Fishies!

Posted on Sun Mar 10th, 2019 @ 4:58am by Senior Chief Petty Officer Fernando De La Rosa [Taylor]

Mission: Episode 1: Hell is a four letter word
Location: crew quarters
2060 words - 4.1 OF Standard Post Measure

Mona came in with a large box on a sled, which buzzed with an active stasis field. "Fernando?" she called, hoping he was home. "I've got the fishies!" Now their aquarium could come to life.

Hearing Mona's voice, Fernando came from the kitchen where he was undertaking preparing a meal for Mona and himself. His eyes lit up as he saw the box. "Fishies! Yay! What do I need to do to help you?"

"No!" Mona exclaimed. "You can't have them yet. They need to grow first, spawn. Maybe then you can take a few. Just stick with replicated food for whatever it is you're cooking, okay?"

Fernando looked at her, a startled look on his face before a mega watt smile appeared on it. "Relax Mona. I'm not going to eat them. I meant what can I do to help you get them in the tank? Dinner can wait and it's for us." He clarified.

Mona giggled. She loved pulling his leg. "Well, you don't happen to know how to get something out of a stasis field without hurting it?" she asked. "Or, can I just reach in there or do I need something to protect my hands?"

Fernando noticed her giggle and he blushed scarlet. "You are pulling my leg aren't you? I will learn one day." Yet to himself he hoped that day was long into the future if ever. "As to the stasis field, you would do well to wear rubber gloves to discharge the field from around you while you are removing the fish. How many are there?"

"About two hundred, I think", Mona said. "They're small, put into stasis in groups of ten or so." She hadn't read all the details on the list, she figured she'd see once she opened the box, which she promptly did. "The instructions say to let in the ones in the blue boxes first, then wait about ten minutes before releasing the ones in the red boxes." There were many more blue than red boxes, and the fish in the red boxes were larger. "They're the predators", she explained.

"Alright." Fernando replied, "Lets get to it and welcome our little friends to their new home."

"Yes, it'll be marvellous!" Mona was clearly excited. She got the gloves from the replicator and moved a chair next to the tank, to open up the top. She took a box out of the container and quickly climbed up the chair with it, releasing the still stunned fish into the aquarium. They were blue with red stripes, clearly visible in the lights in the tank. First a bit dazed, they began to wake up and seek out hiding places between the corals and rocks.

Fernando gazed at the fish as Mona released the fish into the tank. They were beautiful! He didn't know a lot about fish but he had to admit they were beautiful. Mona had done an excellent job in selecting them.

Mona worked quickly to get all of the smaller fish in there. "I've done some research. If all goes well, we needn't even feed them. They'll eat the plankton that lives off the light, and then it goes up the food chain. And every now and then we'll have to take some of the bigger ones out."

Fernando nodded, he would trust Mona, she seemed to know what she was talking about. "Alright that sounds good. How much bigger are we talking about when we have to remove some of them?"

"Well, they're going to procreate in there", Mona said, "All of the species. So we'll just have to watch and see. I was told they taste good, so you will get to fry some eventually." She grinned. With the last of the blue-boxed fish in the tank, Mona peeked over towards the kitchen area. "So, what are you making? Not fish, right? Wouldn't want to scare them right from the start."

Fernando got a dejected look on his face, "I guess, I'll have to think of something else for us to eat tonight." He said glumly.

Mona grinned. "I had no idea you enjoyed cooking. I'll have to watch out, don't I?"

Now it was Fernando's turn to grin. "I wasn't cooking fish. I was fixing soft shell beef and cheese tacos for us." He nodded, "I'm full of surprises Mona."

"Indeed", Mona said. "But with all the sweets I enjoy, now you add cheese to it, I'll have to be careful so I won't get fat." Though, a few more pounds here and there, that wouldn't hurt Mona any. She had a buffer zone. "That's great, though."

"You fat? Never!" Fernando quickly replied. "Wait until you eat them before you decide if it's great or not." Fernando chuckled, "Though I like the way you think Mona."

"I like to think something is fun before I go in", Mona said. "If you're critical before you've tried it, you're much more likely not to like it." She paused. "Well, that sounded weird. But still, I'm determined to enjoy it." She shooed him back towards the kitchen. "Go, leave me to it before the food spoils. I want to prepare a surprise of my own."

Fernando gave her a questioning look but didn't press her. He simply nodded and turned and headed back to the kitchen though he couldn't help but wonder just what the surprise was Mona was preparing.

Mona went into her bedroom and came back out wearing a straw hat and a red bikini. The cabin's holoemitters, which she had programmed accordingly during the previous two days, switched on and turned the place into a beach, complete with lounge chairs. The only difference was the absence of an ocean, they could watch the fish tank instead. "How's this?" she called.

Hearing Mona call out, Fernando returned to the living room and stopped short as he caught sight of Mona in her red bikini and straw hat. He nodded approvingly. "Mamma Mia, you are gorgeous Mona! Simply stunning." He gushed then stopped thinking she might take offense at his compliment. "I uh like very much." He said in a classic understatement.

