The Girl in the Tank: Galactic Consortium, Season 1

Episode Six: Are there Closets in Space? ch. 9

"Do all of your boyfriends cook?" Madsen whispered to Dan. "Cause you could have come out ages ago. We can be very accepting if people feed us."

Dan smiled and shoulder bumped his bunkmate. "You might want to see what he's cooking first."

"I am making a new dish," Bakala said. "It's a blend of Consortium and American cuisine, newly created aboard this here ship." He had brought a box of supplies. He ran his finger along the metal counter top, drawing a circle and then tapped twice. The circle changed color as it grew hot.

"It heats up?" Jensen said, astonished.

"You didn't know that?" Bakala replied. "What have you been eating all this time?"

"We've been going to the mess, or eating snacks," Dan replied.

"By the Watcher, you poor people," Bakala said. "I definitely have to feed you now." He placed a circular cracker-like flatbread on the heated spot. He spread a bean paste across the top, followed by sun-dried tomato paste. Then he scattered some olives, chopped veggies and cheese across the top. "Shoo," he said to Dan and Madsen. "I will bring it when it's ready."

Dan and Madsen made for the back of the room. Jensen was already slid into his seat and was toying with his slate. He had his wife on Skype and they were talking.

The door slid open and Kleppie came in, followed by Kavi. Dan had known that the two knew each other, but not that were close enough for dinner dates. Kavi looked no worse for the incident with the men, but Dan knew the damage might not be visible on the outside. She gave him a smile and a nod.

When they got back to the table, she shied away suddenly. "Can you?" she gestured at Kleppie.

"Of course," he replied and slid in first, so she wouldn't be trapped.

"How are you doing?" Dan asked her.

"I am... doing," she said. "Kleppie has been good to talk to me these last few days. A good ear, you might say. I," she paused. "I don't really want to talk about it tonight though."

"Of course," Dan said.

"But, thanks."

"I should probably get off, we are about ready to eat here," Jensen was saying to his wife.

"Nonsense," Bakala said as he came back with the first plate, "she should join us, of course. Kavi?"

Kavi touched the back of the projection and threw it at the wall. Nicole Jensen appeared on the view screen, with her baby daughter in her lap.

"Wow, we didn't know you could do that either," Madsen said.

Bakala slid the plate over to Madsen and returned to the kitchen. The baby on Nicole's lap fussed and cried. "She's been teething," Nicole groused.

Jensen started laughing. "You know I lost four teeth in the blast, hit my head on a stair railing? So when we came on board the healers poked around in there and then stuck these patches or something in there. Said 'you'll be fine.' And off I went. Every couple days they make me open up and they inspect them, or pull them off and replace them. I didn't think nothing of it, just do what they say, right? So this morning I wake up sweaty, with my jaw aching and drool all over my pillow."

He paused in telling his story to accept a plate from Bakala. "So I go to the healer and ask what's up. He's like, 'oh, your new teeth are coming in. Once they break the surface you'll feel better.' So tell our daughter I know what she's going through."

Before long Bakala had served them all. Dan thought the food was delicious and said so. "In America," Kleppie said. "Pizza doesn't usually come with bean paste and goat cheese, but really this is pretty good."