her hand, she took another bite out of the golden coloured piece of bread before setting it down on the dull tin plate. Another sip of milk and she was back to staring into the mess kitchen that remained eerily silent save for low drone of the automatic washer operating. Then, out of curiosity, she picked up her helmet that rested beside her and looked into the mirrored visor, tugging down on the skin below her eyes before realizing that the days at Solomon were not only taking their toll on her mind, but her body as well. She just wasn't used to working this hard.
"My assistants are telling me that you've been working a lot these past few days," came a voice from the entrance into the mess hall.
Nadia immediately averted her eyes towards one of the entrances, and upon seeing Gerald she placed her helmet down and waved, exclaiming, "Gerald!"
Gerald began to walk towards Nadia with a smile, though he looked a bit surprised to see her in such a state.
"Good God, Nadia. What've you been doing to yourself lately?" he asked in a playful tone, taking a seat across the table from her.
Laughing, the female test pilot replied, "Well, now that you mention it, I've been watching way too many movies late at night! But don't tell anyone!"
"Really?" he said while trying to look as surprised as possible.
Still smiling, Nadia stared at Gerald for a moment before looking back down at her food and confessing, "Nah, I'm just getting old, Gerald."
"Your birthday's coming up soon, isn't it?" Gerald inquired, looking a bit more serious this time.
Nadia immediately looked up at her tutor and exclaimed, "I'm fine! It was a joke!"
"I know, I know," he responded, "But really, your birthday's coming up right?"
"Yeah, but what about it?" she asked.
"What about it?" he repeated before placing a small plastic bag on the table. "What about it you ask? Well, before I came back from my little vacation with the missus and my kids, I got you something that you might enjoy."
His fingers worked at releasing the knot that he had made earlier and in no time he was pulling out a package of beef jerky and other little snacks. Nadia instantly stood up to take the foodstuffs from Gerald, but her assault was deflected when he swiftly scooped the contents away from her reach.
Shaking his index finger disapprovingly, Gerald said, "Wait a minute! First, I'm hungry too. So, how about we make a little trade? Your toast for these things."
"Take it!" she shouted, shoving her tray in front of Gerald before reaching for the snacks.
The man picked up one of the half eaten pieces and mentioned, "God, Nadia. You act like a kid sometimes, you know," before folding the piece of toast and shoving the entire thing into his mouth.
"You don't even know what I had to eat here while you were gone," she retorted while rolling her eyes, "and besides, I haven't had this stuff in a long time either."
Gerald's face quickly cringed and he nearly spat out his food, but instead he managed to force it down, taking a big gulp from Nadia's cup much to her protest. "Ugh, what'd you put on it?"
"Marmalade, what else?" Nadia replied, seemingly confused.
"It's bitter!"
"Well, it's made with Seville oranges, so yeah," she affirmed, "but don't you like it?"
Shaking his head no, Gerald downed the rest of Nadia's drink while sustaining several of of her weak punches to his shoulder. After slamming the metal cup down, he stood up and made a dash for one of the exits while avoiding being hit by the same cup after Nadia had thrown it at him.
"Then I'll be seeing you tomorrow! And good night!"
Resting her chin on her hand, she took another bite out of the golden coloured piece of bread before setting it down on the dull tin plate. Another sip of milk and she was back to staring into the mess kitchen that remained eerily silent save for low drone of the automatic washer operating. Then, out of curiosity, she picked up her helmet that rested beside her and looked into the mirrored visor, tugging down on the skin below her eyes before realizing that the days at Solomon were not only taking their toll on her mind, but her body as well. She just wasn't used to working this hard.
"My assistants are telling me that you've been working a lot these past few days," came a voice from the entrance into the mess hall.
Nadia immediately averted her eyes towards one of the entrances, and upon seeing Gerald she placed her helmet down and waved, exclaiming, "Gerald!"
Gerald began to walk towards Nadia with a smile, though he looked a bit surprised to see her in such a state.
"Good God, Nadia. What've you been doing to yourself lately?" he asked in a playful tone, taking a seat across the table from her.
Laughing, the female test pilot replied, "Well, now that you mention it, I've been watching way too many movies late at night! But don't tell anyone!"
"Really?" he said while trying to look as surprised as possible.
Still smiling, Nadia stared at Gerald for a moment before looking back down at her food and confessing, "Nah, I'm just getting old, Gerald."
"Your birthday's coming up soon, isn't it?" Gerald inquired, looking a bit more serious this time.
Nadia immediately looked up at her tutor and exclaimed, "I'm fine! It was a joke!"
"I know, I know," he responded, "But really, your birthday's coming up right?"
"Yeah, but what about it?" she asked.
"What about it?" he repeated before placing a small plastic bag on the table. "What about it you ask? Well, before I came back from my little vacation with the missus and my kids, I got you something that you might enjoy."
His fingers worked at releasing the knot that he had made earlier and in no time he was pulling out a package of beef jerky and other little snacks. Nadia instantly stood up to take the foodstuffs from Gerald, but her assault was deflected when he swiftly scooped the contents away from her reach.
Shaking his index finger disapprovingly, Gerald said, "Wait a minute! First, I'm hungry too. So, how about we make a little trade? Your toast for these things."
"Take it!" she shouted, shoving her tray in front of Gerald before reaching for the snacks.
The man picked up one of the half eaten pieces and mentioned, "God, Nadia. You act like a kid sometimes, you know," before folding the piece of toast and shoving the entire thing into his mouth.
"You don't even know what I had to eat here while you were gone," she retorted while rolling her eyes, "and besides, I haven't had this stuff in a long time either."
Gerald's face quickly cringed and he nearly spat out his food, but instead he managed to force it down, taking a big gulp from Nadia's cup much to her protest. "Ugh, what'd you put on it?"
"Marmalade, what else?" Nadia replied, seemingly confused.
"It's bitter!"
"Well, it's made with Seville oranges, so yeah," she affirmed, "but don't you like it?"
Shaking his head no, Gerald downed the rest of Nadia's drink while sustaining several of of her weak punches to his shoulder. After slamming the metal cup down, he stood up and made a dash for one of the exits while avoiding being hit by the same cup after Nadia had thrown it at him.
"Then I'll be seeing you tomorrow! And good night!"