Your Classic Sci-Fi
Chapter 2
Diversity was one thing, but when people refused to speak the common language like many passengers on the commercial craft, it really bugged James. Actually, it was more the fact that those who refused to learn were the ones who'd get angry when it wasn't possible for the crew to understand what they're saying. She sighed heavily.
"Look. The soup's tomato. I don't really care anymore, I'm not supposed to be here, it's not my job. I can't get fired for something I didn't want to do in the first place and you can't understand what I'm saying anyway. Good luck complaining to someone who doesn't understand what the hell you're saying and have a nice day." James smiled sarcastically at the woman gesticulating wildly in front of her and carelessly poured a ladle of soup into the bowl of her tray.
To her right a low laugh erupted from the man serving chips. The queue continued moving after the angry passenger finally accepted her fate of tomato soup and walked off, and James got back into the rhythm of pouring soup into bowls without much care.
"You find something amusing about my dealing with that customer, Smith?" She continued smiling at customers as she served them but there was a slight venom in her voice as she questioned the caterer standing next to her. He bumped her hip with his.
"Ah, you know I always love the way you deal with the people around you. It's why I encourage anyone with the slightest sniffles to take the day off so you're forced over here." He paused to help a customer who didn't seem to understand the concept of chips. The phrase "what planet are you from?" ran through James's mind briefly before remembering that it was possible for customers on the ship to be from other planets. Some of the old phrases just weren't any fun anymore.
After being told how they're made from potatoes and fried until a fluffy golden yellow, the man's eyes lit up and he gestured for a large portion. Never had James seen someone be so excited at the concept of chips...
Reaching her, the man looked at the soup she was holding and held up a hand to pass. For some reason, she couldn't help but feel slightly offended. And again, Smith began laughing at her reaction.
"So you're the one who got me stuck down here? You know I hate this. If I wanted to cater I would have failed that maths exam oh so many eons ago." She snapped back.
"Ooh," he mocked. "Get your head out your butt James and take a look around you for once. This isn't so bad. You could be stuck on the laundry deck or something."
"Yeah, well the way the captain's going about these filters I could easily wind up doing a job down there. My god these people are so disgusting."
A bearded old man stood in front of James looked at her with shock as she said this and she realised she may have spoken a bit too loudly. "Not you sir, you look lovely. Have a nice day." She smiled.
At this, Smith was in hysterics. "You do brighten my day, James. You really do." He smiled.
"Well I'm glad someone appreciates me." The line was thinning out, and only a few people were left. James's heart swelled slightly at the thought of going back to her cabin to read some more of that novel. It hadn't even got to the part where the ship became evil or aliens attacked or whatever it had in store for her. That was the great thing about those novels, they found every dark and horrifying fear people had about space travel and emphasised it. Must have been great trying to encourage people to go out into space when it was first possible commercially. After all that classic sci-fi everyone would be too afraid of something going wrong. Sometimes James wished it would go wrong, just for the adventure.
"We're having a catering get together after this, just a bit of a laugh after the third month out here. Sometimes these walls can be so boring and we're hoping to decorate them with a bit of food. But we're not explicitly planning a food fight or anything," he winked. "You wanna come?"
"Smith, I'm not part of catering. I'm the sole member of the navigatory crew." And with that she dropped the ladle into the remnants of soup and left.
Smith grunted in frustration. "You don't have to be."
"Look. The soup's tomato. I don't really care anymore, I'm not supposed to be here, it's not my job. I can't get fired for something I didn't want to do in the first place and you can't understand what I'm saying anyway. Good luck complaining to someone who doesn't understand what the hell you're saying and have a nice day." James smiled sarcastically at the woman gesticulating wildly in front of her and carelessly poured a ladle of soup into the bowl of her tray.
To her right a low laugh erupted from the man serving chips. The queue continued moving after the angry passenger finally accepted her fate of tomato soup and walked off, and James got back into the rhythm of pouring soup into bowls without much care.
"You find something amusing about my dealing with that customer, Smith?" She continued smiling at customers as she served them but there was a slight venom in her voice as she questioned the caterer standing next to her. He bumped her hip with his.
"Ah, you know I always love the way you deal with the people around you. It's why I encourage anyone with the slightest sniffles to take the day off so you're forced over here." He paused to help a customer who didn't seem to understand the concept of chips. The phrase "what planet are you from?" ran through James's mind briefly before remembering that it was possible for customers on the ship to be from other planets. Some of the old phrases just weren't any fun anymore.
After being told how they're made from potatoes and fried until a fluffy golden yellow, the man's eyes lit up and he gestured for a large portion. Never had James seen someone be so excited at the concept of chips...
Reaching her, the man looked at the soup she was holding and held up a hand to pass. For some reason, she couldn't help but feel slightly offended. And again, Smith began laughing at her reaction.
"So you're the one who got me stuck down here? You know I hate this. If I wanted to cater I would have failed that maths exam oh so many eons ago." She snapped back.
"Ooh," he mocked. "Get your head out your butt James and take a look around you for once. This isn't so bad. You could be stuck on the laundry deck or something."
"Yeah, well the way the captain's going about these filters I could easily wind up doing a job down there. My god these people are so disgusting."
A bearded old man stood in front of James looked at her with shock as she said this and she realised she may have spoken a bit too loudly. "Not you sir, you look lovely. Have a nice day." She smiled.
At this, Smith was in hysterics. "You do brighten my day, James. You really do." He smiled.
"Well I'm glad someone appreciates me." The line was thinning out, and only a few people were left. James's heart swelled slightly at the thought of going back to her cabin to read some more of that novel. It hadn't even got to the part where the ship became evil or aliens attacked or whatever it had in store for her. That was the great thing about those novels, they found every dark and horrifying fear people had about space travel and emphasised it. Must have been great trying to encourage people to go out into space when it was first possible commercially. After all that classic sci-fi everyone would be too afraid of something going wrong. Sometimes James wished it would go wrong, just for the adventure.
"We're having a catering get together after this, just a bit of a laugh after the third month out here. Sometimes these walls can be so boring and we're hoping to decorate them with a bit of food. But we're not explicitly planning a food fight or anything," he winked. "You wanna come?"
"Smith, I'm not part of catering. I'm the sole member of the navigatory crew." And with that she dropped the ladle into the remnants of soup and left.
Smith grunted in frustration. "You don't have to be."