To Gagh or not to Gagh? "
By: Krystal, Hologram, [RNPC]
Maxine Lucinda Tapert, Computer Specialist, [PC]
M'Ressha Mikaht, Fighter Pilot, [RNPC]

Stardate: 58205.28 1340

Blitzer considered replicating a plate of gagh for Max, he'd hoped it would make her squeamish of course. It would have been funny he thought, however he worried that it might not affect at all, in which case that would betray to him that she was more machine than woman. While he rather liked authentic klingon cuisine which was still squirming or bleeding on the plate, he was even more amused by humans who who pretended to be able to stomach it.

As he paced in front of the replicator, his tail swayed back and forth betraying his contemplation. He wanted to impress Max and needed something quite out of the ordinary. "Computer display the most preferred food for terran born humans for the past 200 years." The computer chirped and displayed a menu. Many of them he recognized as suitable for romantic dinners, which this was not.

"Computer, of this list, display foods suitable for a picnic." Blitzer frowned as the list returned with 1 item, chicken. "From the previous list, display food most eaten by computer technicians." A small list appeared. He studied the description of each item. "Computer display image of...Pea-za." The computer chirped. Blitzer frowned again, "please display the item in a 3 dimensional representation." The computer replied, "All food items in the database are represented as 3 dimensional items." Blitzer protested, "But it is flat!" The computer coldly, "The parameters of the displayed food item is consistent with its recommended serving suggestion."

Blitzer tapped the side of his cheek as he tried to make up his mind. "It looked like klingon blood pie with cheese," he thought to himself. "..and cheese is good." he said out loud. He put his paw in the LCARS display and dragged the display of the item to the replicator box causing the console to beep and chirp. The replicator on the other side of the room shimmered into action.

He approached the replicator and took a deep breath into his nostrils. "Mmm!" that smelled very good. He wondered why he'd never heard of this dish before. He picked it up, it seemed to be served on a flat smooth piece of wood. He held it up eye-level and examined its profile. "So flat" he muttered. He hoped Max heard of this earth food, he had no clue how to go about eating it.

Blizter turned and headed back up the corridor toward the flight control center, "oo-oo-oo-Ak'la Bella-oo-oo-oo."

"Uht-oh... He's singing about the warrior toes again," Krystal announced to Max, who glanced back towards where Blitz had disappeared.

As he got closer to the forward cabin, he hollered up, "I made something that looks like Klingon blood pie!"

Max made a face and looked at Krystal who giggled. "See.." the pixie whispered. "It's the 'heart of his enemy'," she nodded and giggled some more at the look on Max's face.

"I am NOT eating Klingon blood pie!" Max hollered back, all ready to give him the 'Stubborn Look' when he arrived and looking all skeptical when he entered the cabin and presented Max their lunch.

"It's called Peah-za." He said beaming with delight. "Eaten by computer technicians for 2 centuries."

Now *that* made her sit up and take notice. And get a huge grin on her face. "Oh, that's *perfect*!" she beamed up at him as she took the offered food. "Oh you're gonna love this," she told him. "Come on, let's eat. I'm starving! I'm so glad this isn't blood pie. I wouldn't have choked that down. Ugh," she told him with a grin. She was very animated and very excited and practically herding him into a chair.

He found an appropriate place to set the pizza down. "I'll be right back with the drinks." he said turning and walking briskly down the hallway, "oo-oo-bella-Ak'la-oooooo," he said with a slight howl. When he arrived back at the galley he leaned close to the computer, "Computer, display beverage recommendations for peat-za."

Krystal peered down the corridor when he disappeared and giggled when he started singing again.

"Better bring napkins!" Max hollered out to him.

He studied the list of results, "ok, I'm on a roll, let's go with ...cola" he said, "and uh..napkins." The replicator promptly materialized his request. He tucked the napkins under his arm and gathered the two glasses from the replicator and headed back up front. 'oo-oo-ooo.'

He set the glasses down and unlocked the mag chair from the floor, scooting it closer. "You know there are regulations against eating in the cock-pit," he said pausing with a solemn stare.

"Uh-huh," Max grinned over at him. "Pizza doesn't count though. Technically it's not food," she told him, clearly teasing as she reached out to take a slice, using both hands as she bit off the point and then looked like she was having an orgasm as she savored it. "Oooohhh... perfect..... Try it," she waved to the pizza, fanning her mouth a little cause it was hot.

Mimicking Max, he picked up a slice and blew on it taking a small bite his eyes widened. "Delicious. Better than blood pie!"

"Ewww.... I should hope!" Max laughed. "The computer actually knew Pizza was a favorite of computer techs?" she grinned. "That's amazing. Someone did a good job programming it."

Blitzer laughed and set down his drink. "I bet it was programmed by computer techs."

You have a good voice," she blurted out.

Blitzer winced his face, "Nah," he said with a waving off gesture. "You're just saying that." Blitzer's ears flattened in a humbling way.

