Coffee Break

Posted on Mon Nov 4th, 2019 @ 1:18am by Pilot Allegra Jennings & Executive Officer Kenneth McTigue

Mission: The Forgotten Arm
Location: Kitchen
Timeline: Few weeks earlier...

With a whir the pumps came back to life. Ken pulled his head out of the console, hit it against the top, released expletives, and stood up straight. The pressure gauge ticked over, and the drinking bulk inflated itself and filled up with a deep, dark brown liquid. The steam poured off it and the Irish man grinned. "Allegra, coffee is working again." Ken called from the kitchen.

Coffee was life. No, good coffee was life, decent coffee sorta got the job done. But having neither meant suffering. Allegra rested a hip against a table, arms crossed as she waited. "Lifesaver." She pushed away from the table and joined him in front of the machine, eyes darting from the steaming bulb, to Ken, and back to the bulb, "Though, I dunno 'bout trustin' that first bulb there."

He held it, sniffed the sweet aroma of freeze dried coffee, then extended it to her. "Ya feeling brave enough to try it?" he challenged with a cocky grin.

A quick roll of her eyes, "Are you?" She countered, an eyebrow quirking upward. It really did smell okay. More than okay, truthfully. It smelled delightful even if she wasn't the one holding the steaming bulb.

With a shrug, the addition of sugar and powedered milk, and the stir of a spoon, Ken had his coffee ready. "Bottom's up." Ken said, and emptied the bulb in one long gulp

Rising to the challenge, Ken held her rapt attention as he doctored the coffee. Ally was jealous really, but there was always a second bulb, if the machine really was fixed, and that she didn't doubt. She poked a finger at his shoulder, "Well? Did it kill ya? Burn your insides? Coffee is made for sipping Kenny-boy."

"Not dead yet Legs." Ken replied and crushed the thin plastic bulb. He walked back and pressed the button again, the pump whirred, the pressure built, and the second bulb was inflated. "It works. Still tastes shitty, but it works." He offered the coffee to Allegra.

The nickname earned him an aggravated wrinkling of both her forehead and her nose, "Ugh." Turn about was fair play it seemed since Allegra had started it with the 'Kenny-boy'. "That's good to know, 'Tross wouldn't be flyin' right without ya." Her eyes drifted shut as the aroma filled her senses yet again, "Smells better than it tastes?" Which meant doctoring it more than normal. Which, she did by dropping in two sweeteners and two whiteners and giving it a quick stir before taking a tester sip, "Not too shabby, Ken, not too shabby."

"Thank you, thank you." Ken nodded. "One of these days I'll talk Mick into getting some half-decent coffee for the machine too." he picked up his toolbag. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to whisper sweet nothings to my reactor again."

"Don't forget to tell 'em how pretty they are. I hear they like that."