The 122nd
Chapter Fifteen: The Tea Party
The tea that Bryan had ordered from the canteen swirled in his mug. He looked down into it and watched the ripples move back and forth with the motion of his movements. It reminded Bryan of the Atlantic ocean he once knew back home on Earth. The difference, however, was that this was a mug of tea and that was an ocean. The tea was a tan color and the ocean was a blue color. The tea had no wind or waves beside any that he created with his breath. The ocean had current and a surf near the shore. The mug of tea couldn't compare to the beautiful ocean back on Earth. Bryan took a small sip of the hot tea and was careful not to let it singe his tongue. It tasted good and Bryan let a smile form on his face. Indeed, the canteen did have good tea.
Bryan kept his eyes on the people who walked around in the canteen. There were many privates and a couple of officers. The canteen itself contained three entrances. There was the east entrance which led to the eastern elevator of sub-level three, there was the west entrance which, like it's eastern counterpart, led to the eastern elevator of sub-level three, and finally there was the north entrance which connected to the long corridor. To the south were two doors and a window between them. It was the kitchen and plenty of food was prepared and stored in the kitchen. The food was served through the window and littered throughout the canteen were tables and seats. Some were metal like those in a high school cafeteria and some were round and wooden with chairs matching the tables. There were pictures of exotic locations back home scattered on the walls around the canteen. Bryan happened to be on the north-east corner of the canteen trying to think about everything that had happened to him since he embarked upon his mission yesterday.
Bryan looked around for a clock but there wasn't one around. Bryan sighed and decided he no longer cared. Once again, he stirred his hot tea and pondered the meeting and the mission. The admiral told him he would contact him again when he wanted another meeting, but Bryan hadn't expected the meeting to be so short. It lasted only an hour and even then, the hour went by quickly. Bryan was hoping for more details and an overall picture of what it was they were facing. Bryan took another sip of his hot tea and thought back to the cave. He remembered the creature on the ceiling wedged between two stalactites. It had pounced on private Hutchison and stabbed him with it's hooks before it was brought down and killed by gunfire. Bryan shook his head and stared back into the mug to where his tea awaited him.
Suddenly, Bryan sensed someone nearby and before he was able to look up, a voice said "Hey captain." Bryan recognized the voice even before he looked up. It was private Brandon. Bryan smiled and said "Hey Brandon. What brings you over here?" Brandon replied "I saw you were the last person to leave the meeting and so I followed you." Bryan chuckled and said "So now you're stalking me, huh?" They both laughed and Brandon said "May I take this seat?" Bryan replied "Sure." Brandon took the seat across from Bryan on the circular table and he set down a sandwich and a bottle of water. Bryan took another sip of the tea and felt the soothing liquid make his parched tongue feel better. Brandon was already biting into his sandwich and they sat there for the first couple of minutes eating and drinking.
Brandon was the one who broke the silence. He said "It wasn't your fault, captain." Bryan grinned hesitantly and looked away. Brandon continued "It was like the admiral said, sir. No one knew what was down there. You couldn't have known. No one did." Bryan glared at Brandon and quickly said "If I hadn't ordered the team down into the cave, none of this would have happened. This whole thing is my fault and you know it!" The murmur and chatter of the canteen suddenly replaced the conversation and Bryan knew he had blown his temper. Bryan exhaled and got up, taking one last sip of the remaining tea before setting it down on the table. Bryan said "I'm... I'm going back to my room. If you're ever around, feel free to chat with me. See you later private." Brandon sat there looking at Bryan with his sandwich still in front of him. Brandon looked disappointed. Bryan wished he hadn't blown his temper like that but the whole mission bothered Bryan and he was intent on finding out what's going to happen next.
Bryan kept his eyes on the people who walked around in the canteen. There were many privates and a couple of officers. The canteen itself contained three entrances. There was the east entrance which led to the eastern elevator of sub-level three, there was the west entrance which, like it's eastern counterpart, led to the eastern elevator of sub-level three, and finally there was the north entrance which connected to the long corridor. To the south were two doors and a window between them. It was the kitchen and plenty of food was prepared and stored in the kitchen. The food was served through the window and littered throughout the canteen were tables and seats. Some were metal like those in a high school cafeteria and some were round and wooden with chairs matching the tables. There were pictures of exotic locations back home scattered on the walls around the canteen. Bryan happened to be on the north-east corner of the canteen trying to think about everything that had happened to him since he embarked upon his mission yesterday.
Bryan looked around for a clock but there wasn't one around. Bryan sighed and decided he no longer cared. Once again, he stirred his hot tea and pondered the meeting and the mission. The admiral told him he would contact him again when he wanted another meeting, but Bryan hadn't expected the meeting to be so short. It lasted only an hour and even then, the hour went by quickly. Bryan was hoping for more details and an overall picture of what it was they were facing. Bryan took another sip of his hot tea and thought back to the cave. He remembered the creature on the ceiling wedged between two stalactites. It had pounced on private Hutchison and stabbed him with it's hooks before it was brought down and killed by gunfire. Bryan shook his head and stared back into the mug to where his tea awaited him.
Suddenly, Bryan sensed someone nearby and before he was able to look up, a voice said "Hey captain." Bryan recognized the voice even before he looked up. It was private Brandon. Bryan smiled and said "Hey Brandon. What brings you over here?" Brandon replied "I saw you were the last person to leave the meeting and so I followed you." Bryan chuckled and said "So now you're stalking me, huh?" They both laughed and Brandon said "May I take this seat?" Bryan replied "Sure." Brandon took the seat across from Bryan on the circular table and he set down a sandwich and a bottle of water. Bryan took another sip of the tea and felt the soothing liquid make his parched tongue feel better. Brandon was already biting into his sandwich and they sat there for the first couple of minutes eating and drinking.
Brandon was the one who broke the silence. He said "It wasn't your fault, captain." Bryan grinned hesitantly and looked away. Brandon continued "It was like the admiral said, sir. No one knew what was down there. You couldn't have known. No one did." Bryan glared at Brandon and quickly said "If I hadn't ordered the team down into the cave, none of this would have happened. This whole thing is my fault and you know it!" The murmur and chatter of the canteen suddenly replaced the conversation and Bryan knew he had blown his temper. Bryan exhaled and got up, taking one last sip of the remaining tea before setting it down on the table. Bryan said "I'm... I'm going back to my room. If you're ever around, feel free to chat with me. See you later private." Brandon sat there looking at Bryan with his sandwich still in front of him. Brandon looked disappointed. Bryan wished he hadn't blown his temper like that but the whole mission bothered Bryan and he was intent on finding out what's going to happen next.