"I'd be disappointed if you didn't", Mona said. Now the bigger fish went into the tank, except the chair she had used was now a rock to climb on. "This works for beach parties, don't you think?"

"Most definitely! It does." Fernando agreed enthusiastically. "This is an excellent idea you had Mona." He looked at the tank and the fish swimming about. "I think the tank looks marvelous! We have a real conversation piece with it."

Mona made sure the stasis pod was empty, and then had it recycled into the ship's raw materials stockpile, something the holoemitters could do just as well as a transporter or replicator pad these days. She then wrapped her arms around Fernando and placed a kiss on his lips. "Thank you for helping me, and for letting me do this."

Fernando brought his arms up and wrapped them around Mona in an answering hug, holding her lightly. "Thank you Mona for being here with me and this wonderful idea." He said quietly as he returned the kiss and prayed she wouldn't deck him.

"Shall we eat on the beach?" Mona asked. To her, it was the best place to do just about anything. She'd have preferred at the beach, but with the simulation, 'on' was the next best thing. And it was the best home, away from where she had grow up, which she had ever had.

"Wonderful idea! Fernando replied excitedly, "Let me get the tacos and the chips. What do you want to drink Mona?"

"I don't know", Mona replied. "What do you recommend with tacos and chips? I don't know what those are."

He smiled brilliantly at her, "Then you my dear are in for a treat." Still holding her, he looked at her, "I know just the thing! Do you trust me Mona?" It was a simple question but it meant so much. "Sit in a beach chair and I will serve dinner."

There were many levels of trust, and Mona had no cause to doubt him here. "All right", she agreed. "I'll allow myself to be surprised."

He chuckled at her statement of allowing herself to be surprised, "Why, thank you very much. Now you just sit down and make yourself comfortable and I'll be right back with the tacos, chips and drinks." Fernando finished as he turned and headed back into the kitchen whistling happily as he did.

Mona climbed onto and spread out on the lounge chair, looking up. "I am eagerly awaiting the results of your efforts", she grinned.

A few minutes later, Fernando returned with two plates filled with taco and chips, "Taco and chips. Be back with the drinks." A he disappeared back into the kitchen only to return with two tall glasses. "Margaritas." He explained handing her one.

"Ah, I know those, they're great", Mona approved, taking the glass off his hand and placing it on the wooden box that had replaced their usual table for the purpose of this simulation. "The food smells great." At least the tacos did, she wasn't so sure about the chips.

"Thank you. Try the chips." He remained standing, "Excuse me, I seem to be over dressed." As he went into his bedroom. He returned a few minutes later wearing a big sombrero, sun glasses, a t-shirt that said "kiss the cook" and bright canary yellow shorts. He stood before her, "Better?"

Mona laughed. "I think you should lose the shirt, if only to improve your chances." She tried one of the chips, then asked, "Have you got any of that sauce from this Mexican holiday the doctor told me about?"

Fernando looked down at the shirt. "But I like this shirt. However if it improves my chances for getting another kiss...…" He pulled the shirt up and over his head and dropped it on the chair. "Now, what sauce and what Mexican holiday? You should know I'm a Spaniard not a Mexican."

"Well, Dr. Hertz told me about this passenger liner on Earth's oceans, the Titan, or Titanic, I think it was. Apparently it sank on its first trip, and it was carrying mayonnaise to Mexico, and the people there were so distraught over the loss that they've commemorated it with a national holiday, called Sinko de Mayo", Mona explained. "It must be really great stuff, and she said it's great with chips."

Fernando listened as Mona repeated what she had been told by Dr. Hertz. It was all he could do not to laugh. He would have to talk to the good doctor later about this. "I um, I don't think that's quite right." He answered. "It was the Titanic and yes it sank on it's maiden voyage. It hit an iceberg. It's Cinco de Mayo. It celebrates Mexican Independence. However I do have some sauce for the chips, I'll get it." As he rushed into the kitchen and a moment later returned with two small bowls. "BBQ sauce and Thousand Island dressing... um mayo." Try and see how you like them."

"I knew there was something fishy about it, the way she told the story", Mona remarked, adding some of both sauces to her plate. She tried it again and enjoyed the spicy food. "This is good, very good." She beamed at him. "You're full of surprises, Fernando."

He smiled happily at her compliment, "Thank you Mona. Thank you very much. I am delighted you like the tacos. As for surprises, I try."

"But don't you want to join me, instead of just watching me eat?" Mona asked. She made some space for him before taking a sip of her drink.

"Of course I do. I just wanted to make sure you had everything you needed." As he dropped to sit beside her on the blanket where they could enjoy their stay at the beach.

Mona slid down to sit beside him on the blanket, leaning against him and putting one arm around him. This was food she could eat with one hand, and that was not such a bad thing. "Definitely better without the shirt."

Fernando could just nod happily. This was nice! Spending time with Mona. He looked at her and just smiled, "This was an excellent idea."

 

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