now that I have the lady scanned in, I can set it up so that she has access to the rear entrance and your quarters.” Jesse raised his right hand in a halting motion, “But only if you want it that way. You just let me know.”
That sign must be on my back.
“Ah, thank you, Jesse, I’m glad that got up there.” Much quieter he said, “I’ll let you know.”
As they headed up the stairs he answered her questioning look, “Jesse forgot to tell me that my new uniform allotment arrived and that I have a clothing service station so I won’t have to take my uniforms out for cleaning.”
The top of the curved stairway ended at the walkway and they turned to the left. The left side of the hallway seemed to be offices and a conference room. The right side was just a wall with some artwork hung on it. Just before the dining hall was a small store that looked like it focused on small personal items like toiletries.
The hallway ended in a floor-to-ceiling window that was continued into the dining room and formed an entire wall of that room. The room looked like it could hold a hundred diners. There were only two people sitting at one table near the door, “Looks like we’re early. Good, I hate crowds.”
There was an older female Chief Petty Officer behind a long counter to their right. As they approached she smiled, “Hello, I don’t believe I’ve seen you two before. I’m CPO Edna Barnhill; just call me ‘Barney’. Please, swipe in.” She indicated the reader on the screen she was standing behind: It was one of four on the counter. After they had done that, Barney checked her screen, “Ah, Lieutenant West, I see you just checked in and this lovely young lady will be your guest.”
Josiah could only smile at her, Darken her hair a bit and she’s Grandma all over again , “Yes, Barney, we require a good meal after the day we’ve had.”
She just smiled again, “Well, you two certainly don’t look any the worse for it. Let me explain how we work here: You scan in as you just did at whatever counter station is manned, make your selection from these menu screens,” she pointed up to the screens along the wall behind her, “then go find a seat and we will call your name when your food is ready ; then you just come up to the counter and get it. We don’t have enough personnel to have waiters but the food is excellent.”
Josiah picked a medium-well steak, baked potato, green beans, and lemonade. Parente looked at him funny and said, “You’ve been reading my file.” She then turned to Barney, “Make that two of the same.”
Barney just grinned as she tapped in the orders. When she had finished she looked up, “You two dears go find a seat. I’ll bring your dinners to you. We won’t have a rush for almost an hour yet.”
Josiah started to turn away then stopped, “Say, Barney, would you happen to know a guy named ‘Bax’?”
She lit up with a big grin, “Oh, you’ve met my grandson!”
“Yes, I have; good man; knows his job.”
“I’ll be certain to tell him you remembered him.”
They found a table at the farthest back corner by the window and Josiah pulled the chair out for her. It was obvious that she liked that simple courtesy. As he sat down opposite her she said, “You wouldn’t believe how much she reminds me of my grandmother; both of them.” Josiah had to explain his laughter.
She folded her arms on the table and leaned forward, “So, Lieutenant West, you were going to tell me about the ‘yellow brick road’.”
He held up his hand, “Ok, let’s put a stop to that. Just call me Josey when we’re alone.”
She smiled, “Only if you call me Nora.”
“Alright...Nora, the yellow brick road starts almost five years ago when I left the Academy....”
The food arrived and Josiah talked around mouthfuls. Barney hovered nearby and refilled their glasses. Josiah did not leave out any details and an hour went by unnoticed. He enjoyed talking to Nora , and Barney could see
That sign must be on my back.
“Ah, thank you, Jesse, I’m glad that got up there.” Much quieter he said, “I’ll let you know.”
As they headed up the stairs he answered her questioning look, “Jesse forgot to tell me that my new uniform allotment arrived and that I have a clothing service station so I won’t have to take my uniforms out for cleaning.”
The top of the curved stairway ended at the walkway and they turned to the left. The left side of the hallway seemed to be offices and a conference room. The right side was just a wall with some artwork hung on it. Just before the dining hall was a small store that looked like it focused on small personal items like toiletries.
The hallway ended in a floor-to-ceiling window that was continued into the dining room and formed an entire wall of that room. The room looked like it could hold a hundred diners. There were only two people sitting at one table near the door, “Looks like we’re early. Good, I hate crowds.”
There was an older female Chief Petty Officer behind a long counter to their right. As they approached she smiled, “Hello, I don’t believe I’ve seen you two before. I’m CPO Edna Barnhill; just call me ‘Barney’. Please, swipe in.” She indicated the reader on the screen she was standing behind: It was one of four on the counter. After they had done that, Barney checked her screen, “Ah, Lieutenant West, I see you just checked in and this lovely young lady will be your guest.”
Josiah could only smile at her, Darken her hair a bit and she’s Grandma all over again , “Yes, Barney, we require a good meal after the day we’ve had.”
She just smiled again, “Well, you two certainly don’t look any the worse for it. Let me explain how we work here: You scan in as you just did at whatever counter station is manned, make your selection from these menu screens,” she pointed up to the screens along the wall behind her, “then go find a seat and we will call your name when your food is ready ; then you just come up to the counter and get it. We don’t have enough personnel to have waiters but the food is excellent.”
Josiah picked a medium-well steak, baked potato, green beans, and lemonade. Parente looked at him funny and said, “You’ve been reading my file.” She then turned to Barney, “Make that two of the same.”
Barney just grinned as she tapped in the orders. When she had finished she looked up, “You two dears go find a seat. I’ll bring your dinners to you. We won’t have a rush for almost an hour yet.”
Josiah started to turn away then stopped, “Say, Barney, would you happen to know a guy named ‘Bax’?”
She lit up with a big grin, “Oh, you’ve met my grandson!”
“Yes, I have; good man; knows his job.”
“I’ll be certain to tell him you remembered him.”
They found a table at the farthest back corner by the window and Josiah pulled the chair out for her. It was obvious that she liked that simple courtesy. As he sat down opposite her she said, “You wouldn’t believe how much she reminds me of my grandmother; both of them.” Josiah had to explain his laughter.
She folded her arms on the table and leaned forward, “So, Lieutenant West, you were going to tell me about the ‘yellow brick road’.”
He held up his hand, “Ok, let’s put a stop to that. Just call me Josey when we’re alone.”
She smiled, “Only if you call me Nora.”
“Alright...Nora, the yellow brick road starts almost five years ago when I left the Academy....”
The food arrived and Josiah talked around mouthfuls. Barney hovered nearby and refilled their glasses. Josiah did not leave out any details and an hour went by unnoticed. He enjoyed talking to Nora , and Barney could see
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