"No, really," Max grinned. "I wouldn't fib about something like that, y'know...."

"We like your Warrior toes," Krystal piped up and Max couldn't help but look down at Blitz's toes.

Blitzer looked down at his toes. A Caitian's foot does not easily fit into standard maquis uniform boots. Instead he wore a modified sandal. He wiggled them for their benefit. "Warrior toes?"

Maxine watched his toes wiggle and envied him having sandals instead of boots. She hated shoes. "She means we like your song," she told him. "It sounds like warrior toes."

Blizter laughed as he chomped another bite of pizza.

"I wish I knew the words," he confessed, "I only heard it once."

A look passed between Max and Krystal and Max turned back to smile at him. "Maybe we can find it so y'can hear it again," she offered. "Krystal's really good at finding things. She's like a bloodhound."

"Yeah?" he said as his ears drew forward, "that would be, great."

Maxine blinked as she took a bite if pizza and watched his ears. She was quite fascinated with them and the way they worked.... what made them move in certain ways.... what was the correlation between the way they moved and what he was doing or feeling... Did certain movements mean certain things.. Of course all the information she was processing was going into code... She was seeing the code for him, writing it in her head even without thinking about it.

"Krystal will start on it right away," Max told him. "It might take her a while. Perhaps until we get back and she gets access to th'main computer on th'Zion. How long's th'Chief gonna be down there? We got a pickup time?"

"She has an emergency beam out device with her. So until we hear from her, or she beams aboard or the Zion arrives... here we are."

"M'not in a hurry," Maxine commented.

Blitzer took finished off his last piece of pizza and drank down the rest of his cola. He put his paws on his belly and sighed. "That was good."

Max grinned at him. "M'glad you liked it. Pizza is a staple." Then a sudden thought struck her. "Did the Chief take provisions? She's braver than I am... I wouldn't want to be down there by myself..."

Blitzer's ears drooped, "I hope she doesn't get captured." He sprung to his feet and hurriedly left the compartment. He returned moments later with a phaser rifle slung over his shoulder. He handed Max a phaser pistol. "I guess we shouldn't get too comfortable," he said.

His sudden movements made her jump a little and watch the rear of the flight deck until he returned. Then she frowned as she took the pistol. "I should probably point out that were so outnumbered these probably won't do much good..." she offered as she strapped on the pistol. "But I guess I do feel less vulnerable with it than without..." she had to admit.

"I always believe in a fighting chance, but you are probably right. If they found us, they'd probably beam us to their brig rather than beam on to our ship."

"Unless they've got some tech we don't know about, I don't think they can pluck us through our shields.." Max offered and checked to make sure the pistol was secure and not going anywhere.

"You know how to use that thing right?"

"Uhhh..." she looked up at him and nodded. "Yeah."

Blitzer grinned, "I wasn't sure if they taught computer techies that."

"I was th'lead designer of DarkWatch-III, and received a reward for its authenticity," Maxine told him proudly. "It's FPS and no one ever beat my score. I still hold the record for 100% kill shots."

Blitzer shook his head as if confused, "Dark..what?"

"Watch. DarkWatch-3," she repeated. "It's a FPS computer simulation game."

"But can you fire a phaser?" asked Blitzer empathetically.

"Oh, roight... They taught us that in basic training," Max assured him. And after all, how hard could it be? Wasn't like you could forget something like that... Right?

Blitzer chuckled as he sat down. "You got any games for fighter pilots?"

"Could always write one," she grinned at him. "But then y'have to teach me how to fly," she added.

Blitzer leaned back in his chair putting his hands behind is head and stretching out. "That could be arranged."

"Oh yeah? Just 'ow big *is* your cockpi---" her question was interrupted by a blipping from her console, causing her to ''oly crap' under her breath and sit up, her eyes and hands going to the display before her. "Eh now... 'ouston, we 'ave contact.... aka.. m'pickin' up an enemy transmission..." she told Blitz.

Blitz turned and faced his console and checked his systems as he inquired, "Can you play it through?"

"Yahuh.... 'ang on..." Max told him as she put it on speakers. Her brow creased in a frown when it came across all garbled. "eh now... That's 'andy," she grumbled facetiously. "Damned encryptions..."

"Can you decipher it?"

"Gimme a sec..." she told him and tweaked the controls on her panel. "Pixie, run a base level decryption program," she instructed as she kept making adjustments. "It's gonna take a minute or two..." she told Blitz.

Blitzer turned to his console. His eyes were alert and ready to respond any problem that surfaced.

Maxine couldn't help glancing over at him and that sort of 'pre-pounce' attitude. She always paid particular attention to body language... It fleshed out the code in her head. But she didn't give him too much of her attention because it was being gripped and held by the problem at hand.

"This is something we don't have in our databanks," Max told Blitz. "It's gonna take a bit more to decipher..."

"Okay," said Blitzer turning his glance from her back out into space.