The Oral Consumption of Nutritional Biomatter
Posted on Sat Jul 18th, 2026 @ 3:05pm by Lieutenant Commander Casey Virel & Lieutenant Nathaniel Voss
1,037 words; about a 5 minute read
Mission:
Episode 2: Mine of Taurus
Location: Casey's Quarters, 1830 hours
Timeline: Evening After "Liquid Courage"
Lieutenant Nathaniel Voss paused outside Lieutenant Commander Casey Virel's quarters, smoothing an imaginary wrinkle from the front of his uniform before glancing down at the small bottle cradled in his hands. He'd rehearsed half a dozen opening lines on the walk over, and every one of them had vanished the moment he'd reached Casey's door. Archaeological expeditions into long-forgotten alien ruins had made him anxious, even excited; that was nothing compared to the lump in his throat that came and went four times after exiting the turbolift. Taking a slow breath, he straightened his shoulders, let out a quiet, self-conscious laugh at his own expense, and pressed the door chime.
The replicator in Casey's quarters had been busy...porcelain dinnerware, silver utensils, silk napkins. Casey had just finished programming the menu selections when the chime rang. He straightened his posture, taking a final glance at his appearance in the mirror. He was dressed in loose khaki-colored casual pants that were made from a material that almost flowed like water when he moved, as well as a short sleeved white silk t-shirt. His feet were covered by well-worn brown sandals. He had obviously inherited his sense of style from the Lanthanite side of the family...casual, calm, and utterly unhurried. He walked the few paces to the doorway and pushed the control to open.
"Nate," he said with a warm smile. "Right on time."
"I figured being late to a first date would probably reflect poorly on my record," he said, a soft chuckle escaping him before he shook his head. "Actually... I've been standing out here for about thirty seconds trying to remember how to say hello without sounding like an idiot." His eyes met Casey's for a moment, and the anxious smile became something warmer. "You look..." He paused, searching for a word that didn't sound rehearsed. "...really wonderful, Casey."
"Thanks." Casey's gave drifted to Nate's uniform. "And you look..." He tilted his head slightly left. "...like you just came off duty."
"I had to finish those reports I told you about this morning," responded Nate. "I figured it was better to be under-dressed and on time than fashionably late. So, can I come in?"
Casey stepped aside immediately, sweeping one arm toward the warmly lit quarters with an inviting, if not mildly dramatic, gesture. "Of course. Welcome to my humble abode."
As Nate crossed the threshold, the aroma of freshly prepared food greeted him almost instantly. His eyes swept across the dining area—the place settings, tall white candles, silk napkins, and carefully set table. He stopped for just a second. "...Casey. You didn't need to go to all this trouble."
Casey smiled, a faint flush of color creeping into his cheeks. "Maybe I didn't need to," he admitted, glancing briefly at the table before meeting Nate's eyes again. "But I wanted to. I enjoy cooking when I have the time, and setting a proper table just makes the evening feel... intentional. Like it's something worth slowing down for." Nate went to the table, pulling a chair out for Nate. "Come on. Make yourself comfortable. Before everything I've replicated decides it's tired of waiting for us."
"You really are determined to make me feel underdressed," said Nate with a smirk.
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"You should."
Nate shook his head, still smiling, and slipped into the chair. The porcelain place setting sat perfectly aligned before him, the silverware polished to a mirror finish, the folded silk napkin resting neatly beside the plate. It all felt elegant without being ostentatious—carefully considered, much like everything else Casey seemed to do. As Casey gently pushed the chair in behind him, Nate looked up. "You know, you're setting the bar pretty high for future dates. Oh...I brought this," said Nate, putting the small bottle he had carried with him to the table."
Casey picked up the bottle, turning it around in his hand and putting it up to the light. The bottle was comparatively small, perhaps 300 mL at best. The fluid inside had an iridescent quality about it and almost seemed to faintly glow. It was a pale purplish color, similar to the Terran Lilac. "It's very...um..."
"You don't know what it is, do you?"
"Absolutely no idea."
Nate folded his arms across his chest. "And here I was thinking that in your advanced age, you would have developed some culture. It's a bottle of Moon Flower Spirits from Jevathia II."
Casey's eyes widened in surprise. "Moon Flower Spirits? I have only heard of them. Supposed to be nearly impossible to get your hands on a bottle."
Nate shrugged. "I happen to know the guy that runs the civilian science outpost on Jevathia. The Moon Flower only blooms for sixteen hours once every eight years, and only on a full moon. The blossoms are extremely delicate. I have had this bottle in cryo-suspension for three years."
"So why open it now?"
"Well, it's literally my first date since I got the bottle. So, I figured we could live a little. But it is generally a dessert beverage."
"Then we will save it for then." Casey rubbed his hands together excitedly. "I hope you're hungry. I programmed a four-course menu."
"Seriously?"
"Impressing someone usually requires impressive actions."
"I hope you don't expect this if I plan a date."
"I'm sure you will impress me in your own way." Casey went to the replicator terminal and keyed in a short control sequence. Two bowls materialized in a swirling sky-blue vortex of photonic energy, along with a glass decanter filled with a brownish liquid. "First up: mixed Rigellian spring greens, with shaved parmesan and a balsamic vinaigrette." Casey brought the bowls and dressing to the table, placing one at each place setting.
"Sounds delicious!"
"Now," Casey said as he sat down across from Nate, "perhaps you could shed some light on the story I heard."
"I'm afraid to ask which one."
"The Temple of Kural-Hanesh on Dokkara VI."
Nate groaned. "Whomever you have been talking to...they lied. That pottery was already broken when I found it..."
Lieutenant Commander Casey Virel
Chief Operations Officer
USS Scharnhorst
Lieutenant Nate Voss
Alien Archaeologist/Anthropologist
USS Scharnhorst
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